2009: Year in pictures

"Norge team member A.J. Brown (left) speeds down the K70 hill during the 104th Annual Norge Ski Jump Tournament in Fox River Grove, Ill., Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009. Brown placed third in the J1 division with a combined score of 228.4."

Whew, that sure went by fast.

One of the best things about being a photographer is that I have visual documentation of where I was and what I did on any given day. I can look at any photo I took this past year and tell you exactly what was going on the moment I pushed the shutter. On several occasions I can remember what I was feeling, what the temperature was like and sometimes what I had for lunch. Weird I know, but give me a break I have a photographic memory.

This group of images may not be my best or most important but they're my favorite from the past year. Mixed in with assignments from the paper you'll find a few images of friends, weddings, personal work and even an image of my mom.

This was a great year for me. I made 100% of my income from photography so I can now call myself a professional. I'm really grateful for all the opportunities I've had this past year. From spending six months in Chicago interning for the Northwest Herald to returning to my hometown to start my freelance career to meeting some of my heros and making new friends at the Eddie Adams Workshop, I really have been living the life.

Personally and professionally, this past decade was one that brought lots of great experiences that shaped where I will go in the next 10 years. Time Magazine, however, called the 2000's the Decade from Hell. Let's just hope that they don't have to re-use that headline in 10 years.

-JCE

Denver editorial and wedding photographer

Classical confinement

"Laura Anderson-Schleiger, 24, plays the violin on a bridge above 15th street in Denver, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009. 'There's so much you can portray as a musician without ever saying anything and it's been apart of my my life, my whole life, so I don't know any different,' said the veteran of 20 years."

Nothing is better than personal work. Amidst all the great people, places and things I get to photograph on assignment I rarely feel more rewarded than when I shoot for myself.

No editor. No art director. Just my vision and my camera.

I've had an image conceived in my brain for a few weeks now that featured a violin player. I don't know where the idea came from. Maybe it was while I was dreaming, or possibly in the shower. All I know is that I wanted to make it happen and Tuesday I did.

My original idea included several tall buildings in the heart of downtown but while Mike Sasser and I were scouting the location we quickly realized that the image just wasn't going to look right. It probably didn't help that it took all of 10 seconds before some rent-a-cop kicked us off the property. I needed to be close to the buildings and shooting from the (public) sidewalk just wasn't going to work.

We met up with Laura near one of my favorite parts of the city, Confluence Park, and walked over to our alternate location. With the help of a planter pot we turned the 15th street bridge into the perfect stage for Laura to showcase her stuff. I'm sure that the cars driving below were quite confused with what was going on.

Everything came together and resulted in an image that I'm really pleased with. Shooting for myself is sometimes put on the back burner because of my other responsibilities. Days like today remind me how important it is to make time to follow through on an idea, a vision.

I plan to do more of that in 2010.

-JCE

Denver portrait photographer

Flames at Avalanche

"Calgary Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff (34) watches a shot by Colorado Avalanche right wing Darcy Tucker beat him to the glove side in the second period at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, December 13, 2009. The Avalanche won 3-2."

Unlike the last few times, the Avalanche finally won a game that I photographed.

Despite what it may look like, I seemed to be in the wrong spot all night. I was on the opposite end of the ice from both fights. The Avs controlled the puck nearly the entire first period at the other end and I got blocked by other players on a few goals.

Oh well, I still managed to make a few frames to post here. What do you think?

-JCE

Denver sports photographer

One

"Stephanie Sadler is celebrating her first year in business as owner of Teal Art Gallery in Breckenridge with the opening of a show titled "one," Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009."

This wasn't your typical birthday party.

After a day on the slopes that featured unusually scarce crowds for a Saturday at Breckenridge Ski Resort, I helped my good friend Stephanie celebrate her "birthday." It's rare, to say the least, to find a 24-year-old with enough ambition to own and run her own art gallery in a resort town but then again, Stephanie is one of a kind.

On top of some wonderful new pieces, the event had all the makings of a great birthday party including friends, family, food, wine and some outstanding cupcakes that her sister made. Who knew that chocolate chip zucchini bread cupcakes would be such a hit. No birthday party is complete without a few gifts and as a small token of my appreciation for what she has been able to accomplish I wanted to make a few portraits of her.

The photo above is simple and also my favorite. I also shot a couple wider portraits that included more of the gallery but the image I chose really shows her personality more I think.

Steph had a great first year. I can only expect better things to come as she gets another 365 under her belt.

-JCE

Denver portrait photographer

Full House

This is not your average family.

Back in October I shot a feature story for University of Denver Magazine. The winter issue of the quarterly magazine just published so I thought I would finally share the images and layout with you.

The family structure is rather unconventional but writer Jessica Centers Glynn does her best to describe it. In the story, she writes:

"Geoffrey [Bateman], a full-time lecturer in DU's writing program, is Zian and Eliot's father. They also have two moms -- lesbian couple Indra Lusero (a DU law student) and Allison Hoffman Lusero -- and another father, Geoffrey's partner, Mark Thrun. The boys took their mothers' last name -- Lusero."

Going into the assignment I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was interested to see what the family dynamic was actually like and how they all interacted. Photographing six people at once can be challenging at times but I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was with this assignment. They were a great group of people to work with and if it wasn't for their unique situation you would think that they are the stereotypical perfect family.

I shot the assignment less than 48 hours after returning from my Eddie Adams Workshop experience and channeled our team photo, in addition to American Gothic, as inspiration. I thought it was fitting seeing as though the two families live in a duplex connected by the boys bedrooms.

I often get a front row seat into the lives of people I never knew existed yesterday. This group of six reminded me why I love my job so much.

