Epic Status Photoblog

This is the second installment of a three part series from Halloween 2007 downtown, where I’m continuously mistaken for Des Moines Juice photographer Arturo Fernandez.

 

 

 

Nuked ‘em with flash.  Oops.  I can take horrible photos if I want to, I work for myself, remember.

 

 

 

This guy has been waiting for this picture for a few months, sorry man.  I have a feeling someone’s myspace icon will be changing soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Des Moines IA MMA girls

 

Bars, Des Moines, Downtown, Greatest Hits, Holidays, Night, Parties, People

A good kegger doesn’t always just happen.  Sometimes the right variables are finessed to create better than usual results.  This was one of those times, and with some help from the cold weather, everyone was forced to cram into the house and be more social.  It wasn’t the biggest keg, but what really mattered was everyone had a great time.  Many more came after I couldn’t hold the camera straight anymore.  Sorry, you’ll have to come earlier to get on this bandwagon.

 

 

 

 

I gave a flash to Shuey to experiment with.  He pulled some pranks on people and luckily nothing was damaged in a fit of anger.  If you look around the room, especially at the ceiling, you can see the peach tint from light reflecting off his skin.  He literally nuked the hell out of this guy’s face.

 

 

Enough of that, I’ll hold the flashes myself.

 

 

 

 

 

Waiting in line for the bathroom.  This chick wondered what the hell we were up to.  I wasn’t about to leave my camera laying around so I continued to shoot a couple random shots.  I entertain myself quite well thank you.

 

 

 

 

To smile or not?  The never ending question.

 

 

 

I had crappy shadows all night because I didn’t hold the flash high enough.  It’s honestly not easy holding a heavy camera with one hand and your beer and a flash in the other, while trying to move around the room.

 

Chad came and posed for a money shot.  Uhh, you know what I mean.  He’s trying to push forward in his photography post-processing career.

 

Lucky for me, models tend to show up wherever I go.  On this fine day I didn’t have to deal with any models that aren’t approved.

 

Crazy Joe practiced his disco dancing, I think he’ll win the comp this year.

 

 

 

Des Moines, Night, Parties, People

We went camping somewhere other than the Saylorville area this time.  Island Park in Adel Iowa was a great alternative and just as close to Des Moines.  Not to mention it’s right beside Adel, providing easy access to necessities.

 

Bonnie and Josh’s combined children show their superhero strength.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard got the rest of us in trouble with our significant others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case anyone wonders, my camera takes some good pictures.  Luckily there’s no human intervention needed, it does it’s job then lets me know when it’s done.  Now if I can only teach it to cook for me.  But then again, my pans cook some really tasty food anyway.

 

 

We met this assumably remotely rural lad while he walked through our camp to get to the Raccoon river.  He stood at our camp for a little while, telling us stories about his pa, ma, and other family members.  After we couldn’t stand to hear any more we had to tell him to “run along now.”  Nice kid, if not tear jerkingly boring.  They must not have any neighbors or schools in his area.  The kid sure can hold a fishing pole for a 8-hour shift, let me tell ya.

 

 

Island Park Adel, Electric Sites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gals played the game telephone with the kids.  Amusing.

Attractions, Greatest Hits, Nature, Night, Outdoor, Parties, People

? We went to Shuey’s for a kegger.

 

 

 

Richard pops a squat in? front of everyone.? He had to shake dry cause he forgot toilet paper.?

 

 

 

Chris made sure to advertise the website to? everyone that didn’t know about it.?

 

 

Then Chris molested my light stand.

 

 

Des Moines, Night, Outdoor, Parties, People

Cherish, Shuey, and I went to Cory’s on the East side to hang out for a while.

 

? Then a fight broke out.

 

We ran into Chad,? one of Cherish’s 200+ cousins.? He’s into photography too,? with a Nikon D50 at home.

 

Not sure but it looks like Shuey assaulted him.

 

His friend offered to fix his hair after the scuffle.? Why doesn’t anyone ever offer to fix my hair?

 

Des Moines, Night, Parties, People

Where’s Waldo?? We got a more scenic camping site at Jester Park this year.? It’s a lot more popular over here on the edge of the lake, but I thought it was worth it.? I got to play with my super-wide angle lens some more.? The girls weren’t impressed when they learned that they’ll look fat if they’re towards the edge of the frame.

 

 

? Roots

 

 

Richard and Brad found some “walking sticks.”? Richard came charging up a path to the lake with his stick.? This family didn’t find our antics to be very funny.? After we were done trespassing on their campsite, they resumed their impressions of skits from the Lawrence Welk Show.

