DEFINING MOMENTS

I've Moved!

2011-12-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

So... I've moved my blog. Please update your Google Reader and come join me over on Tumblr :: http://nathanmorgan.tumblr.com/

See you there!

Sleeping Beauty

2011-10-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Found him sleeping like this the other night and just had to make a picture. He's growing up too quick. I just want to cherish EVERY moment. Enjoy!

Zoo Trip

2011-09-24T21:01:00.001-07:00

What do you do on a rainy day in September? Go to the zoo. Enjoy!

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

2011-09-03T22:03:00.001-07:00

Obviously I have pretty much stopped posting at this blog. I'm exploring other blog options, and will probably be starting something new very soon, so please check back. I'll post the new blog address here whenever I get around to starting it. But for now... Enjoy!

Pile-High City

2011-04-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

One of my last photo pages at the Daily News. Enjoy!

Photos by Nick King

More from my phone...

2011-04-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Big Boy, little girl

2011-04-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Just a taste...

2011-04-07T11:08:00.001-07:00

I have a lot more stuff I need to blog, but here is a taste of what's to come. Enjoy!

Honest Abe

2011-02-16T17:11:00.000-08:00

A sneak peek at Sunday's Accent section. Enjoy!

Milo | 7 Months

2011-02-04T22:46:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

Ice, Ice, Baby

2011-02-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

2011-02-04T14:20:00.001-08:00

Late Night Editing

2011-02-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

After a long week, the last thing I wanted to do was compile our Sunday enterprise package on Dave Camp. But, with some motivation from Nick & Thomas (they drew the layouts on the napkins) I was able to come up with a layout that was pretty solid. Enjoy!

Milo & the duck

2011-01-30T08:44:00.000-08:00

Squared

2010-12-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

After several months of talking about it, I finally worked with Thomas and Nick to edit a collection of Hipstamatic photos for an Outside the Box photo page for today's paper. It's most likely our last photo page of the year, and I think it's a pretty sweet way to end it. Please check out Thomas' gallery here. Enjoy!

Windmill

2010-12-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

Snow

2010-12-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

Milo's first snow. It took twenty minutes to get ready to go outside for about one, but it was worth it. Enjoy!

Milo's First Parade

2010-11-20T21:22:00.002-08:00

It was cold, so we bundled up, drank coffee and stayed together. Enjoy!

Milo | 5 Months

2010-11-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight Kelly, Milo and I went to the studio at the paper to shoot some new photos. Milo is five months old now. I can't believe it. Enjoy!

New Car Seat

2010-11-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

So we just recently switched Milo to a new car seat. He never fell asleep in the old one. I guess this means this one's a hit. Enjoy!

Recent Work

2010-11-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Milo & the cat

2010-10-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Just a lazy Saturday around the house. Milo recently started taking interest in our cat. The two had a brief interaction this afternoon on our bed when I made this. Nothing exciting, Milo's just staring down Cimiez in sweet light. Enjoy!

Autumn Glory

2010-10-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is a page I did for Sunday. Finally, I shot some photos of my own. Enjoy!

Loons Page

2010-09-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is our wrap up page for the Loon's, who ended their season earlier this week. It's running in tomorrow's paper... but here's a sneak peak. Enjoy!

Milo | 3 Months

2010-09-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Police Academy

2010-09-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Thursday I spent about an hour photographing the Delta Police Academy's gun training in Auburn. This wasn't for the paper, I shot for a friend whose husband was working as an instructor there. Anyway, I know a lot of these are similar, but I just couldn't narrow it down anymore. I'm glad I checked this out though. I think it would make a great story. I'm going to see if we can follow someone through the entire program (it lasts about three months). From what I hear, it's a lot like boot camp at the beginning. Enjoy!

Saturday, Sunday & Monday

2010-08-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the last of our fair pages. Enjoy!

Fair Folk

2010-08-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

I did Fair Folk again this year. Here's today's paper. Enjoy!

Fair Part II

2010-08-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

Spent the evening working on my 'Fair Folk' page. These are just a few images from in between portraits at the rodeo. Enjoy!

Fair

2010-08-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

It's that time again...

2010-08-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

These were just supposed to be mugs for our football tab, but I thought they made a nice little portrait grouping. Enjoy!

