Bob's Barber Shop

Bill Cook, left, a lifelong resident of Mount Pleasant, sits in his chair and laughs with fellow barber Nate Darrow Friday afternoon, April 23. Cook owns Bob's Barber Shop on E. Michigan St., which originally was his father's. He also is a part-time firefighter and trained first responder, as well as owning several houses near downtown that he rents out for extra income.

(For black and white, go to flickr, if you really care)

The Dow Live Earth 6K Run for Water

My first big assignment for the Midland Daily News was on Sunday (April 18). All afternoon assignment, from Noon to 5, followed by a lot a lot of editing. Luckily, I got to shoot with Libby, which is something we do quite frequently anyway. So we split up the assignment and only occasionally came across each other. We shot a lot. For us, there was a lot of weight on our shoulders. This was the centerpiece for Monday's paper AND there was going to be a gallery online. Pressure! However, we got there, started shooting and found our respective grooves. Here's my edited take. I covered the celebrity angle, following around Carl Lewis for a bit as well as LaKisha Jones. For more, check out Libby's own blog post and the MDN photo gallery.

Quick shout out, thanks Ryan Wood for the assignment!

High School Baseball: First Time Around

I've only ever shot baseball twice now, it's a very different sport to shoot. I was shooting Mt. Pleasant H.S. baseball for The Morning Sun on Saturday morning--it was frakking cold, that's for sure. The lens I was using, the department Sigma 70-200mm was seriously hitting the shit and deciding not to focus (at all) for much of the day.




I wish I could have gotten closer for this play.


Again, I wish I could have gotten closer for this play.


All I need now is a roster for captioning.

All together, I'm pretty okay with the way I shot. Not the best, obviously have room for improvement, but I'm getting there. Maybe next time I'll be able to hold my camera still because I won't be freezing my ass off.

Football Spring Practice: Take III

Yet again, I had 20 minutes to shoot the Football team spring practice. The annual spring game is on Saturday (which I get to shoot), so they're gearing up for that. This time I wasn't really told to focus on anyone, but I had to go straight from practice to a board meeting--shooting football with a button up shirt is weird.


Sophomore wide receiver Reggie Brown, left, stretches with fellow sophomore wide receiver Jerry Harris Thursday, April 15, during spring practice at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.


Injured senior wide receiver Kito Poblah strengthens his upper body during spring practice on Thursday morning, April 15, at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.



I really just like the colors in that one.

First Midland Assignment: FaithAnn Sawick

I got my first assignment for The Midland Daily News on Saturday--needless to say I was pretty excited. I went to the office and picked up the camera, talked with Ryan Wood real quick, and then left to go shoot. I was a wee bit nervous, but all that disappeared when I met FaithAnn Sawick.

(SEAN PROCTOR | for the Daily News)

7-year-old FaithAnn Sawick practices keeping her eye on the ball while learning how to play tennis at the Midland Community Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon, April 10. Sawick, who was born with Spina bifida, came with her parents and older sister to take part in the Wheelchair Tennis Program, a new program gearing to kick off in the fall, funded by the money awarded to Midland for being named Tennis Town, USA by the U.S. Tennis Association.

7-year-old FaithAnn Sawick laughs as 10-year-old Nicky Billovits looks back to see how far FaithAnn hit the foam tennis ball on Saturday afternoon, April 10, at the Midland Community Tennis Center. Sawick was born with Spina bifida, a developmental birth defect caused by the incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tubes, causing some vertebrae to not fully form and remain unfused.

7-year-old FaithAnn Sawick beams while Susie Staloch, a teaching professional at the Midland Community Tennis Center, congratulates her after hitting a foam tennis ball back into the cart where the balls are held, on Saturday afternoon, April 10. "That's 10 points!" Staloch told FaithAnn.

7-year-old FaithAnn Sawick makes a face while she waits for a tennis ball to be thrown her way so she can hit it back on Saturday afternoon, April 10, at the Midland Community Tennis Center. Sawick originally came to attend the Wheelchair Tennis Program, but her parents decided to take her over the kids section to play because they didn't want her to get hurt. "FaithAnn is a joy, the happiest kid you'll ever meet. She never complains, she's always content." Her father, Michael, said.

