Darren Breen's photo blog

Marn E. Walker restaurant

2011-04-08T17:20:00.000-04:00

Kloe Katsma, left, serves Shirley Lurtsema, back right, Mary Koryto,front right, Sally Huey, back far right, and Sharon Salazar, front far right, at the Marn E. Walker restaurant.

Hand tossed pizza made from a special house dough cooks in the Wood Stove brand oven.

Forest Hills high school hockey

2011-04-08T17:19:00.000-04:00

The Forest Hills Northern/Eastern boys Hockey player Alec Miller celebrates a goal against the Forest Hills Central team during the Northern/Eastern's 7-2 victory at Patterson Arena Saturday February 5, 2011.

Forest Hills Northern/Eastern boys Hockey player Devon Holt, left, and Forest Hills Central player Stephen Logusz, right, collide during Northern/Eastern's 7-2 victory.

Forest Hills Northern/Eastern boys Hockey player Brad Reiter, left, and Forest Hills Central player Peter Gibson, right, chase the puck during Northern/Eastern's 7-2 victory.

Individual Wrestling in Grand Haven

2011-02-24T00:16:00.000-05:00

Holland-West Ottawa high school wrestler Miguel Correa, front, defeats Grand Havens Tyler Rose, back, to win the 285 pound 2011 Division 1-1 Individual District wrestling tournament at Grand Haven High School Saturday February 12, 2011.

Rockford High School wrestler Austin Scogg, back, defeats East Kentwood's Niko Parks, front, to win the 152 pound championship at the 2011 Division 1-1 Individual District wrestling tournament

The Ground Hogs Day Blizzard

2011-02-14T21:57:00.002-05:00

Hal Brocker a maintenance person for the Grand Rapids Public Museum uses a snow blower to clear snow from in front of the museum during the snow storm Wednesday February 2, 2011.

Grand Valley State University Students Leighton Kyle, 20 right, and Nadine Morcos, 19 left, walk home after class was cancelled along Fulton Street in the storm Tuesday February 1, 2011.

These are two of my favorite photographs from the Blizzard of 2011.

Preparing for the Blizzard

2011-02-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

Jesse Meerman, 33 right, uses sawdust to push a bull out of way as he prepares for the Ground Hogs Day storm by bedding the cow barn with sawdust at Grassfields Organic Cheese on 60th Ave in Coopersville Tuesday February 1, 2011.

Grassfields Organic Cheese dairy farmer Luke Meerman, 35, prepares for the Ground Hogs Day storm, Meerman said of the impending storm, "I get excited about storms because it's a challenge, mostly to see if you can handle it."

Boxers in Golden Glove gym

2011-02-07T12:03:00.000-05:00

Golden glove boxer Ricardo Rios, 19, traisn for the MGGA pre SuperBowl fight night at the Golden Glove Gym Thursday February 3, 2011.

Golden glove boxer Ricardo Rios, 19 right, spars with Jose Covarrubias, left.

Golden glove boxers Jordan Shimmell, 22, trains for the MGGA pre SuperBowl fight night at the Golden Glove Gym.

Boxers Craig Schwallier, left, and Gerhart Braho, right, exercise Golden Glove Gym.

Governor Snyder's Inauguration

2011-02-07T00:14:00.000-05:00

Michigan Army National Guard from the 1-119th Field Artillery fire the 19 gun salute at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder at the Michigan State Capitol Building.

Governor Rick Snyder, center, is sworn in as the 48th Governor of Michigan at the State Capitol Building by the Chief Justice of the State of Michigan Marilyn Kelly, left, Saturday January 1, 2011.

Four A-10 Thunderbolt II Ground Attack aircraft from the 127th Fighter Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base fly over the Michigan State Capitol Building at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

Kimberly Batson, center left from Middleville, Nancy Fuller, center from Ottawa County, Bill DeBoer from Conklin, center right, and Charlie Foote, right from Jenison, cheer during the speech by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder as the 48th Governor of Michigan at the Michigan State Capitol Building.

The Michigan State Capitol Building decorated for the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

Security officers watch from a balcony of the Michigan State Capitol Building at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

A security officer watches from a balcony of the Michigan State Capitol Building at the inauguration of Governor Rick Snyder.

This was my first inauguration, I ended up becoming obsessed by the security guards on the balcony. They were spooky because they were dressed like SWAT team members instead of in normal police uniforms. It was cold and windy, and probably colder and more windy on the balcony, so they may have needed the special clothing to stay warm. However, I still think they were more intimidating than necessary.

Portraits

2011-02-07T00:10:00.000-05:00

Ottawa Hills senior basketball player Dyann Wiley photographed at Ottawa Hills High School.

Ruth Stegeman is leaving her job after 19 years as the Executive Director of the Disability Network/Lakeshore to a new job as a partner in a consultant.

Rockford hockey player Mike VanderVelde.

Chris Cameron the Executive Director of Silent Observer poses by a home that is being repaired after fire damage, Silent Observer helped catch the man who started the fire.

Entrepreneur Mayra Martinez, 29, is preparing to open her families third location of Garibaldi restaurant, Taqueria, and catering in the 34th street Mall.

Army Staff Sgt. Amy Gould will sing the national anthem at Gov. Rick Snyder's Inauguration in Lansing.

Jim Heeringa the co-owner of E & R Sales poses with some of his returned cigarette vending machines.

Christmas decorations in Grand Rapids

2011-02-07T00:09:00.002-05:00

Chet Maxlow, 16 lower right, reaches out The American Horse sculpture by Nina Akamu at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park decorated for the Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World Exhibit which will be on display until January 9.

Spectators drive beneath arches of Christmas lights at the NiteLites Drive-Thru Christmas lights show at the home of the Whitecaps 5/3 Ballpark Thursday December 23, 2010. The show is made of about one million lights and has a one mile long circuit.

Christmas is over, but I am trying to change the definition of holiday season, so that holiday lights can last all the way through the season of winter. I mean if it is the holiday season then it really should last for an entire season. Yes, I know what you are thinking, and no I have not finished taking down my holiday season lights yet.

Bull Riding

2011-02-07T00:04:00.001-05:00

Professional Bull Riders of the PBR prepare before riding at Van Andel Arena Saturday January 8, 2011.

Bull Rider competitor Levi Schmucker falls off of Glory Day.

Red Bull chases Professional Bull Rider competitor Nic Lica after Lica fell off.

Bull Rider John Braska rides Slim Prospect out of the gate.

This was one my all-time favorite assignments because they had a "shark cage" inside the ring with the bulls, and they let me photograph from inside of it. None of the bulls charged the cage--but they could have.

Zorbing

2011-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Karena Neely, right, rolls down the sledding hill at Van Raalte Farm as her husband TJ Neely, left, runs along to help push the Zorb back up the hill.

TJ Neely the owner of Lunaball adventures pushes his Zorb along a the foot path at the Van Raalte Farm Sledding Hill.

TJ Neely the owner of Lunaball adventures rolls one of his Zorb's a 9 feet diameter inflated ball at the Van Raalte Farm Sledding Hill.

I tried to photograph from inside of the Zorb, but it did not work well. I was able to focus when I was upside down, but as soon as I did I was right side up, and I had to start all over.

Food and drinks

2011-02-06T23:57:00.000-05:00

The Wasabi Pea Crusted Tuna at the Everyday People Cafe in Douglas.

The Build your own Burger with French Fries and a Strawberry Crush at the Ottawa Tavern.

The sizzling fajitas with beef and chicken at the Beltline Bar.

A selection of beverages served at the Beltline Bar; a Budweiser beer, front, and a Famous Beltline Bar Margarita, center right, and a Beltline Bar Cockatoo, back.

Things made from Wood

2011-02-06T23:56:00.000-05:00

The Windmill in Holland is put into mourning position in honor of the Millwright who dismantled the mill in Holland and brought it to Michigan.

Glen Kiekintveld's sculpture of a tower made from cottonwood bark.

Only the tower is a miniature, the windmill is full size.

