Early bird gets the worm

"Dundee-Crown forward Charles Kimbrough, left, scores over Jacobs center Conrad Krutwig in the fourth quarter of Dundee-Crown's 56-55 victory at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009."

As Travis, one of the staffers, said tonight "the more prepared I am the luckier I get."

After trying to cut through a lot of red tape this afternoon I finally got the go ahead to set up a remote above the backboard tonight for the big matchup between Jacobs and Dundee-Crown. It was by far the best basketball game that I've shot all season and considering that I've shot high school, NCAA D-I and the NBA this year, that's saying something.

Since the JV plays before the varsity that meant that I had to be at the gym at 3pm to set up my remote for a 7:30pm game. I was shooting the remote on lights which also required additional time to set things up. Thankfully Travis agreed to tag along and assist me while I got everything up. It's really crucial to have a second set of hands in these situations. After we got everything set up I made a quick run to Burger King to grab some dinner before the game. On our way into the gym we saw a huge Dundee-Crown contingency outside tailgating. Now I don't know about you but I've never seen such a thing at a high school basketball game. I brought my cameras with me on the way out to get a few frames but they had already dismantled and lined up outside the gym to get iN. It was like something out of a rock concert. I've never seen 400+ kids line up at 4pm for a 7:30pm start. These kids are dedicated and I like their style.

I worked on my Photo Mechanic code replacement files during the JV game which worked fine at the time but didn't want to work later in the evening when I was editing. Same thing happened yesterday so I'll have to give Kirk Baker at Camera Bits a call to see what's up.

The game was fantastic. The talent was outstanding, both teams were well coached and I was making frame after frame that I liked. It was by far my best sports shooting assignment that I've had here. 

I just missed the game winning shot on the remote (he was just a touch out of the frame to the right). I had a 5D and 16-35 II at 35mm set up horizontal to give me some breathing room and with 12 Megapixels I could crop into the action as I've done in the shot above. Here is what the set-up looked like: 

I was really pleased with my take tonight and you can see more of the images HERE.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

The Rocky comes to an end

PLEASE, PLEASE WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO BY THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Final Edition from Matthew Roberts on Vimeo.

Its over, the Rocky Mountain News will close it's doors after publishing their last issue today, Friday, Feb. 27, 2009. 

We've known that this day was coming since December but seeing the headline pop up on my computer screen this afternoon isn't something that I was expecting. You can never truly prepare yourself for these situations and as a result, they make you fill sick to your stomach. The Rocky, as it's known to Coloradans, is a daily online stop for me when when I go through my list of bookmarks. I check up on what's going on in and around the city as well as take a look at what I believe is one of the most user friendly newspaper photo sections in the country. I look at The Rocky's Day in photos every single day. As a photojournalist I am always eager to see what some of the best in the industry produced the day before. As a Colorado and Denver native I love to get a sense visually of what is going on in my city.

This really hits me hard because as a young photojournalist I can't help but think that my chances of working for a paper in my hometown, or state for that matter, just became a lot more difficult. 

...

...

I'm struggling to get through this post. I'm just speechless. Nothing I write is going to seem adequate considering what just happened. This is a HUGE loss for Denver and Colorado.

The above picture is a tight crop from a self portrait that I shot back in 2007 on the steps of the State Capital which is just across the street from the Denver Newspaper Agency where the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post are located. For whatever reason the image seemed fitting. Good luck to all of the talented staff who produced one of the finest publications in the Nation. 

I will miss The Rocky.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Something different

I spent the afternoon in Chicago and instead of posting any of my cliche tourist photos or PJ type stuff I thought that I would post something that I just like for no particular reason. I went through my take a few times and couldn't really find anything that stuck out from today. I really like the simplicity in this one.

I was in the city for a meeting with another photographer and afterwards I wandered the streets trying the stay warm. Twenty degree weather isn't something that is a blast to walk around in but I still had a good time. It gave me a chance to see a little bit of the city and since I was by myself I didn't have an agenda.

The above photo captures my mood perfectly from the day. Although I was in good spirits to be in a completely new environment I was literally freezing to death. Most of you will recognize this image as part of an advertisement. Instead of dripping paint, I like to think of it as frozen ice cycles which was fitting given the temperature today.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Dance your heart out

"Kaitlyn Melendy, left, and Eliza  Godfrey, 10, of the Dance Force of Huntley Allstars lock eyes in the middle of their exhibition performance during the Jacobs Team Dance Invitational competition at Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009. Select teams qualified for the state competition that will be held Sunday, March 8th in Peoria."

I spent an hour or so this afternoon in the most estrogen filled room I've ever been in. The energy was up and I made a few images so I can't complain.

