Cuauhtémoc, Mexico

For the past three days, I went to Cuauhtemoc, Mexico with the Better Together Mexico project which is a Christian missionary. I was documenting the whole trip.

Also, I photographed a portrait series in this jail in Cuauhtemoc. I got back to Albuquerque last night, and quickly picked one from the series. Here it is:

A inmate with his family in the Cuauhtemoc jail on Dec, 29, 2010.

On my way back from this trip, I was planning on the next project in Anapra, Mexico. Anapra is only 10 minutes away from Juarez, Mexico which is having the drug war going on nowadays.

For the new project, I want to use the idea of Kids with Cameras in the movie of Born Into Brothels. I will try to save some money and get some donations to buy cameras for the kids in Anapra. Hoping I can bring the photos the kid took back to New Mexico and have an exhibition to get some money to make kids' lives better.

Last day of 2010, a lot of new projects and hope in the coming year.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

It is the time to say good bye to the old year.

A lot of things that happened in 2010, school, work, family, relationship... Nothing has changed my goal of chasing my dream.

I'm looking forward to the new year.

For the last three day of 2010, I will be in Mexico documenting a Christian missionary trip to a prison nearby Chihuahua City.

I took the picture below on the day before Christmas Eve at a birthday party.

Finals Week

I finished all my finals a week ago. This week is mostly for me to relax and apply for as many summer interns as I can.

Monday morning, I got my first rejection letter from the Dallas Morning News. I was a kind of sad but later I realized that I might get more and more as time goes. Sooner or later, I will hear back from the Denver Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Star Tribune.

I am already looking at some smaller newspapers to apply. Wish me good luck!

I took this photo last Saturday, for an ice skating show. The only thing I learned from shooting this kind of event is no matter how warm outside is, it is still very cold inside, cuz I have to stand on ice.

Groups of ice skaters warm up for the "It's a CooLLOOP" Christmas 2010 show at the Outpost Ice Arena in Albuquerque,N.M. on Dec, 11, 2010

Let's take a picture together

I went down to Las Cruces,NM with three friend to cover the New Mexico Lobos and New Mexico State Aggies basketball game. The game ended with 84-78, the Lobos won.

It was a fun trip. And I started noticing that people love getting together and taking pictures. It kept reminding me the first few paragraphs I read in Roland Barthes' book Camera Lucida, Barthes says "show your photographs to someone- he will immediately show you his: 'Look, this is my brother; this is me as a child,' etc.; the photograph is never anything but an antiphon of 'Look,' 'See,' 'Here it is'; it points a finger at certain vis-a-vis (It's French,I don't know what this means), and cannot escape this pure deictic language. This is why, insofar as it is licit to speak of a photograph, it seemed to me just as improbable to speak of the Photograph."

What do you think?

Anyway, I'm stressful today. To me, there is one more week left then the fall semester is over. I'm planning on the summer internships, the spring break trip to NYC, the NPPA workshop in Warwick, RI for next year.

I should just write my final paper for the art history class now.

BTW, my topic is about the ethics in photojournalism. I started with talking about Kevin Carter.

Bike Coop

I started my photo column Backstage on the Daily Lobo since Fall 2010 semester. It was an idea that has been in my mind for a really long time. I always want to go out and look for people's stories by myself and try to find something behind.

So far, I had a firefighter, a man in the Salvation Army Adult Rehab program, a Mexican boot maker, a barber, a veteran. This is my sixth column. It is about one of the oldest bike shop owners in Albuquerque, N.M

(Photo by Junfu Han)

Greg Overman, right, took over the Bike Coop on Central Avenue in 1998. He dropped out of New Mexico State University in 1972 because of financial problems. He was studying music at the time, and he worked in a bike shop in Las Cruces. He said he hadn’t planned on being a life-long bike mechanic.
　　
“But doing what you enjoy is quite a privilege,” Overman said. “Especially if that’s your job and you get to do what you enjoy.”

After moving to Albuquerque in 1973, he kept working on bikes in different shops around town. He said his mother taught him how to fix things.
　　
“When I was a little kid, I liked taking things apart and not always putting them together,” he said. “My mother made it clear to me that if I was gonna do that I have to learn how to put it back together, so it will work. And that’s how I started it.”
　　
“Life is short. All I have to do is enjoy as much as I can,” he said.

(My friend Chris Quintana helped me editing this essay. Thanks Chris!)

I'm Back

I'm back to blogging again. The past 7 months has changed me a lot.

I become the photo editor at the Daily Lobo and start digging more and more in the photojournalism world.

And also I'm working on the applications for summer 2011 internships.

Here is a photo from the TCU vs UNM game on last Saturday.

Susan Shivers hugs her son Luke Shivers, a TCU fullback, Saturday after the Horned frogs defeated UNM 66-17. Shivers presented her son with a rose, as TCU finished the season undefeated and will likely get a bid to play in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. (photo by Junfu Han)

I saw this quote on A Photo Editor,

Before I became a picture editor, I assumed that “good photographers” took “good pictures” because they had a special eye. What I found was that good photographers take good pictures because they take great pains to have good subjects in front of their cameras. Reflect a moment on what cameras do, and this makes sense. Good photographers anticipate their pictures. What good picture editors do is help them.

– John Loengard

A Story of the Piñata

A Story of the Piñata from Junfu Han on Vimeo.

After 6 hours of struggling with Final Cut Express, I finally finished editing this video

Now, I am having a good time with video editing, and I find a way to display high quality photographs in video

weekend punch

A man having a smoke outside of the Share Project in Albuquerque, NM on April 18

I was sad on Monday because this photo did not run on the paper, it was supposed to go along with Andy Beale's story about a kitchen for the homeless people in Albuquerque.
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My original plan for this week was to take the Mexican bus to El Paso,TX to look for some ideas of my stories about the border. I didn't make it because I had a bad a headache and toothache this morning. Then I ended up going to Old Town to look for a Piñata story from La Piñata Shop and buy a bag of hot Jalapeño Peanut Brittle from the Rockey Mountain Chocolate.

Hopefully I will get the chance to film the two Piñata shops in town these days. And also I hope the build-in microphone on my 7D could work good.

I should be home soon

I found this postcard a long time ago in old town Albuquerque. By the time I saw this card, I told myself that one day I would have the chance to send it.

I haven't gone home in about two years. But this time, I will see my parents in less than a month.
I'm going to send this card on Monday.

New Mexico Society of Creative Anachronism

New Mexico Society of Creative Anachronism from Junfu Han on Vimeo.

Got my first multimedia clip done

Thank you for Joey Trisolini's help.

Reprise

@Isotopes Park, after UNM lost to BYU on Friday

I'm so glad this long week is over
even though I was chilling at the baseball field the whole night
I felt happy

Although the Lobos lost, they still get another game Saturday to advance

And, I am looking forward to the trip to Santa Fe tomorrow for the seminar presented by Rob Haggart who is the author of blog 'A Photo Editor' http://www.aphotoeditor.com/
I hope I can learn a lot of stuff from this event

Tomé Hill, Good Friday

I feel upset if I go to an event I really want to go and when I get there I find there are a lot of photographers waiting and even more coming

just like Today, I suddenly lost my interest of shooting

PBR: a story of falling

March 28, I got a chance to cover the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Invitational at the Pit in Albuquerque. Thank you Jack Carnefix(PBR senior manager of public relations) for giving me the credential.

Along with this gallery, I have another gallery on the Daily Lobo's website: http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/gallery/professional_bull_riders_in_albuquerque

Besides, I have a quote from another photographer Frank Martin,

'$10,000 or wheelchair, it's your choice'

night walk

Lorry's cross and unfinished painting

Lorry at the Central&Cornell bus station, in front of the Frontier Restaurant; He comes here almost everyday to wait for a chance to take the food people left on the table

I had a random night walk on Central Ave. tonight and I had a random conversation with this Native American, Drunk, Homeless, Artist

I guess this is my first time taking photos of a Native American and this is the beginning of my 'Homeless' project

back to real

a UNM baseball player walking back to the field on March 26

Back from an 'extended' Spring Break, I have to adjust my life back to school and work again

I was delayed by the United Airline twice at the Minneapolis airport which made my break in Minnesota longer

Found new scholarships to apply for, got tax to do, got homework to make up........

gotta prepare for the final week

Good things is finally I booked the flight back to China this summer

I'm counting down days now, 53 days till I fly back home

Very excited.

one year loseversary

@Thomas&Mack Center, Las Vegas, 2009

I still remember the photo I took last year at Las Vegas after New Mexico lost the semifinal game versus Utah at the Mountain West Conference Basketball Tournament

The girls lost the game to the same team again after a heartbreaking overtime

I am not going to the tournament this year

instead I'm enjoying working as a temporary photo editor at the Daily Lobo, editing other freelance photographers' photos and I don't shoot any assignments this week

hopefully the Men's team could make to NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, then I will get the chance to go and cover it

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six and half hour later will be my last mid-term exam

gonna get some sleep then do some review again

I want spring break so bad

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BTW, I got an email tonight telling me that I am one of the winners of the UNM ISI program summer scholarships.

