Obama election touches local African-American youth

My role Tuesday was to shoot video of the election. I shot a quick video in the morning of the voting process-the lines and voters' opinions on the events of the day. That night I shot a gathering at Colorado College and the Democrats party downtown. When it looked like Barack Obama was going to become our first black president I shifted gears and decided to focus on the reactions of young African Americans in our community.

Michelle Obama visits Colorado Springs

A Packed house at the City Auditorium watch Michelle Obama stump for her husband on the last week of the 2008 Presidential Election.

Project Bandaloop vertical dancers

Project Bandaloop dancers Rachael Lincoln, left, and Amelia Rudolph practice on the west wall of Colorado College's Edit Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts center Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008. The group was in town as part of the college's grand opening for its new arts center. They were a fun group to shoot and check out the video I made at http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155184276/bclid1155106690/bctid1847317395.

Missing in Action

I shall now pick up the torch again and begin my blogging. I thought I would post some examples of recent work. I'm not in a position right now to go through the newspaper's archive looking for images I've photographed since my last posting. The truth is I'm too lazy right now to get up and walk across the newsroom. I did shoot the Democratic National Convention in Denver and will be posting some images. For now, though, here are few of my favorites of late. Again, too lazy to go and do a full cavity search.

I've posted two portraits of high school football players that go along with a weekly high school feature The Gazette publishes called Athlete of the Week. You can find it in Tuesday's edition. I have a lot of fun shooting these. Usually I have about 15-20 minutes per student. In that time I have to find a location, set up lights and make it as environmental as I can. The image of Dontre Walker of Sierra High School was photographed in the school's gym during a PE class. My lights kept getting knocked over by basketballs. The second one is of Devin Mohn, a running back from Rampart High School. I had about ten minutes and decided to place him in front a red mosaic wall outside the school. It gives the image texture. I was using two Nikon SB-800 speedlights. One on the wall and a reporter (Katy Booth) holding the other.

I also have an image a silhouetted visitors during the annual Colorado Balloon Classic. I was using a 70-200 mm lens looking inside an inflating balloon with sun behind the people. It added to the image when they began touching the outside of the balloon. I'm a sucker for silhouettes.

Lastly, this is an image of a water covered aspen leaf photographed near Cuchara Pass in southern Colorado. I was part of two aspen audio/visual slideshow I put together for The Gazette. I travelled 876 miles around the state of Colorado looking for various aspen scenes. What a great trip. Anyways, it is best when you plug in some headphones and then listen and watch. It can be found at:

http://coloradosprings.com/gazette/slideshows/special-reports/aspens/

Elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park

The Elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park is in full swing. I drove up on Wednesday to shoot the event and produce a video. The video and more pictures can be found at http://www.gazette.com

Musical football

Gazette photographer Kirk Speer took this feature today of Wasson High School linebacker Terran Morrison playing in the school's marching band during the halftime show at Wasson's 50th anniversary homecoming game. Speer captured a nice slice-of-life moment.

Covering the Democratic Convention

Covering the Democratic National Convention has been a challege. Long lines to get through security, battling the 15,000 other media people and walking from downtown Denver to the Pepsi Center and back and forth are the biggest things. But the energy surrounding the event is amazing.


Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn make an appearance Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)


Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) speaks Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)


Aurora police clear the bus route along the 16th Street Mall Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 as anti-abortion protesters yell in the background during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)


U.S. Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo), left, greets his brother U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-Colo) before the Colorado delegate breakfast Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Hometown hero

Gazette photographer Mark Reis captured local wrestler Henry Cejudo winning the gold against Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga Tuesday, Aug., 2008, in 55kg competition at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Cejudo was a state champion at Coronado High School.


Cejudo takes down Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga in the first period of Cejudo's Gold Medal win.


Cejudo is congratulated by friends and family after his defeat of Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga for the Gold Medal. Clockwise from left they are, friend Eric Albarracin, brother Alonzo Cruz and sister Gloria Cejudo.

In the morning light

I always wanted to shoot a feature on the Manitou Springs Incline at sunrise. I attempted to go twice this summer but was turned back by cloudy weather. Finally on Tuesday the weather was on my side. My other concern was I worried that no one would be climbing it in the early hours of the day. Boy was I wrong. There must have been 20 people on the incline when I got there at 5:15 a.m. When the sun rose around 6 a.m. about 50 people were making their way up the 1,800-foot elevation climb. The light was out of this world and it made for some fun pictures. Light is everything.

