Detasseling
A couple of weeks ago I was finally able to set up an assignment to go follow some detasselers. What originally was a video only piece turned into a still assignment as well with a story by Independent reporter Robert Pore. Check out the video and story. I had always been curious about the point of detasseling. All I knew was that tassels were taken off to produce seed corn. What I didn’t realize is it is a controlled hybridization process. The tassels are taken off four rows of one strain, while left on one row of another strain. This allows the male aspect of one strain to pollinate the other. It was good to finally understand the summer rite of passage and the purpose behind it.
Watching the show on the Fourth of July
Working as a photojournalist can be tiring on the creative juices. You spend all day documenting everybody else’s life, joys and tragedies alike, and then you go home and you’re supposed to do the same. I’ve always been bad about photographing my own life and vacations, unlesss I’m doing landscapes without anyone in them. My wife documents us, but mostly gets pictures of my backside with whatever I’m shooting in the background.
It was with this in mind that I busted out my camera at my in-laws’ Fourth of July party. Yeah I worked all day, but I need to start focusing the camera on me and my life a bit more.
At last
At long last I’ve got a new post. I’ve been a bit distracted and busy as you can tell from the self portrait with my bride. This was taken after pictures while we were trying to relax and cool off before the start of the wedding. On the spur of the moment I decided to instittue a tradition of a family portrait on our wedding day and future anniversaries. Didn’t get many photos of us with the timer on, but we got a couple and that’s enough to start with.
