Lutcher Theater

photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles
for Stark Foundation

Stark House and Park

photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles
for Stark Foundation

Stark Museum of Art

photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles
for Stark Foundation

McAlister's Deli

commercial photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles
for McAlister's Deli

Fountain Plaza at night

commercial photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles
for Fountain Plaza management

The Fountain Plaza

commercial photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles.com
for Fountain Plaza management

Tree frogs

photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles

A tree frog hangs out in Beaumont, Texas on Friday, May 9, 2008.


A tree frog considers a leap in Beaumont, Texas on Friday, May 9, 2008.


A tree frog waits for insects on a hummingbird feeder in Beaumont, Texas on Friday, May 9, 2008.

As with all live animals I encounter, I referred to the Medicine Cards book (page 189). Frog symbolizes cleansing. It tells us to stop, relax and refresh.

Frog medicine is strong in Beaumont. It was a nice break from the big-city chaos. I learned much about myself and my work while I lived here. I'm ready to return to Big D.

I'm going to miss these little critters. Although they're not too smart (they often leap off the 2nd-story window), they're very entertaining. They crawl around the windows all night and eliminate bugs. I call them "Frog TV."

In the morning, they hop back into the plants on the balcony or sneak between the patio chairs to avoid the sun. Since Beaumont is so humid, they don't need a pond to survive.

We had nine "regulars" on our window before Hurricane Humberto. The hurricane only took two. By comparison, Rita eliminated almost all living animals - except mosquitoes and well-protected gators.

Fayrouz doesn't find the window frogs even slightly cute. I had one follow me inside this spring while Fay was asleep. They're fast, tiny and can stick to anything. So, I needed to corral it quickly before it got into the bedroom.

It's somewhat difficult to chase a tiny, slick, terrified frog "quietly" around a dark apartment without waking up a princess. However, I finally cornered it the bathtub and took it back outside. :-)

Moving day

Fayrouz and I move back to Dallas/Fort Worth today. I'll be offline for the next week or two as we settle into our new home in Plano.

In the meantime, I'll post some freelance gigs I've shot. These images should function as the official transition images between my time as a staff photojournalist and a full-time freelance photojournalist.

I have some commitments in Dallas (familiar publications to long-time readers). I'll also start looking for more clients once I settle down. Consequently, the scope of this blog isn't going to change much.

I've started selling stock images in Europe. While most stock photos are editorial (news), some are commercial and conceptual illustrations. Once I have a better handle on the industry, I'll post suggestions about the best way to navigate the stock photo market minefield.

Many thanks go to fellow bloggers Michael Rubenstein and Andy Goetze for their guidance and help with this process.

I plan to accomplish several tasks by the end of this year. Almost everything should appear on this blog in one form or another. Stay tuned, it could become really exciting around here.

Enough for now,

Chris Cole returns to pro football

photos by Mark M. Hancock / © NewsEagles
for The Rocky Mountain News

Former Denver Broncos player Chris Cole poses for a portrait at West Orange-Stark High School in West Orange, Texas on Thursday, April 17, 2008. Cole played for Denver from 2000 to 2003.


Former NFL player Chris Cole poses for a portrait at West Orange-Stark High School. Cole moved to Oakland and Jacksonville before retiring. This season, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.


Former Denver Broncos player Chris Cole (right) gets a route from Ken Cole, his father, during practice at West Orange-Stark High School.


Former Denver Broncos player Chris Cole catches a ball during practice with Ken Cole, his father, in West Orange.


Former Denver Broncos player Chris Cole eyes a ball during practice with Ken Cole, his father, in West Orange, Texas.


Former Denver Broncos player Chris Cole catches a ball during practice with Ken Cole, his father, at West Orange-Stark High School.

Please read, "Broncos' recent draft history entirely forgettable" by Lee Rasizer.

Iraqi police beat two PJs

As if to accentuate the message of my last post, CNN reports Iraqi police beat a still photographer and a cameraman. A Reuters' shooter was hospitalized after police beat him with rifles for documenting the aftermath of a car bomb.

The story doesn't state who the photographer was. However it does state five Iraqi police officers were detained according to a Falluja police official.

All Reuters reported about the violation is, "Police beat up a Reuters cameraman and a photographer when they tried to film the aftermath of the bombing. The photographer was admitted to a hospital."

Y'all watch your backs.

Enough for now,