A Different Drummer

Marching to the beat of a different drummer in midtown Sacramento.

New Beginnings

Roosevelt Jones Jr. lived like a stereotypical truck driver -- and he paid the ultimate price. At 42 he suffered a massive heart attack while alone at home. He drove himself to the hospital, collapsed in the ER, and died in the ICU. The doctors would later tell my family that the entire left side of my dad’s heart was destroyed.

That day hurt. But I learned and took from it a great many things. The most important being the value of life, family, and time. And the relative insignificance of most everything else.

A few hours from now I will mark the beginning of my 42nd year. My day will be filled with an aggressive bike ride in the hills, lunch with the family, and a renewed appreciation for what really matters: My loving and supportive wife, Stacy. My compassionate, warm-hearted daughter Melia. My crafty and caring son, Gabriel. My ever-strong mother, Tamara. Willie Pearl, our regal matriarch. And Rosie.

To all those who’s lives have crossed my own, I thank you for your friendship and compassion. Today is truly the first day of the rest of my life.

iPhone Photo

An iPhone portrait of my friend and fellow photographer Michael Jones.

Worth the Stop

Spied this view coming out of rural Amador County. I passed it, liked it, then turned around just in time.

Man Behind the Music

Concert promoter Brian McKenna has been booking rock acts at local clubs for 20 years, bringing acts like Green Day and No Doubt to Sacramento when they were just starting out.

Emotions rise to the surface as Billie Welch recounts the events leading up to her treatment at the Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at Sister Nora's Place, a women's shelter in the Sacramento Loaves and Fishes complex. Welch has been struggling with depression for two decades and credits the center with saving her life when she became homeless and distraught last year. Budget cuts may force the unit to close as soon as this weekend.

From Tragedy to Triumph

At eight-years-old Kevin Stroughter received burns to 83 percent of his body from a fire started by neighborhood kids playing with gasoline. Today he has overcome years of suffering and debilitating pain to become San Juan High's starting running back-defensive back -- as well as a performer on the basketball court and track.

vigil

Rena Davonne, right, and other friends of Leroy Fisher remember the nightclub security guard with a candlelight vigil Wednesday, September 23, 2009 in midtown Sacramento. Fisher was killed in the early morning hours Wednesday when he was run down by a vehicle in the parking lot of the bar where he worked.

River Cat catcher Eric Munson

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Refugee Song

I've posted the Rural Culture in Northern California audio slideshow here: http://carlcostas.com/tarlesson/

Rural African culture in Norhtern California

An extended family of two dozen Liberian dancers, the Tarlesson family, have taken up residence in rural Guinda,Calif, raising organic African vegetables and performing traditional music and dances of the Chedpo-Grebo people.

2009 Western States 100-mile endurance run

Light Show

Lightning dances over the Sacramento region late Wednesday during a spring thunderstorm.

State Leader

State leader Justin Sutter of Granite Bay High School landed in first place with a leap of 23 feet, six inches in the Sac-Joaquin Section long jump Thursday at Hughes Stadium.

Tahoe Wedding

Danielle and Jason -- Zephyr Cove, Lake Tahoe

Dual Sport Kid

Dual sport athlete James Derrick.

A nice afternoon with a great family.

Lo Saetern has farmed strawberries in South Sacramento for the past eleven years. Many area growers are Mien or Hmong, groups who fled Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War.

After years of chasing down news stories, lately I've grown into a place where I simply fancy imagery. A state of mind that forces me to get out of the way and allow photos to come to life. No rhyme, no reason, no compelling justification: just striking visuals. Pictures that reach the itch I often find hard to scratch.


Beneath Chinatown, San Francisco


San Francisco


SFO


Chinatown, San Francisco



Oakland, Calif.


San Jose, Calif.


San Jose, Calif.

Pre Dawn at Helen Lake

Shasta '08

Plans are in the works for a late spring run up Shasta this year. I'm a little sketchy about what the conditions will be at that time -- but I'm game none the less.

Here's a video of my buddy Brian on glissade from the summit last year, about a month prior to this year's planned date.

Out With the Old

A couple pics from the end of the King's '07/'08 season.

Bees, bees, and more bees

Per a request from my ever polite friend Dan, here's what eight million bees fleeing their overturned transport truck looks like.

The flat bed semi spilled it's load taking a sharp turn onto NB 99, likely too fast. And I only took six stings photographing it, three to the head, three to the hands.

Piano Man

Shot Billy Joel the other day. Loved the show, and he's a funny dude to boot. He joked that the old man at the piano was Billy's dad. Billy was home combing all his hair.