Two weeks in review

Where have the last two weeks gone? One minute it's Christmas and the next we are half way through January! Since the last few weeks have flown by, I thought I'd give a mass update of the stuff I've been shooting for AnnArbor.com.

Let's start with where I began the new year, in Jacksonville, Florida for the Gator Bowl.

It was nice to leave the snow and cold of Michigan for a few days!


But then the real work began. A Michigan alumni group threw a huge pep rally in downtown. It was pretty cool to see how many Michigan fans came out to support the team.










My favorite photo from the trip.


The two sides of Rich Rod, the hopeful and then the reality of it all. Shortly after Michigan's 52-14 spanking at the Gator Bowl the head coach was let go.


Speaking of coaches, meet Michigan's new one, Brady Hoke.


Coincidentally, I covered Hoke while working at the Star Press as he was the head coach of Ball State's football team. Look at all the media!


Current BSU head coach Stan Parrish and Hoke's daughter Kelly chat after a press conference.


Let's change sports and move on to Michigan basketball. A couple of action shots from a game last weekend.


And a cute moment between sisters as they wait for high fives from the team after the game.


What goes perfect with football and basketball? Beer! But I don't have any photos of beer, so photos of cars will have to do. This past Monday was the press preview for the North American International Auto Show at the Cobo Center in Detroit. (It's been a manly few weeks!)

If a press preview promises anything it's media.


And I mean A LOT of media! From all over! I heard people speaking Italian, German, Japanese, French you name it!










I think I'll end this marathon of a post with a beauty shot of the Ren Cen in downtown Detroit. It's been a busy few weeks and I can't wait to see what's up next!

All photos in this post © AnnArbor.com 2011

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A handmade Christmas for Mom

Back in September I had the great idea to make a quilt for my Mom as a Christmas present. I was struck by a flurry of inspiration and apparently a bout of amnesia, blocking the memories from my previous quilt making endeavors. Hey, it's September, that's plenty of time to sew a quilt from scratch and with no pattern, right? The short answer to that is yes, plenty of time for stitch ripping and cursing up a storm! It seemed like a good idea anyway and in the end I think it was worth the effort.

Here is a short photo essay of the life of a handmade quilt. Hope you like it Mom!

Photographing Juliana, Mark & sweet baby Laila J

I met Juliana when we both moved back to our home state of Michigan to work for AnnArbor.com. During that first month a group of us met up at a brewery to get to know each other better. I didn't notice it at the time, but Juliana was the only one drinking pop. Little did I know, but she was newly pregnant with a sweet little baby, Laila June.

Laila is eight-months-old now and Juliana and Mark decided to capture her cuteness in some family photos. We managed to squeeze in a photo session at their apartment just in time for the holidays. Here are a few of my favorites!



This photo was taken while Laila's special holiday dress was still special and before she realized it seriously hampered her mobility! Frustrated baby ensued! :)






Juliana had a second outfit for Laila and I stole this photo while she was being changed. The look on her face just makes me melt! What a sweetie.




Proud Mom and Pops!




Laila's nap was cut a little short so that we could take photos, her patience started to wear towards the end.

The Big Chill

The Big Chill was not too chilly and for that I am very grateful! Michigan hockey hosted Michigan State outside at Michigan Stadium at what turned out to be the largest attended hockey game ever. The official number was 113,411, which is more than any other college event in history.



I split my time photographing from the photo deck (way up above the press box) and in the stands with the 113,411 people. My primary goal was to photograph the atmosphere of the game and not just action. Check out a multimedia from the event below.

All photos in this post © AnnArbor.com 2010

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Color Contact, NYC

In March of 2002, a couple of art students and I spent spring break touring NYC. Besides it being the first time I'd ever been to New York, it was also the six-month anniversary of 9/11. I came across this contact sheet while digging through an old box of negatives. It's sort of a mini time capsule, exploring an overwhelming city through the eye of a young photographer.

Ain't nothing but a number

On Monday I turned 30.

It's funny that as you age milestone birthdays go from being exciting, like becoming a teenage at 13 or old enough for booze at 21, to something you are supposed to dread, like leaving your twenties for the "big 30." Seeing as I can only speak on those birthdays leading up to 30, I'd like to turn the tables on age and embrace it.

Here is a self portrait I took for a photo class assignment in college at age 20. I am not sure what I was "trying to say" when I made this picture but it is interesting to come across it ten years later.



As I look back at the 20-year-old me, I'd like to give her some simple advice, perhaps the same advice I'd give myself now: 

- Be a good person, even to a stranger

- Appreciate what you have

- Work hard

- Learn

- Laugh

I've lived a lot of life in the last 30 years and in an optimistic stance, I can't wait to see what the next 30 have in store.

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