Arlington West Memorial

Celebrating the lives of soldiers' lost in the United States occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, the Arlington West memorial appears each Sunday from sunrise to sunset on the beach of the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif., maintained by the Veterans of Peace volunteers. Each white cross placed on the beach represents one military personnel killed in the war. (Photo by L.M. Parr/ Brooks Institute ©2010)

Arlington West in Santa Monica with a good friend from school.
A somber experience, and a Brooks rite of passage.

Cal State Fullerton v. Northridge

Cal State fullerton junior, Corey Jones #1, rounding second base during Senior Day 2010 against the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Sunday, May 30, 2010 at Goodwin Field at Cal State Fullerton University in Fullerton, Calif. Winning 15-4 against the Matadors, the win was Fullerton's seventh in a row and 23rd in 25 games to improve to 41-15 and 21-3 for the Big West title. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

My first time shooting baseball at the Cal State Fullerton Titan Stadium. Baseball is definitely not the easiest sport to shoot so I stuck with the basic CYA shots, hopefully I can improve on my next few attempts shooting.

Got some great photos of the team and got to meet the legendary Matt Brown, not too shabby of a day at the office, if I do say so myself.

SB1070 in Phoenix

Marching through downtown Phoenix, protestors organized a rally against Arizona's controversial SB1070 law, allowing authorities to ask for proof of citizenship when given probable cause. Saturday, May 29, 2010, the National Day of Action Against SB1070, 50, 000 activists marched the five miles to the Arizona state capital demanding that President Barack Obama repeal the law on May 29, 2010 in Phoenix, Ariz. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

Deciding in a matter of hours to jump in my car and make the crazy seven hour drive to Phoenix, Arizona for the SB1070 Immigration Protest, I have to say I'm generally happy with the results of my photos. This was my first protest on a large scale.

I made the conscious decision to under-lens myself, with only a 16-35mm on my camera, pushing myself to interact with the crowd and step out of my comfort zone and truly understand the raw emotions of the protestors through my photos. I knew bringing a 70-200mm with me would only serve as a crutch, allowing me to shoot from a distance.

Marching with these people, listening to their chants and sharing their emotions on the five mile march to the capital really altered my view of this issue. I experienced their joys and their passion for this issue in the two days spent in downtown Phoenix.

Alternative Sports

Competing in the Gold Coast 3 Hunter Jumper Show, # 208 Lauren Guilterez, aboard "Hampton," clears the final double oxer on Friday, May 21, 2010 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, Calif. Guillterez finished third in her Open Working Hunter class. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

My first attempt at shooting alternative sports for class.

The Los Angeles Equestrian Center may be my new home, for the time being. I'm in love with shooting equestrian sports after this weekend. What was originally just an assignment turned into a complete obsession over the period of three days, striving to get the best possible photos before deadline.

I will definitely be back to shoot at this place again.

Renaissance Faire in Irwindale

Sir Roger North, portrayed by Matthew Karrel, performs at the Queens' Court on Sunday, May 16, 2010 at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale, Calif. Karrel's character, based on an actual man in the Tudor Court, specialized in both vocal and theatre arts. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

Queen Elizabeth I passes through the MayDay crowd with the Queens' Court at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday, May 15, 2010 in Irwindale, Calif. The Faire recreates the original MayDay festivities, educating the public on medieval traditions. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

Robert Moshier, store-owner of Ananda Trader, explains to customers the beneficial uses of particular incense scents at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Sunday, May 16, 2010 in Irwindale, Calif. Ananda, meaning bliss in Sanskrit, specializes in Eastern European practices. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

Retired ships' musician Bugle Biggins relaxes while playing his penny whistle on Sunday, May 16, 2010 at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale, Calif. Biggins has been playing the medieval-style flute for 13 years. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

Thomas Thorne and Mary Everett wash the days dishes after closing on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale, Calif. The Faire recreates the original MayDay festivities, educating the public on medieval traditions. (PHOTO BY L.M. PARR/ BROOKS INSTITUTE ©2010)

An event coverage assignment from my first Photojournalism class PJN204.

The Renaissance Faire in Irwindale was an absolute blast, and the people could not have been kinder. A series of singles turned into three weekends of continuous shooting spent, ensuring the event had been covered thoroughly. This assignment definitely inspired a future story I want to pursue in 2011 about this Faire.

Adult Entertainment Feature

A few stills from a student feature being filmed at Brooks... A porn parody called "Adult Entertainment."