APAD 38: 37 hours and counting

"University of Denver Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation and Ritchie Center Operations Peg Bradley-Doppes shares a laugh with newly appointed women's basketball coach Erik Johnson as he is introduced for the first time at the Ritchie Center in Denver on April 30, 2008. Johnson becomes Denver's 10th head coach after a three year stint with Boston College as an assistant."

I have been up, without sleep, since 11am on Tuesday. That's 37 hours and counting and I can barely function at this point. Our marketing project is near completion as we only have to put it all together and get it bound before it's due at 4pm tomorrow (errr, today?).

Since the athletic department posted an official release following the announcement I was on deadline to get some images edited and sent to the SID immediately following the presentation. It felt to be on deadline for the first time in a while. Hopefully something will break concerning my internship search soon. I mailed a packet for the fall to The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette today. I actually know the girl who interned there last year and I'm hoping that will at least get my foot in the door because at this point I need all the help that I can get.

BED, NOW, YESSSSS!

-JCE

APAD 37: Giving new definition to a "drive by"

"A gentleman tees off on the 364-yard par four, third hole at Fitzsimons Golf Course in Aurora, Colo. on Tuesday, April, 29, 2008."

On my way home from Chipotle I was driving past the golf course that is only a mile from my house and say a few guys out hacking it up. The light was red in front of me so I slowed down and shot a few frames out the window. I like to call it a legal drive by shooting ;).

Anyway, the marketing capstone course owns my life right now and it's yelling at me to get off of here so I better not piss it off. When I get my life back tomorrow I'll let you know.

-JCE

APAD 37: Giving new definition to a drive by

APAD 36: Living in DCB

"Pioneer Field, home to the University of Denver men's and women's soccer teams, is watered late Monday evening April 28, 2008. DU has adopted water conservation measures, such as watering late at night, as a result of Denver's growing drought conditions."

I spent a good five hours in DCB working our group marketing plan for capstone and for that reason I don't have much to post. The next two days will mostly consist of eating, sleeping and working on that plan as it's due Thursday at 4pm. For the class we are only given a week to put together a marketing plan outlining our decisions for quarters 5-8 of our simulation competition. There are six other groups in the class selling computers in a business-to-business market around the world. We are currently right where we want to be and if all goes to plan we will be sitting on top of the game very shortly.

If you need anything I'll be hiding underneath the mountain of data that we(I) have to analyze in the next 24 hours. Until then have a good one!

-JCE

APAD 35: Back on track

"Never Again President and University of Denver sophomore Joel Portman, left, helps fellow sophomore Javier Ogaz place flags representing deaths in the Holocaust on campus green Sunday, April 27, 2008 in preparation for Holocaust and Genocide Awareness Week taking place April 28th-May 4th. More than two-thousand flags, each representing five-thousand deaths and color coded by demographic groups, were spread out to draw attention to the week long event sponsored by DU Hillel and Never Again!"

After yesterday's blunder I'm back on track with my daily work.

I always love Sunday's because for whatever reason I'm always motivated to get a lot done in preparation for the week. This usually consists of cleaning my room, doing laundry, working on homework, archiving photos from the week and responding to any emails that piled up over the weekend. I was able to get all that done today and I feel ready for the week ahead.

I made it to school about an hour before my group meeting to walk campus looking for features. I headed over to the spring soccer game first but as soon as I got out of my car the game ended. I drove to the other end of campus, parked my car and started walking around hoping to find something out of the ordinary. The weather was nice so there were plenty of students outside. When I walked down toward campus green near the middle of campus I saw a group of students placing colored flags all over the place. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. I made a few images, talked with the group for a few minutes and then walked over to my group meeting.

I was tired of meeting in the business school and it's my last quarter in school so I suggested that we all meet at the new bar/restaurant across the street from DCB. Jordan's Bistro and Pub opened a month or so ago and was started by a few DU grads. Let me tell you that group work over beers and appetizers is much more enjoyable and productive than meetings at school has ever been. We spent a good three hours working on or marketing plan for the capstone class before I headed home.

Still in a good mood and feeling productive I cleaned up my room a little bit, re-organized my closet, loaded the dishwasher and did three loads of laundry. Some people come home from the bar and pass out but my energy translates into productivity.

I have an extremely busy week ahead so I'm going to try and get some sleep but I'll be back tomorrow for the next installment of life from a graduating senior. 

-JCE

APAD 34: A day late and an image short

"Denver's Jessica Lopez, of Venezuela, performs a Yurchenko full layout on vault during session two of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships at Stegeman Coliseum on the University of Georgia campus Thursday, April 24, 2008 in Athens, Ga. Lopez scored a 9.800 on the event but failed to qualify for All-American status."

Well I failed to post an image from yesterday, Saturday the 26th, and I'm really disappointed in myself because of that. Friday night I went out to live up the Atlanta night life with my cousin Erick and we got home so late that we decided to just stay up until I went to the airport. As a result I was exhausted all day. I didn't feel like taking out my camera in the airport to make any images. When I finally got home around 2:15pm I messed around on the computer for a few hours and then passed out. A part of me knew that since I was so tired I wouldn't wake up in time to post but I couldn't help it. 

In theory I didn't accomplish my goal to post a new image each and every day but I don't care. I've pushed myself more than ever and I will continue to do so the rest of this quarter.

