Day 193/365

     One of the assignments I covered today was the scavenging of lumber from the historic Mill End building in Bay City that's scheduled to be torn down in the near future. The lumber from the floors and shelving units are being donated to the local Habitat for Humanity to sell in their resale store. We got to walk around all four floors and the basement of the building, which was cool and sad at the same time. It really is an interesting building, and it's too bad that it's too expensive to refurbish everything that's wrong with it. We had to wear masks and go outside for breaks every once in a while since there was asbestos found in a good amount of the materials, (which is why more can't be donated or saved). I ended up taking the photo from today's post in the basement of the building. The building's owner, the Habitat for Humanity director, an MLive reporter, and a college student that was shadowing me today were standing at the base of the stairs talking, and I liked the way their shadows mixed with the colored reflections from the glass panes in front of the stairs on the floor above.

If you'd like to see other photos I took at the Mill End building today, you can find them on MLive here!

Day 192/365

     One of my assignments today was covering the current renovations that an arts and sciences museum in the area is undergoing. The Alan B. Dow Museum of Science and Art up here in Midland has a pretty interesting taxidermy display. I've never really been particularly interested in those kinds of displays before, but they way these animals were posed was pretty interesting, I'll admit. For whatever reason I took a liking to this photo of one of the stuffed cougars taking down a deer. Fierce-looking cat, isn't it?

Day 191/365

     Today was an interesting day, to say the least. I took pictures of a thrift store in Saginaw this morning, one that sells everything from clothes and jewelry to food and fishing bait. The quirkiest thing they sell, in my opinion, is neon green nightcrawlers, so of course I had to post a photo. After the thrift store I covered the afternoon proceedings of the second day of Ken Bluew's murder trial. I had a bit of a mini stare down with Bluew when his trial went on break. The judge, jury, and some of the observers had left to the courtroom for the short recess, and Bluew had turned around to face friends and family of his that had come to support him. As he was talking to them, I took some photos since it was my only chance to get his full face today, as he wouldn't be taking the stand today and would have his back to me the entire time. He did not look too pleased with the fact that I was taking his picture, and every time I pointed the camera at hime he made sure to look away, so unfortunately I don't have any photos of the major league glare he seemed to be directing my way. Either way, today you get a double feature of worms and Ken Bluew! By clicking on the photos you can view them larger, and to see more pictures from Bluew's trial and links to articles on the proceedings you can go on MLive here. 

Day 190/365

     Today I covered the beginning of a murder trial in Saginaw. A, (currently suspended), police officer is accused of strangling his girlfriend who was eight months pregnant with his son at the time of her death. Kenneth Bluew, pictured above on the right, took longer than usual to respond to a routine roll call over police radio during a night shift. His friend and fellow officer went to look for him, and ended up stumbling upon what appeared to be an abandoned vehicle. After the officer got out of his car, Bluew suddenly appeared with his patrol car parked in the distance. Bluew proceeded to ask his fellow officer how he wanted to process the car, as if there had been a call on it, which there hadn't been. When they both checked out the car, they found pregnant Jennifer Webb hanging from the roof rack with an extension cord around her neck; an apparent suicide. 

     Bluew never acknowledged that he knew the deceased, not until later when another officer found her license. Shortly after that the officer also found Webb's phone, with recent calls between Bluew and herself. After another officer spoke to Webb's family and found out that she had not appeared to be suicidal, but ecstatic towards the prospect of soon being a mother, and that Bluew was in fact the father of the unborn child, Bluew was then considered a major suspect. Fast forward to today, and Bluew is now charged with first-degree premeditated murder, (a mandatory life sentence without possibility of parole if found guilty), and is also charged with assaulting a pregnant individual intentionally causing miscarriage or stillbirth of a fetus or embryo, as well as two counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony.

If you'd like, you can see more photos from today as well as find links to current articles surrounding the case on MLive here.

