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: