2007 MOMENTS IN PICTURES

I've posted some of my favorite images from 2007. I like some for the image itself, or maybe I like the moment, or maybe the lighting, or even just the memory. I wouldn't consider them all portfolio images, just images I like for one reason or another. Most of my career I have used available light whenever possible. This year I played with lighting shots more like The Strobist. I like doing this but am still deciding how much I want to incorporate it into my style. I have evolved often over my 20 years as a photog and 2007 was no different. Happy New Year!
2007 PHOTO GALLERY HERE!

BHUTTO'S LAST MINUTES

Bhutto's last minutes, a little grim, but great photojournalism work by Getty Images photographer John Moore. He did his job and recorded history. He is a top notch photojournalist.
View slide show HERE.

I agree with a poster on the A photo a day Google group who said, "geez. i can't imagine being rocked by that blast, then be able to keep shooting. amazing work. its almost as if the technically imperfect execution of the first few frames just after the bombing convey the chaos of the following the assassination. sounds like he might have another Pulitzer coming his way."

Go to the link below for a powerful Memorial Day image shot by Moore.
View photo HERE.

A SOLDIERS CHRISTMAS

Even though the business side of photography can get me down at times I still believe one of the best things about my job is the people I get to photograph.

Like the couple this weekend for a story running in the Detroit News on Christmas day about a soldier being home from Iraq for a couple weeks around Christmas.

This is the short story. Brian is stationed in Iraq and has been there since July. He will be there until July of 2008 except a scheduled 2 week r&r in January. Anyway his father-in-law died so his commander aloud Brian to take his 2 weeks early for the funeral and this also gave him the chance to be home for Christmas with his wife Susan.

The touching part of the story is this. Susan was talking to her dad a while back. He had Alzheimer's and some other health issues. So her dad says to her something like this will be the first time you will be alone for Christmas. And she said yes it will unless there was a death in the family or something like that. Her dad died soon after this conversation.

Susan feels this was her dads final Christmas present to her so Brian would be home for Christmas. The funeral was a little over a week ago.

Brian and Susan celebrated Christmas with her sister’s family last night and Brian is probably getting on a plane right now heading back to Iraq. He will return in July.

I feel privileged to have met and photographed Brian and Susan. Stay safe Brian and hang in there Susan he will be home soon! Check the Detroit News for the full story on Christmas.

LOOKING BACK: MACKINAC BRIDGE

I made this image of the Mackinac Bridge at night while camping at Straits State Park back in 1999. The bridge connects the lower peninsula with the upper peninsula of Michigan. I love the UP as its called. Great place if you like the outdoors. And its awesome in the winter with 2-3 feet or more of snow common in some places most years.

LET IT SNOW!

BREAKERS

I photographed some really good breakers (hip-hop break dancing) last night at a club in Detroit. While editing the photos I did some research on the hip hop scene in Detroit and it turns out I was photographing some of the best in the city! (GO HERE) The shots are decent but a really wanted to stay longer to get that one killer shot. But I had to get to another bar. (I was on assignment for the Detroit News)

JUST SAY NO TO CRACK

SHADOW BAR

Ok so the image posted over the weekend I said I would explain was shot at the Shadow Bar in Hamtramck. It was a club feature assignment for the Detroit News. So its more fun and not as creepy as it looks. You can get spanked or whipped by a dominatrix, no I didn't. Its basically a cheap thrill for the guys. The News told me not to shoot it so I knew the wouldn't publish a photo of it, so I tried to shoot with the available creepy red light. Did really work. I wasn't really happy with what I shot that night. Also I couldn't decide which overall shot I liked. Which one below do you guys like? BTW, the shot I really wanted I didn't get. At one point in the night clouds of COs por down from the ceiling. See a video HERE. The problem is I picked the wrong spot to shoot from, I got caught up behind the bar photographing the bartenders then trying to run to my spot and it didn't last nearly as long as in the video. I was bummed out that I rally messed that shot up. It could have been cool.

WHAT THE?

I'll tell you all later!

CATCHING UP

I was pretty stressed out this week and never got around to posting anything so here are a few things from the week. I need to do a looking back shot again soon.

I shot high school hoops tonight.

Photographed these hop pellets at a microbrewery for a story on the worldwide shortage of hops to make beer.

Thursday I photographed Latifeh Sabbagh, here she gets a hug from her niece as they look at a book. Later that day she was flying to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, the traditional muslim pilgramage to the holy land of Mecca.

Did a some family portraits Thursday night.

I was editing wedding photos most of Tuesday and Wednesday. I like the two different emotions in these shots only seconds apart.


And of course a beautiful bride eating always makes a funny image.

Photographed kids and adults enjoying an ice rink on Monday.

Back to Sunday Rodney Atkins performing and my kids with Santa.

RODNEY ATKINS AND MAKE-A-WISH

I photographed a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish and Rebels for a Cause last night. Country music entertainer Rodney Atkins performed was the entertainment. You never know for sure but he seemed like a great guy. He performed for free with him and his band driving all night to get to Detroit. He stayed and signed autographs and posed for photos with everyone there. He was very nice to the kids with words of encouragement and hugs. The fundraiser was in honor of Maddie Trudel. Maddies favorite song was "Going Through Hell" and he sang it Maddie in the hospital. Read about it in today’s Free Press. Maddie died last November after fighting cancer. Read all about her fight HERE. Make-A-Wish sent her to Disney World just before she died.
I also got to me Paul Maddie's dad. It was a great privilege to meet such a great dad. Read the stories, you will see. And please donate money this holiday season to Make-A-Wish. I wanted to write more but I need to get to a photo shoot. Have a great week everyone.

TTD-HOT HOT HOT

Ok so this shows how one of my fave TTD pictures I've seen was shot. About what I thought but not quite sure till now.