Easter Seals Walk With Me

Easter Seals Walk With Me at the Grapevine Mills Mall had a huge turnout. From the dedication of the face painters decorating kids’ faces, to the volunteers helping with the event’s layout, everyone had a hand in it. The event aimed to raise awareness about autism and show support through the community.

Breakfast items like fruits and pastries were strewn across the front area.

A filming crew was there on-hand to document the event.

CVS/Caremark was a big sponsor of the event, and they had plenty of bags filled with goodies.

The Autism Treatment Program showed in numbers, designated in red t-shirts with pinned signs on their backs.

The back of the t-shirt handed out lists all the sponsors of the walk; you may recognize one of them!

The face-painting booth seemed to have an endless line with eager kids.

Before the kick-off of the walk itself, Monica Prather, Easter Seals President and CEO, thanked all that made it possible for the walk to happen.

At the starting line, parents and their kids stood eager as confetti shot into the air, highlighting the occasion.

There was a lot of people, it almost seemed like the beginning of a Black Friday sale!

Some of the Heroes for Hope icons joined in the action too.

I had a lot of fun meeting new people and photographing an event that brought many together.

Rasy Ran Photography

The Barrel Racer

I had the pleasure of photographing psychology and criminal justice junior Haley Thorne for The Shorthorn's Spotlight series. The native Texan has competed in barrel-racing since she was 12 and ridden horses starting at the age of six.

Take a brief look into her routine in the audio soundslide here.



Rasy Ran Photography

Daleville, Indiana

Rochelle and I spent our spring break in Indiana. I didn’t realize the magnitude of my city background until we visited her grandparents in Daleville – population: 1500.

Located about an hour away from the capital, Indianapolis, most of the land consisted of fields and homes that belonged to the retired community.


Her grandmother spent some time speaking with her in the recently added sunroom while the grandfather prepared some hamburgers to grill on his barbeque.




The German Sheppard would perk up and briefly follow our car each time we passed this certain house.


The recent weather brought rain and snow, which elevated nearby rivers to spill over to the grass.


The building I photographed the most lay within her great-grandmother’s home. The wallpaper made me reminisce of some of my relatives’ home I remember as a child – down to the mute colors. Some of the antiquated furnishes like the intercom remained in brilliant condition.






Rochelle and her great-grandmother easily talked about one topic to another in her home.


The trip provided many discussions and formal qualities about itself – which I won’t want to forget.

Rasy Ran Photography

The Crafter

I followed interior design senior Lindsay Rowan for the latest installment in The Shorthorn's Spotlight series.

Rowan averages over 20 hours into each project she tackles for her interior design field, will become the first expected college graduate in her family, and holds her tongue when she visits other friend's home regarding their interiors.

You can follow a snippet of her day here.



Rasy Ran Photography

Walk With Me

I will be photographing the Easter Seals' Walk With Me at the Grapevine Mills Mall on March 27.

The benefit includes games for children, prizes, and various other goodies to raise awareness for those with disabilities. We will complete two laps around the mall, and individuals to corporate teams are highly encouraged to join!

For more information, follow the link here.

Rasy Ran Photography

The Cop

I rode-along with UTA police officer Marcus Epps through Tuesday morning. I sat in the backseat with Chase Webster, a Shorthorn reporter, and photographed for an audio slideshow as Epps carried on with his daily routine.

The keen eye and attention to detail Epps possesses is nothing short of spectacular:



http://www.theshorthorn.com/content/view/18970/265/

Rasy Ran Photography

Introducing...albums!

I've had the pleasure to meet and work with Casey Smith from Forbeyon on my studio sample album. I had them design and assemble the album-and they delivered. I'm really excited to be able to offer these high quality books to my clients, and would love to meet with both past and present (and of course future!) clients about putting their images in such an album for a timeless keepsake. Following is a brief summary of why I choose these albums, along with photos to illustrate the features:

Forbeyon cold-presses the images onto thick pages and have the corners slightly rounded:




I chose autumn leather with an optional front metal cameo. You can choose from more than 15 different kinds of cover materials, ranging from Pearl to Scarlet Satin:


I love the flushmount style. This means that the entire album is seamless and smooth, without running the risk of fraying or bent pages:


When you turn each page, this flushmount style emphasizes a panoramic view, as shown in this spillover image:


Forbeyon is very skilled in design as well, and worked with me to get the perfect arrangement of images on every page:


I really am excited to offer these albums, and would love to schedule a consult with each and every one of you so you too can witness the quality! The albums come in various sizes and finishes. Some are large versions similar to the one shown here; I am also offering smaller parent or engagement books. This variety really helps individualize each and every book. Check my facebook page for more images.