Slalom Skiing

2011-02-06T23:55:00.000-05:00

CJ Cumings ski's through a slalom course at Cannonsburg Ski Area in the Ronald McDonald House Slalom Championship.

Open house in Jenison

2011-02-06T23:54:00.000-05:00

Dwight J. Berens a realtor associate with Remax of Grand Rapids, left, shows Matthew Boersen, 22 right, a home he is listing in Jenison during an open house.

I have never photographed a Realtor showing a home before, and I never thought I would want to. So I was surprised to make a photograph that I liked in the process. I am constantly amazed how even situations that seem like they will be a visual desert can have good moments for just long enough to create an interesting photograph.

Wrestling

2011-02-06T23:50:00.001-05:00

Greenville High School wrestler Mike Schmidt, right, turns Allegan's Andrew Betke, left, upside down before Betke eventually defeated him to win the 103 pound championship at the Sparta Wrestling Invitational at Sparta High School Saturday January 22, 2011.

Lowell High School's Jake Stephens, left, slams Rockford's Braden Zych, right, to the mat in a 135 pound match at the Rockford Quad wrestling meet at Rockford High School Wednesday December 22, 2010.

Braille day at the Early Childhood Center in Zeeland

2010-12-01T13:41:00.002-05:00

Michelle Cameron an orientation and mobility specialist from the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, right, helps guide Zeeland Early Childhood Center student Juliana Hoogland, 6 left.

Zeeland Early Childhood Center student Morgan Krueger learns the basics of braille using tack-tiles the class had a braille awareness day so they could experience the same teaching techniques used by their blind classmate Juliana Hoogland.

The students at the Early Childhood Center in Zeeland use tack-tiles to experience how their classmate Juliana Hoogland learns every day.

To see more photographs go to:
http://photos.mlive.com/4469/gallery/blind_student_teaches_classmates/index.html

Rainy Day

2010-12-01T13:41:00.001-05:00

Cars stop as pedestrians cross Division Avenue in the rain downtown Grand Rapids.

A cars drives through the rain on Ionia Avenue.

Rain drops hit the surface the hood of a truck .

Trisha Colon, left, and Domonique Forrest, right, share an umbrella as they walk through the rain along Ionia in Grand Rapids. Forrest said, "I don't mind rainy days, nice movie days," Colon said, "It's a day for soup."

The City Delicatessen

2010-12-01T13:40:00.003-05:00

The City Delicatessen service area employees Niki Boetsma, 20 center, and Dana Jongekrijg, 19 left, greet customers as they arrive.

The co-owner of The City Delicatessen in downtown Holland Ric Kortman said, "we don't want to be known as 'ya they're good' we want to be known as phenomenal."

The City Delicatessen in downtown Holland customers Jack and Karen Zibell eat in the outdoor dining area in front of the Delicatessen Jack Zibell said, "I saw it (The City Delicatessen) and said I've got to go there."

Rockford Rams Volleyball

2010-12-01T13:40:00.001-05:00

The Rockford Rams Volleyball player Andrea Kacsits, center right, screams with joy after a good play against the South Christian Sailors during the Rams victory to win the 4th annual 4 Cristi Curtis Memorial Volleyball Tournament at Byron Center High School.

Vanilla's Coffee Tea Cafe

2010-12-01T13:39:00.001-05:00

Vanilla's Coffee Tea Cafe' Chicken Quesadilla's with salsa and sour cream for with a Pumpkin Cream Pie Latte.

Beverly Ault the owner of Vanilla's Coffee Tea Cafe' prepares the Chicken Pesto Panini.

Vanilla's Coffee Tea Cafe' Chicken Pesto Panini with chips and pickle.

Vanilla's Coffee Tea Cafe' jumbo pumpkin cupcake for, right, and a spice cupcake for, left, both with with cream cheese frosting.

Kroc Center Open House

2010-12-01T13:39:00.000-05:00

Emma Arvizu, 6 center, and India Fudge, 5 left, play on one of the spinners in the playground of the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center.

The Recovery Riders

2010-12-01T13:38:00.002-05:00

Jeridan Lagrone, 23, mountain bikes at Luton Park in Rockford as part of the Recovery Riders from the Guiding Light Mission Recovery Program.

Neil Pasha cruises down a hill at Luton Park in Rockford as part of the Recovery Riders from the Guiding Light Mission Recovery Program.

Grand Rapids Police Officer Dan Myers rides with a group of cyclists from the Recovery Riders from the Guiding Light Mission Recovery Program, through the mountain biking trails at Luton Park in Rockford.

Lots of District Soccer

2010-12-01T13:38:00.001-05:00

The Potter's House High School soccer team Yaak Riek, top, flips over the Black River High School Goalie Zach Burlingame, bottom, during the Potter's House 3-2 victory to win the division 4 District 58 Championship at Freedom Christian School.

Potter's House High School soccer team players celebrate their 3-2 victory over the Black River High School team to win the division 4 District 58 Championship.

The Potter's House High School soccer team carries their goalie Jon Hoeft in celebration of their 3-2 victory against the Black River High School team to win the division 4 District 58 Championship.

Potter's House High School soccer team player Dan Adams prepares to kiss the division 4 District 58 Championship trophy.

Potter's House High School soccer team Walter Caballero, left, and Black River High School team Sam Smeltzer, right, chase the ball in the division 4 District 58 Championship.

The Potter's House High School soccer team Goalie Jon Hoeft, center, catches the ball as Black River High School team Alfredo Barrera, left, and Morgan Boer, right, rush the goal during the Potter's House's 3-2 victory to win the division 4 District 58 Championship.

The Potter's House High School soccer team Yaak Riek heads the ball into the Black River High School team's goal during the Potter's House 3-2 victory to win the division 4 District 58 Championship.

The Potter's House High School soccer player Lucas Da Silva heads the ball during the team's 3-2 victory against the Black River High School team to win the division 4 District 58 Championship.

Corn on the Barby

2010-12-01T13:38:00.000-05:00

Corn is cooked over an open flame at the Green Well Gastropub, restaurant will be featuring three course meals during restaurant week.

I have tried to cook corn over an open fire before, and my attempts were not as successful as the way the Greenwell restaurant cooks theirs. The key; soak in water for five minutes before cooking.

Friday Night (not as bright as I would like) Lights

2010-12-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

Forest Hills Central football team's Mondy Marques, right, chases Kenowa Hills' Tito Wingfield, left, at Forest Hills Central High School.

Kenowa Hills' Brenden Carey, top tackles Forest Hills Central football team's Cam Andersen, bottom, during the game at Forest Hills Central High School.

Lots of Waves

2010-10-27T22:40:00.000-04:00

A surfer dives into the waves off of the Grand Haven pier during the storm Tuesday October 26, 2010.

Billy Bellinger carries his surf kayak across the blowing sand at Grand Haven State Park.

Billy Bellinger surf kayaks next to the Grand Haven pier.

Storm enthusiast Corey Reimink enjoys the storm on the Grand Haven pier.

Calvin Langworthy, 4 center, plays on the beach while his family watch the storm at Grand Haven State Park.

Geoff Holstad, left, and Sarah Darnell, right, enjoy the storm at Grand Haven State Park Tuesday October 26, 2010. Darnell said of the waves, "they're pretty impressive."

I like waves, and wind, they are both fun. I will admit that I was nervous for the surfer. I'm glad he created a great situation for me to photograph, but I was also glad when he decided to get out of the water after diving in twice, so he could wait for more surfers to show up.

To see the photographs on MLive, and photographs by other photographers of some of the damage the storm caused go to: http://photos.mlive.com/4469/gallery/wind_storms_cause_damage_waves_in_west_michigan/index.html

for a video of a bird trying to fly in the wind go to:
http://videos.mlive.com/grpress/2010/10/bird_tries_to_fly_in_wind_stor.html

Flu Shot

2010-10-27T00:36:00.000-04:00

Meijer Regional Clinical Services Pharmacist Jamie Vroman, right, administers flu shots to Suzette Adams, 50 left, at Meijer Plainfield. Adams received her first flu shot ever as a precaution for her nine month old grandson she said, "even though I might get the flu and be fine, if I pass it on to him it might be serious." She also said "it didn't hurt a bit."

