a toast...

As an editor, I really try and strive to include photographers in the editing process and really listen to their thoughts about the pictures. One reason I became a photo editor was to help ensure that the photographers' vision and voice would be heard in the newsroom.

It is really important to me that we discuss what images photographers like and why. I don't necessarily always agree with what they say and sometimes edit differently- but I feel I always listen and take into account their opinions. I have discovered that some photographers like this and really embrace my approach and other photographers have a different reaction. I'll ask what their favorite photo is from the event---and they will say stuff like "dude, you are the editor. It's your choice" - Which I appreciate sometimes, but I also like to know what the photographer is thinking. Or maybe they say this because they have such confidence in my abilities.

This is a story about a war veteran and his war buddies. They had decided to buy a bottle of cognac a long time ago and the last one to survive would drink the bottle and toast them all. Our photographer did a great job shooting the pictures and it ran with a nice slideshow for the web. The audio was just perfect.

We had great space in the local section and the package ran very well. The next day the photographer sent me and the designer a nice note which said "If I live to a hundred there could not be better treatment for the "toast to the fallen". Thank You"

It is days like today that I actually feel like I am doing a good job.

Overkill?

For Tuesday's paper we decided to centerpiece the NBA draft lottery---using the two main draft picks, Oden and Durant. For Wednesday's paper, after receiving the No. 2 pick, we decided to centerpiece Kevin Durant, the player who most people believe will be the No.2 pick in the draft. For Thursday's paper---guess who we centerpieced? You got it---Kevin Durant. One of our reporters flew to Las Vegas to interview him. The NBA draft is June 28. Do you think we are overplaying a situation that won't happen for another month?

Well, perhaps not story wise but I think we could be as far as making it centerpiece pictures. It is huge for a dying troubled team like the Sonics to get such a high pick--bringing young star talent to the team. But frankly, there is just not a lot of pictures out of there of Durant---pictures that I would like as centerpiece. On Monday night, I sat with our designer and we looked at pictures of Oden and Durant for a long time trying to come up with good combinations for the centerpiece. On Tuesday, I started calling Texas papers knowing that Durant will be a centerpiece for us down the road---looking for non-action type pictures of him---perferably portraits.

I have a challenge ahead of me. There will be at least 4 more times that Kevin Durant will likely be our sports centerpiece before the end of June and I have already starting running out of pictures. I need to find ways to keep the art fresh so our readers don't get bored with our presentation. Not sure how I will accomplish that yet----but I'll keep you posted.

the goonies

The Goonies was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I started having a crush on Sean Austin but then a few years later it became Josh Brolin. So yesterday, I went on another hike---this time to Deception Pass State Park. I had been to the Deception Pass when I first moved out to Seattle. My cross-country buddy had friends that lived on Whidbey Island and we had walked along the North Beach part of the park. However, what I discovered is that the other section of the park is much more beauitful. And it looked a bit like Astoria, Oregon----the located for the movie The Goonies. Well, without Mikey and Brandon Walsh. But I still had to fight the urge to find an ancient coin with holes in it to line up against the coastline.

and yes, I know I am a dork.

felix

Felix returned from the DL. I think baseball is one of the hardest sports to shoot. It is incredibly difficult to make unusual pictures. That are fresh and different. Even though, this doesn't illustrate a new perspective---it was a good story telling image from the game, and running it 6 columns makes it feel a little bit different even though it isn't.

two on one

I like both pictures on this page a lot. The centerpiece picture is on a story about high school dynasties. For example, the Mercer Island tennis team has a crazy amount of state championships. We have a number of those around here, almost one for each sport. ---This was the tennis coach with all her trophies, but I think it is nicely done.

The secondary picture I really like. It is from Storm Media Day. Many photographers dread these events because it is really difficult to get nice "moments." Because media days are also a chance for us to have time with the players, we usually use the chance to get some pictures for upcoming special sections. I had given this photographer a list of things we needed---certain players, the new uniform and the new ball. On top of all that, she also needed to get a picture for the daily paper. She did a fantastic job. Seriously. ---Her pictures could have easily been centerpiece that day if we needed it---and that is a great option for an editor to have. Especially the way we tend to hold stories.

baseball

Well, I had nothing to do with this page. Put I think it is a nice baseball picture so I thought I would recognized that. Cause after all, I like pictures. :)

football coach

This is just to show a few pages.

don't chase waterfalls...

Went on my first NW hike today. It was a lots of fun.---We hiked up to Snoquera Falls (no, not Snoqualmie Falls). Here is a picture of my fellow hiker Dan checking out the falls. It went up so much higher than this I couldn't get it all into my little point & shoot camera. ---800 feet of gain and 6 miles later, I'm resting with my feet up. :)

take me out to the ballgame

Went to Safeco on Friday night to see my Yankee team get shut-out by the Mariners. As one of my friends told me---I brought the team bad luck. Obviously, since tonight the Yankees did just fine without me.

that's what friends are for...

So, was watching the Mariner/Yankee game on TV and was chatting with my friend, Seth, who is a sports photo editor at the Star-Ledger. And we might've been talking about the fact that the wires were producing no decent pictures. So, when this controversial play happened and the wire photographers didn't get it----My good friend Seth sent me this picture that one of his photographers captured. It sums up a big play of the game that lead to a run.

My rant as a big Yankee fan: This was a f#@$ed up bulls%$# call. This guy was out by a mile. No question about it. Everyone knew it. Even the ref after the game said he messed up. Complete nonsense.

it's all about the headline

Let's just say, it is extremely likely that I am putting this page up just because of the headline. :)

Well, and it is a good picture from a big play of the game. That helps too.

Row Row Row

I started rowing a couple months ago- I completely fell in love with it. And despite the extremely early times I hit the water, I still haven't missed a class. So, I braved the bus system and went to the Regatta. ---the same place where I row.

father's day story

This was suppose to be a father's day story---but I guess it shows you no matter how much you plan, sometimes things change. This is a story about a local High School Basketball coach. He has 7 kids, his wife has MS, one of his daughters has terminal cancer and his extended family has various health problems. Through it all he works very hard every day to the very best he can. This story came to us by one of my favorite writers at the paper, Jerry Brewer.

It was suppose to be an 8 part series in June, but since the daughter's cancer took a bad turn- Jerry thought it would be best to get part of the story out there early. Our photographer had only a couple days of work into the story when plans changed-But he really did a top-notch job pulling it together. This is how the first part ran in the our sports section. We are still working out details of how the other parts are going to be run. I'll keep you posted.