 

? Check out our walking sticks

 

 

Stephanie brought out the preschool posse for the day.

 

Time-out photo-shoot.? Great for kids that can’t stand still.

 

 

Sip and pass

 

? “Stop it, that’s my friend”

 

 

 

Time to cook some grub

 

? More Dave Hill affect.

 

Camping and Recreation in IA

 

 

Not much later, a few cop cars came down and swarmed a campsite a few down from us.? We felt comfortable again, like we never voyaged a few miles from the city at all.

Attractions, Greatest Hits, Nature, Night, Outdoor, Parties, People, Travel

? Cherish forgot to reserve Saturday off from work, so we just came to visit Friday.? We? camped here at Jester Park on? Saturday night.? This was my first day with my new Sigma 10-20mm wide-angle lens.? As of last I heard, this is still the widest rectilinear lens available for any digital camera.

 

 

 

 

? Koombaya?

 

? Master chef Pee-Wee grills up some fish.

 

 

? Not really sure

 

Nature, Night, Outdoor, Parties, People, Travel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bars, Des Moines, Downtown, Parties, People

? Went to Shuey and Crazy Joe’s for? “cheap night.”

 

? They have the ultimate “bachelor pad,” as they say.? It’s a huge house so there’s plenty of room for huge parties.? This room is a favorite of most, not only because of the pool table but the blue walls create an atmosphere.

 

? Not paying attention

 

? Cali’s got enough energy to wear anyone down.

 

? Crazy Joe tries on the Big Pimpin glasses.

 

Trying hard to get the dog’s attention.? Cali wasn’t impressed.?

 

They were delirious from getting only three hours of sleep last night.? ? We? drank some more so we could get the jokes too.? Ty is whipping up some funky cheap drinks.?

 

 

? Cali chased me in circles throughout the house until I got dizzy, enough of that.

 

“What you mean?? I’m not done playing!”

 

 

? Ty was the first to fall asleep.? Can’t blame him at all, I would’ve been first under the same conditions.? I can’t function on low sleep, anything less than? 4 hours and I’m no good.

 

Cherish hasn’t had much exposure to dogs, especially dogs this size and excitable.? She was bit by a Cocker Spaniel as a child and holds a grudge.? No offense if you have one, but Cocker Spaniels have a poor temperament and they’re just not very smart.? Two of the four dogs I grew up with were? Cocker’s.? The Australian Sheppard was by far my favorite.? They’re intelligent and a lot fun too.

Animals, Des Moines, Parties

My turn

 

Well what is Richard doing here?? No one told me this punk was coming!

 

Richard pulls a prank on Steph

 

Everyone tried to convince Pee-Wee to come out with us.? He ran away screaming “But I don’t wanna!”

 

The usual suspects

 

No way, it’s Dion,? in neon… orange that is.? It’s been some 2 years.

 

Who can? touch their tongue to their nose?? “I can I can, me me me!”

 

? Brad gets Kassie a car for her birthday.

 

? Scare tactics

 

? Pee-Wee smiled once this day, and I caught the moment.

 

 

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Cheers to Richard and Heather’s new cocoon and Kassie’s birthday

 

Everyone to the cars, we’re going to 101!

 

 

 

I’ll start with an order of one megaphone please

 

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Primo too.

 

? Naughty Bonnie smokes in front of Josh

 

? My ninja stealth skills need some practice.

Bars, Cars, Des Moines, Night, Parties, People

? Continuing from PAGE 1

 

? We started playing this game that they call “Boat Races.”? Two people compete against each other at the same time.? They race each other to finish their full cup of beer.? ? Then they have to sit the cup on the edge of the table and pop it up in the air until they get it to land upside down.? Since half the main goal is to drink as fast as you can, this is about as effective as beer bongs.? You need lots of beer to play this with the smallest of groups.

 

? Celebrating a win

 

? Fierce competition

 

Engines started…

 

After? finishing your beer,? you have to place the cup on the edge of the table and pop it up until it lands upside down on the table.? This is the part that requires grace and skill.

 

? Jesus Christ Security Guard.? See the tiny coffee, badge, and donut? in his hand?? If you can’t stop them, at least make them feel bad about it.

 

? They had an epic collage by the back door.? Some of the pics were hillarious, all were interesting.

 

? Right half of the awesome collage

 

? Anthony wins the photogenic person of the month award.? He said he’s taking some photography classes.? I suspect his best shots will come from using the self-timer feature.

