new york city birthday extravaganza

My birthday was Oct. 1. I celebrated it big time with some of my favorite people in New York City. Here is some of what I saw and did.
This first photo is by Angela, I took the rest.

Birthday day at MOMA...

Chasing light in Central Park...

Red cape and hat sighting...

Lovely Angela...

AST and BB after photo slideshow...

Good to see old friend A.J. at MediaStorm screening in DUMBO...

 

Grand Central Station...

Renaissance Festival in Cloisters...

                                      Yellow shoes purple tights.

Group portrait with sister and brother-in-law... great joint birthday celebration!

tiny flower tile blue

Here is a photo from a leisurely Monday brunch date at a new favorite Chicago spot, Lulu's in Logan Square.

election time

Some photos from my experience covering the Illinois election season.

Candidate Joe Walsh (R-Il)(left) waits for (D-Il) Melissa Bean's answer during an 8th Congressional District candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters at Grayslake Central High School on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

Illinois governor candidate Bill Brady speaks Monday night, Sept. 20, to the McHenry County business community at a special forum organized by area Chambers of Commerce and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation at Woodstock North High School.

McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren smiles as results come in at D'Andrea Banquets & Conference Center in Crystal Lake on Tuesday evening, Nov. 2. Nygren defeated opponents Mike Mahon-D and Gus Philpot-Green Party.

soccer bonanza

I had a bit too much fun shooting boys high school soccer sectionals a while back. Great light, excellent action, what else can I say?

a fall football post for good measure

Here is a football game between Prairie Ridge High School and Johnsburg a few Friday nights ago.

metal forging

I went on an interesting tour at the Scot Forge manufacturer company in Spring Grove, Ill., a few weeks back. The company provides forgings to virtually every metalworking industry, from mining, defense, nuclear, shipbuilding, defense, power transmission, fabrication... cool to see everything in action.

studio honeydew

My co-worker Lauren M. Anderson (http://landersonphoto.blogspot.com/) and I have started a photography business:

It has been great fun to design and put together. Check us out! Click on the logo or this link here:
www.studiohoneydew.com 

Thanks to Sam for help with our logo: http://www.viewotron.com/

packers vs. bears

Here are some game photos from the aforementioned Monday night football game between notorious rivals the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Third annual year shooting it and each game is as exciting as the last, though this game may be hard to top. Bears won 20-17.

Chicago Bears Devin Hester jumps into the crowd after his fourth quarter touchdown to put the Bears up 14-10 over the Green Bay Packers Monday night at Soldier Field.

Chicago's Greg Olsen reaches over the goal line for a touchdown at the end of the second quarter Monday night at Soldier Field.

john cusack uses my camera

Just holding hands with John Cusack on a Monday night football game. No big deal.
His and hers, if you will. Ah, the life of a newspaper photographer!

odds and ends

Some photos from September, I really liked this corn bin thing as kids were having quite a time in it and well as it reflected a nice glow. Also notable sighting at this event: a pumpkin cannon. Amazing!
Only in the Midwest.

Zack Willis, 2, left, and Jared Goodale, 4, play in corn at the sixth annual Tractors for Charity event at Stade's Farm in McHenry on Saturday.

Students and a parent walk to James C. Bush Elementary School in Johnsburg on Wednesday morning as part of International Walk to School day. Schools around the nation participated in the event to promote exercise, improve air quality, and enhance the health of kids.

Paige Layton, 9, left, and Miranda Hopp, 9, both fourth-graders, walk to James C. Bush Elementary School on Wednesday morning as part of International Walk to School day.

They kids could kick butt!
Focus Martial Arts karate students practice kata, or karate forms, Wednesday evening at Focus Martial Arts and Fitness in Lake in the Hills. The students leave Oct. 19 for the World Karate Confederation Championships in Italy.

 

I learned a bit about polysomnography recently as we worked on a story about sleep clinics and issues.
Registered Polysomnographic Technologist Paula Fairbank places a pulse oximeter on Bonnie Blazer's finger in the Sleep Clinic at Mercy Harvard Hospital on Tuesday evening. Blazer's sleep patterns were monitored overnight.

Registered polysomnographic technician and respiratory therapist Chris Henderson demonstrates a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device at the Northwest Sleep Center in Crystal Lake on Wednesday afternoon. The device is used to treat sleep apnea, which occurs when the upper airway becomes narrow as the muscles relax naturally during sleep.

fall sports

Working nights and weekends at a newspaper inevitably leads to shooting a lot of sports, which I love. Case in point: see two entries above.

ultimate frisbee

Shot talented Algonquin Ultimate Frisbee players in September- one word for this sport- intense!

Kyle Hanley looks to pass against Joey Gallagher (middle) and Yared Taye (left) at Ultimate Frisbee practice in Algonquin on Tuesday afternoon. Students have been playing Ultimate for the past five years at Jacobs High School, when coach Anthony Miocic began working there as a guidance counselor.

cross country

I shot cross country a few weeks back, there is so much you can do with this sport! It took me back to senior year of high school when I ran with the Bulldogs and subsequently got me hooked on running. So hooked that I just ran and finished the Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10 with minimal training! (Note: not recommended to readers.)