-JCE

Denver editorial photographer

From the archives

"Megan McMahon, left, and Michael Sasser, center, hold hands on a late night walk in Denver, Wednesday, July 29, 2009."

I was going through some old images today and realized that this image never made it to the blog. It's nothing special, just something whimsical from a night out that I liked.

Thanksgiving week has been filled with family, friends, snowboarding and of course lots of food. I know that I have a lot to be thankful for over the past year and I hope that continues over the next 365.

-JCE

Denver photographer

Heaven on hardwood

"Colorado State guard Natalie van den Adel (10) drives past Denver forward Brianna Culberson (40) during the first half at Magness Arena in Denver, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009. Losing 68-55, the Rams fall to 2-1 on the season."

Basketball season is back and I love it.

Friday morning I got a call from the Rocky Mountain Collegian to shoot their CSU Rams taking on my alma mater, DU, and I gladly accepted. Not only do I really enjoy shooting basketball but love doing it in Magness Arena. Sure, I'm familiar with the set-up, I know where to park and I know nearly all of the staff but the best part of shooting there is the light.

It's a hockey arena so there is more than enough light for basketball but because of the way the lights are positioned I get some great dark backgrounds like the frame above. They have it set up even better this year. Thanks to some input from men's head basketball coach Joe Scott, they have installed huge curtains on either end of the arena so you get great black backgrounds.

As far as I'm concerned Denver basketball in Magness Arena is like shooting heaven on hardwood. Now if we could just get them to hold the gymnastics meets and volleyball matches in there I think all photographers would rejoice.

Can I get a hallelujah?

-JCE

Denver Sports Photographer

NYC: Walking in the rain

I really love umbrellas.

Like Patrick Smith, I'm also infatuated with shooting them. A month ago, wandering aimlessly in NYC by myself and armed with a wide angle and Rihanna's Umbrella on my iPhone (kidding) I decided to shoot everything of the sort. I spent nearly five hours out in the wet, cold weather walking the streets of the city that never sleeps attempting to put together this mini essay. I even earned a 24-hour cold for my efforts.

Despite spending most of the day working on the project I wasn't able to venture very far because I was waiting to meet up with a friend which never ended up happening. I wish I could traveled down to the financial district or even Brooklyn but hey, that's just a reason to go back. I really enjoyed New York City and glad that this mini project gave me a way to see the city differently than your average tourist.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Bad luck charm

"Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin (33) scores his second goal of the first period on Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson (41) as defenseman Kyle Quincey (27) gives chase at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, November 14, 2009. Sedin finished the game with a hat trick as the Canucks routed the Avalanche 8-2."

I must be bad luck.

Saturday night was the second Avalanche game of the week I shot and having been completely dismantled by both of their opponents I'm beginning to think I have an adverse affect on their play, Rick seems to think so anyway.

Thankfully for the Avs I won't be back at the Pepsi Center until mid December when they play the Flames. I can't wait to see if the curse continues.

-JCE

Denver sports photographer

Oilers at Avalanche

"Edmonton Oilers center Andrew Cogliano (13) and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson (44) battle for the puck behind the net in the first period at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado on Sunday, November 8, 2009. Edmonton won 5-3."

I'm currently sitting in the photo workroom at the Pepsi Center awaiting tonight's matchup between the Canucks and Avalanche and with time to kill I thought I would post an image from last Sunday's game.

Hockey has always been a tough sport for me. I never really played it as a kid so I'm not able to anticipate the play as much as I would with say basketball or baseball. Thankfully I've had the chance to shoot hockey quite a bit this past year between the Air Force Academy, Colorado College and the Avalanche.

I'm working for Agence QMI out of Canada who owns several papers in our neighbor to the North and with an 8PM start tonight I'll be on a tight deadline. I was a little rusty last Sunday, it being my first game of the year an all, but I'm looking forward to making a few better images tonight.

Back to work...

-JCE

Denver sports photographer

Barnstorm XXII

Barnstorm XXII: Rust Team

Photo by Gary Knight

This is long overdue and quite frankly I've neglected this blog the past month but I'm back, finally.

The Eddie Adams Workshop was a world wind experience that I'm sure I'll never forget. Then again, I only got 10 hours of sleep in four nights so ask me about it in 20 years and we'll go from there.

All kidding aside, it was four of the most inspirational, frustrating, and fun days of my photo career. I was pushed in ways I wasn't expecting, met some of the people who inspire me every day, and created what I expect to be several life long friendships. I could go on and on and on (you get the idea) about the experience or you can just check out the interview I did for the National Press Photographer's Association student blog, The Visual Student.

Our team, the Rust Team, theme was on the working family and I was assigned to document the lives of a group of Buddhist nuns at the Kadampa Meditation Center in Glen Spey, New York. I already had what I thought was a great assignment when I was then selected as the sole person on my team to produce a multimedia project. With the help of National Geographic Director of Photography and Video Melissa Wiley I produced an audio slideshow titled, The Path.

You can check out more of my images from the assignment on my website.

-JCE

Windy City

I love Chicago.

I'm on my way to the Eddie Adams Workshop but I flew into the Windy City for a few days to hang out with some of my former colleagues from the Northwest Herald before heading to New York. Today Lauren and I spent the day in the city having some fun and seeing some sights. I didn't do a bunch of touristy things while I was living here because, well, I wasn't a tourist. Now that I'm back for a few days I wanted to see the city with a different agenda.

After lunch at my favorite Turkish restaurant (read: hole in the wall), we picked up a few things at Calumet before stumbling across a really cool, old paper storage building. There was lots of great light lurking so we decided to hang out for a while and make a few frames.

