MaryJo Tapia and Roger Heckler travel 45 minutes by bus to buy groceries once a month because there are no more affordable options nearby. Video by Mahala Gaylord for the Denver Post.

This is the third video installment for the Food Desert series I'm working on at the Post. I decided to use stop-motion photography with this video because I was basically working with a video that was about a process. The process being a grocery shopping trip... a very long one. I think the feeling a viewer gets from the stop-motion in this video better conveys the length of time and the distance this family travels to get their groceries. 

Here's a link to the story by Karen Auge at the denverpost.com  Judy DeHaas is doing the photography for this series. She's got some great ones of the family shopping (a different family than the one in my video) if you scroll to the bottom of the page! Also Judy's photographs of old abandoned buildings that were once groceries stores in food desert neighborhoods are beautiful check them out here: grocery graveyards.

I believe she shot them with a Holga.

The next installment I am working on is about Re:vision, an organization that is helping low incoming families in 'food desert' designated neighborhoods to start their own gardens. The program helps the family set up their garden and helps them throughout the summer to keep the garden healthy and teach the families about sustainable living. These gardens are helping families eat healthier food that they otherwise might not be able to afford.

Links to the three published food desert videos at the denverpost.com: 1st video, 2nd video, 3rd video

Here's a funky video about a family farm producing and selling raw milk on their farm in Colorado.

This is a daily video I did about a month ago at the 4/20 rally that was held on the Capitol lawn in Denver. It's is just a quick a dirty look at the events of that day; people rallied to fully legalize marijuana usage in Colorado and in the U.S. I have just begun working on a series that the Denver Post is working on to tell the story of what's happening with marijuana in Colorado, It will be a long term project with several installments to be published in the coming months. It's going to be awesome, we are working on getting access to all sorts of different places to tell people's stories. I'm looking forward to sharing it.

Warrior Games

Sgt. Gavin Sibayan, a Colorado native, won four gold medals in the Warrior Games Friday. The U.S. military's first ever Warrior Games are a paralympic-style event where disabled soldiers compete in an array of competitions for medals and to show the world that they can compete and achieve many things despite their disabilities.

Sgt. Sibayan was hit by three EID's while serving in Iraq. He swims with hip injuries, traumatic head injury and PTSD.

I produced this video about Gavin for the Denver Post, you can see it in context here. Please also look at Matt McClain's photos of the games here.  Matt's photo's of the track events are beautiful.

This is part of series i'm working on about food deserts in the Denver area. This installment focuses on Denver's Park Hill neighborhood, residents talk about why the grocery stores left town and never came back.

new job and a Pulitzer

I started working for the Denver Post three days ago. Today, one of the Post's photographer's Craig F. Walker, won the Pulitzer for feature photography with his project "Ian Fisher: American Soldier." I am so honored to be joining this staff right now. Craig's photography is so powerful. Please look at his project by clicking here, and watch my video as Craig and the Denver Post staff hear the news that they've won.

Spelling Bee!

Long Island Championship Spelling Bee

Casey Durant, of New Hyde Park Memorial High School, wins the LI Championship Spelling Bee and will compete in the Scripps Howard 82nd Annual National Spelling Bee finals in Washington. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord

Mahala goes to Washington!

Huntington fashion students meet with Michelle Obama

Thirty-two students from Huntington High were invited to see the first lady's inaugural gown unveiled at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord

So SWEET! I came within 15 feet of the first lady! and got to walk around DC on a most beautiful spring-like day.  I wish I actually got to meet her instead of just stand in a crowd of journalists, but still, a very cool assignment!

Lukian Lawro, 4, cruises across the ice at the Christopher Morley County Park skating rink in Roslyn. Lukian and his twin brother, Oleksa, just watched Mighty Ducks and are practicing their skating because they want to play hockey says their mother, Dania.December, 22, 2009. Newsday photograph by Mahala Gaylord.

Used tires are stacked up behind Somerset Tire Service, waiting to be recycled. Photo by Mahala Gaylord.

Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County has been named the most dangerous road in the Tri-State area for pedestrians, according to an annual study. January 6, 2010. Newsday photograph by Mahala Gaylord

Some photographs where I focused on the graphic composition.

Robert Jean-Gilles, 7, touches his mother Banassa Jean-Gilles' cheek during prayer at an interfaith prayer vigil held for Long Island Haitian's at First Presbyterian Church of Greenlawn. January 16, 2010. Newsday photograph by Mahala Gaylord

While I've rigorously been posting my Newsday video's to my blog, I have allowed posting of still photos to fall by the wayside. So, as I was archiving photo's today at work, I set aside a few I wanted to share. This one, was taken soon after the earthquake in Haiti. I love the idea of the young feeling the angst and pain of their elders, and sharing in it, even if they don't yet quite understand everything that has caused the pain.

Ilisa, Queens, NY. Snowstorm Jan. 2010.

Snowstorms either make me feel whimsical or dark and mysterious. I think for Ilisa, the snowstorm became something very serious and Russian. Its all about survival.

Alambria Springs Farm

Amy Yahna and Brian Musician built their organic and self-sustainable farm from the ground up. Alambria Springs Farm, located in Lebanon, NY, is powered entirely by wind and sun energy, and provides food for community members in the surrounding area through a form of community supported agriculture (CSA) in which members pledge their monetary support to the farm in return for a share of the years' crop. Produced by Mahala Gaylord

Ben

At age 34, Ben Lehr has a fulfilling life. Although he has severe autism he lives in his own house, owns his own woodworking shop, and sells his finely crafted work at local festivals.
Produced by Mahala Gaylord

Lorna Rose

Lorna Rose's grandparents died in 2007 leaving her on her own and having to support herself. She is putting herself through school at Syracuse University, works three jobs to keep herself in school, and still finds time to win beauty pageants. Produced by Mahala Gaylord

Praying for Haiti

Members of St. Anne's church in Brentwood pray for their fellow Haitian's during Wednesday night's Haitain Mass. Produced by Mahala Gaylord.

Manhasset man files claim against N. Hempstead housing authority

After a heart attack and a month in the hospital, Jim McCann, 79, returned to his Manhasset apartment and found it empty. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord for Newsday

Snow falls on Long Island

Snow is expected to mix with sleet and rain early Wednesday before turning over to all snow with totals expected between 10 and 16 inches on Long Island. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord

Snow cleanup on Long Island

Snow trucks plowed Long Island streets throughout the night to ready the roads for commuters Thursday after a major storm left up to 16 inches of snow on the ground. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord

LI high schoolers headed to Syracuse University

Two high school football players, from Lawrence High School and St. Anthony's High School, will sign letters of intent with Syracuse University. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord, for Newsday

Roslyn star runner to attend Villanova University

Emily Lipari, Roslyn High School star distance runner, will run for Villanova team. 

Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord, for Newsday

9 LI students named Intel science finalists

Nine LI high school students, out of a total of 40 nationwide, are named finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord, for Newsday

used statues crammed hundreds and thousands to a room waiting waiting waiting

An hour in Brooklyn.

The Organist


During hockey season, organist Paul Cartier plays Saturday mass for Our Lady of Hope Church, in Carle Place, before hopping over to the Coliseum to play the organ at the Islanders' game. Produced by Mahala Gaylord

Anthony Naimoli, a shipping company owner, was in Haiti on business
when the capital was leveled by Tuesday's magnitude 7.0 earthquake.
Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord, for Newsday

Long Island Haitians pray at St. Anne Church in Brentwood Wednesday night for the safety
of their families and all the people in Haiti suffering from the effects of Tuesday's earthquake.
Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord, for Newsday

Toes from Mahala Gaylord on Vimeo.

