Peoria Journal Star

Illinois-Missouri Arch Rivalry football

September 4, 2010

My editors sent me down to St. Louis to cover the Illinois-Missouri rivalry game at the Edward Jones Dome. I hadn’t shot an actual football game since November (although I did shoot the Indiana spring game in April). I figured my timing would be off, but I felt good about my reaction time to plays on the field. Neither team had many big plays so I was only able to shoot what they gave me. This was the first time using a 400 mm f/2.8 lens to cover football. I’m very accustomed to using a 300 f/2.8 during my days in college. It’s noticeable because my shots are much tighter than most of my work from last season.

Missouri linebacker Andrew Gachkar (6) knocks a pass away from Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins (8) as Jenkins crosses the middle on a slant route during a game on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

Missouri tight end Michael Egnew catches a wide open touchdown during a game on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

Illinois Blues Festival

September 3, 2010

My primary assignment this evening was to photograph the opening night of the Illinois Blues Festival down on the Peoria Riverfront. I couldn’t photograph all the bands because of deadline restraints so I tried to mix things up visually given I only shot three of the evening’s bands.

Levee Town guitarist Brandon Hudspeth talks to the crowd after his band finished their set on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010, at the Illinois Blues Festival on the Riverfront.

Easy Riders guitarist Mike Miller performs on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010, at the Illinois Blues Festival on the Riverfront.

“It’s bleeping golden”

September 3, 2010

My first assignment today was feature hunting at a local tropical fish show inside a mall. There was a lot of colorful fish, but this was by far the most interesting (and humorous) shot:

A aquarium, entitled "It's bleeping golden," depicts the Rod Blagojevich scandal with gold fish during the 42nd Annual Tropical Fish Show on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010, at Northwoods Mall. The show, presented by the Tri-County Fish Society, runs through Sunday.

Splish splash

September 2, 2010

Some days you just get lucky. My editors sent me to the village of Manito, Ill. today to photograph a traveling Vietnam Wall for front of the local section of the paper. When I arrived in Manito (it’s about 35 minutes away from Peoria), I ran into a severe thunderstorm that dumped sheets of rain for about 30 minutes. In the midst of the rain, I couldn’t find the wall so I had to wait until the heavy rain ended to get out of the car to ask directions. When I found the wall, it was deserted. There wasn’t a sole in sight. Just my luck right? I backtracked my way towards town and happened to catch a couple kids riding their bikes through a ginormous puddle in a high school parking lot.

Jared Oest, age 6, navigates his bicycle through a large puddle of deep water with his brother, not pictured, on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010, in a parking lot at Midwest Central High School in Manito, Ill. Several streets and parking lots in the village were flooded following a severe thunderstorm that pounded the area with high winds and heavy rain on Thursday afternoon.

Peoria-Clinton minor league baseball

August 28, 2010