60http://blog.dg-foto.comen dgardinerdgardinerdgardiner@dg-foto.comnohttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/06/23/american-dream.aspxdgardinerWhat is the American Dream? Is it oil? Money? Freedom? and at what cost?<br><br>Over the next couple of months I'm going to be diving into this arena head first. Some may take offense to the topic, or to the way I am going to go about opening the subject up to discourse... but, right or wrong, I think it's time we take a hard look at the cost we're being asked to pay for that <font size="3"><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: Times New Roman;">freedom</span></font>! Who's freedom? and who's going to pay the ultimate price?<br><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Anna_Gamble_Long.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br>world 'spews'http://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/06/23/american-dream.aspx#Comments16372a71-c7c9-47d7-b7f7-aa812f1e733fMon, 23 Jun 2008 21:01:48 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/19/martinsburg-coop.aspxdgardinerRecently, the Department of Veterans Affairs descended upon the town of Martinsburg, WV to run a mock exercise on <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">drinking binges</span> disaster recovery. Much fun was had by best accounts!<div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Martinsburg_Coop_08_X5422.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Martinsburg_Coop_08_H9334.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Martinsburg_Coop_08_X5309.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Martinsburg_Coop_08_X5230.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Martinsburg_Coop_08_X5288.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>world 'spews'http://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/19/martinsburg-coop.aspx#Commentse6520ce6-1f73-4d44-a924-e9d71496afdaMon, 19 May 2008 15:31:04 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/psrw-08.aspxdgardinerOk, sorry for the last couple of entries, but I'm just working through some issues. Kind of like this visitor to the national mall - man she really wanted that gift bag! <img src="http://blog.dg-foto.com/emoticons/wink.png" border="0" /><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/PSRW_05_06_2008_X5153.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br>pictorially circuitousnesshttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/psrw-08.aspx#Commentsa2bb31b6-6463-4433-8432-aedc2e699989Wed, 14 May 2008 14:35:06 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/hey-do-you-smell-that.aspxdgardiner I think something is on fire.<br><br> <img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/exec_fire_0135.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br>un-politically correcthttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/hey-do-you-smell-that.aspx#Commentsfb38e43a-28a5-4a17-8b45-50f29cc18d58Wed, 14 May 2008 14:35:06 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/-to-care-for-him-who-shall-have-borne-the-battle-and-for-his-widow-and-his-orphan.aspxdgardinerTake a Peake:<br><br>For those that can't see the stars through the bars (yeah, you know who you are), I will spell this one out for you.<br><br>The title of this entry:<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">"With malice toward none; with clarity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan..."</span><br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; - comes from Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address (as seen on the screen behind Sec. Peake at this year's DOD Medical Symposium.<br><br>Now, "who's Sec. Peake? and what's with the Lincoln thing?"<br><br>... um, yeah!<br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Sec__Peake_DOD_Conf_X3328.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br>pictorially circuitousnesshttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/-to-care-for-him-who-shall-have-borne-the-battle-and-for-his-widow-and-his-orphan.aspx#Commentsb6c9dc51-dd9a-42ae-97c0-250b6544cb88Wed, 14 May 2008 14:35:06 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/department-of-defense-goes-muppets.aspxdgardiner<br>WIMSA played host to a variety of characters in April, the least of which had humans attached to their forth point of contact.&nbsp;Sesame Street goes DOD in attempt to assist the children of deployed services members to understand the road ahead. Dealing with time periods stretching further than beyond dinner time, and with the possibility of their mother or father returning from a conflict minus one or two parts - Sesame Street rocks.<br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Sesame_Street_X4825.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Sesame_Street_H9130.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br>un-politically correcthttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/department-of-defense-goes-muppets.aspx#Comments25a85bc7-adf3-4b3e-8dca-a7a51cb9ce54Wed, 14 May 2008 14:35:06 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/been-a-while.aspxdgardinerThis too, shall pass. Mr. Buckley, one of the last WWI service members left alive came to visit the District's WWI Memorial site last month. Buckley is the last known surviving American WWI soldier.