Later we took the L down to the loop to check out the Sky Deck at the Willis Tower formerly known as the Sears Tower. After you've had the chance to check out the city from 1,353 feet above the ground you'll be convinced that it's hard to find a better view. We wrapped up the night with an outstanding sushi dinner at Tank in Lincoln Square with a group of former colleagues before heading back to the suburbs.

I'm headed to New York City in the afternoon. One great city after the next is the way to go. EAW XXII here I come.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com (BRAND NEW)

NEW website

My new website launched today!

In addition to a completely new design there is also some new work on the site. It has been a long, three month process but I'm really pleased with how everything worked out.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the site, the work and anything else that your heart desires. Feel free to email me at justin {at} jcedmonds {dot} com

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Super Joe!

"A flash bulb from a fan goes off as former Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic speaks during a ceremony to honor his retirement after 20 years with the organization at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. The 13-time all-star led the Avalanche to two Stanley Cup Championships during his career."

"Super Joe, super Joe, super Joe," the crowd chanted tonight at the Pepsi Center as they came in swarms to honor the man who helped bring the first professional sports championship and Stanley Cup to Denver.

I've been covering all things Sakic and Avalanche for the Journal De Quebec this week. Between my assignments, putting together a new portfolio for my upcoming trip to EAW, and running errands I've been so busy that I haven't had time to post.

My assignment really only involved the Sakic ceremony, and not the game, so I'm done. There are zero open ice positions to shoot from and I didn't bring any long glass so I'm not going to shoot any of the game. I'm actually writing this from the photo workroom at the Pepsi Center and I have to head out so I'm going to cut this short. I leave on Sunday for 12 combined days in Chicago and New York so I'll have plenty to post soon.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com (new website coming soon)

Breckenridge wedding

The rocky mountains, in my opinion, are the best place to spend a weekend. It's also a fantastic place to get married.

Saturday my close friend and fellow photographer Michael Sasser helped me document Joy Clark and Joe Gross's wedding at The Maggie in Breckenridge. I had a great time photographing them back in August so I was looking forward to working with them again. They had a gorgeous ceremony at the base of Breckenridge Resort's Peak 9 and the weather couldn't have been any better.

The color of the changing Aspen trees are often a highlight of the mountains in the fall and there was plenty of color to come by this weekend. Combine that with a really great couple, a fun group of people and good weather, and you have the making of one fantastic day. It was pretty great to shoot as well. Denver wedding planner Michelle Byerly put all the finishing touches on an already outstanding event.

I really love everything that the mountains have to offer. Nothing beats the Colorado high country. Now bring on the ski season!!!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com (New website coming soon)

Browns at Broncos

The Denver Broncos are 2-0. I must be getting punk'd.

Last Sunday I ran cards for the Cleveland Browns at the Denver Broncos home opener at Mile High at Invesco Field. When I wasn't riding the elevator up to the press box to deliver Browns' team photographer John Reid's images to the media relations staff, I managed to shoot a few for myself.

For the most part it wasn't a great game despite not making any great pictures. Then again it seemed as though any time Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton actually managed to complete a pass it was on the opposite side of the field from me. Browns quarterback Brady Quinn also struggled. The highlight of the day seemed to come when former Bronco tight end Shannon Sharpe skydived into the stadium during introductions. It was definitely a great entrance and prelude to his Ring of Fame induction.

I had a great time and you're obviously not going to get any complaints from me when I spend a Sunday afternoon on the sidelines of an NFL game.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Greek wedding

If you've seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding then you might have a little understanding behind this assignment, or so I'm told. I've never seen the movie.

On Saturday, nine nineteen two-thousand and nine, I had the pleasure of photographing Elaine Papanastasiou and Steve Christou's Greek wedding celebration with colleague Greg Harring. The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Assumption & Community Center in Denver served as a great backdrop for the ceremony and reception.

Having never photographed a Greek wedding before I didn't quite know what to expect but if there was anything that I learned, it's that the Greek community has huge families and definitely know how to throw a party. The other big difference was the much longer ceremony than most weddings that I've done before. This gave me a lot of time to work the situation and even the opportunity to break out a 400mm lens that I don't usually bring to a wedding.

Both Elaine and Steve were a blast to work with. They were really easy going, had a great time and didn't let anything distract them from enjoying their day.

-JCE

Denver wedding photographer (new website coming soon!)

Pigskin

Are you ready for some football? (Cue the Hank Williams, Jr. music)

I spent ALL day photographing the Falkner Football Festival in Castle Rock for a local youth sports photography company. Kids are always great to shoot because their emotion is so raw and spontaneous.

Comparatively speaking, I've shot less football than most sports so it was great practice for the upcoming prep, college and pro seasons. The big difference, obviously, is that at this age (I had 11-13 year olds) the game is much slower and predictable. That being said, it's also difficult to shoot at times because the kids get bunched up so it's hard to isolate the players and the backgrounds are often cluttered with parents, siblings and the ubiquitous colored lawn chair.

Making a few nice frames easily makes up for the challenge.

Give me an assignment to shoot some pigskin, at any level, and I'm a pretty happy camper.

-JCE

Denver sports photographer

DU Invitational

"Denver midfielder Kelli Breidenbach (right) fouls St. Mary defender Caroline Shevlin (4) in the second half of the Pioneer's 2-1 victory during the DU Invitational at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium in Denver, Friday, Aug. 28, 2009. Goals by Pioneer freshman Katy Van Leishout and Kalie Vaughn secured the win in the first ever game played at the new stadium."

I was rusty tonight, clearly.

