More Pool Protestors

I'm still documenting the Shelton High School pool protests and school board meetings.

My lens was not set to vibration reduction and I could notice the difference in some of my indoor shots.  I had turned off the VR when I was using my camera on a tripod the day before.  There are so many things that need to be checked and reset at the start of each photo session.

Michelle Schreiber and her mother Beverly Goodwin hold signs in support of the pool staying
open on 6th ave. March 10th 2015 in Shelton Washington

Two boys hold a banner in front of Choice Highschool before the start of the 
school board meeting on March 10th in Shelton Washington

A group of pool supporters hold signs on 6th avenue before the Shelton School
Board meeting March 10th in Shelton Washington

From left: Alec (Sharkniss) Dodge and Levi Vance, Levi is writing on a sign.  Both are on the SHS swim or dive team March 10th in Shelton Washington

Alec (Sharkniss) Dodge holds up a sign while  Levi Vance uses his
back as a solid surface to write on a sign.   Near  6th Ave on  March 10th in Shelton Washington

Citizens attending the school board meeting react the the school boards continued insistence
on removing the Shelton High School and Community Pool, in the Choice High SchoolAuditorium and Auditorium on March 10th in Shelton Washington

While the school board meets in the Auditorium Lawyer Eric Valley stands outside
the Auditorium doors and discusses legal strategies with pool supporters.  At Choice High School
Auditorium March 10th in Shelton Washington

Pool protest continued, access denied and bikini baristas

From left: Joy DeRoche Ordonez, Emma Gordham, and Rishel Weatherly wave signs in support of the pool staying open while Chuck Dusharme drives past in his car with the words "save pool" painted on its side at the Timberland Library in Shelton, Washington on Tuesday March 3, 2015

There was a high bank behind the protesters that I stood on to get overview shots.  I was lucky that this car drove past while I was on the bank.  I was taking pictures of the protesters waving to passing cars and I did not see this special car until after I had taken two pictures of it.

Yes, I decided to photograph another pool protest. This protest was smaller and the light was really sweet. I had time to catch the overall mood of the protesters and to capture them from different camera angles. I did not use my flash at all, the lighting was just perfect. One thing that I like about photographing this group of people is that I can get their names later by asking for them on Facebook.

 It's nice to be able to just take pictures and concentrate on the story and the artistry instead of frantically running around with a pen and a note book begging for people's names and hoping that I've spelled them correctly. 

Sometimes the business of getting every ones name interferes with my photography.   There have been times that I've taken a good shot but could not get the names of the people in it because they left or I could not find them and that made the shot unprintable.  There are other shots that I never bothered to take because I knew I could not get the names to go with them and there are other times that I make sure to get more than three people in the shot so I don't have to ask for names.    With this group I can just concentrate on the photography and nothing else because I know I can get all of their names later on Facebook.

Kristi Holzgrove and Jax Holzgrove,5, stand together as the sun sets and display a handmade banner in support of the pool staying open in front of the Timberland Library in Shelton, Washington on Tuesday March 3rd  2015.  Two weeks earlier the Shelton School Board voted to close the High School and Community Pool.

The sweet light was leaving but I took advantage of the last of it by shooting some silhouettes.  I'm not often out covering stories in the sweet light, so I tend not to shoot very many silhouettes.  I think this silhouette captured the mood of the somewhat deflated protesters who were disappointed with the small turn out.

For the next shot down I decided to  be a bit sneaky and shoot from the hip .  Normally I reserve shooting from the hip for street photography.  The newspaper wants all shots to be candid and they really like pictures of children.  A lot of children are right at my hip level, so I have to bend down to take eye level pictures of them .  Children are often very aware of me with my camera, especially when I crouch way down to take their picture, so it can be hard to get candid shots of children.  Children don't notice me quite as much when I shoot from the hip.  I predict that I will be doing a lot of hip shooting on future assignments.

I really like the intense look in this little boys eyes, the way he is holding the sign with his right hand clasped over his heart and the shadows in the background.

Judah Holzgrove, 8,  holds up a sign for drivers of passing cars in front of the Timberland Library
 in Shelton, Washington on Tuesday March 3, 2015

In other local news a Bikini barista stand has arrived in Shelton and the city commissioners are not pleased.   I stopped by the stand and took a photo of one of the baristas.  I also covered a city commissioners meeting were citizens were complaining about the bikini barista.

I'm still happy with my Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 lens.  I still want a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens but I can't justify the expense unless I get some wedding gigs.

Name unknown bikini clad barista at Fifth and Railroad in Shelton Washington on Tuesday March 3rd 2015

Shelton Pool Closure Protest and Meeting

Last week the Shelton School Board  voted to shut down the high school pool. Pool supporters are protesting. I love to photograph protests, so I that is what I went out and did.

I really liked this picture, I felt like it was a winner even before I shot it.  Cute kids following the rule of thirds, what more could a photojournalist ask for?

Maddie McGee, left, Laura McGee, holding Jace McGee, and Kason McGee hold signs supporting the
The Shelton Hight School pool remaining open Feb 19. 2015 in front of the Shelton Timberland Library

The paper preferred this version, I think because it is more candid that the one above.

Members of the Shelton School Board face about 250 attendees Tuesday at CHOICE Alternative School

I submitted several photos of this scene including a two photo panorama.  The paper used my panorama.

From Left:  Pool supporters Anne Flynn, Kadie-Tsark, and Paxson Walsworth hold up signs
in support of keeping the pool open.  This was on Railroad ave in Shelton, Washington on
 Thursday Feb. 19th 2015 at 4:45pm

At 5pm  Pool supporter Michelle Schreiber holds up a sign in front of the library.
Other pool supporters can be seen in the background 

Pool supporters hold up re-purposed signs in front of the library, other protesters are across the street.

Pool supporters reused signs from other campaigns including this "Save our Air" sign on the left

At 5:50 PM Pool Supporters chant and hold up signs on the street below the Shelton  School

 District Board room at Choice High School.  Pool Supporters left at six when the board meeting started.  This

is the view of the pool supporters from the Board Room

I was outside photographing protesters when I realized that the shot I really wanted was the view from the school board, so I ran upstairs and took this shot through the window.

At 7pm the community meets at the Civic Center to discuss options for saving the pool.
Jacquie MacAlevy is at the podium

Later pool supporters had a meeting of their own in the Civic Center.  The Civic Center has nice lighting, but the ceiling is probably too high for bouncing my flash.  I did bounce my flash of a wall for some shots.

Mary Jean Hrbacek speaks out against saving the High School Pool.   She is holding up a copy of
 a newspaper with her full page advertisement that she said that she paid $950 to run