THE BIG PICTURE

Multiple Exposures

2010-07-14T09:28:00.003-06:00

Took advantage of my multiple exposure function on my camera today at the USTA Intersectionals.

Shreveport's Fourth

2010-07-10T14:36:00.007-06:00

Athletes of the Year

2010-05-31T10:26:00.003-06:00

It doesnt happen often, but I LOVE it when I get a good puffy cloud day. Seems most days here in Louisiana are hot without a cloud in the sky.

Trails and Trellises

2010-05-07T07:12:00.004-06:00

The Trails and Trellises garden tour is hosted by the Piney Hills Master Gardeners. Here we have the home of Robert and Kay Boykin who will be one of the stops on the tour.

Pretty Horsies

2010-04-28T09:33:00.002-06:00

Spent the morning at the Louisiana Downs shooting riders and horses in morning warmups.

Come Fly With Me

2010-04-23T12:45:00.006-06:00

Spent a morning in the cockpit of one of the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team planes. Team Leader Bryan Regan took me for one heckuva a ride over Shreveport. One loop and one roll were plenty for me before I was ready to get my feet back on the ground. Makes for some nice images though.

New Press Arrives

2010-04-16T08:57:00.001-06:00

A once in a lifetime event is currently happening here in Shreveport at The Times.
The first pieces of a new $15.6 million Berliner press are being installed in the new 38,000-square-foot printing plant

When it is up and running the reconditioned WIFAG OF 790 press it will be the third to be used in the states. The current press in use is 49 years old.

Clowns Come to Town

2010-03-30T14:55:00.005-06:00

Fire

2010-03-06T15:34:00.007-06:00

Win Some Lose Some

2010-03-04T10:15:00.006-06:00

Below is about all I managed to get after staking out the courthouse waiting for the arrival of Gregory Frazier who is accused of having sex with several female students while he was a softball coach at Parkway High School and Southwood High School. I waited, and waited, but he either didnt show or snuck in the one entrance I couldn't see. Of the three possibilities, I chose to "stake out" the location where I could see two of the entrances. Contrary to popular belief, I can only be in one place at one time. You win some you lose some. This is, however, the only time I wish I could have a marked car. One of the guys who patrols the downtown area handing out tickets once told me he doesn't put them on media vehicles that are clearly marked. I drive my own vehicle. Doesn't do me much good. Another $10 down the drain. unless of course I procrastinate until it turns into $25 parking ticket...again.

Those crazy kids!

2010-02-16T15:15:00.001-06:00

Love That Mardi Gras!!

2010-02-12T16:29:00.007-06:00

Love Those Country Roads

2010-01-27T13:52:00.008-06:00

Took a trip on LA highway 154 and here is some of what I saw.

2010-01-17T13:32:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I had to shoot the visit of Max from Disney's The Wizards of Waverly Place to the World of Wheels car show at Shreveport Convention Center. I was amazed at the number of people there to meet him. One girl solved the problem of having nobody to take a photo of herself with Max by whipping out her cell phone and doing it herself.

Daddy's #1!

2010-01-04T15:19:00.005-06:00

My daughter and I sing a song titled "Daddy's Number 1!", which makes this my new favorite image from a season of games at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Bulldog Powers – ACTIVATE!

2009-12-29T14:33:00.002-06:00

I first thought my flash card was going bad then I wondered if aliens were involved on this hit on a Texas A&M player.

A few plays later it happened again, only in a different area of the photograph. I turned around the 300mm lens and found my answer. I was using one of our pool lenses that has been dropped, leaving a big chip in the bottom of the front element that has not been replaced.

Under normal conditions the lens works fine, only a vague notice of fuzz in the bottom area of the image that would never be detected, especially with our reproduction.

Tonight was different though, I was shooting the third quarter of the Independence Bowl under the stadium lights without a lens shade................ it is broken also.

The glare of the lights changed the path and caused some pretty cool "glare".
So much for the alien conspiracy theory.

Rest in Peace Chief Adams

2009-12-25T17:13:00.003-06:00

A few days ago I was assigned to cover the Memorial Service for Battalion Chief Tommy Lee Adams at Summer Grove Baptist Church.

