Shot some photos at the AZ Tattoo Expo for the Republic’s iPad app, AZ Today. These are few keepers.
Aaron Lavinsky
Photojournalist- 818.795.9797
Photos: Neon Splash Dash at Talking Stick
The assignment gods smiled on me last night and gave me the Neon Splash Dash. Judging from my facebook feed, I missed a lot of my friends who were also there. Kind of hard to tell people apart though when they’re covered with glow-in-the-dark paint.
Check out more of the photos on AZCentral.com
Week’s work: B&W boxing, championship tennis and Country Thunder
Really solid last two weeks of shooting. Unfortunately, some of the better stuff isn’t published yet so I’m holding it. But I did get lucky with an MMA assignment last night and got some final interviews for my jail project, which makes it much close to completion.
Thanks for looking!
Week’s work: Opening Day, Pride Parade, and Off-Road Racing
Photos: Baseball, baseball, and more baseball
Shot three ASU baseball games in as many days as well as a softball portrait this weekend. Baseball isn’t my strongest sport but I think I’m starting to finally get the hang of the pace. Feeling like I’m missing less and less of the action on the field since I’m trying to focus less on following the ball and more on predicting where it will end up.
Diamondbacks regular season baseball starts this Monday so I’m sure that this is only the beginning. Thanks for looking!
Week’s Work: Basketball, Baseball and Hockey
Really busy/fun week at my internship at the Republic. Had a portrait shoot with the All-Arizona High School Basketball Team. It’s always cool to photograph young talented players, since you never know who could be an NBA star in a few years. Also shot some Suns, Coyotes, and ASU baseball. Really cool getting to watch James Harden play, even though the Rockets lost to the Suns. I may only be an intern, but I love what I’m getting the opportunity to do!
Danica Patrick, some ASU baseball and a ferret
This has been a fun long weekend of shooting random stuff. I was assigned NASCAR on Friday and ended up spending upwards of 2-3 hours hovering around Danica Patrick’s garage area trying to get a good look for a Sunday sports centerpiece. I also shot some various festivals, parades, etc. After a pretty wicked-feeling sunburn, I’m glad this weekend is in the books.
Oh yeah, and this happened.
Danica Patrick waits near her car while it undergoes repairs during practice on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Danica Patrick takes her car out to the track after repairs in the garage on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Danica Patrick suits up for practice runs on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Brothers Jonathan (right) and Andrew Hayood attempt to get an autograph by Danica Patrick on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Andy Flynn, of team Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, stacks tires after the Sprint Cup Poll race on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Jimmie Johnson of Lowe’s Chevrolet speeds past the grandstands during the Sprint Cup Pole race on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Fans in the grandstands are silhouetted by the setting sun on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
ASU pitcher Brett Lilek throws a practice pitch before the first inning against Arkansas during the Coca-Cola Classic on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 at Surprise Stadium. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
ASU infielder Jake Peevyhouse slides into second as Arkansas shortstop Brett McAfee attempts to tag him out during the Coca-Cola Classic on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 at Surprise Stadium. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Arkansas infielder Matt Vinson follows through on a missed swing against ASU during the Coca-Cola Classic on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 at Surprise Stadium. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
ASU shortstop Drew Stankiewicz celebrates with his teammates after defeating Arkansas 3-2 in the Coca-Cola Classic on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 at Surprise Stadium. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Marious Morgan (left) and Tony Bucci don matching ferret t-shirts as Marious holds his ferret, Ricky, at the m7 Street Fair on 7th Avenue on March 2, 2013. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett high fives parade goers while riding a vintage bicycle during the Chandler Ostrich Festival Parade on March 2, 2013. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Abdullah Yaqiyn petitions for the recall of Maricopa Sheriff Joe Arpaio at the m7 Street Fair on 7th Avenue on March 2, 2013. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Recent Work: NHRA, NBA, NCAA, and AIA
This has been a week full of acronym assignments. Lots of basketball with some NHRA drag racing thrown in at the end. The basketball portrait was from a month or so ago but finally published today. Great to be busy with interesting assignments.
Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher takes off from the starting line during NHRA Arizona Nationals quarterfinals on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 at Firebird International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Super street racers speed down the track during the NHRA Arizona Natinoals on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 at Firebird International Raceway. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
ASU guards Deja Mann (left) and Katie Hempen pose for a photo outside of Wells Fargo Arena.
Celtics guard Jordan Crawford attempts a layup as he is guarded by Suns point guard Goran Dragic (1) in the second half on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 at US Airways Center. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Suns center Marcin Gortat (4) and Suns forward Luis Scola (14) battle Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) for a loose ball in the third quarter on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 at US Airways Center. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Suns forward Markieff Morris practices as his brother Marcus looks on behind him on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 at US Airways Center. Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Salpointe Catholic and Sierra Linda players pile on top of each other while battling for a loose ball during the Division II boy’s basketball quarterfinals at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Sierra Linda junior Darius Amos holds his head with disappointment after being defeated by Salpointe Catholic during the Division II boy’s basketball quarterfinals at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale Aaron Lavinsky/The Arizona Republic
Photos: Sports, festivals and parades
Photos: Weather, Wrestling, and Hockey
Photos: a week of basketball and talking heads
Photos: Arizona Hot Springs, Fremont Street, Valley of Fire
Decided to go on a last minute trip to Las Vegas for the holidays with my family complete with a 9-mile day hike to a hot springs, a climbing trip in Red Rock State Park and a day of hiking in the spectacular Valley of Fire State park. I had no idea that Vegas was so close to some epic sights.
Ryan hikes to the Hot Springs.
Shira and Ryan watch as some drunk, drugged up dude gets ready to photobomb the shot.
A moody scene on Fremont Street on Christmas Day.
3000-year-old petroglyphs are seen on the walls of Atlatl rock in Valley of Fire State Park.
A tourist snaps a shot on top of some rocks at Beehive Rock.
Saw this kid having some problems climbing.
Long horn sheep!
Shira looking to the great beyond.
The Fire Wave at Valley of Fire.
Shira and Ryan get ready to hike back to the car.
Pugs are deprived of the epic views at Valley of Fire.
Mandatory self portrait.
ASU volleyball downs Wildcats 3-1
Tonight was a great change of pace. Instead of sending me down to Tucson to shoot the UA/ASU football territorial cup, I was asked to stay in Tempe to shoot UA take on ASU in Volleyball. It’s been a good two years since the last time I shot volleyball and I felt like I didn’t do a great job the last time. It’s a tough sport to shoot and pretty difficult to follow. However, I was able to access the catwalk and I think I came out with some nice images. Thanks for clicking!
More sports from this past week
Nothing too special this week, was fun shooting football in overcast and basketball with flashes, though. More from Saturday’s game in this slideshow.
Brandon Magee looks on from the sideline during the last homegame of his college career. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)
ASU safety Keelan Johnson runs the ball after a 1st quarter interception. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)
WSU runningback Marcus Mason is smothered by Sun Devil defenders during Saturday’s game. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)
Young fans reach out for an ASU player’s glove after Saturday’s game. (Photo by Aaron Lavinsky)
ROTC on the field at halftime.
Jahii Carson doing his thing.
Jordan Bachynski is just short of a block.
CPOY, until next year…
There’s still one more category that I entered in the 2012 College Photographer of the Year contest that hasn’t been judged yet, however after seeing what has won thus far, I’m not sure if I’ll take home anything this year.
Luckily, I’m happy with the fact that two of my photos made it pretty far, at least far enough to be seen in the Judging Screencasts which usually show the top 20-30 images out of sometimes more than a thousand. I’m glad to be in the company of some incredibly talented photojournalists, including my friend Patrick who managed to scoop up an award of excellence for his photo on homelessness in Kyrgyzstan. (fourth photo down)
Here are the two photos that were so close, yet so far.
