Michael Cunningham for Ed Tech Magazine

I photographed Michael Cunningham, UT Austin's Director of IT, for Ed Tech Magazine last month. Cunningham has shifted disaster preparedness from causes to effects - instead of preparing for a tornado, they prepare for the effects from that tornado. It's a simple idea, but one that gives the system redundancy and flexibility in the face of any disaster. We did the shoot a few days after a massive bomb threat was called into campus forcing a university-wide evacuation. "We had a plan for that one, too," quipped Cunningham.


Ed Tech - Images by Julia Robinson

Bee Revival for the Wall Street Journal

Recent rains have provided relief from Texas' drought conditions and led to a resurgence of bees as wildflowers and other plants have made a rebound. A 40-year-old warehouse worker was stung more than 300 times after disturbing a massive colony of bees in Pflugerville on August 8. In a separate incident on August 6, a man was stung while attempting to remove bees in his home with a vacuum cleaner. He went into shock while driving himself to the hospital and crashed into a pedestrian, several cars and a house in west Austin.

Keith Huddle is the man they call to remove these hives. Business has been booming since late spring with Huddle doing 4-5 removals a day. Needless to say, it's hot in those suits. Think I dropped 5 pounds in 45 minutes. Whew.


Archive (2012-03-24)>BlogPhotos>Bee - Images by Julia Robinson

UIL Baseball for the Dallas Morning News

I followed the Rockwall-Heath team for two games leading to their 10-1 4A state championship win, aka slug-fest. It's the first state championship for the school. Much deserved guys.

Rockwell-Heath's Jake Beldsoe (#34), left, and Grayson Lewis (#10) right, both slide safely into home as Montgomery's Cody Conn, center, bobbles the ball in the third inning during the UIL 4A semi-final at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock Texas on Thursday, June 7, 2012. Heath defeated Montgomery 6-3 and advances to the UIL 4A state finals on Friday.

Rockwell-Heath's Clayton Rasbeary sports a red mohawk during the semi-final game against Montgomery.

Rockwell-Heath pitcher Jake Thompson finished the game with a limp in his right leg.

Luke Fisher, 13, left, and Jacob Williams, 13, right, cheer on the Rockwall-Heath Hawks in their championship game against Cleburne at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas on Friday, June 8, 2012.

Rockwall-Heath pitcher Jovan Hernandez was the MVP.at the UIL 4A State Championship game at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas on Friday, June 8, 2012.

Rockwall-Heath's RJ Williams, left, avoids the tag at home by Cleburne's Max Reynolds, left, in the second inning.

Jovan Hernandez rounds the bases after a two-run homer.

Rockwall-Heath's Grayson Lewis, center, slides safely into home after Cade Flory, right, on a double by Russell Hughes in the fourth innin.

Rockwall-Heath pitcher Jovan Hernandez, right, celebrates after throwing for a double-play that ended their 10-1 victory over Cleburne during the UIL 4A State Championship game at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas on Friday, June 8, 2012.

Rockwall-Heath pitcher Jovan Hernandez, right, hugs teammate Clayton Rasbeary, left, after receiving the MVP award.

UIL Softball for the Dallas Morning News

Plano East fell short in their 5A semi-final against Klein Collins. Third place never feels good.



 

 

 

 

 

 

Eclipse

Like every other person with functioning eyes in America, I went out to chase the eclipse last month. My partner in eclipsin' Lance Rosenfield and I started out downtown where tall buildings threatened a total bummer of a shot, so we blasted out west finding a vacant limestone cliff just in time for the magic. Beer tastes better after a successful hunt.

UIL State Track for the Dallas Morning News

That most wonderful time of year when I get a list of a dozen high schools and traipse all over the field to photograph them during simultaneous events. It's a multitaskers dream, but doesn't leave much wiggle room for making photos for me. I'm often trapped at the finish line waiting for the next heat to blast through, so might as well photograph the jube/deject where I see it, regardless of which school it is. I would love to see next year's assignment read - UIL Track: Emotion. Go.

Death of a Salesman for the Statesman

As part of the Fusebox Festival of performing arts, a NYC theater company has been commissioned to create a site-specific play. They chose the Lucky Lady Bingo parlor and will present a re-imagined version of "Death of Salesman" using a roster of both actors and non-actors from Austin.

