Play ball

In the nice light. I think I'm going to start working harder between innings. It was a lot of fun this evening.

Portfolio, Singles

Guests in devil horns and halos watch as the birthday girl dances with a hired drag queen at a Valentine's-themed party in Chelsea neighborhood of New York.


Sadie McMillan watches her horse move across a field outside her Ronan, Mont., home with her dog, Duchess, in tow.


Vanderbilt University students dance to their own beat during a silent disco to raise money for Haiti relief efforts, following the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake.


Sequoyah High School Air Force JROTC cadets practice in the Ridgeland High School parking lot for the armed exhibition event at a regional competition in Rossville, Ga.


Central High School freshman defensive back Michael Frazey looks up to the stands from the sidelines during a fall football game against Brainerd High School in Chattanooga, Tenn. The field was mud from one end to another after weeks of heavy rain and flooding in the region. All games in the district had been canceled Friday night and played Saturday in hopes of better weather.


Scaneateles High School students run into New York's Scaneateles Lake immediately after receiving their diplomas on while friends and family watch from boats on the lake.


Union County, Ky., high school senior Jarrod Burke pushes Ethan Dunn of Louisville’s Moore High School toward the edge of the ring in an overtime period of the fourth consolation round, weight class 171 lbs., match number 715. Burke beat Dunn seven to five in the round. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships in Frankfort brought together 73 high school teams for a three-day elimination tournament last weekend.


Bolivian coca farmers gather in the main square in Coripata, listening to candidates for a post within the newly-formed Ministry of Coca. Representation for the indigenous population has increased following the election of President Evo Morales, stirring up relations with other ethnic groups in the country.


Nineteen-month-old Brooke Tuders stands in front of her extended-stay motel home in Jasper, Tenn., while her brother Austin, 10, plays with a toy gun in the fading light.

Cityscape

Our old in-town outlet mall is making a comeback. An act of desperation on a last minute assignment had me running corner to corner on deadline trying to make a picture. Just when I had given up hope, this lovely red dress strolled through the frame. Perfect, since the article focused on the imminent arrival of three high-end boutiques.

Memorial Day

Flags and pride were on display with the region's generations of military history on Memorial Day. With names printed on the crosses dating back to the Civil War, each tiny town's fallen soldiers remembered indefinitely.

Rain, rain, go away

Chattanooga seems to be drowning slowly. The torrential rains blow in over the ridge and tear open on the unsuspecting town below. This festival on Sunday had the artists bringing their work in and out of the tents over and over again. And the crowds stayed away.

Hope

This Somali man came to Chattanooga as a refugee from Egypt. He was severely burned when a bomb, thrown by police, went off during an election protest at the university in Somalia.
He thought getting treatment would be easy once he got to the U.S., but the price of medical attention here has been prohibitive. This was a great assignment to shoot. A moment of once again believing in the power of the press to accomplish something good. I hope the community rallies to support him.

A day in the wild

Running around Chattanooga in good and bad light alike. Four red-headed children bravely ran through the fountain despite the shade and a cool breeze off the river.
The girls in the middle were outside during recess on the last day of school. They were dreaming of summer and had drawn themselves a house together in sidewalk chalk and made a pool out of a hula hoop.
The last image is a boot camp workout riverside in the sunlight.

Out of the driver's seat

This goes with a post from last week, when I was following a Georgia police officer through his new beat. I have never been in the back seat of a police cruiser, and I was really excited. While the reporter chatted away in the front seat, I was busy taking pictures of myself in the back of the car. After 5 minutes of this, the officer asked if I was "okay back there."
I instantly replied, "Oh, I'm great."
Which was followed by a long pause from the front of the vehicle.
He looked at me through the rear-view mirror and said, "In 14 years, I have never heard that answer come from the back seat of this car."
Maybe it's just that my legs actually fit in the back of the vehicle. I'm sure all of the normal-sized people would be pissed after being crunched up for that long.

