Scene Through My Eyes

Major Update

2011-08-14T20:57:00.014-04:00

It's been forever since I've updated...again. So here are a bunch of pictures from the last several weeks.

Fourth of July: Music for Americans

2011-07-07T17:56:00.006-04:00

Sailing Lesson

2011-07-07T17:53:00.002-04:00

Kids learned how to sail instead of having to learn how to run, and got their P.E. credit for it. I think that's pretty cool.

Miss Virginia

2011-07-07T17:50:00.004-04:00

I shot my first Miss Virginia pageant a few weeks ago, and it was quite an experience. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from that night.

Misc. Photos

2011-07-07T17:48:00.003-04:00

I've been behind on posts...So I'm about to post a lot of stuff. Here's a post of some pictures from some random assignments from the past few weeks.

Moments and Layers

2011-06-18T16:33:00.004-04:00

I'm trying to layer my moments more. I'm finding this to be pretty challenging...Especially when learning how to shoot with a new camera at the same time. I'm hoping I'll get the hang of it soon. Anyway, here are a few pictures from this week. (The more recent ones are at the top of this post.)

Week 1 of New Job

2011-06-05T18:17:00.009-04:00

I am officially a college graduate now, and I started my job as a staff photographer at The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Va. I love it here so much. I had a handful of assignments this week, but I think my better photos came from one of the soccer games I shot and a picnic that was held for med. school graduates. I've been shooting mostly video for the past five months, so hopefully I'll get back into the groove of shooting daily photos soon!

Coping With Leaving The PJs

2011-05-11T12:21:00.002-04:00

I’ve been packing up my house all morning. I’m graduating on Saturday and moving to Virginia on Sunday. And I just had a major breakdown.

I’ve been waiting for it to hit me.

These last four years have been the best years of my life.

I’m sure I’ve complained pretty much non-stop about the long hours and the little sleep and the cold weather and the smoking and drinking habits of my fellow PJs, but much to my disbelief, I think I secretly loved it all.

I’m extremely excited to start the new chapter of my life and my new job, and I can’t wait to get back to Virginia, but at the same time, I don’t want to leave. I love my Western PJs. They get on my nerves all the time, but I really love them all so much, and would do anything for any of them.

I am so thankful to have had them in my life, and I will give anything to be able to keep them in my life forever.

I wish I’d gotten closer to some of them and hung out more, stayed up later and partied harder, but then I guess I wouldn’t be where I am now.

I’m so thankful for everything that’s happened over the last four years, and for being able to come to Western. I love Western PJ.

I’m 100 percent sure that I’m going to lose it at the annual PJ picnic tomorrow night. I’m going to have to bring a box of tissues. I just can’t believe I’m going to have to say goodbye to everyone.

I’ve always said I hate Kentucky, but the truth is, whether I want to admit it or not, Kentucky has become my home.

I never thought I’d want to come back to Kentucky after I graduate, but I do hope that I can come back someday and visit the people and places that I’ve grown to love.

Here are some (yes, a lot, I know) pictures from some of my favorite memories from the last four years with my best PJ friends, and one from a story subject.

Fashion For A Few Minutes

2011-05-10T20:05:00.004-04:00

When I first moved into the house I've been living in since August, I noticed this blue house down the street. And every time I've driven by it, I've wanted to do a fashion shoot in front of it with the school's 4x5 camera.

So today, the day that gear was due back (and the only day that I had time), I gave it a shot. I shot my PJ friend Alyssa Orr. I was extremely unprepared and apparently I bought the wrong expensive 4x5 polaroid film, which I've had since February, which was extremely disappointing. So I had to shoot through the back of the camera with my digital.

We also had to cut it really short, since the guy who lives in the bright blue house got really mad that we were on the public sidewalk in front of his house and started causing a scene...it wasn't worth it.

The cops also drove by six times. I just don't understand why people hate photographers. I just wanted some pictures of my pretty friend in front of the pretty blue house before I graduate on Saturday.

Derby 2011

2011-05-08T21:41:00.005-04:00

I went to Derby with some friends but couldn't leave my camera behind. I wasn't serious about shooting, but I didn't exactly shoot from the hip either. Mostly just for fun though.

I Love Cows.

2011-04-05T12:28:00.002-04:00

I'm doing a project on the decline of the dairy industry in Kentucky for my final photo project before I graduate. Here's a picture I shot last week.

An Oldie

2011-04-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

This is a picture I shot a couple of years ago of one of my favorite families. This is Jimmy, and his granddaughter, Pammy. An oldie, but one of my favorites.

