Picture Stories by Stephen Alvarez

Packing again, just a new destination

I was supposed to be packing for Uganda this week, but the magazine that I was traveling for imploded. So instead a quick trip to Paris to tie up some loose ends on the story I worked on all spring. How can there be loose ends on a story I worked on for 2 and half months? Lets just say that the picture making process sometimes benefits from time away.

-Stephen Alvarez

Sewanee, TN
 

Ocracoke Island

hanging out at the Surf Shop on Ocracoke

With Hurricane Earl bearing down on North Carolina people are packing up and leaving Ocracoke Island. The hurricane is supposed to strike a glancing blow to the NC coast, but a glancing blow to an island with no bridges could be pretty serious. The good news is that the surf should pick up.

 Cord  Hieronmus surfs near Kill Devil Hills, NC

The surf at least should make some people happy.

Stephen Alvarez

Sewanee, TN
 

Communication Arts insight interview

 
For those of you who read my Communication Arts insight interview, this is an aerial from the assignment that produced snottites. It was a story about a hydrogen sulfide cave system in Mexico. The sulfur dyes the water in the stream light blue. The sulfur also produces said snottites. There is a photo of the slimy buggers below and yes that is sulfuric acid at their tip. To read about one of my other strange assignment experiences, Maximon, go to this bog post (here). 

John McCardell is the 16th Vice-Chancellor of The University of the South

In July John McCardell became the 16th Vice-Chancellor of the University of the South. To my knowledge this is the first time my alma mater has had a president who's appeared on the Colbert Report. 

After thought, the river passage of Rumbling Falls cave

This picture of Manuel Beers in the river passage of Rumbling Falls cave is an after thought. I had gone into Rumbling Falls with about a dozen people to make a picture of the famous Rumble Room. Close to 10 hours later we had the photo in the bag, but being something of a freak I'd hate to bring all those people all that way

Shooting strangers and other humorous photo tips from Pix Boom Ba

You have got to watch this video! Veteran photographers Bob Caputo and Cary Wolinsky dispense photo wisdom with their trade mark humor. Don't know if you will pick up any photography but you will definitely  laugh.

 Stephen Alvarez

Sewanee, TN

Women's Tennis in the NYT, WOW

 High speed film making done really well (here).

Stehen Alvarez

Sewanee, TN

Giant Clam, Palau

Why this photo today? Maybe I feel like I'm under water...

-Stephen Alvarez

Sewanee, TN

 

Canon 7d vs Barbie Video Girl

Thanks to my friend Liz Grady for brining this to my attention. Maybe the video girl can get us all through until the 1ds MK IV shows up...

-Stephen Alvarez

Sewanee, TN

Sometimes cute, sometimes creepy animals of the Tsingy Madagascar

After a year, I have finally converted my RAW selects from the 2009 Madagascar Stone Forest story. It is a good exercise to go through pictures a long time after you shoot them. It is much easier to remove the emotional memory of making the image from the picture itself. What struck me in going through the photos is the amazing diversity of animals that live in such an inhospitable place. So here for the first time, previously unseen pictures from Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park, Madagascar.

 Tsingy de Bemeraha contains hundreds of square miles of limestone pinnacles. Also surprisingly a vast number of animals. Some are cute, some are creepy, all are fascinating.