I couldn't tell you how many funerals and memorial services I have covered over my 19 years in Shreveport and at various other newspapers across the country. This time it was different, this time it was for someone whom I call a friend.

I met Tommy a decade or so ago while working on a story about the local Life Air Rescue. We flew multiple times over a period of about a week or so while I photographed the project. He was always friendly and outgoing.

Over the years since the project I have run into him at assignment, events or activites around town. I don't think I every saw him without a smile on his face, laughing, or giving me a pat on the back asking me how I was doing.

He was a great person and it has been a privilege and an honor to know him.

My deepest condolences go out to his family.

Decisions, Decisions

2009-12-16T08:46:00.004-06:00

This image represents one of the most difficult tasks we have as photojournalists...editing. I photographed this gentleman as he described to a reporter what he saw when he witnessed a 17-year-old girl gunned down in front of her high school before the start of classes one morning. He was visibly shaken and described the incident as "an attempted execution".

So should we go with image (1) where he is wiping tears away from his face? The action is literal and there would be no issues with reproduction which may be the issue with image (2). The second image is the most striking of the four, but with the age of our press, we have to be concerned about whether or not readers will even be able to see the tears. Image (3) kind of combines more than one emotion...you can see him welling up with tears, but he almost has a look of disgust on his face. And finally, image (4) is more of an overall including more information about the scene with a police vehicle and school bus in the background.

The verdict...image (2).

Innocence

2009-12-16T08:32:00.001-06:00

There's just something pure and innocent about a kid with a finger in his nose...completely oblivious to the world (and camera) around him and without a care in the world. Must be nice.

Merry Christmas from the Photo Department!

2009-12-13T20:55:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Midnight Drive with the Cops Reporter

2009-12-12T00:19:00.003-06:00

Today, as I was about to go home for the night, a call came over the scanner about a fire at Canaan Towers apartments in Shreveport's Allendale neighborhood. Me and night cops reporter Kelsey McKinney headed out. The situation turned out to be minor, so during the 5-minute drive back to the paper I decided to play around with the ISO settings on my new D700. I cranked it up to 6400 and started randomly shooting away.

Mardi Gras Already?

2009-12-11T22:22:00.004-06:00

This coming Mardi Gras will be my fifth in Louisiana, but I still sometimes have problems getting used to it being a huge holiday. The season begins with Twelfth Night soon after Christmas, which means we are already beginning to take Mardi Gras shots here at the paper. My first came today, when the captains from the krewes of Gemini and Harambee came to the photo studio.

Maggio Grocery

2009-12-10T19:57:00.005-06:00

I started a new photo story yesterday. It is on Maggio Grocery in Bossier City, which is one of the only neighborhood stores left in the city. It has been in the same family for many years. Check back soon for an audio slide show.

Shooting the Scoreboard

2009-12-10T19:35:00.007-06:00

I usually have no idea what assignments I'll have before I roll into work everyday. Sometimes they lead to awesome, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Sometimes, I get to shoot the scoreboard at an area high school. This was a scoreboard-at-an-area-high-school kind of day.

"A bear just passed us"

2009-12-09T15:03:00.002-06:00

I Shot an assignment this morning with students from Eighty-First Street Early Childhood Education Center during a Christmas gathering with residents at The Glen Retirement System in Shreveport. My favorite photo from the assignment was of Zipper and Connor, both therapy dogs for residents, who were patiently waiting for the kids to arrive.

It was chilly and some of the workers were dressed up as Elves and went outside to greet the 180 or so kids arriving by bus. As the end of the group walked into the building I heard one of the kids say "A bear just passed us". The elves looked at each other and I looked at the elves. Everyone confused, especially me without my elf costume.

Then I saw the woman who just had walked by us while entering the building...............wearing a full length fur coat!

It made my day.

Cock-a-doodle-doo

2009-12-03T14:22:00.003-06:00

Just back from an assignment in Gilliam, Louisiana at Logan Farms. Not much going on today because of the wet fields but that sure didn't stop Mr. Rooster from crowing while I stood by his home. My boots ended up with about 2 inches of mud after walking out into the muddy field for a portrait.

Irony

2009-11-20T14:16:00.001-06:00

Just a bit of irony while on assignment shooting at a house at 1212 Sprague St. in Shreveport where five homicides occurred in a three-year time span.

