The Wichita Eagle hosted a holiday open house on Tuesday. After a little coercion, I agreed to take photos of visitors on Santa's lap during the event.I've photographed Wichita's Virgin of Guadalupe celebration about a half dozen times since I've lived here. With all the movement and color, I always imagined it would translate well to video.
Went to a Christmas party Saturday night. The adults provided plenty of entertainment, but I could not help but notice that the kids were having way more fun.
In the end, I couldn't resist.
Had been wanting to get myself a website going for a long time now, but was having a hard time finding the right solution.
After a conversation with Matt Miller during the Kansas State/Nebraska game a few weeks ago, he pointed me to a company that specializes in website design for photographers. It's a great looking platform and it's easy for me to design and change anytime I want.
So www.travisheying.com is now online and ready for the world. Too bad I'm a little slow getting at this.
You'll also find a link to the right.
Pulled out the iphone tonight and was greeted by an email with the subject line "happy thanks giving"
Muttaz almost only emails me on New Years. I knew something was up.
"Dear travis
Happy Thanks giving dear friend
I hope next year will be better than the this one and remains in happiness
and good health
I am in the United States now I arrived 20 days ago"
There was a phone number too, with a New Jersey area code. I dialed it, and when he answered I responded with the very same greeting that I used to make fun of him for using when he answered the phone around me in Baghdad. He knew it was me right away.
Muttaz, along with his wife and two children, has made it to America after five years of trying and the wave of relief I feel that he is safe and alive is overwhelming me right now.
I could go on forever about what this man means to me. Let me just say two things about him.
1. There hasn't been a day since I drove away from Baghdad on October 31, 2003 that I haven't thought of him.
2. I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for him looking out for me.
Muttaz was my translator and driver in Iraq (how do you like that sweet-ass ride he fixed me up with? We had a Mercedes, too!) but over the course of two and half months he became a dear friend. The day before I left to come home, he held my hand as we walked to lunch and said "I'll miss you my friend."
That's the last time I ever saw him.
Get outta the way people... I'm headed for Jersey as soon as I can.
My old college buddy William captured me in deep thought.
"Do I still remember how to shoot college football?"
Actually, I'm opening up this post as an impromptu caption contest. I'm desperate for some comments people. Go ahead and tear me to pieces. Lane... I know you'll come through for me. Matt? I double-dog dare ya, bitch.
Shot this vid last Sunday. Just now getting around to posting it.
The Eagle's Bonnie Bing hosted her annual Holiday Fashion show
Holiday Fashions from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
I received an email this afternoon from my friend Denise informing me that I had "been tagged."
The rules state that I must:
I don't remember people reacting like this when Bush won 8 years ago.
Shot a video about a group of high school students voting for the first time.
First Time Voters from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
Get out and vote drives once consisted of people calling your house, knocking on your door... maybe an MTV ad. I got an email today that informed that I was featured in a video, and that it wasn't spam, or a virus.
The internet is an amazing place, and here's another reason why:
I'm sure several of you are also stars of this same piece of campaign brilliance. I'm sure I'm not the only blogger featuring this video. Still... no matter how you feel about politics, or who you plan to vote for, you can't deny that this is a pretty effective means of spreading the message.
The no-name kitten that wandered into my life last week embarked on the next phase of its life (or 9) today.
Today the kitten (who in the end, turned out to be a girl... this according to a vet) went home with a new owner and I'm certain is going to provide years of smiles to this young girl.
I missed the adoption, but I'm glad that everything worked out in the end. I was pretty certain that I was about to become the parent to a third cat. That would have been fine, but I suspect that in the end, this arrangement will work out better for everyone.
I'm sad that she's gone, but thrilled about how this story ended.
I photographed a ceremony Saturday of National Guardsman coming home from Iraq. Have shot more of these things than I can count.
Was headed for the door when I saw this scene. A father hugging his young daughter and crying. No big deal, the kind of thing you expect to see at one of these things.
Anyway... the thing that struck me about it was how they were all alone. The soldier's mother and father stood nearby, but the girl's mother was no where to be found.