The image I posted today was from Thursday but it does have some relevance to today. Viva Colorado, The Denver Post's spanish weekly, asked to used some of my images of Jessica Lopez to run with a story they are doing so I thought I would post an image from the remote that I set up at the event. I shot down the line of the vault runway while my remote was shooting at the exact same time from the side of the event. Producing twice as many images from the exact same moment in time make me more efficient as a photographer and that is really important when there are more and more photographers producing the same kinds of images.

Look for something new later today.

-JCE

APAD 33: Just peachy

"After watching their classmate trip and fall hard to the pavement, seen on the ground back right, University of Georgia students Kyle Renz, left, and Brandon Gorman laugh hysterically on the lawn of North campus Friday, April 25, 2008. Several students got out to enjoy the 80 degree weather on the last day of classes for the year in Athens, Ga."

Today was a crazy because several of the staff here in Athens decided to try and get back to Denver since the girls we done competing. My schedule is pretty open since I'm flying free/stand-by on my flight benefits (my dad is retired from the airlines) but it was a real headache for the other four guys to get their tickets changed. After an amazing lunch at 5 Guys Burgers, the guys were sorting out the ticket situation so I sneaked over to UGA's campus to look for some features. The campus was literally across the street from the team's hotel so I'm glad I got over there to see it. The campus is gorgeous and full of lush green vegetation. After walking around for a few minutes I stumbled upon a group of students smoking hookah on the lawn of the north campus. They were totally cool with letting me take some pictures which was great because I made a few solid frames when one of them tripped and fell HARD while trying to jump over a rope surrounding the grass. 

I'm really pleased with the image because it's a true feature compared to some of the stuff I've shot lately. If my editor sent me out to walk the campus to find something to run as a stand alone on the last day of classes I'd be pleased with the above image. 

I only had time to spend a few minutes with them before I had to race back to the hotel to meet up with the other four guys who were leaving to head back to Atlanta. It was quite an experience stuffing all our luggage, photo and video gear into a Volvo s40. On top of that the car really isn't made for five guys. I'm low man on the totem pole so I had to sit in the middle in the back seat with my 35 pound bag of photo gear on my lap. Needless to say after the hour and a half drive my legs were numb. We BARELY made it to the airport in time for Mitch and Joseph to make their flight. After we dropped them off we took the rental car back only to realize that Alamo wouldn't let Carl, the assistant coach, pay for it with a credit card since the contract was in Mitch's name. Somehow they were going to handle it when we got back to Denver so we just decided to take the shuttle to the airport and let Mitch handle it later.

The flights this evening were full so I had my cousin Erick pick me back up. I'll crash here tonight and catch a 9am flight in the morning. The trip was a little nerve-racking since my plans were kind of up in the air but it all worked out and I spent less than $20 on the entire trip.

A few notes from the weekend:

-My image of Jessica Lopez ran in color in Thursday's sports section of The Denver Post-- check it out

-The images from the competition aren't up on the website yet but you can see some of them HERE in the meantime

-JCE

APAD 32: Poor performance

"Denver's Jessica Lopez competes on balance beam during session two of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships at Stageman Coliseum on the University of Georgia campus Thursday, April 24, 2008 in Athens, Ga. Lopez scored a 9.325 on beam and the Pioneers struggled finishing in 12th place failing to qualify for the Super Six finals with a score of 194.200."

The girls really struggled tonight. They competed with the top teams in the country but just didn't have what it takes to get it done. I'm exhausted and it's been a long day so I'm going to cut it off now. 

The guys who run our website are here and they're going to post a gallery of my stuff but they need the ethernet cord to do that so I'll post the link to that tomorrow. Good night.

-JCE

APAD 31: They don't call it the dirty dirty for nothing

"Turning away from the camera, a man smokes a cigarette while waiting for a ride outside Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Wednesday, April 23, 2008 in Atlanta, Ga."

I've had a great night out with my cousin Eric so I'm not going to post about my day but I do have a few observations about the city in my short time here. Here's what I've noticed so far:

1. I've never seen so many black people in a city before in my life

2. Everyone and I mean everyone smokes cigarettes, ewwww

3. They don't call it the dirty dirty for nothing

4. People in the south are much more personable than any other place I've been

5. This city is growing and is considerably larger than Denver

Tomorrow morning I'll meet up with Sasha's boyfriend to ride to Athens where the NCAA Championships is taking place at UGA. It will be a busy day but I know that I'll come back with something great to post. Hopefully I'll get to set up my overhead remote and come back with something fresh and different from anyone else at the event. 

APAD 30: Leaving on a jet plane

"A clean and crisp collection of shirts are strapped in my suitcase Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at my home in Denver, Colo. Early Wednesday morning I will depart for the NCAA Gymnastics Championships taking place at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga."

I didn't exactly have the time to get out great pictures today so I had to settle for what I could find in and around the house. After school and work I was just too busy trying to pack and get things organized for my trip. I'm definitely not sold on my image today but the best part about running my own blog is that I get to make the rules and today that image will just have to suffice.

My parents are headed to Mexico in the morning and I'm actually on the same flight as them down to Houston (IAH) before we make our connections and go our separate ways. My dad is retired from the airlines so we have the pleasure of flying for free. Even better is that they are booked in first class to Houston and when we get to the airport they are going to try to add me to the list since first class is wide open. I'm not counting on anything but I wouldn't be surprised if I get to ride in luxury in a few hours. Speaking of which my flight is in less than six hours so I better get some sleep but I should have some good stuff for you when I get to the dirty dirty for the first time tomorrow. I hope I run into Luda because I want to do it up big!

-JCE

APAD 29: If I Were King

"Ashley Lawrence, a junior art major, studies multiple choice psychology questions on her computer Monday, April 21, 2008 in the kitchen of her Denver, Colo home. Several University of Denver students, including Ashley, are studying in preparation for midterm examinations taking place this week."

At this point of the quarter most students are frantically stressing over midterms, papers and group projects. Personally I don't let all that get to me. I've never been one to worry about any type of major exam because it is what it is. I have much more important things in my life to worry about. I'm a pretty good test taker and I'm sure that has something to do with my lack of anxiety but for the most part they're really not that big of a deal. I honestly don't study for tests because I figure that if I don't already know the material then I'm not going to remember it if I stare and the information for hours upon hours. It's a rare approach but that's just what works well for me. My GPA is solid so why fix something that isn't broken?

While most other students were stressing over exams I watched an outstanding documentary on the production of Sean "Diddy" Combs fashion show for his Men's clothing line Sean John. I know what most of you are thinking but don't judge so soon. Sure I know that Diddy is extremely outspoken and most of the elder generation finds him rude and obnoxious but you can't hate on his talent as a businessman. I really look up to someone like him who has the drive and passion to be the absolute best at what he does and for a young black male like myself it's great to see that no matter where you started it only takes drive and hard work to get anywhere you want to be.

If I Were King highlights not only the work involved in putting together a major line for New York's fashion week but also how meticulous Diddy is. If you have a free 70 minutes (or so) give it a look. It really inspired me to push harder to where I want to be and what I want to become. No one is just going to give me a job, I have to work for it. 

During the program Diddy talks about "signs" he comes across that he feels are trying to tell him something. Although I'm not a very religious person I do believe that there are hints being left for each and every one of us to assist us in our journey through life. For me it came in the form of a friends advice during lunch the day after my 21st birthday in Milan, Italy. He suggested that I actually try and do something with my photography. 16 months later look at where that advice has taken me. It's little things like these that allow me to understand that everything happens for a reason. The problem for forward thinkers like myself is that you never know when and in what form those "signs" will come in. Pay attention because you never know when something or someone is trying to relay a message that may change your life. 

-JCE

APAD 28: Busy Sunday

"Mountain Vista High School seniors Sara, left, and Emily White share a laugh together during a portrait session at Stapleton's Central Park Sunday, April 20, 2008 in Denver, Colo."

For a Sunday I was really busy today. 

I was up all night finishing the wedding images and finally got into bed around 6:30am. I was able to get a few hours of sleep before I headed off to shoot the two girls above for their graduation invitations. I have been in contact with Emily's mother via a family friend since December trying to line up a time to shoot some simple family portraits. However, like most 2008 families, scheduling and timing have been problematic and we just haven't been able to make it happen. Yesterday she gave me a call to see if I was available last minute to shoot some images of her daughter and friend to go on their invitations. She was really talking last minute as she wanted me to do them the next day (today)and turn the images around in the evening. I knew that it would be a tight schedule considering that I had a meeting with the wedding client at 4pm. I thought I could make it work, and I did, so we set it up.

Conveniently we were able get the images shot before I went to my client meeting. The bad part was that consequently I had to do it at 12:30pm. There isn't anything much worse from a photographic perspective than shooting at high noon in the Mile High City. The sun is at it's peak which means harsh light and unflattering shadows. However, sometimes that's just what you get and I had to make it work. The wind didn't help either as it blew their hair all over the place. After doing what I could with the open air I put them behind a building in a semi-shaded area. The concrete wall was white with pinstripe like extrusions that made for a good use of lines in the images. For what I had to work with I think I made it work. The girls were great and full of energy which really helped compensate for the conditions. 

As soon as I was done there I made the short 3 minute drive back home to download my cards, finish up the last of the wedding images and grab a quick bite to eat. 

The meeting with the Allender's went well and they had a great time scrolling through the 1,129 images that I delivered to them. Normally I deliver about half that many images but I shot a little on the heavy end and I also had a second shooter with me. Now the (much easier) task begins to create the 100 page coffee table book for them. I actually enjoy putting those together for my clients and seeing the final product is really worth the effort. Destiney and Michael gave me free reign with the design and that really makes my life much easier. Some clients want to be involved more so than others and that's fine but the process is just much smoother when I do it myself. 

On my way home I stopped by Murphy Creek golf course to fill out my application to caddie for the 2008 USGA Public Links Tournament. As of right now I don't have a job or internship lined up for the summer so I thought it would be a great opportunity to caddie in a National event. I know the course very well and have played it since it opened in 1999 (I think). Local knowledge from a good caddie is essential to a player at a tournament of this caliber. I'm going to call on Tuesday to see if I got the job but after talking with one of the pros he thinks I should be all set. Who knows maybe my player will win and I'll get to caddie for him at The Masters. The champion is invited to play in The Masters the following year if they remain an amateur. The possibilities are endless and I'm really excited that I get to experience it inside the ropes.

