Election Season in Florida: Portrait of a Proud Poll Worker

I can't wait to meet more poll workers next month. Until then, enjoy this NYTimes slideshow I shot in Tallahassee during an August primary election: In Florida, a Look at the Challenges of Mailed Ballots. Over the course of a day, Ion Sancho demonstrated a passion for elections and a love of the franchise that I never knew was possible. Every voter in Leon County should be proud to know how much he cares about their vote. And everyone should vote in November, no matter who your supervisor of elections is!

Pup & Bike | St. Augustine photojournalist

From the archive: A peaceful image from the sidelines of a neighborhood dog show in St. Augustine.

 

Trayvon Martin | Sanford, Fla Photojournalist

I've had a busy couple of months, but now that things have calmed down a little bit, I wanted to share some of my coverage of the rallies in support of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. It was a challenge and a pleasure to work on a story that, in some ways, raised the level of dialogue in this country around race, justice, bias, violence, and law enforcement. I was grateful to see people speak up and be heard. Click through the slideshow that follows to see a few moments that stood out to me.

 

Yelle at Jack Rabbit's (RGB)

I left this year's Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar with hundreds of ideas spinning around in my head. David LaBelle told us to photograph our lives and document everything that's around us; Mike Davis told us to take qualitative photos, to use color to create moods, to keep our subjects out of the center of the picture ("See what happens when you put stuff in the dead center? ...it just dies.") There was so much inspirational work being done, too many powerful images and ideas to process in such a short weekend.

As soon as I got back to Jacksonville, I met a friend to see Yelle, a super-fun French dance-pop group. Jack Rabbit's has long been one of my favorite local venues (In 2008, while on crutches, I met Nada Surf there). The light, fog and energy during the show was really great, and I couldn't help pulling out the camera for a few snaps when I wasn't shakin' it. Yelle in RGB:

After War, from Wife to Caregiver (for the New York Times)

Here are some of my favorite images from a really compelling story I worked on with Catrin Einhorn. The Markums are a wonderfully kind and welcoming family in South Georgia. It breaks my heart to think about how many families have to fight through hardships like theirs long after our soldiers return from foreign wars. Catrin's article, Looking After the Solider, Back Home and Damaged, is really touching, and the audio she gathered drives it home. View our audio slideshow on NYTimes.com: After War, from Wife to Caregiver.

Vacation in Puerto Rico, feat. special guest: Hurricane Irene

Last month I went to Puerto Rico with a couple of close friends. Hurricane Irene decided to tag along. Aside from the nasty weather, difficult driving conditions, closure of the national parks, and dearth of electricity and hot water, it was a wonderful vacation. Here are some snaps from San Juan on the eve before the major storm hit.

Plastic Surgery for Senior Citizens

I spent some time last week in Tallahassee and Thomasville, Ga., working on a New York Times story about senior citizens getting cosmetic surgery. Mary Graham is 77 and had a facelift and breast implants earlier this year. She's possibly the most eccentric person I've ever photographed. She works seven days a week, running one restaurant and making plans to open another. She has boundless energy, plenty of money, and doesn't take 'no' for an answer. She certainly does not look 77.