Daily Prompt: When you think of RED… What comes to mind FIRST?

During the month of February many of us would probably think of roses, hearts, Valentines Day…  the cinnamon red hots I have sitting on my desk when asked “What do you think of when you think of the color Red?”  Another thought might be red birds of sorts like this House Finch…  

To be honest, I have been thinking about this post all day (we receive our daily prompts for WordPress in the morning) and I finally decided to write about something that I really do think of the majority of the time when I think of the colors Red & White.

Now mind you, I am suppose to “Show you Red” another words with these daily prompts for a photographer, I am suppose to show you something… so tonight I am going to show you Red & White, but I am also going to tell you a little bit about the Tekonsha Indians.

Last night I spent the evening at the Tekonsha Senior High School in Southern Michigan photographing the Indians during 3 basketball games.  It was a fun night with the JV & Varsity Boys winning their games and the Varsity Girls really put up a good fight against the Will Carleton Academy Cougars.

At the end of an evening, when I am leaving any sporting event, I am always thinking about something that stood out as in a player’s outstanding athleticism, a spectator’s spectacle or an official’s call… but last night not only was I thinking of the wins that I had just photographed, I kept thinking back to 1985 when Tekonsha went all the way to the State Quarterfinals in basketball.

Now Tekonsha hasn’t been the only school in the area to go a long ways in a sporting season.  1985 was however the first time that I had followed a team when they had gone as far as Tekonsha did.

I never dreamed back then I would be a Sports Photographer now, but I remember the excitement and the thrill of the crowd as the team took the floor back in 1985.  It wasn’t too long ago I was able to not only follow but photograph the Athens Indians Varsity Girls Basketball team go all the way to the State Finals in 2012 and the Semi Finals in 2013.

You see, I was actually an Athens Indian (purple and white) but I had some really good friends who were Tekonsha Indians.  I knew quite a few of the 1984 – 1985 graduating classes and then some.  I had spent quite a bit of time attending Tekonsha Senior High School events from the Cabaret, sporting events, dances… to attending school on an occasion as a guest student (something that most schools do not allow anymore).  I was purple and white thru and thru but there was a bit of red and white in me too!

Now I am photographing for several schools all different colors including the Athens Indians, Tekonsha Indians… the school that my children graduated from, the Union City Chargers (maroon and grey) and schools in the surrounding area.

You can find more information and my photographs on Facebook and my Website.

Daily Prompt: Red

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Daily Prompt: The Potential of a Group can be OFF the Charts!

The Graduating Class of any school holds their future in their hands…  what they could, can and will accomplish in life can be astronomical!  Therefore, the Potential of a Group can be OFF the Charts!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year I took the Group Portrait of the Union City Graduating Class (also my daughter’s senior class)…  I allowed them to portray what they felt that day and possibly how they felt about their future. This was their portrait!

As hats were thrown into the air there was a sigh of relief for many and a deep breath of the weight now on their shoulders!  However, the celebrations began shortly after.  Several of the senior I see on a regular basis and I am so very proud.  They are taking adulthood and making the best of it if not taking the steps to one day change the world.

Now on to MOM Bragging Rights…  these 2 young adults are my children and I know they will make their own mark on our world.  Ben was a part of the graduating class of 2012 and Martha, 2013.

Has your school scheduled a Photographer to help document this monumental time in your life?

Daily Prompt: Group

 

Daily Prompt: Teaching ~ When I really started Photography

I took a black and white photography class about 13 years ago.  It was a learning process to see good contrast and clarity needed to make good black and white photos in a color world!  It was a 35 mm film class where I was also taught how to develop my own film and create my own prints in a black room.

For one of my projects I photographed a music teacher and my daughter’s kindergarten class.  All of these students are graduated now and the music teacher retired shortly after this project.

These next few you will find some students chopping apples as they were in the process of learning how to make apple sauce and one young man trying to figure out what to do on the computer.

At the end of the year my daughter, Martha, gave her teacher a binder with a copy of these pictures and some more.  The music teacher also received a copy of the pictures from her class.

Daily Prompt: Teaching

A NEW Project ~ Bike Night on Tuesday Nights

This summer I was asked to take on a new project.  The project was to Photograph bikers and their motorcycles at Bike Night on Tuesday night, July 16th at JD’s Country Connection.  As many of you know I specialize in Sports & Portrait Photography but I have always been open to challenging my skills.  Over the past few months I have had a Newborn Session, a Wedding, and a Horse Session all of which has brought their own challenges!  With that said, despite the heat and the harsh sunlight, I was able to capture some amazing portraits during this Bike Night Session which has led to me rediscovering black and white photography.

Years ago I took some 35 mm photography classes at Kellogg Community College including a black and white film class.  Not only did I learn how to photograph in black and white but I also learned how to develop my own 35 mm film, process that film and create my own prints in a darkroom.  Now days with digital photography we have a darkroom right at our finger tips and so much easier to use!

While working on these portraits I discovered the wonderful attributes they held for black and white photography.  The process of converting color digital photographs to black and white brings on a new appreciation for the lighting and contrast a color photograph holds. You can literally see the emphasis on ones character and story change during the process of black and white photography.

Photographing bikers and their motorcycles is an exciting experience.  Not only am I expanding my photographic skills but I am meeting some really neat people. You will find me at JD’s Country Connection around 7 pm on Tuesday nights for the remainder of the summer.  JD’s Country Connection is located on the corner of M-60 and Old 27 in Tekonsha, Michigan.

You can find Photography by Char on Facebook along with more photographs from Bike Nights at JD’s.  https://www.facebook.com/PhotographyByChar