Olympics Across the Puget Sound
I was out at the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park over the weekend. I love the view of the Olympics across the Puget Sound in winter with lots of snow covering the tops and interesting cloud formations.
All photographs on this website are by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan © 2012. All Rights Reserved. Please inquire for permission before using.
Election Night 2011 – Tim Burgess Wins 2nd Term in Seattle City Council
Above is Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess being interviewed by a local TV station on Yesler Way Tuesday night, outside City Councilwoman Sally Clark‘s election party at Merchant’s Cafe. Burgess was commenting on his re- election victory and the passing with a strong margin of the Families and Education Levy which he supported. I had an excellent time yesterday on election night, following around Seattle City councilman Tim Burgess who cruised to victory in his re-election to another 4 year term. The first results were announced around 8:15PM. They indicated he had the lead with 81% of the votes over opponent David Schraer.
Earlier in the evening, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Tim Burgess and other Seattle officials supporting the Families and Education Levy, gathered at Elysian Fields. Since there was not a dedicated TV broadcast concerning the election results the had to and search on their smartphones for the first word on the first results of the election being announced which was supposed to be at 8:15PM. Members of the media were assembled in the restaurant waiting to hear their reaction to the results.
Blue Angels Over Seattle
Well the Blue Angels are back in town so it must be the start of Seafair week. I love watching these precision US Navy jet fliers passing over our city and lakes except for when like today I did not make it across the floating bridge of US 90 on my way back from an appointment in Bellevue. Sitting in traffic when I need to be traveling is not my idea of fun. Still they are a blast to watch. Just have to remember not to ty and get across Lake Washington during the day. Traffic all over the region will be messed up from 10 AM to the start of rush hour as these guys practice their display and then performance over the weekend.
End of the Space Shuttle Era
The final launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis marks the end of an era. I remember the first launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981. I was still in graduate school at Ohio University. Shortly afterwards I got my first newspaper job at The Tampa Tribune. It was while working there that I began to be assigned to cover Space Shuttle launches. I continued to photograph launches when I moved a couple of years later to the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Florida and then even after moving to New York at Newsday I was sent down for a few launches.
I covered the first launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger STS-7, and was scheduled to photographer it again on the day it blew up. I was pulled at the last minute, but then after watching it blow up from the newsroom my AME sent me to catch the first flight down to Florida to cover the aftermath. My old negatives are filed away and I will have to try and find them.
The picture above was made by my old friend AP photographer Dave Martin, who has probably covered as many launches as any photographer. The Boston Globes blog The Big Picture has this and 40 more pictures about this historic event. Check it out to see the rest of the pictures. I only wish I could have been down there to see the last launch.
Bellevue Jazz Festival
Last weekend was the annual 2011 Bellevue Jazz Festival and I was once again asked to photograph the event by the producers. Here are a couple of my favorite images so far in my editing of the pictures. Above is a shot of the amazing bassist Evan Flory-Barnes with his group Threat of Beauty as part of the 2011 Bellevue Jazz Festival last Thursday. Also in the group is Jason Holt on drums and and Jacques Willis on Vibes. Here are a few images from their performance which I throughly enjoyed.
Preeminent violinist Regina Carter put on a fascinatingly beautiful performance last Weds night as she and her band kicked off the opening performance of the 2011 Bellevue Jazz Festival at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Centre. Almost every performance I covered was a joy to hear.
Portrait of Claire
A portrait of my daughter Claire. this is a couple of years old now but it is one of my favorites.
Special Olympics Washington
Saturday was a beautiful day with sun all day and warm temperatures making it the warmest day of the year so far. It was also the day that the King County Regional Special Olympics Track & Field tournament was held and I was honored to be their photographer. More than 300 Special Olympians and their coaches and families turned out and had a great time. Seattle Seahawk defensive back and special teams captain Roy Lewis made an appearance to help hand out the medals. He was one of a number of local stars that came to help out. It was the first time anyone could remember that it did not rain on the Shoreline Stadium grounds on the day of the tournament. Here are some of my favorite images from the event. If you would like to see all of the photos and order prints go to Photo Bucket by clicking here.
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Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan does corporate events and portrait photography for national corporations and publications and is a Seattle Wedding Photographer with an artistic photojournalist style.