Rasy Ran Photography

The Musician

The first of my semester series for The Shorthorn, where I produce an audio slideshow of a day in the life of a UT-Arlington student, influenced by the NY Times' One in 8 Million series.

It features Philip Joseph as The Musician. He's been playing for over 11 years and said his lifestyle revolves around jazz, whether he's playing or not:


http://www.theshorthorn.com/static/soundslides/2010/musician/index.html

Rasy Ran Photography

Texas Snow Days

On Thursday morning, snow started to reach Texas, accumulating more than 12 inches within 24-hours to beat 1964's record of 12.1. Of course, I had to take a walk and stroll through the neighborhood with my cameras. I visited UTA Friday morning after it was closed down due to the weather:



The top of St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church:


A little friend that was keeping me company on campus:


Looking down South West street:


One of the views of my neighborhood:




A view of a nearby park:




The fountain of the Fine Arts and Architectural Buildings still ran to prevent freezing:


The fountain near Science Hall, though, didn't run and was bombarded by collapsed branches:


A tree that was uprooted near the Fine Arts Building:


The aftermath of the Central Library mall after it saw many snowball fights:

The snow definitely was an eye-opener, and I'll look forward to its next surprise!

Rasy Ran Photography

The Arlington Info Shop

I photographed art history junior Eleonor Hernandez as one of the Arlington Info Shop founders for The Shorthorn. The link to the audio slideshow and story are below the image:


http://www.theshorthorn.com/content/view/18723/265/

I look forward to working with more personalities like "The Musician," Philip Joseph, coming out in a couple of days. Stay tuned!

The Shorthorn, Spring

As this semester at UT-Arlington gears up for the final stretch, I’m photographing again at The Shorthorn. Below are a few samples of recent assignments.

Dr. Maxwell Scarlett was the first African-American to graduate from the university in 1966. Dr. Scarlett looked very poised when we were interviewing him in the University Center, so I decided to photograph his portrait during it:


Interdisciplinary studies senior Beth Boatman relaxes while waiting for her Miller Analogies Test to start in Davis Hall. I spotted Beth as the one of the very few who decided to take a breather on the lawn this past week as the Texas weather permitted it again. I originally wanted to frame it through a pair of a student’s legs while with them walking, but tried my hand on a moving bicycle:


I wanted to try more off-camera flash portraiture, so when it came to Dead @ 17 author Josh Howard, I posed him outside while he looked at his own work (you can read the one-on-one interview with him and photo coverage of ComicCon later this week on The Shorthorn!):


I look forward to finishing my time at the newspaper with a photo sound-slide series based on the personalities of some students I’m presently working with. Keep an eye out for it!
Rasy Ran Photography

The Greer Family

One of the things I really love about shooting families is repeat clients. I love to see how the children grow, and it always makes it that much easier once you've established a bit a familiarity.

Today we photographed The Greer Clan, Paul, Carrie, and kids Jack and Sam. The Greers live in Fort Worth, so we met up in old Cowtown at the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. After a week of freezing cold and then a few days of rain, the weather today was much more tolerable, though a bit windy.

Here their youngest, Sam, stands by a decorated barrel bearing the stockyards name:


This shoot was one of my favorite kinds of shoots: we told the family to just explore the area, and we followed them around and documented the boys as they played and explored. (to commission a "lifestyle" session, send an email or give me a call! We can come follow you in your daily routine, check out a cool new place, or really anything you're up for!):




The two boys were full of smiles, as these next two photos showcase:




The two boys really have such large personalities. Jack was terribly excited about all the horses around and the whip he could hear the cowboy cracking. Sam was very interested in what his big brother was up to, and Jack was a good big brother and waited for him from time to time:


Though the majority of our shots were unposed, we did take a moment to grab this photo of the whole group:


Paul and Jack hang out by the flower bed:


Near the end of the street, there's a covered area with several shops and restaurants. We stopped there next, and Carrie and Paul showed off their lifting muscles as Sam flew into the air:


Next we found a mini-carriage and got a few smiles from the boys:


At this point, it was almost time for the cattle run! We walked back outside to stake out a spot on the curb. Jack and Carrie watched the horses walk around as we waited for the cattle:


The cowboys noted their interest, and one came over to say hello and have the horse "smile" for the camera. I like this photo because there's a lot going on and you get an idea of what all was around. Rochelle is in the background in the middle of this photo, and you see a smiling staff member out to the side:


Carrie and Jack share a hug as they wait for the cattle:


Hooray! The cows are coming!:


Both boys watch the cattle drive while being held by Paul and Carrie:




This last photo comes after we said our goodbyes to the Greers. We stepped into Riscky's Trailboss Burgers and had an appetizer that is a new favorite--fried pickles! Delicious!:


Rasy Ran Photography