Day 189/365

     It was a pretty quiet day in Bay City today; I only had a few assignments. One of them was a senior center kitchen that's in serious need of updating, but won't be unless an upcoming millage is passed. Almost all of the equipment was seriously outdated, and the kitchen isn't big enough for how many people it feeds on a daily basis, (the director I talked to said they produce about 600 meals a day). Hopefully this November they'll get some help!

Day 188/365

     So I made it almost one week without putting up a pet post.... give me some credit!

Day 187/365 + MORE THAN HALF-WAY DONE WITH THE 365 CHALLENGE!

     I can't believe I missed the actual half-way post of the 365 challenge, (the half-way point would've been either day 182 or 183), but nevertheless, now I'm more than half-way through! I know I've been pretty lax on posting every day as of late, but that's something I'm looking to improve. And while I may not have posted my entries every single day on schedule, I did take either a new photo, video clip, or audio recording every. single. day. (That's the most important part, anyways, I think). 

     I honestly think that starting this challenge was one of the best things I could've done for my photography since graduating, (now a little over a year ago - yikes!). It got me out of my slump, back into pushing my own boundaries and going outside of my comfort zone, and it gave my portfolio a much-needed replenishing. I think this project also played a major part in me getting my internship, and without that, I'd most likely still be toughing it out at that godforsaken portrait studio, (insert cringe/wince/shudder/all of the above here). It hasn't always been easy; I can be one of the most laziest human beings on the planet when I want to be, but this project got me up and out many a time when I wouldn't have done anything productive otherwise. If you've either followed my blog from the start or checked in from time to time, or are just seeing it for the first time now, thank you for the support. 

     Anyways, in honor of being half-way there, you get a double dose of vintage baseball and cute kids feeding cows. Enjoy!

* As always, click the image if you'd like to view it larger!

Day 186/365

     My day yesterday ran pretty late, and by the time I got home I pretty much headed straight for bed since I had an early start this morning too. Before I covered football last night, I went out to Bay City to take pictures of a young girl who's been diagnosed with kidney failure. A reporter and I met with her and her mother so that he could interview them while I got some photos. Her mother has been working nonstop to find her a possible kidney donor: from going to local churches and asking for prayers, standing outside of major shopping centers with a sign for hours on end, to contacting the paper about doing a story. If she doesn't find a donor soon, her daughter, Jessica, will have to start dialysis.

     Jessica has to be one of the coolest kids I've ever met; you'd never know from her attitude that she's sick. When her mom was telling the reporter how strong she's been throughout this entire ordeal, Jessica commented with something along the lines of, "Why do people always say that? Am I supposed to be weak?" I loved her attitude, and I have a feeling that she'll be finding a donor soon. I was ready to give her one of my kidneys after the first five minutes of talking to her, and I think other people will too after finding out about her.

     The photo I posted for Friday/yesterday/day 186 is of Jessica holding her mother's hand after she got a bit emotional while talking about all that Jessica's had to go through after being diagnosed. You can see the other photos I took on MLive here, and once the story's posted in a few days there should be a link to the article underneath the photos as well. 

Day 185/365

     Today's post is from a cross country invitational I covered this afternoon in Frankenmuth. I still can't get over the facial expressions that so many runners have when they're racing. Between challenging each other to the finish line, like these two here did, or trying not to get sick, it's always entertaining to see the range of expressions that each of them seem to carry.

Day 184/365

     Today was pretty quiet as far as news went. I ended up covering a gas leak during the day, where a construction crew's excavator accidentally ruptured the gas main. The gas company's crew and local firefighters had to spend a bit of time getting the leak to stop, and then were eventually able to repair the line. 

Day 183/365

     Yesterday I covered a Tashlich Service as a part of the current Jewish holiday going on. A local temple held their service on the docks of Ojibway island in Saginaw, where they threw bread crumbs into the water to symbolize the washing away of their past sins in order to start off the Jewish new year the right way. It marked the second day of the high holy days, with Rosh Hashanah being the first, and will end with Yom Kippur next week. 

