The Punahou Art Department is thrilled to welcome Steve McCurry, the celebrated American photographer whose “Afghan Girl” is among the world’s most recognizable photos, highlighting Punahou’s Creative Greats program from April 1 – 3.

In his 70s, McCurry’s career spans over five decades, with numerous assignments for National Geographic, membership with Magnum Photos since 1986, and coverage of significant global conflicts, earning him such accolades as the 1987 Medal of Honor for his coverage of the 1986 Philippine Revolution and his 2019 induction into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. A Philadelphia native, McCurry developed his photographic passion while working for the Penn State newspaper, The Daily Collegian.

McCurry is celebrated for his compelling captures of human and environmental narratives worldwide, particularly the piercing gaze of the “Afghan Girl” featured on the 1985 National Geographic cover. His unique blend of portraiture, journalism, landscapes and fine art – marked by a mastery of color, light and composition – defies genre classification. Notably, McCurry was honored to shoot the last roll of Kodak’s iconic Kodachrome film.

McCurry’s visit to Punahou encompasses classroom interactions, a special community event in the Chapel on April 2, and the chance for faculty to use his photographs for educational purposes. The school will showcase his work in a gallery installation in the Bishop Learning Commons from March through April. This exhibit, centered on the theme of water, will highlight our interconnectedness with water across seven continents, evoking Hawai‘i’s geographical identity and the significance of Ka Punahou, the spring at the heart of campus.

Supported by the Advancement and Communications teams and the Class of 1950 Distinguished Speakers Fund, this visit offers the Punahou community the opportunity to engage with the art and insights of a photographic legend. Punahou’s Creative Greats program hosted Pixar Animation Studios veterans last May.

ARLINGTON — When Alex Bregman hammered an Aroldis Chapman slider deep to left field late in Game 1 of the ALCS last fall, it seemed certain to bring home at least one run, if not erase the Ranger’s slim two-run lead. 

The television camera followed the flight of the ball. Other photographers followed Bregman waiting for a celebratory reaction. As Bailey Orr tells it, being the Rangers team photographer, she has the benefit of being able to always focus on one team. 

She was sure left fielder Evan Carter had a chance to catch it.

The next day, her photo of Carter leaping, his left arm stretched straight above his head, with the ball about to fall into his glove, was everywhere.

This season, the Rangers turned the photo into a bobblehead for a promotional day at Globe Life Field.

“My favorite part of that shot though is actually the bullpen that’s right behind him,” the Orr said this week. 

“I think it’s [Jose] Leclerc and someone else who immediately scream. They’re so excited, and he just looks at the ball and throws it back.”

That’s one of the stories the 24-year-old said she strives to tell with her Rangers photography, beyond just capturing moments of action on the field.

Her storytelling during the team’s historic championship season came about somewhat unexpectedly. An assistant on the staff she was promoted into the vacant top job just before the All-Star Break. Suddenly she was in Seattle with a half dozen players and tasked with leading a team of photographers in the middle of a playoff race. 

“That’s when it started hitting me, it was like ‘ok, this isn’t just about capturing he was here. He did this.’ It was all about trying to capture that race,” she said.

Orr was ready for it. She recalled her mother’s love of film photography when she was growing up as likely leading to her first interest in the craft and remembers picking up a camera herself sometime in middle school.

The “big camera” went with her on a family trip to Yellowstone, and soon friends and family were asking her to take portraits and capture events.

In college at Texas A&M she took a position with Twelfth Man Productions and was instantly hooked on shooting sports.

She was booking her calendar full of weddings and portraits after college when the job with the Rangers opened during the 2022 season. Baseball, she says, “is where I find the most joy in life,” and it was a no-brainer to move up from her home south of Houston to take the job.

She now takes pictures at every home game. She’s been to the All-Star Game; the World Series; the Hall of Fame as new member Adrian Beltre toured for the first time.

Her team’s pictures caused some of the players to almost come to tears this spring, as they were presented with the framed photos of moments she helped pick out, that they might not have remembered; like Dane Dunning hugging his wife, with the child sandwiched in between, in celebration on the field.

“To watch them relive the moments that are otherwise a blur for them is probably one of my favorite parts of the job,” she said.

She was quick to credit her team, and veteran photographers from around the sport who helped point her to the important moments she would want to be there for during the fall.

This season, her eye, and all eyes, will be on the defending champs. She will be aiming to capture the fans, the ballpark, and the energy of it all, which she admits will be hard to do.

“Day by day. That’s how we’re going to do it.”