Diptych

2011-02-25T16:29:00.000-05:00

This was from an assignment for Western's yearbook, to shoot a diptych of a student who has a stuffed animal. Here's what I got:

More Basketball and a Concert

2011-02-25T16:12:00.004-05:00

I shot with a lens baby for the first time at a basketball game. It was a LOT of fun! Here's my favorite picture:

And then The Band Perry came to Western for a benefit concert! I love them. I got to shoot it, and it was great.

Men's Basketball

2011-02-04T11:09:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted.

I shot a men's basketball game last night. I was a little worried that I'd be a bit rusty considering I haven't shot basketball in over a year, but I got a couple of pictures that I really like.

Zip Code

2010-11-13T19:48:00.005-05:00

We're doing a zip code project in class. Here are a few features I've shot for it.

Fall 2010

2010-11-05T15:48:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in a while...so here are a few from Western's Homecoming football game and the Brantley Gilbert and Josh Turner Homecoming Concert.

Week 10

2010-07-31T15:50:00.004-04:00

Daily stuff:

And more from a story:

Week 9

2010-07-24T20:32:00.011-04:00

Here are a few from a story that I started today:

And some more pictures from this week:

Week 8

2010-07-19T10:45:00.011-04:00

Week 7

2010-07-11T14:52:00.003-04:00

Today was a slow week, and I didn't shoot many pictures that I liked. So I'm just going to share one. I had to shoot my first vigil last night, and I think it was the hardest thing I've ever photographed. It was horrible. I felt so bad for the friends and family of this 18-year-old girl who was murdered. It just broke my heart, and I felt like such a vulture trying to photograph it.

Week 6

2010-07-05T22:07:00.007-04:00

Here are a few pictures from this week:

And a couple from a story I started this week:

Week 5

2010-06-27T18:58:00.008-04:00

This was a slow week assignment-wise, but here are a few:

Week 4

2010-06-19T16:30:00.006-04:00

Week 3

2010-06-15T21:19:00.010-04:00

This was a busy week! I shot three graduations in two days, and it was really challenging trying to see things differently. I also worked on a story that I found...There was a nation-wide trail ride Sunday to raise money for horse rescues. There were affiliates in each state, and the affiliates for the state of Virginia were located in Bedford, which is in our coverage area. I spent a lot of time with Ron and Kathleen this week...I wish I'd found them earlier because I think they have a really interesting story, but it ran in the paper on Monday. I'm still hoping to spend more time with them this summer though. Here are some pictures from the week:

I really like this picture, but I'm not sure why:

Roanoke: My Home for the Summer

2010-06-09T20:02:00.003-04:00

Personal Project

2010-06-07T21:17:00.003-04:00

Here's a picture from a project I started today. I took it when Landen's dad came home from work and was napping on the couch. I think it's one of my favorites from the day, but I'm not sure why.

Week 2 - Sports!

2010-06-05T18:06:00.014-04:00

I worked the night shift all week, so all I shot was sports. I had five soccer games, two baseball games and a track meet (which I didn't shoot well). It was a fun week because I love shooting sports, and I'd like to get better at them. Let me know what you think!

Week 1

2010-06-01T21:51:00.010-04:00

So I've finally started my summer internship with The Roanoke Times! Here's some stuff from my first week, plus some stuff of my own.

(Story about a news anchor who was celebrating his 30th year working at the station.)

More next week!

The Wettest Derby in Over 100 Years

2010-05-03T07:56:00.012-04:00

Emily's and Mikey's Wedding

2010-04-18T20:29:00.020-04:00

One of my best friends, my first roommate from college, Emily, got married this weekend. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

Vet

2010-04-09T20:24:00.006-04:00

I went to shoot a small and large animal vet today for a group project for my picture editing class. The first thing he had to do was de-horn a bunch of cows. They were screaming and thrashing as he cut their horns off, and screamed and thrashed even more when he pulled out the blood vessels from around their horns so the bleeding would stop. It broke my heart. It really made me step out of my comfort zone, to have to stand there and photograph animals in pain, without being able to help them.

