abre los ojos

Friday Featured Artist: Rich-Joseph Facun

2012-01-20T16:54:00.005-05:00

A Q&A from yours truly, enjoy... A special thanks to AltDaily's Julie Alvarado for providing me with unique and inquisitive questions.

Same-Sex Marriage for: The Globe and Mail

2012-01-17T16:59:00.000-05:00

Meet Kathy and Elaine... ...they are a same-sex couple who were married in Canada almost 9 years ago and have been together over 36 years. However, Canada's Justice Department's recently decided that thousands of same-sex couples married in Canada since 2004 were no longer legally wed. “Well honey, I guess we may not be married after all,” said Kathy to Elaine Is same-sex

INSHALLAH-LA-LAND:UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

2011-12-15T09:55:00.002-05:00

People often ask me "What was it like living in the UAE?" or "Man, is Dubai like Vegas in the Middle East?" Sorry, but it's not like Vegas and living there was filled with innumerable idiosyncrasies, too many to mention. To be honest, I will never be able to articulate in words what my experience was like. My friends who still live there and who have lived there can understand why. That

Precisely. A World-Class Literary Biographer for: Distinction Magazine

2011-11-30T08:43:00.000-05:00

Not long after my arrival in Hampton Roads I had the opportunity to photograph Blake Bailey. "Bailey is that most oxymoronic of things, a famous literary biographer, which means that for a literary biographer he is famous, although, as he says, “there’s not a huge crowd of people clamoring to be literary biographers.” Bailey is the author of what he calls “cinder block” books on Richard

Skate Park Grinds To A Halt: for The Virginian-Pilot

2011-11-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

Just like clockwork, every Thursday I always headed to Skate High where I'd meet up with the Dirty Thirty crew. The D30 are a batch of old timers, which in skateboard years means anyone over 30 years old, who would meet on Thursday nights to session at Virginia Beach's only indoor skate park. Unfortunately, this past Thursday when I pulled into the parking lot there was a blanket of

Investing in a Stranger's Retirement: for The Wall Street Journal

2011-11-09T00:07:00.001-05:00

What are the odds? Two assignments, from two different publications, within three days of each other mere blocks from my parent's home where I grew up. The first shoot, just two days earlier, led me through the hallways of my former high school. However, Investing in a Stranger's Retirement: for The Wall Street Journal sent me down a familiar, but, different path. My assignment brought

Back to the future for Education Week

2011-10-28T10:43:00.000-04:00

While en route to my parents house I've driven past Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, VA more times than I can recall. However, I have never revisited my old high school stomping grounds. It's not that my experience at the school was at all negative. Although the facility was nicknamed "Gang Run" high school after a senseless shooting occurred on school grounds - I simply never had a

Homecoming

2011-10-12T17:35:00.000-04:00

Just under two weeks ago I returned to the good ol USA to pursue life as a freelancer. For those of you who don't know, I was in the Middle East working for an English language newspaper for the past three years. I have to say, after a 24 hour flight and a yearning to be Stateside, arriving at Chicago O'Hare International was a sweet homecoming. It felt even better when my phone rang less

Middle East Love

2011-10-05T18:10:00.001-04:00

The good people over at MAGNET have added me to their roster! They will be representing my commercial work internationally. Inquiry and booking information is listed below. Thanks!

Outtake: Khalifa City

2011-09-08T08:04:00.001-04:00

"It is absolutely impossible for a subject to see or have insight into something while leaving itself out of the picture, so impossible that knowing and being are the most opposite of all spheres." Nietzsche, Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks

Eid al-Fitr: A Cyclical Nature

2011-08-30T16:34:00.001-04:00

Eid al-Fitr, or Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity,” while Fitr means “breaking (the fast)”. The holiday celebrates the conclusion of twenty nine or thirty days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. Eid also ushers in the beginning of Shawwal or the tenth month in the Muslim

Visual Sugar

2011-06-09T10:43:00.000-04:00

I want to WIN this...