Sasquash, Luna and Leo
This was the last picture I took of our border collie Leo. He is the red and white dog in the middle and was about 7 months old at the time. Luna, his littermate to the left, is doing fine as is Sasquash, a friends dog. They were tied up on the sidewalk one fine November day as we stopped in a cafe in Bellingham for a warm drink. They were fine out in the cool fall weather. A few weeks after we were back in Seattle, Leo got out of the yard and had a fatal encounter with a car. We miss him a lot. Share on Facebook
Portrait of Jana Martinez
Here is another in a series of portraits from recent assignments. Jana Martinez works with Whole Life Birth where they conduct Childbirth Preparation Classes. We photographed ooutside on a somewhat rare clear day. I worked with the 8m f1.2 one of my favorite lenses for its ability to through the background out of focus. It has a greatly narrow depth of field. the plane of sharp focus is on her eyes and a bit of the fence to the right. Your eyes go right to her shining eyes right away.
Photography by Daniel Sheehan creates photography for editorial publications and corporations and available for commercial photography assignments.
Charlotte Graham | Seattle Photographers Corporate Portrait
Here is another in a series of corporate executive portraits from recent assignments. As always it is a challenge to try and get something different that works and is satisfying as a creative portrait. Charlotte heads a group of five executives in the Real Estate business and I photographed her and all the members of her team in a beautiful home facing Lake Washington. It had wonderful light and great details. She was really great to work with. this was my favorite shot of her.
Photography by Daniel Sheehan creates photography for editorial publications and corporations and available for commercial photography assignments.
Seattle Photographer at Pike Place Market
I was downtown recently on a typical rainy evening and made this shot of the light traffic on Pike looking west to the Market from the Washington Convention Center.
Photography by Daniel Sheehan creates photography for editorial publications and corporations and available for commercial photography assignments.
Cover Photograph OF NEA Today
I was happy to see how the NEA used one of my photos for the cover of their current magazine.
It was an interesting editorial photo shoot at the Wellpinit Middle School out in Eastern Washington on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Along with the usual still photos, I undertook the challenge to do some HD video storytelling as well on the second day of the assignment. It was about a struggling reservation school taking on the challenge of school transformation, determined to give students wings. They have some very fine editors at the NEA and it was a pleasure working with them/ Hope to do it again in the future. I also hope to get the chance to do some more story telling HD video this year as well.
Photography by Daniel Sheehan creates still photography and HD video story telling for editorial publications and corporations and available for commercial photography assignments.
Earshot Jazz Festival
JAMES CARTER swings with his sax in performance Friday night at the Triple Door as he played with his “HEAVEN ON EARTH” band featuring John Medeski on Hammond B3 and Adam Rogers on guitar, bassist Ralphe Armstrong and drummer Lee Pearson. The sold out first show was extraordinary and well received by the standing room only crowd.
We are starting into the second week of coverage of the annual Earshot jazz Festival and there were a lot of good performances this past week. I want to post a couple of pictures from this week here. the James Carter show was the highlight for me.
Here are some program notes by John Ewing:
“In 2009 James Carter released a record called Heaven on Earth (Half Note Records). It featured a select group of New York based musicians including organist John Medeski, bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Adam Rogers, and drummer Joey Baron. Like many of Mr. Carter’s recordings, it differed greatly from the work that preceded it. His previous release, Present Tense (Emarcy, 2008) portrayed the saxophonist as a rugged traditionalist more than willing to work within pre-established forms without ego driven pyrotechnics. Continue reading at: EarshotJazz
Robert Glasper performing Sunday night at the Triple Door with Vicente Archer on bass and Mark Colenburg on drums. On the heels of his acclaimed Blue Note release, Double Booked, pianist Robert Glasper continues to infuse jazz with hip-hop sensibilities. Glasper played a set that confirms his place on the “short list of jazz pianists who have the wherewithal to drop a J Dilla reference into a Thelonious Monk cover,” (latimes.com) with skill and finesse.
