In The Loupe

Goodbye Blogger

2010-04-08T23:56:00.006-05:00

After nearly three years I am pulling the plug on In The Loupe here at Blogger. Yesterday I launched www.marcfhenning.com and In The Loupe is now an integrated part of my new home on the web. I want to thank everyone who has made this blog a regular stop while browsing the internet and you are all very welcome to visit my new website. See you at the new house. :)

Batter Up

2010-02-25T17:25:00.005-06:00

It's hard to believe baseball season is already here. Now if we just had actual baseball weather. Shooting a low-scoring pitching duel in 30-degree weather is right up there with water boarding in my opinion. Luckily the first two games of the season for me didn't go that way, the weather was also pretty decent.

There are changes on the horizon here at In The Loupe. A new home is in the works and this could very well be my last photo posting at this location. Stay tuned....

Winter Storm 2010 Day 2

2010-01-31T20:52:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was another day spent slipping and sliding around Bentonville and Bella Vista searching for news and feature photos related to Winter Storm 2010. First off I shot a mailman delivering the mail in the snow. Cliche, but what snow-related photo isn't? The best part was getting the shot in the bag only 10 minutes into my day.

Then a cliche scenic photo including a human element...

Then the cliche old man shoveling snow photo...

After that I hit the slopes, or the golf course turned sledding Mecca in Bella Vista. Another repeat, but more good photos.

This kid turned up in most of my shots. He was the most fearless one on the hill, therefore he ended up in my viewfinder the most.

Hopefully this is the last storm of the season. I'm sick of snow, sleds, four-wheel drive, shoveling and sweeping the slushy, sandy, melted mess out of my garage every time I come home. I'm ready for 60 degrees and sunshine...and daylight savings time.

Winter Storm 2010 Day 1

2010-01-29T18:15:00.003-06:00

Northwest Arkansas has been slammed by a nasty winter storm over the past 24 hours. We dodged a bullet and didn't get the ice that was initially predicted. We have received a ton of snow though, and it's still falling. I hit the door this morning and enterprised around Bella Vista looking for weather related news and feature photos. Here is a selection of my favs.

Tomorrow will most likely be more of the same.

From The Archive

2010-01-25T12:40:00.004-06:00

Over the past week I've been uploading photos to my new PhotoShelter account as part of the process of getting my website going. As a result of the process I've come across many images I haven't laid eyes on in a while. The photo above was shot back in 2002 while I was still working at The Daily Times in Farmington, N.M. I was out hunting for wild art that day and noticed a good deal of smoke coming from the Bolack Ranch on the south side of town. As it turned out Bolack's ranch hands were busy burning underbrush in a stand of pine trees on the property. The combination of smoke and back lighting combined for some really nice photos. So nice that the image made New Mexico AP Photo of the Month, an honor I had garnered numerous times while at The Daily Times.

By the summer of 2002 I left my job at The Daily Times and relocated to Northwest Arkansas to freelance and start a new chapter in my life. The image had faded into memory as I was fresh into a new job at The Morning News – the freelancing wasn't as appealing as a regular job with benefits. To my surprise I received a call from a photo editor at Time Magazine in mid December informing me they had selected the image to run in their "Best Photos of 2002" issue. The honor capped off a pretty hectic year for me, both personally and professionally, and it ultimately helped me to move from a temporary position to a full time position at The Morning News.

After rediscovering the photo this week I find myself re-inspired. This PhotoShelter thing has been a bit redundant and tiresome, but I know I'm on the track to something good, my new website. It's funny how the old can inspire the birth of the entirely new.

Gameface

2010-01-13T16:14:00.003-06:00

A funny feature for the New Year. Who woulda thought shuffleboard players could be so serious?

Should have a Liberty Bowl post up soon.

Recent Features

2009-12-23T16:02:00.003-06:00

Here are some of my favorite features from the past two weeks. Everything from wild art hunts to assigned Christmas plays. Above is a shot from Townzen's Barbershop's annual fundraiser in downtown Rogers.

A weather balloon launch in Rogers.

A sidewalk guitarist working to attract business to a music store in Rogers.

A Polish violinist warming up before a concert in Bentonville.

Backstage at "A Bear-Y Merry Holiday" in Rogers.

Christmas Train

2009-12-18T10:10:00.004-06:00

I shot the 7th annual Christmas Train back on Dec. 5 in Springdale. Simply put, this was a fun assignment that I enjoyed from beginning to end. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them.

Merry Christmas!

Back On The News Beat

2009-12-16T16:15:00.004-06:00

So I've been back with the paper, now Northwest Arkansas Newspapers L.L.C., since the first of the month. Admittedly I wasn't exactly looking forward to transitioning back to news full time after three months of non-stop football. But, surprisingly, things have gone well and I've had some good assignments and feature hunts. The photos above are from a house fire in Rogers on my second day back. I haven't shot a good house fire in a long time. In this case it was good since the home was abandoned and nobody was hurt. I'll be posting more news photos in the coming days.

Arkansas Football Medley II (Troy, MSU and LSU)

2009-12-15T08:52:00.003-06:00

As I've falled asleep at the wheel again in the past weeks, here is another medley of images from Arkansas' final three games of the regular season. No words this time, just pictures. Enjoy!

Arkansas 56, Troy 20 (Nov. 14)

Arkansas 42, Mississippi State 21 (Nov. 21)

LSU 33, Arkansas 30 1OT (Nov. 28)

The Hogs will finish their 2009 season on Jan. 2 in the Liberty Bowl against East Carolina. I'm praying for mild weather.

More updates to come....

Arkansas Basketball Portraits

2009-11-20T18:41:00.006-06:00

Arkansas' basketball team didn't host an official media day this year, so I didn't have the opportunity to get portraits of the whole team. We did get to pick three players to have access to. Pictured above is freshman forward Glenn Bryant.

Sophomore guard Rotnei Clarke.

Senior center Michael Washington.

Clarke's Lucky 13...I Was There.

2009-11-17T14:11:00.006-06:00

Arkansas sophomore Rotnei Clarke put his mark on Arkansas and SEC basketball history on Friday the 13th by sinking 13 of 17 from three-point range against Alcorn State in the Razorbacks' 130-68 season-opening win. Clarke's 51 points in the game also set a new school scoring record.

Personally I am proud to say I was there and able to record Clarke's historic night.

Clarke was dubbed "the best shooter in college baskeball" in a preseason article by Fox Sports’ Jeff Goodman.

Clarke had hit 275-of-300 and 281-of-300 shots while practicing his three-point stroke the previous two nights leading up to the game.

What made this game even more special was there were only 7,713 fans in attendance at the 19,200 capacity Bud Walton Arena due to lack of interest in the game. Five players, including star point guard Courtney Fortson and freshman big man Glen Bryant, were suspended for the start of the season for off season violations. Many fans simply didn't come because they didn't care to watch a thinned-out team struggle against a lesser opponent. Boy were they sorry the next day.

Clarke even had coach John Pelphrey cracking smiles during the game (an equally incredible feat). Once the team is back to its full compliment of players it will be very interesting to see how the season goes. Clarke is such a threat when he's on his game, it will create scoring opportunities for four other players whenever he's on the court. The Hogs were picked as a bottom tier SEC West team in the preseason. The jury is certainly out on that verdict.