I typically hope to shoot photos that answer questions. For some reason this one just left me full of them.
When I finished running at the park tonight, this little fellow had been following around a couple for a half mile while they walked. They couldn't take him and I could tell the woman couldn't bear to leave him out there alone. Truth is, neither could I.
So... this little no-name guy is spending the night in the garage while a plan is formulated. I don't think Spatz and Zelde would appreciate the competition.
But how do you say no to a face like that?
Anyone looking for a new kitty?
Spotted at Woodland United Methodist Church, prior to me speaking to a Sunday school group about Afghanistan.
I wanted to take a bite out of McCain, or get a taste of Obama, but I figured someone worked WAY too hard on these cookies. I couldn't do it.
As usual, i'm slow to get on board with the latest and greatest in online social networking. Take this blog for example: Seems everyone had one before I got going.
I was also the last person I know who quit listening to cassette tapes in favor of cd's. In my defense, I have a co-worker who still prefers 8-tracks.
My point to all of this? I signed up for Twitter last week. The verdict is still out with me... I'm not sure anyone really cares about the random crap I'm doing at various points of the day.
So anyway, if you're curious, or you want to follow my posts, here ya go.
Politics and art collided on the campus of Wichita State Thursday afternoon. Performance artist Sheryl Oring gave people a chance to voice their concerns and opinions to our next president.
Dear Mr. President from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
Birthday's used to be spent with a fair degree of celebration. Birthday #35 saw me operating various pieces of farm equipment all day, like this here big 'ol combine.
No complaints though. Got to spend most of the day outside on a beautiful fall day. In addition, being so busy gave me no time to complain about being 35.
Unfortunately, the memories of my 35th birthday will always be remembered at the Veazey farm by a little "accident."
I can only say two things about it:
1 - No one was hurt.
2- I didn't do it.
Spent my Wednesday afternoon at the Walnut Valley Festival near Winfield. They were flooded out of their regular location this year and were forced to move to a new campground. They seem to be making the most of it. Think of this thing as a small scale, all-acoustic Woodstock.
"Come Hell or High Water" from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
This is the video I was put on this earth to make.
The Scoop on Poop from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
After a personal plea from my sister, (likely my only remaining reader) I'm finally getting around to updating this thing.
How bad of a blogger am I? I went down to cover Hurricane Gustav and didn't post to this blog. You didn't miss anything. Gustav was about as exciting as this blog.
In fact, it probably rained more in Wichita today than it did in New Orleans. My rain gauge stops counting at 5.5 inches. Rain was spilling out over the top. That's a first.
Needless to say, this led to some significant flooding in Wichita. Particularly on our side of town.
Cars. They don't float. Never have. Never will.
This teen wasn't going to let a little flooding keep him from missing a job interview. What boss wouldn't hire a go-getter like this?
"I'm going to countdown from 10 and you will become verrrrry sleepy."
In a household that already is home to 3 (sometimes 4) apple computers and a handful of ipods, how was I ever going to resist Steve Jobs and his hypnotic iphone?
I caved in last Monday, I told Verizon to get lost and made my way (under deep hypnosis, I'm certain) to my nearby AT&T provider.
So now I spend even more of my days on the internet than I did before.
What will they think of next?
In Gillette you'll find two things in great abundance: Coal and pronghorn antelopes.
They're also known as the fastest land mammal in North America.
Now that my dad lives out in the country, these things are as common around his house as backyard songbirds are in Wichita. Or at least it seems.
Unlike deer, they're pretty good at not jumping out in front of vehicles moving at high speed down a highway.
Today my brother referred to them as speed goats. Though they're not a goat species, the name is fitting. Can't believe I'd never heard them called that until today.
Spent the afternoon at Devils Tower. Doesn't matter how many times I've been there. It never gets old.
A 360 degree panorama from the trail. Dad's the dude in the plaid shirt.
Trevor climbed every rock around the place, except the really big one.
A climber makes an attempt at the really big one.
Trevor checks out climbers on the tower.
Travis, Trevor and their dad (sporting a new soul patch) make their way down the trail.