Spot News

2010-03-27T13:57:00.016-04:00

Eleven people were killed yesterday morning in an accident along I-65. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to freelance for The Lexington Herald-Leader. I haven't had much experience shooting spot news, so I'm really glad, even though it was a sad day, that I was able to shoot this. I learned a lot, and had as much fun shooting as I could have given the situation. Here's what I got:

The following photo is copyright Hunter Wilson at the Bowling Green Daily News. I'm in the center photographing one of the press conferences:

Caribbean

2010-03-25T10:49:00.006-04:00

Jeremy Evans

2010-03-03T09:16:00.000-05:00

Crossett, Ar. senior center Jerry Evans is an artist both on and off the court. A player on Western's basketball team for four years, he still makes time for his passion for art. Evans started painting in kindergarten, and became inspired by his older cousin, who was also a painter. "I just do it for fun," Evans said. Evans used a wide variety of mediums including pencils, pastels and oil painting, but said oil painting was his favorite. "You can do details, you can move the paint around easy and I really like the color to it," Evans said. (Rebecca Barnett/Talisman)

Chloe Beth's Adoption Day

2010-02-18T21:00:00.006-05:00

I love this family.

Lone Star Rodeo

2010-02-14T21:56:00.007-05:00

Men's Basketball and More Dance Team

2010-02-11T22:49:00.007-05:00

WKU Dance Team

2010-02-11T13:47:00.005-05:00

Western's dance team, the Topperettes, held an 80's themed dance practice. We're covering them for the yearbook this year, so here's what I've shot so far.

Snow!

2010-01-31T13:31:00.004-05:00

We actually got snow in Bowling Green!! This is a time that I wish I lived within walking distance of campus so I could have photographed everyone enjoying it, but unfortunately I live too far to walk and the roads weren't really safe to drive. So I shot my puppy, who hates the snow.

Oh Baby

2010-01-28T09:27:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine had a baby over break. Welcome to the world Lucas!

Hockey

2010-01-19T18:56:00.003-05:00

I was able to get a press pass for the Panthers game Monday night, and it was so much fun. I think shooting hockey is challenging, but I love it...it's a blast.

Riding Frustrations

2009-12-28T12:03:00.002-05:00

Christmas Parade, Lights Up Bowling Green, and HS Football Championship

2009-12-07T09:59:00.009-05:00

SIngle

2009-11-29T16:05:00.002-05:00

Singles from The Mountain Workshop

2009-11-02T19:33:00.009-05:00

See my story below, and go to www.mountainworkshops.org to see more!

Mountain Workshop 2009 Story

2009-11-02T19:10:00.012-05:00

I finally shot The Mountain Workshop! I got lucky enough to get Rick Loomis as my coach, and he was amazing. My story was on principal of Murray High School, Teresa Speed. She has 12 children of her own, ages 9-33. I titled it "Mother to All.":

Go to www.mountainworkshops.org to see more!

Coach Story

2009-10-21T21:57:00.006-04:00

Here are a few from the coach story I started.

Practicum, Past Few Weeks

2009-10-15T17:13:00.007-04:00

Emily's and Josh's Wedding

2009-10-05T12:09:00.009-04:00

Practicum, Weeks 1 and 2

2009-09-17T16:51:00.007-04:00

Bat Mitzvah

2009-09-14T14:16:00.012-04:00

I went to my cousin's Bat Mitzvah this weekend. It was great seeing my cousins, who I don't get to see often. Here are some of the pictures I liked:

Week 11

2009-08-25T18:48:00.011-04:00

Just finished the last day of my internship. I had such an amazing summer, and I feel like I grew a lot as a person. I fell in love with Harrisburg and The Patriot-News this summer, and am so sad to leave. Here are some of my last pictures:

And some from my story...I didn't get to finish, but I'm hoping to come back so maybe I'll get to finish it some day.

Week 10

2009-08-19T20:12:00.009-04:00

Week 9

2009-08-12T13:07:00.012-04:00

Some from this past week...

And some from my story...

Week 8

2009-08-02T20:17:00.008-04:00

Peace Makers

2009-07-31T18:40:00.005-04:00

My first month in Harrisburg, I spent my days off and some down time between assignments working on a personal project about a family that has been teaching their eight children how to resolve conflicts. The paper will publish a story and some pictures in print, and the Soundslides piece on the internet, probably close to the end of August when they can get a writer on it, which I'm really excited about. The McClymonts have become my family here, and I have fallen in love with them. Let me know what you think!! (And try to ignore the clicking noises, I couldn't get rid of them...and I know the quality isn't the best on this site.)

Weeks 6 and 7

2009-07-29T10:32:00.014-04:00

I got to shoot my first PrideFest on Saturday, and I think it was one of my favorite assignments this summer so far. My boss told me to try to stay away from the typical stereotypical images, and I had a lot of fun trying to do to that. The environment was so great, and I really enjoyed talking to the people there. So here are a few from the fest:

And then I shot the trike races, which was also pretty fun.

I was sent to Allison Hill, the worst part of town, to photograph offenders cleaning up the streets...that was quite an experience.

