earl's world

New blog address

2010-05-16T07:09:00.001-07:00

My blog has moved to http://earlrrichardson.wordpress.com
Stop by soon.

Hope and light

2010-01-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

Deep in the frigid heart of winter, I need the occasional reminder that the cold and snow will pass and give way to spring. As long as the sun is shining, whether it be through a window, or in the snow, sunshine means hope. Soon, this frigid winter will give way to warmth. But until then, I'll be on the lookout for hope and light.

iPhone images

2010-01-09T17:52:00.001-08:00

All images shot with an iPhone in the past few weeks. Any manipulation was done in the iPhone with various free and cheap plug-ins and applications. Kind of fun. I just wish the files were a little larger. Enjoy.

Questions

2009-11-22T06:55:00.000-08:00

I've not updated this blog, nor have I shot much lately. It's been a lost summer and fall, with many questions, and damned few answers. Hopefully I'll have answers soon. Regardless, here are a few point and shoot images (my trusty, outdated G9) from the past few weeks.

Exiting the big blue ball

2009-07-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

I was riding back from Wichita on the Kansas Turnpike on Monday with my boss. It was rainy. Everything seemed fine. In fact, it was fine, except for about 30 seconds of terror. Suddenly, we started hydroplaning. This went on for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was probably 10 seconds. Even 10 seconds at 70mph means we likely traveled about a quarter mile, out of control and at the mercy of whatever. We were in both lanes of the turnpike, yet we avoided hitting the median barrier and then spun into the ditch.

Amazingly, we avoided colliding with any other vehicles or anything else along the highway. I figured that we were either going to roll or get t-boned by a truck. I really did believe for a second that my end was near, and I thought that there was no way I thought I would die on the Kansas Turnpike in the middle of the Flint Hills. Especially not today. Damned scary. It's a metaphor for my life the past year.

And I've spent a lot of time thinking about it this week. I'm fortunate to be alive. It's made think a lot about leaving this big blue ball and how I will be remembered when I've checked out. And how I can make the most of it while I am still here.

I need cool and green

2009-06-24T17:59:00.001-07:00

105 degree plus weather has me hankering for the cool and green of the Rockies.

What a difference a day makes.

2009-06-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was hiking at 9,000 feet near Avon, Colorado, after spending most of the last week in Summit County, Colorado. Cool temps, low humidity. Just great conditions. This evening, Toto, we're back in Kansas, and sweating like a dog. And I don't like it at all.

Skeletons in my closet, err, I mean doll's head in my basement

2009-05-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

We spent this weekend cleaning out our basement after too many years of putting it off. We rented a dumpster and filled it with several tons of worthless junk. Some of the junk was purchased with our own hard-earned money, while a bunch of it was left behind by the previous owners--my wife's parents. Regardless, there was a lot of junk. Mostly worthless except for the memories or guilt that it triggered. I am glad that it is gone.

No doubt basements everywhere are filled with just this sort of crap. Stuff that was once thought to be important, but was really just worthless junk that served no other purpose except to remind us how as a society we are largely superficial consumers of the latest crap. Perhaps the coolest thing I "found" was this creepy little doll's head, mocking me with a knowing, judgmental half smile.

Well, got to get to work refilling it with new crap.

My three daughters

2009-05-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

All of my daughters were in town this weekend. That doesn't happen very often anymore. As we gathered to celebrate Kelsey's belated 20th birthday, I paused to consider just how great they are and how much I love all three of these remarkable ladies (and their Mom, too.)

When each one of them was born, I had male relatives ask me if I was disappointed that that particular child wasn't a boy. I was later asked if I regretted that I never had a son. I wasn't and told them so. A lot of guys said, well, I bet you wanted boys so they could be athletes and carry on the family name.

First, did you ever see how many Richardsons there are in the average phonebook? There is no shortage.

Second, I did everything with my girls that a Dad would do with their boys while they were growing up. I coached them. I played games and sports with them. I hung out with them. I didn't miss anything.

Aimee was a three-sport athlete in junior high and a dancer in high school. Mallory played basketball from the time she was five years old up through her freshman year of high school. She became one of the top distance runners in the state of Kansas, was all-state in cross country and ran at KU for a year where she competed in the NCAAs. Kelsey was a competitive gymnast, went to state as a diver in high school and ran cross country. She is a gymnastics coach today. But what's even better is their non-athletics resume:

Aimee: Phi Beta Kappa in English and Sociology from KU, 2005. JD from the KU School of Law in 2008. She's a practicing attorney. Her husband Ryan is an assistant district attorney.

Mallory: Phi Beta Kappa in Psychology from KU, 2007. She just finished her second year of medical school and will graduate from the KU School of Medicine in 2011. Her husband Alan will do the same in 2012.

Kelsey: She just finished her sophomore year at KU and will follow my footsteps and enter the KU School of Journalism in the fall.

Sorry for the bragging, but thinking about this past weekend just reminds me of how proud I am of my three daughters. And I now have great sons in Alan and Ryan.

redbuds in bloom

2009-04-22T18:11:00.001-07:00

I noticed that my friend Doug Stremel likes Redbud trees as much as I do. I walked across campus tonight, and they are in bloom. I shot a few frames. Enjoy. You can almost smell them. I hope this means winter is over and spring is finally here.

Can it be spring yet?