All Smiles

2009-11-20T08:28:00.003-06:00

On first look you might not think that being homeless would be much to smile about, but that didnt stop volunteers and participants in the 15th annual Operation Stand Down Healthcare and Services Fair for the homeless in Northwest Louisiana at First United Methodist Church in Shreveport from smiling. And trust me, I didnt ask them to smile...they were asking me for photos.

Helicopter of the Week

2009-11-13T15:25:00.000-06:00

Veterans Day

2009-11-12T10:34:00.002-06:00

You just cant beat a good flag photo. Great photos to be made at a memorial service at Southwood High School.

Shattered Saturday

2009-11-07T16:19:00.003-06:00

Art Nerio, a photographer for KTAL in Shreveport, got a good story this morning while on assignment shooting some bicycles along Highland Ave. A rock was kicked up from a passing car and shattered the filter on his DVCPro video camera.

Give the guy a raise, sure a $50 filter is nothing compared to a new lens on a professional tv camera!

Ingenuity...sort of.

2009-11-02T13:43:00.002-06:00

I called it "ghetto"...I'm sure they call it ingenuity...but in the end, whatever gets the job done. Here we have local media taping mics and recorders to a single light stand before the start of a press conference at the Office of Emergency Preparedness in Bossier City.

Dedication

2009-11-02T13:41:00.001-06:00

With all of the weather and flooding we've been having lately, the true dedication of journalists come out when we have to make our way through flood waters to get the story. Here we have Times reporter Drew Pierson making his way through some water in south Bossier City.

Halloween 2009

2009-10-29T14:53:00.000-06:00

Why We Use Filters

2009-10-27T15:07:00.002-06:00

I was sent to cover Bossier Parish inmates sandbagging in response to rising levels on the Red Chute Bayou. I knew right away my nice clean tennis shoes were going to get muddy, so I was pleased when we got to shoot on the road along the levee. That meant limited mud...or so I thought. EVerything was dry and clean until one of the inmates dropped a bag of sand as they passed it down the line...splash! I was covered in mud splatter. You Saints fans in the area will be thrilled to know my Cowboys pullover was hit...my clothes and my gear! But, that's why we use a UV filter on our lenses...it's nothing but a piece of glass but it kept mud off the front element!

2009-10-15T19:21:00.003-06:00

Just for fun.

PAN vs BLUR

2009-10-14T07:19:00.004-06:00

This post is dedicated to the students from my sports photography class last semester at BPCC. We had a section on different techniques to use, and we spent a class and assignment talking about panning and blurring techniques. I was looking for something a bit different at my high school football game assignment between Loyola and Northwood, so I tried the two techniques as the Loyola players came onto the field at the opening of the game.

(ISO:800 f7.1 1/10)

The above is an example of the blur technique. For this technique, the camera stays in a fixed position and a slow shutter speed is used to capture the image. The key to this particular image was the use of my flash with my setting on rear curtain sync. Put plainly, that means the flash fires at the end of the exposure rather the the beginning. If it was set on normal, the flash would have fired early and the effect would have come out looking as though the player was running backwards.

(ISO:800 f3.2 1/40)
This image is an example of panning. For this technique, you move your camera and follow along with the player as he moves. The background is what blurs and the player stays sharp...at least in theory. It's a bit harder than it looks sometimes, so let's just say I was happy to get a keeper.

Free Ad

2009-10-07T14:11:00.000-06:00

Anyone guess where this press conference was held?

Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned!

2009-10-01T12:20:00.001-06:00

BCFD Fire Prevention Bureau Asst. Chief J.P. Phillips gets some "rabbit ears" from Sparky the Fire Dog while talking to kids during the Bossier City Fire Department's annual fire safety program at Meadowview Elementary School. This year’s theme is “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned!”

Picturesque Football

2009-09-28T11:17:00.004-06:00

Did you notice the sunset and clouds last Friday evening?

I noticed them walking up to cover the Loyola vs. Lakeside game but couldn't have imagined just how beautiful the sunset would become as the game progressed.

Kids, Elephants and Clowns

2009-09-25T13:55:00.000-06:00

You just cant go wrong at the circus.

I-20 Accident

2009-09-24T09:58:00.000-06:00

One of the things I dislike the most to photograph are accidents.......even worse are accidents on the interstate. Wednesday morning I went to an accident on I-20 involving a tractor trailer and another vehicle. To avoid the likely traffic jam I took to the city streets and ended up finding the accident above Kings Hwy. It was also good to find that the "major accident" turned out be have minor injuries according to SPD.

2009-09-22T17:51:00.005-06:00

Taking a drive on 3049

Artsy Bird

2009-09-16T14:05:00.002-06:00

I LOVE dogs!!!!!

2009-09-15T18:30:00.002-06:00

The Robinson’s Rescue Yappy Birthday Celebration was so much fun!!

Quote Machine

2009-09-04T14:30:00.001-06:00

Louisiana State Penitentiary warden Burl Cain is a quote MACHINE. He spouts off what his staffers refer to as "Cain-isms" left and right. My favorite from a trip to Angola and the prison's death row facility...when asked about some of his memories of executions and offenders, Cain recalled the inmate whose last words were, "Tell my lawyer he's fired."

Friday Night Football

2009-08-31T13:43:00.000-06:00

Priceless

2009-08-29T01:53:00.003-06:00

$900.00/oz for gold ---

One high school roster in hand........priceless!

2009 Football Tab

2009-08-26T07:31:00.003-06:00

I shot an image for the 2009 High School Football Tab...not an easy shot considering I wanted something using lighting and I was trying to overpower a 4:00 Louisiana afternoon sun, not to mention I just dont have enough gear to light four players in a spread out configuration! Fix: plant the camera on a tripod, shot each player individually, and merge the images using layers in PhotoShop. If you're a "purist", you wont like the technique. Me? I prefer to use all the tools available to me. PhotoShop included.

Night-blooming Cereus

2009-08-21T13:13:00.002-06:00

A Night-blooming Cereus, a member of the Cactus Family, in bloom at 2am recently in my garden.

Model Town: How To

2009-08-20T12:45:00.003-06:00

The secret is in the vantage point....from above!

With the right image, you can create a tiny scale models with this faux tilt-shift technique in PhotoShop.

1. Create a duplicate layer.
2. Blur the layer. Works best if you use the Lens Blur option under Filter/Blur, but you can use the Gaussian Blur technique too.
3. Create a Layer Mask on the blurred layer. Click the Gradient Tool and select the Reflected Gradient option.
4. Click and drag your mouse from a section in the upper portion of the image and drag it down a few inches and voila! The sharp image below will be revealed and suddenly the optical illusion tricks your eyes into seeing a tiny model town!

Check out a slideshow of more tilt-shift images from around town.

Baby Photography 101

2009-08-14T12:04:00.001-06:00

Each month I get to photograph a youngster for the cover of Red River Moms. Most of the time it works out well, sometimes not so well as was the case this week.

Amaya Hill who is 4 months-old arrived with mom and was very sweet.............................until we started making photographs. I'm not sure if she woke up on the wrong side of the crib, if she was hungry, if she was tired or maybe she just didn't like my baby talk. Whatever the problem, it quickly stopped each time she got her pacifier in her mouth. The only problem with the pacifier is that it basically covered about a quarter of her cute little face.

It took a while but we finally made a couple of nice shots in between the frowns and faces and everyone got to go home and take a nap.

Recycle (?)

2009-08-14T07:51:00.003-06:00

Trash-o-saurus at the Sci-Port Discovery Center...finally a good use for my trash.

Eye on McDonalds

2009-08-07T13:14:00.002-06:00

2009-08-05T13:25:00.006-06:00

I got to see Journey in concert for my job, well at least for the first three song. I love my job sometimes!!!

(EHS) Extremely Huge Shoes

2009-07-31T08:26:00.004-06:00

I think I have found the smallest chairs in Shreveport while on assignment recently at the Caddo Community Action Agency Alphonse Jackson Jr. Early Head Start Center in Shreveport. The photo if of my shoes next to the mini chairs for kids at the facility where I also made a cool photo of Ty'Trevion Robinson reading his book.

2009-07-29T14:09:00.005-06:00

Went to a neighborhood in Bossier to photograph, it was a great day with great people.

