My photos sold to KOMO last week

Compost Pile Fire. Spot News

For this one I took my daughter along and let her try out both of my cameras.

House Fire on Deegan Road and a Bus Hits a Car

April 21 A-1

I drove to a car fire this week.  Normally I only go to fire if I can walk or ride my bike to it.  If it's that close I can get there at the same time as the fire fighters and maybe get some pictures of flames.  Also if I walk or bike I'm only out some of my time if my pictures don't sell.

The scanner said this was a "fully involved structure fire", so I drove to it.

A Firefighter suffered from the heat and he went down fast.  The fire chief yelled at me for taking pictures but later he apologized.

April 21 A-1

April 21 A-6

April 21 A-20

Spot News and an Award

In today's newspaper:

The community voted me in on this list.  I am flattered.

There was another structure fire that I was able to reach in time this month.  One of my pictures is in the paper.  This fire was in a shed and no one was injured.  I met the property owner and she was fine with me posting photos on Facebook.

I only took one camera and lens to this fire.  I knew that I wanted to walk to this fire in the dark and I did not feel like carrying two cameras on my bicycle.  I used my old Nikon D90 with my new 70-200mm lens.  I wish my fancy lens had been on my D7100 so I could have shot at a higher ISO.  I don't feel like there is time to change lenses in the rush to reach a fire before it gets put out.   I hope to get a second D7100 but first I feel like I have to sell both of my D90's.

Such strange colors here and right off the camera

Active Shooter Drill

The local LEO's had an active shooter drill in town.  I took pictures from the sidelines.

Workers at a nearby business watch the drill while on lunch break

Log Truck Roll Over

Log truck roll overs are not uncommon in this depressed little logging town.  This is the first one I have gone to photograph.  I know some of these would have sold if the local paper had not sent their own reporter to cover it.

I contacted a regional paper about buying these and they told me that they do not buy pictures from other photojournalists.  King 5 news liked the pictures and encouraged me to send them more pictures in the future but said they would not be buying my pictures today.

I was happy enough with my slow 200mm lens for this job.  I was actually pleasantly surprised with the zoom range it's been so long since I used my long lens.  I had really gotten used to only being able to zoom in to 50mm.  The 70-200mm f/2.8 is still just a distant dream.  I would be nice to have for photographing my kids soccer games though.

In the mean time I have booked a wedding gig. 

Ronald Reagan's Son

I was given an assignment to photograph the Reagan Legacy Dinner.  I was given this assignment just a few hours before the start of the dinner.  Since I'm freelancing for a weekly paper I normally get my assignments days in advance.  I was told that I should dress conservatively for this job.  I really wish I had gotten closer to my subject.  I was too nervous and the room was very dark.

     Keynote speaker Michael Reagan, author, talk show radio host and son of former  president Ronald Reagan,  speaks at  Reagan Legacy Dinner sponsored by Mason County Republicans at the Pavilion on Thursday June 12^th 

Democratic State Senator Tim Sheldon greets citizens Bill and El Wanda Bryant  at  Reagan Legacy Dinner sponsored by Mason County Republicans at the Pavilion on Thursday June 12^th

L-R Judy Lloyd (in black), citizen and owner of bread of presence book store, Dorothy Vanhof (in blue) Citizen and mother of ten and Beverly Craig (in pink) retired Bordeaux elementary school teacher greet each other before the  Reagan Legacy Dinner sponsored by Mason County Republicans at the Pavilion on Thursday June 12^th ~

House fire in town

I heard this on the scanner and it was just a few blocks from my house, so I hopped on my bike and raced to the scene.  I thought there might be nothing to see in front so I went to the ally for a different angle.

A middle aged police officer who was on the scene and watching the alley told me that flames were probably about to burst through the roof.  Based on his advice I went back around to the front and waited until the house burst into flames.

I took my pictures and then I went back and thanked the police officer for his advice.  The police officer had witnessed enough house fires to know what to expect and now I have a better idea of what to expect as well.

Two police officers watch as Central Mason firefighters put out a fire on the 800
block of Cota street in downtown Shelton on Saturday.
(this one was on the front page of a newspaper)

Central Mason fire fighter Roberts approaches the house fire on the 800
block of Cota street in downtown Shelton on Saturday.

Two Central Mason fire fighters on the scene on the 800
block of Cota street in downtown Shelton on Saturday.

Why did the salmon cross the road?

The Skokomish River near Shelton Washington is flooding again.  These pictures are popular, so I've watermarked them heavily.  I've already sold some rights to a few of these and I hope to sell more.

   Pumpkins float in the flood waters of the Skokomish River next to the 
Skokomish Valley road  near Shelton Washington on Tuesday Nov. 4^th

       Fall chum salmon rest while waiting to cross the Skokomish Valley road onear Shelton

Washington on n Tuesday Nov 4th

Nearly a dozen Chum salmon use a residential drive way gate as a place to rest before

 trying to cross the Skokomish Valley Road near Shelton Washington Nov 4th 2014

  A Chum salmon rests on the fog line after crossing  the Skokomish Valley Road 

near Shelton Washington on Tuesday Nov. 4^th

Spot news, bomb threat at the Mason County Courthouse

I did not hear this one on the scanner, I learned about this when I was out riding my bike.  I had my small camera and lens (D40 with 18-55mm) with me at the time.  I took a few pictures with that set up before I went home and got my better camera and lenses.   I really enjoy using my prime 55mm lens so I can get those f/2.8 shots.  f/2.8 is the new f/8.
.

Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad at the Mason County
Courthouse Thursday Oct. 2cd

Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad  vehicle at the
 Mason County Courthouse Thursday Oct. 2cd

Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad members  at the Mason County Courthouse Thursday Oct. 2cd

Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad Member walks his Bomb
detecting dog near  the Mason County Courthouse Thursday October 2

Boots on the ground at the Mason County Courthouse

Spot news - Car vs Conveyor Belt

I heard this call an on the scanner, so I hopped onto my bicycle and snapped a few pictures.  I sold two pictures to a newspaper.  The reporters at the paper researched the story and generated the cut-lines, all I had to do was take pictures.

The police mostly just ignored me, but one smiled and waved to me.  I guess that means they know who I am.

Car Crash

A well known local citizen blew a stop sign and crashed his mother's car into a Mason County Sheriff's truck. I heard this on the scanner and I rushed down on my bicycle to take some photos. I sold one image to a local newspaper. That image is not posted here.

His shirt says "why would you ever want to stop"  I think he got his answer.