2009-04-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Don't know about you, but I'm ready for some spring weather. Here's to hoping that winter grip is loosened by spring.

March 29, 2009

2009-03-29T06:11:00.001-07:00

Thankfully, no blizzard. Just ice, which will be gone in a few hours in a noisy, glistening shower.

March Madness

2009-03-21T08:09:00.001-07:00

Watching the NCAA Tournament made me think back to KU B-Ball Media Day 2005. I found a few pictures of the guys who would've been seniors this year. Three are now in the NBA and one is at Gonzaga. Kind of makes me wonder how good this year's team might have been had the class stayed intact for four years. Maybe another Final Four or national championship. Maybe they wouldn't have accomplished as much. Who knows, but it's fun to play "what if."

Is it just me, or has the world lost its everloving mind?

2009-02-08T06:13:00.000-08:00

As I sat watching CNN news Friday evening, I was struck by CNN's coverage of the Michael Phelps bong saga. As the world appears to be collapsing around us, CNN spent a fairly hefty chunk of time on this absolutely friggin' meaningless story. His talent? He swims fast. Big deal. I'd be more impressed if he swam all of those races and at the same time outswam a Great White Shark about to make a meal of his waterlogged arse. My first responses were (1) who cares, and (2) I sure hope the folks at Doritos recognize the endorsement goldmine that the "World's Greatest Athlete" provides. Then, in considering all of this, I came up with a theory.

My theory is this: because TV and websites have a 24-hour news cycle, and it takes a lot of (meaningless and otherwise) stuff to fill all that time (and, that also means telling the same story, over and over again, just to fill air time), it has two effects: (1) it trivializes "real" news (most news organizations have no news judgment--they're just pandering to people's ignorance and stupidity), and (2) the effects of any bad news are multiplied dramatically.

While I fully realize that our economy is tanking, I can't help but wonder if at least part of what is going on is a psychological reaction and is stoked by news organizations beating the same end-of-the-world drum, every fifteen minutes, ad nauseum. People have quit spending because they are scared shitless, which then triggers layoffs, etc., driving people to an even higher level of scared shitlessness, precluding them from spending because they now are unemployed. It becomes a cyclical downward spiral of fear which just makes things perhaps worse than they would've been if we only had Walter Cronkite telling us the numbers every night at 5:30 p.m. I'm certainly not making an argument for ignorance of our current economic situation, but at least it's food for thought.

This just in . . .Doritos has made Michael Phelps a 7-figure endorsement offer, which will drive up the cost of Doritos, making them more expensive, which people won't buy because they're too scared to spend, throwing Dorito workers out of work. Stay tuned for the full story.

The show is up

2009-02-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

I got an email that my "retrospective" is now hanging, and allegedly, the folks in the J-School like it. A pity that I didn't have more to really go back and look at neagtives from the last century. Oh well, next time. My daughter stopped by to look and said it looked good. It's a good thing she is totally objective. I'll go by soon and see it. When I don't get to make the prints, I get nervous. So, if you're in the neighborhood of KU's Stauffer-Flint Hall sometime this spring, go to the second floor and take a look. One caveat: I didn't print or choose the framing, so if you don't like it, don't blame me.

Retrospective

2009-01-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

I received an email from the KU School of Journalism last week. The person wanted to know if I was interested in displaying 20-30 photos of my photos at the J-School. I was flattered and I immediately said yes. Who wouldn't want to show their work at their alma mater? Then, I really began thinking about it.

First, I wondered who the hell backed out on such short notice. After all, they want these images framed and on the wall by February 6th, so being local, well, you do the math.

Second, I quickly discovered just how much of my work was inaccessible to me, given the short time frame. Anything I shot on film before the advent of digital would need to be scanned and printed, or negatives sent out for printing immediately. No time for that, so a lot of my favorites from the '80s and '90s are out by default.

Third, a lot of the digital I shot in 2001-2003 just really won't hold up in 16 x 20 enlargements. Or at least something I want to have my name associated with.

Fourth, my archiving efforts have been absolutely abysmal. It's as if I have a big digital shoe box and I have thrown most of my images into--at least since I went to law school in 2005. Note to self: I need to catalog the cabinet full of DVDs. Need to investigate better archiving software. If I sent down for one solid week of 12 hour days, I MIGHT get a handle on it. MAYBE.

Fifth, I need to rededicate myself to some sort of long term photographic project to keep my eye sharp and to bring a little joy and creative energy into my life.

Finally, and most importantly, it is truly humbling to look back at what you've shot and what you thought was good. Much of it doesn't strike me the same way it did when I first shot it. As a matter of fact, much of what I've shot in my career as a photographer seems quite vapid in retrospect. I'd classify a lot of it as a kind of visual elevator Musak. Certainly not Wagner or even the Partridge Family. I spent the better part of the yesterday looking for photos, editing, and lamenting that I've spent almost 30 years shooting professionally, and my impression of my work is that I produced a plethora of incredibly average images. They paid the bills, but most of them do not nourish the soul or deserve to be hung on a wall for all to see. Maybe I'm overthinking all of this, but I sure hope that the the poor journalism students who are subjected to viewing my work on a daily basis for the next 4 months don't think I've wasted my time, because that's exactly how I feel as I edit my "retrospective." I know I'll likely be remembered for other more important things, but I am going to make it a goal to produce some images that I would be proud of when my final retrospective is hung.

