Aug

Restless and Depressed in Alabama

I’ve been restless lately and a bit depressed. I have a lot on my mind.

I imagined things would be so different after the vaccinations began. I pictured a summer of fun and connection to my fellow human beings. Not what the summer of 2021 has turned out to be: A time of great division with large numbers of my neighbors eager to dismiss experts and believe nonsense and obnoxiously mock those of us who are trying to do the right thing.

This week I interviewed a local doctor and actually had to ask the question, “Should human beings go down to the local feed store and ingest a deworming product meant for horses to treat COVID-19?”
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Aug

The Boathouse

Aug

Confidence, Persuasion and Authenticity

When I first got to Auburn for college, I was fortunate to have a mentor, an older guy named Burson Dixson who took me under his wing and showed me the ropes, as the saying goes. Maybe he saw this awkward skinny kid integrating into his group of friends and decided it would be good karma to make sure I graduated with not only a degree but also an education on life.

He taught me many things, but the one that stands out right now is his advice on asking for forgiveness rather than permission. Specifically, our tendency as human beings to perceive that someone belongs somewhere if they appear to belong. “Faking it until making it,” if you prefer.

Jul

Support the Local Journalism Sustainability Act

Please Contact Your Congressman Today!

The Local Journalism Sustainability Act (H.R. 3940) has now been reintroduced into Congress. I am asking you to take a moment and reach out to your US Congressional Representative to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3940. This is a bipartisan bill that both Democrats and Republicans are working on.

Time is of the essence, so please contact them today. A phone call is best, but emails can also be effective. If you aren’t sure who is your representative, click here.

Why This is Needed…

The newspaper I publish is more fortunate than a lot of others, who are really struggling financially. We have the benefit of loyal subscribers whose choice to advertise and subscribe is an expression of caring about our community.

Still, it’s impossible to ignore the “elephant in the room” as people frequently ask me what it is like to be the publisher of a community newspaper during a time of tremendous disruption for our business model.

The internet has had a devastating impact on the print advertising industry. In about the last decade, America has seen more than 1,800 newspapers vanish. Even in the newspapers that have survived, about half of newsroom staff journalists have been let go, leaving publications as shells of their former selves.

Jul

Alabama Headshots for Aspiring Actors and Models

For whatever reason, I’ve done a good bit of model portfolio and actor headshot photography for aspiring Alabama actors and models here lately.

Felicia Nepp is one to keep your eye on. What a stunning beauty!

I did a photoshoot this past weekend with a 25-year-old woman named Felicia Nepp who wanted to shoot for her modeling portfolio. She audition June 12th with IMTA, the International Modeling and Talent Agency, and will travel to New York City next March for in-person and face-to-face meetings with record producers, film directors, casting agents, etc.Read More

Jun

Alabama Model Casting: editorial fashion photoshoots

Alabama Model Casting

July issue of the magazine coming to stores next week!

I can’t wait for you all to see the July issue of DeKalb Living magazine. I did a cool cover shot of local models Lizzie Kate and Ava. Lizzie is the daughter of Paige, who I did senior portraits of when she was roughly Lizzie’s age. I’m so old!

This edition is very special because it will be our first with standalone issues available to purchase from different stores across the area. Presently, the magazine has been distributed to 3,000 of our print edition subscribers as a value-added feature. I can’t express enough how thrilling it still is to see my photos on all of those magazine covers! I love it.

For an entire afternoon, I had access to the Fort Payne Coal & Iron Building in historic Fort Payne, Alabama for a fashion photo shoot displaying apparel from local boutiques Cotton+Pine and Elizabeth’s Closet. We try to mix it up and feature different vendors from month-to-month.

Thanks to their moms for being around for the photo session. We typically prefer our models to be 18+ just because it’s less complicated, but we made an exception in this case because the two girls model clothing for Elizabeth’s Closet on a regular basis and were offered up by the owner, Susan Smith, a childhood friend. I encourage everyone to check out both of these shops for great new outfits for a variety of occasions this summer.

Jun

Fort Payne AL events you don’t want to miss

Events are planned across DeKalb County to commemorate the nation’s birthday.

Upcoming Fort Payne AL events include the Independence Day celebration.

Fort Payne AL events

The City of Fort Payne’s Independence Day Celebration is always a highlight, but this free event on Thursday, July 1, will be extra special this year with the return of in-person activities at the Sports Complex at 101 45^thStreet NE, plus a performance by the Alabama tribute band, Boys in the Band, who did two sold old shows in recent years. The event from 7:30-9 p.m. The fireworks show can be viewed from the venue or from any of the parking lots at surrounding schools and businesses. To learn more, visit City of Fort Payne Official Facebook Page.
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Jun

Hwy 117 in Mentone, Alabama reopens at last!

Alabama Hwy 117 between Valley Head and Mentone has reopened at last. It shut down after a landslide following heavy rains in early April.

Jun

My Newspaper Wins 20 Statewide Awards for Editorial and Advertising

Today I learned that my article about John Dersham for DeKalb Living magazine won 2nd Place in the category of “Best Personality Profile” in the Alabama Press Association Better Newspaper Contest awards.

The article detailed John’s love of and career in photography. While living in Nashville, he worked as a regional general manager for Kodak, responsible for sales to retail stores in seven states with 45 sales representatives bellowing him covering individual accounts. The article got into the impact of declining sales on photographers and camera shops as the medium increasingly transitioned from film to digital files. While visiting friends in DeKalb County, Alabama, he and his wife fell in love with the area and moved here. He became director of the local tourism marketing organization.

In the same competition, in the newspaper category, I also won:
2nd Place – “Best News Feature Story Coverage”: “Local WWII veteran turns 100 years old”
2nd Place – “Best Spot News Story”: “Flood waters damage DeKalb bridges, homes and businesses”
3rd Place – “Best Spot News Photo”: “Peaceful protest held in downtown Fort Payne”
3rd Place – “Best Photo Essay”: “Flood waters damage DeKalb bridges, homes and businesses”

Apr

Remembering the 2011 Tornado Outbreak in Alabama

Today marks 10 years since the infamous 2011 severe weather that stuck the state of Alabama. On that day a decade ago, a series of long-track tornadoes tore through Alabama in three waves across 35 of the state’s 67 counties.

The unprecedented event claimed the lives of 254 Alabamians, injured more than 2,000 and devastated the state. It was one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks recorded in Alabama since 1932, with 348 people dying across several states. Here in DeKalb County it claimed 34 lives.

It is a tribute to our strength and resiliency that we were able to recover from such a horrific tragedy and rebuild our broken communities.

I recall that the weather was threatening all day long in wave after wave of severe thunderstorms and some of the strongest winds I’d ever seen. The trees in our yard were being tossed about like rag dolls.

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Restless and Depressed in Alabama

The Boathouse

Confidence, Persuasion and Authenticity

Support the Local Journalism Sustainability Act