The Boss

2009-07-24T14:25:00.003-06:00

I finally got a multimedia piece together consisting of stills, audio and a few little time-lapse snippets of MMA fighter Chad Leonhardt.

Guess Who?

2009-07-17T09:37:00.002-06:00

Team Tennis

2009-07-15T13:27:00.004-06:00

You'd think dozens of kids playing in the USTA Tennis Team Championships would be an easy assignment. Everywhere you look there's tennis going on. But when you actually get in there to do it, it turns out to be quite a task. Because you're roaming from court to court, you dont get the opportunity to get a feel for how certain players perform. When you know someone or have the chance to watch them, you begin to notice things about how they play...a tongue sticking out, odd form, cool shoes, funny faces, and so on. In addition, while I was roaming, I seemed to stop at a court, get settled into a position to shoot only to have a game or set end and the players take a break, leaving me standing there looking like a fool. Add those factors plus the fact that it's just plain hot, and it makes getting lots of shots a challenge.

You da man!

2009-07-10T14:59:00.004-06:00

James Mitchell is my hero...Mitchell was being robbed at gunpoint by three masked men at his business just after midnight, and I guess he was ready, because, regardless of having a gun on him at the time, Quick Draw McGraw pulled out his .40 semi-automatic from his back pocket and got off two shots, hitting the guy with the gun in the stomach! You da man, James Mitchell.

Below Mitchell explains how one of the robbers returned moments after the incident with his hands in the air, asking if he could retrieve his cell phone...huh? Idiot.

2009-07-09T12:29:00.003-06:00

Shock Top Belgian White, Guinness and Shiner Bock beer taps at the CMT Crossroads bar inside of Horseshoe Casino and Hotel in Bossier City.

Independence Day

2009-07-04T23:59:00.005-06:00

The 4th of July at Riverview Park.

City Swim Meet

2009-07-03T08:29:00.002-06:00

Purple Hull Pea Harvest

2009-06-30T14:04:00.004-06:00

I spent part of the morning shooting Bossier Parish inmates picking buckets and buckets of purple hull peas in northern Bossier Parish that are used to feed the inmate population.

I had to smile when I overheard one of the inmates sweating in the sun say, "I hate peas, then Germain Smith told me, "this is my 15 minutes of fame" as I shot a photo of him silhouetted in the hot sun. But the best was a comment from another inmate a few rows over who said, "they feed us too much bologna."

It's Still Hot!

2009-06-26T11:54:00.002-06:00

2009-06-26T09:22:00.001-06:00

The Pork Belly Project will perform at the Bollywood events in July.

2009-06-22T14:39:00.007-06:00

I loved this little boy when he made such a funny face while eating his ice cream!!!

News Flash

2009-06-18T13:34:00.002-06:00

It is hot outside today!

Cyber Symposium

2009-06-16T15:07:00.005-06:00

I was not really excited with my assignment today at the third annual Air Force Cyberspace Symposium. The event opened today at the Shreveport Convention Center with Air Force Cyber folks and a good sized crowd of international and national attendees. This is not a visual event, although they did have the stage lit pretty nice there are only so many option with podium shots. I opted for the exhibition hall and "made" a couple of nice photos that told the story.

Focus

2009-06-12T16:00:00.004-06:00

It happened very fast but I was able to get off several frames focusing on the rider and the horse during summer camp. Jessica Fiser, 6, reacted as horse "made faces" during the last day of the GREAT (Great Results Assisted Therapies, Inc.) program's Camp Victory in Greenwood, Louisiana. I went with the rider because the camp is about kids.......but the face of the horse is pretty interesting.

2009-06-12T12:21:00.006-06:00

Had a great day when I went out to the country and photographed people picking blueberries at Hillcrest Blueberry Farm. Okay, yes I admit it, I had a few blueberries myself.

Field Sobriety Tests

2009-06-12T07:35:00.007-06:00

I photographed law enforcement officials training to give field sobriety tests. The best way to learn to detect the signs of intoxication is to observe someone who is intoxicated, so training instructors enlist the help of volunteers from Barksdale Air Force Base to drink alcohol. From watching the volunteers, all of whom were pretty young guys, I gather that most were happy to volunteer for the assignment. Over a three hour time period they drank between no alcohol to one airman who consumed 11 shots of Jim Beam. I think I'd still be hospitalized after that. Even though no one was "falling down drunk" and composed themselves pretty well all things considered, it was a fun assignment and amusing to watch some of them walk a line.