I haven't shot any sports since finishing my internship at the Northwest Herald roughly nine weeks ago and it was noticeable this evening at the new University of Denver Soccer Stadium. My Alma mater battled the St. Mary's Gaels in the second game of the DU Invitational and were victorious.

I on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The images just didn't seem to come tonight. It probably didn't help that I was on the other end of the field when Denver scored its two goals either. I even ventured up to the top of the Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium to get a different angle and cleaner background but the influx of mediocre images never changed. The image above is very vanilla, in my opinion. It's publishable but doesn't really tell the story.

I wasn't shooting for a client tonight so there really wasn't any pressure but I always want to produce better images than the previous time I shot. I'm always looking to get better. Tonight just wasn't my night.

I have an assignment for the University of Denver Magazine on Saturday and I'm shooting youth football on Sunday in Castle Rock so there will be plenty of opportunities to redeem myself over the course of the weekend. Check back on Monday morning to see how I did.

-JCE

Denver editorial photographer

Red star

Sometimes I find inspiration in even the most trivial forms of everyday life, and I love it. The key is to follow through with what inspires you and turn that into something tangible.

Last week I was sitting on the patio of my parents place having a beer with my dad, Heineken of course, when the trademark red star on the bottle caught my eye. My dad began to explain that some people refer to the beer, famous for its green bottle, as "red star."

Almost immediately I began to think of how I could photograph the bottle in a way that I've never seen before. I made a voice note on my iPhone to remind me of my idea later.

Wednesday I elicited the help of my friend and fellow photographer Michael Sasser to work on the project. After picking up a few pieces of poster board from Target we set up a small studio in his living room.

I toyed with a few different setups before I was happy with the image above. Considering that I set everything up by hand and didn't use photoshop to do anything besides crop and tone the image I'm pleased with the result. I enjoy the challenge that comes with shooting images like this straight out of the camera and I take a lot of pride in doing so.

As a Denver editorial photographer I don't shoot a lot of product photography so it was a nice change of pace to come up with a self driven assignment and follow through.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Back-to-School

Monday marks the first day of school for several schools and Universities in Colorado. Thankfully for me, having a degree means that I don't have to attend class tomorrow.

Oddly enough I haven't been void of homework since returning to Denver to freelance in July. I have had plenty to do outside of shooting and although much of it feels like homework used to, it's necessary. I spend a lot of time on the computer researching and contacting new potential clients, toning images, preparing for my website redesign, archiving and invoicing. It seems as though I have to work three times as hard than I did before but that's what it takes in this market, especially the way the economy is now.

For that reason I apologize for not posting as often as usual. August has been focused on generating new work and I hope that September and October will produce some work that I can share with you all.

Before I left Chicago I did the above illustration for McHenry County Magazine. The assignment felt much like a middle school homework project because I scoured Wal-Mart looking for the die cut letters and thread to suspend them over the books and apple. I then spent a good thirty minutes in the studio using four lights to get everything to look right. Other than a little bit of toning, it's straight out of camera without any Photoshop work.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Miracles on Ice - Day five

Inspirational.

If I had to describe the past week in one word, that is the first thing that comes to my mind. On so many levels this year's Miracles on Ice hockey camp was a success. The kids were pushed to their limits and often the kids pushed the volunteers to their limits but in the end it was an amazing week that affected several individuals on a positive level. If just one of those kids see the light and graduates from college we succeeded.

The final day of the camp is always highlighted by a game in the afternoon where the volunteers, friends, family and community come and show their support as the kids compete in brand new NHL jerseys. The progress that the kids have made after just five short days is utterly astounding. Several of them could barely walk in skates let alone do anything else on Monday and by Friday some of them were skating backwards. They passed to each other, cheered on their teammates and scored goals. It was a great game with the white team eventually beating the maroon team 8-6.

After the game the feeling in the locker room was electric. A victorious Jackson proceeded to howl as loud as he could and hugged both his teammates and members of the other team. It was a sight to see.

I'm already looking forward to next year's camp but I hope to make it down to the Bridge Project and see some of the kids throughout the year.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Miracles on Ice - Day four

Today was the Jackson show and I'm not talking about the dead pop-star that still looms over every single 24-hour TV news station. Jackson, one of the boys from the South Lincoln Bridge Project, has been one of the kids that I've focused most of my attention on this week. He has some issues and they showed on the first day but I was determined to get him in the right mind set to listen to the teachers, coaches and volunteers because I knew that he was unbelievably smart and gifted behind his hard and defensive exterior shell. Today he really shined through in my mind.

The combination of key positive reinforcement and some self confidence really made a difference in his attitude today. On the ice he scored, as he put it "three hat tricks," in the second ice session alone. Off the ice he transformed his anger and frustration into competitive motivation to have fun and excel during dry land training. One minute he sneaked in to kiss one of the female teenage volunteers on the cheek and the next he was ripping off his shirt and racing like Usain Bolt during the relay races. Afterward he proceeded to do a front flip, twice.

However, without a doubt my favorite change has been his verbal responses on the ice. "YES COACH," he yells whenever anyone asks him to do anything. This is huge in my mind as it shows that he understands that listening to the coaches and volunteers will only better his experience. It shows because he is clearly one of the more talented kids out there.

I've really enjoyed working with him during the week and seeing the positive change it has had on him, his attitude and those around him.

Friday is the big game at 2:15PM in Magness Arena at the Ritchie Center on the University of Denver campus and I encourage all of you to come out and support these kids. They have worked hard all week and they deserve it.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Miracles on Ice - Day three

Hump day.