New Cupola on the Basilica of St. Adalbert's

2010-10-27T00:35:00.001-04:00

Birds fly past the new cupola on the main dome of the Basilica of St. Adalbert's.

The Basilica of St. Adalbert's new main dome cupola, center, weighs about 2,000 pounds.

The Basilica of St. Adalbert's new main dome cupola viewed through the leaves as workmen finish
installation.

The rest of the photographs are available at: Cupola on Basilica of St. Adalbert's

Griffins Hockey

2010-10-27T00:35:00.000-04:00

The Grand Rapids Griffins Brendan Smith celebrates the Griffins first goal against Abbotsford Heat.

The Grand Rapids Griffins mascot warms up the crowd before the game against the Abbotsford Heat at Van Andel Arena.

Grand Rapids Griffins Jordan Owens, front, slams Abbotsford Heat Joe Piskula, back, into the boards.

The Grand Rapids Griffins Tomas Tatar, left, and Abbotsford Heat Josh Meyers, right, collide.

To see the rest of the photographs go to: Griffins vs Heat on MLive

Rockford vs Muskegon football

2010-10-24T22:40:00.000-04:00

Rockford Rams Tyler Pratt, left, jumps above the huddle before the start of the Rams game against the Muskegon Big Reds at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Muskegon Big Reds Kavonta Keyes, left, breaks away from Rockford Rams Zach Nelson, right.

Rockford Rams Bratt Egnatuk, left, and Mike Bilski, right, tackle Muskegon Big Reds Darren Briggs, center, by grabbing his shirt at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Rockford High School Senior Mallory Chrisman, right, squeezes the nose of a Rockford Rams mascot, left, before the football game against the Muskegon Big Reds at Fifth Third Ballpark.

ArtPrize at night

2010-10-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

Rain Cloud by Stephanie Imbeau made of mixed media and umbrellas located for ArtPrize.

David Spieker looks at The Dragons Bells a.k.a. Brigit made of welded/forged metal by Anthony Jackson.

The work Lure/Wave by Beili Liu made of thread and sewing needles.

Jason Mack pours liquid glass through metal in the creation of The River an installation of recycled glass and metal.

The River an installation of recycled glass and metal by Jason Mack.

Balloon Chain by Bose and Cha on display for ArtPrize over the Grand River made of latex balloons, helium, light emitting diodes, bells and fishing line.

Lady Antebellum

2010-10-18T13:55:00.003-04:00

The trio Lady Antebellum performs at the Delta Plex, the group from left; Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott, and Dave Haywood.

More photographs available at: Lady Antebellum concert

Natasha Bedingfield and opening acts

2010-10-18T13:47:00.003-04:00

Hot Chelle Rae performs at Rosa Parks Circle.

David Archuleta.

Ryan Star performs in Rosa Park Circle.

Music fans from left Desi Rottman, Ashley Cousino and Christina Bouwhuis attend the concert in Rosa Parks Circle.

Natasha Bedingfield performs in Rosa Park Circle.

More photographs at: Natasha Bedingfield photographs on MLive

Surfer Blood concert

2010-10-18T13:32:00.003-04:00

John Paul Pitts, the lead vocalist for the band Surfer Blood, performs in Rosa Parks Circle at the Center City neighborhood party.

Gabe Wikle, 13 left, bangs his head as the band Surfer Blood performs in Rosa Parks Circle at the Center City neighborhood party.

I have only one thing to say about loudspeakers. They cannot speak, but they are definately LOUD, especially when your ear is only inches from the speaker. I am always torn when I photograph bands--if I wear ear plugs it will look as though I don't care about the music, if I don't I will go deaf. You can see my dilemma. I think in the future loud speakers will be obsolete and people will use their headphones at concerts. Then I will be able to turn the volume down as low as I like. Purists will complain loudly that if everyone wears headphones at concerts then they will lose the live experience, but it won't matter because no one else will be able to hear them since they will all be wearing headphones.

See more photographs at: Surfer Blood

Grand Rapids Ballet

2010-10-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

Dancers for the Grand Rapids Ballet Stephen Sanford and Rachael Riley demonstrate a pose.

Grand Rapids Ballet dancers wait patiently as they are fitted for costumes for the upcoming show Who Cares?

Grand Rapids Ballet dancer Kateryna Derchyna waits during a fitting for their upcoming show.

South Pacific

2010-10-18T12:40:00.001-04:00

Cast members jump onto the stage in the Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific at the DeVos Performance Hall.

More photographs available at: South Pacific

Art Prize set up

2010-10-18T12:27:00.001-04:00

Sculptor Keith Lemley sets up his sculptural installation of logs and neon named "Something and Nothing" in UICA.

Food Network show

2010-10-18T12:21:00.001-04:00

Ice Gurus General Manager Derek Foltz, center, puts on a plastic apron while listening to directions from Food Network production crew at Ice Sculptures Ltd.

More photograph available at: ice_gurus_film_food_network_episode

Luna Negra Dance

2010-10-18T12:18:00.001-04:00

The Luna Negra Dance Company from Chicago performs Art of Movement dances at the Grand Rapids Ballet Friday September 24, 2010. Artistic Director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano said the company, "we are a tool for Latino choregraphers to do whatever they want to do."

Wine Expert

2010-10-18T12:13:00.000-04:00

Allie Merrick, 31, the Wine Relations Director at the soon to open wine bar called Reserve in downtown Grand Rapids has been a peot, speaker, brand developer, videographer, and marketing consultant including starting mywinewords.com and winerywords.com.

Around the Game

2010-10-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

West Catholic High School football team fans in Gang Green including Nick Dyga, center, cheer before the game against the Orchard Lake St. Mary's Eaglets at West Catholic High School Friday August 27, 2010.

I try to follow what Robert Capa said, "if your pictures aren't good you aren't close enough." Which I believe means; get close to the action, so that's what I do.

A member of Gang Green bites his chain before the West Catholic High School football against the Orchard Lake St. Mary's Eaglets.

Zeeland West football fans Cassie Otten, left, Sarah Kamstra, right, cheer together for their team.

The Holland High School performs at Holland Municipal Stadium.

Grand Valley State University Football

2010-10-18T11:48:00.002-04:00

Grand Valley State University Lakers Justin Sherrod dives to score a touchdown against the Indianapolis Greyhounds at Lubbers Stadium Saturday September 18, 2010.

Grand Valley State University Lakers led by Luther Ware, center right, tackles Indianapolis Greyhounds Joumeel McLaurine, center left, at Lubbers Stadium Saturday September 18, 2010.

To see more photographs from the game go to: GVSU football defeat Indianapolis

Hope Football

2010-10-18T10:09:00.013-04:00

Hope Flying Dutchmen Kyle Warren, left, pushes Illinois Wesleyan Titans Michael Sloboda, right, during the Dutchmen's 16-20 loss to the Titans at Holland Municipal Stadium Saturday September 4, 2010.

Illinois Wesleyan Titans Aaron Moody, left, intercepts the ball in the end zone in a pass intended for Hope Flying Dutchmen Jared Hudson, right, the Titans defeated the Dutchmen 20-16 at Holland Municipal Stadium Saturday September 4, 2010.

Illinois Wesleyan Titans Ryan Gesko, top, and Michael Panno, right, tackle Hope Flying Dutchmen Kyle Dietrich, left, during the Dutchmen's loss tot he Titans 16-20 at Holland Municipal Stadium Saturday September 4, 2010.

For more photos go to: college_football_hope_loses_season_opener_to_illinois_wesleyan

Kent County Honor Camp

2010-10-18T09:53:00.007-04:00

Campers look after the horses of the Kent County Mounted patrol at the Kent County Sheriff's Honor Camp Friday September 17, 2010. The campers look after the horses, maintain the camp, cut firewood to sell, and raise vegetables to eat and donate to the food pantries.