Keeping track of ID's was nearly impossible and easily ten times more difficult than shooting the event itself. I had a early afternoon assignment so I didn't get to the competition until it was nearly over so I had to make sure to get a few solid images before time ran out. As much organized chaos as there was going on I really wish I would have been able to get there earlier so I could have worked behind the scenes a little bit. There were teams practicing in the hallways that were begging for a cool feature to be made but I just didn't have the time.

I brought along the 300 and shot almost uncomfortably tight just to push the limits. I really wanted to compress things to bring out the layers that were there and that's exactly what happened with the above image. Considering all the cliche photos that I've seen from events like this I'm really pleased with this image.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Calling Cinderella

"Crystal Lake Central's Sam Johnson, far right, reaches for the phone from senior Jenae Taylor (12) who screams "we won, we won" to former head coach Mendy Benson on the phone informing her of their 43-31 victory over Belvidere in the Class 3A regional championship at Belvidere High School in Belvidere, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. The Tigers are this season's Cinderella story after winning 11 games compared to only 10 games in their previous five years combined."

I shot the regional finally of what turned out to be one heck of a story for the girls from Crystal Lake South. After making their way through a playoff run where not a single person gave them a chance to win, they fulfilled their dreams tonight capturing the regional championship.

In Colorado the regionals really aren't that big of a deal so I was a little surprised that the team went so crazy at the end of the game. I wasn't familiar with their story until I got back to the office and found out how much of an underdog they were. As with the end of all games, I was prepared with a wide angle lens and rushed the court with the team as they celebrated.

Tonight was one of the moments that these girls will look back on years down the road that will be marked as one of their greatest memories from high school. I was just glad to be apart of such a great story. As a journalist I have to remain unbiased but I'm secretly pulling for them as they make their way down state. 

Here are more images from the game.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

This wasn't in my job description

"Huntley Fire Protection District Capt. Scott Ravagnie, right, and myself prepare to begin a training session in a self contained breathing apparatus confidence trailer outside the No. 2 station in Huntley, Feb. 13, 2009. Firefighters follow a hose through the non-toxic smoke filled trailer around obstacles to gain experience and prepare for the unexpected while in a burning building."

This afternoon I got to experience a little bit of what the brave men and women who put out fires for a living go through. I was covering an assignment that my roommate Brett is writing about how firefighters train and prepare themselves for the difficult situations that they face. 

A few local departments share a semi-truck trailer that has been turned into a strategic maze of obstacles hidden inside extremely tight crawling spaces. The story isn't going to run for a while so I unfortunately I can't post any of the images from the exercise yet.

The trailer has been constructed into three levels out of 2x4's and sheets of plywood. There is a main hallway down the middle that essentially divides the trailer into six compartmentalized crawling spaces. Each of those are unique and outfitted with different obstacles such as tangled wire, slides, ladders, zig-zag hallways, ect. They shut the doors and fill the entire trailer with non-toxic smoke very similar to what comes out of a fog machine that you can buy at home depot.

The guys who were doing the training got called to two emergencies before they were able to get started. While they were gone the Captain invited me to get a first hand experience by getting suited up and navigating the trailer with him. I couldn't pass up on a unique opportunity to see what they go through to save lives. I'm not going to lie, I definitely felt like a different person when I put that uniform on.

Boy-oh-boy was I in for one tough experience. I climbed my way into the trailer with Captain Ravagnie behind me telling me what I should be doing. "Keep your hand on the hose at all times," he reminded me. Granted I had seen the inside of the trailer before I began the exercise, it was totally different in complete darkness with 40+ pounds of gear on me. Having the helmet and air tank on my back really made things thougher than I thought they would be. The crawl spaces were extremely tight and awkward to maneuver even for a 150lb skinny kid like myself. I BARELY fit through some of the holes and zig-zag turns. Captain Ravagnie later told me that some of the firefighters have to take off their pack and hold it in their hands in order to make their way past a certain obstacle.

After what seemed like some of the most difficult 12 or so minutes of my life I made it through to daylight. I can tell you that I now have a new found respect for these gentleman and ladies who risk their lives for others. I didn't have the air-mask on (per department safety regulations) and it was probably only 30 degrees outside. I can't imagine going through there in the summer time or during an actual fire.

A few minutes after I finished I grabbed my camera gear and went back inside to photograph three of the firefighters training inside the trailer. From a photographic standpoint it might of been just as difficult as the exercise. If you have ever tried to photograph a black cave filled with smoke then you know what I'm talking about. My wizards started to act up for some reason so I had to resort to bouncing on-camera flash. White smoke and flash don't play nice with each other very well so it was quite a task to make something out of it.