We're past the half-way point of the week and you can really see it in the kids' progress. You wouldn't know it by my images because I felt like I struggled again today. Visually I just wasn't seeing much.

Today we introduced three ice sessions in the schedule as compared to only two on Monday and Tuesday. Remarkably the third ice session was the best despite our thoughts that the kids would be exhausted by then. The kids put together all the skills they've learned thus far in mini cross-ice 4v4 scrimmages. Scoring their first goal against their peers was really rewarding for a lot of the kids and it gave them the confidence that they had been searching for but had yet to find.

Thursday will be another jam packed day as the kids prepare for the big game on Friday afternoon. I'm really going to try and push the limit visually to try and get out of my slump.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Miracles on Ice - Day two

Tuesday was another great day at the Miracles on Ice hockey camp. The kids appeared to be making progress on the ice and were better behaved off the ice. Daily blogging seems to be a big hit with everyone and I'm glad that I can share my experiences with all of you not at the camp.

I seemed to struggle a bit behind the lens on Tuesday. Since I have shot the camp for the past two years and worked/shot in the Ritchie Center a lot when I was in school, I'm finding it difficult to discover new and interesting ways to shoot the same thing.

I mixed it up a bit and spent the morning ice session in the catwalk high above the ice surface. I played around with using only a single strobe light to create hard shadows as well as using the steel to try and create interesting framing. While I'll applaud my effort, I don't think that I got anything worth raving about up there.

Wednesday I'm going to try a few different techniques as well as focus in on moments to see if I can make a few more striking images.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Miracles on Ice - Day one

Seeing kids put on pads for the first time, let alone skate, is a really great experience. If you give a huge bag full of gear to a kid the excitement on their face beams from ear to ear, then they realize that they don't have a clue what a cup is or why their socks are ten times the ones they're already wearing.

Monday marked the start to the third annual Miracles on Ice hockey camp at the University of Denver. The program, started by Gary and Leslie Howard through their family foundation, brings together underprivileged kids from the University's Bridge Project and several volunteers for a week filled full of new experiences, fun, classroom instruction, dry-land training, and oh yea, lots of hockey.

This is my third year shooting the event and it is great to see familiar faces as they've grown over the past couple of years. The program also has a great group of volunteers, many of whom have participated each year, that really make it a memorable experience for the kids during the week.

This year I've decided to share a few of my favorite images each day. The first day is always interesting and this year didn't disappoint. I think the images show just that. More tomorrow.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Double J

Sunday evening I met up with Joe and Joy for an engagement session in downtown Denver. I'm photographing their wedding later this summer so it was great to finally meet up with them in a comfortable setting and shoot some photos. I make it a point to shoot an engagement session with my wedding clients because it gives them a chance to see how I work and we get to know each other a little bit better before the big day.

We had a great time taking advantage of several locations and interesting light over the course of a couple hours. Joe and Joy are both really easy going so it was quite effortless to make some outstanding images of the two of them. For the most part they ignored me as I followed them around Union Station, Riverfront park, Confluence park and even a stop for some ice cream.

If tonight was any indication of what's to come, the wedding will be great. I'm looking forward working with both of them again soon.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Denver wedding

Saturday I shot alongside colleague Greg Harring at Lindsay Hare and Brian Martelon's downtown Denver wedding. The ceremony was held at the historic Trinity United Methodist Church on Broadway, that lent itself to some great photos. The gorgeous winding staircase was my favorite aspect of the venue.

After the ceremony I hopped in with the Bride and Groom as they took a quick spin around downtown in a 1960's (I don't remember the exact year) Firebird convertible. We made a quick stop back at the Church before heading to Union Station and LoDo's Bar for some photo opportunities. The evening concluded at The Magnolia Hotel.

The entire wedding party was a blast to work with and Lindsay & Brian really knew how to have a good time. I was the second photographer tonight so I started later and ended earlier but I really enjoyed the four or so hours I spent documenting their day.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Catwalk color

"Model Jaclyn Mamaghani pauses to show off a Vanessa Barcus design at Lavish Lounge in Denver, Friday, July 24, 2009."

Last week I helped out friend and fellow shooter Sam Deitch at a fashion show here in Denver. I was mainly there as technical support but I managed to snap off a few quick frames.

The event turned out to be a real challenge because it wasn't lit as most fashion shows usually are with the catwalk lit up and the gallery much darker. Instead, the designer was looking for a more "fashion forward" look and lowered the lights in the bar/lounge significantly. Thankfully I brought some lights to bring up the ambient for most of the stuff that Sam shot. There were a few colored strobes going and I managed to catch one in the image above.

I like the image above because its different than the mainstream images that you see coming out of Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Milan. Then again we were in Denver.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Model behavior

"Erin Wylie amuses friends with a model-like pose while walking home after a night out in Chicago, Saturday, June 27, 2009. Wylie, a recent University of Colorado graduate, moved to the Windy City in June to start a two-year teaching stint with Teach for America."

It pays to bring a camera everywhere, even on nights out on the town.

I was doing some archiving and came across this interesting snap from last month. Since I may not be shooting daily again for a while I hope to continue to cary my camera with me in search of little moments like this.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

iPhone

A little over a month ago I took the plunge and switched over from Verizon to AT&T to pick up an iPhone 3GS. I've been a Mac guy for a while now but having my entire family on Verizon kept me from switching until now. The new iPhone was just too good to pass up.

I carry one of my cameras with me almost everywhere but I've been shooting with the iPhone camera quite a bit. There is something fun about the lack of control compared to my big SLR. It forces me to see differently which has been great for inspiration.