Milo | Day 2 – 5

2010-06-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Milo | Day 1

2010-06-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

A New Adventure

2010-06-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

Well, as you probably already know, I've taken over as photo editor at the Midland Daily News. A month has passed now, and I'm starting to feel pretty good about it. It's been an adjustment, and I still have tons of room to grow, but I have a GREAT staff, and I'm really excited about the work we're going to produce. This is just some of my work so far. I haven't completely stopped shooting, so keep watching for photos, but for now... here is a sampling of my recent design work. Enjoy!

A Mixed Bag

2010-06-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on posts since the new gig. Here are a few from back when I still used to shot pictures:P Enjoy!

Girls Scoccer

2010-04-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

The only thing that could make this post more perfect is if the girls' jerseys in the bottom photo had all of the LOST numbers in sequential order. Oh well, maybe next time... Enjoy!

Wedding

2010-04-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

I helped Lizzie Loo with a wedding this past weekend in Louisville. I had a blast, and a made a little money, what more could you ask for. Here's one, there will be more to follow. Enjoy!

Play Ball

2010-04-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Bart's Arcade

2010-03-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

We're doing a road trip story on the new arcade at BARTS in Bay City. Last night I spent a couple of hours there shooting. There wasn't a ton of activity, so I shot details during the lulls. Not sure what we'll run in the paper, but these are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

*Fun Fact: The arcade and restaurant are both owned by Art Dore, a local entrepreneur and boxing promoter who started "Toughman" boxing contests and inspired this movie. Check it out!

One Week's Work

2010-03-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

I've had a pretty good week this week. Some fun assignments and some great weather. These are just a few of my favorites from Monday - Thursday. Enjoy!

Fail Again

2010-03-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

These are the pages from my story on the band Fail that ran in our Verge section on Thursday. Enjoy!

Hoopla

2010-03-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

At the Movies

2010-03-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Here are a few from last week's Verge story on the Oscars. The diptych consists of elements from a couple of the movies that were nominated for best picture, and the portrait is of Virginia Florey and Josh Grosteffon, they're kinda like the paper's Siskel & Ebert. I really liked the way the diptych turned out. I'm thinking about doing a series like this... objects that match their backgrounds. I'm calling it the Chameleon Project :) Enjoy!

Simon

2010-02-24T22:07:00.001-08:00

Enjoy!

Hodgepodge

2010-02-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

Just a mixture of things from the past week. Enjoy!

Fail

2010-02-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick photo from tonight. I've been following a local band who is working on producing their first album. More to come in the future. Enjoy!

Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood

2010-02-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

This is Indira Oskarek. I spent this afternoon at her home while she made some traditional Indian food. The images are for an upcoming Sunday Accent piece that we're doing on the popularity of Indian food. Normally I wouldn't eat while on an assignment, but Indira wasn't going to take no for an answer, plus it looked delicious. And trust me, it was. Enjoy!

Johnny Cash, Valentine's Day & Karaoke

2010-02-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

This evening I photographed 65-year-old David Palmateer as he prepared to go to a Valentine's Day dance/karaoke competition. David didn't talk much, but he was great to hang out with. Because he is a big Elvis and Johnny Cash fan, David sang 'I Walk the Line,'and actually ended up winning first place. Here are a few of my favorites of David practicing before he left his house and then a couple from the dance. Enjoy!

Prayer

2010-02-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

Basketball

2010-01-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

Usually I'm not that great at high school basketball, but last night went pretty well. I know these are more featurey, but they were my favorites. I feel like I'm finally getting warmed up though. It's a shame that the season is ending soon. Enjoy!

Camera Obscura

2010-01-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

These are just a few recent off-the-wall images that I liked. No story. Just pretty. Enjoy!

Odyssey

2010-01-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

This is the layout from a story that's running in the MDN's Accent section on Sunday. It was supposed to just be a quick portrait assignment, but I ended up talking with this lady for almost three hours. She had so many amazing stories from the time she spent on her son's commercial fishing boat in the North Pacific. Thanks to Ryan for the awesome layout. Enjoy!

Winter Break Two

2009-12-31T02:45:00.000-08:00

I gotta tell ya, I'm already sick of winter in Michigan. Oh well, only five more months till spring. In the mean time, I'll try to make the best of it. Here's one from today – skeet shooting under the lights. Enjoy!