I had to take a portrait of the man below in his garden for a story about him retiring at the end of this year. After talking to him for a while, I found out that he takes care of his grandchildren a lot because his kids work odd hours in the ER. He said he's looking forward to spending more time with them. So I asked if I could hang out with him and his grandkids for a bit, and I came back with this. (I also took the garden pictures, just in case.) I know it's a bit cheesy, but for some reason I really like this picture.

And then here's a picture from a story about a church restoring it's 100-year-old stain glass windows. I was getting ready to leave after shooting the workers and I took one last look inside the church, and I looked up, and one of the workers was standing in the window, and it reminded me of Jesus on the cross.

Let me know what you think!!

2009-07-18T20:25:00.011-04:00

I finished my story!! Here are some more pictures from my story and weekly assignments...Hopefully I'll figure out how to post a Soundslides piece on here and I can get it up soon.

More From My Story

2009-07-10T19:30:00.007-04:00

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-05T20:33:00.011-04:00

Singles from Story

2009-07-03T15:19:00.002-04:00

The McClymonts are a family of ten...Jodi and Darlene, plus seven boys and one girl. I finally started shooting my story on them yesterday, and I absolutely love them! Here are some singles so far.

Pictures from Latest Assignments

2009-06-30T20:25:00.020-04:00

Since my last post I've shot a lot of assignments, but here are some pictures from some of my favorites.

I love my job.

2009-06-22T19:40:00.018-04:00

I love doing something different every day. I love taking pictures and talking to people. And I love that I got sent to the Jersey Shore for a night to talk with and photograph families from Central Pennsylvania who were vacationing there. Here are some of my favorites, plus some from Beer Fest and Civil War Days.

A few more days worth...

2009-06-15T19:47:00.008-04:00

Internship!

2009-06-13T19:16:00.010-04:00

I was offered an internship at the last-minute...so now I'm spending the summer in Harrisburg, Pa. and working at The Patriot-News! Here's what I've been assigned to shoot so far, plus a feature I took before I started:

Sports

2009-05-05T16:49:00.007-04:00

Here's what I'm turning in for my sports portfolio. We have to turn in three action pictures and two features.

Singles from My Final Story

2009-05-02T18:04:00.008-04:00

Teen Culture

2009-05-02T13:36:00.009-04:00

Clean Teen: This isn't quite a full story, but I'm happy with the pictures that came out of it.

Cleaning Person

2009-04-24T19:48:00.010-04:00

This is a story about Jerry Andrews. He works in Grise Hall as a janitor. He's a lot of fun. I wasn't so fond of his hours though...he wakes up at midnight, starts work at 3:45 am, finishes work at 12:00 pm, and goes to sleep around 4:00 pm. I've been trying to get my sleep schedule back in order all week. But he was a lot of fun to be with.

Surprise 18th Birthday Party

2009-04-24T19:44:00.003-04:00

My friend Daniel had something come up on the night that he was supposed to shoot a surprise 18th birthday party, so he let me cover it. She showed up over an hour later than she was supposed to, but once she got there it was a lot of fun to shoot. Here are a few pictures that I like.

DMT Class Projects

2009-04-24T19:35:00.005-04:00

I'm an interior design minor...I'm taking a problem solving class right now. I think the purpose of that class is to teach people how to use Photoshop. So here are some projects that I've done this semester for that class. The first is a mood board that I had to create using a certain color scheme. The second assignment was a self reflection, where we used photoshop to collage our face with newsprint, colors, and words. And that last is a project that I'm working on now, called "Alphabet City." We were supposed to find objects in real life that made up all of the letters of the alphabet, and then put them together with a theme in a book. I wanted my theme to be dance, so I took a few dancers into the studio which was a lot of fun. So this is going to be the index page for my book.

Love

2009-04-14T08:56:00.007-04:00

John and Mame stone have been married for 67 years. When they look at each other, you can still see that sparkle of love in their eyes.

A Few More from Immigration

2009-04-12T16:08:00.006-04:00

Laura and Mario* were married the second-to-last day I was shooting for my story, in their kitchen. Other than them, the preacher and I were the only other people there. It was such a great experience.

*I had to change his name.

Immigration

2009-04-04T09:21:00.007-04:00

Here are a few pictures from my immigration story that I like. I'm working with a family of illegal immigrants from El Salvador, and I've really been enjoying spending time with them. They're just so close to their family, and I think that's really great.

More from ACP

2009-03-19T22:33:00.007-04:00

More ACP

2009-03-18T19:43:00.010-04:00

ACP

2009-03-18T10:40:00.020-04:00

I had the best week at ACP. I spent time with the most wonderful family, and I absolutely fell in love with them. And I miss them so much!!

