Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind.–Mary Ellen Chase

KAREN WINK
AMERICAN PRESS
December 13, 2010

On the sidewalk in front of Southgate Shopping Center, Leroy Williams prepares his stage for his sixth holiday season of performances.

After stretching his cheeks and fingers, Williams starts to pipe out a Christmas soundtrack for the shoppers hurrying between stores.

Shoppers pass by Williams as he plays a medley of popular Christmas songs on his saxophone. Some just walk by, while others stop to drop money in Williams’’ Gratitude Bucket.

Williams first started playing on sidewalks as a way to raise tuition for his culinary and dietary education at Sowela Technical and Community College. He continues now during the holiday season mostly because he loves Christmas and loves creating a festive ambiance for passers-by.

“It’s the weather. It’s fall time. It’s Christmas. As a kid, everyone hears ‘Santa Claus (is Coming to Town),’ ‘Frosty (the Snowman)’ and ‘Rudolph (the Red-nosed Reindeer).’ It just brings back memories to hear those songs. We need something more in this city. We need more sidewalk musicians,” said Williams.

Williams said his love for Christmas comes from his mother. He is sentimental about Christmas music, with “Please Come Home for Christmas” being his favorite holiday tune.

“You can’t mess up ‘Silent Night’ and simple Christmas songs. I’m always trying to improve,” said Williams.

Quick to smile, Williams often breaks up his performances to talk with shoppers. He recounts several instances of encouraging words that motivate him to keep playing.

“Little kind words just make your day,” said Williams.

Williams’ personal finances get an assist by his sidewalk concerts. He works as a cook at a casino, but he lost one of his two jobs. Williams says playing his saxophone helps pay the rent and provide money for Christmas presents.

“I’m going to continue this because I love being on center stage. I get to talk to lots of people. I’m a talkative person,” he said.

…

When you photograph a face, you photograph the soul behind it. – Jean-Luc Godard

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band gave their first concert in Lake Charles last week. It was a special treat to be able to photograph this group. They embody New Orleans Jazz and the spirit of that city. Here are a few of my favorite shots. I did post a slideshow here on the American Press site.

There is no such thing as taking too much time, because your soul is in that picture.- Ruth Bernhard

My job has a long list of perks. Covering the arts sits close to the top of that list.

Louisiana Public Radio and the Arts Council produce a series called Crossroads that airs in SW Louisiana on KRVS. The series visits other cities but the broadcast version is held at Lake Charles’ Central School Theatre almost monthly when it is “in season.”

This concert series has been on my to-do list since I first learned about it. Finding the time to cover this event has been an issue for almost every event. On January 20th that all changed and I was able to cover Chris Thomas King’s Crossroads concert.

King is the son of a famous blues musician, Tabby Thomas, but he is not walking in anyone’s shadow. He is a great blues man in his own right with multiple Grammies, 3 gold and platinum awards, and movie performances. His website is christhomasking.com if you would like the complete lowdown. It was a great performance and a photo ran on A-1 the next day.

My black and white favorites are below. I shot this event with my personal Olympus E-3. Love Love Love my camera. Cheers!

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If you want to write you should learn the alphabet. You write and write and in the end you hava a beautiful, perfect alphabet. But it isn’t the alphabet that is important. The important thing is what you are writing, what you are expressing. The same thing goes for photography. Photographs can be technically perfect and even beautiful, but they have no expression. – Andre Kertesz, Visions and Images

the band from St. Augustine High, New Orleans

I am committed to improving my writing yet I avoid it to the extreme. I even avoid posting personal writing on this blog. Lack of confidence in my writing has to be the concern.

The reporters at work that I respect seem to go on and on about a subject. They paint a clear picture of the story. When I write, I see my photos in my head and I only think how the words will augment them. This prevents me from writing more? I am after all a visual person.

So the question is “how do I translate my photos to words on a page?”

Eudora Welty said that photography helped her to become a better writer. Ok, Ms. Welty, I would love to channel you for a day so you could transfer some of that wisdom to my keyboard. Never the less, I’m stuck. I have one story ready to write, interviews are done as are the photos. Plus I have another I am working on that should be cool if I can pull it off.

This brings me back to my blog. Practice makes perfect, right? So what should be the easiest thing for me to write about regularly? My work…it is my life and my passion. So dang it!! I really feel like I need to do this. Journalism requires more versatility than ever before. Moreover, I really need practice…badly. Writing can only add to story-telling bag of tricks.

On a bright note last month, I contributed these two pieces to the LC “American Press” (an advance on the BooZoo Labor day fest and a feature piece on the small town of Basile).  I was especially pleased with both of them because I feel like the represent a little personal progress. Both were a struggle. My dread of writing forced me into the deadline for both pieces and they were both finished the night before.

Can a self imposed blog deadline make it easier to face the real deadlines? Let’s hope!

For the piece on Basile, I also put together a slideshow. Click here to see it. I’ve also included a view photos that are personal favorites.

In America, the photographer is not simply the person who records the past, but the one who invents it. – Susan Sontag

Everyday newspapers lose good journalists. This is old news. Most are because of layoffs, but not always.

The “American Press” lost one of my favorite reporters last week, but John Guidroz left in pursuit of a masters. We are so proud! Guidroz was an excellent reporter and had the APME awards to prove it. Plus, he was just darn nice!

John did have a knack for getting in the backgrounds on my photos when we were covering events together. I’ll miss trying to crop him out of my photos.

BTW: John is also a talented musician. I had been trying to make it out to hear him sing for many months. Time drug out until it was time for his last show in Lake Charles. That is the one I attended. John sung many of my favorite songs from the 80’s and 90’s. He’s got such talent: award-winning journalist and he can sing!

“One is responsible for one’s own life. Passivity provides no protection”.~ Madeleine Kunin

One year has passed since I ventured back into photojournalism. This has been one crazy year. It started slow but then I relocated to Southwest Louisiana. Hurricanes, helicopters, air boats, and lots of sports– I have relished all of it. My skills have been honed and I continue to learn more multi-media and writing to enhance my photography.

The work is great and I still retain my optimistic attitude about life and people, this in spite of the negativity that exists in journalism and journalists in general. The change in print to net is nothing but exciting to me. (most people don’t deal well with change.) I hope to be well positioned when the switch is pulled and the economy starts to kick again.

Below are  my two most recent slideshows:

Shielded by the Protector choose one of my photos for their new CD produced by S2S records. They will be hosting a CD release show, Wed. June 25 @ Meridian Underground w/ Dark Sundays. For more photos of SBP go here.

The lack of posts is an indication of my schedule. here is one project. I shot a local musician for Philly.ms (a local arts & entertainment weekly). You can download a pdf of the full paper at www.philly.ms

More fotos are on my flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotokew/sets/72157604030671013/.

2008 © Karen E. Wink

My musical expertise is not expansive; in fact it is quite simple. I know two things: what music touches my soul and what music makes my rear shake. Michelle Malone’s Sugarfoot LP does both. Go check out her page and take a listen.

If you ever get the opportunity to see her perform live, run don’t walk. Last week’s show at the Dawg House in Ruston was my 4^th time to she her perform live. I NEVER leave disappointed. She can rock away your blues and make you break a sweat tapping your foot and shaking your rear. Her live show kicks some serious arse!

more fotos here

2008 © Karen E. Wink