I have been in prisons before, but my experience was limited to medium and maximum security prisons, I think I was also in a county jail, but I'm not sure of the security level. This was my first time in a minimum security camp. It was quite nice. The campers look after the Kent county Sheriff's department horses, grow vegetables, and chop down fire wood.
I rarely offer my own opinion about political issues; my job as a journalist is to report the news, not give my opinions about it. But in this case I will make an exception, in my opinion the prison camp should not be closed down. The campers who have not committed violent crimes should not be mixed in with the more serious criminals. It would be like sending the campers to college for a major in felonies.

More photographs below:

To learn more about the Honor Camp go to: Kent County Honor Camp on MLive

The Reeds Lake Triathlon

2010-10-18T09:24:00.002-04:00

Athletes swim in the Reeds Lake Triathlon in East Grand Rapids Saturday September 11, 2010.

I hate waking up early, especially after a late night shooting at a football game and as I watched the hard core athletes race into the cold water in the early morning, I was happy to be dry and wearing extra clothes. I also discovered that I don't enjoy lying down in goose poo, but since I wanted to get as close to the action as possible, while remaining hypothermia free, I ended up crawling in it.
Aside from the Physical discomfort I enjoyed the Reeds Lake Triathlon. I did not become fitter through osmosis, but I was inspired by the athletes' determination.

Other photographs from the shoot:

the link to the gallery on MLive: Reeds Lake Triathlon MLive

End of an era

2010-07-05T21:37:00.000-04:00

Muskegon Lumberjacks player Robin Bouchard leans against a wall after the Lumberjacks lost their last semi-final game against the Flint Generals at L.C. Walker Arena. The loss ended the Lumberjacks final season, and 50 years of professional minor league hockey in Muskegon.

Emily Bouchard, the daughter of Muskegon Lumberjacks player Robin Bouchard holds her father's hand after the Lumberjacks' last game ended in a 5-2 defeat by the Flint Generals at L.C. Walker Arena.

This is a tragic story. The number one team in the league lost in the semi-finals of the league playoffs, to end their last season. It was hard for me to be a voyeur into their tragedy. But I think the truth of the story is that although Robin Bouchard was sad to end his season, he doesn't care about hockey even a fraction of how much he cares about his family--which he still has. So the tragedy is really not that bad.

Looking up to a hero

2010-07-05T21:23:00.000-04:00

Mha Kai Lenox, 3 years old right, touches the emblem on Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler's hat, left, before the 2010 Crime Victims Rights Week Vigil.

Mha Kai Lenox, 3 years old right, jumps to try and touch Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler's hat, left.

I had a chance to talk with Sheriff Roesler after these photographs were published, I was glad to find out that he appreciated them.

Faces of baseball

2010-07-05T21:22:00.000-04:00

Muskegon Big Reds baseball player Nate Smith throws his helmet after Muskegon lost to the Grand Haven Buccaneers 7-4 at Marsh Field in Muskegon.

Reeths-Puffer Rockets Jeff Van Laan, right, catches the ball as Mona Shores Sailors Michael Lipan, left, tries to return to first base during the GMAA baseball Tourney Championship at Reeths-Puffer High School.

Foggy day

2010-07-05T21:17:00.000-04:00

A cyclist bikes through the fog along Pere Marquette Beach.

It was a foggy day. Few people were out and about. I thought about how to create a cool photograph in the fog. I decided I wanted something to show the fog. I found these trees by the beach which fit my idea of cool shapes that vanish into the mist. Then I patiently waited for one of the few cyclists to be in the right spot.

Tragedy

2010-07-05T21:15:00.000-04:00

Hamlet holds his dagger over Polonius' body during the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company's performance of Hamlet at the Beardsley Theater.

Laertes, right played by Kyle Walker, comforts his sister Ophelia, left played by Amy McFadden, during the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company's performance of Hamlet.

Photographing a play, with the actors performing a great range of emotions and deliberately creating dramatic moments, it seemed like an easy assignment--until I started. The actors deliberately use all of the space on the stage, filling the stage with their presence, as they project their voices into the audience while they pretend to be having intimate conversations. If actors in movies and TV stand abnormally close to each other while talking, on stage they stand abnormally far apart. Only rarely did the actors come close together for a brief intense moment, before dramatically rushing away.

Hamlet is an amazing story. Shakespeare found so many great ways to kill his characters in ways that are logical within the story. There are no predictable gun fights or stereotypical car chase scenes. The characters end up dead without being idiots, which is the true mark of great writing. Although the fight scene at the end does allows the actors to have their last words. I think the play could easily be rewritten to make many of the supporting characters the stars. Imagine Ophelia, she sees her fairy tale die. She is in love with the handsome prince, then he goes crazy and dumps her. But he does not say, "you should find another prince." He says, "Get thee to a nunnery." Telling her that he not only does not love her but that she should give up romantic hopes of any kind.
Then her ex-prince charming kills her father; I think I can understand why she commits suicide.
Laertes has it equally bad, the prince kills his father, and drives his sister into suicide. Hamlet gave Laertes two good reasons to want to kill him.
While Hamlet is a clever fellow, I love the way he sees through his uncle Claudius' plot to have the King of England kill him and instead has the King of England kill Rosencrantz and Guilderstern.

After my previous comments you may think that I'm a blood thirsty maniac, I'm not--I just like action movies a lot.

It's a nice day for a black wedding

2010-07-05T21:01:00.000-04:00

Brenda Klahr marries Tom Kerkstra at the 2010 Muskegon Motorcycle Club's annual Spring Run.

The Just Married sign on the back of Tom Kerkstra's bike at the 2010 Muskegon Motorcycle Club's annual Spring Run.

In the height of wedding season these photographs are poignant. Weddings don't need always need to follow the latest fads, they only need to be what the couple want.

Pat on the back

2010-07-05T20:57:00.000-04:00

Mona Shores Sailors Tony Walukonis, right, congratulates Brandon Geerlings, left, after he scored the third run against Orchard View Cardinals at Mona Shore High School.

For most people the word observe implies passivity. The observer is a person who sits on the sidelines and merely watches the game unfold. Enjoying the event with a hot dog and a beer. The honor belongs to the man in the arena.
I am an observer, but when I observe my mind and my body are fully engaged. I follow every play as if I am in the game. Like a player my attempts are often failures, but like a good athlete I keep trying. As I watch my mind flutters back and forth between predicting what will happen next and daydreaming about everything around me.
I muse about how all the different people come to the same ball park, but each one comes with a different role and a different objective. The player comes to win, the umpire to keep things somewhat fair, the parent to cheer for their child, the other students to hang out with their friends, and I come to take the pictures. Then I wonder about each person's true motivation. Why do they really come, and what is their incentive?
For me this photograph is an answer to my question about the players. The players play not simply because they like to play the game, not even just to win. They come to be cheered by their fans and teammates--they come to be patted on the back

Two of the same thing

2010-04-28T23:32:00.001-04:00

Fruitport Sophomore Cody Bayle pitches against Spring Lake in the first round of the Big Buc baseball invitational tournament at Grand Haven High School.

Traverse City Central Senior Phothivath Phengkhamkip wins the boys long jump at the Reeths-Puffer invitational track meet.

It may seem odd to say these are the same thing, I say they are the same because to create both of them I needed to pre-focus on a spot on the ground to get a good photograph.

End of Smoking in Restaurants 2-The Sequel

2010-04-28T23:12:00.001-04:00

Rachel Glavich, left, and Melissa Slater, right, smoke at The Tipsy Toad Thursday April 22, 2010. Slater said her opinion about the smoking ban, "I don't smoke around my child, but as an adult I prefer the decision." She also said when the smoking ban goes into effect, "I may pack my lunch more or not go to a sit down restaurant."