Thank you Jim Fisher and Catherine Harris for the recommendation letters.

And thank you Jim Montalbano for editing my project proposal.

Looking forward to do my summer documentary project in China.

if lost, relax

@UNM football practice

A sense of symmetrical is always in my mind when taking photos, doing drawing, making objects

I guess that's because of the Chinese culture

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writing a movie analysis on Coen Brother's movie "a serious man" for my expository writing class, it is due at 4pm today, last night I watched this movie the second time, I say this is really well made, now forget about "burn after reading"

grant and scholarship applications are almost done, today I found some other grant opportunities, deadlines are close, I have to hurry up

Adrienne said the UNM Photo Program is going change the south darkroom to a lighting studio, I got so upset of hearing that, is film photography really dying? I still think that is a stupid question to ask people

finally framed a few photos for display in the UNM Student Union Building, very excited to tell my parents

planning on to make a short film this weekend with a digital camera

thinking of taking the LAND/ART New Mexico program next semester

..........

got so many things going on in my mind

I really want to get out of school

but I am planning on applying for grad school, Photojournalism? MFA in Art Studio?

.......

Do artist or photojournalist really need a degree?

I bet you will say NO.

waw, it is already March 2

Valentines Day was more than two weeks ago

St. Patrick's Day is about two weeks later

let's get ready for the green beer

(last year, I was having a great time in Las Vegas.

This year, I will be in Minneapolis, or maybe Chicago.

Looking forward to that)

apeman

Feb 27@ Mountain West Conference Indoor Track&Field Championship

I've been listening to a song called Apeman over and over again tonight

just like this photo the first second I like it, the second second I don't, the third second yes, the fourth second no......

.....

I think I'm sophisticated
'Cos I'm living my life like a good homosapien
But all around me everybody's multiplying
Till they're walking round like flies man
So I'm no better than the animals sitting in their cages
in the zoo man
'Cos compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees

......

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I've been so stressed-out these days

hope my scholarship applying process could end soon

spring break is right at the corner

homesick

keep a diary or keep a planner

10 years later, would you read things you've done or things you wanted to do?

I think I am homesick these days

photos from 5 years ago, I wanted to take a lot like these, but I ended up with those 4

Mr. Grumble

This is the season of anger

I really feel these days I get angry very easily

The day before yesterday I got back from Minneapolis

today I feel the weather in Albuquerque is like summer

that makes me angry

This morning I went to the Metropolitan Court for no seat belt on in my car while waiting for a cop

I couldn't pass the security check because I have my cell phone with

I couldn't put in my vehicle because I biked there

I couldn't put in the locker they provide because I didn't have a quarter

Outside of the courthouse, there's a Mexican lady sitting there to keep people's cellphones, but she charges me a dollar

that makes me angry

UNM baseball practicing @Isotope Park

I think I used to say getting a good moment is like orgasm

But taking photos is to get good moments not just about getting good moments

Just like having sex is get orgasm not just about getting orgasm

I got really tired of hearing people at work and in class, talking about the assignments and using the term 'to get the moment'

Can you please think of something else to use, instead of this word 'moment'

I'm so tired of this

I know most of the photographs are just moments, they happened in less than a second

that makes me angry

I get tired of people telling me print journalism is dying

that makes me angry

I'm getting tired of checking airfares

I really miss my family, I haven't seen my parents more than two years

But why it costs me so much money to go back

that makes me angry

I remember I used to take photos of some suicide scenes by theatre major students and tricking other people that i was a crime scene photographer

I did worked as a crime scene photographer before but that was scary and nasty

I did enjoyed taking photos of the theatre scenes but those were not real

when I looked at the photographs I really want to throw them away

artificial light, artificial scenes, artificial setting, artificial costumes, artificial stories, artificial music,artificial dialogues, artificial face expressions......

that makes angry

Sometimes I feel good while watching people doing what they are doing

I'm an invisible man~~~~

Sitting in a theatre watching a rehearsal, the background music is Lady Gaga

Please save me God, I swear I don't want to hear this AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA anymore

that makes angry

a girl dancing at the rehearsal of the new coming show Dead Man Cell Phone @Theatre X

In this 21st century we have too much entertainment to satisfy us

We are forced to watch so many advertisements, that's more than enough

We have too much choices in clothing stores, in toy stores, in record stores, in movie stores, in restaurants……..

