Bombs Away Corvallis

Over the passed 28 years, Bombs Away Cafe has been a hub of community, arts and music,  family friendly cajun and southwestern cuisine, and warmth for Corvallis citizens. Established by Chef John Huyck in 1991 and being passed through the hands of now four owners, the values of Bombs away have been upheld by the staff, community and culture within it.

As a venue for local, regional and national artists to perform and display their art, there has been no shortage of creative drive to inspire customers.  Since the most recent owner Jeffrey sawyer, who works alongside the staff, took over, "there has been many changes in a short amount of time," Maddie Watts, the bar manager, explained. From the building repaint at the beginning of 2018, to the front bar addition in 2017 and the most recent bar remodel and upcoming murals in the works, Bombs away is having it's eccentric vibe refreshed and solidified to reground it's position within the community.

Being a full restaurant and bar combo, the funky taqueria is here for both families, students, professors, performers and visitors. Opening at 11:00 am for lunch and breakfast to closing it's doors at midnight, the bar and front family dining exist symbiotically each day except sunday as a traditional "gone fishing" for the staff. Harley James Monroe, one of the main cooks, is discussing the topic of tacos with a fellow industry worker Josiah Vandermeer on a thursday night. 

"We're about good people, good food, good music," says Harley, "It's all about community. We're the 'Cheers!' of the bars." 

Maddie Watts has been working at Bombs for the passed two and a half years and quickly moved into a bar and books management position. Ordering the liquor, creating fruit infusions,  preparing cocktail supplies, making and pouring drinks for the front and back seating areas are all part of her bartending role. Having four scheduled shifts, Maddie additionally spends time making sure that the books and checks are all set for the staff, problem solving and organizing the recent bar updates. As a tequila bar, much of the liquor isn't locally sourced, but they do keep the following local alcohols available in the bar: Vivacity, Four Spirits, 2Towns Cider, Block 15 Brewing, and Nectar Creek. Their recently reconstructed Tequila Club now consists of a mural in the hallway to the bar where folks who have tried all of the tequila get to write their name on the now infamous Tequila Club wall. 

Fresh is the name of the game for this "funky taqueria". Focused on locally supplied ingredients ranging from Van Vleet Meat and Carlton Farms to the Co-Op and the summer Farmers Market, the chefs in the kitchen create specialized presentations each month, switching up the menu, as well as regularly making their signature salsas and guacamole in house. Here we have Johnny, one of the longest standing employees - six years, is preparing tomatillos to be grilled for their verde salsa. Between the hours of 9:00 am and 10:55 am, one can here the scrubbing of pots and pans, the swish of a broom and chairs being placed, accompanied by staff breakfasts being made, the fryer sizzling. meats and chilis roasting, and fresh peppers, onions, lettuce and avocados being prepped.

Part of what makes Bombs Away such a unique, warming experience, is the size of the staff. Having a small staff allows the quality of service stay consistent, teamwork run smooth, and aesthetic maintained. Many of the staff have overlapping roles, whether it's being in charge of social media and bartending, to bartending and manning (or ladying) the door, the staff step up in ways that truy embody the values that Bombs Away rests on. Above we have Harley James Monroe and Kaleb Kent collaborating on fancy grilled cheese. Experimenting with flavor, presentation and efficiency. The creativity doesn't stop with the incoming musicians and artists, but is a flavor one can taste as soon as they step in to the restaurant. 

From the outside, your eye's catch the colors and vibrance of activity within. Every day has a different attendance volume, but as a restaurant on campus fulfilling a variety of sensory needs, there is always a seat at the table Bombs Away Cafe. 

Forum 10

Jim Boyle- Long time, experienced volunteer who recently was working on the Denewi Creek route rehabilitation on Bald Hill 

Out of all the photos that I have had published this term, I will have to say that this one from my Starker Arts Wetland Restoration piece is my favorite. It stands out to be from the others because the clarity of the photo which I definitely found myself struggling with over the term, the depth of field is really well positioned to where we can clearly see what Jim Boyle is doing, but also see some group activity and background to the purpose of the planting in the background. The framing also feels really nice with the contrast of sharp darkness to the right and the natural lighting to the left. 

I think that this photo definitely reflects on some skills that I focused on, particularly because of the clarity and closeness of the subject. Both of these were the two most prominent challenges that I faced in many of my assignments whether it was the lighting or my confidence in interacting with my subjects. 

My skills of presenting my photos and over all skills have definitely changed in the areas of how and what I want to focus on documenting - events and news stories rather than portraitures of person features- as well as figuring out that perhaps along with adjusting the focus during action more steadily, that I may need to invest in a newer camera also! Or atleast get creative in using my phone and camera. 

• Getting more comfortable in actually photographing people not just interviewing them 
• Become more proficient in changing camera settings while in action
• Practice and discover my niche and get more comfortable in sharing my work with the "world"

I would actually say that from the above goals that I placed at the beginning of the term, I did pretty well at following through and exploring them. I realized that I really enjoy shooting events and social activities, and also feel most comfortable there behind the camera and interviewing rather than just one or the other. I think that I will continue to work on utilizing the camera's tools more, while in action to work with lighting indoors and clarity of subjects. I would like to continue to push myself in sharing my work with the public, and not put myself in a box with this- share more of my photos, personal and assigned.