<br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/Buckles_WWI_Vet_H8842.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br>pictorially circuitousnesshttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2008/05/14/been-a-while.aspx#Comments622a4761-f77f-41b0-9c58-bdf997fbabd8Wed, 14 May 2008 14:35:06 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/11/08/the-honor-was-ours.aspxdgardiner<div></div><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"> Some gave all... and kept on giving.<br><br>Last weekend, the Womens Memorial in Arlington National Cemetary celebrated it's 10th Anniversary<br>&nbsp;in fashion. With over 7,000 participants, bussed or flown in from all over the country - it was a good time had by all. Some cheered, some cried, while others stood silent in memory of those 98 women veterans that were not able to attend since it's opening 10 years ago.<br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/wmsa_10th_annual_X0915.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/WIMSA_10th_Anniversary_X1042.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br><img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/WIMSA_10th_Anniversary_X1194.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br> <img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/WIMSA_10th_Anniversary_X1221.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br> <img src="http://images.quickblogcast.com/70850-62284/wmsa_10th_annual_X1409.jpg" border="0" width="700"><br><br><br><br> <img src="http://blog.dg-foto.com/images/70850-62284/wmsa_10th_annual_X1687.jpg" border="0" width="640"><br><br><br><br></span></font>pictorially circuitousnesshttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/11/08/the-honor-was-ours.aspx#Comments82dae18d-b182-4e55-a063-df00b038ccc0Wed, 14 May 2008 13:53:38 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/08/30/specular-highlights.aspxdgardiner<font face="Georgia">If practice makes perfect... in practicing our craft to make the most of any given assignment, "... never too small a task - an extra<br></font><div></div>moments pause, should be concern for cause ..." | ecrit ag<br><br><img src="http://blog.dg-foto.com/images/70850-62284/Emily%7Eweb.jpg" border="0" width="307"><br>pictorially circuitousnesshttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/08/30/specular-highlights.aspx#Comments92240b93-b3df-46ae-8aec-a947a92e17bfThu, 30 Aug 2007 23:18:34 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/05/01/kids-day--work.aspxdgardiner<img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/kids_day_x228.jpg"><br><br><font face="Georgia" size="3">like the blank black rapture in the yellow lines on south bound 35 where the bluebells live and die in the vortex of a raging current...<br><br>reathing in the toxicities of progress and the legacy left behind between two lines of text can truth be found</font><br><br><img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/kids_day_x268.jpg"><br>pictorially circuitousnesshttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/05/01/kids-day--work.aspx#Comments4499a738-e25f-4e40-b85f-d0e689d4b3f2Thu, 03 May 2007 22:47:13 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/04/09/us-news.aspxdgardinerTonight my professional practices class had the privilege to go see the US News &amp; World Report's Washington, DC office, located in Georgetown. We were escorted around the facilities via one of their photo editors, Ms. Lauren Stockbower. The discussions ranged from going through a photographer's submissions, to daily rates, usage rights, and cost benefit analysis of hiring a local photographer versus sending a staff photographer to cover an event. It seems like more than ever, in order to become a successful photographer you have to have a MBA in order to make sure you're able to break even in todays photographic market place.<br><br><img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/pro_pract_usnews.jpg"><br> <br>In today's market place the photographic industry is saturated with creative individuals, some of which can actually earn a comfortable living while doing what they love. Unfortunately, there is no direct corelation between being able to make a properly composed/exposed image, and being able to earn a living while doing it. The second most popular item up for sale on many of the more popular auction sites, are the business shingles of all those that have tried and failed. Often the photographer's failure can be linked to their poorly executed business plan, or lack of accountability, rather than to their inability to produce a dynamic image.