My first video made with the new camera, it is a D300s with a 60mm lens

music: Staying by Mark Allaway

falling in love should be like dancing with magic
not formulaic and logic-filled

it should be ecstatic and unexpected
utter anticipation

make me laugh till tears squeak through my lashes
i'll stare at your face, simply unable to look away

i, in no way, want it to be ordinary, or Starbucks, or club's bars
or movie dates, or sex in cars

let love land lightly in the night
or let it crash its heavy hand into me,  unable to breath

know me by letting your soul find mine

Jessica Buttner will donate her bone marrow to her twin sister, 6-year-old Leukemia patient, Julianna. Videojournalist: Mahala Gaylord for Newsday.

I have continued to cover the journey of Julianna Buttner as she battles Leukemia. It is very touching to be able to continue working with this family. They have been so welcoming to allow me again to intrude on their lives. The two girls love to play with my cameras. Julianna always wants to put on the headphones while i'm interviewing the rest of her family so she can listen to them talk and watch them on the back of the video camera. And Jessica continually wants to grab my d700 to take pictures. (you can imagine how tense that makes her parents as they imagine the thousands of dollars they would have to replace if she were to drop it!)  She won't though, and she is being so brave to become her sisters bone marrow donor.

Thank you

I had the opportunity to do a shoot for Shut Up! Magazine over the summer. Here are the final selects the magazine used. I mostly do photography along the lines of journalism so it's always fun to mix it up and do some fashion or editorial shooting. I can get pretty nervous when it's just me, a beautiful girl and my camera. and it's completely up to me to create the action, the atmosphere, and the moment.

One person who has helped me an infinite number of times to overcome that fear and make the picture, is my friend and fellow photographer AJ. I used to be so confused by our photography relationship, because he would assist me time after time on my shoots. I always used to feel that he got nothing out of it while I was gaining everything by having him there. He always made sure the lighting I imagined came to fruition. He would make sure all the cameras were working, and even lend me his camera when I did dumb things like not bring a back up. He would let me bounce ideas off of him and tell me I was doing great when I started to doubt myself. I would inevitabley come out with a sweet photograph, and always wonder but what did he get? So really this post is about saying thank you. Thank you to AJ for always lending a hand and making me look like a smooth operator. I hope you got as much out of working with me as I have from you! Just look at these pictures! damn! AJ is as much the creator of these photos as I. And, for that matter, there was a hair stylist, makeup artist, clothing designer, model, and art director, who put in just as much effort as anyone to create these.

Sunset on the Southern State. taking pictures one handed with a heavy camera in heavy traffic. always a good idea!

face of homelessness

December 28, 2009, Deer Park: Michelle Tingle and her son Zuriel Mason, 9, have been living in a homeless shelter in Deer Park since February. Newsday photograph by Mahala Gaylord

I took this photo for Newsday for an article about the rise of homelessness on the Island and how shelters are unable to handle the new high numbers of people in need of a place to stay. Contact was made with a woman who is homeless and willing to be photographed. I went to the shelter where she and her son are staying and made a portrait. (above) The newspaper was all set to run this picture A1 with the story, but upon receiving the photo from me, and seeing that she was black, they decided not to run it on the front. They cropped it down and stuck it a couple pages back in the paper. WHY? because the paper didn't want to portray the face of homelessness on Long Island as being black. How do you feel about this?

Is it right to NOT use someone's photo because they are a minority? Normally the paper is pushing photographers to find people of color or ethnicity to put in the paper. But this time things about-faced very quickly.  I felt put off when I saw what they did with the picture. But I'm not sure if my feelings are stemming from the fact that I took a cool portrait and they cropped it and shrank it and stuffed it on the inside of the paper.

Would most people be angry to see a black homeless person on the front of their newspaper as a picture portraying homelessness in their area? Would they feel that the newspaper was making a statement about homelessness that was not neutral? I feel that the newspaper's not using the picture was also a statement. A statement that they're worried about what people think of the paper, that they fear they are not a neutral news source. As you can see by my rambling statements above, I'm not sure how I feel, or what decision I would have made were I in charge. I'd love some feedback