Opening Ceremonies of Olympics

Fireworks explode above National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Opening Ceremony Friday, Aug.8, 2008 for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. (Mark Reis, The Gazette)


Performers take part in the Opening Ceremony. (Mark Reis, The Gazette)


A performer is suspended high in the air at National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony. (Mark Reis, The Gazette

Let the games begin

Gazette Photographer Mark Reis is in Beijing, China, to cover the Summer Olympics. Look for his pictures in The Gazette, online at www.gazette.com or on our blog. Above, the sun peers through hazy skies as a worker cleans small debris Monday, Aug. 4, 2008, from water running past the National Stadium in Beijing, China in preparation for The Olympic Games. The "Bird's Nest" is the site for opening ceremonies Friday. (Mark Reis, The Gazette)

More Hardrock 100 pictures

I've posted more Hardrock 100 pictures on the Gazette website. This Sunday's Gazette will feature a story and photos about the two local runners Neal Taylor and Jon Teisher. To see the photo gallery visit http://www2.gazette.com/gphotos/index.php?album=hardrock100"

The final day of Hardrock 100

Neal Taylor of Colorado Springs and Gazette reporter David Philipps leave the final aid station at Cunningham Gulch, 9.2 miles from Silverton and the finish, Saturday and begin the final ascent to 13,000.


Scott Mason of Heber City, Utah., runs the final stretch of the race toward the rock.

What a finish at Hardrock 100

Kyle Skaggs of Glenwood, N.M. shattered the record at the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race this morning winning with a time of 23 hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds. Here are two pictures from early this morning. And yes, all the other runners are still on the course as I write. Above, Skaggs, 23, kisses the rock in Silverton at the finish Saturday, July 12, 2008. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)


Skaggs relaxes on the Silverton school gym after winning the race Saturday morning. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

The first day of Hardrock 100

Here are some pictures from the first day of the Hardrock 100 race that started this morning in Silverton, Colo. Above, Jason Halladay of Los Alamos, N.M., reaches the summit of 13,200-foot Oscar's Pass after a 3,000-foot climb in two miles. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)


Michelle Schwartz fights the cold-swift waters of South Fork Mineral Creek at the first river crossing. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)


Whit Rambach crosses South Fork Mineral Creek atthe "Porcupine Shoeshine" as the runner call. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

Hardrock 100

Gazette reporter David Philipps and I will be covering the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race through Colorado's San Juan Mountains this weekend. The race begins 6 a.m. Friday with the cutoff 6 a.m. Sunday. We'll blog during the race at this website and http://outthere.freedomblogging.com


Neal Taylor of Colorado Springs prepares his drop bags before the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado Thursday, July 10, 2008. The ultra marathon begins 6 a.m. Friday. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

From around the Globe

Here are two pictures that caught my eye today from the Associated Press wire: Above, a woman drinks water after a morning prayer on election day in Harare. Zimbabwe is holding a run off election in which Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opposition leader in the country has pulled out citing violence and intimidation.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)


Participants in the second International "Marathong" of Vevey run on the dock of the lake of Geneva in Vevey, Switzerland on Saturday. About 200 people in thongs (flip-flops) participated in this 1.55-mile-long run.(AP Photo/Keystone, Dominic Favre)

Fountain Valley Nature Center

Sorry for the lack of new postings on our website. I've been out of town for the last two weeks. While I was gone Gazette photographer Bryan Oller produced an audio/slideshow from the Fountain Valley Nature Center. Pictured above is a male red-winged blackbird. If you missed it, check out the audio/slideshow at http://www.gazette.com/interactives/naturecenter.

A fish story

This photo from the Associated Press wire just cracked me up:
David Shepard removes a stuffed king salmon from his flooded home on Sunday, June 8, 2008, in Edinburgh, Ind. As much as 11 inches of rain swamped the state Saturday, flooding homes, threatening dams and closing several roads and highways. Weekend storms pounded the U.S. from the Midwest to the East Coast, forcing hundreds of people to flee flooded communities, spawning tornadoes that tore up houses and killing at least five people. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Kryger)

Mountain bike races return to Colorado Springs

After a six-year absence the Sand Creek Mountain Bike series returned to Colorado Springs Wednesday. The series continues for the next two Wednesdays, June 11 and 18. To see the story or the video of the first race visit http://www.gazette.com. The event is held at Bear Creek Park off 21st street and is a fun event to shoot. The course intersects itself allowing photographers and spectators great access.

