randomly awesome day in madison

I went to Madison last Tuesday for work with sports reporter Maureen Lynch. We were working on a feature about one of the quarterbacks for the Badgers, but ended up getting two stories unexpectedly when Adam Burish, formerly of the Blackhawks, ended up at practice in an Escalade limo with the Stanley Cup. Burish, a former Badger and captain of the 2006 Frozen Four champs, was sharing his day with the Cup with the team and around Madison.

senior year

For a project we are starting for this school year, we are following Christina Bravos, a senior at Woodstock North High School. The high school will have its first graduating class since opening. Reporter Sarah Sutschek and I went back to school last Thursday, but only made it until third hour. AP Stats!? AP MicroEcon? AP Chem?! I'll stick with photography.

Christina Bravos laughs with friends during study hall second hour.

fair features

I have never much cared for shooting fairs, parades and the like, but I have tried changing my attitude about these events the past 2 years and come out with much better results. Instead of looking at it as a daunting interchangeable event to cover, I have fun with light, exposure, people watching... much more enjoyable.

Jake Perkins of Huntley nuzzles Taylor Ciskowski of Woodstock at the McHenry County Fairgrounds on Thursday evening.

Paola Garcia, 11, left, and Jackie Garcia, 9, ride the Sizzler.

summer shoots

Here is what I have been doing recently.

Brianna Zarek, 9, covers her ears after an airplace ride at Galt Airport in Wonder Lake on Saturday afternoon, as her brother Jacob, 5, slaps hands with pilot Brian Spiro. Through the EAA Chapter 932's participation in the national EAA Young Eagles program, volunteer pilots offered the opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane to kids ages 8 to 17 once a month in the summer.

Austin Das, 13, of Wonder Lake, demonstrates a turn his plane ride took at Galt Airport in Wonder Lake on Saturday afternoon.

With the end of summer near, football season has snuck up on us again. My co-workers and I have had the joy of covering previews of all the teams recently.

I am apparently on the golf beat this summer! I am learning quite a bit more about this sport; however, my navigation skills around the courses are still miserable.

michigan travels

I went for a much needed trip to Michigan with my best friend Elena recently to celebrate Nate's 28th birthday and visit newly born Sofia Rose Scaife, daughter of beautiful friends Kristin and Warren. If you have never been to Grand Marais, MI, or Petoskey, what are you doing? GO!
Nate's house from the Bay.

Driving across the bridge.

Kristin, Warren and Sofia.

volleyball sportrait

I really dig taking sportraits...
Abby Gilleland, a junior at Marian Central, will be returning for a second year as the Hurricanes' starting volleyball setter.

chicago sky

I shot the WNBA Chicago sky a few weeks ago, one word: intense! I didn't even know the Sky existed. There were a lot of screaming children there showing support and then I found out it was Camp Day.

Chicago Sky's Mistie Bass goes up against San Antonio Silver Star Jayne Appel on Wednesday at the AllState Arena. The Sky beat the Silver Stars 88-61 to improve to 4-0 against western teams and to 9-11 on the season. Interesting fact: Mistie is the daughter of musician Chubby Checker.

pets and heat stroke

Pet owners take note! 
Ellie Mae, 4, a golden Labrador owned by Karen Leisten of McHenry, suffered heat stroke while taking a walk at at Moraine Hills State Park July 5. After four days in intensive care, Ellie Mae is now back home and doing well.

other shoots I have had

The hearse carrying the body of Marine Staff Sgt. Christopher J. Antonik travels down Woodstock Street in Crystal Lake on Monday afternoon. Antonik, 29, died July 11 supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

I covered a less somber homecoming last Saturday.  Aria Wood, 5, hugs her father Lt. Colonel Edward Wood as Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager and wife Amanda applaud him at his homecoming ceremony at Emricson Park in Woodstock on Saturday.

Sisters Donna Freeman, left, and Adele Knickels prepare for the Alzheimer's Association's annual Memory Walk at Freeman's home on Friday afternoon. The siblings, along with another sister, walk in a team called "Rose's Girls" in their mother, Rose Freda's honor and in her memory. Freda, passed away in 2001 from the disease at the age of 87.

I got to talk with Donna and Adele for the better part of an hour on that Friday, and was amazed at their dedication to this association. I also liked that Donna remembers her mother whenever she sees a cardinal and we saw one twice.

And for the business section...
Ben Giblin and Chloe Juckel work at Peace Offerings on Wednesday afternoon in McHenry. The shop features handcrafted gifts and jewelry, tye-dye shirts, incense, bath oils and salts, and a vintage resale area in the back of the shop.

features

I took this photo after leaving the AllState Arena in Rosemont. This plane, one of many in that flight path, was headed to O'Hare.

Over 100 participants drove tractors from Von Bergen’s Country Market in Hebron to Lake Geneva, Wis., on Saturday morning, in the eighth annual “Tractor Trek.”  Proceeds from the event were donated to the Agriculture in the Classroom program to promote agricultural awareness in McHenry County.

Some seagulls on a hot July day.

summer assignments

One of my favorite things about working for a newspaper is how seasonal it is. Lately I have been outside pretty much everyday for work. Here is what I have been up to.

From left to right, "Team Nee" participants Joe Seredick, Rich Louderbough, and Chris Vezeau await their turn to race in the 26th annual America's Cardboard Cup Regatta at Main Beach in Crystal Lake on Saturday. All proceeds from the event went to charities that benefit McHenry County residents.

Team "Utter Chaos" sinks with smiles in the 26th annual America's Cardboard Cup Regatta at Main Beach in Crystal Lake on Saturday.

I also put together a short video feature at this assignment:
http://www.vimeo.com/13687938

This was for a story about a recent National Golf Foundation study.
About 1,500 public golf courses in the U.S. are in financial trouble. Within the next five years, about 500 to 1,000 courses likely will close. The root of the problem, the study defined, was the golf course development boom in the 1990s. And the economic conditions during the past few years might be playing a role in the increased imbalance between supply and demand.

Rob and Rich Clements, left, talk with Frank Muse and Pat Clements at the Oak Grove Golf Course in Harvard on Monday afternoon. The course is one of a dozen Chicago-area public courses owned by Golf Visions.

aerial photos

Last week I went up in a small plane to get some aerial photos of a new recreation area being developed.
I love heights. I have been in hot air balloons, jumped out of a plane, flown to the eastern hemisphere and back. Regardless, all did almost not end well as the dips and turns and bright sun and shooting out at a crooked horizon made me nauseous. Thanks to reporter Brett's "look forward!" advice I made it to the ground in one piece and the photos turned out alright.

Aerial photo looking at intersection of Pyott Road and Rakow Road.

A bulldozer works Wednesday at Three Oaks Recreation Center in Crystal Lake. Since the area was previously a quarry, many of the on-site stones were used in constructing the amenities.

The marina and trails at Three Oaks Recreation Center in Crystal Lake are scheduled to open in the fall of 2010, and the beach will open in the summer of 2011.

Three Oaks Recreation Center spans more than 500 acres. Below is the building from the shot above.