Feeling blue

2009-01-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

When I went outside Saturday afternoon to try out a new camera (yes, I still buy cameras), it was spring. A few minutes later, it was winter again. Weird. Kind of like life right now--I'm not sure what end is up most of the time. But I like the what I found. Now, if only I could say that about the rest of my life. I'm working on it.

Hats off to Aimee and Ryan

2008-12-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

My eldest daughter, Aimee, and her husband Ryan, hosted Christmas at their place this year. It was a great change of pace and they are great hosts. My hat is off to them for their wonderful hospitality. It was the best Christmas I've had in awhile. Hope your's was great too.

Happy Holidays 2008

2008-12-22T17:57:00.000-08:00

At our office Christmas party last week, after I had commented that this has been a bad year for me, my boss was quick to point out that it had actually been a good year (what the hell was I thinking anyway?). Let me see, I finished law school, I passed the bar, got a job, my daughter got married to a very nice guy and I have a wonderful family. Those are all undoubtedly good things. On the bad side, I watched my mother succumb to cancer and die an agonizing death and I am perpetually afraid that in my job as an attorney I am going to make a big mistake and hurt a client (read: cost them a bunch of money). Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm right (I tend to think I am, but, again, what the hell do I know?). We'll just agree that it was a tumultuous year. I was lucky to have friends and family to see me through the hard times, and for that I am thankful and wish everyone in my orbit happy holidays and a great 2009.

Border War and BBQ

2008-11-29T06:43:00.001-08:00

Since 1981, I've had a bet with one of my best friends, Dan White. Dan, is a Mizzou grad. I am a KU grad. We met while working at the Kansas City Star as photographers. The bet is for a rib dinner and it is based on the KU-Mizzou football game. The person whose school loses--in my case, KU the past two years--buys the other person a rib dinner. Well, I just paid off my debt for 2007 last weekend, and have been square with Dan for a week. I fear that at about 3pm today, I'll be on the hook for another rib dinner. You'd think that a school with Mark Mangino as coach would not allow me to lose on the bet. He would probably need to be a beneficiary, and that would be more than I could afford. In hopes of sending positive BBQ mojo to KU today, I post a few images from a recent year in which I was the one enjoying the BBQ, not paying for it.

SUNday

2008-11-23T06:34:00.000-08:00

Here's to one last blast of relative warmth and sunshine before winter sets in for good. Enjoy the day.

November 18, 2008

2008-11-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

Even if I don't shoot professionally much any more, I still like to create. Give me a point and shoot and Photoshop, and I'm pretty happy. I shot this in a storefront somewhere and just remembered it.

Six months on

2008-11-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

On New Years' Eve, Teresa and I often look back over the last year and marvel at what has happened, both good and bad, to our family. We're usually surprised by what's happened in the previous 365 days and would not have predicted much of it. That's what makes the past 6 months so difficult. Just about everything that's happened, we expected to happen. However, that doesn't make any of the changes any easier to swallow.

Just 6 short months ago, Aimee and I graduated from KU Law School. That was really no surprise, although there were plenty of times in the previous three years that I doubted that I would make it. Not because I wasn't smart enough. I was just tired of school and wanted to get back to real life. Teresa kept pushing me and I got through it. I also knew my mother was ill with cancer and would probably not make it to Christmas this year. She never even made it to Aimee's wedding in September. She died exactly two months after law school graduation and 11 days before the Kansas Bar Exam.

Aimee and I took that exam in July. We both passed and started jobs as attorneys. She and Ryan got married. I guess the only thing we didn't see was the economy going into the crapper. Six short months ago, I was a law student with an ailing mother. My daughter was about to get married. I owned one home. Today, I am an attorney (it still sounds strange to say that), my daughter is married (she's an attorney too) and has moved out, and I now own two homes--mine and my mother's. Things are much more complicated now. I'm not sure I like it, although there's not a lot I can do about it.

Even though all these milestones and tragedies were largely expected, that doesn't make adjusting to them any easier. When I sit back this New Years's Eve and ruminate on the year that is passing away, I'll say thanks for all the good things, shed some tears for the tragedies, and pray to God that 2009 is boring as hell. God knows I need some boredom along about now and that's what I'll be praying for.

Aimee and Ryan Walkiewicz

2008-09-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend for the entire family. In addition to Aimee and I being sworn into the Kansas Bar and swilling champagne well before noon on Friday, we added a new member to the family on Saturday.

Ryan Walkiewicz married our oldest daughter Aimee at Danforth Chapel. They met in law school and even though she vowed never to date a law student, they are now married and living in KC.

We're elated she picked such a great guy (to go with our other great son-in-law, Alan Martinez), although as a Red Sox fan, I'm not entirely sold on Aimee's pink Cub's hat (Ryan is from Chicago via Portland and Boston). When we all gather at the dining room table now, instead of me being outnumbered 4-1 by women, the score is now women 4, guys 3 (Alan, Ryan and I). If you toss in the two cats and Kelsey's boyfriend, it's 6-4, guys on top. I'll post Eli Reichman's wedding pictures when they become available.

00094: Pass

2008-09-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

The results are in, and miracle of miracles, I passed the Kansas Bar Exam. I didn't think it was possible after all we'd been through this summer. I really didn't study the last 3 weeks before the exam. It's all very surreal right now. I just regret that my mother isn't here to share the news with. There will be plenty of wonderful moments in our lives and they will seem a little less sweet without her. This was certainly one of them.

