Vision Beyond The Lens by -J.J. McQueen-

Every now and then professionals take time out to capture things that are important to them. This weekend I did just that. Unfortunately, it was about 17 degrees when I decided to do it, lol. Nevertheless I'd like to share this one with all of you who want to move to the next level with whatever you're planning to do in 2009. In 1982 I was five years old innocent and untainted. At that age you're incapable of knowing about love or at least the levels of it. One day I was introduced to this thing, this girl, this object. I remember the day I spotted her. She was trimmed in white, highlighted in green and about five hundred people stood around her cheering as she withstood the pressure of the crowd. She was confident and unmoved by the crowds roar. I remember asking my dad if I could make her a permanent fixture in my life. He said, "only if you're committed". I was pumped because I knew then that I wanted to give her all of me. That was the day I fell in...

By popular request I grabbed a shot of the moon on Friday night.  For those of you that didn't know it was only 221,000 miles away from earth.  Lol, I know real close right.  Enjoy!

Usually I would post a photo as a visual reference with each story but this one will be a little different.  Recently, I've been in the shadows of a story about little Elijah Johnson.  Elijah was born in November of 2004.  A few days following his birth, Elijah's parents realized that his behavior was a little strange and he spiked a fever.  Like any good parents they took the ever so dreaded trip to the ER. The diagnosis was,  Salmonella Meningitis . Salmonella Meningitis ? From what I've learned it's contracted from exotic animals (lizard, snakes & turtles to name a few), children and the elderly are very susceptible to the deadly menace. Fast forward to December 2008, Elijah's story has become a lot more complex as he clings to life, but his parents position remains the same.  In my conversation with Elijah's father Jackson "J.J." Johnson he stressed to me that he and his wife Meredith wanted to make people aware of the dangers and risk of h...

In 1993 I was introduced to a community youth organization by the name of, BOTSO .  My friends and I used to meet with the group's advisers at the old 4th street YMCA in High Point, NC.  As one can imagine like most community youth organizations it sounds as if it was established for the at risk youth in our area.  It's a leadership program designed for young men.  Mr. Hank Wall and the founding members of BOTSO recognized that the young men in our community needed more than just a gym.  They understood that young men like myself that derived from stable environments could benefit as much as our peers that were less privileged.  They had the for site to establish a social and educational extension of our schools and home lives. I remember our advisors from the past and present always treating every youth as if we were at risk. Self-improvement was always right now.   Fast forward to 2008, fifteen years later BOTSO is stronger than ever. Many of us in the class of 93' ha...

This morning I received the photo below from my aunt.  The initial impact of it was kind of overwhelming when I opened it.  Mainly, with the age of the images and the rich history behind the people in it.  I had to take a step back and absorb the moment.   I titled it just what it is, 1964 .   I actually went online and searched events from that year and I found things that are important to me and my career goals.  One was President Lyndon B. Johnson declared "War on Poverty" in the U.S...  It's ironic that I would get it today of all days because I'm doing some research on films and photos from the 60's.    The images took me to Blacksburg, S.C. March 1964.  This photo was taken by what I believe to be one of my grandfather's church members.  Why is it so important it's just a family photo? It's a family photo that's been buried under the rubble of life for 44 years.  Somewhat of a fossil to my family.  A lady that sings in the church choir with m...

Four Seasons story below.  Someone's sidewalk home.  I call this guy newspaper man.  He new everything about the upcoming election.  I asked him how did he know so much he said he used to be a English Professor at a local college.  He lost his job and he's been teaching the homeless to read for the past 2 years.  These guys have been friends for 25 years living on the streets together.  One is blind and one is a recovering drug addict.  I met them while they were feeding the pigeons.  As we approach the winter months "Homeless People" become more invisible and more visible all at the same time.  Fortunately, there are some that still take time out to notice.  I'd like to consider myself one of those people.  I'm sure my colleagues and those alike would agree that it's very easy to forget about those less fortunate than us while out pounding the pavement reaching for the next big story. While all along we're walking past the stories that make our jobs m...

Just in case you haven't noticed I'm a huge advocate for the homeless. In the spirit of the seasons changing I'll be dedicating a day to capture what a day on the streets are like.  to be continued.... 

This fall has been wonderful!  I've captured milestone events this season.  One of my favorites was the Refuge Way of the Cross 50 th Anniversary Celebration .  People that know me know I grew up in a church family so I'm sure they're wondering what made this celebration more special than others.  Here's your answer.  This church is more than just a client for me. They are like family.  I live nearly 500 miles from my parents door step and there are some days when I'd love to be there. Fortunately, when I have those days all I have to do is drive 35 minutes into the city and I'm quickly reminded of my southern roots.  Refuge Way of the Cross church is made up of North Carolina natives and for five decades they've been to the community what the church was designed to be.  A Refuge.  The Refuge family still " p uts in down in the kitchen" on Sunday's after church, they still have their weekly prayer service and revival meetings.  Just like the...