Bob 'Daddy O' Wade for the San Antonio Express-News

Bob 'Daddy O' Wade has created some of largest folk-art in Texas including the giant boots at NorthStar Mall in San Antonio, the giant Iguana at the Fort Worth Zoo, the giant musical frogs at Chuys in Houston. Do you sense a theme? Everything is bigger when Daddy O is involved. Wade is part of an exhibit at Austin's Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria, where artists have designed a miniature golf course. Wade's #4 hole is called 'Chicken Ranch,' and pays homage to an earlier installation at the museum in which he also used lived chickens.

Peligrosa for the Statesman

Light monkeying around for Peligrosa, a Latin DJ collective that has a regular jam at the Scoot Inn.

SXSW 2012

Two months is enough time for recovery, right?

SXSW is a beast for any journalist to cover. Depending on what your client needs, which bands are 'breakthrough artists,' and how long the lines are, making the frames you want is a challenge. Most of these were snapped in the half hour I was running to the next line/show/sweatypresspit. I would love to street shoot the entire thing - following the sound of a good time, the good light, the randomness of the scene. You can only shoot so many open mouths at a microphone. Maybe next year.

SXSW 2012 - Images by Julia Robinson

Gary Clark, Jr.

It's rare these days to meet another native Austinite. That's why it was a total pleasure to photograph Austin's own Gary Clark, Jr during SXSW. During the total chaos of a tightly scheduled media day, it was nice to talk about the olden days, his collection of rad hats, and hear a bit of the family life behind the musician.

Unicycle Football

This month I was visited by one of my favorite people, Sol Neelman. Our friendship dates back to the first (third) Aphotoaday Geekfest that I helped organize in Austin in 2005. A few dozen photographers invaded the Days Inn and Star Seeds for a long weekend of photo shenanigans. Friendships were forged and paths forever changed. Sol left the world of newspaper photography, embraced the freelance world, and his love of weird sports.

Lo, these 7 years later (dang we're getting old), he's published his first book with a second on the way. Whenever he comes to visit, weird sports is on the agenda. That's how we found ourselves in San Marcos, Texas for the 2012 semi-finals of the Unicycle Football League. Cooper Neill joined us for some quintessential Texas weirdness.



Unicycle Football - Images by Julia Robinson

Derrick Wright for Thrivent Magazine

I met Derrick Wright last December doing a shoot for Thrivent Magazine. Derrick, a West Point graduate and Army officer, was working as security for US diplomats in Iraq when a rocket attack in the Green Zone left him clinging to life with shrapnel in his skull. Doctors later removed 2/3 of the left side of his brain. That was 2007.

Derrick has relearned to walk and talk, though he still struggles with reading and short-term memory. These days he writes about his family and the Small Victories that keep him motivated and moving forward. It's a life they never imagined, but one they've embraced.

Orville Neeley for XL

As Joe Gross put it in his write up of OBNIIIs, "Orville Neeley is a @!#$*% rock star." This guy puts on an intense and physical show. Catch him at Beerland one of these nights.

Eleanor Kitzman for the Dallas Morning News

Took a trip to the Hobby building to photograph the new Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman. My father worked for TDI back in the 80's and I recall watching the Fourth of July fireworks over Town Lake from one of the balconies. The skyline has radically changed since those days and even the lake has been renamed. Still fun to reminisce.

Almost tall enough

Winter has finally hit Texas with a big chill. Just posting an outtake today from those beloved warmer days when a light breeze and a river view are perfect for daydreaming.

The Last UT Hex Rally for Reuters American Service

The annual Thanksgiving game between the University of Texas and Texas A&M has come to an end. The rivalry that started in 1894 has grown to be one of the most revered match-ups in the NCAA. With A&M's move to the SEC next year, and Texas' non-conference schedule full through 2018, it will be a long while before these two teams meet again.


The University of Texas holds a hex rally the week before the big game, a tradition started in 1941 to break a curse and string of losses to the Aggies. Burning red candles during the rally has (arguably) led Texas to win 75 of 118 games. 

This last rally was bittersweet for Horns fans and students. They added another W to the record last Thursday, but everyone wants to know when the rivalry will be born again.