Show us your favorite photo of yourself.

yes, it's my user-photo.  and it's not a self-portrait.

but.

there's tons of stories memories just in this one photo.

the setting:  the velodrome in Colorado Springs, CO.  it's our last night of shooting before we need to return all loaner equipment.  everyone from the Sports Photography workshop is there, in various locations across the track, trying to get just one more amazing photo in before the last student critique.  just beyond this frame, to the right, were about 5 remote cameras, all with wireless transmitters pointing in different directions.  none were mine, but i didn't care.  i could sit in that spot and watch the cyclists all day long, with the "wooooosssshhhhhhhhh" of the wheels speeding past.

the camera:  i'm using a Nikon-sponsored loaner body, which inspired me to eventually buy [my desperately underused] D200.  i love it dearly.  it's amazing the kinds of things you can do when using amazing equipment.  the lens on it is my own, an old 80-200mm.  i love this bulky, noisy lens. the other lens i had been using was a 12-24mm f/4 (i think), and it's high on my "i need this lens" list.

the subject:  i had been photographing the bicycle racers from an extreme low angle, with a wide angle lens.  i'm actually sitting on a large section of blacktop, contrary to the foam-like substance it *looks* like.  from where i was laying down, it was a hassle to wear my shoes, so off they came.  i had been focusing on the races for a while, and when i turned around, my good friend Randi was standing behind me. 

and what do professional photographers do when they see each other with cameras in hand?

this.

what an amazing vacation, all flashing back to me just in this one photo.  [well, one set of photos, since it's hard to have the one without the other.]  i always say that it works out well - i'm always the photographer, so i don't have to be IN the photos.  this is one instance where i'm kinda glad i got to be physically shown in my own element.

i'd give anything to be back there right now.

"wooooshhhhhh"

wow, this felt good.  i haven't answered a VoxHunt or Question of the Day in so long . . .  perhaps i should start again.

Audio: If you could sing like anyone, living or dead, who would you choose to sound like?  Share a song of theirs.
Submitted by aa.

hmm.  being a singer, i like this question quite a bit.  kinda gives you an insight into my inspirations to learn to sing  better every day.  here's a few of the artists i consider "a voice quality i'd work my ass off to achieve."

• lea salonga : if i were Broadway bound (which, hey, you never know!) lea's tone and clarity would be my ultimate goal.  i originally learned to sing from listening to the London cast of Les Miserablés, imitating every tone i heard on the discs.  once my Broadway taste broadened, Miss Saigon was at the top of my list, with lea being one of my biggest inspirations.  i performed "i still believe" as part of a 'review' performance with my HS/college summer theatre program, and used it as an audition piece for quite a while.

• michelle branch : she's got not only the voice, but the 'discovery' i could only dream about.  starting out as just a little singer / songwriter playing coffee shops, her career now includes grammy awards, platinum albums, two bands (her own, and now "The Wreckers,") and working with some of the top musicians in the business, including Santana and Sheryl Crow.  yeah.  i want to be like her.

*****
while we're on the subject of crazy-talented people, if i were a guy (which i'm happily not), i'd want to sing like these guys:

• paul durham, black lab

Show us a photobooth* photo.

Show us some macro photography.
Submitted by NomDeCocon.

also, a preview to this week's project365 update.

(many of the images in my project365 could be considered "macro."  i've become enamored with the style the macro setting creates with the baby nikon.)

What's the first image that comes up when you Google your name?

i've got two names.  and it's alot more funny to see what the top eight  images are.  so here's my submission for this [awesome] vox hunt.  the images with the gold stars are actually me / by me.  the rest . . .  who knows!

Show us the best picture you took in 2006.
Submitted by Captured Moments.

now isn't this a loaded question for a photographer.  there's so many choices, so many genres, just plain "so many" to choose from!  i'll be adding to this list as i find them.

for now, here's one of my favorite for the shear "what a moment" aspect.  look at the girl's face in the center.

Audio:  Share a great love song.

Audio:  Share one of your favorite songs from 2006.

unfortunately, i can't find a recording of the original online at the moment, but if i can get my hands on a copy soon, i'll update this page.  it's a beautiful song, considering the theme and words.  so for now, here's the lyrics and a link to some irish female band singing it (#15 on the list - it may need to load before playing correctly).  it's not as good as the original.

(and yes, this song was written many years ago . . .  but it was new to me in 2006, and it's currently stuck in my head.)

Homeless Wassail

Words and Music © Ian Robb 1996 (Finest Kind)

 

"Wassail, wassail all over the town

Our cup is white and our ale is brown"

But huddled on this iron grate

We poor and hungry curse our fate

 

No wassail bowl for such as these

No turkey scraps, no ale nor cheese

This Christmas eve our hearts' desire

Is a bottle of gin and a trashcan fire

 

Good Christian mind, as home you go

With dreams of holly and mistletoe,

That the holly bears a dreadful thorn

For those who wake to a frozen dawn

 

Oh, where is he, that holy child

Once born of Mary, meek and mild?

And whither peace, goodwill to men

Now and for evermore, amen?

 

All ye who dine with face aglow

In Reginensi atrio

Pray pause awhile at pleasure's door

And sup some sorrow with the poor      

 

"Wassail, wassail all over the town

Our cup is white and our ale is brown"

This cold and hunger, pain and care

Sweet Jesus Christ, it's hard to bear!

Show us your pride and joy.
Submitted by ::c::.

yes, yes.  this is yet another post on revels. 
interested in seeing what i'm pre-occupied with?
go to www.revelsdc.org for all the info, plus to get tickets for this weekend's shows!

so, what's my pride and joy today?

my stage-family, of course!

this is a little gift for sofia, my stage-daughter.  from the left it's greg lewis (grandpa), kip [chris] lewis (dad / husband), me, marc lewis (uncle), and last but not least, little sofia.  the cool thing about our family is that greg is the real dad of kip and marc, and they've all been revelers since the beginning.  marc was even the first baby to be carried on stage.  missing from the photo is 'the ghost of grandma', their real mom.  she's not in the show this year, but helps out as company manager.

just one more day until we're all together again!  i can't wait.  :)

Show us something someone you hold dear.
Submitted by Cindercone.

since this seems to be a Revels themed week for posts (can you tell i'm suffering from withdrawl?) . . .  here's a picture of someone i hold dear . . .  my on-stage daughter, sofia!

i believe we were trying to see how many fingers we could cross on top of each other.  we eventually got them all gnarled!