More than seven years ago, when in his early 20s, Glasper gave notice while working with Russell Malone, Mark Whitfield, Marcus Strickland, and “neo-soul” star Bilal that he may ascend to jazz-piano fame. A lyrical, rhythmic player, he “excels in providing crisp, melodic statements [with] a nice, lighter touch, and in restraining his considerable chops in the service of space,” said All About Jazz. Raised in Houston, Texas, he has combined lyrical insights with complex, compelling rhythms to emerge as one of the freshest voices in jazz today. He possesses what the New York Times called “percussive intensity, fresh ideas, [and] improvisatory logic.”
The son of a gospel-singing mother, Glasper played piano in church before he reached his teens. At home, he heard gospel, Motown, and R&B, and he also got into jazz, rock, pop, and hip-hop. Moving to New York to study at the New School University, he began playing with Christian McBride, Russell Malone, and Kenny Garrett.
The CHICAGO UNDERGROUND DUO, Rob Mazurek, primarily on cornet, and Chad Taylor, on various percussion, products of the fertile Chicago improv scene, performed at EMP Saturday night as the Earshot Jazz Festival continues on it’s second day,
The duo, formed in 1997 as one arrangement of the members of the Chicago Underground Collective, describes its music as “an organic mixture of African, electronic, coloristic, jazz-influenced life supporting systematic, non-systematic feeling from two humans trying ever to expand outward and inward for the people and ourselves.”
In another EarshotJazz Festival presentation, the superb quartet of Idaho saxophonist Brent Jensen and Seattle-based all-stars pianist Bill Anschell, bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop celebrated their latest Origin Records release, Motives on Saturday night at Tula’s. It was a superb performance all around of some wonderful music.
Already garnering stellar reviews, the disc is proof of “how many great jazz musicians there are throughout the United States,” according to Jazz Review. Jazz Chicago calls it a “true gem of a recording. This album entrances immediately from the start—beginning with Jensen’s tribute to free jazz pioneer and Ornette Coleman drummer Ed Blackwell…”
While the musicians are well-known to many in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, it is worth mentioning some of their credentials. Jensen currently serves Director of Jazz Studies at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls and has performed with a variety of jazz artists, including Gene Harris, Bill Watrous, Lew Soloff, John Stowell, the Manhattan Transfer and the Lionel Hampton Big Band. Pianist Anschell performs regularly with many of Seattle’s finest musicians and has also worked with Nnenna Freelon, Ron Carter, Benny Golson and Russell Malone.
Continue reading at: EarshotJazz Festival
Jazz Photography by Daniel Sheehan
The Kora Band
Something new on the jazz scene is the The Kora Band , in a recent performance at Tula’s, Thursday Sept 9th. They are pianist Andrew Oliver, Brady Millard-Kish, bass, Kane Mathis, kora and guitar, Chad McCullough, trumpet and Mark DiFlorio, drums and percussion.
The 21-string harp played largely by the Mandinka people of West Africa is not usually seen in a jazz band but on Thursday The Kora Band celebrated the release of their newest album “Cascades” which contains a variety of West African pieces, modern repertoire from Congo and Cameroon, as well as originals by Mathis and Oliver with some subtle influences of jazz. Tula’s was crowded for the first two sets and the music was a delightful mixture of African and Jazz sounds and rhythms.
Drummer Mark DiFlorio and pianist Andrew Oliver spent one month staying in Africa and when they returned to the Northwest found the expressive melody of the kora, resonating with them still. They sought out and found kora player Kane Mathis and along with Chad McCullough on trumpet and Brady Millard-Kish on bass, formed the Kora Band, marrying kora and other West African musical traditions with elements of jazz. They put out their first album “Just 4 U” in 2009.
“Performing on the 21-string Mandinka Harp Kane Mathis renders compelling interpretations of these traditional musics. Years of study with generous masters have given Kane a rare opportunity to share these traditions with other cultures. Kane began taking trips to The Gambia, West Africa in 1997 and has continued rigorous study of the Mandinka Kora. Over the past ten years his performances have earned him recognition by the Gambian president, The Gambian minister of culture, and both national television and radio of The Gambia. Kane’s primary kora teachers are Malamini Jobarteh of Brikama, The Gambia and Moriba Kouyate of The Gambia.” from Mathis’s website, Kane Mathis - www.kanemathis.com
Their performance at Tula’s aso kicked off a west coast touring schedule but they will be back at Tula’s on October 15th. I look forward to hearing them again back as they play on the opening day of Seattle’s Earshot Jazz Festival. To learn more about the band go to the websites of the band: The Kora Band - www.koraband.com and each of the musicians:
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Photography by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan, who photographs jazz performances, and creates portrait photography for publications and Seattle Wedding Photography with an artistic photojournalist style.
