Wrestlemania

OK, many of you might recognize this as a total rip-off from a piece Preston Gannaway did here a while back...and not a very good one at that! But I covered my first Concord High School wrestling tournament of the season the other night, and it is a nice little treat to have the spot-light thing going on. So, here's my first go around at wrestling...

Dame School ESL Program

A few weeks ago, Meg Heckman, a reporter at the Monitor (also coincidentally my roommate) and I did a story about a special ESL program that one of the local elementary schools has started up. Dame School, which seems to get a large portion of the refugee student population, received a grant from the state, and has since created this program that teaches not only English language vocabulary but also social skills. I challenged myself to create a little SoundSlides piece, which was a bit tricky having only spent an hour in the class and having one interview Meg and I did with the teachers. Nonetheless, you can watch it here: Otherwise, this is my favorite image from the day....

Last Weekend

Old friends, a horse-drawn carriage ride, and a Shaker-style xmas - what more could you ask for?



Ron ran 40 miles on his 40th birthday to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute. It was freezing and snowy all morning - I joined the crew for about 3/4 of a mile of their run, and have the utmost respect for them for even getting to mile 4 - congrats!

G-Money...3 Different Ways

It is entirely possible that I had far too much fun photographing said G-Money, a hip-hop artist from Pittsfield, NH, at the barn-converted-to-studio that he records at. (Only those of you who truly know the local New Hampshire landscape will fully appreciate these images...)

welcoming winter

patches of ice are forming on the lakes...
my windshield in the morning - i don't want to talk about it
water meets earth
at least some people can find ways to make fun out of the snow...

Football

As the fall sports season is winding down (I promise, I'm not TOO excited!) the stakes are getting higher for the teams still in it. On Saturday I covered a rainy, muddy, all-American style football game, which reminded me how far away my recent travels took me. Nonetheless, I had a blast covering it. I don't think the teams were quite as thrilled about playing in the slop, but for me it was visual field day. Here are a few of my favorites - and luckily I'll get one more go-around on the high school football circuit this Saturday at the State Championships. Let's see what the weather can throw at us this time (please not snow though...)

since I've been back...

Don't worry, I'm not skipping over all my stuff from Nigeria and Rwanda - I'm simply still wading through the editing process. I hope to get some more stuff from my travels up here soon, and definitely onto my website. So stay tuned...

In the meantime, here are two images from my first week back in Concord. It was a bit of a fuzzy transition, and I think I am just now starting to feel all pieced back together.

high school girls get together for a pickup game of hockey

Fred Dawes has decided, at 80-so-odd years of age, to establish a credit union in his home town of Webster, NH in order to loan out small sums of money to local families who are feeling the current crunch of the economy. He also lives in a beautiful house located on Lake Winnepocket, which happens to reflect quite nicely on his out-facing windows...

Hill Station Hotel, Jos Nigeria

The High Plateau State - a land of many adventures. Here are two images from the hotel we called home while in Jos...

Airport Adventures

As many of you know, I am about to embark on a new adventure - this time in the form of a trip for a non-profit organization I work for, Between Four Eyes, to Nigeria and Rwanda. I will be documenting a number of workshops and conferences, as well as the daily life of the communities we are visiting. I feel so blessed to be given the humbling opportunity to travel to Africa again, and intersect with truly inspiring people...

To make a long story short, I've had an unexpected 7 hours to kill at JFK, needless to say I am bored and ready to get on the plane. So here are a few "farewell" images - I'm hoping for some intermittent internet from afar, and will do my best to post a few updates. If nothing else I'll aim for a return "airport bathroom portrait" for contrast, although in reality I already look pretty disheveled.

Thanks to all the encouraged support and excitement that has come from my friends and family in helping me prepare for this journey. I can't wait to share stories upon my return in mid-November. Health and happiness to everyone while I'm away!

OIL

With the cold months soon upon us and gas prices (and the economy, for that matter) in the shape it's in, we all know winter is going to put a strain on the wallets. One family in Concord , seen here, is aware that "it's going to be a hard Christmas this year." Who's to say what's next on the global economic front - I just know that thinking about families being cold and strapped for cash is a sad, sad thing...

We Appreciate You

Did I mention that New Hampshire is gorgeous in the fall?

One of the local apple orchards hosted a Military Appreciation Day, to remind those who serve our country (and their families!) that their honorable work is deeply respected.

Perfect day for a wedding

not that marriage is ANYWHERE on my own radar, but an early October day in New Hampshire seems quite the perfect setting...

I'd be tired too

if I had just finished running a 5K through a wet, muddy, hilly course. I hope he had a nice, restful ride home...

A Tribute

this photo goes up not because I think it's particularly great, but because someone else thought so. I received a very thoughtful email from a Concord resident in response to this photo - she felt it showed the fire fighters at their best, and was an honorable representation. In the hectic world of spot news I believe it's important to take pause, and think about these individuals we're photographing - risking their lives to help others. Anyhow, this goes up as a thank you and sincere recognition to the dedication Concord Fire Department.

Deerfield Fair Portraits

Speaking of challenges, and things I've been wanting to work an improve on, we come to lit portraiture. Not sure how successful any of them are, but I had a hell of a time going out there to do it. The fair folk are such a dynamic, interesting bunch, and I hope I've done them justice...

High School Sports

So, fall is here - and with the beautiful season comes the phenomenon of high school fall sports. Admittedly, sports shooting is one of my weaker areas, and in need of some improvement. After a recent conversation with my new photo editor Alex Cohn, I've thought about seeing each sporting event as its own 90 minute (or so) story. When do things arc in that story? When is there tension? Excitement? Disappointment? Look at the shapes peoples' bodies are creating. Find light and wait for an explosive moment to happen there. So, here's to trying to turn it up and bring a different outlook to high school sports - stay tuned and hopefully see better things to come...

Fair Setup

Getting ready for the Deerfield Fair - all animals welcome.

Arts Market...

decisions, decisions, decisions...

Weird...

A hot air balloon lands in a cemetery, and the best part of the scenario is that the driver of the balloon keeps incessantly telling me "it's just standard procedure." So when air conditions change and the balloon is ready to come down, ANY semi-open space will do....I think this kid was on my page.

How I Saw NASCAR

So this weekend I covered my first NASCAR race - in fact my first pro-sporting event of any kind. It was a pretty hectic, overwhelming atmosphere, but exciting nonetheless. Most of these photos didn't go to the paper, but this is what I took away personally. I was intrigued by the fans and "fringe" surrounding the race...and the rain!