Winter Break

2009-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

Royal

2009-12-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

This morning I spent time with Royal Braley Jr. during his morning walk to a bakery near his apartment in Midland. Royal is physically challenged, so during the winter, this short walk from his home, becomes extremely difficult. He slipped several times, but it wasn't until we were back in front of his apartment building that he actually bit the dust. His biggest gripe is that the city, and local businesses do not do enough to keep pedestrians safe, which is why earlier this month, Royal, armed with a petition of nearly 300 signatures, went to Midland City Council and requested that a pedestrian bridge be built over one of the major intersections near his home. The city said the bridge would cost too much money, but they are currently addressing the situation, and plan to install new crosswalk signals that will give pedestrians 28 seconds to cross the street. However, this doesn't solve Braley's snow problem. I guess that will be his next battle.

Kelly's Belly

2009-12-14T16:21:00.002-08:00

This post is long overdue. I blogged only once in the month of November, and this is my first post since then. Sorry for the lapse.

Here are a couple photos of Kelly from today. Enjoy!

Superfan

2009-11-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

Enjoy!

Swimming Again

2009-10-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

I shot swimming again tonight. Overall it went okay, but I didn't get anything special. Next time (now that I'm beginning to feel more comfortable with the sport) I'm going to go with a different approach. Regardless, I liked this one. Enjoy!

Fair Housing

2009-10-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

I went to a meeting tonight on fair housing in Midland County. It's kinda a big issue at the moment, so I thought the meeting might get a little heated. But, none of the people opposed to the issue showed up. Anyway, this guy was pretty expressive when he was answering questions, and I thought it made a nice little package. Enjoy!

"I'm not sue if that one passes the breakfast test"

2009-10-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night I photographed a haunted house for the paper's Accent section. It was my first haunted house experience, and it was pretty gory. However, gory = VISUAL! These are just a few of my favorites from the night. Oh, and I'd like to thank my editor Ryan for the title of this post. Enjoy!

A Walk in the Woods

2009-10-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

The other day I went for a walk in the woods. It's been really disgusting and wet here for the past few weeks, so it was nice to be able to get out and enjoy some of the fall weather without getting rained on. Lately I have been in somewhat of a rut at work. Going for this walk helped me break that rut. It was completely selfish, but I just wanted to get away for a bit and be alone with my thoughts. I haven't done anything like this in awhile... it was just what I needed. Enjoy!

In Your Face

2009-10-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

I shot swimming tonight for the first time at the Midland Daily News. Let's just say it's my new least favorite sport. Water, extension cords and electronics don't mix. Not to mention a bunch of screaming high school girls and a hot and stuffy natatorium. But, despite all of that, I managed to make a few decent photos. This one was my favorite. Enjoy!

Big News!

2009-09-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not often that I get very personal on my blog. But today, today is different...

At exactly 3 p.m. this afternoon, Kelly and I found out that we are going to be parents. It's been a long journey, and I'm glad we've finally arrived. Here is an image of Kelly spreading the news. Enjoy!

30 Miles of Pain Haven

2009-09-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Above

2009-09-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

So I'm work on a photo page from the Midland Hot Air Balloon Festival. I want to compile a group of images of Midland from above. Here are a couple from last night. I'm hoping to get up again today. If you have any suggestions on what to look for or any tips about shooting from a balloon, feel free to comment. Enjoy!

Top Gun

2009-09-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I photographed a top gun competition involving the Midland County Sheriff's Department. It was at an outdoor range in Midland County that is supposedly super top secret. I didn't have a ton of time to spend there, but hopefully I can go back some other time. Anyway... these are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Blog Blitz 4

2009-09-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite images from the past few weeks. I've been a little behind on blogging recently, but now I think I'm caught up. I'm not going to explain all the photos, however if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy!

It's that time again...

2009-09-03T22:10:00.001-07:00

Enjoy!

Pinball Wizard

2009-09-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Went out feature hunting this evening for the second night in a row. The only catch is that tonight I had two CMU students following me to complete a job shadow requirement for one of their classes. Anyway, we stopped by Midland High School to shoot marching band practice. This was my favorite. Enjoy!

Caption: Quint player, Tyler Fox, a senior at Midland High, practices the song Pinball Wizard with his fellow band members Wednesday evening in a parking lot adjacent to the school. The song, which is from the musical rock opera Tommy, will serve as the opener for this year's Broadway-themed field show. The group's first performance will be on September 11 in Midland, during the halftime show of the Midland High and Bay City Western game.

