Will Graham Photography

Hotter Than Hell 100 in 3 mintues

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:37:00 +0000

This is a time lapses video of the Hotter n Hell 100 held on August 27, 2011 shot with a GoPro camera mounted to the back seat of my bike.

Hotter n Hell 100 Time Lapse from Will Graham on Vimeo.

Our group of riders were (left to right) Brian Shaw, Jason Thumlert, William Mundinger, & Ben Ralston.

FA-18F Swordsmen – Fighting 32nd

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 06:09:25 +0000

This past weekend I was working with a friend near Love Field when we saw two F-18 Navy Jets fly by, circle, then land at Love Field. After driving around the airport for a bit I located the two planes and made my way to the refueling port where the planes were parked. Right when I pulled up the four F-18 pilots came out on their way to the Navy/SMU game that they just flown over. I learned they would be taking off in the morning. So I showed back up Sunday morning and just happen to pull into the lot right when they did. Followed them out to the tarmac and was able to shoot a few pictures before the took off. They were part of the 32 Fighter Wing off the USS Harry Truman.

Thank you guys! I really appreciate you and your service for our country. Let me know if you want any of these pictures.

FA-18F Super Hornet

Rwanda’s Passion Week

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:12:32 +0000

For the past 17 years the week leading into Easter has been reserved as the only week in which it is widely acceptable for Rwandans to speak about and observe the horrific events know as the Rwandan Genocide. If you were on a street corner in Kigali this week you would see flashes of purple from the arm bands and scarves worn by those personally affected by the Genocide. And if you visited the Genocide Museum just outside of town you might witness a gathering of hundreds mourning the the slain who’s bones are only now being laid to rest.

Here are a few images I’ve posted before that I took while in Kigali during the Easter Week in 2009. The link is to a piece by James Nachtwey who was there in 1994. His images are very graphic. They are shocking. Click HERE for his story.

Finally…Nikon D7000

admin — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:13:30 +0000

I’d like to thank my brother in law Jae Ellis, Claire Smith, Andrew Hudson, and Chad Lemons for letting me borrow their cameras over the last four months.

Indwe Cover with Tanit Phoenix

admin — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:01:31 +0000

I received a call from my lovely friend Tanit Phoenix a few weeks ago telling me that South African Airlines wanted to use a photo I took of her for the cover of their in-flight magazine. So I got my first cover! Tanit is an amazing actress from South Africa and is being talked about as the next Charlize Theron. The magazine is currently flying around South Africa and other Southern Africa countries in the backs of airplane seats.

No wind machines, just hair flip + timing. Also used a small strobe (SB-600) through an umbrella high camera left. The second picture also ran in the article.

Hipstamatic

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:44:41 +0000

Over the past few years I have been following an amazing photographer named Chase Jarvis. His site is here. One of his main ongoing projects is taking pictures with the camera that is most readily available at the time. This is just about always a camera phone and in Chase’s case it is an iPhone. He even created an app and a photo book called “The Best Camera Is The One That’s with You“. You can find the app on iTunes and the book on Chase’s blog here. So over the past few weeks I have been shooting with my iPhone. It wasn’t until I downloaded the app Hipstamatic that I really started having fun shooting with the iPhone. I just got back from a trip up to Cape Cod and I only shot with this little camera using the Hipstamatic app. I loved it. The Hipst. creates square format images and adds a variety of effects depending on which ‘lens’ and ‘film’ you select. The main thing I really like is that you choose the effect first, then shoot. Most other apps let you shoot then apply an effect after. I like that you only get one chance. It is a small echo of the film days which I never really was a part of. I started learning photography when the digital age was in full swing. The Hipstamatic app is the best $1.99 I’ve spent in a while.

The Kill

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:18:45 +0000

This past year I went on safari in Tanzania’s Serengeti and was lucky enough see a kill. I like zebra’s but I also like lions and they have to eat some how. What made this hunt exciting is that the collared lion used our vehicle as a blind to hide behind. The lioness started her run at the watering zebras from behind our car in order to mask her charge. She was at top speed when she emerged into the open. The zebras began to flee from the water in an angle perpendicular to that of the lioness charge. If she would have chased one of them she would lose speed in turning to adjust her angle. Luckily for her one zebra turned away from her thus cutting its speed and aligning itself with her charge.

Once she took the zebra down the other two lionesses joined to help finish the job.

When We Were Kings

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:43:21 +0000

Along South Africa’s famed Garden Route we stopped outside of Platteville to visit a township. With the sun setting we walked down the dirt streets visiting with people as they were ending their day. Through the space between houses I could see a group of horses being ridden a few streets over. The towns layout was such that travel was not refined to just the roads. This gave a certain excitement to the anticipation of where the riders would appear next. I worked my way over to a crossroads at the exact time the three riders emerged from behind a building at the top of the road. They turned their rides towards my location and were off. It was not until they arrived to the intersection that I noticed they were riding bare back. They were impressive.