I'm going to try to post some other pictures later this week, but check out www.acpworkshop.org for more!

Jimmy and Pam McIntosh are raising their grandkids, six-year-old Pammy and nine-year-old Christian Collins, because their mother is suffering from alcoholism.

Two More Portraits

2008-12-04T14:52:00.003-05:00

Dancer

2008-11-23T08:52:00.002-05:00

I finally shot a portrait that I really like. It's for my lighting portfolio which is due in about a week.

40 Degrees, Pouring Rain and Football

2008-11-15T19:21:00.004-05:00

I finally got to shoot a football game. I haven't been able to shoot any sports games all semester because I've been so busy with my two photo classes, which sucks because I love shooting sports. So I finally got to shoot some football, and the weather was miserable. And I didn't even get any great pictures out of it. But here are a few that aren't too terrible.

Lately

2008-11-08T15:12:00.007-05:00

I've been extremely busy because I doubled up on photo classes, and because I've got double the work load, my pictures have been suffering. I haven't taken many pictures that I like so far this semester, but here are a few.

Gotta Milk Them Cows

2008-09-14T10:11:00.006-04:00

Learning to Light

2008-09-14T09:14:00.003-04:00

Puppy Paddle

2008-09-13T15:33:00.008-04:00

Week 10

2008-08-13T12:25:00.003-04:00

These two boys were in a bad car accident that killed their mother. They came home from the hospital a few weeks ago but are still recovering.

My internship is over, but it was a great first internship. I learned so much not only about photojournalism and working for a newspaper, but also about where the industry is going. I'm really sad it's over, but I'm excited to get back to school because I can't wait to start my photo classes this semester.

Weeks 6, 7, 8 and 9

2008-08-04T10:44:00.017-04:00

I've been slacking on posting...

This was one of the hardest things I've had to photograph...it was a press conference held by Florida Highway Patrol to address several hit and run cases that they have not been able to solve. Families of those killed in hit and run accidents attended.

Camp at the Humane Society of Broward.

The next few are from an assignment that I had a lot of fun with...it was a back to school fashion shoot in the studio. I didn't get to shoot the actual shoot, but I helped out and I got to shoot behind the scenes stuff while the models were getting hair and makeup done.

White Chocolate Banana Mousse

More people are walking, jogging, riding their bikes in cemeteries because of the lack of green space in South Florida. This was difficult because no one wanted to give me their names or let me take their pictures.

The next few are from chair yoga for seniors.

And then I got invited on a lobster dive boat for the first day of lobster mini-season. It was a lot of fun! The first picture made the second page.

Meatballs

I only have one more week left and I cannot believe how fast my internship has gone...and I don't want to leave!

The Rest of Week 5

2008-07-03T15:15:00.004-04:00

I went to Animal Care and Regulation Division in Ft. Lauderdale yesterday to shoot a press conference. Map Quest said it would take 12 minutes to get there, and I was supposed to be there at 2:00pm. I drove the reporter, who is another intern, and we left at 1:30pm. We got SO lost, my GPS was wrong, and I spent most of the time on the phone with my dad (because the PR woman was confusing me,) who was looking at a map on his computer and trying to direct me. Plus it was storming, and Florida storms are crazy. We didn't get there until 2:35pm, and I was freaking out...I was sure that we missed the press conference and I was going to get us both fired for getting lost and missing it. But it turned out okay because it was very informal, the reporter was able to talk to the woman and get what he needed, and I was able to shoot some pictures and get what I needed. So that was good.

Today I got sent to shoot a portrait of two people, who are deaf, who live in a gated trailer park. The park didn't want the newspaper coming, so I had to take off my badge and tell the guard that I was just visiting the couple. So I needed to shoot a portrait of them in their home, and then get a quick snapshot of the outside of their trailer. And I had to be fast and ready to drive away in case someone caught me and got really mad. I was a little scared of getting in trouble and someone coming after me with a gun, but this assignment turned out okay too. This couple was so cute, so I wanted to post the picture.

Reese and Linda Gardiner, of Davie, holding their Schnauzers, Princess and Minnie, are moving out of their home in Palma Nova Trailer Park. They have lived there for 17 years. They had a potential buyer for their trailer, but the park office killed the deal. They are worried that the office is going to sell their trailer when they leave.

Weeks 4 and 5

2008-07-02T11:42:00.006-04:00

I was supposed to shoot a mug shot of a woman and her dog...her dog attacked a bad guy and held him down until the police arrived. Instead of just the typical mug shot, which I also got, I came back with this and it ran. It's obviously nothing amazing, but I think it was a nice moment.

