Roping' & Reality of the Angola Prison Rodeo.

Preface: I did not obtain press credentials before attending this event, so this editorial is entirely from the POV of an actual spectator. I still carry photo credentials from 2 newspapers that are valid, but since I wasn't officially on assignment, plus with guests, I didn't want to "press" the issue. (no pun, haha)

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Angola Prison Rodeo --- April 17, 2010

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We arrived to the event after sitting in 40 miles of traffic near St. Francisville, LA with road construction still apparently unfinished after 4 years of work. It took over 90 minutes to traverse the last 30 miles, so plan accordingly. There is only 1 road in and 1 road out of this event --- kinda like the view of Angola prison life itself, since over 75% of inmates are in Angola for life and will never be taking a road out.

Upon passing through the entrance gates of the prison, the cold, harsh stares from the Department of Corrections staff was slightly intimidating. Even though each civilian pretends to be there to simply enjoy a rodeo, the added edge & danger attached with being on 18,000 acres of prison land with real hardened convicts is the true draw of this event.

As we are guided acre by acre down towards the rodeo arena, the sheer vast size of this establishment, begins to dawn in on the visitors. Fortified guard rifle towers still stand manned overlooking miles of 25' high double-deep fencing and endless strands of rolled razor wire laying perched to snare the next foolish inmate escape attempt.

The shiny, colorful trucks and cars of the visitor parking areas look completely out of place, yet paint the quiet grass fields and acres of open pasture land. As we get out, like cattle, we all head quickly towards the deep-south Roman rodeo coliseum. The arena itself is actually just a large metal frame with bleachers & metal roofing overhang to shade all of the spectators. The arena seats 10,000 people and today like every other time in its history, the show is completely sold out.

After locating our seats which are quite near the main chute entrance to the dirt-filled oval stage, we settle in for the usual "down-home" commentary and red-neck rhetoric. We are not disappointed in the abysmal grandstanding by the rodeo
announcer. After 30 minutes of prayers, holding holds, few WhoDat chants & the warden announcing the presence of everyone including the kid who cuts his lawn at home, the show finally begins.

The small, but trusted group of prisoners who are allowed to compete are positioned in an area right across from the spectators (civilians) and above the holding chutes for the raging bulls and mustangs who are definitely poised for today's events. Wearing traditional black and white striped long-sleeve cowboy-style shirts, it remains unmistakably predictable, but casually unavoidable to mistake an inmate from a paid professional during the event.

The events go by one-by-one. Bareback horse riding, bull-riding, wild-cow milking, inmate buddy pickup on horseback, & calf wrestling are all on the menu of festivities today. While absolutely exciting in its own right, it is not unique from previous visits to this popular event. In some strange way, all of the events unfold almost with a predictable, traveling circus or "Cir de Angola" type of feel to it. The inmates, the wild animals and the spectators all seem to coordinate themselves to the same dance steps.

The animals unleash their fury with reckless abandon on the helpless inmates and the spectators point and gaggle about the events. The bulls charge and send prisoners flying like penguin-colored rag-dolls. While completely routine, however, it is strange to get the feeling that some people are actually expecting to see a different ending to to these events. However, that could be traced more to the cognitive ability of the attendees and less to do with the mystique of the show.

The spectators themselves run the gamut of social class, but most being classic country black, redneck white & small cross-sections in between.
The slutty cowgirl theme seems prevalent with most of the young girls, as if the girls dress themselves up to tease the inmates & provide them something to remember on those cold, dark lonely nights here at Angola. The majority of the rest of the visitors are essentially very homely, over-fed children and their parents looking for their long-lost fried funnel cake & cream soda, and taking the show in only between trips to the concession booths.

In the midst of all of the structure & predictability, the rawness of the show still shines through. The proximity to freedom and civilian living for the prisoners is clearly apparent, but like true professionals, they never interact, even verbally with the spectators, even while standing just feet away. For a brief moment, I was in a trance wondering why these men who appear to be relatively upstanding, tough, hard-working individuals got to Angola in the first place. Was it just a bad night of drinking followed by a regrettable action to a spouse or bar patron, or something more ruthless? Assuming they keep the Hannibal Lecter type far away from this event, I casually return to the enjoyment of the show.

All things considered, it is truly an amazing circus and should be on everyone's to-do list at least once. Sure, it is overdone, overplayed & part of an elaborate money-making grandstand, but you could say that about most professional sporting events. And at least here, the athletes only get paid for their winning performances and it is actually commensurate with their overall contributions to society as a whole.

