Scary, Oozy, Slimy

Saturday was a day of fun cute kids features at two Halloween events in town. I went to the annual Scary, Oozy Slimy day at Sandy Creek Nature Center and to a Ghost Ball at Memorial Park. I love photographing cute kids, especially ones in costumes. I never got a picture I really liked, but had fun trying.


Quin Flanagan, 3, of Watkinsville admires a salamander during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


Dalton Ward, 4, makes a fish mask with help from dad Greg Ward during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


Conner Pettyjohn, 8, is cautious around a Tarantula during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


People enjoy the activities during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


Naomi Knight, 14-months, explores a giant "spider-web" during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


Logan Shimkets, 3, left, and brother Darian Skimkets,7, wresetle out of a spider web during a game at the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


Kylia Canty plays the ring toss game as brother Quincy Canty, 8, looks on during the Ghost Ball to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Memorial Park Recreation Hall.


Sydney Walker, 6, pretends to fly across the room in her "beach ghost" costume during the Ghost Ball to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Memorial Park Recreation Hall.


Taiyo Watanabe, 4, dressed as "Underdog" digs for "snake eggs" during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


Naomi Knight, 14-months, plays a ring-toss game during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.


Gayla Snellgrove, left, and grandson Brody Healon, 5, explore the sites during the annual Scary, Oozy, Slimy event to celebrate Halloween Saturday Oct. 24, 2009, at the Sandy Creek Nature Center.

PREPS: Class City Championship

I shot the big Athens rivalry game between the Clarke Central Gladiators and the Cedar Shoals Jaguars Friday night in what is coined the Classic City Championship. It rained for the majority of the 3 hours I was on the sidelines. Rain just strips all of the fun out of shooting for me. I was not the only soggy and miserable person leaving that field as this was the second straight year for the Jaguars to fall in the big game. It was a low scoring affair with the Gladiators quarterback Martay Mattox (interestingly enough a transfer from Cedar Shoals) scoring both the Gladiators' touchdowns giving his new team the 14-7 victory.


Cedar Shoals Jaguars warm-up before facing Clarke Central in the Classic City Championship.


A Georgia Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter flies over Billy Henderson Stadium.


A Georgia Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter lands at on the 50-yard line at Billy Henderson Stadium before the Classic City Championship game between Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals. The Chopper dropped off Iraq veteran Daniel Gade, honorary captain to do the coin toss for Clarke Central-Cedar Shoals game, as part of program to raise awareness for "Wounded Warrior Project" that helps injured servicemen and women.


Iraq veteran Daniel Gade delivers the game ball for the Classic City Championship via Georgia Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter Friday night at Billy Henderson Stadium.


The Captains of the Cedar Shoals Jaguars, left, and Clarke Central Gladiators meet midfield for the coin toss before the Classic City Championship.


A referee holds up the coin after Iraq veteran Daniel Gade, an honorary captain did the coin toss before the Classic City Championship Friday night at Billy Henderson Stadium.


Clarke Central fans watch the Gladiators beat Cedar Shoals 14-7 during a rainy Classic City Championship.


Cedar Shoals QB Shaquille Gatlin


Clarke Central QB Martay Mattox is sacked by Cedar Shoals' Gwendale Harris in the first quarter of the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Clarke Central QB Martay Mattox breaks through the middle for a first half touchdown in the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Cedar Shoals Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Cedar Shoals QB Shaquille Gatlin is brought down by Clarke Central's Ty Simmons in the first half of the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Cedar Shoals's Tracy Stephens is brought down in the 3rd quarter of the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Clarke Central QB Martay Mattox breaks a tackle to pass down field in the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Cedar Shoals Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Cedar Shoals Cheerleaders cheer on the Jaguars in the second half.


The Clarke Central Gladiators head back to the field as the halftime show performed by the Gladiators Marching Band ends Friday during the Classic City Championship.


Clarke Central Dimitri Holmes runs the ball in the 4th quarter of the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Cedar Shoals Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Clarke Central QB Martay Mattox bursts into the endzone with Cedar Shoals' Hagen Huggs in tow as the Gladiators' deafeat the Jaguars 14-7 Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Clarke Central's Devante Appleby celebrates Martay Mattox's touchdown in the second half of the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Cedar Shoals defenders celebrate after recovering a Clarke Central fumble in the 3rd quarter.


Cedar Shoals' James Gordon breaks a tackle as he runs the ball in the 3rd quarter.


Clarke Central's Ty Simmons, left, and Devante Derricotte celebrate stopping the Cedar Shoals offense in the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Clarke Central Dimitri Holmes runs the ball in the 4th quarter of the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Cedar Shoals Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.


Clarke Central's Kadeem Combs, left and Derrick Smalls dance after the Gladiators' 14-7 victory over the Cedar Shoals Jaguars Friday Oct. 23, 2009, in the Classic City Championship.

GAMEDAY: Head Games

Gameday strikes again, at least in newsprint form. Even on the bye week we churn out a Gameday special section. The assistant sports editor has done illustrations the last two weeks and the break has been nice, but I was happy to have a challenge again. After Tim Tebow's concussion played out for the nation to see the issue has been at the forefront of sports news. This week the cover story focused on the dangers of concussions in football.
The image that came to me first was an x-ray of a skull and brain inside of a helmet. Then I thought it would look cool to do that using a real action shot. I scoured a recent game for a picture of two players helmet to helmet. I cut them out, pasted them on a shot of tiny fan dots in the stadium, and inverted the colors to give it that x-ray look. Then I dug up a skull and brain x-ray and worked some photoshop magic.





