Eight to Eight

Kicking it with people for a 12 hour stretch and documenting what unfolds.

Otis Griffin: Sacramento Light Heavyweight Boxer

Otis Griffin is a boxer in Sacramento who I spent a lot of time with in the summer photographing his “Road Back to the Title”. He spent every day working hard in the gym, sparring and lifting weights to make his run at the light heavyweight crown. You can see more of those images on my blog.

But this night, August 24th 2012, was the first of his fights to get him back on track. It was against Adam Collins in a DoubleTree ballroom in Sacramento, California. Griffin finished the fight with relative ease, but if you weren’t their for the training, you’d have no idea what it took to make quick work of Adam Collins. He’s currently 73rd in the world and creeping up the rankings.

(Source: starghill.photoshelter.com)

4:56 P.M. — Otis Griffin and his trainer/coach Mateen laugh in the dressing room at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Griffin will be fighting Adam Collins later in the evening. August 24, 2012

4:56 P.M. — Otis Griffin and his trainer/coach Mateen laugh in the dressing room at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Griffin will be fighting Adam Collins later in the evening. August 24, 2012

5:07 P.M. — Otis Griffin goes through his stretching routine in the dressing room at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Griffin will be fighting Adam Collins later in the evening. August 24, 2012

5:07 P.M. — Otis Griffin goes through his stretching routine in the dressing room at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Griffin will be fighting Adam Collins later in the evening. August 24, 2012

6:14 P.M. — Otis Griffin, friends and family pray before his fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Griffin will be fighting Adam Collins later in the evening. August 24, 2012

6:14 P.M. — Otis Griffin, friends and family pray before his fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Griffin will be fighting Adam Collins later in the evening. August 24, 2012

7:55 P.M. — Otis Griffin prepares himself for the his battle in the ring while walking around and throwing punches in his dressing room before a fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

7:55 P.M. — Otis Griffin prepares himself for the his battle in the ring while walking around and throwing punches in his dressing room before a fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

8:00 P.M. — Otis Griffin gets Vaseline rubbed on his face by his trainer, Mateen, before his fight against Adam Collins at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

8:00 P.M. — Otis Griffin gets Vaseline rubbed on his face by his trainer, Mateen, before his fight against Adam Collins at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

8:16 P.M. — Otis Griffin (right) takes a swing Adam Collins during their fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

8:16 P.M. — Otis Griffin (right) takes a swing Adam Collins during their fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

8:14 P.M. — Otis Griffin celebrates a 2nd round TKO against Adam Collins during their fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

8:14 P.M. — Otis Griffin celebrates a 2nd round TKO against Adam Collins during their fight at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012.

8:18 P.M. — Otis Griffin walks out of the fight venue and into the lobby after claiming a victory over Adam Collins during their bout at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012

8:18 P.M. — Otis Griffin walks out of the fight venue and into the lobby after claiming a victory over Adam Collins during their bout at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento, CA. August 24, 2012

Rushern Baker III: Prince George’s County Executive

On December 6, I had the wonderful opportunity to shadow Prince George’s County Executive-Elect Rushern Baker III and document him during his inauguration day. As you loyal checkers-out (fabricated word combination) of my blog know, I did a series of these type of documentary projects called 8to8 with a few people in the Washington D.C. community. Well this time, I was actually hired to channel my inner Pete Souza.

Access is an amazing thing. Politicians often have two (or more!) personae, one for when the red light is on and another for the everyday living of being a public figure. With the latter, there are moments when they can let their guard down but are still aware that blunder-capturing technology might be lurking. I was fortunate enough to be behind the scenes during family and isolated moments and tasked with the challenge or preserving this memorable night. The great thing about this very long assignment (7am - 1am) is that I became more invisible to the subject as the day wore on.

December 6, 2010 is mostly a blur now but there is one thing that I vividly remember. At one point I found myself in the “green room” with the new County Executive and his security detail watching the Jets v. Patriots on Monday Night Football. Pretty Cool.

Shout out to the Canon 50mm 1.2 that kept me in the game. And shout out to Charles Matthews and Dave Patterson over at RH Media Group for the awesome assignment.

(Source: starghill.photoshelter.com)