From the Archives: Dow Chemical Spill

Mount Pleasant city firefighters wash off a Isabella County HAZMAT member after coming out of the Dow Science Complex, following a chemical exposure on the third floor that caused the building to be evacuated and closed for most of the day on Friday, Aug. 28.

And here is my "artsy" edit of another photo.



And the Black and White edit of the same photo.


Mount Pleasant city firefighter Sgt. Michael Dunham waits and listens as Steve Smith, the director of public relations at CMU, addresses local media regarding the chemical spill in the Dow Chemical Complex on Friday, Aug. 28.

As shot for CM-Life.

Football Slideshow

So I finally got around to editing all the football photos from the Central Michigan University vs Northern Illinois University football game on Nov. 27th. It was the last home game of the semester, and the last home game for Seniors such as Dan LeFevour. The photo directly below this post is included in the slideshow and was published on page 2B of the sports section.
Also, check out Jake May's blog for his slideshow. All photos shot for CM-Life.

CMU vs NIU: Total Fury

Excuse the silly miserable sequel blog title.

I got to shoot football with Jake May, the last home game actually, on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was quite a bit of fun. A little chilly, and I forgot to wear socks or proper shoes--I know, I'm super intelligent. Running up and down the sidelines for a couple hours with Jake and Jeff LaMonde (former CMU photojournalism student) was quite a bit of fun. Especially as we all cursed the referees under our breathe for getting in the way. Here is the first of many other shots to come. I'll probably jut end up with a slideshow. Check out Jake's page for his slideshow and his story about getting mauled by Antonio Brown!



As shot for and published in CM-Life.

Deer Stomachs

This assignment is probably the funniest and weirdest assignment I've had so far while working for CM-Life. I'm really glad that the stomach one got into the newspaper. Ashley's (Photo Editor) reaction was really funny when she first saw it, and so was Dave's (Managing Editor) reaction when he said, "I want that in color!"



Plymouth junior Codi Surowiec prepares to take the contents out of the four chambers of a deer stomach to compare the microbial content on Friday in one of the Brooks Hall research labs.



Plymouth junior Codi Surowiec, left, and Midland graduate student Michelle Weaver disect a deer stomach on Friday in one of the Brooks Hall research labs. The deer stomachs are donated by hunters. The contents of the deer stomachs are used to study and compare the microbial content of the stomachs.

As shot for and published in CM-Life.

CMU Vs. Notre Dame

I got a call on Saturday evening from my photo editor, Ashley, asking if I wanted to go to Indiana to shoot playoff soccer...I of course said yes. A very cool opportunity, even though I did miss the MPPA Chili Party. So I called up Libby to cover the assignment I had, Diwali Night. It actually worked out well for her, too. Check out her Soundslide on the event.

It was actually my first time shooting sports, which was a little nerve-wracking, but I learned a lot from it. Tim Fitzgerald, one of the associate photo professors at CMU taught me quite a bit while shooting too. So next time around I shoot sports, I'll be able to (hopefully) do better. I actually got to shoot with Fitz' camera for a couple minutes. Canon EOS-1D with a 400mm f/2.8 L-Series lens and a 2x teleconverter. With the 1.3x crop factor, I was shooting at 1040mm at f/5.6. It was ridiculous, a seriously intimidating camera.

Also, thanks to Paige for letting me use her 80-200 f/2.8. I really need to get one.

Anyway, overall it was a lot of fun, and a great learning experience. Although Central lost 6-1, they had a great season. Now all I need now is to get a team roster and write proper captions.

The kitty wants some milk...

A random single from working on my photo story/soundslide (doubling up on projects). As Tim Swarey was finishing up milking, his two cats kept trying to sneak bits of milk. I had to do my best to quietly approach them and get a shot off, because as soon as they heard me, they bolted out of the room.

Self Defense Class

Grand Rapids sophomore Laura Rynbrand shows Troy senior Lauren Leger where the pressure point on the human neck is during the Barracuda Women’s Self-Defense class on Sunday afternoon in the Student Activity Center. The class, sponsored by Sigma Sigma Sigma, and put on by certified PKSA instructors, taught how to protect yourself from an attacker in a variety of situations.

As shot for CM-Life.

