Left in the Dark & November/December Images

It's been a over a month since my last post. The past month or two have been fairly productive. I have been working hard on growing and developing a body of sports work, both action shots and athlete portraits. There were a couple really crazy days or weeks throughout this period, maybe even a few days where I had to remind myself over and over that there is no crying in journalis. There were times when I wanted to call off work, drive back to Ohio and call it quits... but of course I stuck it out and tried to learn as much as I could from a bad situation. Sadly this happens a little more often than I'd like it to. Rocky Mount is a tough place to live. It's not made for newcomers, especially newcomers ages 19-30. It's a place where you grow up and never leave, taking those same friends from childhood onward into the rest of your life. The rest of us are left out in the dark... or at home night after night watching Netflix alone. But hey, the good news is that I am surviving.

This post will feature some of my favorite images from the past month or so. I will create a separate post soon featuring some of the athlete portraits I've done for the twin counties "All Area High School Athletes" series. It's been a lot of fun getting to experiment with lighting, even though I've been really rushed to complete a few of them. Regardless, I think it's nice to see what I can pull off even when I'm working against the clock.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite images from the Rocky Mount Telegram from the past month. As always, feedback and constructive criticism are very much welcome. Thanks guys, see you next time.

Boys & Girls Club members watch and cheer as James Jones, 13, left, takes a winning shot during a game of Club Ball Monday at The Boys & Girls Club of Nash/Edgecombe Counties.

Rocky Mount High School senior Immanuel King eyes the basket as South Central defenders double team him during Tuesday night's game at Rocky Mount High School.

Jakivyeon Bell, 5, leans on his uncle Mark Bell's shoulders and watches parade floats drive by during the Christmas Parade on Sunday on Main Street in Rocky Mount, NC.

Clarence Henderson, a bellringer for The Salvation Army, sings "The 12 Days of Christmas" and encourages shoppers to donate to a good cause Friday at Hobby Lobby. Henderson says his dream is to one day be Salvation Army Bellringer at Macy's in Times Square in New York City.

Wallace-Rose Hill quarterback Bobby McKenzie jumps to tackle Tarboro running back Radja Bobbitt just a few yards from the goal line during Friday's game at Tarboro High School.

Jonathan Diaz, 7, left, and Joseph Hernandez, 10, right, play with a Nintendo 3DS while waiting for Diaz's family to finish their Black Friday shopping Thursday night at JCPenney.

Pat Sullivan, left, and his granddaughter Karsen Riggs, right, take a moment to sit and enjoy Christmas lights at Autumn's Lights in Tarboro, NC.

Nash Central's Cal Lewis swims in the 200-yard Freestyle competition at the Big East Conference Swim Meet on Thursday at the Harrison Family YMCA.

Nash Central's Ni'ya Styles tries to wrestle the ball from East Wake's Ciera Williams during Tuesday's game at Nash Central High School.

Sergeant Ricky Parks, middle, of the Rocky Mount Police Department, shows off some pink girl's clothes to Shykia Lee, 10, left, during the Cops With Kids program Saturday at Kmart.

Jason Baird, 28, plants a kiss on the forehead of Ichiban, a 4-month-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever and service dog in-training. Baird suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his 2007 deployment to the coast of Somalia with the United States Navy. Baird says his PTSD had reached a point where he could not sleep for 2-3 days at a time and was self-medicating with alcohol. In mid-2008, Baird started training with one of his other dogs and his life has improved tenfold. Recently, Baird was denied entry to a local gun store because Ichiban was by his side.

Mary Mebane stretches her back and shoulder muscles during a water aerobics class Monday at the Rocky Mount Senior Center in Rocky Mount, NC.