Four Hawgs Covers

2009-11-12T15:20:00.004-06:00

Catching up on Hawgs Illustrated covers. Pictured from Volume 18 are Issues (clockwise from top left) 14, 15, 17 and 16.

Arkansas Football Medley (USC, EMU & Ole Miss)

2009-11-11T10:36:00.011-06:00

Arkansas 33, South Carolina 16 (Nov. 7)

Arkansas picked up their second conference win of the season against the Gamecocks in Fayetteville. Joe Adams, above, dives for the end zone in the first quarter against USC to put the Hogs up 7-3.

Broderick Green continued to develop as a serious offensive threat against USC. Green had one touchdown in the game.

Ryan Mallett proved against the Gamecocks he is the real deal.

Mallett went 23-27-0 for 329 yards against South Carolina and scored one touchdown on the ground. His 85.2 completion percentage set a single game school passing record for 20 or more passing attempts. Mallett is 152 yards short of the school's single season passing record.

London Crawford goes upstairs for a key third down conversion in the first quarter.

Tight end D.J. Williams came back on the radar with 137 yards on seven catches.

The Razorback defense stood strong against the Gamecocks. Quarterback Stephen Garcia was sacked twice.

Jerell Norton had a game-changing interception in the third quarter. Above has a big punt return for 38 yards. Adrian Davis, right, sacks Garcia.

Another big moment came when a bad snap went over Garcia's head. Jerico Nelson knocked the ball loose from Garcia and the play resulted in a safety.

More Broderick Green.

Ronnie Wingo Jr., left, and Michael Smith.

The Hogs celebrate their must-win victory over the Gamecocks by singing the Razorback fight song.

Arkansas 63, Eastern Michigan 27 (Oct. 31)

Arkansas' game against cupcake Eastern Michigan was a chance for the Hogs to get the bad taste out of their mouths after back-to-back losses to Ole Miss and Florida. They got it out for sure. Seth Armbrust created one of the biggest moments of the game by blocking an EMU punt and carrying it into the end zone for a touchdown.

Broderick Green set a school rushing record by going 99 yards from the line of scrimmage for a touchdown.

Ryan Mallett throws and runs.

Joe Adams, left, marked his return to action after suffering a mild stroke earlier in the season by scoring two touchdowns. Greg Childs turns up field after a catch.

Cobi Hamilton races for the end zone after a catch. He didn't score, but he set the Hogs up for another touchdown.

Ronnie Wingo Jr., left, and Knile Davis carry the ball against EMU. Davis had two touchdowns against the Eagles.

Cobi Hamilton and Ross Rasner cover EMU on a kickoff. Jermaine Love, right, makes a stop.

Lucas Miller and D.J. Williams celebrate Miller's touchdown in the second half.

Ole Miss 30, Arkansas 17 (Oct. 24)

Arkansas game with Ole Miss was marked as a must win by the Hogs and fans alike after letting Houston Nutt slip out of town with a win last year in Fayetteville. The only problem was the Hogs pretty much emptied their tank the previous weekend against Florida. Nothing went Arkansas' way in the game. Passes were dropped, tackles were missed, fans left early. This was the low point for Arkansas, they've rebounded since and are on track to finish with a respectable record and bowl bid. It was also a low point for me. I had my worst game of the season. This is all I want to show of the game. It's not much, but this was one to forget about anyway. Above, Greg Childs fights for extra yards on the Hogs' biggest pass play of the game.

Michael Smith leaps across the line.

This shot pretty much illustrated the whole game. The entire receiving corps, not just Greg Childs, dropped passes that have been money all season. I shot about 20 frames of him juggling this pass. I'm just glad the Hogs were able to put this game behind them. UGLY!

Several people have asked my why I haven't updated my blog in the past several weeks. It's been busy and a lot of crazy things have happened at work. I will be posting game again regularly and will have more catchup updates this week. Stay Tuned.......

No. 1 Florida 23, Arkansas 20

2009-10-21T14:50:00.009-05:00

Arkansas went to The Swamp on Saturday as a 24 point dog against No. 1 Florida. The Hogs almost pulled off the biggest upset in Razorback history. Despite the loss, this is one of those games anyone would be proud to say "I was there." Arkansas had the lead on the Gators until late in the third quarter. A shaky kicking game and several bad calls on the Gators' final drive doomed the Hogs' upset.

Arkansas' defense, who had little respect coming into this game, had their way with Tebow and Florida's offensive line. Jake Bequette forced a huge fumble in the first quarter.

The fumble was one of four Florida turnovers in the game.

Tim Tebow was sacked six times on the day by the Razorback defense. Here DeQuinta Jones manhandles Tebow for the freshman defensive tackle's first sack of the season.

Jerry Franklin, left, and Matt Harris also got sacks on Tebow.

Broderick Green stretches out to the one yard line late in the first quarter. The ball popped out after he was down, made for a good shot. Green punched the ball in on the next play for Arkansas' first score in the game.

Dennis Johnson stepped up and filled Michael Smith's role at running back against Florida.

Johnson had 107 yards on 14 carries.

Ryan Mallett was up and down in the game. He started off shaky and finished 12-27 for 224 yards and one touchdown. Florida's defense got to him four times, which is still amazing considering the lack of respect Arkansas' O-line received coming into the game.

Mallett's numbers would've been much better had it not been for a few dropped passes, including this pass to Greg Childs in the end zone in the third quarter. Childs caught the same pass against Georgia. The ball just slipped between his elbows. What a heartbreaker.

The biggest plus out of this game was the defense. This is the same group that was dominated by Alabama during the Hogs' 33-7 loss on Sept. 26. They took on the No. 1 team in the country and essentially shut them down for an entire game. Malcolm Sheppard, above, drew a bad call on a crucial Florida scoring drive in the fourth quarter that gave them a first and goal. Had the call not been made, and the Hogs held, Florida wouldn've settled for a field goal. The SEC announced on Tuesday that the late hit penalty against Sheppard was a bad call. Too little, too late. (Update: The SEC announced Wednesday that the officiating crew of the game was suspended until Nov. 14 due to questionable calls in this game and the Georgia vs. LSU game a week earlier)

On the same drive Andru Stewart was blatantly interfered by Florida receiver Riley Cooper on a deep pass to the end zone. Had Cooper not touched Stewart it would have been an interception. Had the officials called offensive pass interference the Gators' drive would've stalled and the game probably would've gone into overtime. Nope, the officials were either blind, stupid or too scared to make the right call against the No. 1 team in the country at their house. Bobby Petrino had little to say officially after the game, but he had plenty to say to the officials on the field.

Unfortunately for Arkansas the game came down to kicking. And Florida made their kicks when it counted. The Razorbacks didn't.

Even after the way Arkansas' defense manhandled Tebow, Florida fans still think the man is a God. I really feel for the dude pictured above. You know he was laughing inside, just a little bit, each time Tebow was sacked. :)

Oh well, on to Ole Miss and Nutty this Saturday in Oxford.

Arkansas 44, Auburn 23

2009-10-18T13:14:00.004-05:00

Since this is over a week late I won't go into too many details about the game, but Arkansas put a serious beat down on Auburn a week ago in Fayetteville. The forced turnover above by Andru Stewart was one of the biggest moments in the game, giving the Hogs a first down inside the Auburn 20 moments after putting seven on the board.