Baby Birds

2009-06-11T13:25:00.004-06:00

Recently I noticed a bird nest complete with baby birds in a hanging plant in my yard. My guess is that they are some baby house finches, from the colors of one of the adults that feeds them. A new "neighborhood" cat has also been wandering around the yard.......hmmm.

Bistineau Salvinia

2009-06-08T13:20:00.010-06:00

A few days ago I took another trip to Lake Bistineau to photograph the invasive Giant Salvinia that has taken over many areas of the lake. Although I went to a different part of the lake about a year ago, the section I was in this year looked nearly the same with Salvinia everywhere. It was so thick that as soon as our boat passed through and the water stopped moving the Salvinia just floated back to form a solid cover of green over the water.

I'm guessing that LDWF is doing some testing because and area known as "Tidus Arm" was surrounded by floating barriers that actually seemed to keep the floating plant at least "contained" in that area.

I liked the blurred image of Richard Lindsey, owner of Crappie Buster Guide Service, speeding through the "green" water, but also wish the Salvinia would have been around when I stopped to shoot a fisherman standing on the front of his boat.

Something needs to be done or the area lakes and ponds filled with the Salvinia will not fit appropriately into Louisiana's nickname of Sportsman's Paradise.

Turtle of the Week

2009-06-05T14:04:00.003-06:00

mmmmmm....

2009-06-04T08:56:00.005-06:00

During an assignment covering Ruston as a destination spot, reporter Maggie Martin and I visited several spots...peach farm, dairy farm, gift shops, etc. The best by far was the Blue Lite Cafe. It's an old house with home cookin'. Everyone in the area knows about it and swears by it. It sounds cliche, but the fried chicken reminded me of my Grandmomma. And the peach cobbler. Good Lord. I dont even like peach cobbler much, but head cook Nina VenZant made a masterpiece! She says the secret is in letting it cook for a long time so the peaches get good and soft. The next time my Pops comes to visit his granddaughter, I'll gladly take him on an hour drive to Ruston for lunch at the Blue lite cafe for home cooking and peach cobbler...he'll be in Heaven.

Peach Cobbler

BEFORE

AFTER

McCarthy, Alaska

2009-06-03T13:39:00.006-06:00

We went to an old mining town in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park called McCarthy. The last part of this trip took us 60 miles down an unmaintained gravel road. We were warned to take a spare - some people even went as far as to say that we WOULD get a flat tire. The road turned out not to be that bad as long as we took it slow, and the difficulties were well worth it. We saw fish wheels along the way, which folks build to scoop up salmon swimming upriver to spawn. The town of McCarthy was great. You had to walk across two foot bridges to get there, and the only things in it were a small hotel, a restaurant, a bar, and a flight-seeing company. Visiting was one of the highlights of the trip.

For the Love of Water

2009-06-01T18:19:00.005-06:00

I have been photographing water parks in Shreveport. It is great fun because there are a tons of expressions to get when people get wet!!!

Kenai Peninsula

2009-06-01T11:47:00.006-06:00

The Kenai Peninsula has been one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. We went to Homer and Seward, which are both interesting little coastal towns. I ate fresh Halibut in Seward, and it was delicious. The highlight of this portion of the trip was hiking up to the edge of the Exit Glacier.

The Arctic Circle

2009-06-01T11:37:00.006-06:00

The Arctic Circle is about 200 miles north of Fairbanks. To get there you have to take an mostly unpaved, not-so-well maintained road officially called the Dalton Highway but commonly called the Haul Road. It goes all the way north to Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay, but we stopped at the Arctic Circle because the prospect of multiple flat tires and a broken windshield did not sit well with us. It was still quite an adventure.

The North Pole

2009-05-28T11:12:00.006-06:00

Santa Claus does indeed live at the North Pole. I saw his house. Actually, it is in a town called North Pole, which is just outside Fairbanks. Inside is a Christmas store complete with Santa chair. I guess even the big guy needs time off, because he wasn't there. There is a huge statue of him out in front of the adjacent Santa Land RV Park.

