Concluding & Reminiscing

The Hoops game between UF and Florida Gulf Coast marked my last assignment for the Independent Florida Alligator. What is even more memorable about the game was the basketball that hit me in the head. Not only did it hurt (slightly) when it hit me, but I knew all of the photographers across the court saw me. Yeah, embarrassing. I am okay with it now, after all, it is a great icebreaker I can use later in life, right?











As I close this chapter in my life, I do have to thank a few people here who helped me grow as a photojournalist. Thanks to:

Charles Roop, who gave me my first assignment for the Alligator and helped me grow along the way.

Andrew Stanfill, who gave me my first sports assignment for the Alligator and helped train me to be photo editor for the summer.

Sarah Hsu, who helped me over the summer as the staff photographer and displayed an ongoing dedication toward each assignment she received regardless of its appeal.

Harrison Diamond, who helped me grow as a sports photographer by helping me understand my equipment better and loaning me his 400mm lens for one of the football games.

Ronald Dupont Jr., who hired me as an intern at the High Springs Herald and gave helpful advice for each of my assignments.

All of the teachers I've had: Freeman, Kaplan and Kratzer, whose guidance helped me become a well-rounded photographer in many aspects. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The most important thanks goes to JESUS, who gave me the passion for photography, led me to one of the best photojournalism schools in the country, and showed me that I am meant to do this because if I was not, I would not be here today. THANKS!!!

Breaking into Bball

Only nine and a half months ago, I took my first pictures of a basketball game at UF. That time it was women’s basketball – this time it was men’s. I learned several things from this game and have created some new goals for my next (and last) men’s game on Dec. 10. Meanwhile, here is a sample of my images from earlier tonight:

Football Finale

The end of the road has come. I finished my last Gator football game as a photographer tonight. The experience was everything I had hoped it would be. I improved over each game and reached new goals. I finally was able to catch a good action shot, such as the picture of Brandon Hicks #40 blocking a pass, and follow the ball much better than the two previous games. I am going to miss savoring in the football atmosphere from the sidelines. I will never forget the time during the Hawaii game when Urban Meyer stared at me for longer than three seconds – the longest three seconds of my life up until then – and Harrison Diamond’s encounter with the referees prior to the game today: “Prior to the snap…false start…on the offense, five-yard penalty, repeat first down.” The sun may have set on college football, but my horizon is still looking bright.

A Long Awaited Night

Some grew restless. Some couldn’t stop moving with anticipation. Some even spent the waiting period eating dinner or talking on the phone. However, all of these people had one thing in common: they wanted the election results. After months (and years) of waiting and wondering, each person’s dreams and hopes were either answered or shattered when the election results were announced late Tuesday evening. With the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom filled with Obama stickers, T-shirts, buttons and signs, it would be obvious which way the country swayed. All one would have to do is listen to the screams…happy or sad? Without further hesitation, the crowd roared in excitement as Barack Obama was announced the President-elect of the United States. Among the chaos of laughter, tears of joy, and singing, stood the few McCain supporters in the ballroom – stunned and dissatisfied. The wait was over, and those in favor of Obama were celebrating non-stop. Here are some moments I caught amidst the chaos, celebrations, and anticipation:

Football at its Finest

The crisp fall air, the moderately clouded sky, and the Nikon D-300 with a 400 mm lens that rested on my shoulder as I walked the sidelines was the perfect combination for a Gator football game. Attending a football game can lighten any Gator fan’s mood, but something about capturing the moments that fans hold so dear to their hearts makes my trip to the swamp like a trip to Disney World as a five year old. Going into my second football game, I had ideas of where I wanted to improve and what kind of shots I wanted to grab. I took the typical Tim Tebow shot of clapping hands from the Hawaii game to a low angle shot that places his face with the sky behind him. I was able to capture closer action shots than the last game, and I hardly broke a sweat. Aside from a few camera problems, the game turned out great. While I was walking off the field, I felt a shimmer of excitement from the reality of my accomplishments. A year ago at this time, I was a fan in the stands with a dream to one day photograph a Gator football game. I wanted to stand on the sidelines, breathe in the football atmosphere and capture amazing photos that look very professional. As I walked down the tunnel today, I realized my dream had become reality.

Feeling at Home...

The rain was continually slowing, stopping and then coming down again throughout the parade. I think I placed a Wal-Mart shopping bag over my camera at least three times in an hour and a half. Still, the parade went on, and people were lining the streets dressed in ponchos and Gator shirts. Aside from the rainy weather, the parade was not much different from last year. What was different than last year, however, was my experience.



Last year I walked away from the parade feeling like a failure with the photos I had produced. Not only were the photos lacking in interest, but I had failed to initiate any drive to grab photo opportunities during the parade because of fear.



The parade was new, big, intimidating and confusing to me last year. I was determined to make this year different. I went out there with a positive, confident attitude and thought, “No matter what, I am going to make myself conquer this fear.” I had let go of last year’s memories and hit the ground running. I am happy to say that I have come a long way in a year’s time. I am happy to say my photos surpassed last year’s by miles.

So-So Soccer

Amidst the light drops of rain and cool temperature, I stood on the side of the soccer field and photographed the UF v. Arkansas game. I used my friend’s Nikon 400 mm lens with his D300 for the first time, and it was great. Since I normally use the Canon 40D, the Nikon took some getting used to. Although I have much to learn about photography in general, I felt the experience with the other brand helped me expand my horizons. I loved the crisp image display, fast auto focus, and best of all – the focal length! I’ve shot a few different sports before this game, but this was my first soccer game. I was mostly learning how to use the camera and lens since I will be using them again during the Kentucky football game this weekend. I enjoyed the experience and am very thankful to the friend that is lending me his equipment.












For this shot, I turned around and noticed the scoreboard's reflection in a large puddle while rain was falling from the sky, so I took a few shots. This is what I came up with:

God's Blessing

On Saturday morning, I went to take pictures at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in High Springs, Florida for the "Blessing of the Animals" ceremony. The “Blessing of the Animals” is a tradition in the Catholic Church that takes place on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. He was known to have a kind heart for animals. So, I got to bear witness to several community animals getting blessed and took a bunch of pictures.



There were cats, dogs, horses and one turtle – who is nameless. It was small, it was short, but it was meaningful.





Between all of the howling of the dogs and the jittering of the horses, the group of community members gathered there sang a song in harmony. It was beautiful.

Crazy for Paisley

Last night I covered the Brad Paisley concert for the Alligator here in Gainesville. I have never covered a concert like this before, so I didn't have any precise expectations. The one question I had in my mind was, "What are the fans going to do once Brad comes out?" I was by the front of the stage alongside one of my former photo teachers, and everyone swarmed around us. Even though I felt claustrophobic, I couldn't have been surrounded by happier fans, which made for some great pictures. Among the obvious celebrities there were a few local celebrities including: Bernie Machen, Brooke Helvie (who auditioned for American Idol), and Tim Tebow. Overall the experience was great and I learned a few things along the way.



published:




Jewel was one of the performers as well: