Documentary Photography - A Recording Session, June 2013

This right here is my favorite kind of photography. My friend invited me to come document him and his band recording an album. It was a fun conglomeration of artists, and I was honored to be a part of it. I would love to do more in this style.

Family {Z} - November 2013

This is the third year in a row that these lovely friends of mine have given me the privilege of taking their Christmas card photos. It's so fun to watch their little baby growing into a beautiful little girl! We found the remains of this old umbrella laying in the weeds nearby, and I thought it made a funky prop.

Family {E} - October, 2013

These are my little buggers. We went to a local park and squeezed in a few good shots before it started raining.

Family {C} - October 2013

I photographed this fun family from California for the 2nd time at the Notre Dame / USC game. Their oldest daughter graduated from USC, and the younger daughter is a student at Notre Dame. So every year they have a little family reunion at the game, wherever it's held. It was fun to meet up with them again this year.

Senior Portrait {L} - October 2013

This website is under construction. Please contact me via Facebook:

www.facebook.com/jeubanksphotography

or email:

jeannine[dot]eubanks[at]gmail[dot]com

2013 Photo Challenge: March

It is time once again for another monthly photography challenge. In case you missed them, these are the previous challenges I have participated in: January: Song February: Love And here we are at March. The theme is "Go Green" - in honor of Ireland, Shamrocks, and ole' Patty; Spring; the Earth/environment; or simply the color green. When I hear the word "Green," I think of nature - forests, fields, grass, all under a bright blue sky in summer. It is my dream to move my family out of the city and into the country. I long to buy a farm house on a few acres so my children will have space to run and explore. I want to watch the sun rise and set from the living room or the porch. I want to see wild animals roaming. And I want to have neighbors who are farmers. I have chosen this photo that was taken at one of my favorite places: the Goshen Farmers Market. I have always had a desire to care for the Earth, and as I've grown older I have learned and added more ways of doing so. From recycling, to composting, to gardening, and most recently I have adopted what I like to call the "Farm Diet." I have spent the last year transitioning my family from processed grocery-store food to getting as much food as possible from local farms. Last summer I discovered this wonderful little place. Every other Saturday (or so) they have local musicians come and perform live folk music, and boy oh boy, is it fun! This particular day, as you can see, there were a bunch of guys playing stringed instruments together. It reminds me of some southern front porch from 100 years ago in July. Only this was taken in January. Stuff like this warms my heart and reminds me that there are people in this world who care about more than being trendy and wealthy and having the nicest things. People who are passionate about quality healthy food, and local handcrafted art. [caption id="attachment_492" align="alignleft" width="1007"] Green[/caption]

2013 Photo Challenge: February

In case you missed it, in January I participated in a photo challenge/contest over at Jessica Drossin's Textures. She is hosting a new challenge each month, and the theme for February is L.O.V.E., specifically the love of your art. Well. As I sat and thought about the love of MY art and why I love photography as well as journalistic writing, I decided that my love is driven by the desire tell the story of human history. Life is so fleeting. Billions of people have lived on this earth and the majority of them are unknown by anyone living today. I love history, especially historical photography. I love to picture how life looked in different places and times. So for this month's challenge I have chosen to photograph something that is iconic of the place and time in which I live; something that will give future generations a picture of what life was life in Elkhart, Indiana, 2013. The town I've lived in for the past ten years was one of the first and hardest hit by the recession that America is now crawling out of. Around 2008-09, it seemed that every week I learned of another friend or loved one who had lost his or her job. Stories were all over the local news of families losing their homes and small businesses closing their doors because they had lost income and couldn't pay their bills. Unemployment in the city of Elkhart reached 20%. At the end of 2009 my own husband lost his job, and spent a year unemployed. We know firsthand the effects of the recession.

Within the past year I have seen more and more "Help Wanted" signs popping up around town, and to me, it is a symbol of a new era for this town, and hopefully for the nation. It means that businesses have money to hire more employees. It means that there are jobs available for unemployed people. It sounds weird, but whenever I see a "Help Wanted" sign, my heart fills with relief and hope. But still... it's a long climb out of the pit we have fallen into. There are abandoned buildings with boarded up windows all over town. Small businesses are still struggling, though many are hanging on. Many foreclosed homes were never purchased, and "For Sale" signs have been hanging in front yards for years. Many homes weren't lost but owners couldn't afford to keep them up (like mine) so they look rough. I had a hard time choosing which of these photos to submit. The lingering effects of economic struggle? Or hope for the future? I chose hope.

2013 Photo Challenge: January

I have been craving a creative challenge, so when I read that Jessica Drossin, an amazing photographer and inspiring artist, was coordinating this challenge, I couldn't wait to jump in. It is a monthly challenge for all of 2013, so that gives me lots of time and space to flex my muscles and see what I can do. The challenge for January is to choose a song, any song, and compose a photograph that somehow reflects the song. The song I chose is Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. (song with lyrics here) Contrary to popular belief, it's not *really* about a fast car. It's about dreaming and planning and striving for a better life (and using a fast car to get there). You've got a fast car I've got a plan to get us out of here Been working at the convenience store Managed to save just a little bit of money Won't have to drive too far Just cross the border and into the city You and I can both get jobs And finally see what it means to be living *** You've got a a fast car We go cruising entertain ourselves You still ain't got a job Now I work in the market as a checkout girl I know things will get better You'll find work and I'll get promoted We'll move out of the shelter Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs This is a photo of my friends, T & P hanging out together at home. They dream of a better life for themselves and their baby. They work hard. Poverty is extremely difficult, if not impossible to get out of. There is a lot of propaganda going around about how the rich pay taxes so the poor don't have to work. While there are some moochers who live off "the system" because they're too lazy to do anything else, 99% of the people I know who live in or near poverty, work very hard, and see very little for it. To me, this song reflects the dreams of a better life that many of us have, whether or not we live in poverty. But unlike the middle-class or the wealthy, those in poverty have very little opportunity to change their situation, and many remain stuck there for life. {I didn't win the contest, however I made the "honorable mention" list of 10, and I couldn't be more excited! Click here to see the winners.}