Fair Folk

2009-08-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Here are this year's Fair Folk pages. Because I was covering for Ryan this week, I wasn't sure that I would be able to pull this off, but I did and I'm pleased with how it turned out (a big thanks to John and Drew for the editing help). I hope to post the photos individually in the next few days, but for now if you click on the link above, you can see the gallery on the Midland Daily News website. Enjoy!

Sanford & Sun

2009-08-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I photographed a triathlon in Sanford. So far this is one of the only assignments that I have had to repeat since I've been at the Daily News. I tried to approach it a little differently than I did last year, but I'm not sure that I succeed. It's going to be interesting to see how I will keep things fresh now that I'm starting to get some of the same assignments that I've had in the past. Wish me luck!

One Year, 100 Posts

2009-08-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

With all the excitement I've had today, I almost forgot to make this post. Today is the one-year anniversary of Defining Moments, and coincidentally, this is my 100th post. Most of you have probably seen this collection of images already (because it ran in the paper a few weeks ago), but I thought it was appropriate. In the next year I hope to keep posting my favorite work (which will include a few stories) and in turn I welcome your eyes and your comments. Thanks for a great first year.

Here is the column that ran with the photos in the paper. Enjoy!

"Recently, while looking through some photos I took during the past year, I noticed a pattern. I don't do it often, but occasionally when photographing an assignment, I'll fire off a few frames of my left hand to see what f-stop and shutter speed I'll need before I begin shooting. I am pretty good at knowing what my exposure should be before I test, but I like the reassurance of seeing a correctly exposed image on the camera's LCD. By doing this, I have managed, somewhat unintentionally, to document my first 12 months at the Midland Daily News.

Typically, I'm like the cobbler who has holes in his own shoes. I get so wrapped up in the lives of others that I forget to document my own. But, as I scanned through some of different images of my hand, it caused me to stop and reflect. I noticed a shot with a U-Haul truck tire in the upper right-hand corner. It reminded me of my first day in Midland when my wife and I were moving into our rented house along M-20. Another showed the snowy driveway of Gladys Marsh's home in Edenville Township, which made me grateful for surviving that first Michigan winter. Then there was a photo shot one day last September for a story about Mike and Jamie Brandmair, a Midland couple raising nine children in Homer Township, and I thought of the many wonderful people and families I've had the pleasure of meeting and photographing.

Although they are an informal documentation of my time in Midland, these photos still are a journal of my life, each one a reminder of days that might have otherwise been forgotten. Midland is a special place, and I have enjoyed every moment I have had here. I may not be certain about what the future holds, but I am certain that I will never forget the past."

Nice Night

2009-07-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

After shooting tonight, I went to the Loons game with Ryan Wood and Rodney Curtis. Weather reports today were calling for rain, but it turned out to be a beautiful evening. I shot this on my way home from the game. Enjoy!

Powerlifting

2009-07-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery... or so they say. I totally ripped off this idea from my good pal John Tully, who has been shooting squares recently. I was so inspired by his work that I thought I'd try it out myself this afternoon at a powerlifting competition in Midland. Here is the result. Enjoy!

P.S. Thanks John. I thought since you were out of town I could get away with it.

Roller Arena

2009-07-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Take Our Tickets

2009-07-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I shot photos for an advertisement that will run in the paper. I'm not exactly sure about all of the details, but from what I understand, if you participate in the Daily News' fantasy football contest and win, you get tickets to a Detroit Lions home game. Here is the fruit of my labor. Enjoy!

P.S. The last photo is a composite of the five above it. I think it may be the one we use on the ad.

CH-47 Chinook

2009-07-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

A group of kids from a camp in town took a field trip today to the airport to see a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. After a quick tour, the kids went back to their bus to watch it take off. This is was my favorite. Enjoy!

Ralph Brabaw

2009-07-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is 100-year-old Ralph Brabaw. We're doing a story on him for a regular column at the paper called Midland Remembers. He's a great old dude. I hope I live to be that age. Enjoy!

