Clovis News-Journal: Pro Football

Today was a first and a last. It was the first time I shot an NFL game, but it was the last time I shot football until next season.


I've pretty happy with the results, but I've realized a few areas I need to improve on. I still get very caught up with trying to get the killer action shot. Maybe I was a more worried about it this game, since it was my first pro game. Either way, I need to be more aware of things other than action.

Clovis News-Journal: 3A State Playoffs

Last Saturday, I shot the the New Mexico 3A State Championship football game. The game started at 2 with a high theoretically getting up to 40 degrees. I got to the field about noon. Shortly afterwards the Portales football team showed up. I spent most of the time before the game hanging out with the team. They're a bunch of nice kids.

By the end of the game, my hands were so cold, I had a hard time pushing the focus button on my camera.

I'm going to miss shooting high school football. One more game in Dallas in a couple weeks then football is really done until next fall.

Clovis News-Journal: Hotel Clovis

The Hotel Clovis has been closed since around 1984. When it was built in the 30s, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. Now it is boarded up and city isn't quite sure what to do with the building.
Last Friday, I got a chance to go inside.

Photos of the weekend

I have two photos of the day, but I saw then on separate days, so they are photos of the weekend. One for each day.

The first is on sportsshooter, yes sportsshooter. It's Al Bello's third place sports action clip contest winner.

The second comes from where else but the Albuquerque Tribune's own Mark Holm.

Clovis News-Journal: Friday Night Lights, the end

Clovis lost in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. It was disappointing in several ways. I've been shooting these kids all season and I really wanted them to go on. Watching the seniors walk off the field knowing that this was probably the last time they would play organized football. It was much more meaningful than last football season when I had not been following just one team.

I was also disappointed that it could have been the last high school football game I shot this season. It made me realize just how much I enjoy shooting football, especially high school.

Apparently the second photo has caused a lot of flak. The paper got several calls complaining that we ran this photo. I think most comments were something like, "this was a huge loss and don't see the emotion of the loss." One person said, "Normally I really like his photos, but if he's just going to give up," or something to that extent.

I really feel these people don't get it. I think they would be happy with a shot of a crying kid on the sidelines.. In a small community like this , what does running a photo like that really gain? My answer is nothing. The photo we ran, in my opinion was the best defeat shot I had. It would have had the score in it, if the scorekeeper wouldn't have erased it off the scoreboard within 5 seconds of the clock hitting zero. Kind of funny since a couple years ago when they won the state title, they kept the score on until spring.

The photo I submitted and we ran tells the greater story. It not just about this loss. It's about these seniors who some have huge family traditions with Wildcat football. Number 26, his brother played, his dad played. Now he will never play football as a Clovis Wildcat again. To me that's the story, not a kid crying on the sidelines.

For me, I'm lucky, I will shoot high school football again. It turns out Portales won and is going to the state finals on Saturday. So that will be my last game of the season. I wish the kids that make up the Clovis Wildcat football team could be so lucky.

Clovis News-Journal: an old one

This is something I liked from earlier this month. I thought it was going to be a pretty lame assignment but I tried to have fun with it once I was there.

Clovis News-Journal: Saturday Afternoon Magic Lights, 1A state football finals

I've been paying the price for having such gorgeous light for high school football.. Since I shot this I felt like I haven't produced many good photos. I've felt a general lack of creativity. I need to cuddle up to my Magnum Stories book tonight to try find some.

Today I found out that Portales is going to the 3A state finals and they're in Portales this Saturday at 1. Not awesome super magic light like this game, but I'm excited anyways. I know for a fact it will be my last chance to shoot high school football until August. I still have the Philly/Dallas game on Christmas, so o I have no room to complain, which I'm not. I'm just sad high school football is almost over.

Clovis News-Journal: Friday Night Lights: Part 3, redux

Within the past week this photo ran in both the Albuquerque Journal and it's on the Tribune website. So my guess it ran there too. The funny thing is, it never made my selects when I edited photos from this game.

The original post Clovis News-Journal: Day 80, Friday Night Lights: Part 3

Looking back, yeah, it's one of the better football photos I've taken this season. If it's good enough for the Tribune then it's good enough for this blog, even if it is a sports action photo.

Clovis News-Journal: Back in Clovis

After a several days in Albuquerque I was back to Clovis. Tuesday I got back on the job.. Unfortunately it was one of those 4 assignments in 3 1/2 hours, with an hour of driving thrown in, kind of days.

The first assignment... Tumbleweeds.. You see we were having sustained winds of around 40mph with gusts over 50. Since they were coming from the west, which is the flattest most desolate area around town, it brought the tumbleweeds.

For those of you who haven't lived in the southwest, yes there are tumbleweeds. They do blow down and across the street. They also have prickers on them, which makes getting hit by them very undesirable.

I head out to this house that is apparently covered in tumbleweeds. It turns out the front of the house is completely covered, up to the roof and ten feet out. The guy that lived there was trying to clear a path to his front door so his wife could get out.




After I tumbleweeds I head out to shoot some sports practices. Then I get a call about a fire at the junior high, that's right around the corner.

Clovis News-Journal: Volleyball, part 4: the end

After the 4th day in a week and the 3rd straight day, I was sick of shooting volleyball. So I was looking for anything somewhat interesting besides what was right in front of me.

Clovis News-Journal: Volleyball, part 3

Both teams won their semi-final matches and advanced to the finals.

Clovis News-Journal: Volleyball, part 2

Thursday I went to Albuquerque for the volleyball state finals. We were covering 6 teams ranging from 1A to 5A. The first day I shot 5 matches, two of which happened at the same time.It was a very long day that started at 4:30am and ended about 9pm.

Clovis News-Journal: Volleyball, part 1

Last week was the last home volleyball game at the high school. Also the team loaded up to head out to the state finals in Albuquerque. I was only a day and a half behind them.

Clovis News-Journal: Friday Night Lights, 2A playoffs

This was from the first round of 2A high school football playoffs.

Clovis News-Journal: Random Stuff

Here are a couple random photos. Nothing much to say about them.

Clovis News-Journal: Peanut Harvest, part 2

Wayne Baker has been harvesting peanuts all his life. He's turned it into a family tradition, according to his grandson Chris.
Here's the slideshow.

Clovis News-Journal: Peanut Harvest, part 1

I just finished a slideshow and photo page for the peanut harvest. Apparently Sunland Peanuts has one of the biggest plants in the US around here. I hung out with a peanut farmer for a couple days while he turned over the peanuts then thrashed them. Turning them over involves pulling the plants up and leaving them to dry. Thrashing is when they are picked up and pulled off the vines,. This was an organic farm, so the farmer's grandsons were out pulling tumbleweeds. The digger apparently can't handle going over them, so they have to be hand pulled.

Clovis News-Journal: Halloween theme

It was a long day, but kind of relaxed. I shot a couple of kids Halloween events. I finished the day with more college football.

Clovis News-Journal: Busy Friday

The day started early by following the Lt. Governor at a PR event. This was followed by more Friday night football. I didn't get any features I liked , but I got some better than average (for me) action shots.