3 a.m.

I got the text around 3 a.m.  Apartment fire.  Minutes later I was on my way through the empty streets.  The firefighters had already knocked down the blaze when I arrived but there was a gas leak that was still fueling some flames.  Fortunately, everyone got out safely, largely due to a man that was driving by and saw flames coming through the roof.  He went door to door waking people up while he called 911.

That afternoon Sean and I headed back to see if we could catch some of the residents salvaging what they could.  I met Jeremy, a recent Calvary Baptist Academy graduate, as he was going through his water damaged bedroom and we talked for a bit about the 1st New York, his Revolutionary War reenacting group.  He lost a lot of his history books from water damage, but he was still thankful that he had stuff to salvage unlike many of the building's residents.

The finals

"Two outs.  Two strikes.  Bases loaded.  Bottom of the seventh in a scoreless game with a trip to the state semifinals on the line.  It's a situation packed with so much pressure that most athletes would crumple. But not Bay City Western's Meredith Rousse..."

(to read Fred Kelly's complete story, click here)

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It was an interesting game to shoot (the post season almost always is) and I couldn't quite believe it when Rousse finished off Grandville in style with a beautiful single over the second baseman's head.  BCW is going to the Creek for the state semifinal on Friday.  Go warriors.

Charger grays

Graduation Grin

Arbor Day

Chemic Blues

It was fun watching the Midland High School soccer team this year. Both Midland and Dow had solid teams which made for intense match ups this season.  Midland won their last match with Dow during the regular season but the Chargers overcame the Chemics when it counted in districts.

As a photographer there is no better field to shoot on then Dow's.  With woods on two sides, the backgrounds are fairly clean.

Grayscale action

When I interned in at The Herald in Jasper, Ind. it was published almost exclusively in black and white.  While we tone in color for Midland, some images are just better in grayscale.

Three frames...

...from softball today.

Game Faces

The NCAA tournament may be just starting but our high school season just ended with Beaverton losing in the state quarterfinal last night.  Here are two portraits from a Meridian game a few weeks ago.

Police and fire