All quiet on the western front

2008-09-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

The past month has been a mixture of mourning and waiting. It's really been an emotional grind. The bar exam results for Kansas are not yet out. Apparently, the folks in Topeka "got a late start" grading them this year, or at least that's the third-hand rumor I heard. Maybe they just lost them. After being in newspapers for 20 years, the seeming lack of respect for deadlines endemic to the legal profession is quite galling and it gives the profession a black eye in my opinion. When/if I receive the results, I'll know what I'll be doing professionally. At least for now. Until then, the waiting continues.

A better month

2008-08-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Here's to hoping that August 2008 will be better than July 2008. Lord knows everyone in the Richardson/Martinez/Walkiewicz family needs it. Thanks to everyone for their love and support. Wilma would have been very happy. I thank God everyday that I was fortunate enough to have her as my mom.

A promise fulfilled; a mooring lost

2008-07-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

In 1984, my father was on his deathbed and I made him a promise. Or more accurately, he asked me to do something and I agreed. I mean, how can you say no to your dying father? He asked me to stay in Lawrence and watch over my mom as long as she lived. I agreed. I was bound by that promise for the last 24 years.

Over the years, as I passed up opportunities to live and work elsewhere, I often regretted making that promise. Not because I didn't love my mother (I do-- a lot), but because I felt as if I was being pulled down by an anchor. I felt as if I was drowning. As an only child, I had no siblings to rely on. Thank God for my wife Teresa. Her help and support made it possible for me to keep my promise.

In fact, that promise is one of the reasons I went to law school. I needed to find a different way to support myself without leaving Lawrence. Or at least I thought I did. I was actually feeling like I was imprisoned and confined by Lawrence and I needed new intellectual challenges.

After awhile, I began to think that maybe the "promise" was something I'd conjured up in my own imagination; an excuse to take the safe path and not blaze a new trail for me and my family. A few days after my mom's death, an aunt told me how proud she was of living up to the promise I'd made. I'd forgotten that she was in the room when I made the promise. I wasn't imagining the promise.

Today, the promise I made has been fulfilled. But instead of feeling that I am no longer under anchor, I feel as if I've lost my mooring. I feel as if I've been cast adrift. I don't feel free; I feel lost.

Wrapped up in all of this is the Kansas Bar Exam. I am sitting for that exam tomorrow and Wednesday. It all seems so ridiculous and insignificant today. Maybe I'll feel differently in a week or a month. Maybe I won't. There's just too much uncertainty right now. But one thing is certain--I am again at a crossroads in my life. And to be honest, I don't know what path I will choose, what direction I will sail. My mooring is gone and I'm not sure where the tides will take me.

Ode to Wilma

2008-07-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

My mother died this morning, so when I got home from the hospital, I Googled her. Her name is Wilma Richardson. I found a single entry matching "my" Wilma Richardson. And that single entry was as the grandparent of one of my daughters, not for something she did directly (although she has been a mighty influence on all three of my daughters). Just Google any celebrity and you'll find literally millions of entries about stuff that is absolutely inconsequential. For instance, Britney Spears has about 91 million entries on the World Wide Web. There's probably not much about Ms. Spears's life that is unknown. Further, in the grand scheme of things, there's probably not much that is really of any real consequence. I mean, who really gives a rat's ass about whether she or K-Fed get custody of their children? Or as someone once said, "two billion Chinese couldn't care less." The world's lack of knowledge about someone who lived a quiet life centered around family and friends for three quarters of a century needs to be remedied.

My mom was born in the midst of the Great Depression in a tiny Kansas town. She was one of eight children. They were poor, but they didn't complain. They just worked. She was forced to quit school after her junior year of high school when her father got sick and she had to help support the family. She married my father in Raton, N.M. in 1954. I was born in 1960. After I was born, she worked a variety of jobs from nurse's aide to a floor coordinator in a large grocery store. She was widowed the last 24 years of her life. She's lived in the same small house for the past 40 years. But despite all her ordinariness, two things stand out about my mom.

First, she was one of the most unassuming people I have ever known. She always told you what she thought, even if you didn't like it. She was brutally honest. She didn't put on airs. She didn't dress or talk fancy. In fact, as I was going through her closet looking for clothes while she was in the hospital this week, I discovered a bunch of new clothing purchased by friends and relatives during her recent battle with lung cancer. She had never worn any of it. She was always more comfortable in pair of khakis and a golf shirt. She wasn't about to change now.

But her simple and unassuming ways pale in comparison to what I've witnessed the past 9 months. She was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma in her lungs. By the time doctors discovered the tumor, it was more than 8 centimeters. She opted for chemotherapy. The first four rounds worked--the tumors began to shrink. But then this insidious monster began marching back in force. She tried a second, then a third round of chemo. The cancer kept growing. She had two goals: see my daughter, Aimee, and I graduate from law school on May 18th, 2008, and attend Aimee's wedding on September 27th. She fought it as hard as I've ever seen anyone fight anything. She made it to our law school hooding. She was choked with emotion when she gave me a hug after my hooding. I had to be careful when I hugged her. I was afraid I'd break her frail body.