Michael Smith had 145 yards on the ground.

Strong safety Jerico Nelson was the Hogs' defensive hero of the game. He forced a fumble late that set up another Arkansas touchdown.

And he laid a killer hit for a loss on Auburn's Mario Fannin that fused their helmets together.

For a moment it looked like he just ripped the guy's head completely off.

Dennis Johnson on a big kickoff return and D.J. Williams picks up yards after a catch.

Arkansas' defense was incredible against Auburn.

Broderick Green punches into the end zone for a touchdown.

Greg Childs hauls in a touchdown pass and Cobi Hamilton goes over an Auburn defender for a catch.

Ryan Mallett went 24-37-1 for 274 yards and two touchdowns. He even scored his first TD on the ground for the season.

The game created a big boost for Arkansas. It carried them well into their game against Florida in Gainesville. We all know by now how that one turned out. Stay tuned for those photos in a few days....

Welcome to the Jungle

2009-10-13T14:39:00.004-05:00

A feature snap from Bentonville's game against Rogers Heritage on Friday night. The game was all down hill for Heritage from this point on. Final score Bentonville 56, Heritage 27.

Arkansas 47, Texas A&M 19

2009-10-09T23:48:00.004-05:00

Arkansas played their inaugural Southwest Classic game against Texas A&M last weekend at Jerry World, a.k.a. Cowboys Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. Talk about having to step up your game to get noticed in such a grand venue. The Hogs started off slow, falling behind 10 points to the Aggies in the first quarter. The forced fumble above sparked a furious comeback by the Razorbacks in the second quarter. The Hog calls would be non-stop from then on.

Linebacker Jerry Franklin returned the fumble 85 yards for a touchdown.

It was a big moment, to say the least.

Everyone played a role in the win. Both running back DeAnthony Curtis, left, and wide receiver Joe Adams put sixes on the board.

Freshman running back Ronnie Wingo Jr. was runner-up for play of the game with his huge 62-yard run to finish the Aggies in the fourth.

Wingo already has whispers of McFadden and Jones coming from the media and fans alike. Time will tell.

Senior tailback Michael Smith, left, and power running back Broderick Green also had sixes against Texas A&M.

Ryan Mallett was stellar once again going 17-27-1 for 271 yards and 4 TD's against the Aggies. He spread the ball out to seven different receivers. Greg Childs had 3 catches for 10 yards.

Bobby Petrino was throwing around a lot of compliments to his players. He had more happy faces than frowning faces this time around. It's hard not to smile when you've got guys like Wingo making plays.

Cowboys Stadium was simply amazing. Huge isn't huge enough to put the place into words. Obscene, maybe. That freakin' video board really is something to behold. Can't wait to return for another dose of Jerry World next year. :)

Time for bed. Arkansas vs. Auburn, or Petrino vs. Malzahn if you like, at 11 a.m. Could be a 100 point game.

Cover Time

2009-10-06T13:11:00.004-05:00

More covers, Hawgs Illustrated Vol. 18, Issue 12 and Vol. 18, Issue 13.

War Hawk

2009-10-02T23:04:00.004-05:00

A feature from tonight's cross-town rivalry game between Rogers Heritage High School and Rogers High School at Gates Stadium. The startup War Eagles put a 24-9 beat down on the Mounties in their old house.

No. 3 Alabama 35, Arkansas 7

2009-10-01T15:11:00.004-05:00

Arkansas traveled to Tuscaloosa on Saturday and took a beating from No. 3 Alabama. Nobody really expected that the Razorbacks would be able to hang with the Crimson Tide. The first quarter did look promising for the Hogs, the score was 0-0 heading into the second quarter. After that though it really became a tale of two defenses. Alabama's being arguably the best in the league and Arkansas' being a work in progress.

Ryan Mallett entered the game as one of the league's highest rated quarterbacks. Three hours at Bryant-Denny Stadium brought that rating down considerably. Alabama's Greg McElroy had a great game, thanks to the Razorbacks' secondary.

When Mallett did manage to get the ball into the hands of Arkansas' receivers, like D.J. Williams, left, and Greg Childs, the pass was either broken up by Bama's secondary or the ball was simply dropped. Even the Hogs' studs looked nervous at times.

Tailback Michael Smith, left, and wide receiver Joe Adams were the biggest contributors to the offense. Smith had 61 yard on 12 carries and Adams netted 81 yards off six catches.

None of Arkansas' other backs, Broderick Green, left, and Dennis Johnson, could get much else going on the ground. The Hogs finished with just 63 yards rushing.

Bama, on the other hand, racked up 134 yards rushing. To Arkansas' credit, the defensive line did do a lot better against the run compared to their first two outings.

It was the Tide's passing game that really made Arkansas look bad. This 80 yard touchdown pass was one of the ugliest moments in the game. Rudell Crim had a chance to make a play on the ball, but didn't look back and didn't get his hands up when he should have.

Miscues and poor tackling plagued Arkansas' secondary throughout the game.

Hopefully the secondary will take notes from the defensive line's progress and things will come together for the whole unit by this coming weekend against Texas A&M.

Bobby Petrino has his work cut out for him this year. The Hogs have to start playing "Bobby Ball" if they're going to get enough W's for a bowl bid. Nick Saban, on the other hand, is pretty much in command of the SEC's west division. I bet the Tide will be in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game this year.

You stay classy Bama!

I'll be headed to Jerry World, a.k.a the new Dallas Cowboys Stadim in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday for Arkansas' inaugural Southwest Classic game against Texas A&M.

Georgia 52, Arkansas 41

2009-09-25T23:31:00.008-05:00

It's Friday night and I realized I haven't posted photos from the Hogs' game last Saturday against Georgia. It was a shootout, as is stated on the cover latest issue of Hawgs Illustrated. The Razorback secondary was the weak link for the Hawgs against the Bulldogs. They're going to have to get things figured out if they want to win any games on the road this season. The offense, however, was stellar. Mallett set a school record with five touchdown passes and 408 yards in the air. The Petrino era has certainly arrived. Above is Greg Childs on one of his two touchdown catches.

Mighty mite tailback Michael Smith, left, was the Hogs rushing leader and Ryan Mallett was simply amazing.

Joe Adams, left, and Jarius Wright both had a pair of touchdowns in the game.

True freshman Cobi Hamilton, left, had a big first down catch and D.J. Williams had a touchdown catch.

Broderick Green, left, and Dennis Johnson contributed against the Bulldogs.

Sophomore receiver Greg Childs was the stud receiver against Georgia with five catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard had the Hogs' lone sack on Georgia quarterback Joe Cox.

Mallett, on the other hand, got his fair share of harassment from the Bulldogs defense.

Georgia's star receiver A.J. Green, left, embarrassed Arkansas' secondary by racking up 137 yards on seven catches and running back Richard Samuel rushed for 104 yards, 80 yards of which came on one forgettable touchdown run straight down the Hogs' throat.

If the Hogs are going to get the best of Alabama tomorrow they need more production from their corp of running backs. The Tide is expecting Mallett to put the ball down field. They've gotta mix things up.

