Michigan roads

This is a stretch of land just off M-46.  I grew up just a few miles down the road from here.  I love mountains but I love the Michigan flat lands too.

House Fire

It seems like every other week one of us on staff races off to a house fire.  I didn't really realize how common these are until I started listening to the scanner.

Right to work

On Tuesday Michigan became the 24th right-to-work state in the nation.  The Republican controlled House and Senate pushed it through in just five days surprising union leaders and state Democrats.  While the bills steam rolled through the House and Senate chambers thousands of protesters descended on Lansing.

Above are the pages which Nick King, Sean Proctor and I worked on together.  Despite the tempers flaring both inside and outside the best part about shooting it was covering it with Sean and many friends from other publications around Michigan.  Sean and I tagged teamed it and I stayed indoors in the morning while he covered the protest as it heated up outside.  Later on we both shot photos as the protest moved from the Capital building to the Romney building next door.  It was an interesting change to the usually sleepy town of Midland.

"Blue Death"

The Chemics had a good run this year ending their season at 11-1.  Here are some of my favorite images from covering them this fall.

From back when the grass was green

[Northeast Middle School football team]

Found feature

Inferno

Sean got the call about a structure fire last weekend so we grabbed our cameras and headed out.  Between us, we had one 70-200, but most of the time I used my 35mm staying close enough to feel the heat and to frame the firefighters against the burning auto business.

Explosions from inside kept everyone alert as the fire methodically worked its way through the building.  In a year and half working here, this is the largest blaze I've seen.

Election 2012

Yesterday the MDN photo staff took it to the countryside and we hopscotched around to the numerous township halls in Midland County.  I shot in Edenville and Mills township.  It was great to meet the kind people out there, and see the election process away from all the glitz and glamour of the political world.

Fall soccer

Midland and Dow faced off during the fall color peak this year.  Picture perfect.

Midland: Halftime

Looking up, looking down

Spirit Week: Hall decorating at H.H. Dow High School

Fife and Drum

Twelve solemn figures dressed in Revolutionary War-era uniforms marched perfectly in step to the crisp  taps of a snare  drum  through  smoky  campsites and canvas tents near the Saginaw River on Saturday.

People stopped to watch as they passed by in their distinctive black hats and green coats, coming to attention on the empty parade ground. A few minutes passed while their leader, Jim McMahan, conferred with a few French Canadians reenactors, milling around and soon word passed down the line, “We’re early.” As the group broke their formation, a few chuckled as they complained:  “Didn’t this happen last year too?”

An hour later, the distinctive sound of the fife and the tap-tap of the snare drums filled a full parade ground as the Tittabawassee Valley Fife and Drum Corps hailed the start of the annual River of Time, a living history encampment event in Bay City.

To read the rest of the story click here.

Blues Brothers

I had to go looking for a file photo today for a special section and I found this band feature that I never turned in.  It's from a Bullock Creek football game last year.  I'm sure I could fill the blog for weeks with "never before seen" photos.  It's interesting how my taste changes over time.