Finally, after 9 months of fighting, she decided to suspend chemotherapy. That was on July 7th. By July 12th, she was in the hospital. It was clear that she wasn't going to meet her second goal of attending Aimee's wedding. What I witnessed over the next six days took my breath away. She fought the cancer and its effects on her failing body like a tough old alley cat. By this point, the cancer had spread to her spine and brain. She was in excruciating pain. She was perpetually nauseated. However, she just kept fighting. Right up until 4:25 a.m. this morning, when what little lung capacity she had left was spent. And even when I thought she had drawn her last, she was still valiantly fighting for one final precious ration of oxygen so she could get one last glimpse at her beloved family surrounding her deathbed. I hope that as she left this world, she wasn't too disappointed with the five of us (Teresa, my daughters and I) as we sobbed at the loss of this brave, strong, simple soul.

The pain we feel now is unbearable, but in time, I know it will soften. While we'll never forget the excruiating agony of her death to lung cancer, we'll also never forget her honesty, bravery and valor. After what I saw over the past 9 months (she NEVER complained once about the ravages of cancer and chemotherapy), I now know what "toughness" and "love" truly mean. She exhibited a toughness I have never before witnessed and she didn't do it for herself. She did it out of love for her family. She didn't want to disappoint anyone. She didn't want to let anyone down. Trust me Mom, you didn't disappoint anyone. We loved you all the more for your bravery.

Hopefully others who never got a chance to meet my mom (she was described as a "force of nature" by one of my friends), will happen across this blog and take some inspiration from her battle and her toughness. We need a lot more Wilmas in the world and a lot fewer Britneys.

I love you Mom. I am sorry for all the times I never said it. However, you will always be an inspiration to the five of us in the room this morning who had a front row seat to a monumental struggle. We saw you battle cancer and saw cancer blink.

Just who the hell am I, anyway?

2008-06-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

I am now at the halfway point of my bar exam preparation. As I struggle to review all the first year classes, I am also struggling to figure out who I am, and what I will be when this is all over. Photograpy has defined my life since 1975. I worked in newspapers for nearly 20 years and then ran my own business. I've been immersed in law for nearly 3 years--first as a student, then as a law clerk or intern. Where do I go from here? After the bar, I am supposed to start a job with a great local firm, but I am still fighting the urge to make pictures professionally. I don't know where this will lead in the end, but it is an interesting choice and struggle. Anyone care to weigh in on all of this?

Barzam

2008-05-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

After a sputtering start last week, bar exam prep began in earnest this week. I started with Criminal Law. I enjoyed criminal law when I was at the DA's office, but I didn't like it much in law school. I think it was because I didn't like the instructor. He wanted to spend too much time talking about how a retributivist would view punishment compared to the views of a utilitarian. Unless I'm going to be writing criminal code, I'm not sure it matters. Just tell me what the elements of arson are. I then structure my questioning and evidence to prove (beyond a reasonable doubt) the elements of the crime. Anyway, this instructor had a depraved heart who made it painful to come to class. In spite of this, I made it to every one of the crim law classes except the day Aimee passed out and smacked her head on the sink in her apartment (she had walking pneumonia). As a 1L , I was just too afraid to miss class. You never know when that will be the day that the prof. hands out the answers to the final. Well, tomorrow it's criminal procedure all over again. That means it's time to reacquaint myself with the Amendments 4 through 6, 8 and 14.

One final hurdle

2008-05-19T12:03:00.001-07:00

As I ponder the final hurdle in this journey--the bar exam--it's worth remembering yesterday's festivities. It was an amazing day. As I walked to the stage to be hooded, it was wonderful to be accompanied by my giddy daughter. I was surprised that we received an ovation for being the first father-daughter combination to graduate from KU Law in the same class. And then to stand on stage on watch her be hooded was priceless. I won't ever forget the day and all the emotions it produced. I guess the only downside to all of this is reading a story about us in the Topeka Capital-Journal this morning. At the end of the online version, the first comment is a lawyer joke. I guess I've gone from being a member of one hated profession--the media--to the member of another. People hate lawyers, until they need one. No matter. It was still a great day for our family. I will never forget it.

It's over: update

2008-05-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

After some thought, I've decided that what I am feeling is mostly fatigue and a slight headache.

It's over

2008-05-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

I finished law school yesterday at 4:58 p.m. As I walked out of the exam room, I thought, "what just happened?" Not sure how I feel yet, but check back later. Maybe I'll know after I've processed it all.

Point-and-shoot pano

2008-04-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what you can do with a point-and-shoot and CS3. Not perfect, but pretty darned good. A few lines don't blend perfectly and a lady on the right is missing part of her head, but other than that . . .

Final 4

2008-04-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

As March Madness melted into April and the Final 4, anyone who knew anything about my previous professional life (covering Kansas basketball almost exclusively for nine seasons, 250 games home and away, and 6 Final Fours since 1986, as well as photographing KU games since at least 1977) asked several questions. I last covered the big dance in 2003 (a loss to Syracuse in the championship in pre-Katrina New Orleans). But, I came across my pictures from KU's loss to Maryland in the semifinals from 2002, and I wanted to share a few of my favorites from that night in Atlanta as well as my recollections about the Final 4 and covering sports.

Favorite Final 4 memory? After finishing covering practices in 1986 in Dallas, being asked by CBS to play in a pick up game to take the shine off the floor. I got to throw down a couple of dunks on the Reunion Arena floor in Dallas.

