September 19, 2008
I was sent out the other day to take a photograph of a basketball player trying out for the school. It was for an article being written by NECC sports editor Christian Stone. He couldn’t have made the first sentence any clearer, or better for that matter.
” A group of eight men play a four on four basketball game across one half of the NECC gymnasium. On the other half a man practices solo.”
The article starts of perfect, and ends it for that matter. I digress…
I was walking down into the basketball court, more formally known as, the gymnasium. I immediately saw him as well, with the practice jersey, #278 on the back; He was playing like number one. He was at ease within himself, and the game of basketball. Concentrating on not flashy moves, or pretty fadeaway’s, but his game. I found myself watching his moves for a good five minutes, before I realized I had my camera on my neck, waiting for me to press the button, and be done with the assignment. I tried to wait until he got near me, as not to through hame off of this magical experience i was watching, and made a fool of myself after picking up the basketball for the first time since i was fourteen. I asked him if I could shoot him for a few minutes, and he just nodded, not willing to sacrifice his game for anybody, keeping himself concentrated. It was admirable. I shot for a few minutes, his buddies laughing and giving him a hard time that the “press” was all over him, as the sports writer had just left. He just smiled. Some people just know their it. I have a feeling he was one of them.
Leo Liriano dunks the ball in the NECC gymnasium.
September 9, 2008
Well, I guess we needed the rain anyways. Unforunately for the Gulf coast, they have yet another fierce hurricane heading there way, as florida residents just started breathing again after about a week of the media saying it was the end of days for the peninsula as we knew it. Hanna flew up the coast like a racehorse, and was gone after one night of splashing New England with a nice wash. So, Hanna, thanks for nothing… weell, actually, thanks for washing my car, i havent done it in weeks! I was on lunch break, I had nothing to do, so i said, when it rains, SHOOT BACK! and i came out with this…
Market Basket Plaza
September 6, 2008
And so, the winter months are nearing our road. Though the temperatures are still near their peak, and the ocean is as warm as it can get, and as the sun goes down the nights get cooler, and the mornings struggle to suck in the heat. I was recently contacted by the school newspaper, after my photography director at my school recommended me to them, to join the staff of NECC(Northern Essex Community College). It has been an interesting journey in the past three weeks, and in a little over a month, I will be traveling for only the second time out west, to Kansas City for a media convention for college students. I was also sent on many missions to capture some moments here at NECC. The bookstore was a madhouse, the sports teams are training for their seasons, and classes are in full swing. From taking photos of the volleyball team, to road safety, to the bookstore, here are some of the things that are going on, at a school that feels like, only 2 weeks ago, was a few buildings next to each other, housing no more than a couple of faculty, and probably a few NECC ghosts.
Dan Potter(left), and Annette Griffin(middle) confer with each other while helping students at the NECC bookstore
Elvin Ramirez, pictured, putties the last few spots on the 3rd floor of building C.
August 30, 2008
Well of course, I didn’t go. But thats not to say that thousands, maybe even millions, of kids each year don’t. My editor sent me in a 1hr mission, and that was to capture one photo. Sounds easy? Riiight… I want a photo of the pie stuffing, and maybe a few others if you can get them. Now of course, its a friday night, I won’t be doing much of anything, and I said I got it, don’t worry. Hung up the phone, and I waited. The worst thing for a photographer, for me is to over think on a certain photograph your going to take. It’s one thing to plan for it and another thing to think, wait a minute I could do it this way… or this way and so on. I began to get a little nervous, which is uncharacteristic of me when going to a shoot, so I decided to try and shrug it off. 7 o’clock roles around, I’m at the school stadium where the last night of band camp is being held. 45 minutes into the shoot, i’ve shoot a little over a hundred photos, just blasting away, having a good time listening to the bands “excerpts”, showing the parents a glimpse of the music they will be orchestrating during the season. Hundred’s of parents sat down on the stadium seats, and listened in. So finally they begin their little “march” competition, to see who can march the best for the longest, doing different marches called out by the band director. He happened to be calling the marches, despite his own rude awakening soon coming. Finally a kid by the name Mark wins. Crowd roars, out comes the pie. I’ll tell you, it is NOT easy to get in the middle of 100 plus high school students, just to get a shot of the teacher getting pied by a student in the face. I realized this night, that it wasn’t annoying for kids to get in the way, it’s not their job to watch a photographer trying to take a shot, its their night not mine. But what was annoying, was that I was a voice cord away from telling a photographer to get the hell out of the way, and ruining everyones night. I coughed like an ass, he looked back, and then he kneeled down. I would assume he grabbed a neat shot, with a cool angle. but no i couldn’t, because he was square in front of me. So i stood their, we were all waiting as he removed any electronic pieces. Headphones, microphones, etc. And in comes the pie, you could just see peoples eyes were wide, and none of them were closing, incase they missed it. Finally, Mike gets the pie, Band Director Marty Claussen gets ready, Mike fires up!…
August 22, 2008
Firefighter Chris Geras
Let it be known, that to most 19 year olds, their first thought of a good day, is not a Kid Festival. That being said, it was actually the opposite for me. It kind of brought alot of fond memories out of the dusty closet of childhood, so often forgotten as it stands downstairs in the house of life. There were alot of shots taken that day, but i have to say this one moved me the most. Kid’s having fun is great, catching a kid looking back for assurance on a rock climbing wall, thats awsome too. But to catch a real life hero, simply doing his job, something that he, and many others alike, love to do, was a great capture, and an honor as well. This is of Salem Firefighter Chris Geras, showing kids the helmet, and answering questions they had about the jaws of life demostration during the fest. This to the Salem Firefighters, and all of the firefighters across America, saving those less fortunate, well off, undeserving, deserving, thankful, unthankful, black or white, in the middle or out of the spectrum, you guys come to save the day, and risk your lives.
August 4, 2008
Recently, it has been approved that I am able to post, unpublished, AS WELL as published works from the newspaper. Soon there will be photos, instead of just words. That’s always a great thing, isn’t it?
July 22, 2008
This is my new photography blog! IF all goes to plan, i will start to post recent works and assignments given to me by the newspaper, clients, etc. Thanks for tuning in.
