News post! Not new post, news post!
Been a number of weeks since I put up any journalism assignments. So here is a selection, this time around with comments!
Elgin's Brandi Hernandez (1) steals second base against Larkin's Lexi Smithberg (5) during their game at Elgin on Thursday, May 6, 2010. (Kevin Sherman | For the Courier-News)
I don’t have super good lenses for outdoor field sports. Need to spend a couple grand to get me there. As I like to say, maybe when I grow up. I have a 1.4x extender that I use for field sports, but it’s barely good enough. Sure, the action’s the important thing, but what separates a decent action photo from a good one is the background. I think the cars are really distracting. I’ve shot a baseball game recently too, but it’s just embarrassing to post any of those. 
Shanon Gehrmann and her 19 week old son Brayden, left, and Meghan Consdorf and her six month old daughter Ashley talk during the New Mom, New Baby Support group at Sherman Hospital in Elgin on Thursday, May 6, 2010. (Kevin Sherman | For the Courier-News)
This was a fun assignment. The new Sherman Hospital (a fantastically neat facility) was just starting up these support groups for new mothers. It’s pretty much impossible to take a bad picture of a baby. Kind of an awkward room to shoot in though. The paper was looking for a shot of a specific nurse, but I also looked around and watched the interactions between the new moms. Was a pretty neat thing to see really.
Major General Freddie Valenzuela signs his new book "No Greater Love" for Algonquin resident Mary Chase (not pictured) at Barnes and Noble in West Dundee on Friday, May 14, 2010. Mary's son-in-law Chase Campbell, a Chaplain's Assistant, was recently deployed to Afghanistan. (Kevin Sherman | For the Courier-News)
This guy oozed awesome. An Army Major General (!) has been working hard to support Hispanic soldiers, created educational programs in at-risk communities and served for over 30 years in the Army. It was an honor to meet the man that work he has been doing is nothing short of incredible. I guess he is also listed as one of the most influential Hispanics in America. Like I said: awesome, oozed. He is also a great photography subject. He just has one of those faces that you can’t take a bad picture of.
Aside from the wedding last weekend, been pretty slow for me in the photography world. Instead, the rest of life is taking over.
My mom is having surgery this Friday (!). Her doctor is in California, I’m flying out on Thursday and staying until June 6th, so I’ll be there for my birthday. I’m a bit anxious for the operation, obviously. But there is a lot to be thankful for in this process: best doctor around (he pioneered the expanded endo-nasal surgery), minimally invasive, caught early and just seems like a lot of things are falling into place. I know it’s still brain surgery, but just seems like a lot is going right.
I’m also pretty excited to go to California.
But before I go, I have a ton of work to get finished, especially at the shop. I keep getting loaded up with projects that all have to be done yesterday, all in the week that I have a significant article due for my class and trying to get all set to leave. Oy!
It’s funny, God, you know. Despite how much it seems that I feel distant from him, he always gives me these little moments of excitement. Let’s see if it pans out this time around.
Peace
- KS
Today’s title is from “Cannonball” by Damien Rice, on his album O. I love the final chorus in this song. I’m a sucker for a song where the main ‘character’ learns or changes by the end of the song. I like the juxtaposition of things teaching us something about the opposite of it’s own reality.
Stones taught me to fly
Love, it taught me to cry
So come on courage, teach me to be shy
‘Cause its not hard to fall,
And I don’t want to scare her
Its not hard to fall
And i don’t want to lose
Its not hard to grow
When you know that you just don’t know
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