I had a couple of photos leading the national page of The New York Times recently. I scrambled around on a crazy trolley tour with candidate David Alvarez and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. I had just a few quick minutes to shoot a portrait of Faulconer, who eventually won the race, but managed to pull out some images I was really happy with. Here are some of my favorites:
Kevin Faulconer, a San Diego city councilman and candidate for mayor, poses for a portrait in a cafe in the Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego. Faulconer is running against fellow councilman David Alvarez to replace former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. CREDIT: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
David Alvarez (right), a San Diego city councilman and candidate for mayor, is joined by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro at a press conference about public transportation at the Washington Street Trolley Station. Alvarez is running against fellow councilman Kevin Faulconer to replace former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. CREDIT: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
Kevin Faulconer, a San Diego city councilman and candidate for mayor, is interviewed in a cafe in the Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego. Faulconer is running against fellow councilman David Alvarez to replace former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. CREDIT: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
David Alvarez, a San Diego city councilman and candidate for mayor, rides the San Diego Trolley with San Antonio Mayor Julian Castrofollowing a press conference about public transportation at the Washington Street Trolley Station. Alvarez is running against fellow councilman Kevin Faulconer to replace former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. CREDIT: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro dons a button supporting David Alvarez, a San Diego city councilman during a press conference at the Washington Street Trolley Station. Alvarez is running against fellow councilman Kevin Faulconer to replace former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. CREDIT: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
Kevin Faulconer, a San Diego city councilman and candidate for mayor, poses for a portrait in a cafe in the Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego. Faulconer is running against fellow councilman David Alvarez to replace former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. CREDIT: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
David Alvarez, a San Diego city councilman and candidate for mayor, signs an autograph for train operator Tojo Clemons while he rides the San Diego Trolley with San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro following a press conference about public transportation at the Washington Street Trolley Station. Alvarez is running against fellow councilman Kevin Faulconer to replace former Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal. CREDIT: Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
Roadies Lindsey Platt, 20, Caroline Garcia, 23, Proscovia Asiimwe, 22 and Michael Arredondo, 21, pose for a portrait after loading their van in preparation for tour at Invisible Children headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
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Jason Russell and his San Diego non-profit Invisible Children have a very simple message for the world.
The organization wants to put an end to the LRA conflict in Uganda and bring its leader, Joseph Kony, to justice.
Their message went viral about two years ago, when Invisible Children released "Kony 2012," a video that implored its viewers to help spread the word about the Ugandan rebel leader.
Filming and distributing videos like this has been a big part of the organization's strategy since its inception. But there's another, much more tangible and analog, approach to sharing their message.
It's their roadies: small teams of young folks from around the world hop into bright red vans armed with all sorts of materials to share their message and fan out across the country.
In September, I spent two days with the roadies as they prepared to head out on their latest campaign. It was so interesting watching these very excited kids (most of them in their late teens, early 20s), at such a pivotal moment in their lives. They had all worked extensively to plan these trips to share a message they really believed in, and it all came to a head in front of my lens.
The day before they headed out, I watched them make final preparations, pack up their vans and prepare to hit the road. The following day, per tradition, the group gathered at the Mount Soledad Cross, where they received pep talks and inspiration from the leaders of Invisible Children. After a lot of hugs, goodbyes and some tears, they packed into the vans and drove off, a line of vans headed all around the country with their message in tow.
Unfortunately, the full story for Buzzfeed ultimately got spiked, so I don't have a link to share. But I let my editors know I'd be sharing some images here nonetheless. Hope you enjoy.
Roadie Tyler Karr, 23, records an out-of-office message before heading off on tour at Invisible Children headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
David Ocitti, a former child soldier from Uganda, tells his story before heading off on tour at Invisible Children headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
David Ocitti speaks to the roadies and staff at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial where they kick off their tour on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
A roadie backs a truck into Invisible Children headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
A top the roadies work station is a picture of other roadies from a past tour at Invisible Children headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jason Russell poses for a portrait in his office at Invisible Children headquarters on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Roadies Caroline Garcia, 23, Proscovia Asiimwe, 22, and Michael Arredondo, 21, prepare to pack their van for tour at Invisible Children headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
The Invisible Children logo adorns a file that is waiting to be packed into a van at Invisible Children headquarters on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jason Russell poses for a portrait in his office at Invisible Children headquarters on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children roadies and staff listen to presentations at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial where they kick off their tour on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jason Russell speaks to roadies and staff at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial where they kick off their tour on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Jason Russell speaks to roadies and staff at the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial where they kick off their tour on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children roadies and staff huddle up and cheer at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial where they kick off their tour on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children roadie Michael Arredondo, 21, gets behind the wheel to head off on tour at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial where they kick off their tour on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
Invisible Children roadies head off on tour at Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial where they kick off their tour on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif.
I've spent a lot of time in my journalism career documenting the challenges and the opportunities for residents in Southeastern San Diego: a cluster of neighborhoods that comprises some of San Diego's poorest parts of town.
The headline-grabbing gang violence, the abject poverty and the inequality of opportunity that mars these streets is only one side of the story. Throughout these neighborhoods are individuals fighting to make things better.
In this month's San Diego Magazine, we highlighted the voices who are working to make Southeastern San Diego safer and more prosperous.
Take Bevelynn Bravo, for instance. Even before her son Jaime was stabbed to death in a local park, she was already working as a counselor for families who were victims of gang violence. Since then, she's doubled down her efforts, joining forces with others to form "Mothers With A Message," which shares their stories with community groups.
And there's Sasha Knox, outreach director at the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA, who helped link a group of students from a private school in La Jolla with mothers like Bravo for a documentary project. Those kids went on to form their own group, the Building Peace Club, after spending time understanding some of the challenges for their neighbors to the south.
Putting a face to these names was an important task for me and one I wanted to do justice. I got the call on a Sunday night and had to schedule, shoot and file the project by Tuesday, with five different photo subjects scattered around town.
The most important and sensitive task was a photo of Bravo, whose son had been murdered. She offered to meet me at his gravesite on a Tuesday, just a couple of hours before my deadline. We arrived at 4:10 p.m. To our surprise, the cemetery closed at 4 p.m.
A couple of quick phone calls later and the staff at the cemetery graciously offered us just five minutes of access to do the shoot. I tried to work quickly without rushing Bravo. She sat beside her son Jaime and grasped a framed photo of him. She clutched a locket with his image. After four minutes, I put the camera down and walked back to my car, so she could use the last minute to spend some time alone with her son, and her husband who's buried alongside him.
Take a moment to read more about these folks and many others trying to make a better San Diego over at San Diego Magazine.
Bevelynn Bravo poses at the gravesite where her son Jaime Bravo is buried. Jaime was stabbed to death in May 2013.
Bevelynn Bravo clutches a locket with an image of her son Jaime Bravo, who was stabbed to death in May 2013.
Sasha Knox is the Outreach Director for the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA.
David Tos, a San Diego police officer with the Southeastern division, helps run a diversion program for youth who are caught violating curfew.
Andrew Castro is a co-founder of the Building Peace Club at The Bishop's School in La Jolla.
Barry Pollard poses with a mural that he helped the community organize to paint on a fence that used to get regularly tagged with graffiti.
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