Monday, April 20, 2009

Tomé Hill

Wow! Two blog posts in a week. I can't believe this. Have I gone crazy?! No I just have been shooting more.

So this is kindof out of order but I went up to Tomé Hill on Good Friday this year. I wasn't going to go but my friend Richard Joyner wanted to go and so I took him. We got their at 5:30 AM. It was still dark and we couldn't find the path up the hill but roughed it in some rough terrain. We got to the top and as usual there were a few pilgrims just reflecting on the day. But this year the sunrise was a painting made from God.















I tell people if they want to expierence photojournalism take time to go up on Good Friday to this hill. People are so friendly. Its like when you go camping and everyone waves to each other in the woods. I met this man on the hill he has been doing the walk for 60 plus years with his family. His hat and face caught my eye. He was very nice.






After a while Richard and I decided to pack it up and go back down because the clouds were covering the great morning light and there weren't many people. There are only so many photos you can take of someone praying or holding rosary beads. Then the light broke and we went back up the hill. I am glad we went back up I got a couple more good shots before going home.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Woman who lost their lives in a horrible way




Sorry guys and gals its been a long time since posting. I promise to get more regular with the photo updates.
Albuquerque has had its stream of crazy stories in its history. Mostly bizarre but funny crime stories. But this last month there has been a real serious story developing. On the Westside of Albuquerque there is a mass grave site where 11 women's remains have been found along with an unborn child. Six of the women have been identified. "America's Most Wanted" came to town to film a segment on the crime scene. Its being deemed as the biggest crime scene in U.S. history. I live a couple miles away from the crime scene so I decided to go over and check it out.
The area is filled with emotion. Many people have left mementos of the women and others stop by to look at the flowers and pictures left.

I didn't know if these people knew the victims or what but found out they were from the neighborhood.

Police have secured the crime scene so you can't just walk in the area. The area is blocked off by cinder blocks and NO TRESPASSING signs. I shot from behind these areas and the Albuquerque Police had its mobile crime lab out. On the back bumper were plastic bags. I began to shoot some photos then zoomed in. I realized they were bones. They were animal bones that police deemed not human but some looked human. At that moment it set in of how precious human life really is. No one should have their remains hauled off in a plastic bag by a crime lab.