End of the Road ... Sort of

2009-05-27T09:28:00.005-06:00

We made it to Delta Junction, Alaska, which is officially the end of the Alaska Highway. I've gone 5,215 miles since I pulled out of my driveway in Shreveport a week and a half ago. We got in about 9:30 at night, set up camp, and then began to explore the tiny town. We took photos in front of the historic milepost marking the end of the highway, and then went to a local bar called Buffalo Lodge and played some pool. By the time we headed out of there and got back to camp after midnight, it was still light out and showing no signs of letting up. I went to bed at 1:30am ... still pretty bright. It really messes with your body's time clock, but it is amazing nonetheless. Now that we've finished the main objective of our trip, it is on to Fairbanks, the Arctic Circle and Denali National Park, among other Alaska locations.

Alaska or Bust!

2009-05-25T17:19:00.009-06:00

I'm currently writing this from Whitehorse, which is in Canada's Yukon Territory. I have driven 4,697 miles since I left Shreveport on May 16. By combining furlough and vacation, I have a month off in which to drive to Alaska and back. Part of this trip takes me along the Alaska Highway, which starts in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and officially ends in Delta Junction, Alaska. I picked up my friend Justina in Portland and we are camping the entire way. Internet connections are few and far between, but I will update when I can. Here are some photos from our adventures so far.

Veterans Remembered

2009-05-25T13:07:00.003-06:00

Mary Jones, from Blanchard, brought a photograph of her late brother. Ira Sanders, a U.S. Army veteran of WWII, to the 32nd Annual Memorial Day Program held Monday May 25, 2009 at the Amphitheater in Hill Crest Memorial Park in Haughton, Louisiana.

Mudbug Madness

2009-05-21T14:02:00.008-06:00

Today marked the 19th year (I think) that I have shot the Mudbug Madness Festival. I am happy to report that today was NOT the hottest day that I have been to the festival and for that I am thankful.

I enjoyed the Fricassee Cajun Band that performed before and after the celebrity crawfish competition during today's opening day of the 26th annual Mudbug Madness festival in Festival Plaza. It was also nice to see quite a few folks up and dancing to the music.

Would you like fries with that ketchup?

Baseball MVPs

2009-05-21T12:27:00.006-06:00

Baseball All-City Player of the Year - pitcher Bronson Gillam of Evangel (bottom) and Baseball All-City Coach of the Year - coach Tim Hulett of Evangel.

Opening Day..........for me!

2009-05-20T14:15:00.008-06:00

A new scoreboard, a well manicured field and beautiful weather all came together for the Shreveport Captains game against the Grand Prairie AirHogs. I had a great time but seemingly not as well as all of the D.A.R.E. kids at the game.

2009-05-20T12:31:00.005-06:00

Last week I spent some time in Gibsland to get ready for the Bonnie and Clyde Festival in May. Gibson is less than 10 miles from the spot where Bonnie and Clyde were shot to death on May 23, 1934. The small town is filled with great characters and I had a blast.

What a Difference a Doctor Makes

2009-05-14T13:02:00.005-06:00

Ok, so Crisla Yosep Pie had SEVERAL doctors on her case. But her transformation is amazing. I photographed her during a press conference today. Pretty smile, confidence. The doctors at Christus Schumpert did an amazing job removing a tumor from her face.
Read the story.

Before

After

Red River Rising

2009-05-13T13:52:00.011-06:00

I spent some time this morning documenting the rising waters in the Red River from recent rains.

I have shot the same thing multiple times over the years so I was a bit concerned about finding something new and different. Needless to say I was surprised that I actually made a couple of nice photos of the flooding including a dead snake floating near the parking lot at the Stoner Boat Launch. I'm guessing a Water Moccasin, but don't know for sure?

Hopefully the area won't see any more record-setting rainfalls in the near future like Monday when Shreveport broke a 55-year record with at least 2.64 inches of rain at the airport. The old record for the date was 1.96 inches.

The Red River in Shreveport/Bossier is expected to reach the 30-foot flood stage later this week.

No Time !