A soldier jumps from the back of a US Army helicopter into Lake Washington during a rapid deployment exercise Sunday, August 5, 2012 at the Boeing Air Show in Seattle, Wash.
A diver emerges for air while warming up for the senior men’s 3m springboard preliminary round of the U.S. Olympic trials, Wednesday, June 20, 2012, at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash.
Although the next few photos didn’t place, I’m still happy with the fact that I submitted them anyway.
I felt this year has been a good year for shooting. I had my internship with the Seattle Times and continued my work with The State Press, ASU’s newspaper. I feel like I’ve had more publications pick up my photos in the past three months than the rest of my time shooting combined. Barring some sort of disaster, I should have another great internship opportunity in the beginning of 2013.
Granted, competitions aren’t everything, but for the next year, I’m going to apply a few new motos to my work to try to push myself over the edge. Try to make a photo that I’ve never taken or even considered on every shoot, and try to make one good photo a day.
Photojournalism has a competitive job market, so this next year is make or break and hopefully if I follow my new mindset to employment.
Thanks for visiting!
GOP Election Party
Checked out the GOP election viewing party on Tuesday night. Was a pretty interesting scene given the local wins for some big congressional and senate seats but the major loss for Mitt Romney. Either way, I like any opportunity to make some interesting images.
Check out more images at The State Press
Attendees of the GOP election night party watch as local poll numbers begin to arrive.
Gov. Jan Brewer waits backstage before addressing the crowd at the GOP election night party.
Eight-year-old Draak Clausing holds his head in despair as election results continue to stream in indicating an Obama re-election.
Marsha Hill dons a bracelet with two pistols along with a matching necklace (not pictured). Hill attended the GOP election night party to show support for Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s re-election.
Vernon Parker addresses the crowd at the GOP election night party as his wife Lisa stands by his side.
Trent Franks’ son, who just fell off the stage, grips his father’s leg while he delivers a speech.
Panning in Jerome
Dia de los Inocentes
Skeleton dancers are depicted on a mural at Guadalupe Cemetery. The cemetery, which was once a Pascua Yaqui village, is the site of an annual “Dia de Los Muertos” gathering, where loved ones of the deceased bring offerings for the dead with the hope that their spirits return for a visit.
Luis Sotelo, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, paces through his family’s plot in Guadalupe Cemetery while cleaning and decorating each grave site.
Sotelo’s cowboy boots and rake are seen as Luis takes a break from tidying up his family’s plot.
Shadows of crosses are cast on the wall surrounding the Cemetery.
The setting sun illuminates dirt kicked up by Luis’ rake.
Some football photos from the weekend
It’s 3:15 am and I just got home from shooting some UW football for The Seattle Times. Unfortunately, my car broke down in Tucson and had to be towed back to Phoenix tonight. The tow truck driver had the genius idea of grabbing some coffee on the way back so of course I got the largest possible cup and now am all hyped up on caffeine…. thus, the 3:15 am blog post. Don’t judge me.
Check out the rest of the photos in this here slideshow published by The Seattle Times
UW head coach Steve Sarkisian greets fans as he gets off the team bus Saturday, October 20, 2012 in Tucson, Ariz.
Huskies junior quarterback Keith Price warms up prior to Saturday’s game against Arizona on October 20, 2012 in Tucson, Ariz.
Fun, but challenging
Last night I had the opportunity to photograph JB Snyder put up a massive 100+ foot mural at the Navajo Bridge near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We spent hours while JB and his assistants covered the entire structure with JB’s signature style painting.
Hoping to get a daytime photo, we realized that the sun was about to set and JB and crew were still painting away. I knew that once it was dark, it would be difficult to show the epic- outdoor nature of the work, so I decided to work with what I had to give it a sense of place.