Now excuse me. I have a plane to catch in the morning for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

Hawgs Covers

2009-09-23T16:54:00.005-05:00

Covers from the past two issue of Hawgs Illustrated magazine, Vol. 16, Issue 10 and Vol. 16, Issue 11. As usual HI designer Kai Caddy did a great job laying out the covers and the magazine as a whole. Our product rocks. If you haven't picked up an issue of HI, check it out, then buy yourself a subscription.

P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship

2009-09-18T16:58:00.005-05:00

I spent six days last week covering the LPGA at the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. Here is a wrap up of images from the week. Above, He Yong Park hits out of a fairway bunker on Pinnacle Country Club's No. 9.

This was LPGA rookie Michelle Wie's first appearance at the tournament. She was a big draw for the event.

Overall there was a pretty decent turnout for the tournament despite the fact that it rained two out of the three days.

Of course Natalie Gulbis was another crowd favorite.

I had no idea golfers had so many fans. This group waits for autographs from Paula Creamer.

Former Razorback Stacy Lewis, left, was one of three Arkansas-tied players in the tournament. You don't see many hog hats on the golf course.

Christina Kim was another crowd favorite. I managed to draw her attention once during the course of the tournament. It was a pleasure getting out of her putting line. :)

Paula Creamer, another crowd favorite.

Tote boards and leader boards made for decent feature opportunities.

Sandra Gal of Germany, left, was the leader on Friday and Song Hee Kim of South Korea was Saturday's leader.

Sunday saw a three way tie after 18 holes between Sun Young Yoo of South Korea..

Angela Stanford of Saginaw, Texas, who hit an eagle putt on 18 to tie for the lead. Needless to say she got a little excited...

LPGA rookie Jiyai Shin of South Korea sank a birdie putt on the second playoff hole on Pinnacle Country Club's No. 15 to seal the win in the tournament. I met Shin on my first day covering the tournament. She was super nice and I was happy to see her come away with the win. Shin won $270,000 for first place. Not bad for three days worth of work.

Up next, football, football, football...

Arkansas 48, Missouri State 10

2009-09-15T14:07:00.006-05:00

I'm really late getting this update from Arkansas' season-opener back on Sept. 5 against Missouri State posted to In The Loupe. Since that game I worked an LPGA golf tournament for six days straight and I'm pretty much behind on everything in my life right now. The lead photo is of Dennis Johnson's game-opening 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. What a way for the Hogs to start the season.

Joe Adams & Jarius Wright

Michael Smith

Lavunce Askew

Ryan Mallett

Tyler Wilson

Greg Childs

Alex Tejada

Bobby Petrino

The Razorbacks face Georgia on Saturday in Fayetteville. This will be Arkansas' first true test of the season. If they can beat the Bulldogs, they will be on an easy track to a bowl bid. If they lose, it's going to be a hard road ahead.

More posts to come.

Finally, Football!

2009-09-04T23:30:00.003-05:00

Football finally got underway for me in NWA on Friday night with Rogers Heritage vs. Springfield-Parkview, Mo., at Gates Stadium in Rogers. The War Eagles put a 51-13 beat down on the Vikings for their season opener.

Heritage's safety returns an interception for a 97-yard touchdown on the Vikings' opening drive of the game.

Of course Friday's game was just a taste for me leading into the Hogs' season opener on Saturday in Little Rock. Oh Yeah!

Hawgs Illustrated: Vol. 18, Issue 9

2009-08-21T12:02:00.003-05:00

The recent cover of HI featuring the Hogs' star tight end D.J. Williams and an inside portrait of juco transfers Anthony Leon, left, and Rudell Crim. Both photos are from Arkansas' Media Day earlier this month. I shot a lot of portraits that day and will share them here as they are published.

Two More Weeks!!

Back To School

2009-08-19T15:03:00.005-05:00

Today was Back To School Day for school districts across Northwest Arkansas. For my part I shot feature art at an elementary school in Bentonville. The photo above was a group of kindergarten students attending their first music class. Let's just say when the teacher started playing "If You're Happy and You Know It.." I knew I was going to hit feature gold. The photo really doesn't do the moment any justice. The kids were completely spazzing out. I couldn't stop laughing. It was awesome.

Random Petrino Shot

2009-08-18T17:11:00.006-05:00

A frame I shot at Arkansas' practice on Saturday morning. I like it enough I thought I would share with all of you folks here.

Football season is so close I can smell it in the air.

Photo Booth

2009-08-14T16:34:00.006-05:00

I was assigned to cover two teacher fairs today, one in Rogers and one in Bentonville. The image above was from the Rogers fair. Needless to say the photo booth vendor was a big hit at both fairs. Plus it made for a great feature opportunity.

Lucky

2009-08-11T22:00:00.004-05:00

I had to abandon my lunch today to run out and cover a two vehicle rollover MVA on U.S. 540 today near Springdale. The teenage girl in the photo hugging her father was very lucky she walked away from the accident virtually unscathed. The SUV she was driving rolled four or five times. Two of her friends were also in the vehicle, none of them were hurt either. The driver of the other vehicle that actually caused the accident wasn't so lucky and earned a trip to the hospital. Drive carefully out there folks.

Michelle & Jay | Fayetteville Wedding

2009-08-10T11:22:00.006-05:00

Michelle and Jay were married on July 23 at the Dickson Street Theater in Fayetteville. Sin and Jaybird, as they're known in the world of roller derby, opted to have a reception with a wedding instead of the traditional wedding followed by a reception. Just like the bride and groom, the event was very fun and laid back. Here are some of my favorites from the wedding.

Congratulations Guys!

Calling All Hogs

2009-08-06T22:55:00.006-05:00

Arkansas' football season officially got under way today with the first day of fall camp. Here are a few photos from the day.

Four-star freshman running back Ronnie Wingo Jr., left, and USC transfer sophomore running back Broderick Green get some touches during practice. Both of these guys are expected to have great careers at Arkansas. Maybe they'll be the next McFadden and Jones.

Freshman offensive lineman Zhamal Thomas, 6-5, 343 pounds, left, will hopefully help put up a wall this season in front of highly touted quarterback Ryan Mallett. The Hogs are expected to bring more beef to the table this year compared to their undersized offensive and defensive lines last year.

This is the start of coach Bobby Petrino's second season at Arkansas. He had a rough first season last year, the same happened in his first year with Louisville. We all know what he ended up doing there his second season. Can he do the same at Arkansas? I hope so.

Babie & Ryan | Bella Vista Wedding Sneak

2009-08-03T10:11:00.003-05:00

A sneak preview shot from Babie and Ryan Woodson's wedding on Saturday in Bella Vista.

Las Vegas 09

2009-08-02T12:22:00.004-05:00

My legs are still recovering from five days and four nights in Las Vegas with my family. I didn't shoot as many photos as I wanted to, but I also wanted to enjoy myself and not shoot too much. I guess I found some sense of balance. Here are a few frames to look at. Above, Fremont Street.

Hail Caesar! (We'll be staying at Caesars Palace again for sure)

Louis Vuitton at The Forum Shops

The Las Vegas Strip

Hoover Dam

Sin City rejects

Thanks Vincent Hunter!

2009-07-25T19:41:00.005-05:00

Ok, so it's not the classic Coke commercial we all remember from when we were kids. It's still cute though. :)

Michelle & Jay Wedding Sneak

2009-07-24T23:37:00.005-05:00

Michelle and Jay, a.k.a. Sin and Jaybird, were married Thursday evening at the Dickson Theater in Fayetteville. Here are a couple of photos from the evening.