-JCE

APAD 27: I've got nothin

"Leftover ink dries on the frame of a screen printing machine inside the garage of University of Denver student and entrepreneur Steven Silva (not pictured) Saturday, April 19, 2008 in Aurora, Colo. Silva, a junior, has been operating a screen printing business out of his home since he senior year of high school."

I really don't have much to talk about today and frankly I'm a little too busy to chat. I'm finishing up my final edit on the wedding I shot a few weeks ago. The meeting with the client isn't until later in the afternoon but I have a shoot that just came up last minute that has to be done early afternoon and I won't have time to work on the wedding before I head to the meeting.

Hopefully I'll have something interesting to talk about tomorrow but until then I've got nothin.

-JCE

APAD 27:

APAD 26: Clearing my head

"The late night Friday crowd waits patiently outside Pete's Kitchen hoping to get a table after a night on the town April 18, 2008 in Denver, Colo. The 24-hour eatery, serving up pasta and pizza, has catered to partygoers along Colfax Ave. since 1942."

A frustrating afternoon led to an even more frustrating evening. In an attempt to clear my head I decided to drive to the foothills and take historic Colfax Ave. all the way back to my house cruising for an interesting image. For those of you who don't know, Colfax is the worlds longest continuous street measuring 40 miles-long and runs from the base of the foothills in Golden to the plains east of Aurora. Colfax is also know for racy activity so there are all sort of characters to be found along the way.

Being that it was a Friday night there were tons of people out wandering the streets. After leaving the bar most people either head home or find the nearest establishment that serves hot greasy food. When I drove by Pete's and saw the line I knew I had found something and drove back around the block the get an image. It turns out that it is a local hot spot after the bars close and has been around for over 67 years. I thought about trying to get inside to make some images but walking around that part of Colfax with $6,000 worth of gear around my neck on a Friday night isn't the smartest thing to do. My cameras help me get the pictures that little point-in-shoots can't however the downfall is that it's pretty much impossible to go unnoticed. I hope to get a really nice point-in-shoot for graduation (hint, hint) so that I can make images that require some stealthness (is that a word?) on my part.

-JCE

APAD 25: Do it yourself

"Michael Sasser, 22, of Galveston, Texas poses for a portrait Thursday, April 17, 2008 in Aurora, Colo."

Mike and I spent the evening working on a DIY photo project that we built from scratch using materials found at the local Orange store. For about $18 a piece we each made our own beauty dish that works fantastic and fits our speedlights. As college students we are always looking to get the same results as the big guys but on the cheap. Here is essentially the same thing that costs 13 times more than ours. That's a steal if you ask me. The best part is that we learned something by building it ourselves. I'm a completely self taught photographer and little projects like these only further develop my technical knowledge base that is always important in photography.

The paint dried fast enough for us to play with them and I was able to make the image of Mike above. If you look closely in the eyes you can see the round "catch lights." This is actually the beauty dishes being reflected in the blacks of his eyes and produce an unusual effect. The results are great and we will be eager to play with them some more this weekend. 

-JCE

APAD 24: Didn't I have shorts on yesterday?

Traffic lights are reflected in the wet pavement of East Denver, Colo. Wednesday, April 16, 2008. A spring storm brought cold temperatures and snow to the metro area."

After spending the last two days in shorts and a polo and wasn't please when I awoke this morning to snow and 30 degree temperatures. Not to mention that I was out the door by 7am for a team photo of the Men's Lacrosse team. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot I received a call from Ceyla, the sports information director, explaining that the coach had just called her and cancelled because half of his team is sick with the flu. A part of me, very small part, was sympathetic with their situation considering the toll with the Norovirus has reached 63 students. However he knew yesterday that his team would be well enough for a team photo and it was really irritating that he didn't have the common courtesy to call us to cancel yesterday. I didn't have class until 4pm so I'm sure you can realize that I would have remained in my bed for a few more hours.

Getting up early did have it's advantages. I dropped my car off at the shop and got my allergy shot taken care of. The pollen in the air has made me miserable the last few days so hopefully this will help. I slept for a few hours when I got home and then made another 35 minute journey back to DU for class.

One of the students formerly on my staff at the paper started up a photography club, yes I'm a dork but I really don't care, and I decided to stop by and pass along some knowledge. A lot of great photographers have helped me get to where I am and it's seems right for me to do the same with the less experienced. There were actually a lot more people at the meeting than I thought would be there. I actually feel bad for the two girls Mike and I were taking to because I can tend to go a little overboard on the subject.

I did get a chance to talk with my Independent Study professor Sean about my progress or lack there of on my projects. He reeled me in and I actually feel like I have a direction to go in now. 

I really want to play some golf so if you see mother nature tell her to bring back some of that sun shine we were spoiled with this week.

-JCE

APAD 23: Juno this is hard

"Kelley Hennigan pauses to model her U.S.A. Olympic gear in her University of Denver dorm room Tuesday, April 15, 2008 in Denver, Colo."

For those of you who didn't get the title let me help you out. Juno=Did you know...HA, now do you get it? Ok, never mind. That's why I'm not a comedian.