Second favorite Final 4 memory? Covering KU-OU in the 1988 finals. It felt like a Big 8 Tournament game (after all, it was in Kemper) until the final time out when it hit me that this was for the national championship. Access to the post game celebration was much better then--you could rush out onto the floor when the buzzer sounded to capture the jubilation. I still see myself, at least my chest, wearing a magent and navy striped polo short on the fringe of KU's clebration scrum when it is replayed ad nauseum during the tournament.

Least favorite Final 4 memory? Watching Archie Marshall limp off the floor with KU's chance for the crown against Duke in 1986.

Weirdest Final 4 memory? The NCAA allows SI only one set of strobes in the arena. SI sends 6 photographers. Many of them are in high perches with long lenses. They follow the action as "drones," but their cameras are rigged to fire only when the primary photographer on the floors fires his camera. It must be torture to follow focus and NOT be able to pull the trigger on a good picture. I stood next to one of these drone photographers and the monologue was x-rated and damned funny.

What's it like covering a Final 4? You're swallowed by a pack of know-it-all east and west coast sportswriters and TV types. The access is completely controlled by the NCAA. You cover a team all season, hoem and away and because you're not SI, you get a terrible position on the floor. Any emotion from the end of the chanpionship game is drained by the NCAA's management of the "celebration" for the benefit of TV. So, in the end, you pretty much have the same pictures as every other photographer, especially if you work for a newspaper. TV and big magazines get better access. Your bosses are continually asking if you have a picture of something they saw on TV (not stopping to think about the fact that TV has a jillion cameras at the event and you are by yourself and the NCAA won't let you put up a remote camera unless you are wire service or SI) or in a competitor's newspaper, fearful that they've been "beaten" because your pictures are not the same as their's.

Did I wish I was in San Antonio for the Final 4? No, not really. They are fun, but a lot of work. I've never been able to watch a KU Final 4 game without a camera in front of my face.

What do you miss most about not covering Kansas Basketball? Eating great food in great restaurants with someone else (my employer) picking up the tab. I love Mi Tierra's in San Antonio (Larry Brown told me about it when he was coaching the Spurs).

What do you miss least? Airline travel with cameras and the inane questions by sports writers and their almost universal lack of knowledge about anything outside of sports. For example, while traveling to a KU basketball game in Austin several years ago, I was in line at the ticket counter and noticed I was standing next to the singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin. I struck up a conversation, talked about how much I like her music and how she loves living in Austin. The 4 sportswriters I was traveling with overheard me telling a non-sportswriter I had been talking to Shawn Colvin. The sportswriter responded by asking me if Shawn was the prep standout from some Texas high school. Another asked me who Shawn played for. Come on.

In the end, it was lot of fun, albeit meaningless fun. I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything, but I'm glad that chapter in my life is closed.

Spring

2008-02-24T07:22:00.001-08:00

Last night, I was standing outside grilling as it began to snow, I thought about spring. While this winter may have been normal, to me at least, it has gone on longer than normal and been harsher than winters we've had in awhile. I really need a 60 degree day soon. Until then, I offer a few spring images from the KU campus to warm you.

Santa Fe Church

2008-02-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

I found this old church in Santa Fe. The attraction is a wooden stairway with no visible means of support. I, however, found the religious statues in the station of the cross much more interesting. When I was last in Ireland, I was fascinated by these sorts of things in Irish cemeteries. This particular statute reminded me of those I'd seen in Ireland.

Old Town

2008-02-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

Just a few more things I shot while messing around in Albuquerque last week during a trial competition. This was in the old town area near my hotel. We didn't make it to the semifinals, but we had a good time in New Mexico.

Santa Fe

2008-02-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

Spent an afternoon in Santa Fe. Magical light. Great colors. Wish I'd had more than my point and shoot, but still fun.

Cold

2008-01-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

I've been preparing for a trial competition in Albuquerque, so no time to shoot. However, all this cold weather made me remember some frosty mornings in Killorglin. I'll try to shoot some pics in NM, so stay posted, but in the meantime, check out my friend Eli Reichman's blog: www.eliphoto.blogspot.com for a great travel piece.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-22T06:32:00.000-08:00

I couldn't afford Harry & David pears for everyone on my list, so here's a little eye candy as my holiday gift to you. It contains NO trans fat and won't cause you to gain weight. So, enjoy as much as you like.

Here's looking at you

2007-12-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

I've been making prints for Christmas and a friend requested this image, which was an outtake from an annual report gig last year. Kinda weird.

Wishing for warmer weather

2007-12-15T07:33:00.001-08:00

Had a few spare minutes today. I was looking at my files and remembered this summer image from Michigan. Not a big fan of shooting in the cold--as a newspaper photographer, I couldn't avoid it for many years. It must be pretty good for me to brave the cold and ice to shoot. And that hasn't happened yet.

Stick a fork in me--Finals are done, and so am I.

2007-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

After finishing my finals [two of which I think I did OK on and one of which I am relatively sure that I totally FUBAR'd], it is only appropriate that I thank all the women in my life who are such big supporters. That includes you Alan because you once said you weren't a guy. Well anyway, my hat is off to you. Thanks for putting up with me. I know it hasn't been much fun. Congratulations to Aimee--she has a job!! And positive vibes to Mallory and Kelsey as they finish their finals and med school tests. I love all of you.

