James Baker at VMI

Addendum:
Obviously, this is not the first time I have photographed James Baker, and I wanted to post a number of images. Unfortunately it proved impractical, especially for one in particular, an incident Baker mentioned in his speech at VMI, when Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze warmly said goodbye not just to Baker but his family (they had grown quite close) after a meeting in Washington. I knew I had made the picture, but couldn't find it until recently.

Scenes Patriotic

Fourth of July Bike Parade

Lexington, Virginia

2016

Veterans Day Ceremony

Roanoke, Virginia

2016

Backstage with Miss Virginia

Miss Roanoke Valley waits in the wings

Anyone who knows me has probably heard, sooner or later, my description of the idea photography assignment: to go to some major event (I usually use the Olympics as an example), but with strict orders that, should I come back with any pictures of the event itself, I'll be fired immediately.

In June, I got very close. Thanks to the Help of former Miss Virginia Tara Wheeler, now an anchor in Charlottesville, we got total access to the Miss Virginia pageant for a series of three stories.

As we filmed over three days, I of course had the Leica M3 with me with a 50mm f2, and I found a few moments to make some images.

The scene backstage between events 

Reaching Back

We were doing a preview of "The Nutcracker" at the Berglund Arts Center last December. They had the dancers our for us to add some color to the shot, and they sat on stage while waiting for their next appearance.

As I continue to go through the film, more (and more recent) to come ...

Disney, with Leica

We went to Disneyworld in March, with side trips to Sea World's Discovery Cove and the workshop of animatronic innovator Aaron Fechter (more on the last later). Naturally, rather than do the usual thing, like just depend on the iPhone for pictures, like every other person in the 21st Century might, I brough a Leica M3 with TMax black-and-white film.

In the hotel on the journey down, a typical family scene.

A high school marching band had been invited to perform; we encountered them almost immediately upon arriving at Main Street, USA.

The girls enjoy a ride on the giant carousel.

Outside, the infamous Disney zig-zag line.

On the bus back to the hotel; another visitor's day is done.

At Discovery Cove, a Nikonos II was required.

The Disney pictures were all shot with an M3 and 28mm lens. Typically, I carried a 35, 50, and 90 with me, but I don't recall ever pulling them out of the bag. The Nikonos had a 35mm lens. All of the film shows some damage, which I haven't really had the patience to repair totally in post-processing. I will eventually produce clean scans ...

Return of the Leica

I have finally been able to start processing film again. This is an image captured on Agfa 25 in 2012 at a Romney rally in Salem, Virginia. The man was using one of the rally programs to protect his head from the blazing sun. Shot (I think; it's been a while) with an M3 and 35 mm f2.

I'm afraid it's a bit of a hasty scan, and there's still some dust and crud in the image. I'm just so pleased to be able to start posting stuff from the Leicas again.

And there came great winds ...

There was a tornado in Appomattox last night. We were sent to cover the aftermath this morning.

Washington and Lee Mock Convention

Every four years, Washington and Lee University holds a mock political convention for the party out of power in the White House, attempting to guess the forthcoming nominee of that party. And every four years, as an alumnus, I get roped into helping with the live television broadcast of it on campus TV (and streaming on the web, in this modern age).

In my spare time, I of course try to squeeze in a few still photos ...

Political provocateur Ann Coulter spoke and proved something I didn't think possible: you can give a speech too far to the political right for a Washington and Lee audience. As she lost the room, she turned on them, making more and more references to rich "plutocrats," until she finally pointed out to the audience of generally wealthy students of the private university and said, "like your parents."

 Long before she cast her hex, the audience had been reacting first with gasps, and then with expressions of increasing disbelief at what she was saying and how she was saying it, some turning to their phones to tweet their thoughts.

Former RNC and current Virginia State Republican chair Ed Gillespie spoke to a more welcoming reaction.

Also more popular were Newt Gingrich and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Tallying the delegate counts; the choice -- by a two-to-one margin -- was Donald Trump.