2011-04-24T03:31:00.001-04:00

Nikon vs Canon

2011-04-16T15:51:00.003-04:00

My first camera was a Canon AE-1 that I was dumb enough to pawn for dog food. The original plan was to just borrow enough to get by until my next paycheck. Well my payday came and went more than once and when I finally went back to get my camera I missed the deadline by one day. Some years later I bought another and then sold it to buy my first Nikon N90s. I remember how intimidated I was by

Hipstamatic HATER

2011-03-22T05:21:00.000-04:00

Amid the recent wake of the debate regarding Damon Winter's award winning images from Afghanistan, NYC based photojournalist Michael Christopher Brown took to the streets of Libya armed only with his iPhone. Select images from Michael Christopher Brown's Libya 2011 - In Progress Unlike Winter's essay, Brown's appears, for the most part, to draw less attention to his chosen instrument and more

Al Jazeera for Telerama

2011-03-18T02:22:00.002-04:00

French magazine Telerama commissioned me to spend a few hours in Qatar to document the inner workings of the Al Jazeera Newsrooms. Additionally, they asked that I photograph "the museum" located at the entrance of Al Jazeera's lobby. Here, I was told, one would find relics from journalists who had faced imprisonment and other challenges while reporting on world issues. In fact, the vest worn by

Zoology

2011-03-10T01:27:00.000-05:00

The people go to the zoo to peer at the caged beast. The wife enjoys the trip for the cotton candy. The boy for rock hopping and penguins. I go for the social landscape.

The Devil is in the Details

2011-02-25T08:56:00.001-05:00

Recent selects from a defense exhibition where million dollar deals were made in helping secure the world from their enemies. If you're in need of an infrared system, unmanned aircraft, patriot missile, tank, automatic rifle, riot control gear, robot, satellite, etc, come on out next year for the annual extravaganza.

Public School

2011-01-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

Islamic Studies class at Al Taleaa Secondary School in the UAE

Love is...

2011-01-27T13:30:00.000-05:00

...on the 25th floor of another upscale high rise being erected in Abu Dhabi, someone paused for a moment to comment on the universal language "LOVE."

Serendipitous Photography: Luck or Skill?

2011-01-24T23:34:00.000-05:00

[ser-uhn-dip-i-tee] –noun1.an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.2.good fortune; luck: the serendipity of making lemonade out of lemons.

Seamless Dreaming

2011-01-10T08:03:00.000-05:00

Imagine if a dream had seamlessly looped itself into your waking life metamorphosizing into a soft fog...

So long, Best of 2010? Welcome 2011.

2010-12-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

Colors and textures bounce through the frame and I’m blessed to arrange some coherent order out of the bends in the light. Time moves on, seconds pass, I exhale, I dream, I inhale, I smile, I sigh, another notation has passed. I’m drifting again off into a poetry of music and sound. My eyes try to make something out of nothing, my heart intersects, the mind dissects. The tempo slows. At the

Expecting the Unexpected... Going Commercial

2010-12-16T10:42:00.002-05:00

Quite some time back I blogged about a commercial job I shot in Lebanon. Today, I'm finally able to post some of the images. The ad campaign is being circulated throughout Kuwait, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria and Palestine. The details are fuzzy now as it has been nine months since I shot this for the Kuwaiti telecommunications service Wataniya. Needless to say I had a fantastic

Simply Red

2010-12-15T17:16:00.002-05:00

For some reason, RED has been inviting itself into my photos to the point that it dominates the scene. Good times under the red light.

Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar!

2010-12-05T13:11:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning to a pleasant surprise. Two images from my Darshana Ganga essay earned awards in this year's contest. I ended up winning a 1st and 2nd place in the pictorial category. Definitely a good way to start the day. Cheers. By the way, if you're looking for a great Christmas gift you can purchase a signed print of this image here.

Mentropolis

2010-11-07T11:33:00.002-05:00

Upon my arrival in the United Arab Emirates one of the first things to catch my attention were the massive amounts of men that dominated the streets. In fact, within my first few hours after landing, I started shooting frames of this new found interests. Unknowingly, some of these images would later be edited into my ongoing essay Mentropolis. That said, I recently updated this project with new

F8 Magazine

2010-10-28T10:56:00.002-04:00

The newly launched F8 Magazine produced out of Spain by editor Miguel Moya is fresh out of the box. There's a diverse batch of photography that Moya has curated into the online publication. Kevin German gives insight into Luceo Images, there's an interesting read about Wonderful Machine and a very generous spread, interview and cover featuring some of my work. Go on and give F8 a spin around

Opal Noor...