<br><br>The following is a list of resources that have been proven effective by many photographers just starting out, and looking for <a href="http://www.editorialphoto.com/copyright/">assistance</a>.scholastic endeavorhttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/04/09/us-news.aspx#Comments068b8d5f-95d4-46dc-a63b-a660f7125446Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:55:11 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/04/07/road-side-memorials.aspxdgardiner<img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/rsmemorial_x460.jpg"><br>As part of my final semester at Corcoran's Photojournalism Core IV class, we (the class) decided to go with a <font face="Garamond" size="3"><i>Finality</i></font> theme for our last assignment. Being as this is a vague/broad topic open to any variety of interpretations - I decided to pursue a more timely topic related to the <font face="Garamond" size="3"><i>Finality</i></font> theme - road side memorials. The idea for the topic comes from the recent rash of Metro bus accidents here in the tri-state area. That is not too say that I will be covering only those that were related to the Metro accidents, merrily that it was the spring-board from which the idea had come from.<br><br><img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/rsmemorial_x750.jpg"><br><br>Over the next couple of weeks I will be up dating my progress on the road side memorials. Let me know which ones you like, and which ones you feel don't quite hit the mark. The project will concentrate on the moments of <font face="Garamond" size="3"><i>Finality</i></font> for those that died, and if possible, to capture their final resting place. While the moment (time and place) of the individual who is remembered via the road side memorial (their final cognitive state) was at the scene of the accident; for those left behind (that moment of <font size="3"><i><font face="Garamond">Finality</font></i></font>) comes with their beloved one's being laid to ground. In conclusion,<font face="Garamond" size="3"><i> finality</i></font> is all about closesure - for some it's the moment of death, for others it's about their acceptence.<br><br><img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/rsmemorial_x664.jpg"><br>un-politically correcthttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/04/07/road-side-memorials.aspx#Comments06413365-7b1c-44b4-adad-3ef8fdac5dcfMon, 16 Apr 2007 13:43:30 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/04/04/what-do-i-love.aspxdgardiner<img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/wdul_x822.jpg"><br><br>In looking over the few things in my life that I'm totally passionate about - besides finding new ways to hate myself on a daily basis, the only other things that come too mind are the constants in my life! As few as they are, I have come to totally relish in their reciprocal affections - without which, I would surely never have made it this far beyond the day I died three times. I am talking of course about my lover, best friend, and crutch - my wife, Em. Besides her, the only others that I can count on (only because they can't figure out how to open the front door, or possess opposable thumbs - are our two children, otherwise known as Sgt. Tibbs, and CPL O'Reilly - our two cats.<br><blockquote><img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/wdul_x444.jpg"><br><img src="http://app.onlinequickblog.com/images/70850-62284/wdul_h065.jpg"> <br></blockquote>Together, the four of us take life as it comes - striving to make our world a better place, and to correct the mis justices that we run across. This is where I spend most of my energy, and also where I get most of my grief as I try to see the good in everyone. Unfortunately, in a social setting that discourages honesty, in favor of a more gentile (however, false) public display of inner strength, and business/government savvy - finding the "truth" in a person's public persona can be as tricky as trying to find an innocent in a whore house on nickel night! (Sorry - I've always had an affection for the saying, and never found a setting where it could be more appropriately used.<br>scholastic endeavorhttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/04/04/what-do-i-love.aspx#Comments3abbc96a-0046-462c-9a6a-211052bc52f7Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:49:23 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/03/30/confucius-say-continue.aspxdgardiner<font face="Courier New" size="2">Have you ever had one of those days when you just wished that you had listened to your self first thing in the morning, and just stayed in bed? Well, that happens to me more than even I care to admit, but we've already gone through two sofa's, a love seat, and a lazy boy!<br><br>Well, in continuing from last nights discussion, I would like to pick up where I left off. My teammate and I were attending the reception in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, and hosted at the Library of Congress. The usual three body cavity search - searching to the far side of Uranus, and getting wanded with a rather phallic looking device - resembling something all too close to our Nation's Monument (yeah, you know the one!), we enter brandishing only mild bruises. Upon a quick survey of the layout, my compadre decides to make him self scarce - leaving me the "Rookie" photog hanging high, and dry, and in desperate need of a nicotine fix.