When I was in High School I ran the 400m in track. Before every race I would find coach Greg Christian and ask him to go to the end of the first curve, right where the backstretch starts. I would asked him to yell at me to run faster as I entered the backstretch. That was the exact area where my mind would elect to bail out in favor of self preservation. In the mix of thoughts like, am I catching these guys on my right?, is the guy on the inside lane catching me?, are these guys tired?, will I have enough to finish?, Coach C’s words would pierce through……FASTER!!! WILL RUN FASTER!!! What followed was instant clarity of purpose in the midst of controlled chaos. Faster. I can honestly say that I have rarely been at such peace then when I was 115meters into a 400meter race. The last 40meters is a different story though.

As I watched these boys ride past I could tell this was a moment that would always bring a smile to their faces no matter what lay ahead in life. The warmth of the setting sun. The eyes of the community on them as they danced in and out of balance on the back’s of beasts. And their minds free of all concern due to complete focus on going faster. It was beautiful.

3 Sydney St.

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:05:38 +0000

Exodus by Water

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:54:13 +0000

God has used water throughout the Bible to deliver people; from Noah on the Ark, to Moses in the basket on the Nile, to the Israelites through the Red Sea. And so it was that I got to see God use water again to deliver a Ugandan woman named Evelin out of imprisonment in an IDP camp in Northern Uganda. IDP camps have been the Ugandan government’s solution to a security issue caused by a rebel army called the LRA. The idea was that by placing the northern population into camps the small Ugandan army could better protect the people from the raids of the LRA. So for over a decade the Acholi people of Northern Uganda have been forced from their land and crammed into these camps.

The LRA have been pushed into the DRC and now the Ugandan government is encouraging the inhabitants of IDP camps to move back to their lands in the surrounding country side. But without accessible clean water it is impossible to start again. Clean water is at the heart of survival and prosperity.

In May of 2009 a new water well was drilled 3 km outside of the Gore IDP camp. The well was made possible by individuals that gave money to the UAPO in memory of Glenn Graham. The well will help provide clean water to hundreds of people in the area, but to one woman named Evelin the well has changed her life.

I spent a day at Evelin’s home and saw first hand how clean water filters down to every aspect of a her life.

Gore IDP camp. This has been Evelin’s home for the past 12 years. Built of mud, dung, straw and wood the huts close proximity to one another make it virtually impossible to prevent the spread of disease from one family to the next.

Inadequate food and poor water conditions in the IDP camps make it impossible to remain healthy both physically and mentally. Hunger and sickness rob hope and make it nearly impossible for the people to see anything positive on the horizon.

The drilling of a new water well brings more than water to the area. It brings the opportunity to start a new life. For many born in the IDP camps this is the first sign of hope they have ever seen in their lives. And for Evelin it will give her the needed basic resource to exist outside the camp.

An all Ugandan crew is an inspiration to the community. They are fed and housed by the community over the 5 five days it takes to drill the bore hole that will become a new water well.

This is Vicky. She helps Evelin gather water in the mornings. The new well is 100 yards from Evelin’s land.

This is Evelin. Three days after the water well was operational she moved out of the IDP camp and back to farm land that belonged to her father. In the day I spent with her she never stopped working. Whether it was taking care of her children, working the land or preparing for future opportunities.

Here Eveline washes the bowls and cups she will use for today’s cooking. She uses clay pots to store clean water so it is on hand at different locations. On nice days Evelin likes to cook and clean outside in the wide open spaces. It is a wonderful contrast to the cramped and overcrowded IDP camp.

With clean water and soap Evelin cleans her son’s injured foot. Without clean water to wash small wounds like this one, infections can start and quickly turn life threatening.

Evelin is a widow and must be healthy in order to provide for her family of two boys.

Good nutrition is vital for Evelin. Without it the anti-viruals she is taking will not work. Again clean water is essential.

Lunchtime inside Evelin’s home. Silver fish stew and sogum.

Sewing baskets that are sold in the United States through the UAPO’s Akola Project. With the extra money she bought the straw in the back ground that she plans to use in building a storage hut for the livestock she hopes to have one day.

Selling wood that she cut from her land. This wood will be used to build new huts for those lucky enough to move back to their land.

Returning home after selling lunch to the local police station.

This clean water well helped Evelin back to her land and begin a new life for herself and her boys. I was amazed by her work ethic and innovation to use different aspect of her land to make money. I imagine she has had years in the camp to dream about what she would do with her land if she ever got back there.

If you are interested in being a apart of helping someone start a new life, below is a list of organizations that bring clean fresh water to people like Evelin.

http://www.bloodwatermission.com/

http://www.charitywater.org/

http://winetowater.org/

If you would like to buy one of Evelin’s baskets please visit the Akola project at http://www.akolaproject.org/projects.html