Group Portrait Photography | Ask The Ages
Brian Heaney has a new group, Ask The Ages, that he wanted me to photograph so we made a series of informal individual and group portraits outside his house where the jazz group were rehearsing the other day for an upcoming concert on Thursday, July 15, 2010 7:00pm – 8:30pm, at Egan’s Ballard Jam House, 1707 Northwest Market Street Seattle, WA 98107 Pioctured above left to right are:
John Seman, bass, Greg Campbell, drums, Brian Heaney, guitar and Matt Reid, trumpet.
Portrait Photography by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan creating portraits for publications and a Seattle Wedding Photographer with an artistic photojournalist style.
Zombies Set to Invade Seattle Again on Saturday
Last year around this time, I was out at a bar in Seattle having a beer at the High Dive in Fremont, watching “The Buckets”, a local band my friend Michael plays guitar in. When the show was done I headed towards the door and saw these Zombies at a table and photographed them and wondered why they had been let in to the bar dressed like that. Then I hit the streets and it looked like the Zombies had taken over the city. I started taking photos as they walked by. There were thousands of them around. I did make it out of Fremont ok. It turned out that more than 3 thousand people participated that Friday night in Fremont in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most people in a zombie walk.
After the walk the zombies went for a viewing of some outdoor movies, Shaun of the Dead, and playing of Michael Jackson’s Thriller for zombies to dance to. More than a thousand zombies danced to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The event was scheduled before his death, and so it turned into a tribute to him.
As it turned out, Fremont broke the world’s record for the most zombies in one place with the new official record of 3,894 zombies. Then England stepped in and took away the record. So this Saturday is the second annual Red, White & Dead event. Seattle can then lay claim to the “Zombie Capital of the World” once and for all in the “Dead” Center of the Universe. The goal is to outdo the Brits, who hold the zombie walk Guinness World Record through the Big Chill Music Festival in England. From noon to midnight Saturday at Fremont Outdoor Movies (3501 Phinney Ave. N.), there will be an attempt to beat Guinness Book of Records with most “zombies” in one location. 3,575 are expected. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., zombies will dance and walk on sidewalks in Fremont, with North 35th Street closed from Phinney Avenue North to First Avenue NW. his year also marks the “Year of the Zombie” and Seattle seems to be the center of attention, as 2010 marks another first for Seattle with ZomBcon, the world’s first Zombie Culture Convention infecting Seattle on Halloween weekend at the Seattle Center and Experience Music Project with over 100 Exhibitors, 10 interactive fan workshops, panels, a SIFF-curated film series, and Halloween Masquerade , Zombie Prom party. We plan to have a collection of experts, authors, filmmakers, historians, celebrities and all the gear and fan fare for the Quintessential Zombie fan. Here are some pictures from last years zombie walk.
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Editorial photography by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan, who shoots corporate and editorial photography and portraits for publications and Seattle Wedding Photography with an artistic photojournalist style.
Madrona Modern – Seattle Homes & Lifestyles
I just found out that the July/August issue of Seattle Homes & Lifestyles Magazine is running my architectural photography of the Madrona Modern home I photographed for Seattle interior designer Robin Chell of Robin Chell Design and architects David Bennett and Kim Lavacot of Bennett Lavacot Architecture. In fact they have chosen the above picture for the cover of the magazine. It was a beautiful and sophisticated house to photograph with a quiet, simple elegance. Read the story here: Seattle Homes & Lifestyles
Architectural photography by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan, who creates architectural photography and portrait photography for publications and Seattle Wedding Photography with an artistic photojournalist style.
