My cousin Ashley from Michigan asked me to shoot her senior portraits like a year ago. We finally were in the same state last week so we along with my sister, aunt, grandmother, and baby cousin ventured out for the shoot. Me and my sister scouted out a couple pretty spots beforehand and then met them about an hour before sunset. I had minimal equipment considering all the fancy toys I've grown accustomed to belonged to the Athens Banner-Herald. The night before I constructed a mini softbox out of a frosted mini wheats cereal box coated in black duct tape and some white fabric. I used that along with a silver "reflector" that also conveniently doubles as a windshield sunshade. All and all I think it went okay despite the fact that my D300 shutter is about 95% blown. Luckily my sister has a D90 which I used. This was my first time shooting in about a month and a half. I have to say I've really been surprised that I don't miss it. At all. I anticipate seeking out more shooting opportunities once my life has completely settled down and the itch for a creative adventure sets in. Also obviously I need to send my camera off for repair. For now however, I'm loving my desk job.
Every year me and my ABH coworkers have joined the race with photojournalists across the state in the monthly clip contest that determines the Georgia Press Association Photographer of the Year. At the end of every month we clip our best photos from the paper and send them off to be judged. I've finished 3rd and 8th in the last two years. This year was a difficult year from the beginning. My boss was laid off and another photo position was officially cut in February. Then we were hit with pay cuts. After that my personal life took a few blows. The thing I clung to was photography. I busted my ass like never before. I quested after fulfillment through creating the best work I could. I made it my mission to get something I liked even out of the most mundane assignments. One of the payoffs for my hard work came month after month in the clip contest results. Before I knew it I had won the thing. I've posted most of these before, but these are some of the photos that won along the way.
lst place Sports, January Georgia's Courtney Kupets warms up on beam before the Gym Dogs win over West Virginia Friday night at Stegeman Coliseum. (shot with a star filter)
1st place General News, January Graduation Coach/Counselor Cedric Allen talks with 11th grader Teaspoon Jones while walking down the hall in Oglethorpe County High School in Lexington. Local schools systems might have to decide whether a Graduation Coach is a position worth saving under Gov. Sonny Perdue's proposed budget for K-12 education.
1st place Multiple Feature, March Up and coming boxers Andrew Lee, Chad Herring, and Chris Jenkins train with coach Jess Croya at the old gymnasium in Colbert, Ga. Their goal is to make it to the 2012 Olympics.
1st place Sports, February Georgia's Courtney McCool scored a 9.775 in her season debut on bars at the Gym Dogs' meet against Florida Saturday Feb. 28, 2009, at Stegeman Coliseum. The Gym Dogs' won the meet 198.200-196.650.
1st place Feature, May Delaney June, 3, left, gets distracted during the dress rehearsal for the "Trip Around the World" Freedom of Movement Dance Academy recital Wednesday at the Oconee County Civic Center.
1st place Feature, June Blake Hataway slides down a rock into the Broad River Friday, June 19, 2009, in Danielsville.
1st place Illustration, September 2009 UGA football preview cover
2nd place Sports, March Georgia's Grace Taylor jumps into the arms of teammate Courtney McCool, with Hilary Mauro, left, after completing her floor routine in the Gym Dogs win over Florida Saturday Feb. 28, 2009, at Stegeman Coliseum. Taylor scored a 9.925 on the event.
2nd place Feature, April Athens-Clarke Police Sergeant Mike Young, left, along with Officer Jeremy Spivey and Officer Drew Cook take calls about a storm after taking in a better view in the Classic Center parking deck Friday night in downtown Athens.
2nd place General News, March Cedar Shoals 10th graderAlex Licht, center, and several fellow students participate in a vigil held to remember Kenneth Advise and Robert Burgdoff Thursday night outside of Cedar Shoals High School. The high school sophomores Advise and Burgdoff were killed in a car wreck Saturday, March 7, 2009.
2nd place Sports, September Arkansas' Greg Childs grabs the facemask of Georgia's Brandon Boykin as he runs in a touchdown in the 3rd quarter of the Razorbacks 52-41 loss Saturday Sept. 19, 2009, at Donald W. Reynolds Razorbacks Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
1st place Multiple Feature, August Michael Davenport, who lost his arms in an electrical wire accident at 13, works on a drawing with people looking on Saturday Aug. 8, 2009, in downtown Athens.
2nd place Illustration, September Dog Days of Summer
3rd place Sports, November East Jackson's Tyler Collins, right, cries tears of joy as he hugs teammate Michael Stephens after the Eagles 27-14 victory over the Manchester Blue Devils in the first round of the Class AA playoffs Friday night at Eagle Stadium. Collins scored two touchdowns and made an interception in what was the first playoff game ever for the Eagles.
2nd place General News, November Barrow County and Winder firefighters train to properly extinguish propane fires and learn the signs that a tank might explode as a part of a "Pressurized Container Class" given by staff from the Georgia Fire Academy Thursday night outside of the Winder Fire Stadion No. 2 in Winder.
Photo Illustration of Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green
You can see all the winning photos in this set on FLICKR.
I am a freelance photojournalist in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Previously I was a staff photographer for the Athens Banner-Herald in Athens, Ga. and the Times-Georgian in Carrollton, Ga.
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