Day 182/365

     Monday's late entry is another pet post! I'll try to refrain from posting any new ones for a while, but I can't make any promises. I took this when I got back to Saginaw after spending the weekend in Ohio. Kip travels really well in the car, but the four-hour drive after a weekend of playing with my mom's dogs definitely caught up with him as soon as we got back to the apartment. 

Day 181/365

     I spent a much-needed weekend off back home in Ohio, and spent almost all of it with my family. Sunday was spent going out to my mom's cabin and then visiting a few of the wineries out in that area. It was an absolutely beautiful day outside, and it's finally starting to feel like fall!

Day 180/365

     Saturday's/Day 180's super-belated post is a pet post! Worth the wait, right? I can't help it if my boys are just incredibly photogenic. 

Day 179/365

     Tonight's, (technically last night's now), assignment was the Saginaw football 'game of the week.' One of the teams was actually the same one that played in the first game I covered of the season a few weeks ago. They lost tonight, badly, and from what I heard it was their first loss in two years. Eh well... at least I got some more practice out of it. I think sports are my weakest area as far as shooting goes, but I'm gradually picking it up more and more. This past sporting events-filled week certainly helped.

Day 178/365

     Today's post is from a local comedy theater rehearsal. They're preparing for an upcoming performance of Jeff Daniels' Escanaba in Da Moonlight, which apparently was originally a movie about the U.P. I've never heard of it, but everyone I work with has, so I guess it's a Michigan thing. From what I gathered from photographing the rehearsal, it's about a group of guys who go hunting, with one of them thinking he's cursed since he's never managed to kill a deer. The parts I saw were pretty funny, but I'm sure it would've been even better if I actually understood half of what they were talking about. Anyways, this guy was my favorite... for obvious reasons I think. 

Day 177/365

     Tonight I was assigned a high school volleyball game. It was easily one of the most frustrating assignments I've had so far as trying to find a good place to shoot from. The gym the match was at tonight was incredibly small, with packed bleachers, and about six inches of space around the court left for me to be in. It definitely did not produce my best work, but it was a learning experience. Hopefully the next time I shoot volleyball I'll be able to improve based on what I got out of today's shoot. 

Day 176/365

     Tonight I covered a cross country meet. It was at a park nearby that had a small pond and quite a few hills, so it was at least visually different as far as the course went. These were the two photos I liked the most, and when it came to posting today's entry I just couldn't pick between them, so day 176 is a diptych! Click on the image if you'd like to view it in a better size.

Day 175/365

     Tonight I covered a high school boys soccer game. I'm not much of a soccer fan, (though I will say that I'll take it over golf any day of the week), but the way these guys played tonight seemed more akin to rugby, so I was pleasantly surprised. I liked this photo the most out of the ones I took tonight. At first glance when I was editing I thought the Heritage player was getting pantsed. He's not, but I tend to sometimes have the same sense of humor as an eight year-old boy so it's still my favorite for that very reason. 

Day 174/365

     Today I took advantage of having the day off and had a much-needed lazy day. Kip didn't seem to mind too much either; he lazed about quite a bit today too. I realized that I hadn't taken a picture of him with my actual camera  at all since adopting him; I've only taken phone pictures, so today I remedied that. For as young and energetic as he is, he was an excellent subject. He sat still and just looked right at me, (I think the shutter clicking might've had him interested, who knows). Can you say perfect photographer's dog?

Day 173/365

     Last night I got to cover a motor derby race out in the middle of nowhere. I was definitely out of my element, as I know absolutely nothing about car racing as it is, and therefore nothing about demolition derby racing. It was by far the loudest event I've ever witnessed. I should've known when I walked in and saw almost everyone, from young kids to elderly men, wearing either ear plugs or protective headphones. While I tried to get photos of the cars through the thick metal fencing and not let my camera ingest too much dust, I felt more at home with taking pictures of the crowd and their different reactions to the racing going on. I particularly had a good time watching this little girl's reaction; she stared at the track all night with this awestruck look on her face. I guess I'd do the same if I was a kid seeing something like that for the first time. 

