IN with the "Old" and IN with the "New"

Yesterday I was in a public library in Crestview when I heard a librarian tell a woman, “Your book is due back in two weeks – January 31st.” It hit me – January is half over already? The days and months seem to be flying by faster each year and each time period of my life. That is how this past week felt. Last Wednesday I started my first day as a photo intern for the Northwest Florida Daily News, which is in my hometown of Fort Walton Beach. I grew up reading the paper and looking at the pictures, so taking pictures for it is truly surreal. It will definitely take time to get used to, but I am not worried since I already feel comfortable around the people and the environment. It is a great experience, and I am blessed to be able to continue my passion while here at home.

Recapping my first week:
I went with Nick, one of the staff photographers, to a barber shop in downtown Fort Walton Beach on Wednesday. He was shooting video and stills as I tagged along to learn a bit. I have never been to that barber shop before – not a shocker – but it was a nifty little business. I especially like the photos of many famous people with their autographs written on them. There were also several mirrors in the shop, so I used that to my advantage to come up with this:



I didn’t expect the shot to turn out the way it did, but I was happy with the result. The image ran in the paper the next day in the local section. My mom was very happy about that one.

The next day I revisited my past – in a sense. I went with Nick to NWF State College (which used to be Okaloosa-Walton College when I went there) to shoot the baseball team’s first practice. After what happened at UF during baseball season last year, I was a little cautious while there. I tend to be afraid of baseballs traveling at high speeds, so I stayed back a bit while taking these shots. However, I believe that each time I go on an assignment I will become closer to conquering a small fear that I’ve held onto – and one day I will overcome them. I did take advantage of the huddle with the coach where I saw how reflective his glasses were:



Nick and I then headed over to women’s weightlifting in another old school of mine – Choctawhatchee High. The last time I was there – to my recollection – was graduation in 2004. I think I sounded like an old Hallmark card because Nick laughed at me when I mentioned how weird it was to be going back into this school after almost 5 years of being away from it. After photographing the girl’s weightlifting, I remember thinking how young everyone looked – basically like kids! I remembering saying, “High schoolers didn’t look like kids four years ago,” but of course they didn’t because that was me four years ago!



On Saturday I went to Crestview with Nick to photograph high school wrestling for the Panhandle Championships. I have never covered wrestling before, so this was a new experience for me. It was a little confusing, but I captured two matches that ended well. Both images were published in the paper:





I plan to update this blog once a week unless I have an outstanding day – and then I will update that day. Check back for more updates and also check the website because you never know what you will see!

http://www.nwfdailynews.com