Randomness

2009-07-22T16:05:00.005-05:00

It's been over a week since my last post. No excuses here. I really haven't shot anything in the past eight days that I'm proud of. So in celebration of nothing, here is an assortment of random photos for your enjoyment. The lead photo is from the opening of the Crystal Bridges Trail which offers an overlook of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art construction site. The museum is expected to open sometime in this millennium.

Painting the downtown Bentonville water tower.

Kids touring the Old Spanish Treasure Cave near Gravette.

A fire at the Glad Manufacturing Plant in Rogers.

Senior portraits at Bentonville High School.

The Rogers High School Mountaineer Marching Band's freshman marching camp.

Is is football season yet?

Recent Hawgs Illustrated Covers

2009-07-09T14:23:00.005-05:00

Catching up on some recent Hawgs Illustrated issues. Here are Vol. 18, Issue No.'s 6, 7 and 8 (respectively). Issue No. 7 is this year's football preview. Lots of great information, position profiles, etc., about this year's team packed into the issue.

A couple of extra portraits of quarterback Ryan Mallett and tailback Michael Smith from the football preview issue. The Smith photo is just another take on the cover portrait. It ran inside with the running backs story.

A secondary portrait of Arkansas golf coach Brad McMakin from the most recent HI issue.

Less than three weeks til football season gets started. :)

Cool

2009-07-08T17:02:00.006-05:00

The typical summertime water park feature. In my defense this is the first time I've ever shot at the Rogers Splash Park. It's been open for like three years. Crazy huh?

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-03T22:24:00.006-05:00

Far from my best fireworks photo, but you get the best you can get and run when you're on deadline. I saw I had some fireworks in the sky and the kid covering his ears and I ran like hell back to my Jeep to get out quick. There had to be more than 10,000 people packed into Veterans Park for the display and there are only two roads out.

Fourth Flags

2009-07-02T11:59:00.005-05:00

Haven't shot anything exciting in a couple of days. This photo is notable seeing how I shot it on my way to the office yesterday morning. Always great to get a feature in the bag on your way in to work. The rest of the day is smooth sailing.

Of course that means the next day you won't be able to find a feature to save your life.

Another Golf Shot

2009-06-27T16:32:00.003-05:00

So I spent another Saturday in near 100-degree heat shooting another golf tournament. This time it was the NGA Hooter's Tour Bentonville Open at Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club in Little Flock. No Hooters girls, but I did luck out with another nice sand trap shot. And this time the golfer was the day's leader. Double lucky, except for the Hooters girls part.

West vs. East

2009-06-27T10:28:00.005-05:00

A few photos from Friday's Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star football game at Tiger Stadium in Bentonville. The West won 26-9 over the East.

Now I really can't wait for football season to start. Except, of course, for the whole August part.

Portrait du Jour

2009-06-25T16:38:00.004-05:00

A portrait I shot today of Bentonville High School's school resource officer for an upcoming story.

Golf Shot

2009-06-20T16:58:00.004-05:00

My lead shot from the assignment I had today to shoot the 71st annual Chick-A-Tee Invitational at the Springdale County Club. Can't say I truly enjoy covering golf tournaments. At least this one was just a bunch of local guys and not a bunch of pros. If they missed a shot there was no freaking out and trying to blame it on the photographer. Thank God the PGA doesn't come through NWA.

NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Wrap Up

2009-06-16T14:06:00.005-05:00

A look back at some of my favorite images from the last three days of the NCAA 2009 Outdoor Track and Field Championships at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville. I had a great time over the four day meet. It was hard work. Lots of hustle, lots of sweat and lots of sunscreen. Of course the comradery shared with all of my fellow photographers at the meet made it worth the while.

If you weren't already aware, Texas A&M's men and women swept the meet's team competition.

I still can't wait for football season to start.

NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (Day 1)

2009-06-11T15:05:00.004-05:00

The first day of the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were a wash for me, literally, as I didn't get to shoot too many events due to a lengthy weather delay. All I managed to shoot was the men's long jump, 100 meters, 4x100 meters and 800 meters before storms rolled into Fayetteville. I didn't get a chance to shoot any of the women's events.

I'm crossing my fingers for the rain to stay away today.

Babie & Ryan | Engagement

2009-06-09T13:11:00.007-05:00

I shot three separate sessions with Babie and Ryan for their engagement over the past two weeks. We had a blast each time, especially at the carnival.

Their wedding is on August 1 at the Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista.

International Festival

2009-06-08T16:04:00.004-05:00

A couple of photos from the 9th annual International Festival on Saturday in Rogers.

Don't Smoke In Bed

2009-06-05T11:31:00.002-05:00

I covered an apartment fire yesterday in Rogers that was the result of a man falling asleep in bed with a cigarette. During the course of my career I've covered several of these kinds of fires. Luckily the man escaped the fire and was uninjured.

The man's wife showed up on the scene from work. She was pretty upset. The couple's four kids were at a baby sitter. She was very grateful for that. What seemed to upset her the most was knowing that the whole thing should have never happened. Their lives had been sidetracked because of a stupid cigarette. Very sad.

Oh Man, The Colors

2009-06-03T11:57:00.005-05:00

My only assignment yesterday was to shoot the Summer Celebration at the Rogers Activity Center in Rogers. It was complete chaos. I quickly settled on shooting children playing inside a giant inflatable catapillar called the "Kiddiepillar." I had to crawl up in the thing to get the shot. It was hot, humid and I felt like crap (my allergies decided to kick in with a vengeance yesterday). I did get the shot I wanted. And the colors, oh man the colors.

Car vs. Bicycle

2009-06-02T10:46:00.005-05:00

On Saturday I was working out of TMN's Fayetteville bureau. A call came across the scanner about a bicyclist hit by car a couple of miles away from the office. I grabbed my gear and headed over to the scene. Luckily the lady on the bicycle wasn't seriously injured. It turned out she was the wife of one of Fayetteville's aldermen. This is easily one of my better spot news photos in recent months. Not very often do you get the victim, their family and the person who caused the accident, the lady on the left, all in one photo.

Bigham's Flip

2009-05-27T22:28:00.004-05:00

What started out as a weight room challenge several weeks ago has turned into a pregame ritual for Arkansas second baseman Bo Bigham. Before each Razorback baseball game the freshman performs a backflip while surrounded by his teammates. I first noticed Bigham's backflip on the first day of the SEC Baseball Tournament before the Razorbacks' game against Florida, but wasn't in a position to get a shot. Two days later, before Arkansas' second game against Florida, I snapped a shot from atop the dugout (it's pictured two posts down). Not satisfied with the results, I put myself in position before the Hogs' game the next day against Vanderbilt. I made sure I was down on the field early so I could get in on the huddle. Sure enough, the players gathered around and Bigham performed his flip directly at me. Click!

I've been sitting on this photo since Saturday until Robbie Neiswanger's feature on Bigham ran in The Morning News. You can read it here.

