Been a crazy couple of photography days, mixed in with days of marketing myself. Learning to balance them to get AzulOx Photography where I want it to go. I am feeling more comfortable with my approach to image making, but still learning the ropes of marketing to new clients. At any rate, here is a recap of the past week, and a look forward to next week.
Last weekend saw me in Houston for the third straight week. The 71 to I10 to 610 South drive. We kicked off Saturday with trying to find the Houston Marathon Expo, I had registered to run this race, but an onset of Racing/Training Fatigue in November prevented me from training. 
. I wanted to still get the shirt though. We parked on the curb in front of the convention center, but I was 10 minutes late. Good thing I wasn’t racing on Sunday, I would have been a nervous wreck trying to get my bib number.
After the Expo try, we set off to meet up with Mark and Debbie Davis. The three of us have done many, many long runs together. We met up at Mia Bella’s downtown. Good Italian food, Strangest Mural painting on the wall. I know, this thread is useless without pictures, but the mural had a strange pastiche of Italian Renaissance-esque figures in gold on a blue sky. Even the waiter agreed that it was out of place.
After a good meal, Becca and I roamed over to the team brightroom photographers hotel, Aloft. I had to grab my media credentials and compact flash cards. Ran into Larry Castillo in the funky lounge at this W hotel. Went upstairs to check out the room I wasn’t staying in and met Andy Heatwole. Houston is his first marathon to attend, and first big race to cover. We bored Becca out of her mind by talking race photography and logistics. Turned out we would be shooting side by side for 7 hours on Sunday morning. Good thing he was a cool guy.
On to Casa de Fishel for the night, I quickly headed to bed for a fitful night of sleep and a 5am wakeup call.
Race Morning, cruised to downtown Houston in the Jetta, found an awesome driveway to a field that served as the parking lot and headquarters of our group of 4 photographers. Stayed in the car for the first hour, eating a honey bun. Headed to the first position around 7am, began the machine gun barrage at 7:30. From 7:30 to 1pm I average 2000 shutter clicks an hour. The Houston Marathon had roughly 30,000 participants, and I took 12,000-ish frames. When you wake up sore from photography, you have done something right.
After the throng passed through at mile 7, we walked a few hundred yards down to mile 24 on the course. Had a sweet spot with good cheering and good music being played across the street. I cheered through the lens at all my Rogue buddies coming down the line. Gave them high fives and support where I could. I wished I could run the last miles for them, but a marathon is a lonely journey even in a sea of people.
Finished up with brightroom, and headed back to the Fishel’s after a Whataburger stop. David had made some game chili, and that put me on my back for a while.
Woke up from the chili nap to drive back downtown for the Fishel’s maternity shoot. We had tried to get together earlier, but things happen and time runs short. She is due any minute. Really cool park – Discovery Green Park – artwork, water features, ice skating rink, hot air balloon rides. All in about 2 city blocks. If I was a houston based photographer, I would be there often to take advantage of the various vignettes in close proximity.
That finished up the weekend.
Looking forward, We have a bridal shoot on Saturday, and the second edition of the Ox and Ham Podcast on Tuesday. If you have questions for the podcast, leave them in the comments either here or there.
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