2010-10-26T15:04:00.002-04:00

The first time my wife proposed the idea of natural child birth I admit I was taken aback. I was concerned about the safety for my unborn child and my wife. She stands at 5'1" and is all of 90lbs. Yes, she is not petite she is itty-bitty. So you can understand my cautious approach in supporting her decision. However, after reading up on the subject, educating myself and meeting with our doula

Love in the Hood

2010-10-13T14:31:00.002-04:00

Photo: Matt Eich / Luceo Images A flattering shout out from my homie and Luceo Photographer extraordinaire Matt Eich over at the New York Times Lens blog. Disclaimer: I only had to pay him a lil less than a 100 bucks, buy him fine wines and chocolates and rub the corns on his left foot. Bargain.

Old School

2010-10-13T07:58:00.004-04:00

26 years ago skateboarding changed my life and even today remains an inspiration to my photography. That said, I came across this photo essay from photographer Hugh Holland's recently published book Locals Only: California Skateboarding 1975-1978. His images are a fresh surprise after seeing so many of Glen E. Friedman's and C. R. Stecyk, III's work from this same time in skateboarding

Wonderful Machine

2010-10-09T05:20:00.002-04:00

As the editorial market continues to shrink the time has passed where I can continue to put all of my eggs into one basket. That being the case, I have partnered with Wonderful Machine in an effort to assist me in growing my client base and to help in developing the future branding and marketing of my work. A special thanks to photographer liaison Amanda Hanley for reaching out to me on behalf

"This project is not anti-digital. It is pro-print."

2010-10-05T10:20:00.002-04:00

A creative design intervention recently occurred in Denver. The outcome was an experimental print edition of INK. According to those involved with the process the project was not intended "for your coffee table. It is philosophical and analytical and meant to be read. It debates design as a system as opposed to a sensibility." The editors of INK go on to write that "This project is not

Darshana Ganga: In Print

2010-10-03T02:16:00.001-04:00

My personal project Darshana Ganga made it into print a little over a week ago in the United Arab Emirates' M magazine. It was rewarding to see a selection of this work spread over six glossy pages. Thanks to photo editor Clint Mclean for initially picking the work up and M photo editor Rob Evans for following through and getting the images published. Cheers.

Darshana Ganga: Continued

2010-09-13T17:31:00.002-04:00

One of my ongoing personal projects is a look at the daily life, culture and heritage along the Ganges River. This sacred river runs over 1500 miles through India. The birth of the river starts in the Himalayas, flows until it reaches the plains in Haridwar, eventually breaks into a cluster of deltas north of Kolkata and finally finds rest in the Bay of Bengal. This last trip I found myself

A PHOTO A DAY...

2010-07-19T13:20:00.001-04:00

Head over to APHOTOADAY and check out their homepage today to see one of my images, if you don't, it'll be gone by tomorrow. For those of you not familiar with APAD, it is essentially an online community for photojournalist. Each day photo geeks from across the globe post one photograph they have shot under various circumstances ranging from daily assignments to personal work. From the

Amber Justine...

2010-06-16T16:25:00.002-04:00

At 17 I had my baby girl Amber Justine. I was the cliche teenage father, I was just another statistic. Throughout her life I've struggled time and time again with myself. My role in her life was simply that of a part-time-father. In search of prosperity, I moved from Virginia, to New Mexico, to Ohio, to Illinois, to South Carolina, to Arizona... and so forth. All the while I sent photographs,

Natural High

2010-06-14T14:23:00.003-04:00

Here in Abu Dhabi, I don't often get to shoot actual assignments with real moments. When it does happen it is always welcome. During these times you tend to feel out of practice - slightly rusty, and awkward. However, a surge of passion and adrenaline comes about and it feels like a natural high. Here are a few of the frames I liked from one such recent assignment.