SEC Baseball Tournament (Day 4)

2009-05-23T17:59:00.005-05:00

The Razorbacks' SEC Baseball Tournament run came to a halt Saturday with an 11-1 loss to Vanderbilt at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. The Hogs were run ruled in the seventh inning. Four Arkansas pitchers gave up 15 hits to the Commodores. It could have been worse though. Despite the fact that it sprinkled steadily for a good portion of the game, Mother Nature held off the heavy stuff until the game was over. The next game, Georgia vs. LSU was rain delayed two outs into the first inning. That was at 1:54 p.m. It's now just past 6:00 p.m. and the game is expected to resume at 6:45 p.m. Thank God we got our game in and we can go home tomorrow.

Somebody in Arkansas' dugout crafted some rain gear for their Chick-Fil-A cow. I thought it was funny.

This might have been my last Hogs baseball game to shoot this season. Not sure yet and i feel like I've hit a stride as far as getting some good images. We'll see what happens with the NCAA Regional coverage.

SEC Baseball Tournament (Day 3)

2009-05-23T00:17:00.005-05:00

Arkansas beat Florida for the fifth time this season with a 10-7 win on Friday at the SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Ala. It's late, so here are a bunch of photos with very little words. I will add that Zach Cox, pictured above following a two run home run in the fourth inning, was the star of the game.

Cox took the mound in the eighth inning and shut the Gators down with the final six outs of the game.

Cox also left his mark on Regions Park by defacing the "R" in Park on the scoreboard in right center field with his towering fourth inning home run shot.

The Hogs have to win two against Vanderbilt on Saturday to make it to the tournament final on Sunday. I didn't think they'd make it this far, they've proved me wrong to this point. I can't wait to see what happens.

SEC Baseball Tournament (Day 2)

2009-05-22T00:16:00.007-05:00

All in all today was a good day of shooting at the SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover, Ala. What put the day over the top for me was the lead image shot with my remote camera, a D300 with a 300mm f2.8. Arkansas' game was a pitching duel until late in the game. The Hogs tied the game up 1-1 in the ninth inning. Georgia came back and won it in the bottom of the 10th on a play at the plate. My angle on the field wasn't very good and I didn't get a lock on the focus at the peak of the play. But my remote got all I needed. Lead art in the bag. After two days this is the only usable image I've made with my remote camera, but it's the one that counted the most.

The rest here is a mix of photos from Arkansas vs. Georgia and LSU vs. Alabama.

The Hogs face Florida again tomorrow (Friday) in the loser's bracket. If they lose we go home on Saturday. If they win it could be another day or so. Either way I'm getting paid to shoot baseball for another day. Fine with me.

You can check out the whole enchilada at BTL.

SEC Baseball Tournament (Day 1)

2009-05-20T22:01:00.005-05:00

Arkansas beat Florida 8-5 and Georgia beat Ole Miss 6-3 in a day full of upsets at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. I shot both of these games today, one for work and the other (Ole Miss/Georgia) for the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. Here are some of my fav's from today.

The Hogs play Georgia tomorrow at 5 p.m. Brett Eibner is pitching. The last time he pitched against the Bulldogs earlier this season he pitched a complete, one hitter.

Window Painter

2009-05-13T08:23:00.004-05:00

This is a feature I've shot at least a couple of times over the past 13 years. A painter painting the exterior of a building shot through an interior window. If you work as a photojournalist long enough you can't help but step on your own toes from time to time. At least this time I think I came away with something that was far better than what I've shot in the past. Plus this feature was in the bag at 8 a.m.

Free Dental Day

2009-05-12T11:02:00.008-05:00

**This is a few days late as I never got around to posting this on Friday leading into my 3-day weekend.**

I shot the Arkansas Mission of Mercy's free dental clinic Friday in Springdale at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center. About 900 dentists, dental assistants, hygienists and regular people volunteered their time to help treat more than 1,100 adults and children on the first day of the two-day clinic. Only extractions and fillings were performed at the clinc. There were no cleanings offered. ArMOM's mission is to relieve the pain of people who suffer from poor oral health.

There were people at the clinic who drove up to 10 hours and waited in line overnight for a chance to have their pain relieved. Hundreds were turned away on Friday and told to come back the following day. The ones that did make it in were well taken care of, despite the long wait. Local members of the Southern Baptist Convention's Disaster Relief Team cooked and served free breakfast and dinner.

The logistics of the dental clinic were mind boggling. There were about two dozen volunteers who did nothing but sterilize and restock the huge supply of dental tools used at the event.

There were even volunteers at the event to help take care of the volunteers.

I was very impressed with the overall effort of the ArMOM event, it's a great thing. This is the third year for the free dental clinic, the first two were held in Little Rock. I hope it continues for many years to come.

The Wizard of Oz

2009-05-06T10:01:00.008-05:00

I followed a troupe of fifth-graders around Rogers yesterday as they took their production of The Wizard of Oz on the road. This is the fourth year teacher Amy Smallwood has produced the musical play. Talk about a great feature opportunity. All of the costumes were hand made by Smallwood's mother. I loved it. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Once I started shooting the assignment I quickly realized it presented the perfect opportunity for an audio slideshow. I broke off from the group at lunch to run to the office and grab an audio recorder. I haven't produced my own Soundslides project in at least a year, so it took me a while to get it knocked out. You can check it out at BTL.

Great Blue Heron

2009-05-04T22:46:00.003-05:00

A photo I shot today at Lake Windsor while working on a project in Bella Vista.

Wow!

2009-05-02T16:01:00.002-05:00

And I thought I had talent.

Rain Out

2009-05-01T20:57:00.005-05:00

After an evacuation due to a possible tornado threat and an unrelenting rain, the No. 12 Razorbacks' first game of their weekend series again No. 5 LSU was finally canceled. Guess they'll try to play two tomorrow, even though the forecast calls for more of the same.

Outdoor Classroom

2009-04-30T17:09:00.004-05:00

A couple of frames from Lingle Middle School's annual outdoor classroom event I shot today at Lake Atalanta Park in Rogers. The kids did everything from catching critters in the creek to painting landscapes.

And no, the baby Arkansas alligator pictured above was not caught in Lake Atalanta's creek.

Hmong Fashion Show

2009-04-29T22:36:00.009-05:00

My lone assignment today was to shoot a Hmong culture celebration at NWACC in Bentonville. I had a feeling this would be a fun assignment. It didn't disappoint. I focused on photographing the fashion show which featured several Mhong youths exhibiting their traditional ceremonial dress. I did all of my shooting backstage to get the candid moments nobody else could see.

Fatal MVA

2009-04-29T09:50:00.009-05:00

I covered a fatal two vehicle accident yesterday on U.S. 62 east of Garfield. The two lane highway is notorious for bad accidents. This was the first fatal I've shot in probably a year. I'm glad it's been that long. On fatal scenes you have to walk a fine line between doing your job, staying out of the emergency workers' way and being respectful of the deceased. It doesn't take much to set someone off in such an emotional, stress-filled environment. The State Police and firefighters on the scene were really nice. They shared information with me and allowed me to shoot whatever photos I wanted with the mutual understanding I wouldn't directly photograph the victim. I intentionally stayed on the public side of the blind in the photo above to convey the somber mood at the scene as the victim's body was removed from the mangled vehicle. I also stayed behind the blind so I myself wouldn't see the victim. After working this job for more than 13 years I've seen some horrible things and I can still recall each one of them vividly in my mind.

The man pictured above was one of the three survivors from the accident.

Man I hope the scanner stays quiet today.

