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My Common Chords column on Danny Stanley was the last video I shot on my old Canon HV-20. Of the three I’ve done so far with this column, it is my favorite for sound quality and production and my least favorite visually.

Using the sound recorded by the camera with a lapel mic, I mixed this in final cut with audio recorded at the same time with my Edirol R-09 digital recorder. The lapel mic recorded heavy for the voice and the Edirol recorded heavy for the instrument. I synched the two together in the timeline and then blended the voice and instruments in separate channels.

Danny is a great musician who was kind to help me out considering he was still battling the lingering effects of a cold and the recent death of his father.

Danny plays an awesome late 80’s Martin HD-28 guitar and a beautiful Chestnut Mandolin made locally in Conway, SC by Jennings Chestnut.

Here is the link to my Common Chords photo column I do for TheSunNews.com

rlh

I’m still processing my thoughts from the emotions of the coverage of the large Myrtle Beach area brush fire that took 76 homes and damaged just under a hundred more last week here along the coast.

In the meantime, I will post some of my most compelling images that could get lost in the massive photo galleries the photo staff produced. Everyone on our staff came to the plate on this news event but I wish I could of had the forethought to know the fire would jump north and give the people of Barefoot Resort some warning they were in danger.

During the coverage I decided to sidetrack the usual routes to the fire and hitched a ride with photographer Michelle Johnson of the SC Forestry Commission. Thanks to her I helped many families know about the conditions of their homes. Hey Michelle, I finally got the name of your agency correct.

I received more e-mails and concerns about this little dog than any other photo. I tried to get the animal to come to me but it was too scared. Later we followed up with a story about the rescue of the dog (his name is Onyx) and his return to his family.

During the first hours of the fire, I hitched a ride with two gonzo video journalists driving a black Hummer in order to get past the police checkpoints along Highways 31 and 90. Fully credentialed and driving my VW Golf, I was stopped and held at every checkpoint. With these guys we just drove on through.

These firemen with the Sumter Fire Department were great and worked hard to help the families victimized by the fire.

Michelle Johnson pointed this melted wheel rim out to me as we checked out the damage on Swift Street Thursday morning.

It was amazing how some houses were damaged and others were left untouched. I found out one thing. Don’t put pine straw around your house, this with add to the flames in the event of a fire.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and bugged the newsroom with my constant calls for updates to the web.

I worked Friday with reporter Isaac Bailey and we were detained twice by the North Myrtle Beach police from coverage of the families returning to their homes. In the afternoon we were treated with a ride in a police car after we snuck in with some insurance adjusters.

Thanks for all the nice e-mails I received about this image and thanks to the Portteus family for being so open about the fire.

This guy needed to keep busy and was mowing his yard Friday morning after the fire. The ruins in the background are not from his house but from neighbors. His house was undamaged.

Neighbors helping neighbors was a good thing to see and it was in abundance Friday afternoon.

I will continue to work updates from the aftermath of the fire and plan on sticking with Bob Portteus and his family as they rebuild their home on Swift Street.

rlh

Lost in the mix of things last week due to the big fire coverage was this soundslides I did of jazz musician Arlin Strader and his trio at a local nightclub.

Arlin is a passionate musician and his trio with sax player Benny Hill and keyboardist Ray Malach was on key with their sound. Except for the keyboardist, the music at the club was acoustic and the trio didn’t use a PA system. I was surprised at how well the instruments blended in the noisy bar without amplification.

Musicians like these play in several band and combos in order to stay busy. Ray Malach is also the keyboardist in the Kat Daniels jazz band featured in my last Common Chords post and video.

rlh

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As a journalist, once in a while you get the opportunity to meet someone who is a legend and you just have to tell the world about it.

That happened to me last week when I had the honor of meeting the magician and actor John Calvert.

At 97-years-old, Calvert still has a passion for his craft and a love of life. I hope I can still have that at his age. Hell, I hope I can make it to that age and still have his vitality.

I love what he says at the end of the video about how he keeps young at heart.

If you just got to see more, check out my photo gallery at my newspaper’s site.

rlh

My best friend’s son, Eric Mabe was married this last weekend in Atlanta and I attended and took a few photos. Eric and his sisters are like my own kids and I love them and feel like I helped raise them from the time they were babies.

Eric’s new wife Amy was beautiful and I’m happy he found such a wonderful girl.

 Eric and Amy share a kiss at the alter

No one, and I mean no one, can shake a leg like my blood brother Bubba Mabe. However, It seems Eric is taking a share of the title “Best Dancer Still Stuck in the 1970’s”.

rlh