I decided to expose for the stars, leaving the shutter open for around 20 seconds at f2.8 / iso1600. I took a speedlight, dialed it down to 1/128 power, and walked the length of the 100 foot wall, popping the light off every 20-or-so feet. The result? A colorful rendition of JB’s banner framed against the stars. One more challenge that I should have anticipated was the time that it would take for the paint to dry… time I did not have. I had to make sure to angle the flash carefully to eliminate any specular highlights along the wall, given that there were ridges that could reflect back toward the camera. I wasn’t able to eliminate the highlights, but I got pretty close.
Overall, I’m happy with how it turned out. Next time I go up there, I’ll make sure to snap photos during daylight hours…
(click on the photo to view large)
What it could have looked like in nice magic hour light, had it been finished
Some recent captures
Had a good time shooting some men’s basketball today for ASU’s media day.
While I enjoy shooting with a direct backlight, it can really be hit or miss depending on the timing. Here are a few images where I think, for the most part, I got the timing right.
Also, one from last week
Football photoshoot
Had the chance to photograph a few ASU football players for a State Press Special Section. Here are a few of my favorites.
Tempe Healing Field
Summer Landscape Photography
With upwards of 7000 miles of driving, I was bound to make a couple of photos outside of my work for The Seattle Times.
North Cascades National Park – Bacon Creek
Hoh River Creek in Olympic National Park
Supermoon in Mammoth in North Central California
Landscape lit with only moonlight in Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 located in Sequoia National Park in California.
Digital Tear Sheets
I guess some of my photos got around this summer. A number of my photos went to the AP and ended up getting republished by the Washington Post, the Denver Post, etc. Was pretty excited when I got the google alert.
Inside look at downtown Seattle’s new CityTarget
Amanda Martinez, store manager of the new CityTarget in downtown Seattle, discusses some of the differences that customers can expect to see when the new store opens Sunday, July 29, 2012.
Check out the full story at The Seattle Times
Tony Hawk visits Beacon Hill
Today’s assignment was pretty awesome. Started the day off shooting golf but ended up shooting Tony Hawk. Photos originally published on the Seattle Times Picture This Blog.
Edwin Swagerty of Port Angeles performs a frontside grab out of a bowl Thursday, July 26, 2012 at Jefferson Park Skatepark in Beacon Hill.
Skateboarders line up along a quarter pipe to watch a Birdhouse skate team exhibition Thursday, July 26, 2012 at Jefferson Park Skatepark in Seattle, Wash. Hundreds of spectators packed the park to see their favorite professional skaters, including vert ramp legend Tony Hawk, perform throughout the park.
Tony Hawk airs out of a vertical bowl during a Birdhouse skate team exhibition Thursday, July 26, 2012 at Jefferson Park Skatepark in Seattle, Wash. Hundreds of spectators packed the park to see their favorite professional skaters perform big airs and technical grinds throughout the park.- 072612
Yankees at Safeco Field
Originally published by The Seattle Times
A young fan waits to have his ball autographed prior the Mariners game against the Yankees Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Wash. -
Jason Nix is safe as he slides into home in the top of the 8th inning of the Mariners-Yankees game Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Wash.
Ichiro Suzuki watches his team mates during the 6th inning of the Mariners-Yankees game Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Wash.
Raspberry Harvest in Carnation, Washington.
Freshly picked raspberries are set near the checkout booth Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at Harvold Berry Farm in Carnation, Wash.
Four-year-old Sarah-Anne Sulzer walks to the checkout counter with her bucket full of raspberries Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at Harvold Berry Farm in Carnation, Wash.
Eleven-year-old Cole Galino playfully catches a raspberry in his mouth as his friend Jaden Lim watches with a bucket covering hit head Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at Harvold Berry Farm in Carnation, Wash.
Five-year-old Andrew Zinchuk looks on as his mother, Nadia, washes berry juice off her hands Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at Harvold Berry Farm in Carnation, Wash.
Images originally published by The Seattle Times
