His vision for a “funky community on the edge of downtown” includes oil paintings on the walls, cornbread mix near the couscous, and layers upon layers of blue paint.

When Scott Smith shows up to open the Blue Jackalope Groceries & Coffee in Tulsa — usually clad in some variant on a blue dress shirt with khaki shorts and brown boat shoes — he is acting on an idea that had been floating around his head for years.

Smith has developed his newly-opened community grocery store with the abandon of a man not encumbered by a knowledge of what is safe or practical.

This is my first Tulsa World project to publish. Check out the micro site the Web team built for it -

http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2008/blue_jackalope/default.html

Breakfast in bed makes mom feel like royalty. Marcena Carter poses in the Providence room canopy bed at the Nunning House Bed and Breakfast with son, Caleb, (right) and partner, Eddy Lett (left).  

Gov. Matt Blunt proposes legislation that would allow a Missouri prosecutor to seek the death penalty in cases involving forcible rape and forcible sodomy when the victim is younger than 12 years old during a speech Monday afternoon in the Buchanan County Courthouse rotunda.

It was the lead photo in today’s paper. Look for yourself (Newseum).

Before I switched shifts a few weeks ago, I was rarely assigned stand-alone photos — once every other week, I’d say. I now shoot at least one a week. On most Sundays, I have two assignments, one to accompany whatever the general assignments reporter is working on, and a standalone.

I have a love/hate relationship with feature hunting.

I hate it because it often means an hour or two of driving around (at $3.24/gallon!), searching for something vaguely newsworthy, or at least unusual.

I love it because I usually come away with at least one story idea after talking with people around town. Today, for example, I meet someone who agreed to help with me with small story I was hoping to do. I also thought of a new story idea from someone I meet on a previous feature hunt.

Lafayette sophomores (from left) Brianne Beers, Gage Herrington, and Destiny Gilbert shoot the final scene in a 10-minute public service announcement type video about issues the students  covered in their health class. The group’s project covered violence, drug use, peer pressure, anger management, among other topics, and made liberal use of  ketchup, powdered sugar and light sabers. 

The Gentry County Commission will rely on a technicality in its fight against a civil lawsuit filed by Charles Allen Porter. An attorney representing the county filed a response Friday, alleging the county was not properly served.

Commission: Wind farm lawsuit improperly served by Ray Scherer

This was Wednesday’s Midland (Metro) section lead photo.

I was given this Sunday A1 centerpiece portrait package assignment on Wednesday afternoon, with my first portrait scheduled in 45 minutes at a rural home 30 minutes south of St Joe. This was, in other words, a portrait series designed on the fly. My boss charged with me with shooting 5-6 portraits that would fit together well on the page. 

Without a plan, I had to operate off a list of things not to do … no big differences in lighting style or mood … no wide shots since I knew they would be running about 1.5 columns wide … no outdoor settings as I would have to shoot some at night … and, most importantly … no letting any of the subjects slip through the cracks as a submitted photo would not work well in a package.

It was a stressful day and half as I packed the oversized studio into my Ford Ranger and criss-crossed the Midland Empire, but I am happy how it turned out. Next time I shoot a portrait package, I will worry less about trying to match the light as good pictures work well together even if, or even because, they don’t match.

For teens in need of an understanding ear, local high schools host support groups to help students through their toughest times.

No type of assignment strikes more fear in my heart than a photo illustration. The photographer only has a few hours to decide how to illustrate an often complicated issue in a simple, quick read photo. You have limited time, no resources and any models must be peeled away from their newsroom computer. My Photoshop skills are pretty basic - “comping” is not a daily skill of most photojournalists, save the Allan Detrichs of the world.

I produced this in just over an hour.

Check it out - PhotoshopDisasters

Those looking for stamps after the downtown post office closes at 5:30 p.m. today will have to find a contract store as there are no longer coin-operated stamp machines in any local post office.

Shot for an obligatory tax deadline story.

Shot for an update of “Dispute over wind farm boils over into lawsuit”

Benton Rolling Alumni band members Chuck Davis (left), Betty Davis and Terry Grace practice in a Southside garage ahead of the band’s Huffman Memorial Methodist gig.

View the audio slide show HERE

Feedback welcome.