 

? Shuey and Leslie pose for their portrait

 

? Team Pot Heads

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? Hey, wanna fight about it?? I’ll cast gypsy spells on you or something.

 

Reloading cups for next round

Des Moines, Parties, People

? We started out at Wellman’s on Ingersoll at around 8pm.? The place was empty, it was almost eerie.? Then Cherish went bowling with some chickies and I went with Shuey to a small house party.

? Most of these pics are a little blurry, I’m? still getting used to the Nikon D40.? I manually set the apperture to wide open earlier this day and forgot to change it back.? As you can tell on many shots, the depth of view is short.? Gotta start from somewhere…

 

? In motion

 

 

Enough beer to feed an army.? Tons of variety, that’s awesome.? I think we have some free thinkers in the house.? A fridge full of Bud Light? is all too boring.

 

? Mike races dog

 

? Dog wins

 

? Beautiful solid woodwork in this joint

 

 

Anthony wins both the “bum face” and “confused face” of the month awards.

 

Mike started doing some dancing that looked straight out of Hee-Haw.? No I’ve never seen it, but I’m taking an educated guess here.

 

 

Mike? playing the harmonica

 

 

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? This guy showed up and stared at us through the window all crazy-like.

 

? Leslie is pregnant, due in a week.

 

? Shuey accidentally stole Anthony’s beer.? When your drinking, tall boy 16oz. cans look the same as 12oz. cans.

 

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? Avid drinkers of the Captain Morgan Private Stock I see.

 

See PAGE 2 for more

Animals, Des Moines, Parties, People

Lance wanted to rent a couple hotel rooms and have a party for his birthday.? Something must have been going on in town because many hotels were booked.? He found one in Ankeny (a further out suburb of Des Moines) that had two rooms left, he took both.

 

? Everything is brand new on this side of town, fancy A-town.

 

This place is off the hook.? Literally.

 

S*Dog, Savanah, arrives at the hotel.? She is drunk as a movah bruva.? Her swaying and staggering motions made her a blur in most of my shots.? She was perved of that liquor.? Hey who ordered the clown?? She was the entertainment for the night.

 

We were loud as hell with people coming and going every 5 minutes all night.? I can’t beleive no one complained about the noise.? Either this place has the best wall insulation in the world, or the people around us were way too nice.? I’d be mashing skulls and Cherish would have thrown a bitch fit.

 

Someone read me a bedtime story!

 

? Who can do the funky monkey?

 

? No, it goes like this!? Jason shows Bailey how it’s done.

 

 

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? Check my “O” face

 

? That funky monkey.

 

Damn, spilled on my leg.

 

? Damn it, now the other leg.

 

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Lance, smoking a square.

 

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? New tattoo for Lance.

 

Where is Jason?? Where is Savanah?? Are they in the other room?? Oh, there they are.

 

? Out!

 

? Bailey tries to introduce Savanah’s tits to the world.? No dice.

 

Scarfaliscious

 

? Ahah-hehe-ahahah-ahooo-ahoohoo-eh-heh

 

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In the limelight. ? What’s the chance of catching the flash from another camera?

 

Parties, People

The crew went camping at Jester Park, one of the many camp areas surrounding Saylorville Lake.? It was pretty hot, but a lot of fun.? We had to deal with bugs, heat, entertainment, cooking, and sun in the morning.? We felt like true survivalists, struggling to be self dependant and stay alive.? No, not exactly.? We all brought food from home, listened to? MP3’s and satellite radio,? fogged the area for bugs, and stayed connected with everyone else via cell phones.? But still it was an adventure.

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Cooking dinner.

 

? Heather, Cherish, and Bonnie.

 

Pee-Wee, Richard, Steve, Josh, Me, and Adam.

 

Heather and Cherish?

 

The campfire layout.?

 

? Reflections.

 

Hung-over and tired, we wake up when the sun comes up.? Not because we’re morning people, but because tents have minimum ability to block sunlight and the resulting heat.? The green shelter with the screens helped keep bugs away while we ate.? The flys and mosquitos are real thick out there, and they are much more pesky than in the city.? Bugs are usually more active at sunrise and sunset.

 

? Going to the beach at Saylorville Lake near Jester Park.

 

A beautiful day to be at the lake.

 

? Pee-Wee is a leech tamer by trade.

 

You can’t cool off the outdoors, but you can kill? all living, biting? insects within? 100 ft with a bug fogger.

 

Photo shoot in the smoke trail of the fogger.

 

Playing various net games.

 

? Yaeger Bomb time.

 

Jayme forgot her shorts in the tent.

Attractions, Nature, Parties, People, Travel