I thought my previous assignment represented the end of indoor smoking assignments in public spaces in Muskegon, forever. As I photographed for my previous smoking assignment that I was chronicling the end of an era, or even an epoch. Since Native American's first invented smoking hundreds or thousands of years ago people have smoked in public meeting places including restaurants. Now in Michigan only a few isolated locales will remain where people can still smoke in public while indoors--true to history Indian Casinos will be among them. After I shot my earlier assignment I breathed a sigh of relief as I threw my stinking clothes into the washing machine believing that I would never again photograph smokers in restaurants or bars in Michigan again--I was wrong.

When this assignment was given to me I had two thoughts. The first was, "didn't I already do this assignment?" The second was, "how can I improve on my first assignment, will this assignment jsut be a complete dissapointment?" There are only so many different ways to photograph smokers, and I thought I had already tried most of them.

Day one. My assignment got off to the worst possible start. I went to the bar I was told to photograph at, and no one was smoking. The bar staff said they had lots of smokers earlier in the day, which would be great for a historian to know about, but not for a photographer. So I waited hoping for a few smokers to show up, and as I waited the few non-smoking customers also left. So sitting in the bar alone in the bar I developed a new plan of attack. Step one: go to the bar at the time of day the staff said there would be smokers in the bar. Step two: go to at least one more bar. I'm not saying my plan would put me in the league of great strategic thinkers such as Napoleon, but at least it would improve my odds.

Day two. I go to The Tipsy Toad. There are smokers. Jackpot. Not chain smokers unfortunately, but at least they lit up.

In the process of photographing these two women I made a modest discovery for the science of communication. When two talkative women smoke together they take turns inhaling and talking. One woman smokes, while listening to the other one. Then the talker put her cigarette in her mouth and the other woman begins talking. So it is a very rare occasion when both women have the cigarettes in their mouth at the same time. These two women had the system down to an art. They kept their sentences to just the right length to allow the other woman to inhale, exhale and then respond. It was amazing. Annoying for me because I wanted a photograph with both of them smoking at the same time. But the almost perfect synchrony each woman had with the other was like a Discovery Channel nature special as the prey moves adroitly in response to the predator.

Final review, the sequel may not be as good as the original, but for fans of smoking it is still worth the price of admission.

End of smoking in restaurants

2010-04-27T23:33:00.000-04:00

I will have another post on this same subject since I became the Chronicle's semi-official photographer for smoking stories.

The Lubbers Cup on Spring Lake

2010-04-27T23:29:00.000-04:00

Beauty, grace, long slender lines, and the sun low on the horizon what more could a photographer want in an assignment.

Investigating a shooting spree

2010-04-27T23:20:00.000-04:00

Muskegon Firefighter Chris Drake, looks out of the second floor window of the house on Isabella Ave while police and fire departments conduct an investigation in the building after arresting two men in connection with a shooting. The shooting was the latest in a string of shootings in the neighborhood over the last three weeks.

How to photograph nothing, wait for something to happen. By the time I knew about the shooting the SWAT team had arrested the suspects and taken them into custody. They don't seem to advertise SWAT operations over the scanner as much as for other emergency events. I wonder if it's because they know they people are listening. It almost seems as if the police who are lied to on a daily basis don't trust us--I can't imagine why.

Chuck Colson speaks celebrates Easter at Brooks correctional facility

2010-04-27T23:07:00.000-04:00

Chuck Colson, a former Richard Nixon aide who went to prison on charges related to the Watergate scandal and the Founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, speaks to prisoners at the E.C. Brooks Correctional Facility Easter Sunday.

Mike Benson, center, a former inmate who now works with Prison Fellowship Ministries prays with a prisoner at the end of the Special Easter Service at E.C. Brooks Correctional Facility.

Rules, rules, rules. After visiting Brooks Correctional I decided that I don't want to go to prison because they have way too many rules. Plus they don't even serve coffee on a regular basis due to budget cuts. It seemed as if almost half of the inmates who attended the Easter Service were there for the coffee and donuts. I don't even like coffee, but coffee seems so basic being unable to drink it would be a deprivation. So take it from someone has been there, for a little while, don't go to prison for a long time if you like coffee. I didn't bother to ask what tea options were available.

My photographs reflected the strict limits I was under. I could not photograph the prisoners faces, the numbers on their backs and legs, and anything else that could be used to identify them. I think I walked the thin line of photographing nothing and nobody while still making sure no one was identifiable. The last picture pushed the boundary a little bit by showing part of the inmates number, fortunately his number is partially worn off.

This was my first time photographing in a medium security prison. I have photographed in a minimum security prison filled with guys who just seemed a little confused, and guys I knew were convicted murderers in a maximum security prison. But this visit was different. Most of the guys seemed more like homeless people instead of super criminals. I have a new belief that there are probably very few true stories about prison breaks, because I don't think many of the prisoners would have anywhere to go once out of prison. I felt bad that I could not photograph the prisoners, because most of them seemed to want to be photographed and to alk to me. But in prison rules are rules, and I wanted to obey them so they would let me back out, where I can continue to choose to not drink coffee.

Funeral

2010-04-27T22:29:00.000-04:00

Dawn Williams, 22 right, hugs Dren'e Woodfork, 17, in the parking lot of Fountain Funeral Home during the visitation for their cousin Keyara Williams.

One of Keyara Williams cousins, Brittany Flowers, 19, cries while attending the visitation for Williams at the Fountain Funeral Home.

I always find it difficult to photograph at funerals. In order to empower myself to intrude into the grief of the people attending a funeral I remind myself about the value the photographs have for the community, and the honor it shows for the deceased by making their funeral a public affair.

Way of the Cross

2010-04-27T22:20:00.000-04:00

Larry Shalda picks up the cross in front of the downtown post office during The Good Friday Way of the Cross starting at the Muskegon County Courthouse and finishing at the Indian Cemetery Friday April 2, 2010. Father Jack LaGoe said the walk is to show how poor people are crucified by injustice because "if we only weep about something that happened two thousand years ago, we miss the message (of the crucifiction)."

Joel Engel carries the cross across Webster Ave.

Theresa Loss, center, kneels during one of the stations of cross in front of the downtown post office.

Western Michigan Christian basketball wins state championship

2010-04-16T00:49:00.000-04:00

Western Michigan Christian Warriors Evan Bruinsma, center, and DeMario Harris, right, fight for the ball with Covert High School Bulldogs Demonte Atkins, left, during the Warriors 62-61 victory to win the Boys Class D State Semi-Final.

Western Michigan Christian Warriors Jeff Burris takes a dive

Western Michigan Christian Warriors London Burris passes the ball.

Marine City Cardinal Mooney's Joe Broderick, front, tries to pass around Western Michigan Christian Warriors' Evan Bruinsma, back.

Western Michigan Christian Warriors' DeMario Harris, bottom, falls as he passes the ball around Marine City Cardinal Mooney's Joe Broderick, top,

Western Michigan Christian Warriors DeMario Harris, left, tries to steal the ball from Marine City Cardinal Mooney Drew Torey, right, during the Warriors 66-56 victory to win the Boys Class D State Championship at the Breslin Center.

Western Michigan Christian Warriors' Evan Bruinsma slam dunks the ball during the Warriors 66-56 victory over Marine City Cardinal Mooney to win the Boys Class D State Championship at the Breslin Center.

Western Michigan Christian Warriors Jeff Burris holds up the State Championship Trophy after the Warriors win the Boys Class D State Championship by defeating the Marine City Cardinal Mooney High School 66-56.

The Ride and writing from my soapbox

2010-04-16T00:31:00.000-04:00

Mark Ferguson, 61 a member of Team Bicycle Rack, cools himself off with the spray fan during the Mercy Health Partners Annual "The Ride" on stationary bikes at the Lakes Mall.