Gordine Miller of Ft. Lauderdale, has owned two-year-old "Brownie," a Chow-Golden Retriever mix, since he was a puppy. "Brownie" held up a car chase suspect long enough for law enforcement to arrive and catch the suspect, 24-year-old Adrian A. Hardy.

One of the writing interns, Annie Greenberg, called me last week to tell me about a story that she was writing, and to give me a heads up that she was putting in a photo request so I could grab it if I wanted to. She knows I love horses and photographing people and animals, and even though it was on Sunday, when I'm not working, and on my mom's birthday, I grabbed it. Two 11-year-old girls who are legally blind compete in rodeos, and they were practicing for it on Sunday. I shot pictures and took audio, and was able to learn Audacity and Soundslides, so I put together my first multimedia piece! It was hard trying to anticipate when there was going to be sound that I'd want to record, but I think I did okay for my first time collecting audio.

It's on the Sun-Sentinel website, because I haven't figured out how to post it anywhere else yet. But here it is:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbhorses0702sbjul02,0,6958618.story

I hope it played the way it was supposed to, if anyone looked at this, because on my computer the sound and the pictures lined up like they were supposed to, but on Lou's (another photographer's) computer, the audio was all screwed up, and I'm not sure why.

And here is one of my favorite pictures from it.

Eleven-year-old Tiffany Persaud, of Hollywood, spanks Beefy to get him to trot during her lesson with Dr. Terri Jennings on June 29, 2008.

I've been shooting tons of portraits, which is good because that's one of the things I wanted to get better at this summer. And I'm getting more comfortable at setting up light stands with my flashes and positioning them. I don't think I have any for my portfolio yet, but here's one where I really liked the lighting.

Christine Quatrini, of Dania Beach owns "Thriftarella," the new consignment/thrift store in Davie. The name of the store is a spinoff from a store called Catch My Thrift. The owner of the store had a contest to name the mannequin that sat outside the old store for over ten years, and she was named "Thriftarella."

Week 3

2008-06-23T09:57:00.009-04:00

So I survived my first week shooting by myself. I almost died of heart failure on Monday when my first assignment was to shoot a portrait of the CEO of a bank in Miami, and he gave me only three minutes to shoot. I really almost died.

I didn't take any amazing pictures last week, but my favorite assignment was with a dog and kids, of course. I was assigned to shoot a portrait of two guys and their dog on Thursday. They rescued Nikki from the Humane Society, and have started a campaign to try to get cities to adopt an ordinance to not allow people to chain their dogs. When the 911 Animal Rescue show on Animal Planet found her, she was running around with a chain embedded in her neck about an inch wide and an inch deep. She had to go through surgary to have the chain removed, and she has a scar that goes all the way around her neck. So now her owners go around to schools and camps and around to the community to talk about the cruelty of chaining dogs. When I was shooting their portrait we were talking, and they told me that they were going to a summer camp on Friday to talk to the kids about Nikki. I thought it sounded like it would be a much better opportunity for pictures, and much more interesting than a portrait, so I told my editor about it and he said I could shoot it. So Friday morning I went down to Davie and I had so much fun. I'm happy with what I got, but everyone always tells me to stop shooting kids and animals because they're so easy to shoot. But regardless, I think I was able to shoot it in a different way than I normally do, so I think that's ok. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from that assignment.

I love this last one, it cracks me up! But they didn't want it.

I'll be shooting something more serious today...the sentencing of a guy who shot a police officer last year. I'm not looking forward to sitting in court, but I'm a little excited because I've never taken pictures in a court before.

And I think I may have found a story! Hopefully...

The Rest of Week 2

2008-06-15T16:55:00.009-04:00

I was still shadowing photographers last week. On Thursday I didn't have to go into the office in the morning, so I decided to show up to my first assignment early. I was meeting Susan in North Lauderdale to photograph the artist Wyland painting a 1,000 foot wall. I got there at 9:25am, but I was told to get there at 10:00. I was really glad I got there early because he ended up going to an interview at 9:45, and didn't come back until 11:30, so I had 20 minutes to photograph him when no one else was there, which was really great. One of the pictures that I took of him during that time ran on the front page of the Local section in color the next day. Here are the pictures I turned in:

The artist known as Wyland, a conservation-minded artist who is based in California, paints details on a dolphin. "This is the fun part of the painting, is adding all the details," says Wyland. Wyland is painting a sea life mural on the 1,000-foot-long wall on the north side of McNab Road, between Rock Island and Avon Lane. The wall is 10-feet-tall and borders the Fountains neighborhood of single-family homes. Wyland has a goal to paint 100 murals that he calls "whaling walls" within 30 years. This is Wyland's 99th wall.

