The Marlboro Marine

This is a powerful multimedia piece put together by the Los Angeles Times with photographs, audio, and video.



Los Angeles Times photojournalist Luis Sinco documented the marines assault on Fallouja in November, 2004. While capturing the ferocity of the conflict, he made a photograph of Marine Lance Corporal James Blake Miller.

Miller, weary from the battle, lit a cigarette, and Sinco's photograph of that moment became an icon of the Iraq War. But the connection between Sinco and Miller runs deeper. After returning from Iraq, Miller tried to return to his previous life but found his nights haunted by images of war and his life fractured by depression.

This is the story of how Miller struggles to heal his scars of war. But it is also a story of how two disparate lives became connected on a rooftop in Fallouja, and how they both continue to struggle with what happened.

Free Bilal

A group calling itself the "Free Bilal Committee" has launched a Web site and asked for photojournalists' help to call attention to the fight to free Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein from jail in Baghdad, where he's been held without charges for more than a year.

Hussein was arrested by the U.S. military on April 12, 2006, in Ramadi. They say the photographer was in the company of two alleged insurgents, and in an apartment where there were bomb-making materials. The military has said that his arrest and detention were for "imperative reasons of security" and legal under United Nations' resolutions. The military has said that Hussein has "strong ties to insurgents" that go beyond his role as a journalist.

The photographer was part of AP's photo team that won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for their coverage of the war in Iraq.

AP has challenged the military to either charge Hussein with a crime, or release him. The photographer has not been charged with any crimes. AP says their research shows that U.N. resolutions do not allow for indefinite detention, and challenge the military to bring any evidence against Hussein before the Iraqi criminal justice system.

Taser Death

Citizen journalism at it's finest. Paul Pritchard recorded police stunning Robert Dziekanski with Taser shots at the Vancouver International Airport 14 October 2007. Police originally were given the tape under the promise that it would be returned but later recanted, forcing Pritchard to get a lawyer and threaten to sue. Once returned the tape was released to the public and has since caused a storm of outrage. The tape shows police arriving on the scene and within 25 seconds Dziekanski lays dying on the ground. Now there are questions as to whether or not rules were broken and why the police version of events don't compare to what the video shows or eyewitnesses tell. It's also sad that police choose not to perform CPR on Dziekanski during the 12 minutes it took for paramedics to arrive.

Brian Mulroney

Brian's back in the news lately. This was shot at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax 22 October 2007. He paid the city a visit on his book promotion tour.

Guardian Angels

Curtis Sliwa, the New York founder of the Guardian Angels, walks the streets of Halifax early in the morning of November 3rd, 2007. The group has plans to form a chapter here.


"I've never been to the Maritime provinces before, or Halifax. This weekend, I have an opportunity to sit with the mayor, the police chief, city council and visit all these neighbourhoods that we've received inquires from," Sliwa told reporters.

"By the end of this visit, I'll have a pretty good handle on the extent of the problems and how much the local people really want to get involved," Sliwa said, sporting the Angels' trademark red beret. Halifax Daily News Story filed 6:29 AM on 03/11/07

Here is the video I shot of Sliwa when he went for a walk around downtown:

Tropical Storm Noel

I shot this video using a Canon DV20 and a Sony ECM-Z37C Microphone. The voice over was done in GarageBand. I grabbed a couple dog poop bags on my way out the door and found the camcorder and mic fit perfectly in one and they keep the kit dry.