Ozark Komen Race for the Cure

2009-04-25T22:08:00.006-05:00

I crawled out of bed early this morning to cover the 11th annual Ozark Komen Race for the Cure in Rogers. I am not usually a morning person, but this was worth it. More than 18,000 people turned out Saturday to support the battle against breast cancer. Each one of these people had a dog in the fight. There were women who had been recently diagnosed, there were survivors and there were family and friends there to either support their loved ones or to carry their memory on. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Featury News

2009-04-23T17:45:00.006-05:00

Prom season always makes for nice features. Candid moments combined with vivid colors equals good art. Locally the prom season is almost over and I haven't had the opportunity to hunt down a prom-related feature with my Hawgs duties. Today I needed to come up with a photo of for a local sales tax story in Rogers. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for a feature/news combo photo.

And it was.

First BOBB Shot

2009-04-21T22:04:00.005-05:00

I covered the Naturals today and shot my first-ever Ball-On-Broken-Bat photo. I didn't even know the bat had broken until I went back to edit my frames from the player's trip to the plate. I was pretty excited to see it. Not a HUGE deal, but still my first broken bat shot. Yay!

Arkansas Red 49, Arkansas White 21

2009-04-19T00:08:00.005-05:00

Arkansas held their annual spring Red-White Game today at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. Here's a few photos from the game. Above London Crawford makes the first catch of the game.

The Red team's defense makes a stop.

DeAnthony Curtis

Jarius Wright

Ryan Mallett

Greg Childs

D.J. Williams

Joe Adams

Former Razorback star tailbacks Felix Jones and Darren McFadden were at the game and certainly upstaged the action on the field.

Senior Moment

2009-04-17T13:12:00.005-05:00

A few photos from the elderly woman driver versus store front mishap I shot on Wednesday in Springdale. The 83-year-old woman claimed her "brakes failed." She was uninjured, but she pinned the barbershop's 94-year-old owner between her minivan and an interior wall.

The shop owner suffered a shattered leg along with a broken hip and pelvis. Considering his age it could have been a whole lot worse.

Arkansas 10, Louisiana-Monroe 9 (10 innings)

2009-04-15T22:18:00.008-05:00

Arkansas came from behind against Louisiana-Monroe in 10 innings on a walk-off home run by Scott Lyons. Understandably there was quite a love fest at home plate.

Thank God something happened at the end of this one cause I didn't have crap for a gamer until Lyons' homer.

Oh Juno

2009-04-13T11:45:00.008-05:00

Just wanted to share a portrait I snapped of Juno while at the park last week. The weather is crappy today. Juno is dying to get out and play. Probably won't get to the park. She had her fill of fun on Saturday at the Northwest Arkansas Filipino American Association's Easter egg hunt. The kids loved her and she went non-stop for four hours. I'm surprised she could even stand up yesterday. Her joints ache these days if she gets too much activity. I just started her on glucosamine. She's eight years old now. I hate to even admit that.

Vanderbilt 13, Arkansas 6

2009-04-11T20:46:00.008-05:00

Arkansas was clobbered by Vanderbilt for the second day in a row on Saturday afternoon. The Commodores scored 9 or their 13 runs on the Hogs in the fifth inning.

Being there was like being a witness to an execution. It was horrific! It's not like Arkansas couldn't get ANYTHING done. They had four home runs. But bad pitching and errors did them in. Sunday is do or die if the want to prevent the S-word from happening.

Mountie Relays

2009-04-10T18:31:00.004-05:00

Shot some high school track and field today. Here are a few of my favs.

Arkansas vs. Vanderbilt baseball tomorrow.

Decatur Sky

2009-04-10T09:46:00.006-05:00

A line of severe thunderstorms moved through Northwest Arkansas yesterday evening while I was on assignment in Decatur. I pulled over and shot this frame of the horizon on my way home. As the back end of the storm passed over, the sky turned a deep blood red color as the sun dropped down below the line of thick clouds. It was a really eerie site. I had to get a photo, no matter how boring the foreground was. I tried to get in position for something a little more interesting, but there was nothing in my immediate area I liked. Plus, I didn't have a good prime lens with me (I'd dropped a 300mm f2.8 off at the office earlier in the day) so I was getting terrible lens flare with my 80-200. It's still makes for a dramatic image straight out of the camera.

Arkansas Sweeps No. 1 Arizona State

2009-04-09T00:29:00.004-05:00

Arkansas completed their sweep of No. 1 Arizona State on Wednesday with an 8-7 win over the Sun Devils. These Hogs are simply amazing. They will not quit. Just when you think they're down they have a big inning and they're right back in the game.

Wednesday night's game set a Baum Stadium record with 11,014 in attendance. How many college baseball programs can pull in 11,014 for a non-conference game? Anyone? That's right. Nobody but Arkansas. Even the Northwest Arkansas Naturals can only dream to have such an attendance.

Ballet Features

2009-04-07T21:47:00.004-05:00

A couple of features from the Dance Theatre of Harlem's performance today at Bentonville High School.

I enjoy shooting ballet. The combination of dramatic stage lighting and the graceful dancers always makes for beautiful images.

Gymnastics, Take One

2009-04-05T00:49:00.005-05:00

I shot my first gymnastics meet ever today. Just so happened it was an NCAA Regional Championship for Arkansas' gymnastics team, so it was kind of a bid deal. No pressure right? All I can say is it is tough. These girls move a lot faster than any running back, point guard or base runner does. Throw in some really crappy light and you've got yourself one hell of a headache to shoot. To tell you the truth though, despite the frustration, I really did enjoy the challenge.

For a whole lot more photos from the meet go to BTL.

Proper!

2009-04-04T17:54:00.004-05:00

Yes it is.

Random Photo of the Day

2009-04-03T14:47:00.004-05:00

Self portrait of me reflected in the chrome of a Harley while on assignment.

Recent Hawgs Covers

2009-04-03T09:59:00.003-05:00

Two more recent Hawgs Illustrated covers. Issues 18.4 and 18.5, respectively.

Police Dispatch

2009-04-02T19:22:00.005-05:00

The Bentonville Police Department recently updated their radio system from analog to a digital. This is my shot from today for tomorrow's story. The bad news about this is we can no longer pick up the BPD's radio traffic on our scanners since the frequencies are coded. So much for police-related spot news in Bentonville from now on.

More Dogs

2009-04-01T15:56:00.003-05:00

Two days, two dog photos. Must be an April Fools thing.

Back to Work

2009-03-31T17:37:00.005-05:00

Returned to work today after a week off. I had an assignment to shoot a rabies clinic. Wheeee!

Spring Football

2009-03-24T23:57:00.005-05:00

I took time off from my vacation today to shoot the Razorbacks' first day of spring football practice. Does that sound as odd to you as it does to me? Who takes time off from their vacation? Me, I guess. If your vacation consists of doing home improvement for a week, painting in my case, then taking a couple of hours away from the brush to shoot football is definitely time off.

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett passes the ball.

Arkansas wide receiver Joe Adams catches the ball.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino shouts at players.

Arkansas tailback Knile Davis throws a stiff arm during drills.

I'll be taking another day off from my vacation tomorrow to shoot the second day of practice as well. This is all about getting art for the next issue of Hawgs Illustrated. We're putting the magazine to bed this week and need to get art from spring practice in the issue. Unfortunately the start of spring football coincided with my week off. Oh well. Just the other day I was saying how I couldn't wait for football season to get here again. Guess I should be careful what I wish for huh?

