I have attended about 10 of the last JEA high school journalism conventions. I see many of the same people, and some of the same students. Even though the conventions are in different cities, the events had started to feel a little bit normal. Until Phoenix.
I first visited Phoenix as a child with my grandparents and dad. For some reason, my grandparents moved from California. I didn't want them to move. Later, my grandparents moved to Las Vegas to be near my father. They later returned to Phoenix. My grandfather returned in a casket after a long illness; my grandmother returned to be near her life-long partner. I had recently been back to Phoenix as my grandmother's legal gaurdian after my father died; my last visit to Phoenix was to oversee that her remains would be sent to the cemetary next to my grandfather. I have many memories of Phoenix, but few of them are good. Until this last trip, my favorite Phoenix memory was finding a hamburger restaurant that served a Sonoma County Ale.
So this conference was different. I started by visiting a first grade class west of town. A friend from my Sacramento State iMET Masters of Educational Technology class teaches moved there a year ago. I photographed her kids. They also photographed me.
I also went to a Phoenix Suns game. Somehow, JEA scored a special deal, and I fanagled a media pass so I had access wherever I wanted. I worked with a couple of high school kids too. Since I last visited Phoenix, the city has built a cool muni-rail. I met many interesting people on the train, and they seemed to like my camera.
And, I met people at the airport.
The last photos are of a family from Kansas City. I had been talking to my friend Dave Labelle about the ethics of photographing children, especially strangers' children, so I used the moment in the airport to approach these people. I sent the parents the photographs too. Perhaps I will write more about the experienc later.
I also included a photo that I took without someone's knowledge, and for personal reasons, I didn't include all of her face. I have added this photo later, and realized that this style has become my blog photo style, which is much different than the photos I usually take. Maybe they are less revealing, because the situations are more public.
Phoenix Around Town - Images by bryan farley