I've headed home to Wyoming for a few days of R&R.
After an 860 miles drive, I was informed by my dad that the Pyrotechnics Guild International was holding their annual convention in Gillette. No rest for the weary, it was time to go watch stuff get blown up.
I was starting to have the attitude that if you've seen one big fireworks display, you've seen them all.
This was beyond enormous. All choreographed to music. For over an hour the whole sky was awash with sparks and fire. What seemed like most of Gillette's population was on hand, armed with lawn chairs.
Someday, these tigers could weigh 600 pounds. Each.
Golden Retriever takes on white tiger cubs from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
So I'm doing a little four mile run around Sedgwick County Park this evening...
Bet you know where this story is headed.
Just after the three mile mark, right when it was getting dark, I looked up and saw a little black and white thing about 5 feet to my right spin around and stick its pretty little tail up at me.
Never had a close encounter like this. The adrenaline burst sent me into a sprint that was surely olympic worthy.
Problem is, that sprint did nothing but send me straight into another skunk about a half mile up the path. I came up on that one so fast, he (or she) didn't have time to get turned around. That one just hunkered down and was faced up to fight.
The good news (besides the fact that I avoided getting sprayed) is that I had one of my better four mile times ever.
This is probably the greatest length of time ever between blog postings. Hopefully my faithful readers haven't all abandoned me. All five of you.
I'm in serious need of a trip back to a war zone. After blogging about life in Kabul, my trip to Omaha last weekend just doesn't seem nearly as interesting.
Lately I've had people ask me if I'm still shooting photographs. Though the new job title (oh, yeah... probably shoulda blogged about that) sees me holding a video camera a lot more than a still camera, rest assured, i'm still shooting a few pictures the old fashioned way. Well, almost. The above picture is actually 12 pictures, spliced together with computer software.
I promise to find something to blog about more frequently, no matter how boring.
Like millions of Americans, the Veazey family celebrated by the 4th of July by drinking a bunch of alcohol and then playing with fire.
Aerica brings in the arsenal.
Box #1.
Lighting off a double.
One of the neighbors shot this explosive into the Veazey yard. Aerica steps in with the bucket. This thing landed only a foot from her husband Chris.
But look... clearly he doesn't mind being close to explosives.
Laura Veazey. Glamour Shots.
Travis Heying. Hairy Chest.
Apologies for the lack of updates. To say I've been busy would be putting it mildly. Reminds me of an old Wyoming standby I learned from my brother: "I've been working harder than a one-legged man at an a** kicking contest."
In honor of hard workers who are short a leg or two, I present this video.
Two-legged dog gets her wheels from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
Where were things like this when I was a kid?
School of Rock from Travis Heying on Vimeo.
There are two summer camps in Wichita that teach kids how to rock. Wrote a story about it that you can read here.
Spent a couple of very relaxing days with my aunt and uncle at Lake Francis Case in South Dakota this weekend. It was a long way up there (500 miles) but well worth it. Perfect weather, and pretty good fishing.
I don't fancy myself a fisherman, so this haul probably represents 75% of all the fish I've ever caught in my life. This photo was taken at 4 a.m. Fish get hungry at very odd times.
The story I was a part of in Albania, Jordan and Afghanistan was published in newspapers and on the web this morning. It's a five part series. You can find a really amazing piece of journalism here.
The website contains a database of 66 former Gitmo detainees, videos I shot and produced and some killer graphics.
Below are some of the detainees I photographed and links to their stories.
Syed Ajan: Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
Nazar Gul: Kabul, Afghanistan
Mohammad Ayub: Tirana, Albania
Mohammad Aman: Gardez, Afghanistan
Amir Jan Ghorzang: Jalalabad, Afghanistan
Abdul Salam Zaeef: Kabul, Afghanistan
Ghalib Hassan: Jalalabad, Afghanistan
This is a group of 20 or so guys on the day they were freed from U.S. and Afghan custody. Most of them had been in Guantanamo for up to six years. There is no profile info on them.
Mohammed Naim Farouq: Gardez, Afghanistan
Khaled al Asmr: Irbid, Jordan