Streets of Beirut

2010-06-02T13:28:00.001-04:00

Just got back a few days ago from a week in Beirut. I was working on a five day ad campaign for a client based in Kuwait. What an amazing time and assignment. I was given two days of strictly shooting street photography in the city and three days of shooting on multiple sets. Unfortunately, I can't share any of the images from the series - I have to sit on everything until it goes to print.

Forever & a day...

2010-05-21T06:42:00.005-04:00

Slackin' on the bloggin. Random images from recent work...

ISTABSIR: AL SATWA

2010-04-08T09:23:00.001-04:00

ISTABSIR is a photo column that runs weekly in The National. The title is derived from an Arabic verb which means to attentively reflect on and contemplate with respectful consideration. Unlike most photo columns The National runs a photo essay per column. Each Sunday, the series receives an entire page (w/o ads) in the news section of our publication. *You can view more images from this

ISTABSIR: FAITH & THE FISH

2010-04-01T09:29:00.001-04:00

ROLLIN' REVIVAL: IN PROGRESS

2010-03-31T12:46:00.008-04:00

For as along as I can remember I've had an enduring passion to publish a book. In fact, prior to taking up a camera I often day dreamed about being a published novelist. However, in high school, after my close friend Dan Dan and I entered our writings in several competitions and he won, I began to doubt my ability. He later started a band and put his words to song. He was a natural. Later in

WORKFLOW: Mussafah

2010-03-29T06:26:00.003-04:00

WORKFLOW is a ongoing blog post that will convey my experiences while on assignment. These thoughts might range from the impression a subject has left to explanations about the conceptual approach in the visual reporting. Enjoy. Assignment: Physicians with the Emirates National Mobile Medicare Hospital offer free medical care to the working class at a labor camp in Mussafah. During this

SND30 AWARDS!

2010-03-29T01:18:00.002-04:00

The National, where I am a staff photographer, recently pulled in the fourth most awards at the annual Society for News Design competition. With more than 10,000 entries from 42 countries, The National took home 47 prizes. Only the Los Angeles Times, The National Post ( Canada), and The New York Times won more. My photographs graced the pages of two of those 47 awards. One essay in the

ISTABSIR: TAXI TALES

2010-03-25T09:32:00.001-04:00

Online Print Gallery

2010-03-24T17:24:00.001-04:00

I am humbled and honored to have a collection of my images added to the newly launched online gallery 52 Selects. The website offers signed prints from exceptionally talented and award winning documentary photographers located worldwide. Visit 52 Selects and you will find signed prints available for purchase from Chicago Tribune photographer Scott Strazzante. I have always been a fan of

NPPA: BEST OF PHOTOJOURNALISM 2010

2010-03-24T16:33:00.001-04:00

Exciting News! It appears that I have been fortunate enough to earn an Honorable Mention in this year's NPPA: Best of Photojournalism competition. My photo story, Airscapes: United Arab Emirates, focused on the UAE's impending water issues. Currently, the United Arab Emirates has one of the highest water consumption levels in the world per capita due to the stark desert climate and recent

WORKFLOW: Al Harma

2010-03-23T15:00:00.015-04:00

WORKFLOW is a ongoing blog post that will convey my experiences while on assignment. These thoughts might range from the impression a subject has left to explanations about the conceptual approach in the visual reporting. Enjoy. Assignment: Covering an assault training session in Al Harma, located in the Western Region of the UAE, between members of the United Arab Marines and the

ISTABSIR

2010-03-18T09:34:00.002-04:00

At the start of 2010 I helped launch the photo column ISTABSIR. The title is derived from an Arabic verb which means to attentively reflect on and contemplate with respectful consideration. There are no guidelines in regard to content. In fact, the Director of Photography Brian Kerrigan simply instructed me to show our readers the United Arab Emirates. The column runs weekly in The National

Darshana Ganga: The Delta

2010-01-18T04:57:00.008-05:00

One of my ongoing personal projects is a look at the daily life, culture and heritage along the Ganges River. This sacred river runs over 1500 miles through India. The birth of the river starts in the Himalayas, flows until it reaches the plains in Hardwar, eventually breaks into a cluster of deltas north of Kolkata and finally finds rest in the Bay of Bengal. My last trip was spent along