So, get your tickets early and enjoy the greatest rodeo on this side of freedom.
ANGOLA RODEO

My path with the art of photography

After collecting a multitude of lenses and camera accessories over the years, I have come to the general conclusion that a quote I hear years ago about photography is sadly accurate. "Most lenses are better than most photographers" --- simply stated it is not just the equipment, but more obviously the person behind the glass that will enhance, diminish or maximize the capabilities of any given lens.

The understanding of exposure, composition and good technique still overshadows the average consumer & their ineptitude at understanding what photography truly is --- an art. Sure anyone can press a shutter button, capture light onto a sensor and call that photography --- but is that the epitome of the effort required to join the ranks of those who dedicate their lives to showcasing moments professionally?

I have been humbled throughout my 15 year journey with photography. I have literally run the gamut on equipment and results. I have used early DSLRs that sell for <$300 today with simple kit lenses and landed front-page showcases with major metropolitan newspapers. In contrast, I have used 600mm f/4 lenses on expensive gimbal tripods & ended up with photos that wouldn't make the cut as frame inserts at a dollar store.

I have gone full circle & retro in some areas. In lieu of the latest autofocus, I now use a 40 year old Nikkor AI-S manual focus lens for all of my macro shots. I have taken the time to appreciate the quality of the older vintage equipment that is lost in the mass-market production of today's equipment. I have taken the time to master the proper understanding of light and its affect on the final image.

I have also learned that photography is as much a journey as it is a destination. What I mean is that I have set out numerous times with a strict time limit and an agenda only to realize that life is not on my time & not at my whim. I have learned that beauty is subjective & observing the everyday moments of life is truly what is worth capturing. Now, what I do is simply set out without an agenda, letting nature & the timeless essence of life unfold on its own accord, hoping that I am lucky enough to be part of a special moment & then capture it.

Some photographers see only what is in front of them, only what the world wants them to see. The white picket fence, the family photo in front of the oak tree at the park, the staged child graduation photo are all good examples of allowing the world to dictate your photographic moments.

Learn to filter out the average to find magic in the shadows. Learn to listen to the wind, watch the rustling in the leaves, take your time to observe the unfolding simplicity of our world & in those things, you will find your true photos worth keeping. It is hard when you literally are on a time limit or on a vacation, but even in these events, make time to see life on its terms --- get up extremely early, get in position when nature wakes up from its peaceful slumber.





Realize that life is as much about experiencing the moments, as capturing them.
After losing over 20,000 photos during hurricane Katrina, I can attest to the fact
that life is indeed precious & sometimes the only snapshots you have left are the ones written on your heart.

Go out & explore life & find the moments you seek.
Then if you are fortunate, those same moments will also capture you. :)

PBASE Gallery

Loaded my first Pbase gallery --- just some random shots.
PBASE
Cheers,
Andy

Sunday Snapshots

 

We all drove to Fort Pike today, an old confederate fortification on the banks of Lake Ponchatrain build in the early 1820s. It is an open and slightly eerie place --- cold & damp brick hallways full of history & nearly two centuries of decay. My kids enjoyed running around the upper ramparts and relishing in the mild afternoon sunshine. I tried to imagine the sleepless nights spent waiting, wondering & fearing a potential sea invasion. I imagined the citadel in its prime and how it must have felt to live & die within these brick walls.

Tracing my past

Left early this morning with a torrent of rain above me. As I pulled out of the Drury Inn in Meridian, MS --- I could barely see the road, and I quietly determined that this day of exploring my past was going to quickly become a wasted effort.  In this undetermined stillness, I pushed onward recalling from memory, the backroads and pathways to find my ancestor's graveyard site.

I drove up to Eutaw, AL and then Northwest to Aliceville, then Reform, then finally Millport and Kennedy. I turned up a poor rustic neighborhood to find the old city cemetery simply painted along the side of a simple country road. No elaborate fencing, brick pillars, nor gates encompassed this place, just a mixture of old and new headstones.

I parked in the church parking lot across the street and headed instinctively for the back of the cemetery, towards the old graves...those who had some roots down by this time, truly had a story to tell. I marched around in the remnants of some very light rain, trying to locate my family. Then, I found them. I cannot explain the feeling of finding links to the past, tangible markers that help you feel more connected to who you are as a person in this life.

As I located my great-great-great grandfather's monument, a mild sense of pride and peace raced through my veins.  This man, who would never know me nor my existence in this world, set the course for my ability to kneel above his final remains...my very ability to breathe & to live was set into motion before his death some 110 years ago.