2009-05-08T13:13:00.005-06:00

I was surprised with the softball MVPs photo assignment. I didnt have any time to think it over, and after being held up at another assignment, they were all waiting for me when I walked in the door at the office so we could get some shots in the studio...not bad for no prep time and no time to think it over!
For the record, that's six different photographs...one of both MVPs and a coach...Player of the YearEmily-Rousseau of Evangel (from left), Coach of the Year-Sherilyn Mueller of Evangel, and Pitcher of the Year-Rachel Howell of Airline. The shots on the bottom were shot with three lights-a softbox above and two bare strobes on each side and behind the subject. Here's one of those bottom shots up close...

Good Ol' U.S. of A.

2009-05-08T13:11:00.005-06:00

Came across this at Barksdale Air Force Base while covering the Blue Angels' arrival. I just like the look of it. We dont play.

Frustration

2009-05-07T13:59:00.003-06:00

I have been to the First United Methodist Church in downtown Shreveport dozens and dozens and dozens of times for various assignments over the years. The stained glass is quite interesting and since it is a church they certainly have a lot of different pieces.

For some reason I found a window today that I have not noticed before. I tried to use that window and make a silhouette during the National Day of Prayer Service but I just couldn't get all of the elements to fall into place. I spent a lot of the service working this angle but it just would not work the way I had planned. The photo that I tried to make would not win any awards but it was just a nice shot and a shot that I have not made before.

The above photograph of another window that I shot during the service is similar to what I was trying to capture today, but not as nice.

I guess the "newly found" stained glass will have to wait for my next visit to the church.

Caution ... Africanized Bees?

2009-05-04T18:00:00.002-06:00

I saw this sign while driving near Wallace Lake south of Shreveport today. Can't say I've ever come across a warning quite like it ...

Lacrosse Rocks

2009-05-03T15:40:00.004-06:00

I hardly ever get to shoot lacrosse. I don't even really know a lot about the game. As a young boy while living in Virginia I got to go to a bunch of box lacrosse games. Box lacrosse if you don't know is kinda like arena football is to football. So I am familiar but only covering a handful of lacrosse games here leaves me wanting more. Tho I will admit I like shooting ANY SPORT as long as it's during the day and it's semi sunny. SO I was excited to shoot the finals of the LHSLL 2009 State Lacrosse Championships game between Loyola and Jesuit. I thought the rain was going to mess up our plans and the morning photographer was going to shoot the game, but I lucked out and the start time changed back to 1pm. Anyway it was a great game, both teams put up a heck of a fight. My favorite play was in the final minute of the game and it was a hit gone wrong by a young Jesuit player. You had to be there but it was like a VW bug hitting a brick wall. The LHSLL put on a great tournament and I hope it's back here next year.

Kitty Rescue

2009-05-03T11:28:00.005-06:00

I had to take pictures of a woman at Linwood Baptist Church in Shreveport this morning. When I arrived she wasn't there yet, but there was a lot of excitement nonetheless. Some cats were trapped inside a bathroom wall and they were meowing like crazy. Nobody could figure out how they got in there, and the pastor and a group of other folks had to completely rip apart the wall to save them. First they rescued a tiny kitten, followed shortly by its mother, who was wedged tightly upside-down behind some boards.

BAFB Training

2009-05-01T15:00:00.004-06:00

I went to Barksdale Air Force Base this morning to take photos of a MARE (Major Accident Response Exercise) drill they were having in preparation for next week's air show. Hundreds of people were involved, from those who had to pretend to be injured to firefighters and other first responders.

Today

2009-04-29T12:45:00.005-06:00

Daily assignments certainly cover a wide range of topics. This morning I started with the 2009 Real Estate Trends Conference that was held at the Shreveport Convention Center. Not exactly a visually exciting opportunity since most all of the lights were off for a Powerpoint presentation.

Next up, head way out to Caddo Parish where at The Department of Environmental Quality and Caddo Parish Sheriff Department were investigating the area where 19 cows died last evening on property adjacent to a natural gas drilling location.

Renaissance Faire

2009-04-24T13:50:00.005-06:00

Students at Caddo Middle Magnet School really enjoyed themselves on Friday as they dressed in period costume and took part in dozens of games, ate food, and generally did as kids do. I had almost as much fun watching them as they had...especially at the Dragon’s Nostril’s booth where they ate donuts hanging from string without using their hands.