Best of 2009

2009-12-31T13:29:00.012-05:00

Today, the last day of 2009, while waiting for an assignment to start I read an interesting quote from Jihad Hashim Brown: "Actions are empty in and of themselves. It is what we infuse within them which brings them to life." I paused and thought that perhaps this coming year I could apply this to all that I engage in, no matter how mundane it may seem in the moment. *the images below may not

Fog

2009-11-27T16:02:00.007-05:00

in seeing there’s a loss. a certain sense of emptiness aninfinitehopelessness in experiencing life through your heart, through your blood, through each breath. seeing lays dormantthen risesto an awareness ‘til you’rerunning, chasing, capturing,a momentafter a moment beforemany moments... beforethe loneliness&lossreturn seeing... it comes and goes. it is not sympatheticnor apologeticthere

Giving Thanks

2009-10-26T12:04:00.003-04:00

The generous blokes over at DVAFOTO have been kind enough to give my work a little spotlight. Special thanks to M. Scott Brauer, for heading the interview and the other half of DVA Matt Lutton for backing the work. If you have never seen their website give it a visit. I guarantee you will find inspiration in at least one of their many postings. As they say here in the Middle East, "Shukran."

Darshana Ganga

2009-10-09T14:58:00.012-04:00

A full moon graced the sky in India where I slept on the banks of the Ganga. Each evening I was comforted by a steady and peculiar breeze. It seemed to be filled with kind spirits of the cremated bodies that burned along the river ghats. In the mornings I woke often from dreams of temples and visions of Hindu gods and goddesses. These dreams were often followed by hours of my wandering through

Now & Then...

2009-09-27T04:07:00.004-04:00

Into the mid-20th century, the economy of Abu Dhabi continued to be sustained mainly by fishing and pearl diving off the coast of Abu Dhabi town, which was occupied mainly during the summer months. At that time most dwellings in Abu Dhabi were constructed from palm fronds, with wealthier families occupying mud huts. The growth of the cultured pearl industry in the first half of the 20th century

Independence

2009-09-14T06:44:00.005-04:00

a young girl prior to a celebration of India's Independence Day

Hunting

2009-09-14T05:52:00.006-04:00

Strapped and ready to roll, I got out of my car and darted to the solace of the shade between two towers. I paused, wiped the sweat from my brow, looked to the sky and dialed-in my light meter and fired a test frame. I checked the results on my camera's screen and thought to myself: "What a cool frame it would make if a bird would just fly by between two buildings." Slightly impatient and early

Grapes of Wrath

2009-09-07T15:52:00.003-04:00

A frame from a summer eve...

Tragic...

2009-09-06T13:26:00.006-04:00

soot littered floorswalls caked in a lifeless black an echo of death rang hollow three lives bidtheirgoodbye...

Airscapes...

2009-08-04T10:17:00.003-04:00

Everything looks better from the sky. There's something otherworldly and peacful about the view from anywhere other than the ground. In fact it's where I prefer to be, somewhere elevated from the Earth. Personally, I've always had an affinity for walking the edges of three story buildings or standing on a ledge perched high above a city. I love the view from suburban roof tops that overlook rows

Drive-by dustin'

2009-08-02T13:48:00.008-04:00

the sky has darkened into a heavy gloom over all of abu dhabi. a swarm of dust particles have decided to make their way to the shores of the arabian gulf. apparently, spending their holiday mingling within all the lungs and sinuses of us common folk sounded like a good time. word on the street is that there is going to a be total of three or four days until these thugs roll out and make it back

Burgerlicious!

2009-07-29T16:41:00.002-04:00

You can't stop turning the world into one big ol' USA. Even here in the Middle East the masses are gobbling up fast food as their waistlines expand. One day the whole world is going to fit into XXXL tees and there will be no need for any other size. SO... go on now and get your fat on!

Memories Past

2009-07-28T15:58:00.003-04:00

Memories drift through my mind of countless years watching the fireworks from the banks of the Elizabeth River. From the days of my elementary years I can recall their colors saturating the evening sky on Independence Day. Once, as a child, I stood alone some short distance from the black sky as it burst into a tapestry of lights. Several calender years later and well into puberty I found myself

BURQA

2009-07-27T15:39:00.003-04:00

not much for words tonight...