Band on the Run, runs

2007-12-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

Before I hunker down to study for finals, I thought I would share the finished product of the KU Band story. It runs in KU Endowment Association's magazine. Enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T06:32:00.000-08:00

I know, I don't shoot a lot right now, so I apologize that I don't have a lot of new work to show, but that's just my life right now. However, I had a few moments this morning and was checking my hard drives. Of course, I fired up RTE on the web and listened to trad music from Ireland. And I started looking at images from my last trip to Ireland. I posted a few of my favorites.

Gotta Dance

2007-11-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

I had a little assignment this week, photographing the University Dancer Company's Fall Recital rehearsal. I have been doing this for several years. It is a lot of fun and the dancers and dance is great. One woman really had "ups." Enjoy.

Point and shoot

2007-11-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

I don't have much time to shoot right now. Classes, impending finals, work and my mother's illness, but I do mess around with the G9 some. I really love it's macro capability. It's a fun little tool. Not a moment camera, but a scene camera. I shot these just messing around in an exotic location--the 700 block of Missouri Street.

12 mp point-and-shoot

2007-10-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

When I began shooting with digital cameras in 1999, we were using these terrible 1.7 MP cameras that produced horrible files. The cameras cost in excess of $12K. I purchased an EOS-1Ds (11mp) in 2003 for considerably less than $12K, but it still wasn't cheap. I've been looking for a point-and-shoot for at least a couple of years. The major drawback for me was the lack of RAW capability. Well, if you are looking for a high-quality point and shoot, look no further. I just got my Canon G9 on Friday. And while I haven't really put it throught its paces, I am amazed that I could buy a solid point-and-shoot that will give me 12MP of RAW capability--for under $500. No, it won't replace my DSLR--it's not super fast and above 400 ISO it's quite noisy. But what I do have now is a wonderful little pocket camera that produces very nice files at low iso (80, 100, 200). And it's just perfect for travel and photographing scenes that you come across during your daily life. What's even better is its macro capabilities and image stabilization. It will focus down to 1cm. I have posted several macro images I shot just messing around.

Feeling Irish today

2007-10-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't been t0 Ireland in three years. I really want to go back. I was thinking about my last trip in October 2004 and decided to post a few images from County Kerry. When I look at these, I can almost smell burning peat.

Band on the Run

2007-09-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't been doing much shooting lately, what with class and clerking, but I did get an assignment recently to photograph the KU Band f0r the KU Endowment Association. It was a good gig--pretty much what I wanted to shoot. I put together a few of my favorites.

Law school assignment: Oread polyptych

2007-09-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

This was produced as a first-day assignment for my Intellectual Property class in law school. My description/rationale is below:

I am always looking for ways to reinterpret my work, both aesthetically and economically. My idea was to repurpose existing images I had made for a calendar into something that would be a collectible art print for KU alums. I used some of my existing iconic KU campus images showing well-known campus details photographed from a different perspective and architectural details. I created layers in Photoshop using textures I had photographed, giving the images a weathered or distressed look. I then put the four selected images together in a polyptych (quadtych), output as a Giclee print on archival watercolor paper.

Everybody's making a . . . Suppression motion

2007-08-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Last month, I wrote a motion in opposition of suppression of evidence. In my last day at the Douglas County DA's Office, I had the privilege of representing the state in the hearing. It was a nightmare morning--my witness overslept, the hearing started late, but I found out today that the state prevailed, so the evidence is not kept out of the trial. It might not seem like much to a lot of folks, but it was my chance to sink or swim. I think I at least dog-paddled to the ladder in the deep end after doing a cannonball off the low diving board. It wasn't necessarily pretty, but I didn't drown either.

Life's a Holden Beach

2007-08-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

We spent a week at Holden Beach, NC--one of our favorite places--and I wanted to share a few images that remind me of the week. Summer is ending soon, so this is my visual ode to summer at the beach.

My daughter will be a doctor. . .in 4 years

2007-08-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Mallory took her first steps in the medical profession yesterday. After a week of orientation, she was awarded her white coat at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Class start Monday. 9am. Sharp.

Colorful Colorado

2007-07-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Not much new the past month. The highlight of the previous 30 days was a quick trip to Colorado with Mallory and Alan before Mallory begins medical school.

May it please the court

2007-06-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

After several false starts, I did my real first hearing today. I'd taken some pleas, dealt with some probation violations and a sentencing, but this was the real thing, It was essentially a commitment hearing. I had about an hour to get ready. It almost didn't happen because the defense attorney almost had the person talked into waiving the trial and accepting voluntary commitment. In the end, the person couldn't make a decision, so we had a hearing.

I called one witness for direct examination--a master of social worker. The State won. I think. It was very sad. Winning meant the person will be committed to a state hospital for a week or 2 to get some treatment. I certainly hope it all works out for the person and their family.

Resume+burritos=job offers

2007-06-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

After not needing a resume for 20 years, I still find it strange that I now need a resume, AND I've got to keep it updated. But then again, that's law school and the pursuit of a different career.

After the first semester of law school, the school's career services office puts on a duplicitous dog-and-pony show to get everyone ready for their first round of on-campus interviews (OCI). In one breath, you are exhorted to get the resume ready and try to get as many interviews as possible. However, in the next breath, you are warned that hardly anyone actually gets a job from OCI during the first year. Unless you are in the top 10% of the class. I wasn't. The whole process is humbling and painful. And in the end, it's much like hitting yourself over the head with a sledgehammer--it feels so good when it stops.