    How do you have a bike riding fund raiser in March in Michigan, simple, have a stationary bike race in the mall. How do you make you fund raising event more famous, simple, send out press releases to the newspaper. How do you photograph the event for the newspaper, complicated.
How can it possibly be complicated to photograph people peddling like their lives depend on it and their bikes don't move? The answer is dumbfounding. Well it was to me anyway. I had one important criteria I was required to follow for this assignment. I could not photograph any storefronts or shop logos. Which is quite difficult when you are surrounded by shop fronts filled with logos. In order to work within the narrow constraints I was under I decided to keep most of my photographs tight. This is my favorite example.
    Why would the Mall, which is in the business of renting space to retailers prohibit me from showing store fronts or logos? Brands spend tremendous amounts of money on advertising simply to get their logos name into the public eye. Therefore getting their brand in front of thousands of people for free would be in their best interest. Risk to retailers--negligible. Any customer or competitor who wants to keep records of the prices the shops are charging can simply write down the information, speak it into an audio recorder or take a picture of the price for themselves. Any competitor who wants to copy a fantastic store front display will simply take their own photograph surreptitiously instead of relying on one in the background of another picture. In either case anyone who cares enough to copy the store will also care enough to make sure they have a source to gather the intelligence they feel they need. Since it is in each retailers best interest to expand their brand names I can only conclude that it is the mall itself seeking to curtail my right to "stand in" for the public.
    I believe the mall executives see no potential gain for the mall if any retail brand gains free publicity. The retailer could benefit from the publicity but the mall would gets nothing. On the other hand if the retailer was losing money the manager would start looking for every excuse, real and imagined, to shift the blame from themselves. One easy target of blame--the newspaper, and by extension the mall. Because the mall did not stop the photographer from photographing the store. So to avoid unnecessary unpleasantness with their tenants they deny their tenants potential publicity. My ideas are all conjecture, based on a simple assessment of the situation. There could be more cynical or short sighted motives, but I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt, and even corporations are really just a group of people.

Muskegon Heights at the Breslin Center

2010-04-15T23:33:00.000-04:00

Muskegon Heights Tigers get psyched up for their game against the Detroit Country Day Yellowjackets in the Boys Class B State Semi-Final.

Detroit Country Day Yellowjackets Amir Williams, right, elbows Muskegon Heights Tigers Jamil Thornton, left, as Williams catches a rebound.

Muskegon Heights Tigers Jamil Thornton, center, falls to the floor after struggling with Detroit Country Day Yellowjackets Mahesh Umasankar, back left.

A young Muskegon Heights Tigers fan tries to comfort Jamil Thornton, right, and Moses Buckley, left, as it becomes clear the Tigers would lose the Boys Class B State Semi-Final to the Detroit Country Day Yellowjackets, final score 72-47.

Rehearsing for Showcase

2010-04-15T23:16:00.000-04:00

Hands symbolizing temptations claw at Quinlyn Mork, 15 of Pentwater, as she plays the role of a teenager facing spiritual struggles during the "Everything Skit" at the Showcase rehearsal.

In my opinion blond hair against a black background=dramatic combination.
For me the hardest assignments are often the ones that involve good photographic situations. Trying to make unique photographs in a new infrequently photographed situation is easy since the bar of expectation is non-existent. But trying to make a good photograph in a situation with high expectations is difficult. A talent show rehearsal has a number of good standard photographs, including ancers who will always make good photographs. For me the challenge is to find a photograph that goes beyond the obvious, I want to photograph the dancers in such a way that my photograph adds value to the dancers performance. My goal is for my photographs to go beyond what the audience normally notices in a performance. I think this photograph achieved my goal, because I photographed the dance in way that the audience could never see for themselves, simply because the audience could not ignore the performers who were sticking their arms out. The real audience could never fully forget the people whose hands were reaching out, but in the world of my photograph the arms become shapes. The people they belong to can be forgotten as our eyes are drawn to the blond haired girl, distinct against the black background.

New Minor League Record

2010-04-15T00:43:00.000-04:00

Robin Bouchard celebrates his 683rd career goal, setting the new minor league hockey record during the Muskegon Lumberjacks game against the Quad City Mallards.

    The Lumberjacks Goalie Sebastien Centomo makes a save during the game against the Quad City Mallards.

    I have gotten better at calming my nerves before a game. Every game is a matter of patient persistence, following the action while waiting for the right moment. Letting the yourself become a part of the game. Trying to think like the players, to anticipate their next actions. As the game progresses you begin to feel the rhythm of the game. Every game is different, not just between different sports, but between different games played by the same team, and each game it's own rhythm. Until something really good happens.
    The action in hockey is more or less continuous. You can watch as the circumstances for certain pretty good photographs start to form, from break away plays with shots on goal to fights. Most events build, but not a great reactions. Great reactions are spontaneous outbursts. They happen fast.
   My mission was to photograph Robin Bouchard make his historic goal. Many of Bouchard's goals are impossible to an observer all you see is another player shoot and Bouchard happens to deflect the puck into the net. The technique usually misses, but it works often enough that Bouchard is now the minor league scoring record holder. Because of the importance of getting a good photograph of Bouchard making history I decided on a new strategy to cover the game. I would track Bouchard everywhere he went with my camera. When he left the ice I would shoot the game, but as soon as he left came back onto the ice I would be on him, and I would continue until he made history or the game was over.
   Even with my theoretically fool proof plan I missed Bouchard's historic shot, or rather my camera does not have x-ray vision to see through the player who blocked my view. But I got his reaction after he scored, fortunately he turned right after he scored. If he had turned left I may have missed his most exuberant moment.

St. Patricks Day Parade

2010-04-15T00:14:00.000-04:00

Linda O'Lamoreaux of Whitehall carries the Irish flag while watching the White Lake area Blarney Bash Parade

As they say, "on St. Patrick's Day everyone is Irish."

Blur of Basketballs

2010-04-15T00:05:00.001-04:00

Spring is all about new life, with plants gradually reawakening to see the sun. But March is also about large orange balls, vocal crowds crammed into small dimly lit gyms, and long drives in late winter storms. I could not post everything here, just a few of my favorites. Enjoy.

Fire in a Pole Barn and the most important rule of photojournalism

2010-04-14T23:52:00.002-04:00

       Photography is a lot like the game of Othello: a minute to learn, a lifetime to master. Many aspects of the art seem so simple, but using all of the tools and techniques is a challenge that can use every part of your being. Physical endurance, creativity, emotional insight, intellectual curiosity, and even spiritual understanding all have their place, but one important rule should not be overlooked: Go to the bathroom whenever you have the chance. Spot news events, such as fires and crashes can last a long time, you never know when the best photograph may happen, and if you need to talk with the incident commander then you usually need to wait.
   Before going to this fire I had been at another fire, and by the time I arrived I thought it would be nice to use a restroom. By the time I left I thought I could have helped the firemen put out the fire.
   A good reminder of one of the most important rules for photojournalism.

Child Prodigy

2010-04-14T23:32:00.000-04:00

    Marc Yu seems to be a child prodigy, a gifted pianist, an excellent communicator, and is good at telling jokes. Although his taste in music differs from mine. He enjoys complex piano pieces that demonstrate his ability, while my pedestrian tastes prefer big crescendos that would make a great score for the climax of an action movie.
   When I was shooting the portrait of him after his performance he told me some jokes. I think I should repeat one of them because it is so funny. It may not seem as funny as you read it here, but to hear it from a child dressed up to perform classical music was funny. If it is not funny then it is probably my fault for not retelling precisely enough.

   A soldier who had been sent to stand gurad returned to his camp and his commander asked whey he had abandoned his position. The soldier said "while I was camouflaged as a tree birds flew over and used me for target practice, but I did not abandon my position. Then a dog came and used me to mark his territory, but I did not abandon my position. Then two squirrels climbed up my leg, and I did not abandon my position. Then one squirrel said to the other squirrel, lets grab the other nut too, that was when I abandoned my position."

   To appreciate the humor I think it helps to have been a twelve year old boy yourself.