The Seduction of Europa

2009-04-29T12:12:00.002-04:00

I recently spent a couple weeks roaming around Europe. The end result was an essay of street photography I shot while on holiday. To see the entire series, please visit my website: www.facun.comlook for the portfolio entitled: EUROPAFor those of you who like explanations...My Europa essay is a slightly darker mood piece looking at the ambiguity and contradictions of love. The images are intended

United Arab Emirates

2009-03-14T15:30:00.005-04:00

Just a quick update...Here's an outtake from a recent edit & update of a little essay on my website entitled "United Arab Emirates" Sorry that I don't have more to say or show but it's been slow around these parts lately - at least visually. Don't get me wrong...My life in general has been occupied with: 1. Finding a flat2. Skateboarding again! (after being off my board for 2 years due to a foot

20 Random Notations...

2009-02-05T13:38:00.008-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to spend 12 days on assignment in Africa. I was asked to cover the people in Kogelo and Kisumu during Obama's historical inauguration. The rest of my time was to be spent in Djibouti where the writer and I were instructed to go and produce as many daily stories as possible. Not a bad gig, huh? Here are a few random notations and photos from the trip.After reading,

Desert Ships

2009-01-05T15:41:00.007-05:00

I closed out the year clothed in small blankets of dust as men of bedouin roots mingled with their "desert ships" (or camels for those of us not from this land.) The week began with me puttering along in a rented sedan. I know I must have looked like a lost city boy cruising down a country road. So much for being the photographer who takes on the fly on the wall approach. Psh, yeah right. In this

Tooting My Own Horn...

2008-12-19T17:05:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know, once again I'm tooting the ol' horn. So I'll make it quick. A photo I made at the end of 2007 has been selected for the cover of the National Press Photographers Association: Best of Photojournalism 2008 special edition. I'll simply say that it is a huge honor. Get a copy and look inside. You'll see why I'm so humbled by the idea that they would choose my photo over the many choices

Trophy...

2008-12-08T08:34:00.004-05:00

Over this past weekend photojournalists from around the States gathered to attend workshops, lectures, and to observe the judging of this years photojournalism contest hosted by The Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar. Unfortunately, I've only had the opportunity to attend the conference once. It was several years ago, but I have fond memories of the time spent with friends and fellow button pushers.

a Little Q&A...

2008-12-07T18:27:00.004-05:00

The good people over at www.qufoto.com have started a new feature on their website showcasing the work of select photographers accompanied by interviews. This rotates on a monthly bases.They are closing out the year with an interview by yours truly...me.So if you have a few moments visit:www.qufoto.com/rich-joseph-facunYou should also check out the interview of my homie and fellow Hampton Roads

Staking Claim

2008-11-28T16:44:00.003-05:00

Standing out at almost any taxi cab stand in Abu Dhabi means staking your claim of shade. Meanwhile, as you’re waiting, you might find yourself passing the time daydreaming about a cooler place in town. Maybe a place where the drinks are free flowing and the breeze from the Arabian Gulf sets you into an afternoon slumber. Being here in Abu Dhabi for about two months I’ve had my fair share of

Pretty in Pink

2008-11-24T11:28:00.005-05:00

I'm a little late getting to this - but came across it online today so for those of you who might have missed the spread about a photo I shot while working in VA. Here is a little brief from: www.nppa.orgThe August 2008 issue of News Photographer magazine features a cover story by Frank Folwell about how Chinese photojournalists covered the deadly May earthquake. Also in this issue, Brian

Living the Dream...

2008-11-21T05:16:00.007-05:00

Hazy eyes meet a faded sky accessorized with the silhouette of a commercial airliner. It’s early mornin’ in Abu Dhabi and I’m comfortably anxious. The family is scheduled to arrive in just an hour. Outside my flat my sight shifts over an ocean of cars. “Hmm, my cabs not here, well it is only 6:30,” so I take another pull on my aging habit and exhale. The cigarette smoke trails up & out and onto