Duplex Fire

2009-07-08T07:44:00.000-07:00

Staff Sgt. Timothy David

2009-07-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

A solider from Beaverton named Timothy David died in Iraq last week. His body was returned home on Monday, and John and I covered it. This photo is of a group of Patriot Guard Riders lined up outside of the funeral home paying tribute to the fallen solider.

Anya

2009-07-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Carla Wallenda

2009-07-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Here's a quick update. I spent the end of last week with Carla Wallenda, daughter of Karl Wallenda (if you don't know who he is, Google him). She was great, and I hope that I can spend more time with her later this summer. In addition to the photos, I did a short Soundslides piece. Check it out if you get the chance :: http://ourmidland.com/visuals/slideshow/ :: Anyway... I'm working the photo desk for Ryan next week, so I don't expect to post a lot here. However, stay tuned, there will be more to come. Enjoy!

Another Bridge

2009-06-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Kelly and I went up north this past weekend to Mackinaw City. We crossed the Mackinac Bridge into the UP and then we turned around and headed south to Traverse City. It was blast and much needed. Although after the past couple days, I think I need to do it again. Enjoy!

Tridge

2009-06-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

I think some warmer weather is finally moving in. Tonight the temperature spiked and created some fog. So, for a change of pace, I decided to take a walk down to the Tridge. It was really strange and eerie out, but peaceful none the less. Enjoy!

Tough Loss

2009-06-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Caption:After loosing to Shepherd in Saturday's regional semi finals, Meridian senior, Bryce Weakman, center, sits in the dugout with sophomore, Cody Wendt. The Mustangs were defeated by the Bluejays, 9-1, ending their season.

Enjoy!

The Sierra Booster

2009-05-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

I usually don't post anything but my photos, but I liked this so much, I thought I'd share it. Enjoy!
CLICK HERE

Stephen Walker

2009-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a short profile of this guy named Stephen Walker. He's one of the best long distance runners in the state, and he's going to Michigan State next year on a scholarship. There will be more to come. Maybe even a video... that is if I'm proud it. Enjoy!

Super Man

2009-05-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

I came across this guy today. It was a great situation, but the light sucked, and I had another assignment I had to get to pretty quick. So not my best work, but I thought it was pretty funny. Enjoy!

Caption: "I love the attention," said Randy Covell, 25, as he made his way across downtown Midland from his home on Buttles to a pavilion in Chippewassee Park, a popular hangout spot for him and his friends. Nicknamed "Superman" by his friends, Covell thought he'd live up to the name by dawning a full Superman costume and parading around town. "I've been wanting to wear it since February, but I didn't have the cape or belt. You can't be Superman without a cape," said Covell. Joined by his housemates, Stephan and Janey Noykos, Covell attracted the attention of many passersby as he made the short trek. Some even stopped their cars to take photos.

Baseball

2009-05-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Track

2009-05-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Softball

2009-05-11T22:09:00.001-07:00

I'm back to 2-10 this week. That means high school sports! I'm a little bored with the way I've been shooting sports, so I hope to use this week to try a few new things... maybe even a remote camera. Check back soon. But for now, enjoy!

Ketchup

2009-05-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's not what you think. No condiments here. Just playing catchup. Enjoy!

Fore!

2009-05-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

I shot golf today for the fist time since my internship in Memphis. Enjoy!

The Fire at Joseph's Run

2009-05-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is the update I promised.

Yesterday just as I finished turning in an assignment from earlier that morning, Ryan called me about a fire at a nearby apartment building. In Ryan's words, "Huge fire! Huge fire!" Anyway, I hopped in my car and drove as swiftly as possible to the scene. By the time I got there (only about 20 minutes after the fire was reported), the flames were pretty much out. First I shot a few frames from a distance, then I moved in closer. Consumed by what was happening in front of me, I focused my attention on the fire for about the first 15 minutes at the scene. Next, I began talking with the displaced residents, none of which had been injured in the fire. I stayed at the apartments talking with people for about an hour and a half, and then I headed back to the paper to turn in a photo for the web. However, when I got back and started editing my photos, I realized that I had not gotten anything very story telling from my shots of the people who were effected by the fire. So, after turning in my web photo, I headed back to the apartments to hopefully catch families as they went back into the building to retrieve their belongings. Luckily, I got there just in time. The result was the above photo.

