RIography

Senate floor vote.

ryantconaty — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:12:47 +0000

Hey there,

I need to hit the road (going to upstate new York for the weekend) but I wanted to get these pictures in front of you while they were still timely. They are pictures of Wednesday’s Senate vote to legalize same sex marriage in Rhode Island.

Here me out now, I’m not trying to hock 8x10s to everyone. This is the

gallery tool I use for my wedding clients and it’s just a good way to post a heavy quantity of files.

So go though and see what you think. **HERE**

-RTC

Sorry so much Bill Fisher right at the beginning. He’s just easy to take a picture of I guess.

Marriage Equality passes senate committee

ryantconaty — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:29:42 +0000

Rhode Islanders got a step closer to enjoying the universal right to marry this afternoon when the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the same-sex marriage bill (7/4). From here it goes to the Senate floor. Proponents are optimistic this time around so I will do my best to get some more celebratory pictures for you tomorrow.

You want actual information?

here’s Projo’s take (notice yours truly lurking at bottom right)

Ted managed to keep me out of his shot.

… as did the I-Dog.

RIFuture even looks like they have a vid… fancy

-RTC

2:50

ryantconaty — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:52:39 +0000

By now this is old news and there are plenty other journalist who gathered far far more meaningful and timely news pictures than I (especially Matt Healey) but I though it was better to post something rather than let these frames sit on a hard drive somewhere.

-RTC

URI Lock Down

ryantconaty — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:33:26 +0000

The University of Rhode Island experienced a ‘Lock Down’ today when it was thought there was a shooter in Chafee hall. Chafee houses the Journalism department (my people) so naturally I was on the road within seconds of getting the call. Thank goodness it was a false alarm. I did however get into some serious beef with the State, South Kingstown and Campus police for a variety of disputes surrounding my desire to shoot their “crime scene.”

I’ve dealt with plenty of cops and I’ve gotten good at remaining relaxed (because you can’t send with cuffs on) but I figured if I was going to be arrested for doing my job the “Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame” was just about the coolest place it could happen.

-RTC

Go Rams!

Harrington School of Communications and Media

ryantconaty — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:01:29 +0000

I photograph a lot of URI’s Harrington School events and, Communications and Media being heavy on the technology, I wind up in a lot of computer labs with Power Point presentations.

I was trying to think of a good blog post today and I noticed I have a lot of these lighting situations with projectors and catch lights in the glasses and eyes over the past week so I thought I’d put a few together and see what it looked like.

Do any catch your eye?

-RTC

go rams.

What’s this talk about grenades now?

ryantconaty — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:54:42 +0000

Well I’m no Connie (who could be?) but I do have a project that brought me to ‘the marble nipple’ for a hearing Wednesday and I hope the work will stack up.

It being Friday now, I’m sure you’re all up to speed. NRA lobbyist, Darin Goens, met both friends and opposition during a hearing in a very muggy House Judiciary Committee room to discuss the Ocean State’s gun laws.

The quote of the day went to the doves: ”Some people would be out with grenades on Saturday afternoons if it was legal”, said ‘Gansett Rep Teresa Tanzi.

Rep Tanzi, You are talking my language. If I thought I could get away with it, I would absolutely be the first one to chuck some grenades come Saturday.

I suppose cooler heads should prevail though and we will all have to meet somewhere in the middle. So for now I will just say to everyone have a great weekend (with or without grenades).

-RTC

Aisling McCarthy Brady

ryantconaty — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:03:58 +0000

We had nonviolence yesterday but I’m afraid we’re back on the other side of news today.

I had a job for a lovely people at the Irish Sun last week. A Irish nanny named Aisling McCarthy Brady is charged with assault after the child in her care died. The charges against her may increase depending on what the medical examiner says but her lawyer, Melinda Thompson, seen here leaving Cambridge District Court, says she’s innocent.

We’ll see how this plays out but I feel bad that I couldn’t get a picture of the defendant for my client (the sheriffs brought her in locked away in the back of the paddy-wagon). I also said “Paddy-wagon” to my Irish picture desk a bunch of times when I called in to report and now I’m wondering if that is a derogatory term…

-RTC

Nonviolence Training at URI

ryantconaty — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:05:01 +0000

You’ve seen the funerals and candle-light vigils I’ve had to attend for work and I’m going to go ahead and speak for all news photographers here and say that they are the last thing we want to shoot.

Thursday was a little better though. I met the folks working on the side of good. I am part of a class called “Media and Civic Engagement” at URI’s Harrington School for Communications and Media taught by documentary film-maker Michelle LeBrun (COM-342 for all you students out there). We’ve partnered with Providence’s Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence to promote their efforts in the face of recent budget cuts. The Institute sent their best, PJ Fox and Sal Monteiro Jr., to talk about what they do and provide nonviolence training. They were the a couple of the most dedicated fellows you could ever hope to meet.

On a personal note: This may come as a surprise to some of you but I’ve never been able to boast straight As in the “works well with others” category if you know what I mean so after administering nonviolence training to my professor and classmates PJ and Sal should probably add my name to the list of lives they’ve saved. Thanks gentlemen and keep up the good work.

Holla’

-RTC

Just to recap: MLK Jr. 6 principles of nonviolence.

1. Non-violent resistance is not for cowards. It is not a quiet, passive acceptance of evil. One is passive and non-violent physically, but very active spiritually, always seeking ways to persuade the opponent of advantages to the way of love, cooperation, and peace.

2. The goal is not to defeat or humiliate the opponent but rather to win him or her over to understanding new ways to create cooperation and community.

3. The non-violent resister attacks the forces of evil, not the people who are engaged in injustice. As King said in Montgomery, “We are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may be unjust.”

4. The non-violent resister accepts suffering without retaliating; accepts violence, but never commits it. Gandhi said, “Rivers of blood may have to flow before we gain our freedom, but it must be our blood.” Gandhi and King both understood that suffering by activists had the mysterious power of converting opponents who would otherwise refuse to listen.

5. In non-violent resistance, one learns to avoid physical violence toward others and also learns to love the opponents with “agape” or unconditional love–which is love given not for what one will receive in return, but for the sake of love alone. It is God flowing through the human heart. Agape is ahimsa. “Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate,” said King.

6. Non-violent resistance is based on the belief that the universe is just. There is God or a creative force that is moving us toward universal love and wholeness continually. Therefore, all our work for justice will bear fruit – the fruit of love, peace, and justice for all beings everywhere.”

CFO

ryantconaty — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:58:47 +0000

There is a gentleman in Providence. His name is Brett Smiley and his company, CFO Compliance LLC, is growing into CFO Consulting Group. Ted Nesi aptly calls him Wunderkind on his blog where you can get the details. I call Brett a great client and friend and I wish him the best of luck with the expansion.

-RTC

Dodge / Bullets

ryantconaty — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:32:40 +0000

This has nothing to do with anything but I celebrated my birthday in Newport Wednesday with some navy pilots (we just had some nice steamed vegetables and then shared a glass of red wine) and on my way home (Thursday) this nice old truck with a ‘For Sale’ sign caught my eye. It’s a 68 and honestly it’s totally gone. The body has more holes in it than my story about Newport, some from rust, some from deer slugs, but like how a good pair a jeans is most comfortable right before the knees rip out of them this green fella just makes you feel good. This year’s birthday was my 35th and while my floorboards aren’t completely rusted through and there are no shotgun holes in my tailgate (yet), the decades have left some authentic patina me too. Whether the finish has been polished down to the primer in places or some maintenance has been neglected its all character and if I look this well used in ten years too rest assured at least I’ll have a few more good stories (with holes in them) to justify a few dents and dings.