Photo Roundup: Plarning, George Clooney, The Mourning After and Relay for Life

7 05 2012

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Heading into last week, I had no idea I would end it knowing what ‘plarning’ is, hear a interview with a well respected movie star and humanitarian, and meet a 85 year-old woman who survived ovarian cancer 46 years ago.

Add in I didn’t shoot a single sporting event and it made for a very unique week, but one that was very rewarding.

For the record, plarning is where you weave plastic into thread to use for several different things including: bedding, rope, etc. I had an assignment earlier in the week where the Kingwood Key Club plarned and sent the resulting balls of plastic thread to Zimbabwe.

If that wasn’t enough of an interesting day, I was emailed a late evening assignment for Thursday to shoot a lecture George Clooney was invited to give in downtown Houston. The resulting interview was very interesting and West Group Digital Editor Charlotte Aguilar did a wonderful job pulling everything together.

When we got inside the Wortham Center, I was told photographers had about 30 seconds to shoot when George Clooney was introduced, then we could shoot the Question and Answer section at the end.

We had to work fast and I was able to come away with what I felt were some strong shots in that short window.

My favorite shot is actually the first shot I took – oddly enough. When they announced Clooney, they cut out all the light for a few seconds, causing audience and media members to wonder what was going on.

All of the sudden, a spotlight hit the back of the stage which was abstracted by the chairs and ferns sitting in the middle of the stage and blocking many photographers’ view. Putting two and two together, I was able to lean over enough to get a clean shot past the chair, fern and media members as Clooney smiled and walked out on stage. The contrast of light and his expression really made the image to me.

Later we went down for the Q and A session, but we were given about a question to shoot before we were hustled back to the top of the theater. Again, we had to work quickly and I came away with a few decent frames, including one where Clooney is reflected in a big video screen, complemented nicely with a section of yellow light from the ceiling.

It was a fun event to cover and I’m thankful I was given the opportunity to shoot it.

If that wasn’t busy enough, I covered The Mourning After, a program where a simulated drunk driving accident is staged to show students the dangers of drunk driving, at Cleveland High School. It can be a powerful event if students take it seriously, but unfortunately I saw too many students on their cell phones, talking and generally not interested. Hopefully some student took the message to heart.

I finished up the week with Relay for Life at Cleveland High School. I had never attended the event before, but I heard some very positive things about it. Having experienced the event first hand now, I would encourage everyone to participate in some way. It was uplifting to see cancer survivors make that first lap together with friends, family and community members cheering them on. It was a great end to my week.

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State soccer tournament

23 04 2012

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I recent made the trip up to Georgetown to cover the boys and girls UIL state soccer tournament.

It was pretty hot, but a lot of fun covering some great games with some talented journalist.

I’ve made several friends over the course of the state playoffs this year, and it’s always a treat to see them and work beside them on the sidelines.

Here are some of my favorites from the tournament:

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Sticking together aloe and kids

20 04 2012

Beyond the several softball, baseball and playoff soccer games I shot this past week, I covered a Junior Gardeners Club meeting in Coldspring. During the meeting, the group learned about the healing power of the aloe plant. Needless to say, the expression on the kids’ faces were fun to watch as they discovered and played with the sticky insides of the plant.

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Meeting a 99-year-old decon

3 04 2012

I shot a little bit of everything this week. Houston had several thunderstorms move in through the area early in the week, I shot some feature photos of a 99-year old deacon and finished the week with a track meet at Rice University. The profile photos were my favorite. Just heading his story and all that he has seen in his lifetime was amazing.

The track meet at Rice University was also pretty cool It was nice getting to incorporate the medical center into the photos. I think it really helped give viewers a sense of place.

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Warrior Dash

17 03 2012

The self proclaimed ‘world’s largest running series,’ made its first appearance in Splendora and featured 12 obstacles through a 3.21 mile course. I’m pretty sure all those who participated had to have been a little crazy. It looked like a lot of fun, but it would take a lot of convincing to get me to sign up.

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State basketball tournament

5 03 2012

I made my first trip to Austin for the boys and girls UIL state basketball tournament at the Frank Erwin Center. Once again, I worked along side some very talented photographers.

Here’s a link to the Dekaney’s semifinal and finals games. Both games features some truly gifted athletes.

I’ve already have plans for some new camera angles for next year. I’ve got a year to plan, get the necessary equipment (or borrow it) and get through a fair share of red tape. I know who I’ll need to talk to, so that’s at least one step toward making the images in my head happen.

Here are some favorites from the tournament:

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Bicycle Race!

30 01 2012

After covering more stormy weather earlier in the week, I traveled to Coldspring early Saturday morning for the Kingwood Fillies’ ‘Ride Through the Forest and the Hills,’ a prep ride for the MS-150. It was a chilly morning with the approximately 600 riders from around Texas being greeted with temperatures in the 40s and a strong wind.

The whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking of Queen’s ‘Bicycle Race.’ I queued it up as soon as a returned to my car, quickly followed by Iron Maiden’s ‘Run to the Hills.’

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