We spent too much money on communication, cell phone, mail, internet, cable

but we still don't think our communication is good

Do we have a lot of what we need

yes

Are we still complaining

yes

We are just so hard to satisfy

Designers keep on killing themselves

that makes me angry

In all

I really want to graduate soon

I don't care if it's a tiny apartment

I hope not

Although I enjoyed flying back and forth between albuquerque and minneapolis again and again

But it costs me a lot of money

that makes me angry

This afternoon, I realized that I get angry easily

On my way to McDonald, a guy gave me a flyer saying "Stress Relief"

"Only $30 for a complete private treatment"

I guess I should stop advertising

that makes me angry

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No matter what

I really really need to get all my scholarship/grant applications done before March 1

Wish me good luck

life is a vending machine

Oh boy, oh boy

UNM Lobos almost lost but they went overtime with San Diego State, and beat them at the end

That's the kind of game I want to see, not a team leading 20+ points in the first half, then they play boring in the second half.

Mr. Vander Galien told me he does not want to see his team tight with the other like that, because it's not safe.

Fine, I just care I can good shots or not now, I'm tired of this winning or losing

WIKIPEDIA:

A vending machine provides snacks, beverages, lottery tickets, and other products to consumers without a cashier. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vending_machine)

you know what I mean, don't you

It has been 22 years

the time I knocked on the door, Don was exercising on his trampoline

"It has been 22 years."

The time I walked in Don's apartment, he told me he has stayed here over 22 years. But at the end of February he has to move out because the owner decides to sell the property.

Don put his jacket and rainbow hat on, he said he feels more comfortable with the colorful hat

"This is my life. On the wall."

He pointed at the wall and told me.

The wall is full of postcards, photographs, paintings, bumper stickers...... and stuff that erotic

And I found this

a love letter to José

Howard Zinn's book "People's History of the United States" which is the one Don think every American should read

Don told me that he never eats cooked food, he said he spends a little more than $1,000 on food in a year

Don sitting in his tiny apartment, at the end of February, he has to take everything on this wall down and move to a new place, but he told me he's going to stay with one of his friends for a short period of time

on an assignment of shooting Don Schrader

maybe I will do a follow up story late this month

may i have your story

Today is the first day I started knocking on people's doors and asking 'could you please tell me your story?' It used to be my ideal way of taking photos. But today I made the first step. I felt awkward when I was standing in front of the first house I want to 'bother'. Of course I got a 'No'.The second one I felt that I was like a bible salesman. The third one I got over everything.

I went to Rio Bravo Mobile Home Park which is the place every time I drove by I told myself I need to go to and take photos. I have a lot of this kind of places on my shooting list. The result turns out not bad.

Knocked on 55 people's doors. Explained the same thing (just introduce myself and my project). Asked the same question 'do you mind tell me your love story'.

51 said 'No';

3 said 'Not right now, but you can come back tomorrow' ;

1 said 'Si, vienen en' !!!!!!!

with Mom sitting on couch in the back, 9-year old Ariana and her 5-month old dog Modita. Ariana and her elder sister Alejandra did all translation, since their parents don't speak English at all

Su casa no es mi casa

@Marble Brewery

got back from the TORTUGA Workshop slideshow and after party

Im having a hard time to fall asleep

just realized that I got so many things to accomplish

Saturday, I have a photo shooting for my art class, actually I'd rather call it my own project

then homework, homework and work

after I checked Roberto's blog(http://robertoerosalesblog.com/), I decided to make a 'best of 2009' series maybe also 2008

after I talked to Jakob(http://jakobschiller.com/), I think I am going to try to apply some grant from the university to pay for my trip for doing some documentary projects in China in summer

when looking at my Amazon wish list, I found that I have so many books that I want to own, but I can't, every time I tried to buy the book I told myself, No I can't buy those stuff, I really need to watch out my budget, and I am moving around all the time, I can't afford all of them also carrying them around.

Home is 8,000 miles away. No matter friends telling me 'mi casa es tu casa' , I still don't feel that comfortable. Most of the time, I don't feel that I'm a foreigner, but the problem is some times I do

Be safe

Eric, Maggie's husband, watching his wife and her son going through the security check in the Albuquerque airport on Jan 28

I got a phone call from Eric Wednesday telling me that Maggie and son Greg were leaving Thursday. Since all the airlines from the US to Haiti are closed. They have to take a boat to Haiti, which is a 4-day trip in the sea.

So far, what I've heard the buses that carry all donations are planning on to leave at the end of February.

Ready for Haiti

Maggie Doerrer on the phone talking to her husband Eric. Eric told me that he and Maggie are leaving for Haiti earlier than the buses leave, so they can prepare for receiving the donations

In Albuquerque, there is a group people decided to get all the donations together in 5 buses and drive straight to Miami,FL then seek for a way to ship all the stuff to Haiti to help the people there

They are leaving soon, and I will post the follow up later.