Some of my favorite stories and photographic series
If you cook it, they will come…
Here’s one of my recipes for community building… It’s not top secret; please go right ahead and replicate or adapt it for your own neighborhood. I guarantee nourishing results.
Lessons from a “failed” Kickstarter
$38,000+ pledged disappeared overnight. Here are a few reflections on the campaign, lessons that I learned, and what might come next.
Why do we compete?
Two interesting experiences from this weekend that I’d like to share: I spent Saturday evening onstage at the Kimmel Center, acting as a judge in Southeast Philadelphia Collaborative‘s talent show. While I’d originally been asked to act as a judge for the visual arts exhibit, I ended up being roped into judging the performance component…
This Town Is A Mystery…
One of my favorite moments at this year’s Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe was getting to share in Headlong Dance Theater‘s dress rehearsals for “This Town Is A Mystery”… Such a beautiful set of pieces that I wanted to share a bit of it with you:
The Million-Picture Giveaway…
I’ve begun making my archive available to the communities that I’ve photographed for unlimited free high res downloads. Here’s why.
Swirls
Explorations of abstract forms…
Everyone Is Photogenic: A story from Togo…
Does having a grapefruit-sized tumor on your face mean that you’re not photogenic? Certainly not.
Philadelphia’s secret garden…
A tunnel beneath the city,
a canyon between the buildings &
a meadow over the rooftops…
Feb 2021 Walk Around Philadelphia: Day 4
The Delaware, from Glen Foerd to Pier 68… Day 4 begins where we’d left off, at the Torresdale regional rail station, with a train that was scheduled to get in at 7:09am. There’s more folks joining the walk today, and I’d told those who were intercepting us at Glen Foerd to get there earlier if…
March for Rights, Respect & Fair Food – quick reportback
Report back from the 200-mile March for Rights, Respect and Fair Food.
Halfway there! Recap of 2nd weekend of Fall 2021 walk.
The 8th Walk Around Philadelphia is halfway complete! This fall’s 10×10 edition of the perimeter walk is divided into ten segments that are roughly ~10 miles each. With five of them done, there’s still five more opportunities to register via FringeArts join a group walk in this exploration of the city’s margins. Sept 25/26/27 take…
A prison visit… [sort of]
Here’s a story about trying to support a friend who was incarcerated. The system seems pretty broken; I’m grateful to those who are working to fix it…
Shale Gas Outrage 2012
My friends at Protecting Our Waters continue to organize against fracking, because we all live downstream…
Le Grand Continental
Chasing after a wild dance performance by a citizen ensemble at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art…
CIW & Fair Food
Images from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Campaign for Fair Food
Surgical images
WARNING: graphic imagery
Dance & Movement
Photographs of some amazing movers & performers…
Feb 2021 Walk Around Philadelphia: Day 6
Heinz Wildlife Refuge, Darby & Cobbs Creek, Mt Moriah Cemetery… The final day of the walk started with a bit of a mad scramble of physical and logistical challenges: The ice storm had continued overnight, and the whole world was coated in ice in the morning. Just walking out the door was a challenge. Getting…
Shale Gas Outrage
That’s Dana Dolney. Those breasts of hers are fake. I first met Dana in the airport in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, back in 2002, long before her battle with breast cancer. I was thrilled to see her back in good health, joining the throng of citizens in the streets of Philadelphia for last week’s Shale Gas Outrage,…
Feb 2021 Walk Around Philadelphia: Day 3
Pine Rd, the Northeast / Poquessing Creek / Knights Rd… This might be the longest and most ambitious segment of the six-day itinerary, at least for those of us coming from W. Philly / Center City. I was up by 4:15 in order to leave enough time to get ready and make it to the…
We made it! The February 2021 Walk Around Philadelphia is complete…
I set out on February 7th for my 6th annual (and 7th total) pilgrimage around the city’s edge. One week later, after ~110 miles through snow and ice, detours and discoveries, setbacks and surprises, challenges and connections, I found my way back to the beginning, yet again amazed by the wonder of this city, and…
Philadelphia’s Secret Garden: another tunnel trek…
Another exploration of the vast tunnel under Pennsylvania Ave… Some hope to transform this mysterious and magical space into a public park.
Lee & Amy’s Secret Surprise Wedding…
Lee had only just proposed that morning, and then Amy found out that the wedding would happen that very same day. She got married on two hours notice, and it was amazing. Here’s the whole story……
Trees
Studies in movement & nature
The Fringe Technicians – Everyone Is Photogenic
When I started photographing the Fringe Festival in 2003, I found the folks getting things done backstage to be as compelling as the performers in the spotlight…
