These are just a few of my favorites that I've shot in the past month. EVERY single picture was shot and toned with the iPhone and none of them have been edited in Photoshop. I'll send a prize to the first person who can identify where the first picture was taken.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Left behind

"Katie Saczek, 19, is mourning the loss of her husband, Luke, who died recently of a non-combat wound while serving in Afghanistan at her home in Crystal Lake, Monday, June 1, 2009. Saczek has been left behind to raise her two-month-old baby named Emily."

I'm sorry about the delay. I moved back to Denver two weeks ago and have been taking some time off following my internship at the Northwest Herald.

I've been waiting to post this for some time but have been unable to until now.

Photographing family members following a loss can be nerve racking because I feel like you have to tip-toe around the subject. I feel like I'm intruding on their personal space even though they've agreed to be photographed. I have had to photograph people in similar situations in the past but it never seems to get any easier. I try to be as respectful as I can and work quickly.

It didn't really hit home with me until I saw this photo on the Boston Globe's The Big Picture a few days later. Seeing his flag draped casket made it seem more real than it did the day I made the photo.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

I run

I'm not a big fan of running.

Oddly enough I'm actually really good at it. I can somehow control my breathing and lower my heart rate which allows me to run harder over a longer period of time. Everyone always wanted me to run cross country and track but both coincided with golf and baseball seasons. Regardless of my ability, I still don't like to run.

Evan Jager on the other hand loves to run. He has taken his talents past the college level and now into the professional ranks as a Nike sponsored athlete. He even earned a spot on the US Track & Field team last week at the US championships and will compete at the World Track & Field Championships this summer.

His talents garnered some well due recognition and since he grew up and went to high school locally we decided to do an article and video on him. I was given the assignment to shoot stills and also tackle video completely on my own for the first time. Shooting both stills and video on the same assignment proved to be a challenge but everything ended up working out just fine. I took away a few things to improve on as well as confidence that I can adapt to the ever growing changes in photojournalism.

EDIT: Here is the still from the assignment.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

I run

I'm not a big fan of running.

Oddly enough I'm actually really good at it.

I'm in!

I found out Monday night that I have been accepted to the Eddie Adams Workshop. The prestigious workshop selects 50 students and 50 young professionals (less than 3 years experience) and I feel very fortunate to have been selected on my first application attempt. I've updated my profile here.

The four day intensive workshop takes place October 9-12th in Jeffersonville, New York. I've never been to the Big Apple, let alone Jeffersonville, so I'm excited to get to experience the east coast for the first time.

This is BIG time folks. Top editors and photographers from the likes of The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Time, Washington Post, Getty Images and the Associated Press descend on the workshop to pass on their knowledge and mentor the participants, many for years to come.

This is another achievement that I see as a stepping stone in my career. It's funny to imagine that a little over two years ago I had no idea where photography would take me. Despite the unknown I knew that I had a love for making images and that as my dad always says "everything will run it's course." So far, so good.

I have two working days left here at the Northwest Herald. I'm headed back to Denver on Monday.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Lightning only strikes once

"A firefly illuminates itself as the sunset fades over the Vulcan Lakes in Crystal Lake, Saturday, June 27, 2009. The nocturnal beetle, commonly found in warm regions and also known as a lightning bug, emits a blinking pattern of light under their abdomen to attract mates."

Sometimes I just get lucky and Saturday was one of those days.

On my way back to the office from an assignment I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous sunset that was filling up the sky. There was a weather pattern that had moved in and the clouds were bisecting the sun. I had to pull over an take a picture.

After snapping off a few frames, I saw a whole group of fireflies flickering out of the corner of my eye. We don't have the cool little bugs in Colorado so it was only the second ever time I had seen them. I couldn't help but stop what I was doing and just stare at them. I would equate my excitement to someone who lives in Florida getting the chance to see snow. I was like a kid in a candy store.

After quickly realizing that a 400mm was the wrong tool for the job I went back to my car to grab a wide angle. I laid on my stomach near a group of the bugs trying to get as close as I could while keeping them in focus. The task of getting one in focus while the firefly was emitting light proved much more challenging that I initially thought. The light was fading and while the sunset was a fantastic backdrop it really made manual focusing difficult.

The rain began to fall and before long I was pretty wet. At this point I decided to drive the two blocks back to the office and grab our 100mm macro and 5D to see if I could get something even better than what I already had. When I returned the rain had picked up so I put on my rain gear and went back to work. At this point, however, it was much too dark to focus on anything much less a little bug. I packed it up and went back to the office.

Scrolling through my take I was excited to see the frame above. While the bug itself is cool it is the deep red sunset that really makes the photo. I'm sure I got a few laughs from drivers as they watched me lay on the ground as the rain began to fall but this photo makes it all worth the effort.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Mad Bombers fireworks

Last week I decided to do an audio slideshow to go along with a centerpiece story that we were working on about what goes into setting up a fireworks display. I've seen plenty of fireworks shows so I was interested to get a behind the scenes look. This particular show wasn't as extravagant as most but the process was similar to the large scale shows that most of us see at the ballpark on the fourth of July.

The hardest obstacle to overcome was the heat, humidity and mosquitos. I probably spent more time swatting the pesky bugs away than I did actually shooting and gathering audio.

I'm still not where I want to be in terms of the quality of my multimedia projects. This one works but as far as I'm concerned it doesn't have that "X factor" that would take it to the next level. I'm open to, and encourage, your comments below.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Boys of summer

"Elgin starting pitcher Mike Kovach works the fifth inning against Crystal Lake at Trout Park in Elgin, Monday, June 22, 2009. The Crystal Lake Cardinals - a wood bat team - won, 12-1, in the Chicago Suburban Baseball League game."