A Green Hat Day

2009-03-17T23:40:00.006-05:00

The Hogs donned green hats for St. Patricks Day on Tuesday and beat Nebraska 7-3 on a perfect evening for baseball. The game started at 6:35 p.m., so I only had about an hour of good light. I get a full game in daylight tomorrow. Yay!

Finally, Baseball

2009-03-14T23:56:00.004-05:00

Yes I'm happy to have finally shot a baseball game. It was cold today, but that's expected for baseball in March. Nothing too exciting happened in the game. There were no plays at the plate or on the bases. But Arkansas did seal their series against Florida with an 8-4 win today — it was nice to see the Hogs beat the Gators for a change.

The Hittman and Will hard at work.

Looks like I'll be shooting a couple of games this week. It should be warmer by then. Can't wait.

Florida 73, Arkansas 58

2009-03-13T10:46:00.005-05:00

Arkansas' basketball season is officially over. The Hogs lost to Florida in the opening round of the SEC Tournament in Tampa on Thursday.

See you next year coach Pel. It's on to baseball now.

More photos from the game at BTL.

Tampa

2009-03-11T18:38:00.005-05:00

The view from my hotel room in Tampa, Fla. I'm in town to cover Arkansas in the SEC Tournament. I'll probably only get to enjoy this view for two more days if the Hogs lose their first game in the tournament. It was 40-something degrees in Northwest Arkansas when I left flew out this morning. It was 80-something degrees when we landed in Tampa. I hope the Hogs win at least one game.

Art Imitating Me

2009-03-10T17:49:00.004-05:00

I was assigned to shoot a feature photo of the Anime Club at a junior high school in Bentonville today. One of the kids drew an Anime portrait of me. I thought she did a good job. Especially with the hair. :)

High School Tourney Time

2009-03-08T21:45:00.005-05:00

I had to drive down to Fort Smith and shoot Rogers High's boys and girls basketball teams at the Class 7A State Tournament semi-finals at the Stubblefield Center. It was my first time to ever shoot at the place. A big thanks to Mr. Ivester for helping me out with directions. Here is a mix of photos from the two games. The boys won their game and will advance to the state tournament final. The girls lost and their season is over.

Also another big thank you to Mr. Ivester again for letting me plug into his extension cords. I had my own, but he saved me the time and hassle of having to use them. Plus it would have been more of a hazard having two sets of cords across stretched across a busy walkway.

Celebration of a Championship

2009-03-04T17:26:00.006-06:00

A collage of photos from this weekend and the lovefest that was the "Celebration of a Championship." I wasn't even an Arkansas fan back in 1994 when the basketball team won the National Championship, but I did watch it on T.V., so I'm told. I really don't even remember watching it, but my best friend Aaron told me he and several of our friends at the time watched it at my house in Tulsa. Too many beers I guess. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend of events which included the "Champs Camp" basketball clinic for kids, an invitation-only dinner, the Arkansas/Georgia basketball game and the halftime ceremony honoring the 1993-94 team. I want to give a huge shout out and thank you to my good friend Jeremy Rose, a manager on the 1993-94 team, who made it possible for me and my family to attend the invitation only dinner and get tickets to the game. Of course I worked that day, but it was the first Razorback basketball game for Alona and Sahar to attend. They had a great time too.

Corliss Williamson coaches some kids at the "Champs Camp."

Arkansas fans wait in line for autographs at Bud Walton Arena.

Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson signs an autograph.

Darnell Robinson, Clint McDaniel, Corliss Williamson and Lee Wilson "Call the Hogs."

Oh yeah, Arkansas won the basketball game too. They beat Georgia 89-67 to tie for last place in the SEC. The team got a little pep talk from Corey Beck before the game. Apparently he chewed on them pretty good for their performance over the last two month. Whatever he said, it worked.

As always, more photos at BTL.

Big Men, Little Toys

2009-02-27T23:29:00.008-06:00

I shot the setup for a model train show today in Bentonville. Few things at work are more enjoyable than shooting stuff that takes you back to your childhood. The sound of an HO-scale train moving down the tracks is unmistakable to me. I spent many hours as a child running my model trains on the living room floor. Come to find out that's the worst thing you can do to a model train engine. Something about carpet fibers getting sucked into the electric engines components or something or the other — believe me, from what these old timers told me it is B-A-D!

Needless to say I stuck around much longer than I would have if it was something else, like a craft fair setup. Shudder! These guys were serious about their model trains and I really dug it. Who knows, maybe some day you'll see me at a model train show running a triple oval N-scale track and wearing a conductor's uniform full of railroad patches from across the country. If you do, please shoot me. Seriously. Because by that time I hope to be sitting on a beach in the Philippines living out my golden days drinking grande San Miguels and eating jumbo shrimp by the fistful.

Alabama 88, Arkansas 67

2009-02-26T00:06:00.007-06:00

I guess we all know the drill by now. Arkansas had a basketball game today. As usual they showed up to play for only half the game. This time they went catatonic in the first half and tried to play catchup in the second half. The score was 49-23 at halftime. It didn't help that Bama went off and shot 64.3% from the field in the first half.

These guys didn't help much either.

Check out BTL for more photos.

South Carolina 82, Arkansas 78 (1OT)

2009-02-21T22:27:00.003-06:00

This team needs a break. They need to win a game badly. They lost another game where they had the lead in the final minutes. Something's got to give, this is getting old.

A ton of more photos at BTL.

LSU 72, Arkansas 69

2009-02-19T00:33:00.004-06:00

Another game, more powder, same result. Gotta hand it to the students in the Hog Trough for their spirit and undying-faith in the team. They are a fun, lively bunch. You never know what they're going to do from one game to the next. Too bad the Hogs couldn't pull out a win Wednesday night. It looked like they were going to, but they let the win slip through their fingers in the final seconds of the game. This one came down to rebounding, a 41-34 advantage for LSU on the boards.

You can see more photos from the game at BTL.

The First Couple

2009-02-15T15:12:00.006-06:00

Here's a photo of Alona and myself from last night's Northwest Arkansas Filipino American Association Valentine's Party in Bentonville (the photo was taken by Sahar, our daughter). I was sworn in as the NWAFAA's 2009 president during the event. This is my first time ever to handle such a responsibility. The members of the association have tried to nominate me to the position in previous years but I have always respectfully declined. Lucky for me I have a very good cabinet of officers to help me lead this wonderful organization.

The NWAFAA hosts several events over the course of the year, with the largest being the annual Barrio Fiesta held in August. If you've never attended a Filipino event before, the Barrio Fiesta is a fun, friendly affair with tons of delicious Filipino food and cultural exhibitions. The event usually draws between 400 to 500 people. I would like to extend an invitation to all of you out there to join us this summer in celebrating our Barrio Fiesta. I will post an update once a date has been set.

Mabuhay!

Erica

2009-02-12T19:46:00.007-06:00

I did a test shoot with Erica on Sunday in Rogers. The shoot was to see how she does in front of a camera, plus she wanted some portraits to give to her husband for Valentines Day. I'll be shooting with her again in the future for personal projects like bridal portraits, stock, etc.

I think she did great.