John Boal Photography

No photos today. No pictures today for me to show. I found out three days ago that I won't be attending this year's Eddie Adams Workshop (eddieadamsworkshop.com). For those of you who know what that is, you know how much it sucks. Not getting in, that is. For those that don't: it's one of the preeminent photojournalism workshops for aspiring photojournalists, and it's tuition free. You have 3 shots at it. They take 100 people. If you don't get in in those 3 years, that's it. If you're accepted, then it's 4 days of an intense experience that is designed to get you connected to 99 others just like yourself, in addition to tons of industry professionals. That's what I've heard, because, of course, I've never been and won't be going this year for the 2nd year in a row. If I sound a little bitter, it's because I am. What drives me insane about this process is that, unlike most other application processes, you can actually l...

So I wrote about going to my girlfriend's nephew's graduation a few weeks back. And as I came back to VA, I had the opportunity to shoot some graduations in my hometown. Not only did I shoot the graduation of our rivals (when I went to high school), but I also shot my Alma Mater, 15 years after the fact. I always remember the day as being among, if not THE, happiest day of my life. I never felt settled in high school, and consequently, always looked ahead to better days. The grass is always greener of course. Funny how I felt the same towards the end of my collegiate career that spanned 4 years of undergraduate, and a dragging 4 years of graduate work. This naturally resulted in a change of careers 5 years later, to pursue a life, that, by some accounts, is an utterly bad idea . Just check out what some people have to say about it here . Not all of them are photojournalists, but there is certainly a level of malcontent that brews in the journalism industry that can'...

A couple weeks ago I went to Albuquerque for my girlfriend's nephew's high school graduation. While there, we naturally had to visit her friends in Santa Fe, being only about 40 mins from Albuquerque.  Gorgeous weather, great friends and killer food (if you've never had a New Mexico green or red chile, then you don't know what good chiles are), made for a nice trip.   Some of getting older, I'm starting to learn is seeing friends and family get older.  When you're younger, you don't necessarily have friends with children, moving on in their marriages, their lives; heading out to Santa Fe, somewhere we visited as recently as last August, helped me witness these friends and family move along in their lives.   Alicia's sister, Yvonne has a two year-old daughter who is beginning to speak.  Each time we visit, there is something new to watch and discover.  Any time I entered a room, she just stared.  No reaction, good or bad, just a focused stare.  These are ...

Obama rally in Harrisburg I turned around and saw the gathered media typing away. Kennnedy visits Obama HQ in York. Hillary HQ in York City. Canvassing in the suburbs of York. Well I had a chance to scan some more negs/polaroids and edit my digital stuff. One of the things I had to balance out while doing this thing over the weekend was deciding between hanging with the local volunteers (like I originally intended, when I started covering this stuff several months back) or should I cover the candidates and the representatives who stumped for them.   I don't have a laptop.  That's not entirely true, but I don't have one with a fast processor, up-to-date software, or wireless internet capability, all staples of the travelling freelancer.  So I began my trip worried I'd be unable to find events, or contacts.  Downloading cards was time-consuming, but without the internet what would I do? As it turns out, photojournalists have been covering elections for years.  Even before...

I decided to head up to PA to catch the last bit of the 6 week barrage up there, and with my leftover connections from my York Dispatch internship a year ago, I had a free place to stay.  So it was tough for me NOT to go up there.  This time, I brought my view camera, and had some fun.  Not having been in the midst of a primary battleground, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.  Earlier this year I thought I might head up to NH or IA, and didn't go to either.  This was my first attempt at primary coverage.  But I knew I could never possibly compete with the horde of photogs on the heels of Obama or Hillary.  Hence the 4x5.  Something a little different.  I am so glad I brought the view camera.  My back isn't however.  Lugging a bag stuffed with a 4x5, film holders, along with the digicam + 2 lenses, tripod, and stepladder doesn't do too much for the shoulders and back.  But one thing I learned (which I should have learned a long time ago, but I'm getting better at)...

just a couple more pics of my girlfriend's nephew, who was in town for his spring break.  I thought these two turned out ok...

This past weekend I went to my first competitive eating contest.  The winner of the pro division (not pictured--they were a little blurry) downed 5.5 lbs of frozen custard in 6 minutes.  Good gracious.  None of the contestants were big burly men, either.  The winner, Ian "The Invader" Hickman, is not much bigger than I, if at all.  I'm 5'11", 175, in case you wondered.  Nonetheless, watching people devour over 5 lbs of frozen custard in just a few minutes was pretty astounding.  I loved it.  Is there anything more American?  I know there is that Kobayashi kid who seems to win everything.  But it must be an American invention right?  The best I could do to uncover the origins was the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest at Coney Island which goes all the way back to 1916.   Funny thing about American culture, it usually isn't that old. Anyhow, the first picture is of the Kid's division competition, and the second, of the Amateur division. 5.5 lbs in 6 minu...