Epic light. Epic access.

Those two things make me about as happy as one could be. I couldn't have asked for a better assignment and consequently it's easily one of my top three favorite assignments that I've had here at the Northwest Herald.

My assignment called for getting some "bat action" photos since the focus was on the novelty of the wood bat league that features college players who are home for the summer. Shooting batting is a dime-a-dozen so I knew that I could shoot a lot "for myself" and still get what I needed for the assignment. I was 45 minutes early to the game which was huge because it allowed me to interact with some of the players and get some shots that you don't typically get in any other situation. Rarely do I get to hang around the team as they are getting ready so I tried to make the best of it.

Since the assignment was on the wood-bat aspect of the game (college players play with aluminum bats) I made sure to get some shots to help tell that story. It was by far the hottest day of the year at around 90 degrees and when you add in the 80 percent humidity you can understand why I was sweating just shooting pictures.

The light made up for the uncomfortable heat, though. Combine that with a field sans advertising everywhere, I had a great place to make some images. I even went to great lengths to get some of my images, including lying completely on my stomach on the uncomfortable gravel to get a low angle of the batters. This garnered a response from Crystal Lake catcher Joe DiMaggio on his way to the plate to the tune of "Justin, they need to give you a raise buddy."

Amen.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Worth the wait

"A Great Blue Heron fishes for a snack on Lake Geneva in Lake Geneva, Wisc., Saturday, June 6, 2009."

Finding and capturing moments like this really make my job a treat.

I was sent up to the dairy state earlier this month to shoot a few assignments for a special travel section that we were working on. Apparently Lake Geneva is a hot vacation spot during the summer months. As my luck would have it I got sent up north on a cloudy and rainy day.

I had to shoot some of the local shopping hotspots but there weren't many people shopping. I had to stop by Grand Geneva Golf Resort but there wasn't anyone on the course. I was asked to document the nightlife but it was 8pm and thus nonexistent. I completed my assignments but I'm sure the editors wished that they would have sent me on another day.

On my way to a local dive bar I saw this heron on the side of the road and immediately pulled onto the soft shoulder for a closer look. On a hunch I brought along a 400mm and was really glad I did. I got into the passenger seat, cracked open the door and tied my eye to the bird. There was a stream filtering into the lake where the heron was so I knew it was after some dinner.

I sat uncomfortably with my back leaning against the dash of my trusty Accord for nearly 45 minutes. It was literally like watching paint dry. I had Coldplay jamming to keep me entertained and vowed to pack it up when the album was over. Then, if almost for dramatic effect, on the last song I noticed that it had found something. After walking in a clockwise two foot circle (I'm assuming for positioning), it coiled it's head like a snake and then snapped it into the water, pulling out a little fish. I held steady and ran the motor drive until the buffer in the camera ran out. I scrolled through the pictures and was pumped to see the above image.

Considering that my three assignments were lame this really made my day. To put a cherry on top my mom loves Great Blue Herons and will be really excited to see this image. I'm sure she'll put it on the refrigerator like I'm six again.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Cary Days

"Erik Empie, 19, of Algonquin sits up against a ride called Predator while waiting for friends to get off another ride during Cary Days at Lion's Park in Cary, Thursday, June 18, 2009."

Anyone who knows me knows that I despise shooting carnivals. I'm just not good at shooting them and I'll be the first to admit it. I don't know what it is, I seem to get over stimulated and can't concentrate on what I need to be doing.

Often I'll wander around for at least 30 minutes without shooting a frame. It's not because I'm not trying, it's because I just can't seem to "see" anything. This in turn frustrates me and I repeat the process a few times before my brain decides to turn on.

Thus was the case this evening at Cary Days. I only made one useable frame in the first 90 minutes or so I was there. Finally, after calling Lauren to let her know that I was going to be late to dinner because I was sucking so bad, I finally found something that I liked. I told Lauren that I was going to leave in 10 minutes so I figured that I could make one more lap before I had to go. 

Like a light switch I saw Erik sitting alone on the ground and slowly made my way over to him. I worked the situation, trying to be inconspicuous as possible, for maybe three minutes before he got up. For someone who is supposed to be having fun, Erik looks bored out of his mind. On the contrary the people riding the ride above him look like their having a blast.

I feel your pain Erik, I probably had the same look on my face for most of the evening...until you changed all that.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Wrong team

"O'Fallon right fielder Sonnie Rollins makes a diving catch in the fourth inning during the IHSA Class 4A State baseball third place game at Silver Cross Field in Joliet, Saturday, June 13, 2009. O'Fallon defeated Cary-Grove 3-2."

I had a marathon 12-hour day covering Cary-Grove in the third place game in Joliet and then driving back to the office to tone photos on the desk all night. It sure wasn't the ideal situation but it wasn't too bad since I carpooled again with writers Joe and Maureen and slept part of the way home. It seems as though we may be a bit of bad luck because once again our local team lost.

The sun was out and I had a whole overhead third position to myself outside the luxury suites so I didn't have much to complain about. For the second day in a row neither of my remotes produced anything but I did make a few average action frames with my handheld like the one above. The only problem was that it was of the wrong team, which happens to me way too often. This photo isn't good for our coverage but it's great for my blog.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

State baseball championships

I'm blogging from the backseat of the car as I ride home from the IHSA Class 4A State baseball semi-finals with writers Joe Stevenson and Maureen Lynch. It has been a long day down in Joliet, Ill., at Silver Cross Field the home of the Joliet Jackhammers, an independent sub-Class A minor league team. Unfortunately the local team that we're covering, Cary-Grove High School, lost to New Trier High School 3-2. Unlike our experience at the State basketball championships, this was a great game.