Alicia and Brad on Grand Haven Pier

2010-04-12T20:59:00.001-04:00

    Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
    Alicia and Brad were great troopers, for this photograph they posed for what must have been ten minutes, although it felt like an eternity. The engagement shoot was officially over, but since they came all the way to the lake shore it made sense to enjoy the sunset. But as we were watching the orange sky after the sun dipped below the horizon I decided to take a few more photographs, and then I noticed that despite the calm lake some water would spray up every few minutes. So I asked Alicia and Brad to relocate to were the waves splashed, and then we waited.
    It seemed as if the waves big enough to produce decent splashes disappeared as soon as I realized they were happening, so we decided to give up. As I literally put down my camera a wave splashed up. I jerked my camera up to shoot a picture, but I was too late. Brad said through teeth clenched from the cold "you must have gotten than one." No, I didn't, it was a total miss, but the wave convinced us to keep being patient.
    We waited some more, as the sky grew darker. Fortunately Brad and Alicia seem to be in-love. So despite wearing light jackets on a chilly evening they remained happy, cold, but happy. I think they enjoyed gazing into one each other's eyes. Alicia started laughing at something Brad said. Then, while Alicia was reaching the end of her little laugh a wave sprayed up. This time I got it, I was not fooled twice.

Skee Town Skirtz Roller Derby

2010-03-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

Roller Derby, the full contact sport for women where they have fun with their uniforms, names and numbers. A combination of roller skating, Goth style and full contact sport. Unlike other contact sports such as football and hockey in roller derby the goal is not to control a puck or a ball, it is to prevent the opposing teams "Jammer" or scorer from passing. The outcome is the potential for a lot of good crashes. The difficulty as a photographer is the low light level in the roller rink. I used off-camera flash to get enough light, and used a slow shutter-speed to try and show the energy of the event. It was difficult because the action happens all over the rink, but I was only able to light about a quarter of the rink. So instead of getting continuous action I could only photograph a fraction of the crashes.

For the love of silhouettes

2010-03-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

Muskegon gets jet airplanes

2010-03-02T09:37:00.000-05:00

This was one of those assignments where I wonder how I am going to do anything out of the ordinary. I decided I would try to photograph passengers exiting the plane so I would have people witht he plane for background. As I waited for the passengers to appear the Captain poked his head out the door. I thought the shape of his head and the shape of the jet engine created a nice pair of dark round objects.

Who says being handicapped can't be a bonus?

2010-03-02T02:42:00.000-05:00

            When a great assignment goes bad. One of the great things about digital is that you can know whether or not a picture is good before you leave your assignment. A quick peek at the LCD screen and you know if your favorite photograph was in-focus and exposed correctly--most of the time. At the start of this assignment the wide angle lens I was using stopped focusing on anything beyond five feet away. I never knew it until I was back at the office because the photographs looked okay on the camera's tiny LCD screen. I was left with only the photographs I took with my telephoto lens. I think it was a loss since I thought I had been using the wide angle to create dynamic photographs of the sleds. Although I enjoy this photograph for the expression, I think about the other photographs I lost and miss them.
    The organizers for the Adaptive Luge Clinic say that Luge may be the only sport in which it could be an advantage to be handicapped. The logic goes like this: Luge requires a strong upper body and no movement in the legs, therefore people who cannot move their legs and spend all day every day exercising their upper body could be become the best lugers. The theory makes sense.
    The man in this photograph told me that Luge was too tame for his preference, he said he enjoyed sky diving a lot more. Incidentally most all of the handicapped people I spoke to at the Adaptive Luge clinic became handicapped because they were thrill seekers.

Saving the bird

2010-03-02T01:59:00.000-05:00

I enjoy fires. I don't like the idea of fires, I empathize with the victims in every fire, crash, or crime scene I have ever been to. But deep down I like fire. What I hate is knowing that someone may have lost their home, or worse their life.

The home owner at this fire was sad to see that the pet bird survived the fire, while the Nintendo Wii and many other home electronics had been destroyed by the fire hoses while putting out the fire. I guess that's life.

As close as I got to the Olympics

2010-03-02T01:57:00.000-05:00

Through this photograph I got to be one very tiny, imperceptibly small part of the media extravaganza that is the Olympics. I now know how nail-biting the anticipation is for family members of Olympic athletes. If I had thought about it I would have imagined the tension being extreme. Somehow meeting the people behind an Olympic athlete made the spectacle of the Olympics far more personal. Instead of the athletes always being from somewhere else, the athlete is a person who has lived in the same area as me, walked in the same Winter Sports Complex, and met some of the same people.

Basketball, their blunders are my victories

2010-03-02T01:35:00.000-05:00

Fumbles, foibles, or plain mistakes are my favorite part of high school basketball. High school basketball is simply high school basketball, it is not glamorous. The gyms are usually small, poorly lit, and sometimes a little smelly. The level of skill varies, with great feats of athleticism the exceptions instead of the rules. So mistakes are more fun for me than the game highlights.

The Polar Plunge

2010-02-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

Before the plungers began jumping into Muskegon Lake I could the small ice crystals forming on the surface. I think a person would have to be crazy to jump into water that cold. The costumes, the crowd and mass insanity of the moment are the only things I can imagine turning normal people into plungers.

My only goal going into this assignment was to get the names of a lot of people before the plunge. After each person jumps into the water they get out and they run for the warm swimming pool next door. The plunger's ditch their frigid costumes as fast as they can. Without a name I cannot use a photograph in the newspaper without the names of the people in the photograph. Once the plungers are wet all the energy of the event is gone, they just want to get warm, they will not stop to talk with me. so I need to get the names of the plungers before the event starts. I spent over an hour collecting the names of plungers. My theory was that the people who dressed in the most outlandish costumes would also try to make the biggest splashes.
My favorite photographs are the first and the last. I think I must really like photographs of guys screaming right now. I do like actions movies, maybe there is a connection. The first photograph was not something I expected to create. I thought I would photograph lots of people splashing and after their cold bath, but I did not expect any photographs I liked to happen indoors as the mass hysteria was building.

Pond Hockey

2010-02-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

Photography is not difficult because you need to know how to handle a camera. Handling a camera is more simple than handling a large sail boat, and only slightly more complicated than driving. What makes photography difficult is that when you create a "perfect" picture you really haven't accomplished the goal. In most other professions if you do something perfectly you have accomplished your goal. If a dentist creates a perfect filling then he has done a great job, or if a plumber fixes the leak he is done. But if a photographer creates a perfect picture it is of not interesting unless it also has something eye catching. I am always searching for different ways to look at things and for things that are a little weird. This photograph has both, it has a reflection in the hockey player's visor that shows the pond hockey rink. Plus the hockey player is yelling to encourage his teammates so it makes the photograph eye catching.

--Darren Breen

Motorcycles on ice

2010-02-10T01:58:00.000-05:00

What could be more fun than watching motorcycles drive around on ice? As a photographer I often get sent to photograph assignments that are basically eye candy. The challenge is to photograph the eye candy exceptionally well, because as a professional I need to create something more impressive than people riding motor bikes. My plan was to use color, blur, and photographing multiple vehicles to create more exciting photographs.
The use of blur is a well-tried convention for shooting motor sports. The complexity was that this race was on ice, so everyone drives slowly to stay in control. I had to lower my shutter speed to a point where I was creating camera blur even when the motorcycles where stationary. The benefit of the ice was that the colors stood out more vibrantly against the white ice than they do against the usual dirt or asphalt. After some panning practice I began to control the blur, and started to see results I liked.

--Darren Breen

The Goalie

2010-02-10T01:53:00.000-05:00

Patience.

I often find myself working on a rigid deadline while telling myself to be patient. It is hard for me to be patient when waiting in line, but even harder when I need to meet an important deadline, and in newspaper photography every deadline is an important one.

As a placebo for my nervous tension I frequently experiment with Jedi Mind-Control skills. Using my novice telepathy skills I tell the people, animals, and sometimes the inanimate objects I am photographing what they should do, so that they can be in the right place for me to create a good picture.

