What a week....

I ended my internship a few days later than planned, moved in the pouring rain and intense fog, unpacked, made the house a mess, went home for Christmas eve, drank with my family, then got them wasted by playing all kinds of drinking games, woke up at 4 am to open gifts on Christmas, ate a sweet breakfast, left for Jessica's house for dinner at her grandparents, well you get the point I was busy.

Eventually I made it back home and Jessica and I did a 30min photo shoot with my brother who was home visiting for the holidays.

Christmas Presents

I won't lie; it was kind of emotional.

The day after Thanksgiving....

I found myself in Frankenmuth wondering the cold streets shooting two assignments. One about shopping in the Frankenmuth where there is always some kind of festival going and the other was an assignment about a ceremony they were having. It was cold and my nose, toes and finger tips received the worst of it.

I really didn't have a lot of good art for shopping and of course my hands just had to be full when I saw this. So I literally dropped everything I had in my hands and ran up to the window. People were staring at me and the girls thought I was just as weird when I went inside and asked where their mom and dad were. They gave me "ohh shit eyes" and turned away and didn't say anything. I felt like and ass asking random people if the two girls were their daughters, but after about 5 or 6 people I found their mom and she was more than thrilled to give me their info for the paper.

A little snow before Thanksgiving break

So I was sick and tired from working 9 days in a row and a top of my other 4 stories I was told they absolutely needed an A1 weather feature for the light snow we received two days before Thanksgiving. After driving around for a while and a few failed attempts at making a nice feature I decided I could get a safety shot up above the highway by the Titabawasee Bridge on I-75. So I hiked up the over pass only to sprayed by a semi-truck traveling at least 60 miles and hour. I drenched from head to toe in slushy dirty snow/water and all I could do was laugh. It was something you would only see in a movie. So I drove through the SVSU campus which I never use enough and got out of my car to shoot some kids making a snowman and then they made snow angels as I froze to death from being wet.

Division 6 Football Finals

According to Tom Hanks there is no crying in baseball, but apparently that rule doesn't apply to football. I've covered two very important games and both times the home team has lost and tears have rolled.

Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central 34, Montague 35 in overtime. (Nouvel went for two)

Fireworks

First time shooting fireworks. I love how the smoke rolls through the trees to make it look all creepy and what not.

Down but not out

Cold weather, snow, drunk fans and one hell of a football game made for a chance to make great photos. CMU lost to Ball State, but CMU still has a chance to be crowned MAC Champs if Western beats Ball State. Don't ask how this works, just trust me.

Defeated

Thought I had the game winning shot here with Flint Beecher scoring on St. Charles and then Beecher had to go and blow it. I love high school football because the kids are filled with so much emotion and each game is probably one of the final ones they will play in.


Taken at The Saginaw News Woman's Expo a few weeks ago. These to ladies are a mother and daughter couple who spent a lot of time in the jewelry section of the expo bounding and of course picking out jewelry.

Renaissance

Ren⋅ais⋅sance: [ren-uh-sahns, -zahns, -sahns, ren-uh-sahns, -zahns, -sahns; especially Brit. ri-ney-suhns]
–noun
3. (sometimes lowercase) any similar revival in the world of art and learning.
4. (lowercase) a renewal of life, vigor, interest, etc.; rebirth; revival: a moral renaissance.

Happy Election Day.

Disgraceful

These pictures were taken at the rivalry game between Saginaw's two inner city school; Saginaw High (Black jerseys) and Arthur Hill (White Jerseys)





I hate to put these up here, but they have a place and a story. I don't like the fact they were used in our paper and secondly I'm upset with myself for turning them in hoping my editors would side against this.

Some of these young men thought this was funny and even took pride in the fight that broke out by bragging on the sidelines. However their coaches did not and for that I am thankful. Arthur Hill's coach ripped these kids a new one and it made me feel proud inside that this behavior isn't being tolerated. It is so sad to see a lot of these kids with no direction in their life and so misinformed about life. They think they are confined to the hood life and how are they not supposed to believe this when it is reinforced around them all the time. Whether it's the print news, television, hip-hop, rap, movies, magazines they think they being tough is cool and it's sad.

For those of you that say well I grew up with these things and I turned out fine there is a big difference between you and them. Direction. You didn't grow up in a household where you like didn't have a father. If these kids have fathers they are working long hours doing manual labor jobs at factories for cheap wages and then sleeping when they are home.

For those of you that didn't have both parents I bet you had someone that filled the void for you. Whether it was church, another family member, a teacher or a best friend you had something to instill direction. These kid's don't have that, they have a version they are called gangs. They have all of these reinforced values around them in the mass media (music, movies, whatever)and they just don't have map to show them there is more.