No car trouble today because I took my parents Maxima to avoid any problems. However my slump seems to continue as the above image shows. After a little golf practice I went cruisin and again I came up with nothing. Maybe I'm just trying to hard to find that amazing picture instead of just making one that fits a story. Now that I'm able to think about it (after the fact) there were two prominent stories today that I somehow forgot to illustrate. First, most of the metro area saw temperatures in the upper 70's and 80's for the first time in a few weeks which brought people out to enjoy the weather. Second, there is some type of sickness floating around the University dorms and 47 students have reported illnesses. I really think that I'm not thinking as a journalist because those should have two sure fire things to cover today and I didn't. I haven't had an actual assignment since I left the paper in late January and my only guess is that has affected my current slump. I'm going to try to cover stories instead of just driving around looking for "pretty" pictures.

After struggling with my black box and tube of expensive glass I headed over to watch Juno (hence the title) at Kelley's place. I even brought Ben&Jerry's Half Baked ice cream, her favorite, which I hoped scored me a few brownie points, no pun intended. The movie was different than most that I see but I actually really liked it. The humor was dry but not stupid and fit well with the story. I can see why it won an academy award for best original screenplay.

I have to be up in four hours to shoot a group photo of the Men's Lacrosse team so I'm going to bed. Lets see what I can do with cold and wet weather and a whole day to shoot before 4pm class. Night.

-JCE

APAD 22: Maybe this is a sign

"A road bike sits outside of the Safeway grocery store located at Evans Ave. and Downing St. in Denver, Colo. Monday, April 14, 2008. Manual transportation has become more appealing as unleaded fuel has reached an average of $3.31/gallon in the state."

I stopped at Safeway to grab some lunch before heading to class and of course my day just had to start off the wrong way. When I came out and got in my car it wouldn't start. The battery wasn't dead but the ignition wouldn't even turn over at all. My 1996 Honda Accord has been around the block a few times and it has done this before. Usually after a few tries it starts but today I had no such luck. I could have just walked from there to class but I just wasn't in the mood. After a few calls I got in touch with one of the girls in my class and group to come pick me up. 

After class I couldn't find a ride so I had to walk back to my car. Sure enough when I got back the car started on the fourth try. Go figure. 

All this drama prevented me from crusin so I will have to settle with the image of the bike that I made. Maybe it's trying to tell me that I should be riding a bike instead of driving. I live wayyyy too far from school for that. 

I really have to get out this rut because I don't know if I'll make it to graduation producing weak images like this for the next seven weeks.

-JCE

APAD 21: Impatience is costly

"A man runs in the outside lane of the track at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colo. Sunday evening April 13, 2008."

After four straight days of Frozen Four activities I was exhausted so I spent most of Sunday laying around watching The Masters. Tiger played ok finishing with an even par 72 today for a total of 283 (-5) but it wasn't enough to top South Africa's Trevor Immelman who finished at 280 (-8). 

I went out cruisin around 6:45 right when the good light was at it's peak. The days are starting to get longer which means better light. I stopped by the track at Gateway hoping to find some good action however I one found one gentleman in the later stages of his workout. I hung out for a few minutes and decided to move on to a new location. I should have stayed there and searched for a better image because by the time I got to a few other locations the light had fallen behind the mountains which gave me flat boring light. I learned my lesson and next time I'll work a location much harder instead of moving on so soon.

It's supposed to be in the 70's Monday so hopefully I'll make it out to the course to practice a little bit. It's been a little chilly the last two weeks and it will be nice to break out the shorts and my sticks for 9 holes before class.

-JCE

APAD 20: Habit formed

"A young fan cheers as Boston College players celebrate what turned out to be Nathan Gerbe's (9) goal in the second period of the NCAA Frozen Four Championship Friday, April 12, 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. Boston College beat Notre Dame 4-1 to capture the National Championship."

I literally almost just fell asleep without posting my image from today's NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship. For that very reason I'm going to refrain from posting half asleep. However today marks my 20th straight post which means that I have formed a habit and feel confident that I will be able to accomplish my goal.

I'll be watching Eldrick's attempt at a comeback all day and editing the rest of my take from the wedding I shot two weeks ago.

-JCE

APAD 19: Assisting my way to the next level

"Denver senior goaltender Peter Mannino (29), competing for the West squad, makes the save on Rensselaer's Jake Morissette during the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge Friday, April 11, 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. The West defeated the East 13-6."

Today was a loooong day on my feet and I can feel it now. My back is stiff and my feet hurt but I had a great day assisting Dilip Vishwanat with his coverage of the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge for sponsor Nike/Bauer. I really like assisting other professional photographers because it gives me a chance to step away from the lens and see how others approach an assignment and deal with the client. I'm just a rookie, as the Post's John Leyba calls me, when it comes to the business side of photography. Don't get me wrong I'm pretty business savvy and DU has played a huge role in that but there are plenty of intricacies within the photography realm that I'm still learning. My job mostly consisted of downloading cards and backing the images up on DVD but don't think that assisting isn't important. I always try to predict the photographers next move so I'm ready to do whatever they need to help them get the shot. Additionally it's all about the details for me which includes locking their computer to an immovable object, ingesting the cards into a labeled folder, marking the DVD's in order with a sharpie and making sure that they have a fresh battery and memory cards in their camera. No, it's not difficult but it's important and I work extremely hard to make sure things run as smoothly as possible.

In the midsts of all my other work I did manage to shoot some frames of DU seniors Andrew Thomas and Peter Mannino who were competing in the event. I've known both of them since we were freshman and it was cool to make some images of them considering this was the last time they will be on the ice as college athletes. They are great guys who contributed a lot to the program and probably have a shot to play at the next level.