This week has been bananas! My daughters were sick and my son decided that he wanted to make an early arrival, lol.  Where am I going with this one? Stay with me and I'll show you. It's my career and my passion to document the events of the world and those of my clients but it's a pure joy to capture the most important moments of my children's lives.  It's also important to teach them how to capture and appreciate one another's milestones.   On Wednesday October 8, 2008 my son was born and my 5 year old and 3 year old had cameras in their hands.  I want them to always be there to share the important moments in life with each other.   It's more evident now than ever in these crazy economic times how important it is to raise your children to be strong leaders, loving, kind and resourceful.  As I get older I'm understanding that a stable family helps build a stable economy.  Some how, somewhere people have forgotten that the origin of success in America was...

Not long ago Sean "P. Diddy" Combs played the leading role in the television movie, " A Raisin in the Sun".  I posted a blog on my myspace page in response to his characters', character.  I talked about his drive and determination to succeed.  It was amazing to watch the movie in 2008 after having read the original screenplay from the 50's.   I'm often asked what is it that motivates me to do what I do besides money.  If you look below at the photos the story tells itself.  Trinity, NC is where I lived until I was about 9 0r 10 years old. Most of the homes there are still like the ones in the photos below.   I took these stills about 5 years ago, I'm glad I did. They are a constant reminder of how important it is to stay humble.  They remind of the importance of a sound education.  They remind me to always respect hard work. They remind me of what strong families can do with little to no resources.  These photos are my moti...

My first season in the Arena football league I wore the number one.  I never understood why people made such a big deal about it until now.  The number one has a million significant meanings.  The most obvious being the beginning, the best and or the start.  Being young and passionate I had no idea of the significance of what my jersey truly meant. Fortunately, I grew up and now that I'm a dad it the number one means more than I could have ever imagined. Most importantly, first birthdays .  Which Brings me to Little Zoe . Seeing Zoe's face light up on her first birthday with her family and friends was a sight to see. Although she doesn't understand that her first number one is the first of many first.  There will come a day when she'll put things in reverse and wish she could have her first first all over again.   As for today, we'll celebrate the biggest first of them all.   Happy Birthday Little Zoe ! 

Recently, I had the opportunity of capturing a day of Joppatowne high school football practice.   Prior to shooting the stills I spoke with the head coach and the conversation was like that of every head coach, very modest.  I can respect that but fortunately I'm not bound to modesty.  I believe they are the best kept secret in Harford County, Maryland. People that know high school football would probably think I'm crazy but it's simple.   In the photos below there are two players that standout. The player that stayed home and played XBOX all summer and the other that worked his butt off to stay in shape. I'm sure the average viewer would say that the photos look blurry.  Well, they are.  I shot them so you could see what the out of shape kid felt like as the other young man pushed him to finish.  Sometimes that's what it feels like when you get to the end of something that you're not prepared for. Your vision gets cloudy, your body hurts and you just want to fa...

Photo Courtesy: of Arlyn Wesley, Vision Beyond The Lens Student All I can say is wow!  Today we had our first Vision Beyond The Lens video workshop... I paused because the day really brought my video career full circle.  I've often hear veterans of the industry say the natural progression for a camera operator is to direct and teach.  When you're being told these things the importance of the words don't really sink in until you put them in motion.    I was so pumped from the class I didn't get to bed until 2 a.m. this morning.  I've been reminded of how great getting back to the grassroots of "why" we chose the television and film industry.   So today I want to thank my FIRST GOAL LINE MEDIA/ VISION BEYOND THE LENS CLASS FOR MAKING ME A PROUD TEACHER!  Stayed tuned for the spring session.  

In my last blog I said that August was a busy month and that was no lie.  So with that being said, we  have one more birthday to celebrate.  Uncle Clarence!  Uncle Clarence is a gentleman that I've heard nothing but good things about for many years but I'd never met him prior this past Sunday. It only makes sense being that we aren't related, lol. Stay with me I'm going somewhere fast with this one.  Growing up around older people I learned to appreciate the elders of the village and at age 93 I believe Uncle Clarence has more than exercised his right to be the "man".  What impressed me most was that he couldn't have been more than 5 ft 3 inches tall and a good number of us were 12 to 14 inches taller and at least 100 pounds heavier but he still had our respect and attention as if he was 7 ft tall.  As a child and now young adult that's what the old school legacy is to me, respecting the elders of the village no matter what size and stature of the per...

It's August and you know what August is, the birthday month.  I think between family, friends and clients I've captured about 15 birthday parties and we still have a full week left in the month. The down side to that is, you can't post everything and everyone that you capture.  So today I've decided to share with you 30 years of Earl .   With the increasing number of Afro-American males not seeing the age of 30, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to highlight a young man that I've known well over 10 years.  I call him, Earl !  If you knew him like I do, you'd understand that his mother and father couldn't have chosen a more fitting name.   With a booming voice, and the pleasant personality of an 80 year old man from South Carolina, Earl is the prototype of what any parent would want their son's to grow up to be.   Growing up on Baltimore's West Side Earl has beaten all of the odds.  Out of 3 boys he's the first college grad and a pudding ...

It's that time! Many of you have been asking, "when will there be a video workshop"? Well the fall workshop is here.  For those of you that are interested please note that seating is limited and filling fast. For additional information and consideration please see the poster below.   I'm excited about what this class is going to do for all who attend.   See you in two weeks!