AWESOME NEWSPAPER PHOTO WORK!

I almost forgot. This photo story by Scott Strazzante is AMAZING!

CLICK HERE!

Another photog on a mail list I'm on said,
"I think it is some of the smartest photography I have seen, possibly ever."

I have to agree! GREAT work Scott.

STAKEOUT

The Detroit News sent me on an assignment to sit outside the house of someone (part of a big story here in the Detroit area, guess which one) for a few hours this morning from 7-10 am to try and make a photo of them. I arrives about 10 minutes to 7:00. The photo above was about 7:30. I don't do alot of these and its been a long time since the last time I did. Anyway there is always a nervous anticipation on what will happen if anything. Will neighboors wonder what I'm doing and keep asking or call the police (I was the only media out there today), am I in a good spot to watch (I moved after the above photo) if the person comes out and I only have a couple seconds for a photo will I have a clean shot, do I shoot from the car window or jump out (it was very cold this morning, around 12 degrees, and I was staying warm) will I blow the shot, do I have a long enough lens, will they confront me and be angry, if they do come out and leave in a car do I follow, and what if I have to, you know, go real bad, which I did toward the end. Well none of that happened and I never saw my subject so no photo today.
BTW I once again liked how the News used another photo, the bridge photo, I shot for todays front page. Click page to see bigger view

LOOKING BACK: SNOW-X

I was watching the X-Games last night, the snow-X final to be exact, and it made me think of the snow-X racing I photographed in 03-04-05. Anyway its a great sport to watch and shoot. The racers I got to know were great to hang out with, many families as well. Great bunch of people. I love racing of any kind and snow-X is very exciting and makes for some great images. Enjoy.

Zach Pattyn was racing the local Michigan races back in 2005 making a name for himself. He took 5th in the Xgames final last night. Nice job Zach!

The racers loved the jumping shots but I always tried to shoot something different as well.

Getting some air with style.

Back in 05 Blair Morgan was the man in the pros. Almost unbeatable. He didn't make the final last night. He was great to watch tear up a track.

The was a great, lucky, image I got one day.

I always arrived at the track before sunrise and on this day it paid off during practice runs.

GIRLS HS HOOPS.

After alwasy shooting Nikon digital and dreading shooting past 400 ASA I am still amazed how good my Canon 40D looks at high ASA's. This was shot at 3200!!! The Nikon D2X just plain CAN"T do it. Now I know the new Nikon D3 and D300 is suppose to be real good but everyday I shoot with this Canon the more I can't wait to switch over to Canon all the way!

PLYMOUTH iCE CARVING FEST

Brrrrrrrrr!

MORE AUTO SHOW PHOTOS

Ok so HERE is a bunch of images that were sent to Getty and then some I shot last Tuesday for my PhotoShelter page. So another auto show is in the books. If you see something you like let me know. Questions are cool as well. GALLERY.

DETROIT NEWS FRONT PAGE

After shooting for 20 years I usually don't get to excited about my published photos. Many times I don't even see them. But I really like how this image I shot was used on todays front page of the News.
Click HERE to see the full size PDF of the page.

Below is the photo I sent to them.

Oh ya I also had front pages of the LA Times, The Chicago Tribune and The Dallas Morning News this week from my coverage of the auto show for Getty Images.

I might try to post a gallery of more auto show images this weekend.

AUTO SHOW DAY 2

Another crazy day at the auto show which got crazier when the republican candidates for president stopped by late in the day. It was a long day, I made some good images and had fun today. I could write more but I just got up, still waking up, have another busy day and I want to have breakfast with my kids. Maybe later I'll write more. But hey I'm a photog so here are some photos.

Nice legs.

Photogs crowd to get a CEO with a car.

Working photogs.

Walking backwards.

Media crowds a concept car.

Nice head.

Cool reflection with nameplate.

Cool shot.

Romney.

Huckabee.

McCain.

AUTO SHOW DAY 1

Help me escape! The auto show has sucked me in again! :) What a crazy day as usual. I have a few stories to tell but I need to get to bed to start all over again at 7:00 AM. So far things seem more crazy then in years past. I'm not super happy with what I shot but it will do. There just really isn't much time to think, you basically shoot each press conference on auto pilot. I also seem to be having an issue with one on my lenses. But I am grateful for the work though, I need it. I was hoping to shoot more behind the scenes stuff but no time.

Part of the press room.

Just a few of the other photogs.

Scrum of reporters around Rick Wagoner, chairman and CEO of General Motors .

Same things around Bill Ford Jr.

Waiting for Kia presser to start.

Probably one of the better shots I got today.

I liked this shot of a Saab.

This one worked ok.

AUTO SHOW TIME AGAIN!

Watch this VIDEO on the Detroit News site. Around minute 1:40 you will see me in the top right corner with my "hail mary" shooting style. :) (sorry Steve) Below is the photo from it. News gallery HERE.


People think its funny, non shooters anyway, when I do this. But all newspaper photogs do at some point and sometimes you get a decent shot. It just takes a little practice, know your gear, know when to use AF and when to turn it off. You could also put the camera on a mono-pod and shoot with a remote. Here is my favorite shot of the mayor, not great I just like it.


So auto show press week starts this weekend and I've lost track how many years for me now. At least 16. Covering the auto show always feels like the movie Groundhog Day", like it is always the same and I was just there. Its crowded, like in the photo above, with reporters trying to get the same quotes and photographers trying to get their shot. I always shoot a shoot a few crowd shots but will try to take more "behind the scenes" photos to post this year. Let the craziness begin. You will be able to see images I shoot for Getty Images HERE.

1 sec Drive

One second of my drive home in the rain tonight.

LOOKING BACK: DOG SLEDDING

I was out XC skiing today, before the snow melts again next week, and it was so nice to be out enjoying almost a foot of snow in the winter. It made me think about a dog sledding trip I took back in 1999. It was a five day trip across the Boundary Waters Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. The trip was was awesome! I hope to go again someday and maybe with my kids. BTW our guide was Peter with White Wilderness Sled Dog Adventures. I highly recommend them.

Me with a few of the dogs.

NPPA - POY

Its time for the National Press Photographers Association 2008 Pictures of the Year Competition. The 2007 winners were announced months ago however I bring it up because I got my POY book this past week. GO HERE to see the 2007 winning images.

A note of caution. Some of the images are from war zones and some are quite graphic and hard to look at. But that is what makes them so powerful and why these images are so important to be shot and viewed by people. Especially here in the US where many people have very cushy lives. As a photojournalist I have always felt that if enough people or the right people see a disturbing image, feel something and enough act on that feeling maybe something can be done.

Images of Innocent kids caught in adult and government conflict have always got to me and especially now that I have kids of my own. They remind me that the world can be a cruel place for children and to be thankful for what I have, where I live and to hug my kids alot.

When I started out in photography I would only hope to take such powerful images. No I can only wish I would have as my career lead me in different ways. But I still try and always take emotional ans images with feeling for what I am shooting and powerful images like those in the POY help inspire me to do better at what I do shoot.

I really like this image. Click HERE.
Its hard to look at but I find myself not being able to look away. It is very powerful and telling at whats wrong with the world. I get tears in my eyes looking at it.

Here is another one I like. Click HERE.
As a dad I can relate to not wanting your kids to be sad and worry about you.

Happy New Year! Bryan