http://nwherald.comNorthwest Outtakes Blogen-usLast weekend, I had the privilege of shooting boys state track and field in Charleston Ill. Between Friday and Saturday I shot over 1,000 images. Here is an image from Saturday's finals. Although this runner is not from our area I thought it captured the emotion of the weekends events. For me it was also an intense day trying to keep track for the boys who made it from preliminary races to the finals and running between event locations. I also kept talking with sports reporter Joe Stevenson with who I should be focusing on next. By the end of each day I was sunburned and tired but I still had to muster up enough energy to edit, tone and send my images to the paper. Despite the chaos it was completely worth it.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/06/03/84703163/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/06/03/84703163/index.xmlThu, 04 Jun 2009 05:14:44 GMTAs a photographer, I am continually looking for a new way of seeing the ordinary. I've been known to shoot lying on my belly or stand on a chair or even hold my camera above my head to get the shot. At times it can prove difficult during a sporting event. http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/05/05/78034285/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/05/05/78034285/index.xmlWed, 06 May 2009 04:55:56 GMTLast weekend at a McHenry vs. Crystal Lake South baseball game I was shooting a few standard shots of the pitcher.  I usually like to get photos of them in the first inning before looking for more interesting things, just in case nothing else makes a good picture.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/04/29/80117991/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/04/29/80117991/index.xmlWed, 29 Apr 2009 21:37:30 GMTDriving through McHenry County several weeks ago, my trusty Garmin navigator had me going through the back roads from Harvard to Woodstock. Lucky for me, that meant I found this strange tree on the side of the road with dozens of pairs of shoes hanging from it. In the middle of nowhere. I didn't have time to stop at the time, so I set my navigator to remember the location so I could go back. Well today was the day. I still don't know how the shoes got there, or who put them there, but I think it's pretty cool and something I've never seen before.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/04/17/85854838/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/04/17/85854838/index.xmlFri, 17 Apr 2009 23:43:59 GMTToday I had the pleasure of taking photos of flying foam.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/04/02/58580360/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/04/02/58580360/index.xmlThu, 02 Apr 2009 18:57:33 GMTI was out shooting an assignment the other day that took me to a middle school girls basketball game and while waiting to enter the gym I noticed this young girl texting on her cell phone. http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/02/26/40044699/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/02/26/40044699/index.xmlFri, 27 Feb 2009 00:59:49 GMTReporter Sarah Sutchek and I had the rare opportunity this morning to sit through a couple of hours of the NBC5 morning newscast with co-anchors Rob Elgas and Zoraida Sambolin. http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/02/06/43934182/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/02/06/43934182/index.xmlFri, 06 Feb 2009 20:57:45 GMTUsually while driving around the county during the winter months, it's hard to find people doing anything outdoors -- especially when the temperatures are well below zero. http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/28/29680053/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/28/29680053/index.xmlThu, 29 Jan 2009 04:48:22 GMTAs newspaper photographers, we're pretty used to being in the front row. We get to cut in lines at the door. We don't pay to get in. We settle in the front and we try to stay out of the way.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/22/26939920/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/22/26939920/index.xmlFri, 23 Jan 2009 05:54:33 GMTI was at Prairie Ridge High School this morning on an assignment and noticed this great shaft of light in the hallway near the main entrance. It was just begging for a picture so I sat down and shot for a few minutes during the passing period on my way out. I love to "shoot the light" as we say in the industry so I'm always looking for cool finds like this.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/22/55004157/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/22/55004157/index.xmlThu, 22 Jan 2009 20:02:05 GMTLately, it seems I've been on the animal beat. In the last month I've covered a pet store, a zoo and a program on hawks.  I've had African Gray birds whistle at me, a South American Kinkajou crawl from my left arm to right and back. I've even watched a camel being bottle fed. These assignments are a lot of fun and I always look forward to them because with animals I never know what I am going to capture.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/21/41662385/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/21/41662385/index.xmlThu, 22 Jan 2009 04:57:28 GMTIt's cold outsidehttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/15/31598295/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/15/31598295/index.xmlOver the past couple of weeks I've noticed that kids just LOVE looking at themselves in the mirror. Especially if they are wearing their dance costumes.http://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/14/61883097/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/01/14/61883097/index.xmlThu, 15 Jan 2009 06:01:46 GMTEdit Texthttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/06/04/90990472/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/06/04/90990472/index.xmlTue, 09 Jun 2009 07:23:40 GMTEdit Texthttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/06/09/97238436/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/blogs/entries/2009/06/09/97238436/index.xmlWed, 10 Jun 2009 06:52:11 GMT