so cool

Obama was in town yesterday for a conference and I happened to be biking down the lakefront trail when he arrived... It was f@#!ing awesome! When I got to about soldier field, the trail was blocked off by cops on horses so I turned around. About 30 seconds later, 2 huge black helicopters fly over me and land about 100 yards away. Then marine one comes and flys about 30 feet over my head. My mouth was just hanging open :) I couldn't really see anything up close so I went back to Lake Shore by Balbo, right by my school, and the whole motorcade roles by about 2 minutes later. It was so cool. Easily one of the highlights of summer break so far.

Presidential motorcade on Lake Shore Dr.

parked Marine One by soldier field

the first and the last

Grad school is now done. The job search has been going ok, nothing officially but the leads are still coming. The graduation yesterday was interesting... I've never seen one quite like it. They awarded a photojournalist an alumni award- he said he came to columbia a fine art photographer and left a photojournalist. It left me feeling really weird and uncomfortable. After all, I made the switch to fine art in the middle of undergrad and not a day goes by that I don't stop and say "I'm so glad I made that decision." I still think it was one of the biggest turning points in my life thus far. And here was this guy, up on stage, thanking columbia for turning him in the other direction of what I had chosen in front of some of the greatest photography teachers around. Awkward does not adequately describe the situation.

Anyway, I have the utmost respect for photojournalism, I really do. I just don't think my photography is suited for it. That being said, the White House photographer, Pete Souza made a pretty good body of work in the first 100 days of BO's presidency. Here's a few really intimate shots that resonate with me. I love the one of them getting on the helicopter by the lake, I bike right across that shot about 3 times a week. If you're a sucker for watching BO and his life like I am, you should totally subscribe to the flickr photostream. It really is amazing how close it lets you get.