By CHRISTOPHER SMITH Photo Editor on Jan 1, 2012, at 9:48 AM Updated on 1/01 at 9:48 AM
Alonzo Larkins exits his home to go across the street and mow a neighbor's yard. Larkins, who lost a leg when he was hit by a car, pushes a lawn mower while seated in a wheelchair. Larkins has a prosthetic leg, but he prefers what he calls his 8 wheeled riding mower, "4 on the wheelchair, and four on the mower," he says laughing. Using the prosthetic leg his lawn would take him 2 hours to mow, and in his wheel chair he can do it in about 45 minutes. Lawn mowers and cutting grass is his passion. He cuts his own, and several of his neighbor's grass. He doesn't get paid to cut other's grass, but they help him out bringing him parts and mowers to fix which he then sells.
There is a privilege to being a photojournalist. The camera and the credential are excuses to knock on a door or approach a stranger. They are reason to go where we otherwise might not. We get to tell the stories of people who others may never meet.
The Sunday Seen column is the photo department's chance to be curious, to dig a little deeper than our daily assignments. We get to choose what interests us visually and tell you, the reader, about it.
Here are a few of our favorites from the year.
Brendan Bierman works on his soccer game in a parking garage in downtown Tulsa. He's here on most nights, on the roof if it's not raining, trying to get better. "It's always been my favorite sport," he says.
Dave Bowman keeps watch over the last gate that cattle pass through before they go up for auction at the Tulsa Stockyards. He swings the big metal barrier open and closed, over and over again.
Cadets hold their legs in the air during routine physical training at Thunderbird Youth Academy in Pryor, Okla. The "candidates," as they're called during their two-week trial period, come to the military-style academy voluntarily, and can leave when they want. ADAM WISNESKI/Tulsa World
A spider is seen in it's web on a foggy morning in Braggs, Ok. Oct. 28, 2011. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Larry Briggs stands with his extensive collection of vintage country music memorabilia in Strings West in Sperry.
Frost covers the top of a car in south Tulsa after cold overnight temperatures in the metro area on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World
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