Twelve-year-old Carly Grimes, from Venice, Fla. paints on the kid's mural. Grimes was selected as one of the Youth Ambassadors For The Planet, and will be going to China with Wyland in July.

Wyland congratulates 8-year-old Malik Sainzil, Ga., for doing a great job painting the kid's mural. Wyland painted along with the kids, and also worked on his mural.

The first picture was the one that made the front of Local, but I liked the last one the best. It ran also, but inside the section in black and white.

On Friday I got to shoot my own assignment, and it was really close to my house which was nice. I went to a camp in Coconut Creek to take a picture showing that camps are still crowded with kids even though the economy is really bad. When I got to the camp I found out that they were having a color wars event, which meant that the kids were going to be separated into different groups. So it was hard to show how crowded it was. But this is what I came back with:

(Left) Eight-year-olds Kendall Carr, from Coconut Creek, and Marley Hall, from Coral Springs, watch as seven-year-old Mason Hall, from Coral Springs, runs a relay race during Sport Star Camp at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek on Friday, June 13, 2008. Working parents are not cutting costs by keeping their kids out of summer camp, despite the faltering economy. Sport Star Camp's enrollment is about the same as it was last year. Attendance at local camps has not dropped in most cases from last year, because working parents still need care for their out-of-school kids.

Then I went with staff photographer Carey Wagner to photograph an 84-year-old guy who is getting in trouble with the city because his 22-inch boat that he drives in the lake in the back of his condo is too loud. I had a lot of fun watching him because he reminded me of my grandpa. Every time his boat would break he would stomp his foot and shake his fist and say, "son of a bitch!" And it cracked me up.

John Madden, 84, tries to fix his 22-inch toy boat. Madden plays with his boat in the lake behind his building, but the association says that it's illegal and reported him to Margate Code Compliance for violating a city code. Code Compliance Officers came out to measure the sound that the boat makes, but they weren't able to get an accurate reading because the boat kept breaking. From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the maximum amount of sound allowed is 60 decibles.

Week 2

2008-06-11T11:52:00.010-04:00

My second week got off to an okay start... I got to shoot my own assignment in a Wal-Mart. The story is about how companies and consumers are reacting to the problem of overfishing worldwide by switching to fish that is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The pictures are boring so I'm not posting them. Then I got sent to meet up with Lou at a park that Dwayne Wade was going to be speaking at.

NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade celebrates the winning of the Staples Dream Park Challenge. Mitchell/Moore Park is the grand prize winner of $25,000 in park improvements on June 9, 2008.

This was a feature I shot at a nearby water park.

Ft. Lauderdale resident Michele Wiggins plays in the water with her son, one-year-old Angelo Piccirillo, at Croissant Park Pool on June 9, 2008. Wiggins takes her son to the pool about three times a week.

Then I got sent to shoot a portrait of a guy that is in trouble with the city of North Lauderdale for wearing the city seal on a t-shirt. I was so nervous because I'm awful at shooting portraits, but I really liked the way this one turned out. It ran on the front page of the Local section in color, which I was happy about.

Former North Lauderdale City Commissioner Bruce Tumin, 50, received a certified letter on Monday, June 9, 2008, threatening him with legal action for wearing a shirt with the city seal on it. Tumin has been seen around the city wearing a shirt with the city seal and the word "debt" underneath. Tumin says that he altered the seal by adding a word, therefore it is no longer the city's seal. Tumin also says that the letter he received is a violation of his First Amendment right to criticize City Hall for what he considers to be wasteful spending.

On Tuesday I went with Susan Stocker to shoot students at Hallendale Beach Elementary School receiving their FCAT scores.

(From left) Ten-year-olds Schnyder Lubin and Nathan Moulton celebrate when their fourth-grade teacher, Aleshia Coleman of Miami, reads out the math FCAT scores that were released on Jun 10, 2008. Schnyder received a three in reading, a four in math, and a six in writing. Moulton received a four in reading, a five in math, and a 5.5 in writing.

I rode along with Joe Cavaretta today to photograph a dog's graduation party. It was great, I love dogs so I really enjoyed it.

