Sarasota, FL-based photographer Chip Litherland covered the Florida Republican Primary debate in the 2012 race for the presidency.

I could sit here and write a ton of copy about covering Florida politics.

Fact of the matter is, it’s weird, it’s draining, and it’s one of most fun things I get to do in photojournalism.

With that, here are some random rectangles from the week of covering Mitt Romney’s win in the Florida Primary with some scraps from the cutting room floor as a bonus.

See more photos on Chip’s blog.

Seattle-based freelancer Nate Watters recently photographed a chocolate factory.

Theo Chocolate is a rapidly growing, local chocolate company located in Seattle, WA.  They are the only organic/fair-trade chocolate factory in the country.  Everything in the process – from roasting cocoa beans to producing and wrapping the bars and confections – is all done inside their Seattle factory.  Nearly everything is done by hand and in small batches – preparing and mixing ingredients, tempering chocolate on large slabs of granite…it’s pretty amazing to see.

After putting together a photo essay about Theo’s artisan chocolatiers for City Arts Magazine, Theo became interested in commissioning a few prints for their newly remodeled retail space.  They wanted to use a few of the photos used in the photo essay piece, but also wanted a few unique photos as well.  In order to get the photos I needed, I was allowed nearly unrestricted access to their factory space.  We really wanted to emphasize the hands involved in the chocolate making process as well as the rich colors of the equipment and ingredients found throughout the factory and kitchen.

The majority of the photos were taken using available light from the large factory windows and interior building lights, however there were times when an off camera strobe was very helpful.  Especially when capturing cocoa beans and nibs falling from the winnower machine, or when the overhead fluorescent lights in the kitchen just weren’t cutting it.  Either way, between the smell of fresh chocolate, all of the amazing equipment, and the incredible people who work at Theo, I would shoot there every week if I could.  Even before I did any work for them, I always recommended to anyone who came to Seattle to stop in at Theo for a tour and some chocolate.  They’re truly one of my favorite places in the city.

See more photos on Nate’s blog. He will be having an opening reception for his work at Theo’s retail store on February 3rd as part of the First Friday Art Walk in the Fremont Neighborhood from 6pm-9pm.

L.A.-based travel and editorial photographer Jennifer Emerling recently started a project on The Loneliest Road in America – Highway 50 in Nevada.

Last fall I spent four days driving a roughly 400 mile stretch of highway extending from Carson City, Nevada to the Utah/Nevada border pursuing a new project on Highway 50, also known as “The Loneliest Road in America.” People often ask me if the highway lives up to its nickname, and while there are long, isolated stretches of road that are truly lonely, with the halfway point marked by the existence of Austin — which, in many ways, is a borderline ghost town — I was pleasantly surprised by the sparks of life scattered along the way.

Right now, the main tourist push is headed by the Pony Express Territory, who challenge travelers to “survive” The Loneliest Road, offering free survival guides to anyone who wants them. They boast that you “really haven’t seen America until you’ve traveled The Loneliest Road,” and I’m not one to argue otherwise.

Continue reading and see more photos on Jennifer’s blog.

Seattle-based photographer Daniel Berman shares his favorite photos of 2011.

I know it’s more than a few days into the new year but I still wanted to highlight some of my favorite frames of 2011. Most of this was shot on assignment for one client or another, but many remain unpublished — that’s half the reason I want them here :). My goal on every assignment, whether it’s for a newspaper, magazine, website or university, is to make a unique picture. I try not to shoot from the pack. I try and make something different, and unexpected — a pictorial moment within a news situation. Of course, I will get the safe shot, but when time allows, I am looking for a me photo. A different vantage point, a unique angle, better access — anything to find something unique, and apart from the pack. Sometimes that works out in my favor. The risk pays off. Every shoot is a teachable moment, and it’s only a mistake if you cannot learn from it. This was a successful year but every year is a learning experience and this one taught me that in a lot of ways. You have to hustle. You have to really want it. Onward and upward in 2012, my friends.

See more photos on Daniel’s blog.

Project Description:

Through contemporary interviews and verite style footage, The Legal Stranger Project presents a series of intimate personal stories conveying the great disparities encountered by same-sex couples under DOMA, which allows the federal government to merely recognize these couples as “legal strangers.”

Nearly one million same-sex couples in the U.S. are denied 1,138 federal rights, benefits and entitlements inherently granted to heterosexual couples upon marriage. Although same-sex marriage is legal in six states and one district, it is not federally recognized under the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, which defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman.

The Stories:

Amy and Alex Khalaf were married in DC in 2010. Eager to start a family, they went through artificial insemination to conceive a child. After several attempts, they were pregnant. Soon after, Alex learns that she is banned from adopting her own child in the state of Virginia because she’s gay. Since Alex is not the biological parent, she will be considered a “legal stranger” to the child.

