Morgan Grindstaff

Morgan Grindstaff, 21, poses with his guitar at his Cherryville home on Thursday February 23, 2012. Grindstaff was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a degenerative condition that gives him breathing trouble and requires him to use a therapy vest and a nebulizer several times a day.

Part of the reason I love what I do is that I get to meet lots of interesting people that I might not otherwise interact with. It's my job to tell their story.

In this case, I took some pictures of Morgan with medical equipment he uses to help him breath due to his Cystic Fibrosis. That was necessary for the assignment, but I think this photo, which says nothing of his condition, is more genuine and dignified.

He's a human being after all, not simply a victim of disease. On the contrary, one angle in the story this photo accompanied was his efforts to raise awareness and support charities for the ailment.

It's always humbling, though, when you have an assignment to photograph someone with a serious medical condition. Morgan described for me how Cystic Fibrosis will typically get worse over time.

"By the time I get to be about 30 I'll be looking at a lung transplant, you know, or dying."

Then he laughed it off.

Kicker

Lincolnton place kicker Kevin Miller lines up with the uprights while taking practice kicks on the Linconton practice field on Wednesday November 17, 2010.

Losing her Home

Ethel Rivera poses at the front door of her home on Hunter Hill Road on Nov. 11. Rivera is in the process of moving out of the home that will be demolished to make way for a widening project for Hunter Hill Road.

Comic Shop

Shop owner Jimmy Taylor surrounded with comic books at The Reader's Choice in Rocky Mount.

I was thrilled to find out that my new town has a decent little comic shop with a friendly owner. I was also thrilled to to see nice soft light flooding in from big windows in the front.

Taylor, like most people I photograph, was a little uncomfortable in front of the camera. When I shoot portraits I typically ask my subjects to stand where I need them and tell them they can just relax while I take a few test shots. At some point I discovered that some of the best poses and expressions where in the test shots when the subject was at ease.

Now I sometimes use the 'test shot' statement as a little trick when I want to get people just being themselves with minimal posing or instruction from me. It's pretty cool when you think about it; that with this little slight I'm able to set up lights and go about doing a location shoot right in front of a person without them even realizing they're having their picture made!