Cary-Grove brought their big bats and showed why they are one of the best hitting teams in the state. They hit the ball hard but sometimes they just hit it right at them. There was plenty of suspense as they had runners on first and third with two outs, full count, and a solid senior hitter at the plate. Matt Nelsen fought hard in the at-bat until he grounded out to third to end the game.

I was positioned in the third base photo well in hopes of getting some solid dejection following the loss but they took it pretty well and I didn't get any storytelling images that were strong enough to file.

I'm getting a little dizzy writing this so I'm going to cut it short. We'll be back to cover the third place game tomorrow at 4PM.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Denver wedding

I few weeks ago when I was in Denver I photographed Tasha and David's wedding as the second photographer with collegue Greg Harring. I have been shooting with Greg for the past two years and always have a great time working with him. He always seems to have great clients in cool locations so I never hesitate to take a gig with him.

The wedding schedule was a little unconventional and I only photographed from the pre-ceremony cocktail hour through the toasts at Space Gallery in Denver. The small gallery in the art district on Sante Fe was a cool place to hold the evening. The great ambient light and ubiquitous clean backgrounds were something that no photographer would ever complain about.

Here are a few of my favorites from the evening.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

f/8 and be there

"A firefighter works to estinguish a fire aboard a District 47 and 155 school bus on Waterford Cut near Sandalwood Lane in Crystal Lake, Thursday, June 4, 2009. No one was aboard the bus when it caught fire outside of the driver's home during her break."

I once read on Seattle photographer Rod Mar's Blog that the mantra for shooting spot news is "f/8 and be there." For all you non photo nerds reading this that roughly translates to "be there, get the shot and make sure its sharp." That mantra was the key to these pictures.

I left home about a half an hour early today to head into work because I had to pick up some long glass before driving to a baseball game that was over an hour away in Dekalb. I wasn't 30 seconds away from home when I spotted the black smoke billowing into the sky. I called the office to find out if they had heard anything on the scanner and when they said that they didn't I flipped a u-turn in the middle of traffic and headed into the neighborhood. When I drove up on the scene a few seconds later I could see the flames from about a block away. I quickly pulled over, grabbed my gear as fast as I could and began to sprint towards the scene. When I saw that it was a school bus I was a little rattled and scared for the possibility of what could have happened. However, I didn't notice any groups of children standing around so I figured that everyone was ok. 

I snapped a few frames with my 70-200 from a distance and then moved closer. There was only one truck on the scene and just one lonely fire fighter working to extinguish the flame so I decided that I wouldn't be getting in the way if I tried to get something with a wide angle from up close. By now most of the flames were dying down and the fire fighter moved around to the door to put out what was left inside the front of the cab. I saw this as my window for opportunity to get really close. I moved to within 10 feet or so and worked the situation as best I could before backing off.

Most of the time getting sold spot news pictures like this are pure luck. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Alicia & Rick

Last Thursday I had the chance to fly back home to photograph Alicia & Rick's Denver wedding. I met Alicia about two years ago through a family friend when I did some work for them. They were both a pleasure to work with and allowed both myself and assistant/second photographer, Michael Sasser, great access to get some really memorable images. 

The couple got ready at Denver's Magnolia Hotel and then took a quick limo ride over to Mile High Station for the ceremony and reception. Mile High Station is the former Midwest Steel and Ironworks building that is full of rustic character. The lighting, however, was not ideal which forced  Mike and I to pull out our complete skill set. With the help of a remote camera and a few well placed strobes we were still able to get some solid images while retaining the look and feel of the venue. This was a perfect example of how my experience shooting in all types of situations as a newspaper photographer helped me produce some great photographs despite the conditions.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Sushi night: The movie

Doing video is one thing and doing video on a Canon 5D Mark II is a completely different experience. I got my hands on the new camera Monday evening and had trouble putting it down. Former Northwest Herald staffer turned freelancer Justin Runquist brought one of his two (sheish) 5D Mark II's for me to play with during sushi night with the photo staff. Travis' girlfriend Jackie also attended. I was having so much fun that I almost forgot to eat, almost being the operative word.

Over the course of about an hour I shot 6 GB of raw footage in 1080 HD using a 16-35mm, 24-70mm, and 85mm f/1.8. I had no plans or an agenda and just shot on the fly. I didn't even know that Justin was going to bring the camera until about two hours before dinner. Having only shot video a handful of times and never with this camera it was somewhat of a learning experience. I didn't have a tripod, which turned out to be the biggest challenges of all. Compared to the Sony HD video cameras that I have used before, this camera is really light which makes it difficult to hold steady. A tripod would have been great but I imagine that I would get some rather interesting looks trying to use one in the middle of the restaurant.

I downloaded the cards on Monday night but didn't really do much with the footage until Travis invited me over tonight to grill out and edit the movie on his new Apple 30-inch Cinema Display. It is unreal to work on a screen that big. I'm writing this post on my 15.4-inch laptop back at my place and it's not the same, not even close.

After making an awesome dinner and throwing back a few Blue Moons we got to work. Using Final Cut Express made things really easy. After I narrowed down the useable clips Travis took over to make the cuts as we worked together to build the story line on the fly. Start to finish I think it took us around an hour and a half to put it all together.

I had a blast working on this small project, which has completely changed my feeling towards video. If I could shoot with one of these all the time I would definitely do video more often. I'm hoping that Canon puts video into their next flagship 1D series camera as I'm anticipating that will be my next big purchase.

I can't wait to play with a 5D Mark II again soon.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com