Jason Allen

Jason, a Southern California native, came to North Texas after working as a reporter for four years in Orlando. He received his bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, and then began his career as a producer/reporter at Primary Focus. Jason went on to work as a reporter/anchor at KTWO-TV in Casper, Wyoming, and later as a reporter at WBAY-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Twitter

Facebook

EUGENE, Ore. – A Eugene based photographer had around $10,000 worth of her camera equipment returned to her after it was originally stolen from her car in the afternoon of March 25.

Elle Wayt said it was the mother of the suspect who returned the equipment to her in the afternoon of March 27. 

When Wayt’s car was originally broken into at the McKenzie at Crescent Village apartments, she immediately turned to social media after retrieving security camera footage of the theft. 

“I posted my social media and it get 600 shares. It reached 12,000 people in my insights,” she said. “So that was pretty cool. But I’ve had a few people reach out and say it’s a specific person.”

After filing a police report and speaking with Eugene Police, she continued to do her own search for the perpetrator based on the numerous tips she was getting on social media stemming from the video of the theft. 

“I did my own FBI detective work and I talked to a few people, and I figured out the persons mother’s name as well as his address and her address. Realized they lived at the same place, so I called his mom,” she said.

Wayt said she had the urge to reach out herself after talking to people on social media about the alleged perpetrator and his recent criminal history. She learned that he was once a co-worker and former friend and boyfriend to those providing her with tips. She said the thief was struggling in life and had been turning to crime. She credits her own sense of sympathy for reaching out directly to the suspect’s mother

“I don’t want to come at this with force, I don’t want cops to bang down the door and what have you,” she said. “But I was like okay I’m gonna call his mother and get my stuff back. “

Wayt said she was able to retrieve the suspect’s mother’s phone number. The mother answered the phone when Wayt called and after hearing the situation, appeared very emotional and apologetic over the phone.

“She was extremely distraught and saddened as most moms would understand. She realized he wasn’t home at the time, and so she went into his room and there was all of my stuff,” Wayt said. “And so she was able to find everything except for my hard drive. Which was a bummer but I was so excited. She met me at a Boba Head on west 11th and gave me all of my stuff.”

Wayt said her hard drive contained 10 years worth of her work as a professional photographer and videographer. After searching in a nearby field where she believed the thief ran off, she was able to locate the hard drive with the help of her boyfriend. 

Wayt originally felt really sympathetic after talking to the distraught mother and was planning on rescinding her police report against the alleged thief. 

“I was gaslighting myself a little bit. Like, I got my stuff back but I was thinking more and more,” she said. “This has happened to so many people and all of these amazing people have helped me get my stuff back. So maybe I should be getting police involved because no one deserves what I felt that day.”

Wayt, related to the mother and understanding how loved ones can go “down the a weird path,” but does not want to give the prospective thief another opportunity to strike others. 

Wayt claimed she never knew who the alleged thief and his mother were until she was stolen from, when strangers on social media simply reached out with tips on who the suspect was after her post went viral. 

Wayt intends on following through with the police report, and Eugene Police do have a case number for Monday’s theft. 

In a statement, Eugene Police spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin said when it comes to theft victims reaching out directly to theft suspects or their family members, it can be a dicey prospect.

“A victim reaching out to a suspect or their family is not without risk depending on the involved parties and how they might react, access to weapons and other factors,” she said. “If there is a desire to hold someone accountable through the justice system, then there is a risk in reaching out.”

McLaughlin said that in order to hold any suspect accountable, investigators take certain steps to make sure they have probable cause that is documented and that have the best possibility of holding up in court.

She did not immediately identify a suspect in the case when asked. However, she called Wayt being able to retrieve all of her equipment a “win for her.”

“I cannot thank everyone in the Eugene community enough,” Wayt said of everyone online who shared the video. “This is my livelihood. This is how I make the majority of my income. It’s a huge weight. I’m just so grateful for everyone who shared it.”

We invite you to share your beautiful gardens with us! As part of our Gardening Confidential radio show, we want to feature the gardens and yards belonging to our listeners and audience members! This is a new project we hope to expand on.

Here are a few images we received for this Spring’s KRWG Gardening Confidential.

Photography from Bonnie Tufts, Ricardo Solis, & Maggie the Dog:

Photography from Christopher Alexander of Las Cruces, NM:

Images from Karra Dickert of Las Cruces, NM:

Thank you to the few who submitted their wonderful photography! We hope to see more participation next time around.

Please submit your beautiful gardening images to amalone@nmsu.edu to be highlighted for our next Gardening Confidential in the fall.