Caption:Standing outside of what used to be her home, 28-year-old Brandi Presley holds onto the few possessions she was able to collect from the apartment following Wednesday's fire at The Village at Joseph's Run Apartments in Midland. Included in the mementos were a stuffed animal and an afghan that belonged to Brandi's daughter, Allysa Jo Planer, 4, who died in December 2008 as a result of injuries suffered from a car accident earlier that year. "I don't care about nothing else," said Brandi as she fought back tears. "I just wanted to get Allysa's stuff, because it can't be replaced." Brandi, her husband Harold Presley and her three children, Brooklyn Presley, Tyler Planer and Jasmine Hackworth had been living in their apartment on the north side of the 520 building since August of 2008.

Needless to say, this was probably one of the saddest things I have ever photographed. Below is a link to the story if you'd like to read more.

http://ourmidland.com/articles/2009/05/07/local_news/1777454.txt

A Study of Color: Film

2009-04-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend I shot a roll of 800 color film for the first time in a while. It turned out okay... I think I need to work on my exposures a little (it's hard when you can't chimp), but over all I was pretty happy. I truly miss film. I actually had to think about each shot. What a concept. Anyway... here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Mud-Bogging

2009-04-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Outside The Box

2009-04-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

I wrote a column for the paper earlier this week. Enjoy!

Variey Is The Spice of Life

There are moments when all photojournalists stop dead in their tracks, sometimes even in the middle of an assignment, and think, "I can't believe this is actually my job." For me, one of these moments came just over a week ago on a small farm outside of Gladwin. There I was at my first ever mud-bog, barefoot and covered in mud from head to toe, climbing in the back seat of 18-year-old Joe Lobodzinski's Chevy Silverado. Up until a moment ago, Joe and I were strangers, but now I was sitting in his car taking photos as we bounced along the rugged terrain. Just the day before I had been in downtown Midland attending the Good Friday service at St. Brigid of Kildare Catholic Church. My assignment was to shoot a photo of the church's recently renovated interior to accompany an article that was being written by my friend and colleague, Josh Grosteffon. But today, today was different. I had exchanged my dress pants for a pair of ratty jeans and my button-up shirt for a hoodie. No more communion wafers and wine; now it was hot dogs and beer. Sticking my camera out the window of Joe's Silverado, I released the shutter, capturing Joe as he scanned the open field for other mud-boggers who might be in his way. Just like me, Joe was covered in splotches of thick brown earth, the same brown earth that had drawn hundreds of people out of hibernation to this 40-acre tract of land along Nettleton Road. Maybe it was the fumes from the exhaust, or maybe it was just the mud between my toes, but this was the most fun I have had on an assignment in a while. In fact, assignments like theses are exactly why I chose this profession. What other job gives you the opportunity to go to church one day and a mud-bog the next? No two days are ever alike. You never know what tomorrow holds and that's what makes my job so interesting.

Rolls Royce

2009-04-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

A portrait from tonight. Enjoy!

P.S. I have a lot more images from the past couple weeks that I need to post. Check back soon.

The Best Comment Ever!

2009-04-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

So... check out the comment that followed an article on our website about the Midland Daily New's upcoming photo gallery.
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27-yr. MDN subscriber wrote on Apr 11, 2009 1:13 AM:
" Ummm...would it be possible to actually have a newspaper write about NEWS? Touting that someone with a camera won some award that no one cares about is NOT NEWS! Oh, and should anyone else notice, the Rocky Mountain News that came in second in the editing dept....oh, they just went bankrupt, so does that mean that since the MDN won some worthless award, that they are next to go bottom up?

Holding a camera is not work. If someone that actually WORKS at the newspaper won an award, that would be NEWS.

Since the MDN decided that they must reduce the size due to cost issues, I would be perfectly happy with removing the silly pictures and actually using the space for NEWS. If I want to look at pictures, I will goto a museum. But I expect NEWS from my NEWSpaper!Pictures don't do anything for a NEWSpaper other than waste spacek, where NEWS could be placed.

What is so much worse is the ego factor, in that Wood and Morgan seem so full of themselves that its just sickening. If they were so important to NEWS, they would not be working for a smal town paper like the MDN, but at something artsy-fartsy (where people actually care about pictures instead of NEWS, perhaps in san fran?) "
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You've gotta love this town.

Here is the link... if you don't believe me:
http://ourmidland.com/articles/2009/04/10/local_news/1703738.txt

Laying Line

2009-04-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

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