Day 172/365

     Friday night I got to cover another vintage/custom auto show. This one was much crazier than the one in Old-Town a few months ago. The Frankenmuth Auto Fest takes place on a solid stretch of Main Street in the middle of the town, and there are tons of cars, and even more people. It took the reporter covering the event and I quite a while to find parking, and then it took us even more time to wade through the masses of people to figure out what direction we wanted to go in for the story and photos. Eventually we got the hang of it though, and one of the people we talked to was the man in this photo, who brings his Miniliner to the show every year. Apparently he's become such a main stay of the event that they reserve the same parking area for his little camper every year. He was a really interesting guy, and we had a great time talking to him. A minicamper is definitely not something you expect to see at a vintage and custom car show!

Day 171/365

     Thursday's post was courtesy of another golf outing I was assigned. This time it was high school girls golf, a "jamboree" actually, so at least there was somewhat of a change of pace. It was at least a beautiful day, so walking around the Bay County Golf Course for a few hours wasn't all that bad, even if it was to take pictures of people golfing!

Day 170/365

     I got to shoot my first court case today; it was the sentencing for a man who was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault causing great bodily harm less than murder.

     

    In June of 2011 Brandon Carbeno and Chene Swarthout got into an argument over parking arrangements while leaving a concert in Bay City. After a heated exchange, Swarthout returned to his car to leave. 

     Carbeno also went back to his car, but instead of getting in and driving away, he pulled a baseball bat out of his trunk and went back for Swarthout. Carbeno beat Swarthout so badly that he was in a coma for almost two weeks after the incident, and to this day suffers significant brain damage. 

     All because of an argument started over a parking spot, two men's lives, as well as two families' lives, are forever changed for the worse.

       If you'd like to read the article from today's sentencing, or if you'd like to see the other photos I took from the proceedings today, you can find them on MLive here.

Day 169/365

     Yesterday/Tuesday/Day 169 I shot a rededication ceremony of the federal courthouse in Bay City. The ceremony was attended by numerous state and federal judges, many of which served here in Bay City at some point in their careers. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I found it to be much more interesting than I had originally anticipated. A retired judge was telling stories from the heyday of his time on the bench in Bay City that had the whole courtroom laughing. Seeing as laughing and clapping isn't something you normally judges do while in their robes on on the bench, I decided to post this photo for entry 169.

Day 168/365

     On Monday/Labor Day/Day 168 I finally got to shoot one of the Great Lakes Loons games, (the minor league team up here in the Bay City/Saginaw area). It was their last game of the season, it was incredibly hot and sunny, they lost badly, but I had so much fun. I love baseball, and I love taking photos, (never would've guessed, right?), and getting to sit in the dugouts and shoot the entire game was just a wonderful combination. The only way it could've been better is if I had been shooting the Tribe, which, coincidentally, was playing Detroit on Monday. 

Day 167/365

     Day 167/Sunday's post is a quick photo I took of one of the gardens in my apartment complex when my dog and I went for a walk during the day. I've always liked how echinacea flowers look, so I couldn't help but take a picture of these since they were in full bloom. 

Day 166/365

     My apologies for how delayed my posts have been lately; it's been a crazy couple of weeks but my dedication to this project is definitely something I'm looking to improve.

     Saturday/Day 166's post is a portrait of a local store owner. The Bay City Times recently did an exposé on young Bay City entrepreneurs for Labor Day. This man owns Electric Kitsch, a quirky little vintage music and pop culture shop in downtown Bay City. It seemed really interesting from what I got to see of it, and I definitely hope to visit it on my own time soon.