I'll be up early again to shoot the youth clinic with all the participants from today's event at DU. With that being said I'm going to get some sleep but look for an image from the title game between Boston College and Notre Dame next.

-JCE

APAD 18: The Underdog

"Notre Dame's Ryan Guentzel (27) puts the game winning overtime goal past Michigan goaltender Bryan Hogan during the second game of the NCAA Frozen Four Thursday, April 10, 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. The Fighting Irish secured a spot in the National Championship Saturday with their 5-4 win over the Wolverines." 

Not much to say today other than I just can't pick a winner. I predicted Michigan to take it all but Notre Dame had other plans despite being the first ever fourth seed to make it to the final four. A big thanks goes out to Ric for letting me borrow his 300 and to all the local newspaper guys for providing their wisdom and suggestions over drinks after the game.

I have to be up really early tomorrow to assist for a photographer who is on assignment for NIKE/Bauer. Can it get any better than this? I mean could they have picked a more loyal Nike guy to help with the day's activities? I seriously doubt it.

Look out for my boy Eldrick to make a move Friday at The Masters...

-JCE

APAD 17: Championship predictions

"Guests mingle during the 2008 NCAA Frozen Four Championship banquet held in the visitors center of Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colo. April 9, 2008. The National semi-finals take place Thursday, April 10 at the Pepsi Center and feature Boston College, Michigan, North Dakota and Notre Dame."

The days just seem to get busier and busier and this weekend will only continue that streak. I picked up my credential for the Frozen Four at the Pepsi Center and met with local Getty Images staffer Doug Pensinger. In addition to shooting the games I'm going to be helping him change cards and batteries in his remotes, including one inside the goal, for the games this weekend. After spending about an hour or so there I raced off to school to wish the Gymnastics girls luck before they left for regionals at Penn State today. I'm actually talking to Kelley right now because she can't sleep and without fail she knew I would be up to entertain her until she falls asleep. We spend many late nights chatting on AIM until one of us gives in.

I only stayed in class for the first hour because I had to be at Red Rocks to shoot the Frozen Four banquet by 5:45. Traffic was a pain at first but I made it on time to the event. Not much to say about the event but a lot of hockey players eating dinner with some administrators and listening to a few people speak. I made some nice frames including the one above of my pick to win it all. We'll see if I'm better at picking the Frozen Four than I was at picking the Final Four.

-JCE

APAD 16: Sportsmanship

"Players from Aurora Central, left, and Skyview shake hands following their Skyline League matchup Tuesday, April 8, 2008 at Aurora Central High School in Aurora, Colo. The Skyview Wolverines dominated the Trojans 17-4 to improve to 3-1 in league play."

Today I worked a little harder and I have a better image to show for it. 

Apparently I couldn't get enough baseball because I decided to swing by Aurora Central on my way home to see if any of the teams we practicing. I was in luck and actually found a game going on. I didn't have any long glass so I shot what I could. The one advantage of shooting high school sports over the big leagues is access. I walked right up to the field, stood on a storage bin next to the fence and shot away without anyone saying a thing. That definitely doesn't happen in the pros or even college for that matter. I shot the last two innings hoping for some good action at home plate but the blowout didn't really produce anything. Just before I left I shot two frames of the players shaking hands not really thinking of it at the time. When I got home and looked at my take I really liked the last frame I shot as everything just work out. Faces are really important in sports but sometimes I like to make an image that tells the story without faces. The story to me is that despite a blowout high school players still shake hands with their opponents after the game. That rarely happens in the pros and that's what I loved and still love about high school sports.

Just watching the game brought back memories and for the first time in a while I really missed playing baseball. I am a golf fanatic and for all those who know me know Tiger Woods is my hero. However there was nothing better than stepping onto the mound and turning my right arm loose. Some of my most fond memories happened on the mound and it was really cool to see some kids making their own memories today.

I am credentialed for the Frozen Four at the Pepsi Center this weekend so look out for those images to come.

-JCE

APAD 15: Struggling

"A new building inside Central Park at Stapleton is lit up by surrounding light posts Monday night April 7, 2007 in Denver, Colo. Designed by architectural landscape firm EDAW, the building located along the 3,500 foot long promenade encompasses a snack shop and bathrooms."

Today was a struggle. My weekend at Coors Field caught up with me today and I barely made it out the bed this morning. Unfortunately I wasn't able to sleep in like most Monday's this quarter. I had to be up early to drop off the lens I rented for the weekend and take Trevor a CD of my take from Sunday. I stopped for breakfast at Corner Street Bakery for a breakfast panini to try and get myself going for the day but it really didn't help. The grey snowy skies didn't help either. After spending about an hour at Clarkson I stopped by work to see what I could do to help Angel. Alexis was out today and we are hosting the Frozen Four this week so I knew there was something for me to do even though I wasn't scheduled to come in. Most things appeared to be in order but I did cover our three monster trikes in colored crate paper for a promotion that we'll be doing at the games. It wasn't difficult or the most glamorous job in the world but it needed to get done and Angel was able to check one more thing off her long list. After a few hours at work I stopped by to pick up something that a professor had left me and then made my way to class.

