After watching Disney's hit Tangled I wondered if the glowing sky lanterns featured were real. They seemed so magical and beautiful that I figured they were a fantasy imagined for the film. A few weeks ago a Tuscaloosa News assignment came my way that proved that these light as air heat propelled wonders are in fact a reality. The Child Abuse Prevention Services of Tuscaloosa hosted their 3rd annual Sky Lantern Festival for child abuse awareness and I felt almost as exhilarated as Rapunzel as I watched the firey paper globes take flight into the night.
04-25-11 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Mason Grace Ward, 4, gets ready to release a sky lantern during the 3rd annual Sky Lantern Festival held by the Child Abuse Prevention Services of Tuscaloosa Monday at Sokol Park.
04-25-11 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Deb Mason and others release sky lanterns during the 3rd annual Child Abuse Prevention Services of Tuscaloosa Sky Lantern Festival at Sokol Park.
04-25-11 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Katie Pope and daughter Mary Collier Pope, 4, release a sky lantern in memory of a friend's baby who died during the 3rd annual Sky Lantern Festival held by the Child Abuse Prevention Services of Tuscaloosa Monday at Sokol Park.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Tuscaloosa Christian runs onto the field led by Jake Pope (27) before facing off with Victory Christian Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Tuscaloosa Christian.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Tuscaloosa Christian's Corey Faulkner (20) runs the ball up the middle through Victory Christian defenders in the first quarter Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Tuscaloosa Christian.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Victory Christian's Landon Ellis (21) stiff arms Tuscaloosa Christian's Logan Foster (11) first quarter Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Tuscaloosa Christian.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Tuscaloosa Christian's Maison McCullough (22) is brought down by Victory Christian's Landon Ellis (21) in the first quarter Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Tuscaloosa Christian.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Tuscaloosa Christian coach Hunter Christian talks with Chase Cronan (77) in the first quarter of the Warriors game against Victory Christian Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Tuscaloosa Christian.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Victory Christian's Landon Ellis (21) is tackled by Tuscaloosa Christian's Maison McCullough (22) Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Tuscaloosa Christian. Hillcrest Patriots vs. Vestavia Hills Rebels
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Hillcrest quarterback Luke Wingo (3) runs the ball in the 3rd quarter against Vestavia Hills Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Vestavia Hills's George Salem (22) is brought down by Hillcrest's Deddric Williams (21) Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Hillcrest freshman cheerleader Morgan Johnson, 14, laughs with fellow cheerleaders as they wear houndstooth earmuffs to stay warm during the HIillcrest vs. Vestavia Hills football game Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Hillcrest coach Adam Winegarden encourages his players in the 2nd quarter against Vestavia Hills Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Hillcrest quarterback Luke Wingo (3) throws a pass in the 3rd quarter against Vestavia Hills Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Hillcrest's Jordan Stone (14) hauls in a Luke Wingo pass in the 3rd quarter against Vestavia Hills Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Vestavia Hills's George Salem (22) runs the ball in the 3rd quarter against Hillcrest Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
11-05-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Kendred Smith, left, and Andrea Moore, try to stay warm during the Hillcrest vs. Vestavia Hills football game Friday Nov. 5, 2010 at Roy Johnson Jr. Stadium.
Darkest. Field. EVER. I went to Holt High School last week and was in a wildly good mood. The atmosphere was fantastic, the people friendly, the rivalry intense. It was a great night for football. The only drawback was the light levels on the field. I later joked with my sister that it was like a few people were just shining flashlights. I always bring a flash with me to games just in case I need it although I rarely do. Always. This was literally the only high school game I've ever shot where I didn't bring a flash and it was the darkest field I've ever seen in my life! Of course, right? I was shooting my D300s at ISO 6400 with a crazily low shutter speed of like 1/180 to 1/250 for the most part and my pics were still under exposed. I even popped my on camera flash a few times. After getting a few usable pictures I decided to play with panning just because why not. I got one decent pan which made me happy.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Brookwood's Damien Higgins (22) breaks away from Holt's (54) in the 2nd quarter Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Members of the Holt JROTC carry the flags before the Holt vs. Brookwood football game Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holt's Corey Young waves to the crowd as the Ironmen head through the stands to the field to face the Brookwood Panthers Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Brookwood's Jesse Reach (51) brings down Holt's John Hood (7) in the first quarter Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Brookwood's Damien Higgins (22) breaks loose on a run trailed by Holt defenders in the 2nd quarter Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holt coach Tim Gillespie yells to his players from the sidelines during the Holt vs. Brookwood football game Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holt's Cavoris Corder (13) attempts a 2-point conversion, but is stopped by Brookwood defenders during the 2nd quarter Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Brookwood quarterback Anthony Herren battles for yardage as Holt defenders Jarvis Scott (25) and John Hood (7) try to bring him down in the 2nd quarter Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
10-29-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- The Brookwood Panthers' mascot dances on the field during the runout before the Holt vs. Brookwood football game Friday Oct. 29, 2010 at Holt High School.