Sir Bani Yas Island

2008-11-12T17:52:00.004-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to shoot an assignment on Sir Bani Yas Island in the UAE. Sir Bani Yas is a beautiful nature reserve set aside by Sheikh Zayed and has been referred to as one of his great legacies left behind. Here are few facts about the island that may be of interests: --The name Sir Bani Yas Island originates from the Bani Yas tribe, who first inhabited Abu Dhabi.--The wildlife

Halloween in Abu Dhabi

2008-10-31T19:41:00.003-04:00

I missed my son dressed in his Halloween best this year, he's still in the States with my wife. To say the least, my heart was feeling a little heavy. I know, I know, it's just Halloween. But seriously, who doesn't remember each and every Halloween, even as adults? I mean really? Halloween for kids is only second to Christmas. Even as adults many of us continue to drape ourselves in costumes.

LOVE & FAITH

2008-10-30T07:31:00.006-04:00

I blogged previously about this story but I thought I'd mention it again after receiving an email from my Dad about the community's response to the images. I think it's a testament to visual storytellers, that even in these days, what we do can make a difference. I also think it reaffirms that documentary photography, community journalism and photo stories are still very much alive. The story

Cloak of Invisibility

2008-10-27T13:58:00.006-04:00

The laborers here in Abu Dhabi, like myself, have left both their native countries and families to provide a better life for their loved ones.Essentially, Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest city in the world and hosts to the home of hundreds of thousands of low-skilled workers from India and other South Asian countries. They’re building this city yet they seem invisible to the wealthier masses. Often

Dust in the Wind

2008-10-25T18:30:00.007-04:00

I've come to look forward to my daily walks around Abu Dhabi. Especially when I find little gems. A fine example would be the loosely scribbled heart left behind on the surface of a dirty automobile. The residue might be a result of common pollution, particles stirred in the air from one of the multiple skyscrapers sprouting out of the earth or it could just be good ol fashioned dirt. I like to

Love and Faith

2008-10-18T16:59:00.007-04:00

"Love and Faith," the last story I shot for my former employer The Virginian-Pilot runs today. So if you're in VA pick up a copy. If not, and you're interested in seeing the full story, full size images and how the story ran in print visit my website at: www.facun.comThis is my "Swan Song" for the community I loved and left behind.

Social Landscapes

2008-10-18T16:30:00.004-04:00

Much of my free time is spent wandering about the city. I want to see what there is to find in between the cracks. The streets are where you find the heart of any city, including Abu Dhabi.

Tattoos Are a Sin

2008-10-18T16:12:00.005-04:00

Within less than 24 hours of arriving in Abu Dhabi I went on assignment for my new employer. It was the last day of Ramadan and the men of Muslim faith would be gathering to pray in the yard across the street from my friend's flat. He had planned on shooting the event in the early morning hour around 5:00 a.m. or so. He asked if I wanted to come along and shoot. Having just arrived at 7:30 p.m.

Holiday

2008-10-18T15:56:00.003-04:00

Leaving my wife and two children in the States as I get life in order here in Abu Dhabi has not been easy on the heart. It's been a test of many emotions that I was not readily prepared for under any circumstances. It makes me think of my father, who served 22 years in the Navy. Throughout his career he would leave my mother, sister and I for six month deployments - I often wondered how he felt.

One In Four Have It

2008-10-18T15:51:00.004-04:00

In the United Arab Emirates one out of every four citizens has diabetes. With the second highest diabetes rate in the world, treatment is gobbling up an estimated 40 percent of the national health care budget. The UAE's diabetes rate roughly 20 percent for residents -- 25 percent for Emirati national -- eclipses the global average of 5 percent.The change in the UAE's lifestyle in recent years,

Departure

2008-10-18T15:23:00.004-04:00

September 28th marked the day I left the States en route to Abu Dhabi for a new start in a foreign land. Just as my father left his homeland, at the age of 18 in search of a better life for himself, I too was leaving my country for the same reasons. I never once thought the day would come when I would leave the States in search of a better life for my family. That day has come and went. With the