I'm officially ready for the election to be over. I really haven't covered much election stuff except when it comes to silly stuff like mock elections for the occasional neighbor feud over signs. And it's not that I dislike elections or the process, but more so the people. In all honesty I'm tired of 15 year-old kids wearing Barak Obama shirts, marching in parades and telling everyone they know what is good for America.

Your probably going to assume that I hate Obama and because these kids political views don't fit mine I'm upset. Well, your probably half right, but the whole truth is do these kids really know what they are talking about?

For example at The Saginaw News we have this really annoying process of getting name, middle initial, hometown, age, and if your under 18 your parents info. So I'm at high school taking these photos with uptight kids who think because they come from the corn fields of Saginaw they got street credit. I can't begin to tell you about the fight I got in with a student who thought it would be funny to try and knock me over with all my equipment in hand, but this is all getting of track so back to the point. The point is I get their information and ask for their parents and they have no clue on how to spell their names. Ladies and gentlemen this is our future. I'll give them not knowing their parents age, but the spelling of names? I just stared blankly at these kids as I asked them questions and watched them reply with just sheer stupidity. What did you learn from this process? "It's important to vote." How did this teach you that? "Um.., because this election is the most important in our history."

Really? You learned it is important to vote because this election is important? So what are you going to do when X-President is up for election and you eligible to vote. Student after student, dumb answer after another.

Look for the next post because I found out how much smarter first graders are compared to high schoolers. It will blow your mind.

CMU defeats Western 38-28

It's been a while since I have made that photo. You know the one where you don't even have to look to see if you got, you just know it's it. Now only if I could shoot something other than sports. I wonder sometimes

I hate parades

The nice thing about interning in the fall is there are few parades this time of year and for the most part I have been successful in avoiding them. However my luck ran out Friday when I was told I had to shoot Saginaw Heritage's Homecoming Parade.

Among the generic and monotonous shots of floats, people walking, and kids picking up candy I managed to make a few photos. Of the two I loved, one ran and the other didn't so I was contempt with that but I really wish one of these would have made it.

By the way which variation do you like of this photo.

The story behind these photos:
Something I have learned along the way is to get their early and leave late. This isn't always possible when your on deadline, but I always find my best shots either come at the beginning or the end. I was running a little late because of other assignments and apparently I wasn't the only one running late. This young homecoming court member was even later. Their giant black Escalade came rushing up next me and out jumped this young woman and her mother who immediately began fixing her daughters dress. I know it's not the best photo, but I'm really attached to these for some reason. Maybe because I saw this and then saw the potential for photos like it had I been there in time.

A belated update

The best part of my internship has been high school football. The worst part has been shooting at night. I saw this sunset over this podunk town on the east side of the state, reminds me of home in some ways.
Hey Matt go to the library book sale and don't spend much time on it if there is nothing their. Well I spent a while their and I made some a lot of nice photos, but this one tops them all. The is older man was trying to be polite and help this lady pick out books for kids, but she laughed at him as he read this book out loud. Felt bad for the old man.
Ohh man, game saving play right here. CMU loses this game if Bellore doesn't cause this fumble in the endzone. Not a whole lot else to say about this photo other than it ran six columns on the front of sports.
Pretty sure that's a face mask, and it wasn't called. Needless to say this image describes how badly Midland steam rolled over poor Heritage. I was afraid the Heritage players were going to get hurt because Midland was just so much bigger, faster and stronger.
I shot this feature at a Heritage soccer game almost a month ago. Not sure about this photo, but the editors loved it. I just wish it had more.

Man I have ton 0f images to upload and they are even better than these. In all honesty I was kind of bummed about my shooting so far at this internship, but looking at it I defiantly see my progress.

'The Fish Man'

Eric R. Schantz is a local Saginaw artist known for his paintings on dilapidated buildings across the Saginaw area. The reporter and myself followed Schantz across the city as he showed the art he has created in the hope of a better Saginaw.

Sadly the soundslide produced was not what I had in mind, but I think I will stay in contact with Schantz and try to make this a complete story.

Another Exciting Game

I don't know why but I'm drawn to shoot football. Maybe I miss the days of playing, the smell of grass (even though it's all artificial these days), the screaming moms,  the feeling of escapism when you remove your helmet in the blister heat and how can I forget to mention the smell of sweaty shoulder pads. 

I'm not sure what it is, but I find myself drawn to shoot it. Whether it be pee-wee, high school, college... I love to shoot it. I love to be down on the field to see it up close and personal.

The first photo is just cool. The second one is the game losing or winning shot, depending on what way you look at it. Buffalo missed a field goal that would have one the game with no time left. And when I say missed, it went in and came out by the blessed of God.

Hope to Heartbreak...