Boots.

Reboots.

Back in January I was asked to cover ten local livestock shows for the Abilene Reporter-News. After the first day of tramping around show barns in my “street shoes,” I realized the pressing need for a pair of boots. So, I did what any self-respecting city slicker would do: I headed to the local thrift stores to find a well-worn, broken-in pair. I found these at my third stop. They were my size, they were in decent shape. And they were $4.00!

Over the years, KendallBall.com has seen a lot of action. It started as a personal blog, where I would record any old thing that popped in to my head: Poems in honor of non-dairy creamer; open letters to cereal manufacturers; inquiries as to whether Richard Branson would pay a ransom or not should I kidnap him.

But now, inspired by my pal David DuChemin, I have come to see this site as a tool. Sort of like boots are a tool. [Do you see what I did there? I totally made the appearance of the boots in the image above work with the theme and substance of this post!]

Anyway, as a freelance photojournalist trying to find new clients (in a market where more and more people are picking up a DSLR and hanging out a shingle), as a photographer trying to stay in touch with the wider community of creative professionals, and as an enthusiastic believer in the power of photographs to change the world, I have come to realize this site is a tool for accomplishing those goals.

Hence the reboot in style, in theme, and in content.

I plan to be more disciplined in creating content for this site, and I hope you’ll stick around for what’s to come. Photographic reflections, gear reviews and so on.

One thing I hope to do is give back a little. Over the past few years, I have benefitted so much from the wisdom, advice and critique of those more experienced than me. If I can help my friends who are just getting started by offering a little of what I’ve learned, I’m happy to do that. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of others.

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Speaking of tools, a major shoutout to Chris Pearson and his Thesis Theme. I’ve been using WordPress since 2003, and have never had such an easy time making adjustments to my site. It’s a premium theme, but when you’ve spent years pulling your hair out over broken code, it’s well worth the price for the ease of use. Plus, it’s just so darn pretty!