"S200EXR (2010)"

A new era of photography. Upgraded my digital camera after five years with S5200. Posts will include shots from the new Fuji lens.

"Basketball in the Barrio (2010)"

"Boxing"

"Trek Life, Oddisee & a Fuji-Cam"

2010's Open Stage headline at NMSU. Been a fan of Oddisee's music since hearing DJ Jazzy Jeff's The Magnificent in 02'. Caught a listen of Trek Life's album during my time at KRUX 91.5 fm. Talked to them both for a sec before the show and Oddisee asked what kind of camera I was holding. Turns out he also works a Fuji-Cam. Props to two great MCs. Below are clips of more video, photography and a soulVerse gallery.

YouTube & Photos: click here

"...giving the sense that the lenses were only part of a clever disguise, that the eyes need no help, that they suddenly see everything." -Robert Penn Warren


From Malcolm X; As They Knew Him
Section Titled: 'Chickens, Snakes & Duck Eggs' (p. 149)*
by David Gallen

Robert Haggins
(Malcolm's Photographer)

"When the black Muslim leaders, increasingly jealous of Malcolm's exposure in the press, wrested the NOI newspaper, Muhammad Speaks, from Malcolm's control and moved it out of the basement of his house in Queens to their national headquarters in Chicago, they also demanded the negatives of all the photographs the paper had printed. "So Malcolm had to come to me and ask me for all my negatives," Robert Haggins recalls. "It hurt him, it really hurt, to do that. He looked at me and said, 'I hate to ask you, because I know photographers don't like to surrender their negatives.' I gave up all of them. He never forgot that, and every chance he got to pay me back for that he did. When he went to Florida and that famous photograph of his family was taken there, he mailed the undeveloped film to me, so I could claim the photographs. I wasn't even there, but I own the negatives. I have a right to sell those pictures only because of what Malcolm did for me."

"And then," Haggins continues, "when he came back from Mecca, he gave me the bag that he had carried all the way into Mecca. I've got that bag here. And he gave me his camera, I have that camera here. So I have his camera, I have his bag. I'm going to give his camera to his daughter Attallah, I told her I would give it to her, and I want her to have it. But the bag I'm going to keep. That bag went all the way to Mecca. It's up in that closet, and he gave it to me and it's been up in that closet for twenty-five years. It's an old green bag, and it's something that he wanted me to have. So, Malcolm was a good friend of mine, and I tried to serve him with the best means possible..."

"He was quite a man, believe me. He taught me how to live. For me Malcolm was the tallest tree in the forest." (p. 96-97)

-Robert Haggins


From Malcolm X; As They Knew Him
by David Gallen

"Coach Rus & Nolan Richardson"

"Records"

"Chargers"

"Jamel Shabazz"

One of my photography influences.

"Father's View"

A picture my Dad took in Van Horn, TX*

"The Musician"

"90s on My Mind"
(Abuelita)

I'm in the background and mi Abuelita is holding my lil' brother.

"PHI"

Collecting cards use to mean something.

"KTEP (88.5 FM)"

State of the Arts, November 14, 2009, 11:30 am (MT)*

"The Disposable Sessions"

"WTC, NY (02.02.08)"
-click on image-

Upon visiting NYC for the first time last year.

"Round 1"
(click on image)

August 22, 2009, 1st live fight.

"El Campeon (Escalante)"

It's been quite some time since I've anticipated a boxing match. As a kid, on many Tuesday nights, my father and I would set the TV to USA network's "Tuesday Night Fights" hosted by Sean O'Grady and another announcer. I caught a lot of fights during the 90s, from the likes of Oba Carr & Roy Jones Jr., who were two of my favorite fighters... also fights from Roberto Duran, Bernard Hopkins, Pernell Whitaker, Vinny Pazienza, Larry Holmes, Hector Camacho, Kevin Kelly and the list goes on and on. I was a big fan. Even took a few months during the fall to train at Nations Tobin gym with my pops for the workout. I still remember in 94' waking up early Saturday morning to go meet Oscar De La Hoya when he visited El Paso making a quick stop at Nations Tobin gym. I had figured the place would be packed, but when we got there, no more than 20 people were in line for autographs. A couple years later, when De La Hoya was in town, now with a few titles under his belt, fans surrounded him at full capacity. When I met De La Hoya in 94' he was real cool. Signed a couple magazines for me and a few photographs they had at the gym. Being a fan at the time, I didn't know what to say. My pops recently found the VHS recording of me at 13 years old, 8 am Saturday, crust still on my eye lids askin' the soon to be champ, "...so who you plan on fighting next?" He said, "I'd like to fight Jesse James Leiga... bring the fight here to the fans in Texas..."

This week I was told Antonio Escalante would be at the Carolina Rec. Center hosting a lunch time workout. I asked, "who?" My boss responded, "the champ, he's ranked no. 3 in the world." It's been quite some time since I've watched boxing. Having lost sight of where Tuesday Night Fights went, never having ordered those over priced, over hyped pay per view bouts, and with all my favorite boxers already taking L's and reaching the end of their careers... I wasn't as interested anymore.

I decided to visit the Carolina Rec. Center on Tuesday (July 21) to check out the third ranked fighter in the world who I also learned hails from El Paso's Coronado High School. When I got there it was real cool seeing all the young folks with their parents showing their appreciation for Escalante, as it reminded me of 15 years prior when I visited Nations Tobin gym to meet De La Hoya. Interestingly enough, De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions team is heading the upcoming Escalante boxing match. I got the chance to take several photos of Escalante along with many of the fathers and sons, mothers and daughters and scattered fans that stayed around after the lunch workout to request pictures/autographs with the pro who has 13 KO's attached to an impressive 20-2 record.

The fight will be televised on what is now titled "Friday Night Fights", ESPN2, July 24, live from the Don Haskins Center. After leaving the Carolina Rec., my anticipation for boxing came back, at least for the moment, with high hopes that Antonio Escalante is able to move forward to the world title. This time we supportin' one of El Paso's own. Much respect to El Campeon.

"Basketball in the Barrio (2009)"