Catching Up

2008-08-14T21:31:00.005-04:00

It's been since February 11th that I last posted a blog. I'm not sure what has inspired me to get back on board and try to catch up. Perhaps it's all the random blogs I keep stumbling across or maybe it's just the need to share myself in cyberspace with others. I'll begin with one simple image of a young man growing up with autism. In this frame his mother's face is reflected in the glass that

stars & stripes

2008-02-11T13:39:00.000-05:00

Obama stopped in Virginia Beach, VA and inspired a crowd of some 18,000. I overheard people comparing Obama to MLK.I've covered several of these campaigns, even the last general election in the swing state of Florida. However, I 've never seen the magnitude of support for a candidate that I saw Sunday night for Obama.

abercrombie & fitch

2008-02-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

a weather feature that was ironically shot a day after a manager at the local A&F received obscenity charges due to an advertisement that was deemed offensive by a few mall patrons, see: Abercrombie & Fitch obscenity charge droppedBy Tom ChiversLast Updated: 2:36am GMT 07/02/2008Police in Virginia, USA, have dropped

stop & smell the roses...

2008-01-14T17:39:00.001-05:00

wanted to share a project i finished up at the end of 2007. dawn weiss and her family have a compelling story to offer, please visit: http://hamptonroads.com/2007/12/peace-dawn

feliz navidad

2008-01-14T17:26:00.000-05:00

i finally made it through the holidays and can kick back with my feet up and just relax. i can catch up on this blog, which i just did. i can break any and all new year's resolutions and i can exhale for one more year. oh wait, i just realized valentines day is just around the corner...

six degrees

2008-01-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

this was one of the last images from my weekly photo column "six degrees." it essentially was based on the concept that everyone on earth is connected by only six degrees of seperation. this is mr. russell & his story.“I’ve wanted to live on a ranch since I was eight or nine years old,” said Clarence V. Russell JR before taking a walk across land that comprises his 32 acres of a dream-come-true

daily dose

2008-01-14T17:09:00.000-05:00

just a few frames from my daily work here in VA.this is the moment this five-year-old boy spotted his father on the tamrac as his plane landed. his father's squadron just returned home following a six-month deployment aboard the aircraft carrier uss enterprise. growing up with a father in the military, i used to be in the same shoes as this young boy. sheriff maj. greg banks is the real life

siempre

2008-01-14T16:47:00.000-05:00

an evening with the wife sick all over my boy's cold bathroom floor. more fast food mexican meals than he'd like to remember. several rides around town in his V8 love affair. one too many tattoo sessions on his days off. years & years & years of bailing me out of trouble & housing me when I was without. JQ is my man.

the love

2008-01-14T16:42:00.000-05:00

zene

2008-01-14T16:37:00.001-05:00

zene is my homie from back in the desert. she's extremely gifted. her passion runs deep & her love even deeper. my short time at her place yielded a few frames of a now defunct love. zene, be strong.

illumination

2007-11-18T01:30:00.000-05:00

a boy inspected a space shuttle float he helped construct. yards away the rest of the parade gathered near the river in the dirt parking lot of harbor ballpark. at bob's on granby the maury high school commodores stepped in unison togther and did their thing to the rhythm of the band. curbside a woman hooted, "yeahhhh M-A-U-R-Y!!!" I chuckled.

one of those days...

2007-11-17T13:35:00.000-05:00

i've been on the night shift here lately which inevitably means i'm shooting a ton of sports.i'm not much of a sports shooter; it's never really clicked with me. i think it's the whole idea that 99.9 percent of what you end up shooting is done with a long piece of glass.basically, i feel like there is a real lack of intimacy in action photographs. i could be wrong, what the hell do i really know

wee haw!!!

2007-11-05T22:42:00.000-05:00

on the way to the bank for a deposit i spotted this old horse at a yard sale. i smiled thinkin' about the days i used to hobble on my own bouncing horse.i thought to myself "they just don't make 'em the way they used to." when i got home my son peeked out the window while i unloaded his new pony. he ran to his room immediately. "WEEE-Haww!" he exclaimed. moments later he returned with the best

second chance

2007-11-04T02:45:00.000-05:00

i never intended to turn my random frames of roller derby into a book. however, one evening a friend of mine www.matteichphoto.com sent me an email and mentioned that he'd love to see a book come out of all this.previously, my wife and derby extraordinaire, sweet n. lowdown, of the dominion derby girls - www.varollergirls.com had suggested the same idea. she's a solid editor and has a tough eye