Follow Amy & Alex’s story through photos, videos and journal entries at:
http://legalstranger.com/my-two-moms/#.TxBz1pgqOL0

Kelly and Dennis were in a loving, committed relationship for 15 years. They raised a son and owned a home together. Life changed drastically when Dennis was killed in a tragic accident while working for the highway patrol. Since the state didn’t recognize their relationship, Kelly was denied survivors benefits. He continues to struggle with the loss of his partner and financial problems, as Dennis was the breadwinner of the family.

Follow Kelly’s story through photos, videos and blog posts at:
http://legalstranger.com/until-death-do-us-part/#.TxB0aZgqOL0

Due to the costs associated with producing a film, we are currently raising production funds on IndieGoGo. We have 30 days left in our campaign: http://igg.me/p/51647?a=320240 All campaign donations are tax-deductible through our fiscal partnership with Talking Eyes Media.

Want to help? Make your tax-deductible donation today: http://igg.me/p/51647?a=320240

Can’t donate? You can still help!
Share our campaign link: http://igg.me/p/51647?a=320240
Share the TLSP stories: http://legalstranger.com/
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Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LegalStranger

Manhattan-based freelancer Robert Caplin photographed a press preview of the new Apple Store in New York’s Grand Central Terminal.

Yesterday I had an assignment to photograph a press preview of the brand-spanking new Apple Store which is opening tomorrow in New York’s Grand Central Terminal. I was amazed when I found that the store wasn’t tucked away in a traditional retail location inside the terminal, rather the store is perched overlooking the main hub and busy concourse .  As in most Apple stores, there are sections devoted to handheld devices like the iPhone, iPod and iPad, as well as accessories, desktop computers and the company’s signature Genius Bar. But there will also be express pickup stations where people can pick up Apple products that they’ve purchased in advance. Apparently it’s the biggest store in their international chain and will employ 315 workers. I’ll let the photos do the talking. Too bad Steve Jobs wasn’t there to see it!

See more photos on Robert’s blog.

Arizona-based freelancer Tony Blei photographed the tensions around the Occupy Movement in Phoenix.

I went looking for trouble. I found it.

The American Legislative Exchange Commission is in town and so are the protestors.  Today, instead of being at the Westin Kierland, the ALEC demonstrators went to the Salt River Project, a Phoenix based power and water company. A group of protestors chained themselves together inside the public utility’s business office.

Continue reading and see more photos on Tony’s blog.

Houston-based freelancer Robert Seale spent a weekend with the Doolittle Raiders and was flown around in a B-25 with a 95-year-old pilot!

I’m a real military aviation history buff, so it was an incredible honor when I was recently assigned to take portraits of the Doolittle Raiders for Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine. It was especially gratifying because I was able to pitch the idea to the magazine and then get the green light to take on the assignment.

The Doolittle Raid was America’s first major strike back at the Japanese after Pearl Harbor. On April 18, 1942, Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle led an all volunteer group 80 men launched 16 B-25 bombers from the USS Hornet and struck Japan. Because a Japanese fishing boat detected the carrier group early, the crews launched early, which weakened their already compromised range, and prevented them from landing safely on Chinese airfields as planned. The crews bailed out or ditched their planes near the coast of China after running out of fuel. Three men were killed in the raid, and eight more would die in Japanese POW camps. Miraculously, most of the crews were eventually rescued and safely transferred back to the US by the Chinese.

Continue reading and see more photos on Robert’s blog.

San Francisco Bay Area sports photographer Brad Mangin gives us a look into Tim Mantoani’s project “Behind Photographs“, which captures photographers and their iconic images.

When I first met San Diego based portrait and commercial photographer Tim Mantoani at spring training in Arizona 16 years ago I never would have guessed that he would become one of the most important photographers of the 21st century. Back in the glory days of the trading card companies there was a huge group of us who spent each March soaking up the Arizona sun shooting baseball games (on chrome of course!), playing over-the-line, and going out to fun restaurants. Our ring-leader was our good friend V.J. Lovero from Sports Illustrated. One particular spring V.J. brought a new photographer to the Cactus League to work his magic for Upper Deck. Any friend of V.J.’s was a friend of ours, so it did not take long for Mantoani to fit right in with our group, especially after he made on of the greatest catches in over-the-line history on a wet patch of grass in Tempe.

Continue reading and see more photos on Brad’s blog.

Bellingham, WA-based freelancer Daniel Berman photographed Amanda Knox’s arrival back in the United States at Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport for the New York Post.

“Thank you for everyone who believed in me, who defended me, who supported my family,” Amanda Knox said in a brief address to the media. “My family is the most important thing to me, and I just want to go be with them.”

Continue reading and see more photos on Daniel’s blog.