A Home for Austin (12.16.13)

This afternoon I had the opportunity to spend some time with a group of high school students and their teacher as they work on a handicap accessible house for a young, disabled, boy who lives in a nearby town.

The young disabled boy is currently living in a house that is not handicap accessible.

It was entertaining to watch the high school kids working on a house. They were teasing each other and laughing and having a pretty good time, and, of course, the teacher chimed in now and again as well.

It was an enjoyable afternoon. It was also nice to have the kind of access that is available when you're at a school photographing students as they work, as opposed to trying to do the same thing at a construction site where a construction company is working on a house. In short, there's much better access.

The opportunities for framing your subjects is basically endless at construction sites, so it was a good time. Not to mention the positive tone of a group of people doing something beneficial for another group of people. It was a pretty good assignment.

One of the other Argus Leader photographers spent some time this morning with the young boy, and a gallery of those and more of my photos can be seen on the Argus Leader website.

Thanks for looking.

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

©Joe Ahlquist

Recent Work (7/26/13)

This is just a collection of some of my favorite photos from the last week or so. Enjoy.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Tim Burton, with Emporia Construction and Remodeling, plugs in a fan to blow out concrete dust while working on a remodel for the new location of Sweet Granada at 803 Commercial St. Thursday, July 25, 2013, in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Tim Burton, with Emporia Construction and Remodeling, cuts concrete while working on a remodel for the new location of Sweet Granada at 803 Commercial St. Thursday, July 25, 2013, in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Emporia State University Student Manna Shintani, of Tokyo, Japan, plays "Cantabile" by Niccolo Paganini on violin Thursday, July 25, 2013, along side Wooster Lake on the ESU Campus in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette  | Kyle Deets hits the ball on hole 12 of the Emporia Municipal Golf Course south of Emporia, Kan., Saturday, July 20, 2013, during a golf tournament as a part of Clint Bowyer's Support Emporia 2013 Charity Event supporting the Emporia Community Foundation 79 Fund.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Kyle Deets, left, and Scott Crawford inspect the green on hole 12 of the Emporia Municipal Golf Course south of Emporia, Kan., Saturday, July 20, 2013, during a golf tournament as a part of Clint Bowyer's Support Emporia 2013 Charity Event supporting the Emporia Community Foundation 79 Fund.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Ed Moyer weighs an onion for a customer Wednesday evening, July 17, 2013, at the Emporia Farmers Market in downtown Emporia, Kan. Moyer has been coming to the Farmers Market for 31 years, he said.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Harold Brenzikofer, left center, and his wife Naoma Brenzikofer help customers at their produce stand Wednesday evening, July 17, 2013, at the Emporia Farmers Market in downtown Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Lorrin Ochs, 19, of Emporia blows up inflatable cows Wednesday, July 24, 2013, at the Emporia Granada Theatre in Emporia, Kan., for their presentation of the movie, "Twister" as a fundraising event for  the Lyon County, Kan., and Hill County, Mont., 4-H Exchange Group. The cows will be handed out to everyone who buys a ticket for the movie, Ochs said. Movie-goers will then be allowed to toss the cows during the movie. "You have to give people more than just a movie ticket and popcorn," said Bryan Williams, executive director of the Granada Theatre. The movie will start at 7 p.m. Thursday and the doors will open around 6:15 p.m., Williams said.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Ira Francis, of Emporia, Kan., cuts hay at the Welsh Farmstead outside the Richard Howe House Friday, July 19, 2013, in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Cristopher Hernandez, 3, of Emporia, Kan., builds a fortress out of LEGO Duplo Thursday, July 18, 2013, at the Emporia Public Library in Emporia, Kan. "We usually come here at least once or twice a week," said Carlos Hernandez, the boy's father. "He just loves coming here to play," Carlos explained. 

Recent Work

I've shot kind of a lot of assignments lately.

This post is kind of just a jumble of some of my favorite photos from the last week's worth of assignments.

Thanks for looking.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Norma Hodges carries fallen branches to a trailer Friday morning, June 28, 2013, after Thursday night’s storm blew them down at her home near Bethel Corner north of Emporia, Kan. A tree had blown down over the road during the storm, and Hodges and her grandson, Hayden Morris, 13, (not pictured) used a four-wheeler to move it off the road, Hodges said.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Other workers look on as Eric Rowley operates a steel roller while working on Mechanic Street between 4th and 2nd Avenue Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Tom Barnhart, left, and Eric Rowley work on setting a valve box over a new water valve on Mechanic Street between 4th and 2nd Avenue Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Chad "CMAjoR" Carson works out at Agoge Training Center in Emporia, Kan., Friday, June 21, 2013, as a part of his Mixed Martial Arts training. Carson is training to participate in a Mixed Martial Arts bout in November to benefit 12-year-old Jade Horn, a local girl suffering from stage-three cancer.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Chesney Erkel, 3, of Emporia, puts out a fake fire with the help of Travis Hitt, with Emporia Fire and Rescue, Sunday, June 23, 2013, during an open house at David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Ny'Kel Thomas, 8, of Emporia, Kan., runs a race to see if she can run as fast as an osterich, which, according to a sign at the zoo, can run as fast as 60 yards in three second, Sunday, June 23, 2013, during an open house at David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Cyrus England, 5, of Manhattan, Kan., measures his wingspan Sunday, June 23, 2013, during an open house at David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | People get a better look behind the scenes Sunday, June 23, 2013, during an open house at David Traylor Zoo of Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Faith Hamlin, 3, of Americus, eats her "tiger blood" flavored snow cone Monday, June 24, 2013, at Tropical Sno in Emporia. Hamlin was there with her sister, Claire Hamlin, 15, after they had spent some time at the pool, Claire explained, and they chose Tropical Sno because it was Faith's favorite.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Doctor Fissha Mulugeta, far left, speaks with Newman Regional Health board members during a tour of the catheterization lab Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at Newman Regional Health in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Ashlyn Garriott, 8, of Emporia, does her favorite move off the diving board, a cannon ball, Wednesday evening, June 26, 2013, at Jones Aquatic Center in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Vincent Hodges, 2, plays Wednesday evening, June 26, 2013, at Jones Aquatic Center in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Life guard Alisha Trujillo looks over the pool Wednesday evening, June 26, 2013, at Jones Aquatic Center in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Swimming lessons are conducted Wednesday evening, June 26, 2013, at Jones Aquatic Center in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Aiden Shoemaker, 6, of Emporia, splashes Justin Logan, a life guard and swimming instructor, Wednesday evening, June 26, 2013, at Jones Aquatic Center in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Emporia American Legion Post 5 AAA's Austin Gordon reacts with his teammates after scoring a run Thursday, June 27, 2013, during a game against Girard at Soden's Grove Field in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Emporia American Legion Post 5 AAA shortstop Heath Kraft catches a ball for an out Thursday, June 27, 2013, during a game against Girard at Soden's Grove Field, in Emporia, Kan.

Joe Ahlquist/Gazette | Jeff Ensley, a graduate student at Emporia State University, receives information about a possible increase in student loan interest rates from student protesters, from left, Clara Corn, Rachel Head and Billy Garner, vice president of ESU's Young Democrats, Thursday, June 27, 2013, along 12th Avenue across from Commercial Street in Emporia, Kan.