Design layout by Chad Clark

feature catch-up

Here is an assortment of features and shots from recent assignments.


Rachel Tribble and sons Grant Tribble, 7, right, and Mark Tribble, 4, examine lunar rock samples shared by a NASA representative Wednesday night at the Athens Academy Media Center.


Emily Pitts, right, participates in "Trivia Wars" at 283 Bar Wednesday night in downtown Athens.


Service Manager Mark Schroader instals training wheels on a child's bike at The Hub Bicycles Thursday Oct. 1, 2009, in Five Points.


The moon shines through a window in the Classic Center parking deck Wednesday night in downtown Athens.


Georgia fan Henry Harp, left, asks LSU fan Ronnie Rodrigue of Donaldsonville, LA, center, and a group of other LSU fans where their "circus hats" are, claiming that when LSU fans come to Athens it is like the circus is in town Friday afternoon outside of Harry Bissett's in downtown Athens.


LSU fan Shawn Broussard jokes with friends by hopping up on a Bulldog statue Friday afternoon in downtown Athens.


Alyssa Bender takes her shot during a pool game as her and friends participate in a recycling pup crawl Thursday night in downtown Athens.


University of Georgia President Michael Adams, center, and others take a look at the anatomy lab while touring the new Medical College campus Tuesday at the newly renovated old O'Malley's buliding.


University of Georgia students participate in a balloon popping relay as a part of a field day sponsored by the Eta Xi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at Myers Hall quad Thursday Sept. 24, 2009, on campus. The event was held to raise funs for the Athens Area Homeless Shelter and kick-off a semester-long toy drive.

PREPS: Gear failure #7,068,599

Friday night had me in Loganville for a Region 8-AAAA showdown between the undefeated Apalachee Wildcats (6-0) and the defending Region champs the Loganville Red Devils (4-2). I got bad news Thursday when I found out one of our 300mm lens had a problem and was sent off. The other two long lenses would be going to Nashville with my coworkers for the Georgia/Vandy game. So I was left with no long glass to shoot high school ball. I wasn't happy. I haven't shot football without at least a 300mm since my days at the Times-Georgian in Carrollton, Ga. where I only had my own equipment to use. I felt rusty out there as my normal shooting style was disrupted by the limitations of my lens. I had to stay close to the line of scrimmage as much as possible so the players didn't look like tiny action figures in the photos. This resulted in getting backsides for 3 or 4 break away touchdowns.


The Apalachee Wildcats with coach Shane Davis get ready to take the field to face Loganville Red Devils before their 42-41 overtime win Friday Oct. 16, 2009, in Loganville.


Apalachee's John Ansley is drug down by Loganville's Scott Miles in the 1st quarter.


Loganville's Storm Johnson breaks away for a touchdown in the first half.


Apalachee's John Lee narrowly misses a pass with coverage by Loganville's Scott Miles in the first.


Apalachee coach Shane Davis screams to the field.


Apalachee's Jon Lee takes down Loganville's Storm Johnson in the first half.

The game was a full on slug fest until the very end. I wanted to stay the whole game, but my laptop wouldn't communicate with our crappy wireless card so I knew I'd have to make the hour + drive back to the paper to turn in my pics. I called the desk and told them I could leave at halftime and make my 10:30 deadline or stay later and miss it. They opted I stay as late as possible since it was such a close game. I stayed until Apalachee scored a 4th quarter touchdown taking the Wildcats lead to 37-25 with only a minute and a half left on the clock. I had to leave to beat the traffic thinking I had the game-clinching TD and that the Wildcats had it wrapped up.

Apalachee's A.J. Lotsspeich intercepts a pass intended for Loganville's Desean Ledbetter setting up the Wildcats for a touchdown drive in the first half.


Apalachee's A.J. Lotsspeich runs off the field in celebrating his interception.


Apalachee's A.J. Lotsspeich is surrounded by teammates after making an interception in the first half.


Apalachee's Jon Lee, right,celebrates with teammate Nelson Gibson after scoring a touchdown .


Loganville's Clay Garner catches a pass for a touchdown with coverage by Apalachee's A.J. Lotspeich late in the 2nd quarter.


Loganville's Clay Garner, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown late in the 2nd quarter.


Apalachee's Zack Gentry is tackled by Loganville's Scott Miles.


Apalachee's Jon Lee cruises into the endzone for the Wildcats' final touchdown taking their lead to 35-27 over Loganville Friday Oct. 16, 2009, in Loganville.



Apalachee's Jon Lee, right,celebrates with teammate Nelson Gibson after scoring the Wildcats' 4th quarter touchdown taking their lead to 35-27 over Loganville Friday Oct. 16, 2009, in Loganville.


Apalachee's Jon Lee, right, celebrates with teammate Nelson Gibson after scoring a touchdown in the Wildcats' 42-41 overtime win over Loganville Friday Oct. 16, 2009, in Loganville.

I made it back to the paper in record time and filed before 11:30. Then I found out that the Loganville Red Devils had scored a touchdown and 2-point conversion in that final 90 seconds to send the game into overtime! The Wildcats still came out with a 42-41 victory after scoring a touchdown and stopping the Red Devils on a 2-point conversion attempt. I was bummed I'd missed such an exciting conclusion just because of wireless card issues. Our laptops, lenses, and cameras have had major issues all football season. There are already a zillion obstacles in getting the shot in this field ranging from ref ass to backfocus. The last thing we need are equipment failures game after game. ARRRGH!!