Our lives do carry us forward and the choices we make certainly affect the future. I could not help from feeling connected & part of a larger, more extended family even by simply touching their engraved stone markers bearing my father's surname. I allowed myself to drift back, to try to feel their presence, to believe that in some small way, they were glad that I was there.

What will my grave say about my life and about those who will visit in the future?

My great-great-great grandfather William H. Smothers

Change --- We could all use a little....

Earlier this year right after my birthday, (2/20) --- I decided that I needed to make another change in my life. Not any convicting medical discoveries, nor painful realizations helped spark this new path, just something within my spirit that urged me to modify my habits.

Each morning I sit for about 15 minutes in silence and just meditate --- try to clear my head, let go of all of the voices, the responsibility, the burdens of being an adult in general, and just breathe. It helps ground my spirit for the day, and I have noticed that I am calmer, and generally much more patient & less reactive to the world around me. I am actually more aware, focused & instead of being a coiled up stress spring ready to pounce, I am just more reflective & contemplate my responses a little more intelligently.

Alas, that is not the only change I am referring to!

I changed my eating habits. Flax Seed, Omega3s, vegetables & non-processed foods all
became options that I choose to savor now instead of any processed, refined or artificial foods. I decided to close the door on all meats & get my protein from either yogurt or fresh seafood. Now, this is not a radical shift for me as I felt that most of the time I did eat "healthy" --- but I just wanted to eliminate the impurities from my life...stripping down the layers of disease and empty calories which did not provide anything but fat & slow eventual bodily decay.

Taking an honest look at your own life, understanding how food can influence your day-to-day processes, your emotional and physical well-being --- it finally clicked and made so much more sense. I never really understood all of the hoopla about this
fad, this diet, this new age food book, and I still don't subscribe to those "bestselling buy-me, I will change your life" books.

If you ever truly change anything, trust me...a book won't be the reason why.
Change has to flow from a deeper part of your soul, a deeper, richer more spiritual
side of your life. It cannot simply be about the threats of living with the weight, the lung disease, the diabetes...it has to be because you choose a different path. That you choose to live better, not just live.

You seriously take the time to listen to your body, find out what it takes to be one
with life and decide to be truly happy. Not letting your vices fool you into happiness, but strip away the layers & simply get back to basics. Today, I eat 1/3 of what I used to eat 10 years ago, probably just 5 years ago.

I eat to live, I eat to nourish my blood, feed my organs, to heal my body, to enrich my mind...not to replace something emotional that is lacking in my life, not out of habit, not out of desperation nor stress.

I can feel the wheels of this change starting to have a positive impact on my life, but it takes time to cleanse your body out of the routine of all of the unnecessary chemicals, colors/dyes, preservatives, fillers & false promises.

For now, I am content and at peace with my path & my life. I was always seeking something so much larger outside of myself to "show me the path", "send me a sign" and it really just took, looking inward to my own soul and listening instead of watching, believing instead of speaking...doing it for myself instead of waiting for someone else to guide me.

Find something today that you can do to inspire a change in your own life.

When you're finished changing, you're finished - Ben Franklin

Crossroads

In the midst of the cold morning air, I look down. I see the cracked faded gray concrete. I notice the stillness of the bare, winter trees. I breathe in the unmistakable almost sacred aroma of change. A gentle undertone...but it is there.
It is akin to how some train to break wood with their hands, how select few can decipher homogeneous fine wine and pick out individual flavors, how others observe ghosts, & how some people are truly fortunate enough to see how simple, yet how magical each moment of life can be. If they only choose to "see"

It is about filtering. To remove the artificial blinders, the ads, the media, the TV, the Internet, the distractions that encompassed we all call "life" --- it is getting back to the path. The reason behind it all, the very purpose for living itself. To seek out something more worthy of our time.

I find myself at crossroad in my life. Shedding the past, shedding those in my life that are simply not genuine, not meaningful, not part of who I am. It is not a slight to these people, nor personal. It is what it is. life is more than loving your loved ones, it is truly experiencing life. It is not someone forcing you to appreciate and respect those who are fundamentally disrespectful & selfish. Your actions define who you are, and blood or no blood, I stopped caring to keep our false relationships alive. I wish them no harm, only blessings. I don't want them to change who they are, just stop pretending to the world about what they have become.

Change is certain...Through action, change is focused. Through focus, change is guided. Through this guiding, change is meaningful.

I am unsure what this means for my life in 2010, but I know it will be monumental.
Crossroads. Where will my path lead me?