To my knowledge I have never actually managed to convince any human, creature, or thing, to do anything by the use of my Jedi powers. However his picture is proof that all of my attempts may not have been in vain. Normally when I photograph Hockey I spend most of each period dutifully following the puck with my camera, when the puck goes toward the goal, so does my camera. The problem is the puck can move really fast, and my camera sometimes lags behind a little. I had an idea. Instead of following the puck with my camera like a lemming, I would wait like a cobra poised to strike. My camera on the goalie and I would use my Jedi Mind-Control skills to bring the action to the goalie. It worked, with ice shavings flying.

Skeptics of my telepathic skills might say that instead of mind-control I used the more ordinary skill of observation, to notice that the goalie was under a lot of pressure. Which would mean that instead of altering time and space with my mind all I was doing was waiting in the right place to make a nice photograph. In response to such skepticism I can only say that they have can have their explanation and I can have mine.

--Darren Breen

Girl's basketball

2010-02-10T01:51:00.000-05:00

    Photography. It's all about the critical moment, and the light, and the composition, and the subject, and the background, and the color, and other things as well, but it varies from picture to picture.
This picture has most of those things going for it, apart from the background. I feel very strongly that people in the backgrounds of my pictures should only be allowed to wear black or other very dark clothing. In addition it is of vital importance that they never, never, never (unless I think it is okay) be allowed to carry bright yellow objects into the background of one of my photographs. It is as if no one out there can read my mind. Because if they could read my mind they would understand how crazy, insane, and rude it is to carry a bright object into the background of an otherwise good photograph.
    There are people today who may roll there eyes at my hysterical tirade, they may say "why don't you just Photoshop the yellow bag out of the picture?" To anyone who would say such a blasphemous things I would point out that in life there is the wide road and the narrow road, there is also a wide road and narrow road in photography. The professional photojournalist is supposed to follow the narrow road, with a tightly defined set of ethical principles guiding our behavior.
One of the most important rules is that you cannot digitally alter images. Radical toning is termed "The Hand of God," and no one should attempt to play God. The evil of adding or subtracting parts of a photograph is so bad it only has a descriptive name, "digital manipulation." Although it may not hurt anyone as much as manipulating a persons fingers out of alignment, it is a very BIG no no.
    As a photographic puritan I may be unhappy that an gaudy yellow bag polluted my picture, but at least I have my self-righteous pride.
     As an ointment for my inner artist's tortured soul I tell myself the reason true photojournalists adhere to a strict code of conduct is to maintain journalistic standards of integrity. The real question behind adding or subtracting elements within a photograph is about our integrity and how much it is worth. If we are willing to alter a photograph because of an aesthetic preference then we could not be trusted to accurately portray important events. Whether anyone likes to believe it or not, our whole society, and our understanding of the world is all based on trust. Especially trust in the people who tell us about the events in the world. Whether covering an earthquake in Haiti, or a girls basketball game in West Michigan, the most important thing, the only real thing, journalists have is integrity.

--Darren Breen

Lake Perch

2010-02-10T01:47:00.000-05:00

    What does it mean to be observant?
It is a vital skill for a photographer, but there are too many things to notice all of them.   I think being observant means awareness to your surroundings. Noticing the colors, the shapes, the light, the moods of people, the sequence of events, and the things that are out of the ordinary.
   I was sent to photograph ice fishing. I have been curious about ice fishing for a long time, but deep down I believed that if I wanted to try ice fishing all I needed to do was sit on a slab of ice and do nothing. Now that I am more knowledgeable I realize I was only mostly correct in my assumption. Now and again people, mostly men, sitting on the ice catch fish. The fish in this picture may not look like a trophy but it is the prize the fisherman was seeking. I was aware enough of my surroundings to look beyond the obvious photographs of being staring at holes in the ice and to notice that this fisherman would occasionally hold a fish out the window to show off his catch, and then I waited until he did it again.

--Darren Breen

Wrestling Photographs

2010-02-10T01:43:00.000-05:00

119 pound GMAA city wrestling Championship

189 pound GMAA city wrestling Championship

285 pound GMAA City wrestling Championship

What is Truth?
Two thousand years ago Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea asked that question, I think the question is as relevant today as it was then. I think about it every time I create a picture. Every picture I create involves editing as I decide what to include and what to exclude. My goal is to keep only what I consider to be the best of every situation. Often "the best" means the most exciting, the moment of peak action or emotion. My job, as I interpret it, is to skim off the cream moments of every event and deliver it with the most impact possible.
In a wrestling tournament finding "the best" means focusing on the few fractions of a second when the wrestlers are off balance or in the air. The moments happen fast, sometimes so fast you almost can't even see them with a human eye. I can only photograph the fastest actions because I begin the process of shooting before the action has occurred. Which leads back to the question "What is Truth?"
With the camera I make visible moments in time that cannot normally be seen and appreciated. But those same moments are not the norm, they are aberrations in time. They happen infrequently, even in a wrestling match. When I was in studying geology in college I was taught to take representative samples, to find what is normal for the purpose of creating knowledge that can be used for prediction. Is truth what is normal? Is it the heightened reality seen through the camera? Is it relative to the medium being used? Is it a bad question to ask, because most people don't care and just want to be entertained? I think all of my possible answers could be right. I think that even with the camera looking for the best eye candy it is important to search for the truth by looking for the moments that communicate genuine attributes that could be considered normal.

--Darren Breen

Roller Derby: Skee Town Skirtz

2010-02-09T15:20:00.000-05:00

Distracted Driving Portrait

2010-02-09T14:58:00.000-05:00

This portrait literally kept me up at night. The night before I was trying to think of a way to combine the key elements of the wrecked car with the cell phone. I decided to get up high to see the wreck and used a wide angle lens to make the foreground larger in proportion to the car. I ended up minimizing the cell phone, so that it was only visible enough to convey the idea that the cell phone was involved in the crash. Brandi Dulin was good at looking regretful, it was the only expression that came naturally to her a few days after her near death experience.

--Darren Breen

To view a video I made of the story go to:
http://videos.mlive.com/chronicle/2010/01/cell_phone_distraction.html

Photographing at the Rescue Mission

2010-02-09T14:21:00.000-05:00

   I often find myself becoming uncomfortable when I photograph people in homeless shelters. In the same way I become uncomfortable when I photograph people dealing with other hardships, such as being injured. I think the reason I become uncomfortable is I think people wish to be known for traditionally good things.
    Winning, wealth, success, and happiness are the things I imagine people wish to be known for. But the truth is those things can be very boring, they look more like commercials than reality. When I see people enjoying themselves in commercials I am not deceived. I know that drinking beer does not make life more fun or exciting, and a new vacuum cleaner is not going to change my life. So when I see good news I am not curious about it, at the very best I give it a cursory glance and forget about it. But when I see something outside of my normal life. Outside of my normal advertising saturated life. I am curious and I want to know more about it.
   For me the top photograph is good because although the man in the photograph has suffered from some major setbacks in life he has a thoughtfulness that gives him nobility regardless of his situation in life. My theory is that the best stories are like my favorite movie, "Gladiator," with a strong protagonist, who finds themselves in a difficult situation and must struggle to overcome adversity. I think this photograph shows a man in a difficult situation who is struggling to overcome it.

--Darren Breen

Portrait in "Club Envy"

2010-02-09T13:39:00.000-05:00

I created this photograph in a new night club in downtown Muskegon. The background is one of the murals they have in the club. I wanted dramatic lighting to complement the light and dark of the mural itself. So the look of the portrait lighting would feel similar to the aesthetic of the club.
I think the portrait worked well, although I would have preferred lights with a faster recycle time since I was often shooting faster than my lights could recharge.

--Darren Breen

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/new_club_in_downtown_muskegon.html

Portrait in a Vault

2010-02-09T12:57:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to shoot inside of a bank vault for a long time, because vaults have so much great looking metal. This assignment offered me the chance to do a portrait within an old bank vault because a group of companies are creating an apprenticeship program in Muskegon, and they had acquired an old bank building to be the main base for the program.

The difficulty of being inside of the vault was that if the gate closed, we would have been locked inside, and the vault was a very small space to light.