I experienced something that very few people get the chance to do and although it was insanely difficult it is something that I will never forget. Special thanks to Captain Scott Ravagnie and the guys from Huntley No. 2 for letting me into their world for a few hours.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.som

Happy Birthday Mr. President

"Max Daniels collects his thoughts while portraying former President Abraham Lincoln during a presentation entitled "A Sunday Afternoon with the Lincolns" at McHenry County College Conference Center in Crystal Lake, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009. The 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday is Thursday, Feb. 12th."

Here in the "Land of Lincoln" I've been shooting plenty of assignments, three to be exact, to commemorate the birth of our 16th President. It has been a pretty big deal around these parts and I've been happy to be part of the process.

Sunday before last I had the privilege to shoot Max and Donna (not pictured) Daniels portray dialogue between Honest Abe and his wife. I had my reservations about shooting a performance on stage because most of the time there isn't much of a picture to be made because all the moments are set up for you. All you have to do is keep the subject in focus and push the button. Thankfully there were nice clean backgrounds to work with and I also brought the 300 along to try something different. 

Although from a photographic stand point I got what I was expecting I was however pleasantly surprised with the performance. The Daniels' have been portraying the famous couple for nearly twenty years and from what little I know about them did quite a fantastic job. Usually I'm in-and-out of these types of assignments in 15 minutes but it was so interesting that I stayed for the entire hour-long performance.

I probably wouldn't decide to attend something like this on my own but as usual one of the greatest things about my job is that I get to experience new things everyday I go to work. I really enjoy what I do.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Swinging on thin ice

"Tom Reinhardt of Crystal Lake looks to the sky in anguish after nearly holing out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole in his eleventh year at the 39th Annual Doc Haznow Chili Open Golf Classic on frozen Crystal Lake in Crystal Lake, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009. Reinhardt made the short putt for birdie."

I know, I know two posts in one day. There is always a first for everything right?

I spent the morning following around a group of inebriated golfers on Crystal Lake as they tried their best to stay on their feet while they put the ball in the hole. I had a blast with a group of local guys and kind of wished I was playing instead of shooting pictures. Anyone ever seen Tiger Woods play on ice?

I'm off the next two days so I'm getting out of here but you can check out more of my images HERE!

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Fire

"Firefighters from the McHenry Township Fire Protection District work to extinguish a blaze that broke out at a residence on Running Iron Drive North of Crystal Lake, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009."

I had a busy day today that was capped off with a residential fire this afternoon. There were easily 20 trucks from various local departments which was a shock to me. According to Lauren "they do it up big here."

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Earning your stripes

"Prairie Hill School fifth-grader Jacob Naatz, 11, warms up on the trombone before performing "Erie Canal" during the Solo and Ensemble Festival at Cary Junior High School in Cary, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009.  The event was a platform for students to show off their best before a judge and demonstrate talents outside a large band."

I spent a few hours covering a music festival of sorts this morning at a local junior high searching for an image that would stand out. I had a few images in my mind that I thought I was going to make but they just never happened. It wasn't a competition, just a critique, so there wasn't much celebration or disappointment that showed up in any of the images.

While waiting around in one of the warm up rooms I found 11-year-old Jacob warming up in the corner all by himself. He was a bit timid and quiet but I couldn't resist the opportunity to shoot him and his great shirt that he had on. Most of the kids were in plain white shirts in a busy classroom so I knew this would be my opportunity to make a little bit different looking image.

 I introduced myself and asked him if I could shoot a few pictures while he warmed up. He agreed and continued to practice while ignoring me completely. So often on assignment people want to pose for the picture so it's a breath of fresh air when they just go along with their business and let me do mine. I was quite impressed with how well he could force all that air out of his tiny lungs. I don't think that I could have done what he was doing when I was his age.

The (relatively) clean background, colorful shirt and the great reflection of his face in the instrument really made this image and this assignment a success.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

HS Hoops: When parents attack

"Prairie Ridge forward Bryan Bradshaw, right, appears to get his hand in for the block despite being called for the foul on Grayslake Central's Michael Brumm in the third quarter at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake, Friday, Feb. 6, 2009. Prairie Ridge defeated Grayslake Central 59-53."

It's about time that I updated with some sports right? Thankfully my shift finally changed so now I'll be shooting some sports stuff a few nights a week. Last night I had hockey and anyone who knows me can tell you how much I dislike shooting the sport. I don't know what it is about hockey but I am just never really impressed with my take. My co-workers seemed to like my stuff from the game last night but I still thought it wasn't very good. Basketball on the other hand is something that I always enjoy.