Jellyfish on parade

This jellyfish parade to mark the opening of a new exhibit at the aquarium was an adventure. Lots of kids and ribbons everywhere. These elementary school children had the fun props - umbrellas decorated to move like jellyfish as the kids danced to the beat of a local high school marching band. The other group of elementary-aged children had glass picture frames with pictures of glass pieces on display at the aquarium and the local art museum. Not nearly as exciting as these.

Brainerd and east

Just a couple more features from the end of the week. A family outside putting putty into the knots of the new cabinet shelves. The frustrations of learning to ride a bike for the first time. The smaller things in life.

Don't be fooled

It may look tempting in black and white, but it's pretty gross and greasy in color on a plate missing from the high school cafeteria. We were covering this relatively new restaurant for our business section, and the "owners" suddenly decided they weren't quite willing to be labeled as such officially. Too much responsibility, I guess. The younger of the two told me he guessed we just didn't need to do that article after all. Bummer.
Apparently, the business reporter doing the story went there over the weekend with some friends, and ended up walking out after the hostess sat a homeless man next to them and allowed him to open a tab. I guess the smell wasn't too appetizing. As I was standing there in the restaurant, days later, the same thing happened to me. As the reporter pointed out, that's probably not good for business.

Making friends

Not so easy when you're a cop. This poor officer was introducing himself around his new beat and inviting residents to report anything suspicious directly to him. You would not believe how suspicious people were of him. Striking fear in the hearts of many in the name of the law.

Strike No.?

Calhoun High School baseball fans filled the stands, sat in lawn chairs in the grass beyond the dugouts and even watched the home runs sail overhead from cars parked along the outfield fence at a Wednesday afternooon double-header against Heard County.
Just thought I'd throw in a real caption for once.

Oh, the pain

And the joy. This may have been my best moment in soccer. The keeper missed when he was outside of the goal, allowing the guys beneath to sink one and win the region final against the home team. Phew!

Screeching steel

This bird's no featherweight. Made entirely of standard steel, the raptor's is headed to Rock City. Can't wait to photograph it on top of the bluff.
Oh. The artist was pretty cool, too.

Swing

Two perfect games back to back against her own teammate to win the title. I had a hard time toning this in black and white. It was really pretty in color with the dramatic blue and green of the court, 4-columns wide on the front of the sports section.

Here's to Mom

Sweet moments at the open-air market on Mothers Day.

Pit stop

I just picked up my car, two weeks after the accident, and stopped to get gas on my way back to the paper. This group of kids was across from pump 2 trying to fill up a giant innertube. Then they lost their balance, which made the moment. The photo editor called it a nice end to a successful day.

All-day weather hunt

Started outside the aquarium in the rain and ended up sweet-talking my way in with two disgruntled homeowners, one of whom had already kicked a TV crew off his property.

Chew-Chew

The dog park in Chattanooga is punny. The Chattanooga Chew-Chew dog park is almost too much.
Phantom, who weighs more than I do, ran between these two women with his catch and almost ran me over.

Double feature

This was a fun moment. I needed to shift my angle about 10 feet up this sidewalk, occupied by a heron. I walked slowly up the path, and he did as well, though with one eye over his shoulder. The people at the top of the ramp thought it was hysterical.

Catch!

Okay, maybe not the best idea. Who knew the World Record holder for "sheaf toss" lived in Ringgold, Ga.? He demonstrated for me while wearing his grandfather's kilt and, thankfully, more modern britches underneath. I also learned the expression, "the whole nine yards," refers to kilts. Who knew

Happy mothers

These first-graders held a tea and spa day for their mothers this week. Little boys painting fingernails and rubbing lotion gently into their mothers' hands was dear.

Something fishy

This is the president of the Tennessee Aquarium, an incredible non-profit. Has never had his portrait taken. Really nervous, but patient.

Symmetry

Four long-time restaurant employees, with various liberal arts degrees, go out on a limb and open their own fine-dining establishment. Both men facing left are named Nathan.

More swine on the horizon

This school has started sanitizing every child (and parent) that comes through the door in the morning. The problem? They are using Sam's Club hand sanitizer, which a number of sources report to be the only brand on the market to actually increase the number of germs on one's hands. Yikes.