Head north, I'll be busy looking out the window

Today was the long awaited CPPA aerial workshop, I was so excited. I had been shooting all day, so going in I was nervous, and sick of holding the camera. I had talked to Libby beforehand, and she told me how exciting it was, and that I should go over to my photo story house, which is what she did. Needless to say, Kent and Craig, the pilot, were both eager to oblige. We set off at about 4:00 p.m., just as the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. The lighting was beautiful! Pushing the lens out the window and then holding it as I looked for a photo was incredibly challenging, the wind rushing past you, wanting to rip the thousands of dollars worth of equipment around my neck out and away, eventually to come crashing down to the ground. With Kent's 70-200 f/2.8 and my D300s, I was scared.



I was in the plane for about 15 or 20 minutes, we flew north to Rosebush, looped around until we found my photo story house, circled it twice, and then headed back to the airport. It was such a thrill.



I was so excited when I realized they were actually outside! As we circled, I don't think my finger ever left the shutter button for more than a second or two. It was very difficult to zoom, trying to stabilize myself against my chest, hold the lens and the camera, while positioning my left hand in a way that I could get to the zoom ring.



It was an incredible time, 15 or 20 minutes that just flew (literally) by. I loved it. I'm quite happy with how I did too. I honestly just want to get up in the air and shoot more. Aerial photography is such a blast.

A Break From Working

Rosebush resident Laura Swarey, 30, takes a break from cooking dinner to talk to her sister, while twins Emily and Amanda, 4, play on Oct. 31. Laura and her husband Tim, a dairy farmer, used to be members of the Amish church in their community, but left when some members of the church wanted to go in a different direction. Although they left the church, they still follow the basic ways of life they grew up with. The Swarey's do use some modern technology, such as cell phones and modern farming equipment, but only because it is more economically and financially sound.

Shot for JRN 320, published in CM-Life on Wednesday, November 4th. Libby also had a single from her photo story published as photo of the week. Check it out.

Photo Story single

Tim Swarey, 34, of Rosebush feeds his cattle, as one of the cows tries to sneak a quick early bite. Swarey, a dairy farmer, used to be Amish, and while he doesn't call himself Amish anymore, he and his family still hold to the basic fundamentals of that way of life. Tim uses modern farming equipment for his day to day chores, "Sometimes I miss the old days." Swarey says.

This is a single from my first day shooting my photo story for JRN 320. I'm shooting an ex-Amish family, documenting their daily life as well as their religion. While they are ex-Amish, they still hold most of the beliefs, but they own their own vehicle, and use a computer and cell phones, which they use for business purposes almost exclusively.

I really just think the cow is hilarious in this shot.

Photo illustration night

Jake and Libby had to shoot photo illustrations for the newspaper, so they enlisted Sihang and myself to help them out.
This is Jake's Photo illustration.
And this is Libby's Photo illustration.



This is Libby trying to rip open the colored folders we used as gels.



This is Jake as he was setting up his shot. But I don't think he really was doing that. I think he was goofing off.



This is Sihang as she was asking Jake where he wanted her to strobe.



And this is Libby again, shooting her photo illustration, which is bad ass.
All in all, it was a lot of fun. 3+ hours in the off and on rain and wet ground. Wrapped cameras in plastic bags, holding an umbrella over cameras. Jake yelling "wipe!" after every frame. Speaking of umbrellas, nothing topped Libby's smooth move, while she was running around frantically trying to strobe people (while I moved around calmly), and took a giant spill after hitting the unused umbrellas we had sitting around. She still managed to get the strobe off. It was epic.

Ultimate Firefighter Challenge

Clinton junior Danielle Ternullo runs through the beginning of the Ultimate Firefighter Challenge obstacle course, known as the Fire Run, with a coiled up fire hose on Friday, Oct. 23rd around 1 p.m. in Finch Fieldhouse.

My terribly worded cutline for this photo that made the 10/26/09 edition of CM-Life.
I looked at this photo and I thought to myself, in a high-pitched girly voice;
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm falllllllllllllliinnnggggggggggggggg!"

I like this cutline better.

Amish Country

I've been ordered to post on a blog, because Libby and Jake are Nazi's and must have everything their way. Rrraawwrrrr. Libby said this was "cute" and Jake thought it was "neat" or "cool". It's a "Warning, watch out for Amish people crossing the road in primitive vehicular objects driven by equestrians" sign, and it is in Rosebush, Michigan, where I will be doing a photo story on a not so Amish family.