While I wouldn’t exactly call what I did getting inspired, it was dedication. I did it because I found only ONE way to design around a story with an awkwardly sized box, and that included finding a picture to break up the text and fill out a long right column. (You can’t exactly use filler ads to plug the front.)

Keiser University in Daytona Beach, above, is among 14 campuses across Florida.

(This is the image very cropped. WordPress doesn’t allow me to show the whole thing, but you can click on it for a larger view.)

Of course, I told people I drove to the campus to take a picture of the building, and some people saw it in the next day’s paper. One editor said it was a great building mug and framed well. The designer, who I show my work to, said, “Now I know you’ve been bitten by the design bug. You took a picture just so your design would work!” Another one came up the next day and told me I was mentioned in the afternoon meeting. Our newsroom’s managing editor even wrote me this nice e-mail (and CC’d our executive editor):

At today’s critique, we learned that you were putting together the business page yesterday and thought the design would look a lot better with a piece of art with the Keiser University story. So, you got up and went out and took it yourself.
That’s great dedication. Thanks so much.

See the picture here with the article by Mark Harper while the N-J still has it available online.)

So I guess I was a photographer for the biz page again!

During the Ireland/U.K. trip of ’08, my best friend Jessica and I took a Black Taxi tour through Belfast to hear about the Troubles, the strife between Catholics and Protestants that, sadly, continues.

This particular picture was taken in the Catholic neighborhood, where there are murals all along the wall by Falls Road. Some murals are meant as a show of solidarity with other troubled people around the world (Palestinians and Basques), while this one is a criticism of America’s Iraq policies.

With that said, I’d like to introduce my new blog feature, Off the Wall, where I will show some of my travel photos, whenever/wherever I might have taken them. Guessing is part of the fun–plus, a shameless ploy to get non-spam comments in my blog!

First up, Cà d’Zan Mansion in …

Cà d’Zan Mansion, as seen in the 1990s film version of “Great Expectations” was the home of John and Mable Ringling. “Cà d’zan” translates to “House of John” in Italian.” The house is beautifully ornate and overlooks the bay. I sit there all day with such a view.

For more information, visit Ringling.org.

However, I wanted to share this article. Apparently, a family’s Christmas card picture ended up as an advertisement in Prague. Even more interesting to me–because I love these small-world type stories–is the fact that she had a high school friend driving around in the Czech Republic who actually spotted the sign. (Personally, I think that owner needs to send that family a bottle of wine no matter where they live.)

Hmmm, maybe I need to start putting watermarks on my photos.

The statue of Justice overlooks the archway for the main entrance of Dublin Castle in Dublin, Ireland. Even today, Dublin Castle is the site of elections, state events and presidential inaugurations.

I was a little puzzled, especially since Justice carries a pointy sword and isn’t blind.

Sure enough, they used the picture as the main picture, too, on today’s business page. I still think it’s a little weird, but hey, they used my picture (and I got credit)! My co-worker inserted an ellipsis after “inaugurations” in the cutline (caption) to try to match the two: “…and, of course, it serves as a symbol of law.”

Copy editors are crafty folk.