I got a lot of things done today except for making some images. I was tired and my creativity was lacking but that is no excuse. I'm really frustrated with my extremely mediocre image today. I'm still exhausted as I'm writing this and staying up any longer really isn't helping anything. I really hope I get my act together tomorrow and shoot something that doesn't waste anyone's time.

Night.

-JCE

APAD 14: Clean and tight

"Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki breaks his bat in route to a single in the first inning Sunday afternoon, April 6, 2008 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. The Rockies held the Diamondbacks scoreless through eight innings but home runs in the ninth and tenth innings gave Arizona the win and series sweep."

Today, after the pre-game NLCS ring ceremony, Trevor gave me free reign to shoot wherever I pleased. There were maybe three other photographers there, compared to twenty or so Friday for opening day, which meant that I was pretty unrestricted to where I got to shoot from. The best part about that is getting several different angles of the same thing. Consequently the more angles I can get of the same player the happier Rich Clarkson and Associates will be. I really tried hard today and I think that showed in my images. Things definately become a lot easier and routine on day three compared to Friday.

I didn't stay in the same spot for more than three innings or so and even ventured up the the upper deck behind home plate with a 400 and a TC to shoot the bread and butter "tight" shots with "clean" backgrounds. If there is anything that I've learned in the last year it's to shoot tight and crop tighter. 

I could babble on for three more pages about how much fun I had and my amazing experience but that would just get redundant. Instead check out some of my images:

OPENING DAY 2008

DAY 2 (updated)

DAY 3

Big thanks to Trevor and Ryan for trusting that I could get the job done and allowing me to do so!!!

APAD 13: A head scratcher

"Colorado Rockies right-fielder Brad Hawpe scratches he head in-between pitches Saturday, April 5, 2008 against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. The Rockies allowed seven runs while only putting up two for their fourth consecutive loss of the season."

It's way to late for me to be writing considering I have another early day tomorrow but I'm determined to post every day until I graduate.

Today was a much better shooting day for me. The pressure and excitement of opening day had passed and it showed in my images. I got to the park around 3:15 for a 6:05 start because I wanted to take my time looking for different angles on some of the same images I tried yesterday. Yesterday I took a lot of pictures, today I made pictures. My images were more thought out and had a purpose. I was still limited to shooting in the right field photo well because I had to shoot corporate signage again tonight but I was still able to make some different images.

I should have freedom to move around today (it's 3am) and I'm excited to be able to work on a few things. I'll post a gallery with my favorites from the weekend late tonight.

-JCE

APAD 12: Welcome to "The Show"

"Arizona Diamondback second baseman Orlando Hudson comes up short on a foul ball off the bat of Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzski in the bottom of the sixth inning of opening day at Coors Field Friday, April 4, 2008 in Denver, Colo. The Diamondbacks beat the Rockies 8-1."

Today I played with the big boys and let me tell you that it was a fantastic experience. However, I was up at 7:30am and I'm exhausted to I'll go more into detail on Sunday and explain the whole experience.

I'm the low man on the totem pole so after shooting features and pre-game my job was to shoot all the corporate signage in the stadium. No it's not a glamorous job but as a Marketing major I know how important getting those shots are. Without corporate sponsors the team wouldn't make the money it needs to run a successful franchise. The images that I made will be shown to sponsors so they can "see" the bang they get for their buck and with an attendance of 49,223 plenty of people saw the advertisements. To be completely honest a day shooting corporate signage on the LED boards is better than any day sitting in an office. I'm just appreciative of the opportunity.

I was stuck in a photo well right next to the right field foul pole so I was pretty limited in what I could shoot from that distance however I did manage to make the resulting image above. For where I was at I'm pleased with that image.

I'll be back at the park at 3pm to do it all over again and I can't wait. Depending on what images we have to get I may get a little more freedom but I won't know until I get to the park and talk with Trevor.

My mom has planned a secret project with the neighbors family to clean up their yard and garage starting at 8am. She's calling it "The Edmonds Big Give," apparently she's been watching a little too much Oprah. I told her that I would help since tomorrow is a night game so I'm going to try and get some sleep before then. Hopefully I'll make a little bit stronger image tomorrow night.

-JCE

APAD 11: Nervous energy

"Official Major League Baseball light painted Thursday, April 3, 2008"

I'm a little anxious to get opening day under way but can you blame me? I was pretty busy today and only made a few average frames so I decided to shoot something actually relevant to baseball. I've been eager to do some light painting, more so on the large, outdoor scale but this will work for now. To be honest this isn't the greatest attempt at it but to quote Kelley it's "dark and twisty" and that's why I like it (I guess I'll find out if she's reading this or not, ha). I really like how the ball appears to almost come out of a black hole. This isn't something you can accomplish with strobes. It's different and in the realm of photography different is always good.

For those of you who may not be aware of this technique let me explain. Light painting requires a long exposure (>10 seconds) and nearly, if not, complete darkness. The shutter is open for a significant about of time and that allows me to use a very small flashlight to actually paint with as though I had a brush in my hand. The more light I paint on a particular area the brighter it will be. It is essentially a trial and error process which makes it fun because you can do it until you get it right. 

My nervous energy has begun to subside and I really do need to get a good night's rest because tomorrow is going to long day. I have to meet Trevor at the office at 10 but not before stopping to pick up the 400 f/2.8 that I'm renting for the weekend at Camren Photographic. It's going to be an outstanding experience and I can't wait for it all to start. 