Five-year-old Ashley Hayes, Ft. Lauderdale, on left, watches as Franklin, a one-year-old black Labrador Retriever, performs a trick for his foster mom, Valarie Moser, during a graduation party for Franklin. Franklin is heading off to guide dog school. He has been part of the foster family at Lighthouse of Broward since he was nine weeks old. Lighthouse of Broward is a full-service educational and rehabilitation agency that teaches blind or visually impaired babies, adults and senior skills that helps them lead independent lives. Moser is the program director for Lighthouse of Broward, and has been Franklin's official foster parent, teaching him everything from how to behave around people to how to deal with crowds, street noise and riding in buses and airplanes. He will be traveling to the Southeastern Guide Dog Facility in Palmetto, Fla., where he will spend around six months training in a harness before he is matched with a blind person.

Internship, Week 1

2008-06-07T18:38:00.012-04:00

The first week of my internship was great, but very tiring. Monday and Tuesday were orientation, but I got to ride along with Susan Stocker on Wednesday morning. We went to an elementary school and turned in three pictures. Then I spent the rest of the day going through more orientation.

Twelve-year-old Genesis Martinez of Miami dances with her friends, (left to right) Samira Manucha, 12, Hollywood, Aldana Ledesma, 11, Hollywood and Aditi Patel, 11, Hollywood, during Hollywood Central's end of elementary school dance on Wednesday, June 4, 2008. "I love dancing," said Martinez. "I just go to my own beat." The dance was held for fifth-grade students who will officially start their "tween years" as they enter middle school next year.

Fifth-grade students Lucia Gil-Morales, 11, Hollywood (in yellow shirt) and Shaina Rivera, 11, Hollywood (foreground), compete in a hula-hoop contest during during Hollywood Central's end of elementary school dance on Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

Kylie Braeseke, 11, Hollywood, competes in a limbo contest during Hollywood Central's end of elementary school dance on Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

On Thursday I got to ride along with Lou Toman, who has been working at the Sun-Sentinel for over 50 years. I shadowed both Lou and Susan about four years ago and they're both great. Lou and I went down to Miami to photograph Bill Parcells with the Miami Dolphins. It wasn't great photo-wise, but it was alright.

While we were waiting for Parcells to come out of his trailer, I saw this guy who looked really interesting, and I spent over an hour talking to him. It turned out he weaves coconut palm leaves. I showed this picture to one of the photo editors and he said to talk to another editor about this guy because they might want to do a story about him.

Miami resident, Dale Silva, weaves coconut palm leaves. Silva learned how to do coconut palm weaving about four years ago when he was recovering from an accident. He can make 22 different palm weaving sculptures, including a rose, grasshopper, angelfish, bat and frog. Silva says that he enjoys weaving palm leaves because he loves meeting different kinds of people on the streets of Miami.

Now here are the pictures I turned in of Bill Parcells.

Bill Parcells, vice president of football operations for the Miami Dolphins, tries out his golf swing in a golf simulator in a setting meant to look like the moon on June 5, 2008. He's helping Gatorade promote Gatorade Tiger, created for Tiger Woods, through a contest where the public tried to get the longest shot in a lunar setting to win a vacation worth $125,000. This contest is a takeoff of the ad with Tiger Woods playing golf on the moon. People tried out for the contest in the simulator at Bayfront Park.

Later in the day Lou let me shoot an assignment for business, but it wasn't visually interesting at all and I don't love the picture, so I'm not posting it.

On Friday I rode along with Andrew Innerty to photograph John McCain in the Everglades. We were there all day and there were Secret Service guys all over the place which was crazy. At first we were going to be on the media pool airboat, and then we weren't, and then about 15 minutes before the media got on the boat, we were going again. So we were on the airboat for over an hour in 90 degree weather. We stopped twice in the Everglades and waited for a long time for McCain's airboat to drive past. The channel 7 news anchor said that he thought it was funny that we went through hours and hours in the boiling heat and sitting on an airboat for a long time, just so forty of us could all get two minutes to get the same picture as everyone else. Which is true, but I guess that's part of the job. Either way, I had a lot of fun and thought it was great. And one of my pictures was on the front page of the paper today!!!!!!

Arizona Sen. John McCain, left, went on an airboat ride at Everglades Safari Park on Friday, June 6, 2008. With him, from left, are his wife, Cindy, his daughter, Meghan and Gov. Charlie Crist.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, backed by U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz said that if elected, he would ask Congress for direct funding of Everglades restoration projects. (This was the picture that made 1A!!!!)

So this week was very exciting and a lot of fun, but I'm really glad that I have this weekend off because my back is killing me from carrying around my 400 lb. equipment! But I still can't wait to see what I'm going to be doing on Monday.

Home

2008-05-30T11:26:00.000-04:00

I'm going to try to blog. My horse had to get her teeth floated yesterday. It's weak, but it's a start. I'm hoping to eventually get the hang of this blogging thing.