FaithAnn was truly an incredible little girl. Very inspiring, seeing her laughing and playing on the court, even though she can't even walk.

JRN 423: Archangel of Bicycle Repair

Archangel of Bicycle Repair from Sean Proctor on Vimeo.

Copy (Rough, because I forgot I had to write it):

Gabriel Reimer is a 19-year-old living in Mount Pleasant, Mich., however, unlike most other kids his age, he does attend school full-time, he works full time at Motorless Motion on S. Main St.
Reimer has grown up around bikes, mostly because his parents owned the Mountain Town Ski and Bike Shop in downtown Mount Pleasant during the mid 80’s until the early 90’s. Although Reimer was two when they sold the store, their passion passed on down to him.
“The first bike I ever fixed was my second mountain bike. I used to jump it off curbs and the wheels would get all messed up, so I had my dad show me how to fix it.” Reiner said.
Reiner has been working at Motorless Motion for three years. “I’ve never been good at selling people things, but here I get to be around bikes and talk bikes with customers.” He said.
Reimer prefers to ride his BMX bike, but also enjoys trail riding on his mountain bike.
“This winter I learned to do a 720 off a jump. That’s two complete spins with 30 pounds of bike beneath you. It’s crazy.”

Spring Practice Take II

Jake and I shot Football Spring Practice again last week. Didn't get quite the cinematic still this time, instead I focused on the running backs. Here's what I got.





Sophomore running back Tim Philips goes through drills during Spring Practice on Tuesday, March 29 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Philips played in six games last year, scoring one touchdown.

And I shot this real quick as we were leaving. I wish he was facing me, but mostly I wish the damn department Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 didn't have such ridiculous purple fringing/CA. Ugh.

JRN 423 - Final Video Proposal

"No, I'm not well," were the words of 81-year-old Mount Pleasant resident Maxine Tanner when she was being interviewed by Central Michigan Life reporter Randi Schaffer. Tanner relies on her son Andy to take her to the grocery store and doctor appointments. She goes through dialysis on Mondays and Fridays, followed by her Bridge game on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which she finds her own ride to.

“Life is very interesting, I will have to admit that. Every day was exciting. I just lived a very exciting life.” She was in the Air Force for 2 months, has been married twice, raised three kids--mostly by herself--and started her own business when she was 51, only retiring after falling ill and having a heart bypass surgery.

To me, Maxine represents something that we all try to achieve. She has found a small measure of peace in her life. She's experienced the highs and the lows, yet she can only smile and be thankful for what she has experienced.

In my project I want to show that even though her health is deteriorating and her mind and memory not as sharp as they used to be, she is still an incredibly strong person, one that we could all learn from. I want to follow Maxine, from taking a trip to the store with her son, Andy, to her Bridge games, and hopefully (after some time and clearance), to her doctor appointments.

Maxine Tanner

81-year-old Mount Pleasant resident Maxine Tanner sits on the porch of her S. Lansing St. house on Wednesday afternoon, March 17, at the advice of her horoscope. "It told me to go outside and enjoy the weather," she said. Tanner retired as the Central Michigan University Football team seamstress four years ago after 25 years. "I have lived life for 80 years," Tanner said. "We're all working to be people."



Maxine Tanner sits in her chair situated in the corner of her living room across from her television. "This is what I do most of the time now. I can't drive any more." Tanner said.



Maxine Tanner goes through documents regarding her time in the Air Force. The papers were held in a black envelope titled "Portfolio of Important Documents." Tanner briefly served in the Air Force as a radio technician for two months and 21 days, where she met her future husband. "When you were married, you had to get out," Tanner explained.



Maxine Tanner hits her forehead with her palm as she tries to remember a name of someone in her past. At the age of 51, Tanner started a sewing shop, and later would become the Central Michigan University athletics seamstress for 25 years.

Alma College Theatre presents: Book of Days

Shot for The Morning Sun. I'm a fan of having access to the catwalks.

His House - Crave

A collection of photos I shot for CM-Life during the weekend long His House bible study, "Crave." Jake wanted me to shoot details, so I shot details. Yup.