At this dog-and-pony show, students are encouraged to be creative in assembling their resume and touting their strengths. One may not have had any legal experience, but if you worked the lunch rush at a fast food Mexican restaurant, we were told that fast-food experience was transferable. Transferable to what? A Greek eatery? I had to slap my hand over my mouth to keep my laugh under wraps. This fast-food experience we were told, showed leadership skills and the ability to handle stress and multi-task. Strangely, when one of the folks in career services scrutinized my resume a few days later, I was told that I didn't have any experience that showed leadership ability, even though I had worked in the real world for 20 years, managed a staff of seven people and $750k annually for several years, owned my own business, and had served on several civic boards. This career "counselor" also said that all of my experience was in newspapers and not in a legal setting. Really? I certainly wasn't going to apologize that I had a non fast-food career, or explain the obvious--that I was going to law school to start a career in the law.

What was even more laughable was this person's reaction to the fact that I share a small slice of a Pulitzer Prize from the 1981 Hyatt Skywalk collapse in Kansas City. This person said I should take any reference to the Pulitzer OFF MY RESUME. Sorry, not in this lifetime. I guess the lesson I took from this is that I should have worked fast food instead of having a newspaper career the past twenty years.

All of this leads to only one logical conclusion: If I knew how to make a burrito under time pressure, the job offers would be rolling in right about now.

Making the grade

2007-06-08T13:05:00.001-07:00

Well, the dust has cleared and the grades are in. With two years down and one to go, I am exhausted. And exhausted from worrying about my GPA. In a few years it won't even matter. However, because we are our GPAs in law schoool, a lot of psychic energy is wasted worrying about grades. For the record, I had a very nice GPA with both surprises AND disappointments. Not major surprises or major disappointments, but surprises and disappointments all the same. But then again, that's life.

I had a little time to myself today, so I spent it looking at old images and making a few prints. There are 2 images from 1996 that will always stay with me. I shot them in Ireland while on vacation with the family. Enjoy.

Moving Day

2007-06-02T18:39:00.001-07:00

Well, the day every parent knows will come, but still dreads, was today. Mallory and Alan loaded up the U-Haul and headed off into the world. They are not moving far away, so we can get there in an hour, and hopefully see them on a regular basis without becoming pests. But a chapter in our lives ended today and a new chapter began for all of us. The house will certainly seem empty without the two of them around on a regular basis. Sure, she moved out of the house for college, but you always knew she'd be back for holidays and summer. She is now on her own. She will come back to visit, but not to live here.

Teresa, Aimee, Alan's dad John, and I moved them today. So, I sit here tonight with a sore back, feeling just a bit empty. Teresa reminds me that this is just a natural progression--kids grow up, get married, move away--but that doesn't make it any easier. I am grateful that they head out into the world with the love and support of both families and a U-Haul full of the necessities to set up their home, which was not the case when Teresa and I got married 27 years ago. As she and Alan pulled away and I saw the lights of their car turn on, I suddenly felt very old.

The roller coaster ride continues--her youngest sister Kelsey heads off to college in the fall, so the process will begin all over again. And I will feel even older.

Wedding Day

2007-06-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

My friend, Eli Reichman, delivered the files from Mallory's wedding today and all I can say is WOW. At least when I wasn't wiping away tears. Looking at the photos I am amazed at what three wonderful daughters Teresa and I have. They get their looks and intelligence from Teresa, so I am not sure what I added to the mix.

On the record, part II

2007-05-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

I had my first speaking part in court today. I accepted a diversion agreement for the state which meant that I had to announce my appearance, "May it please the court, the state is represented by legal intern Earl Richardson . . . ." A little later, I was prepared to state the factual basis for a defendant's plea. If he pleads guilty, his lawyer gives the factual basis, which is essentially a recitation of the facts fulfilling the elements of the crime charged. If he pleads no-contest, I give the factual basis. I spent some time yesterday going over affidavits and case file and writing the factual basis. Well, as luck would have it, he pled guilty, so I had to listen to make sure his attorney covered all the elements. He forgot one element, which I had to pipe up and add in. All in all, an inauspicious start, but a start. Next week I might get to do a probation revocation hearing. That should be interesting.

On the record

2007-05-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

So, at 8:46 am this morning, assistant DA Kathryn Marsh said, "The State is represented by Kathryn Marsh and Earl Richardson." I didn't do anything but sit there, hand her case files and try to look lawyerly. She hopes to have me doing lawyer things in court by Thursday. Maybe a probation hearing or a plea. It should be interesting.

Winds of change

2007-05-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

The past 10 days have been a whirlwind of rites-of-passage experiences for our family. In that span, Mallory was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, received highest distinction from the University of Kansas, and got married. All of this before she heads off to medical school this summer. Her younger sister Kelsey graduated from high school yesterday. She heads off to college in August. But we won't be empty nesters just yet. One of my law school classmates, who just happens to be my oldest daughter Aimee, is moving back home for her final year of law school. Consequently, I awoke this morning dizzy and exhausted. Tomorrow, I begin an internship with the Douglas County District Attorney. Life is much different now than this time last year. Who woulda thunk it?

What's this?

2007-05-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

I have a blog now. Stay tuned for updates