Shoes for Haiti

This morning I volunteered to help out with a project called "Shoes for Haiti," that a fellow designer and friend of mine, Jess White, organized. For the last few weeks Jess has worked with Gary Gribble's Running Sports and others to collect shoes for the people of Haiti. This was all done in conjunction with an organization called Soles4Souls, which has committed one million pairs of shoes for Haiti relief.

It was exciting to see so many people working together today, giving their time and energy for a country that can really use our assistance right now. The group worked for 6.5 hours, and by the end 11,335 pairs of shoes had been collected and packed to send off to Haiti. Here are a few shots from the work that went on today.

More KC

Vintage KC

My cousin, Andrew, just got a new Canon Rebel for Christmas and asked if I wanted to go shoot some photos with him today to try it out. I suggested that we go on a quest to find vintage signs and marquees from Kansas City's past. There are still a few of these relics from the 1950s and 60s scattered around the city, and I wanted to capture the zeitgeist of that period. If you ignore the modern signage and block out the contemporary architecture it's possible for a moment to picture yourself in that time.

Sherlock Holmes End Credits

Quite a few design sites have mentioned how great these end credits are, and I agree. The concept and animation are brilliant.

Warhol Sketch

Last weekend Union Station had an exhibit on Warhol. Included were some of his flower pieces, a series on Muhammad Ali, a series on "Jewish geniuses," a series of animals, and a series of mythical figures (wicked witch, Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse, and Warhol himself). At the end of the exhibit you could sketch something out with crayons and paper. You could tell that a lot of artistic people had been through because there were some nice quick sketches pinned to the wall. Others were drawings by children and some were statements on Obama or comments on their favorite sports teams. I did a quick sketch (above) of one of Warhol's more iconic poses.

2009 in Photos

#1 Stepbrother Bucky and his bride, Stephanie, get married on January 17.



#2-3 Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States on January 20. My friend Ray and I watch at KC's Gem Theatre.





#4 My golden retriever, Jack, comes to live with me on February 16.




#5 Hiking in Colorado near Red Rocks with my friend Jay on April 13, 2009.



#6 Shooting the sides of buildings in KC on May 14.



#7 Church marquee in Weston, Missouri from a photo adventure with Orion and Rusty on June 27.




#8 Wedding Rehearsal for my Mom and Dan on July 24.




#9-10 Healthcare protesters in Washington D.C. on July 30.




#11 The office of Senator Kennedy on July 30, a little less than a month before he died.



#12 Construction workers near the WTC site in New York City on August 2.



#13 Fan tributes to Michael Jackson at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on August 5.




#14 My cousin Chris proposed to his girlfriend, Crystal, in a garden near Houstonia, Missouri on August 14. I was along to capture the moment.




#15 My brother Grant got engaged to his girlfriend, Brandy, in early September. Soon after we shot engagement photos on KU's campus.



#16 Windows in downtown KC that I shot on a photography outing with Orion on November 7.




#17 We said goodbye to our good old dog, Buddy, on December 29 after 13 great years.

December

A photo I took at this time last year.