It's been nearly a year now since I was thrust headlong into the world of self-employment. At first I went reluctantly, but soon I realized all that the world had to offer someone with the talent and drive to work for themselves. It really is an amazing thing.
Today, I woke slow and early. I stood at the back door, drank my coffee and watched as the first real chill of late fall lifted from the yard. The blood red leaves of the japanese maple slowly floated to the ground one by one, signifying the end of the fall show. Then I cleaned up from a lighting test the night before and decided to make bread.
I got out all the vital ingredients, laid them out on the counter, rechecked the scrawling notes on the recipe card and then started. In silence I measured, mixed and kneaded and when the bread was put to rest, I sat back and began to start my work day.
Of course it's not a fairytale world. There are times I wonder when the next job is coming, and here in a few weeks I'll really start sweating the tax bill. And I'll do my fair share of work today. I have grading to do, and a class to teach tonight. Later this week I have to reset lights for the ORU basketball season and then I have two games to photograph. And there will be weeks like the U.S. Amateur Championship when I will work seven 12 hour or longer days.
But no man in a downtown high rise apartment, nor a midtown mansion will hold my fate in his hands. I will lose clients and I will gain them, but I will always be in control. There is always a job to be found and always a new client that needs work. So the rough times are never behind us, but for now I sit on the front porch as the sweet smell of fresh bread and self-reliance wafts out the front door and seeps lazily down the empty street I call home.
Recipe for bread below. Figure out the self-reliance on your own.
1 package of yeast
3 cups of lukewarm water
1 tablespoon of salt
1/4 cup of rye flour
1/4 cup of wheat flour
3 cups of regular flour
Dissolve the salt and yeast into the water. mix all ingredients except 1 cup of flour into the water (use a mixer if you have it) turn the dough out on a floured board and knead in the last cup of flour. Divide the dough into two loafs. Let rise (covered in a greased bowl) for an hour or until doubled. Shape into round loafs and place on top of sprinkled cornmeal on a baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with flour. With a serrated bread knife cut a cross or hash into the top of the crust. Place a cup of water in a pan on the bottom rack. Bread goes on the center rack. Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes.
Playing again with a process to digitally capture images from an old 4x5 field camera. Interesting so far. The look of the 4x5 wide open is just beautiful, especially photographing people. Where/when will I use it? Who knows....
Twice a year I put together a what used to be a little gathering of friends and has grown into a fairly decent little weekend ride. This year we had about 35 riders gather and ride the roads near Jasper, Arkansas. It's really a blast to be able to go and chase some of the best riders I know though the amazing ribbons of asphalt that weave through the Ozarks. I always ride more than I shoot, but I usually haul out the cameras and make at least a few decent images.
It has been way to long since I updated something here and for that I apologize. It has been a crazy summer, long and a bit drawn out, but here we are nearing the end. As fall approaches I have wrapped up one of my big projects this summer. A simple website and lots of photo work for client and friend Wade Jones at Greenstreet Landscapes here in Tulsa.
Wade's work has an unbelievable feel to it. Anytime I walk into one of his projects I can instantly feel his touch on it. Soft, lush, organic, natural. Landscaping may not always be thought of as an art, but Wade's work belongs in a gallery!
Check out the site when you get a chance and if you have any projects coming up, give Wade a call! www.greenstreetlandscapes.com
Hey guys, check out the new site! It's up and running at www.shanebevel.com. We were dragged kicking and screaming out of the 640x480 format of yesteryear and you can now actually see some detail in the photos! HA! Multimedia is gone from the site for now, but is replaced by a leaner, meaner portfolio with just four categories: Reportage, Portraits, Sports/Outdoors and Architecture/Industrial work. There is also a place for me to show work that might not make the portfolio, but is important to me, you'll find it under Personal Projects.
Teaching is something I have done before and something I really enjoy. So to get to do it at this level, even as a once a week adjunct, is pretty dang cool. I always had great respect for the professionals who took time from their busy schedule to come and teach us at the University of North Texas. Our careers would not have been the same without them, and they should all find great satisfaction in the level of success their students achieved.
Just got done shooting the division one Women's Softball World Series for the NCAA and wanted to post a few images up here. I always enjoy shooting sports, but sports at this level are just even more fun. These girls can really play ball. 
Did a story earlier this week for a new client called Education Week. Good assignment, great editor. A win win for all! Here are a few of my images from a story about Western Heights School District in Oklahoma City using data, numbers and analytics to track everything from student mobility to dropout rate to numbers of kids on free and reduced lunches in the cafeteria. The extra chairs in the graduation photos are for kids who dropped out. Power visual to represent a 29% dropout rate.
In the waning moments of today's holiday I am sitting here in bed, thinking about this day. Fran and I blew off a lot of things that needed to be done, and instead did a lot of things we wanted to do. Mostly we worked in the yard. Did a little maintenance and then proceeded to finish a lot of projects that we have been working on.
It all turned out beautifully and when we were done instead of jumping in the shower and kicking back to look out at our work, we went next door and helped the neighbors who are leaving fora big trip and trying to get everything done before they leave. All four of us knocked the work out and then kicked back for pizza and beers as the last bit of light left the sky.
Lots of people do lots of different things on this holiday. Most don't understand it's meaning. Sure, they are aware of the holiday, aware of why celebrate it and even vaguely aware of the sacrifice of young men and women. For most of my life, I was the same. Then two years ago, late at night in mid-April I received a call telling me that Cpl Ray Michael Bevel had been killed in action in Iraq. Ray, my cousin on my father's side, was a sweet boy, soft-spoken and kind-hearted. Even though I saw him just months before his death, I mostly remember him as the goofy kid with the big ears. A boy my father called Ray-Bird. I boy who loved to help others.
When I look back to his funeral I remember the thousands upon thousands of people lining the streets of small town West Texas as we brought his body home from the airport. Some had small
flags, some stood stoic and watched at the line of dark sedans and limos passed them by. Others were awash in tears and emotion. I would guess that very few of them knew Ray personally. It was a hard thing to go through for our family and of course for Ray's parents and siblings.
I could go on for a long time about that weekend. It was an amazing show of support. The most amazing thing was the outpouring of support from my uncle's neighbors there in Andrews. The way they cared for him and his family when they needed it was uplifting in more ways than I can say.
So when I look back on today, I can't imagine a more fitting way to celebrate this holiday than to take a few hours to help out a neighbor.
