SEEN: A look back at some of our favorite Seen features from the past year

BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH
Sunday, December 30, 2012
12/30/12 at 5:46 AM

Editor's note: Seen is a weekly feature showcasing the work of a Tulsa World photojournalist.

Life is made of single, simple moments strung together across time. Seldom do we experience momentous life-changing events but, instead, step, drift, laugh, cry and walk our way through our days, focusing on those things that we care about.

The Seen feature is a place for the Tulsa World photo staff to tell those other stories. It is the place for the subtle, the quiet, the interesting and the lovely. It is the home for the photo for photo's sake. Here, we try to highlight the visual side of the story. We aim to connect you with what we find interesting.

This year we met many interesting people in interesting places. We met Steven Janzen of Bristow whose house was burned in the late summer wildfires. We introduced you to Ronnie Hernandez, a young, one-handed boxer. We immersed ourselves in Woody Guthrie's hometown of Okemah. We took back roads and told back stories. We found people passionate and driven. We learned a lot along the way and, hopefully, found something to teach.

Here is a look back at some of our favorite Seen features from the past year.

Associated Images:

Jazmyn Bell (left) of West Haven, Conn., Egbeyinka Fagbenro of Dallas and Ifakemi Amusan of Tulsa dance and sing as the African Ancestral Society holds its 14th annual march to commemorate the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot on May 27. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Jonathan Smith and Danielle McCarver share a moment downtown. When asked, McCarver said they were married. Smith said, "Not legally." They both laughed when he said that. Photo was taken with a Holga 120 SF plastic camera. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Makayla Kelley shaves the whiskers off her horse named Exceptional Impulse as she gets ready for competition at the 2012 World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show at Expo Square in Tulsa. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World

Exhausted after his fight, Ronnie Hernandez is comforted by his mother, Dora Hernandez, while the next fighter prays with his coach in the ring at Tulsa Boxing and Youth Center in Tulsa. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World

Dee Jones, a member of the Woody Guthrie Coalition, looks at a statue of Woody Guthrie Park in Woody Guthrie's hometown of Okemah. The park is one of the few public memorials to Guthrie. The Woody Guthrie Coalition helped establish the park. The group is also behind the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. CHRISTOPHER SMITH/ Tulsa World

Steven Janzen grabbed his handgun before fleeing his Bristow home that was destroyed by a wild fire. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

Patient Lee Tallman bonds with therapy dog Sadie, a 7-year-old golden doodle, during a therapy dog session with dogs from the Karing K-9s team at the Kaiser Rehabilitation Center. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World