I play pick-up basketball at the gym at least three days a week and have always enjoyed watching the game on television so I really understand how it is played. Good sports photography often relies on anticipation because you can miss the moment or play in the blink of an eye. Throughout the game I watch players and try to pick up on their tendencies so near the end of a close game, like I had tonight, I can anticipate the key moment and thus capture the image.

With the game being close and Prairie Ridge coming from behind to hold a small lead I positioned myself up in the stands so that I could get a clean view for a defensive stop. Shooting from an elevated position also gave me a better perspective from which to watch plays develop. Prairie Ridge had been making their free throws so I knew that it would be their defense that would make or break the game for them. I watched Grayslake's point guard Michael Brumm all evening and knew that he liked to pull up just inside the free throw line. When he drove down the middle of the lane I was ready and captured a pretty good shot of what I thought was a great defensive play by Prairie Ridge's Bryan Bradshaw. It appears that Bradshaw made the clean block but was called for the foul.

A few minutes later I ran into my only issue of the evening when a parent from visiting Grayslake thought that my strobes were distracting his son/team and decided to go and just unplug them without any notice. I shot for probably 30 seconds and couldn't figure out what was wrong. At first I thought that the radio signal from the Pocket Wizards were being blocked so I walked over to my lights and found them unplugged. As soon as I plugged them back in the parent came over screaming that the lights were distracting his son/team. It's rather funny how the lights weren't distracting said son/team during the first three quarters when they had the lead. Now that they were loosing they apparently had to blame something for their awful shot making. The players never notice the lights and if they plan on moving on to college or the pros then they better get used to it because every major NCAA and NBA game is strobed and often by several media outlets.

I pleaded my case with the Prairie Ridge AD who was on my side but she said that the referees received a complaint from the Grayslake coach and that her hands were tied. At this point the said parent walked over and stood by one of my strobes as if he was going to rip it down if it went off again. Thankfully a dean from the school went over and ran the parent off and watched my stuff for the rest of the game. Prairie Ridge had wrapped up the game by this point and there was under two minutes to play so I shot a few ambient frames before the game ended.

I've had issues with athletic directors before but never a parent. Who knew that I was a viable scapegoat for when your son or daughter's team is loosing the game. Get used to it because if I come to shoot the game I'm bringing the lights.

I'll add this night to the long list of stories I've accumulated while shooting. I wonder, what will happen next?

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com

Decoding an illustration

"Television broadcast signals had been slated to go digital on Feb. 17th however a bill to delay the switch until June 12 is under consideration by the legislature." Photo illustration by Justin Edmonds

This past week I was asked to create an illustration to go along with a centerpiece story on the digital broadcast conversion. The whole illustration thing is kind of new to me but I was willing to give it a shot. The story kept getting pushed back because of our silly (former) Governor here in Illinois so I had to wait to post it until it finally ran today.

The initial idea/concept came to me pretty quickly but the challenging part was getting it to look right. The only digital manipulation I did was to add the binary code. Everything else is pretty much straight out of camera. I'm very much a purist when it comes to things and I really don't enjoy placing an "illustration" tag in front of my byline. When and if I can help it I will always find a way to shoot it instead of manipulating it in Photoshop. As I'm sure there was some way to "shoot" binary code I didn't think it would have looked right so I did add that part in Photoshop.

I have to thank Valerie (one of the staffers) for finding the perfect television for me at a thrift store for $7 and the remote for a buck, so awesome. The final setup consisted of four lights. One on the black seamless with a double green gel, one with a snoot to give a little definition to the dials on the TV, and two on the remote one of which had my homemade beauty dish attached to it. After I got everything metered to where I wanted it to be I just dropped my shutter speed to match the frequency of the TV which turned out to be 1/15. With the exception of cropping maybe 1/2 of an inch off the bottom, this was shot full frame. Final settings were ISO 200, f5.6 at 1/15 at 70mm.

The processing of the binary code was by far the most difficult process. I probably used eight layers and multiple filters and layer masks to get things to look right. As I often explain to friends and family, I probably only use 10% of what Photoshop is actually capable of. Being a journalist requires maintaing a set of very strict ethics with regards to digital manipulation so I don't really need to explore the many functions that the program is capable of. Don't get me wrong, it is a great tool but it's just a tool and nothing more. Even when I shoot non-editorial assignments where it is completely acceptable to "touch up" a photo I am always going to get the best possible image to start with. I don't want to sit in front of a computer screen all day; I'm a photographer, not a graphic artist. 

I'm sure some Photoshop wiz is looking at this saying that it could be done much better so please, by all means give me some input. I would love to hear what others think and how the concept could be improved.

I'm all ears.

-JCE

www.jcedmonds.com