</font><br><b><font face="Garamond" size="3"><i><br>{I guess I should have mentioned this earlier, but I gave up a 12 year addiction to dipping Copenhagen while over in Medor two weeks ago. Needless to say, I'm a little close to the edge!}</i></font></b><br><font face="Courier New"><br><font size="2">Anyway, after squeezing off a few rounds at the "Flashy" camera crews hovering over the older gentleman, I decided that I needed a new strategy - or at least one! So, I final locate my comrade up to his arms in a 2006 bottle of Chardonnay, and ask him to step up and act as a blockade to the other TV crews so that I might get one shot of the Tuskegee Airmen without a microphone permanently attached to their face. This seemed to be in a direct conflict to his already filled dance card with the bartender. When asked if he had asked any of them questions, he said that he got all he needed by ease dropping, and when was I going to be ready to go - he didn't want to go back to work smelling like alcohol... too late!<br><br>Long story short - I managed to grab a few shots off between my attempts to strangle my walking light pole. And, yes this is a really great internship. I'm learning a lot about how to motivate people, and to also keep myself motivated. The following are some of the outtakes from today's shoot.</font></font><br><br><img src="http://blog.dg-foto.com/images/70850-62284/tuskegee_air_x71.jpg"><br><br><img src="http://blog.dg-foto.com/images/70850-62284/tuskegee_air_h46.jpg"><br><br><font face="Courier New" size="2">I hope you enjoy.</font><br>un-politically correcthttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/03/30/confucius-say-continue.aspx#Comments3f050b04-3a60-4edb-8c85-a909a72f7eb6Fri, 30 Mar 2007 21:22:00 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/03/29/confucius-say--working-with-writer-sure-to-cause-cramps.aspxdgardiner<font face="Garamond" size="3">In working as a photojournalist intern, I found my first assignment working with a writer to be littered with pitfalls. Coming from a history of learning best from my mistakes - in hind-sight, this will probably be very beneficial in my career as a future photojournalist... that said, I learned a lot today.<br><br>When I arrived at work today, I was told that our office had been assigned to cover the awarding of Congressional Gold Medal award to the members of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II at 1300 hrs today, but that they weren't given access due to time constraints. Being the go-getter (translation - sucker), I contacted one of my teachers that works on the Capitol to see about assistance with issuing last minute credentials for myself, and my fellow teammate. Within the hour we had everything setup to go, provided we arrive ASAP. ASAP turned out to be WEWGOA (when ever writer gets off a**.) Needless to say, we didn't make it in time, and spent the better part of an hour standing outside the Capitol watching everyone else go in. Luckily, my editor was able to procure our admittance into the reception at the Library of Congress so it wasn't all for loss.<br><br>Making sure not too repeat the same mistake twice in the same day, I made sure to be at the Library of Congress according to my version of ASAP. To make a long story short - we were able to get the images needed to accompany the article in time for our deadline, but that's another story.</font><br><br><i><font face="Verdana" size="3">Believing that I wasn't about to waste such a beautiful day out of the office, I managed to squeeze out a shot of John Voight hanging around the set of National Treasure II - which is being filmed here in the district over the next couple of weeks.</font></i><br><br><blockquote><blockquote><img src="http://blog.dg-foto.com/images/70850-62284/j_voight_h38.jpg"><br></blockquote></blockquote>un-politically correcthttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/03/29/confucius-say--working-with-writer-sure-to-cause-cramps.aspx#Comments49c02583-3039-4e65-9dd0-905dabf771d9Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:33:00 GMThttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/03/08/med-hold-ranger.aspxdgardiner<font size="2"><font face="Courier New">Over the past couple of weeks the military's treatment of outpatient care, specifically at Walter Reed Army Medical Center has made "Front-Page" news - and, not the kind of coverage that one would consider favorable. While for the most part it has started to come out that this occurrence is not an isolated event, the fact that the media (more specifically), the members of congress have not brought too light the fact that such events were not only common place prior to the US initiating a scarcely planned war on terrorism back in 2001 - but, that these actions were actually part of the militarizes Medical Evaluation Board's(M.E.B.) protocol.<br></font></font>un-politically correcthttp://blog.dg-foto.com/2007/03/08/med-hold-ranger.aspx#Comments7307daf4-8d58-4cf6-ae1e-693f73a9dd43Thu, 03 May 2007 22:49:19 GMT