Bellevue Jazz Festival Underway
Once again the Bellevue Jazz Festival is here and Kicking it off at the Meydenbauer Theater was The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO), the Northwest’s premier big band jazz ensemble. Founded in 1995, the 17-piece big band is made up of the most prominent jazz soloists and band leaders in the greater Seattle area. SRJO played a concert of highlights from their 2009-2010 concert season, including hits from their November 2009 “Tribute to Ray Charles” concert (“One Mint Julep,” “Moanin”), their March 2010 “Big Band Monk and Mingus” concert (“Haitian Fight Song” by Mingus, “Misterioso” by Monk), their April 2010 “Birth of the Cool” concert (Boplicity, Rocker), and a new Michael Brockman composition for the SRJO titled “Passage Noir.” Featured soloists included trumpeter Jay Thomas, baritone saxophonist Bill Ramsay, pianist Randy Halberstadt, tenor saxophonist Hadely Caliman and Travis Ranney, trombonists Dan Marcus and David Marriott, plus alto saxophonists Mark Taylor and Michael Brockman. Here are some highlights from the concert.
For tickets and more information go to the Festival website; Bellevue Jazz Festival
Jazz Photography by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan, who photographs jazz performances, and creates portrait photography for publications and Seattle Wedding Photography with an artistic photojournalist style. See more work from this Seattle Photographer.
Portrait Photograph of The Wizard of Oz Cast | Large Group Panorama Portrait
I was asked to make a large group portrait of the entire cast including munchkins and backstage workers for the Salmon Bay Elementary School production of “The Wizard of Oz”. Immediately after the last performance on Saturday, I set up my lights and watched the play. It was really great. They had already performed it 3 previous times and were really into it. After the last bow was taken I sprang into action and with the help and patience of all involved, we made the above photograph. I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and special thanks to Glyde King the producer, director and 7th grade teacher who made this such a wonderful production for all.
Panoramic Photography by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan who creates portraits for publications and a Seattle Wedding Photographer with an artistic photojournalist style.
Editorial Portrait for The Chronicle of Higher Education
Seattle Photographer Daniel Sheehan specializing in photojournalism, portraits and photography for publications and corporations.
Twilight Seattle Skyline
Had a recent request for a skyline of Seattle panorama and found this one on file from a couple of years ago. It was after the hour when you can still see a clear glimpse of Mt Rainier in the distance but I still like the balance of architecture and Space Needle to the right. If you look very closely though Mt. Rainier can be seen faintly behind the buildings in the center of the panorama. Queen Anne has a wonderful vista in the evening light. Photograph by Seattle Photographer Daniel Sheehan specializing in photojournalism, portraits and photography for publications and corporations.
Jorn Ake | New York Poet
Monday night the poet Jorn Ake was in town giving a reading from his latest book at The Elliott Bay Book Company in their new Capital Hill location. It was the first time I had visited Seattle’s legendary independent bookstore’s new location and was impressed that they very much kept the spirit of the old bookstore in the translation to Capital Hill. I first met Jorn in Prague where he and his wife Claudia were living and I was visiting with my wife Jana. It was good to see them again.
The New York City-based poet Jorn Ake read from his Blue Lynx Prize-winning new collection, Boys Whistling Like Canaries (Eastern Washington University Press). “Boys Whistling Like Canaries is a collection haunted by the grim history of the 20th century, and by how its legacy continues to so troublesomely endure. Ake tackles the most vexing subjects—among them our current wars, the Holocaust, and Cold War totalitarianism—yet he reckons with them without resorting to bromides, polemics, or the benumbing timidity with so often afflicts the work of American poets when they seek to confront injustice. In his rangy and querulous approach, Ake recalled the work of two of our finest poets of social justice, George Oppen and Thomas McGrath. To be linked with them is no small accomplishment.” – David Wojahn. Jorn Ake’s 2001 debut, Asleep in the Lightning Fields, received the X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize.
Photograph by Seattle Photographer Daniel Sheehan specializing in photojournalism, portraits and photography for publications and corporations.
Strawberries
My daughter Claire asked me to photograph this twin strawberry for her. We have been enjoying eating them lately as the price seems to have dropped due to the late crop in Florida coming online the same time as the California crop.
Enjoy the fruits of the season. Photograph by Seattle Photographer Daniel Sheehan specializing in photojournalism, portraits and photography for publications and corporations, and a wedding photographer, with a candid photojournalist style.
Teenagers
Here is another shot of Ema and her friends hanging out at the beach at Carkeek Park celebrating her 13th birthday. It was a really fun afternoon and evening with hot dogs chilli and marshmallows and stuff around a bon fire.