Peak Performances: The album covers

I had the opportunity to shoot this Spring's special section Peak Performances, which is a tribute to the Colorado Springs area's best prep athletes. I created the theme of Album covers and let the athletes pick their favorite artists. Some of the covers were recreated by duplicating the lighting and scene and a couple were finished off in Photoshop. I really had fun working with the athletes. It was much harder than I thought it would be to make them as close to the original as I could. Here are three of the covers. Can you figure out what the original covers were? Look at Friday's Gazette to see all the covers and their originals.

Words could never describe

Here are three pictures from the AP wire from the last couple days that are perfect examples of an image being worth a thousand words. Above, a mother cries as she holds a photo of his daughter who was killed in an earthquake, as she stands in the ruins of the Fuxin No.2 Primary School in Wufu, in China's southwest Sichuan province Thursday May 29, 2008. China's central govenment has promised to punish harshly anyone found responsible for poor constuction of schools, though it has also said that building codes in the stricken region did not require structure to be able to withstand a quake of the power of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake on May 12. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)


A man crosses a damaged bridge in Hanwang town in Sichuan province Friday, May 30, 2008. The government announced Friday that the confirmed death toll from China's worst quake in three decades was 68,858, an increase of about 350 from a day earlier. Another 18,618 people were still missing. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)


A landslide falls down the side of a mountain in Sabinas, some 20 kilometers, 12 miles, west of Manizales, Colombia, Thursday, May 29, 2008. No victims were reported, officials said. (AP Photo/ John Jairo Bonilla)

2008 Air Force Academy graduation

The 50th class of the Air Force Academy graduated today in a wet, chilly Falcon Stadium. Gazette photographers Kirk Speer, Mark Reis and I covered the event. Here are two of my pictures. Visit http://www.gazette.com to see the video and slideshow of President George Bush and the cadets.

Riding with the Thunderbirds

Gazette reporter Tom Roeder rode with the Thunderbirds Monday and I shot video and stills. Here are a couple pixs from the day and to see the video of Roeder riding with the Air Force pilots visit http://www.gazette.com

Storm clouds

Colorado never has a dull moment when it comes to weather, especially in the summer. Gazette photographer Bryan Oller took this picture from eastern Colorado of the storm clouds building over Pikes Peak earlier this week.

Saturday's images from our world

Colombian pop star Shakira performs during "The Concert For The Children" in Buenos Aires Saturday. Colombian singer Shakira's ALAS foundation, Latin America in Solidarity Action, host two simultaneous concerts in Mexico and Argentina to raise awareness to help the neediest kids in Latin America. (AP Photo/Emiliano Lasalvia)


Boston Red Sox's Manny Ramirez throws his bat as he is almost hit by a pitch by Milwaukee Brewers' Seth McClung during the seventh inning of the first game of their day-night baseball doubleheader Saturday in Boston.(AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)


A dead student's hand holds a pen tightly in the debris site of Dongqi Middle School in Hanwang Town of quake-hit Mianzhu City, southwest China's Sichuan province. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Liu Zhongjun)

Spring skiing on Pikes Peak

Earlier this week I rode Little Italy and The Cornice above Glen Cove for a video to accompany Out There reporter David Philipps's story on backcountry skiing in the spring. I tried out a helmet camera I bought a couple weeks ago. I wanted to give viewers a sense of what it's like to ski the terrain on Pikes Peak. The hardest part was learning how to edit two different video formats in Final Cut Pro 6. The helmet camera uses DV 4:3 format and our Sony camera is HV with 16:9. The quality is much better with the Sony. I wasn't totally happy with the final results but it was the first time I used the Helmet camera. I think it's a fun way at looking at things and I want to try on other outdoor sports.

China Earthquake

The disaster from Monday's earthquake in China is unreal and the photos coming from the Asian country are amazing. Here are three I grabbed from The Associated Press wire. Above, rescuers search for survivors on a collapsed road in Beichuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Tuesday. Rescue workers sifted through tangled debris of toppled schools and homes for thousands of victims buried or missing after China's worst earthquake in three decades, as the death toll soared to more than 12,000 people in the hardest-hit province alone. (AP Photo / Cong Feng, Xinhua)


An earthquake survivor seen at a hospital in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province, Tuesday. (AP Photo/EyePress)


Rescuers carry a child out of the debris of collapsed buildings after the earthquake in Beichuan county in southwest China's Sichuan province, Tuesday (AP Photo/Wang Jiaowen)