-JCE

APAD 10: Half way to a habit

"A graffiti mural completely covers the South wall of Colorado Liqueur located near the SE corner of Colorado Blvd.. and E. Evans Ave Wednesday, April 2, 2008. The mural was re-painted by local artists last month."

According my mom it takes 20 consecutive days of repeating an activity to create a habit. I'm 10 days into my personal assignment to shoot, edit and publish a photo a day until I graduate. So far I'm doing pretty well although I can be pretty tough on myself when I edit my take each day. Since my initial interview with Rich Clarkson & Associates back in October I have really tried to push for portfolio worthy images each and every time I shoot. For those of you who are photographers, or any type of artist for that matter, you know how difficult that theory can be. No, I don't create amazing images each time I shoot but I'm striving towards it. In the words of my idol, Tiger Woods, "why enter a tournament if you don't intend on winning?" That statement is true for me as well. Why go out with the intention of making ordinary pictures? No, Tiger doesn't win every tournament he enters but he damn sure tries. I don't come back with images worthy of gracing the latest edition of Sports Illustrated but my focus is always there and I'm working towards that.

With that being said Rockies opening day weekend is so close I can almost feel it. I always have been and always be a Dodger fan but when they're not playing the Rockies I root for the boys from Denver. I can't wait for the opportunity that has been presented to me. I've never even been to opening day let alone had the opportunity to photograph one. The beginning of a new season always meant a new uniform, snow white cleats and cap when I was growing up. Although my playing days have gone I still love that feeling of putting on a new cap and taking the field. That isn't exactly going to happen Friday afternoon but I did manage to stop by the local Lids and pick up a fresh Rockies cap.

I'll be itching all day in class and at work tomorrow to try and make the day go by faster. This is a HUGE opportunity for me and I can't wait to get it started. I know that I'll be so excited that I'll hardly sleep tomorrow night so I'm going to get to bed and try and make up for it now.

-JCE

APAD 9: April fools

"University of Denver senior Erik Appareti finishes covering his roommates Ford Explorer in saran wrap and shaving cream as part of an April fools joke Tuesday, April 1, 2008 outside their home in Denver, Colo."

Another day, another interesting find. 

Class and work were fairly predictable today which meant that nothing really exiting happened. I did find out that I got an A on my Marketing exam which was both exciting and a little confusing. The Marketing capstone class consists of a marketing simulation game in which groups in the class compete against each other selling computers to businesses. Last week on the first day of class the professor explained that we would have a test on the 77 page PDF manual about the game. She stressed that in order to do well in the game that we would have to know all the details of how it is played. She further stressed that getting a good grade would require us to read the manual at least two times and review the key terms a third. I'm not much of a reader so I was a litter concerned considering it's worth 1/5 of our grade.

I read half of the manual in the middle of the night Sunday and browsed through the rest half an hour before I left for class yesterday afternoon. As I sat down in class and began the exam I thought it was really easy. It was so easy that I didn't really know if I just knew the answers or if I was getting them all wrong. Either way I didn't want to second guess myself and finished the 50 question multiple-choice exam in about 20 minutes. Come to find out today that I did pretty well (92/100).

Well...back to the point of today's post. I was really hoping to find something relating to April fools today when I went out "cruising" after work. As a photojournalist (hopeful) my job is to tell a story to readers and college kids playing a joke on a roommate on National prankster day was about as storytelling as the day could be. It's not an amazing portfolio worthy photo but it helps tell the story and that is what is important.

-JCE

APAD 8: 2063 S. Franklin

"A photo composite of the girls of 2063 S. Franklin, clockwise from top-left, Emily Lucas, Sam Deitch, Ashley Lawrence and Briana Liljestrand, depicts the roommates various personalities Monday, March 31, 2008 at their home in Denver, Colo."

After attending class that lasted all of 53 minutes I set out cruise the streets of Denver looking for something out of the ordinary. I spent about an hour and a half driving around town and got as far as the south Broadway shopping district but didn't come up with much. On two different occasions I "saw" a picture and by the time I drove around the block it eluded me.

I was frustrated and growing weary that I might not come up with something. The gray light was terrible today so I decided to stop in the local Safeway grocery store to see if I could find anything. I attempted to make a few frames but received concerned looks from shoppers. I didn't want to deal with the management so I left and went to grab a quick bite to eat at Wendy's. I'm a pretty healthy eater but I'm a sucker for a Wendy's hamburger and their new Spicy Baconator is amazing!

My photos have seemed to lack a bit of personality and warmth to them the last couple days so I really wanted to capture some emotion today. I stopped by my friend Sam's house because I knew her and her roommates are a lively bunch. I met Sam in a photo class a little over a year ago and in that time our friendship has evolved. Although sometimes she doesn't quite consider herself a "photographer" she makes some amazing images filled with edgy swagger and emotion. Her roommates, Ashley, Bri and Emily, are great too. I've been getting to know them a lot more since they returned from abroad in December. After spending a few hours just hanging out with them I think I was able to make some images that help define a piece of each of their personalities.

I've neglected my Marketing Research homework for the evening and I'm about to start typing with my eyes closed I'm so tired. I still don't think I've recovered completely from the wedding on Saturday. I'm going to get to bed so I can try and get up and finish my homework before class at 12 tomorrow. Another interesting day awaits. 

-JCE