Addario "It's What I Do" Book Report Response

I haven't read many memoirs, yet, but I have always wanted to some day write my own.
Perhaps, I hope, that I will be able to write it close to the way that Lynsey Addario has written hers.
Lynsey's life was full of colors, and not like everyone's, also shaded with the complete opposite aspects of grays, blacks, and whites: war. And she kept it like this by choice.

I think that it was important of her to tell the background story of her family, being the third in her sisters, and her father and mothers, loving yet eventually separated relationship. The culture of community and eccentric, open, folk that they grew up in, seemed to compliment Lynsey's passion and ability to identify and see the worlds people through a certain lens of unbiased appreciation for where they come from, not always for where they are going.

My favorite first within this book was her relationship that she built with the sex workers in the chapter "No Second Chapters in New York". Giving these transgender women, among many more that she will later capture in their locale,  a voice, a screen, a safe place to show how they felt about themselves in the world, was part of the magic Addario invested in. She took the time to grow close with her subjects, with sincerity, stayed up late and followed them to their working environment; speaking openly with them on the streets. She did this not because of business, but because of her dedication to tell the truth of the story which she was working on. To not skip out, or paint it in a certain light except for the light of her subjects.
And Lynsey did this time and again despite of how it had affected her love life. We know that of course her profession also put distance and some tension with her familial heartstrings, but coming from the family she did this seemed to be less of a "concern" when it came to combining with her work life.
During this time of working with the prostitutes, one of my favorite anecdotes was on page 36 when she was walking along the street on one of the first dates she had been on in about nine months. Her date kissed her, finally, and as they kissed there on the street she sensed a group  of people gathering. It was the group of sex workers.
They called out at her "IT'S THE PHOTO LADY!".... "Woohoo, you go, girl!" and the musician, her date, asked her again what she did for a living. Lynsey replied that she was a photographer.
"And these are your friends?" She replied, "Yes, I guess."
And they never saw each other again. 

This particular situation stood out for me because it shows her dedication, and respect for herself, her subjects, and those who interact with her. She isn't willing to lie about the rawness of life that she entangles herself in with her work, and I don't know how many people truly are able to would own up to it like she does.
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http://www.lynseyaddario.com/ 
Of Love and War

I feel like Lynsey's photojournalist techniques are different than others, partially because of the opportunities she had or didn't have as a woman in the area's she was shooting, and also because she seemed to go after either the "calm before the storm", the aftermath, or the "undercover" areas of life around the wars and events. She focused on not so much as the action, but the effects of the action- directly, indirectly, obvious and hidden.
The Talibanistan series, although the men and children are moving and involved, the scene that Lynsey captured has a calm tension to it, like the wind has finally stopped and yet everyone is holding their breath to hear the tree fall. The little boy to the left of this series, is bandaged and in tears. But his tear is still on his cheek and his eyes are stormed with the torment of war around him. The american soldiers in Operation Rock Avalanche, show the aftermath of the ambush. Soldiers caring for each other, but not posing- raw in the brush, the dust, the dehydration. Defeated and yet dutiful to their tribe.

Lynsey describes many processes in her journey of photojournalism where she is overcoming the insecurity and judgments that she has about herself and what others may have about her and her choices she makes as female photojournalist. The physical and emotional risks in some ways, are absolutely nuts, but if I'm being completely honest, her dedication and clarity of her sense of duty to pursuing, capturing and telling the stories she is on deck for inspires me. I think that this type of grit that she has is what many people who succeed have within them. It seems to be like her life line, and we all have them, I think it just comes down to how much we are willing to offer up in exchange for that purpose and passion that distinguishes us from the next. Going in to war zones as she did, alongside her comrades, I don't see as any less crazy than those who sign up to fight in the wars themselves. The documentation of war is just as important as the act of war itself.

I hope to be able to put to practice more of the lessons I took from this book, like dedicating thorough in depth time to the stories, and less on personal life, or at least having the guts to taking on more stories so that I can get the hang of balancing the two out. Getting creative with the stories, and allowing my own style to show forth, instead of what I think the assignment is telling me to do was one thing that I struggled with a little bit. Although there is a time in place to follow, I think that I could be a little bit more creative in how I go about capturing the story and getting information.

Over all this book has spoken very directly to me in career pathways, creativity, personal perspectives and confidence to go out there and experience not only the world, but also myself.

Favorite Photos in book: pg. 85 bottom Rebel Fighters , pg. 91 Transgender Prostitutes, pg.96 Scenes of Afghanistan (the boys with the puppy and bicycle wheel), pg. 149 boy on bicycle with girl in the background wearing hijabs, pg. 157 Fall of the Taliban, pg. 159 U.S. Marines take a break, pg. 218 top, pg. 219 top, pg. 220 top, pg. 223 both, pg. 228, bandaged boy, pg. 230, the boys and their plates