More updates are coming

Just a couple of photos from a recent assignment on a Fort Wayne Roller Derby squad. I tried to post some vacation photos earlier today, but Blogger was clogged. That never happens, does it? Anyway, I plan to get those up by this weekend when I'm not making primitive tools for art class, shooting video for another class, working at my full-time job - The News Sentinel, or trying to spend a minute with my wife so she doesn't forget who I am.

Summer school is done!

Summer session classes are done. Unfortunately, summer is almost done too. Now it's time for a much needed vacation.
I thought I'd post a project I put together last night. This image is comprised of 18 seperate photos strategically placed. I photographed the plant in small sections with a macro lens using a technique called lightpainting. Each exposure was 20 seconds at f/7.1. I made a snoot for the flashlight to better control the direction of light. I also used colored gels over the light to enhance the colors of certain sections.

It's Official

I accepted an offer last Friday from The News-Sentinel to be a full-time staff photographer. It was a decision I struggled with because I was also a candidate for the full-time photo position with the Journal Gazette. It was really a win/win situation for me in that I knew that I would have a job in Fort Wayne. While the decision hadn't been made at the Journal Gazette, I was still in the running for their position. Ultimately, I took the position at The News-Sentinel because the staff members really seemed to want me to be part of the organization, and they went the extra mile to convince me that I should stay.

I will be working both in the photo department and with the online department. I have a lot to learn in a short time, but I'm up for the challenge. I join the staff officially on August 14, and the ffall semester at IPFW start a week later. It should certainly be interesting working full-time, going to school full-time and taking care of my duties at home.

On a side note, I will be participating the Sports Shooter Academy in Los Angeles in November. I am quite excited about this. The Academy runs for five days and will teach techniques for covering all types of sports and location portraiture. The Academy is being coordinated by Robert Hanashiro, staff photographer for USA Today. The faculty includes: Matt Brown, southern California freelance photographer, Wally Skalij, the Los Angeles Times, Donald Miralle, Getty Images, Michael Goulding, Orange County Register, Myung J. Chun, Los Angeles Times. This is a great opportunity to learrn from photographers whose images are seen in major newspapers and magazines worldwide.