The Friday before last I saw the worst rout I've seen in high school ball. The Autaugaville Eagles manhandled the Holy Spirit Titans with roughly 5 scoring drives, 2 kickoff turnovers, a blocked punt ran in for a touchdown--and all this before the 2nd quarter ended. It wasn't pretty. The major perk of shooting a game that's over before it starts is the chance to get creative. About halfway into the 2nd quarter I decided to lay down near an endzone pilon with a wide lens hoping to get something different. The Eagles scored two more touchdowns in the half, but both were on the opposite side of the endzone from me so no payoff. Boo.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Autaugaville's Demarcus Nixon (9) goes airborne to break a tackle by Holy Spirit's Christopher David (22) in the first quarter Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Autaugaville quarterback Lundon Maynard (5) breaks loose for a 1st quarter touchdown against Holy Spirit Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holy Spirit head coach Jack Hankins looks on as the Titans lose to the Autaugaville Eagles Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holy Spirit's Logan Sparks (80) sacks Autaugaville quarterback Lundon Maynard (5) knocking the ball lose in the 1st quarter Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holy Spirit's Logan Sparks (80) sacks Autaugaville quarterback Lundon Maynard (5) knocking the ball lose in the 1st quarter Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holy Spirit's Logan Sparks (80) jumps on teammate Tim Jenkins (61) in celebration after sacking Autaugaville quarterback causing a fumble in the 1st quarter Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Autaugaville head coach Antonio Richards reacts on the sidelines after a Eagles' touchdown against Holy Spirit Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Autaugaville quarterback Lundon Maynard (5) breaks a tackle by Holy Spirit's Tim Jenkins Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holy Spirit's John Washington (2) is brought down by Autaugaville defenders in the first quarter Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
10-08-10 -- Tuscaloosa, Ala. -- Holy Spirit fans and young cheerleaders cheer on the Titans in their game against the Autaugaville Eagles Friday Oct. 8, 2010 at Holy Spirit Catholic School.
I shot my first great game of the football season Friday night. It was the game of the week so the assignment was to stay to the end if things were close. Things were really close. The game was tied up until the last few minutes of the 4th when the Bryant Stampede kicker nailed a difficult 42-yarder to take his team up 17-14 with only 3 or 4 minutes to go. The Bryant sideline exploded with celebration and the young kicker was lifted by several teammates. He was so happy he forgot to get back on the field for kickoff. The Stampede's joy was cut short as the Demopolis Tigers quickly got down the field and stud running back DaMarcus James powered in a 1-yard touchdown. With 2 minutes still on the clock the Stampede forged a drive to try to win. One Tiger recovered fumble later the game was over. The emotion after was almost as intense as a championship. The Tigers were hugging and crying tears of joy as the Stampede walked heads hung with another type of tears streaming their already sweat streaked cheeks.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- The Paul W. Bryant Stampede takes the field before their game against the Demopolis Tigers Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis cheerleader Maggie Spiller, 17, is tossed in the air. The Demopolis Tigers beat the Paul W. Bryant Stampede 21-17 Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- The Paul W. Bryant Stampede Marching Band Danceline perform before the Demopolis Tigers' 21-17 victory Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis quarterback Ben Pettus (3) dives past Bryant's Josh Martin (25) for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Tiger's 21-17 victory Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Paul W. Bryant's Brock Hall runs through a tackle by Demopolis's Tremaine Irby in the second half. The Demopolis Tigers beat the Paul W. Bryant Stampede 21-17 Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Paul W. Bryant coach Bobby Moore talks with his players during their game against the Demopolis Tigers' Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Paul W. Bryant's Ben Martin (32) returns a punt in the first half. The Demopolis Tigers beat the Paul W. Bryant Stampede 21-17 Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Bryant celebrate Brock Hall's touchdown in the first half. The Demopolis Tigers beat the Paul W. Bryant Stampede 21-17 Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis quarterback Ben Pettus (3)releases a pass in the second half. The Demopolis Tigers beat the Paul W. Bryant Stampede 21-17 Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis' Damarcus James (4) is brought down by Paul W. Bryant's Alex Thomas (31) in the second half of the Tiger's 21-17 victory Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis' Jerry Campbell (6) screams in celebration as he scores a touchdown in the 3rd quarter of the Tiger's 21-17 victory over the Paul W. Bryant Stampede Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Paul W. Bryant quarterback Brock Hall (13) looks for an open receiver in the first quarter. The Demopolis Tigers beat the Paul W. Bryant Stampede 21-17 Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Paul W. Bryant quarterback Brock Hall (13) is stopped by a swarm of Demopolis defenders in the 4th quarter of the Demopolis Tiger's 21-17 victory Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis quarterback Ben Pettus (3) is brought down by several Paul W. Bryant defenders in the second half. The Demopolis Tigers beat the Paul W. Bryant Stampede 21-17 Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis quarterback Ben Pettus (3) taps teamate Damarcus James (4) on the helmet after James game winning 1-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter of the Tiger's 21-17 victory Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Dempolis's Tremaine Irby (10) and David France (13) embrace after their 21-17 victory over Paul W. Bryant Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis' Deonte Washington (25) and Matt Barger (20) celebrate their 21-17 victory over Paul W. Bryant Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
10-01-10 -- Cottondale, Ala. -- Demopolis quarterback Ben Pettus (3) hugs teammate Tremaine Irby (10) after the Tiger's 21-17 victory over the Paul W. Bryant Stampede Friday Oct. 1, 2010 at Paul W. Bryant High School.
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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