Abstract Printing

Leroy Edwards, 21, bought Abstract Printing when he was 19 years old. He started working for the company when he was 16 years old as a part of the Great Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (GPUAC), the group aids youths in the city to find jobs. Silkscreening, "this is my passion" Edwards says.
These were the images that I submitted for the story that ran in our October 25 issue. Unfortunately, the person who laid out the page only used the first image. I would have used the last pic as it shows Edwards in his place of business with the worker in the backgroud. (who, consequently is also a part of the GPUAC). I have been making an effort lately to shoot portraits on a wide angle setting.

Buddies

Cash snuggles up to his best bud Captain Gary for a late afternoon nap.

North Catholic - Lansdale Catholic

In the same day that I shot the Central-NE afternoon game, I was assigned a night game in Ambler, PA. I only posted the grayscaled images because the color shots make me sick. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as shooting outdoor night games? This stadium was actually pretty well lit and the images looked great on the LCD screen, but when I loaded them in this morning, the pictures had an odd reddish tint to them. I thought that it might but a white balance issue, but I left my white balance on auto for the game because it looked weird in other settings.

NE FB James Rosseau

I lucked out last week and was able to shoot an afternoon football game, Northeast High School vs. Central High School. The kid we featured was #34, fullback James Rosseau. I say "lucked out" because night shooting is always a headache. The stadiums as so poorly lit that I end up shooting at a high ISO and relatively low shutter speed. But every once in a while I get to shoot an afternoon game which make life a bit easier. It was an overcast day which helped with color saturation and the lighting was not blowing out the white of the jerseys.

Kassim "The Dream" Ouma

Former middleweight champion of the world, Ouma trains at Schuler's Gym is West Philadelphia. The boxer is a native of Uganda and was kidnapped as a child and forced into a life of violence as a child soldier. (Most of his experiences that he and his manager shared were "off the record" but let me just say, this guy has been through more hell than anyone I have ever encountered). At the age of 18, while boxing in a tournament held in America, Kassim escaped and has been competing in the US ever since.
I absolutely love shooting boxers. I have yet to shoot an actual tournament but I have shot several training in various gyms throughout the city. There are so many components involved that make the shots great but I especially love the juxtaposition of this tough, sweaty, and determined individual in such a gritty setting. These gyms reek of hard working athletes and are lit by obnoxious flourescent work lights. But once they step up to the rope, all of that disappears and something almost instinctual sets in. In the past I have set up posed shots but for this particular story I decided not to do that, I tried shooting close ups as well as environmental wide shots. I tried to think about Al Bello, one of my favorite Getty photogs who also happens to love shooting boxing, and really watch each individual and how they move before snapping away.

a night at schuler's gym, west philadelphia

I shot these during a shoot I was doing on a Ugandan boxer. The little boy was so cute and furiously hitting that massive bag above him, I had to snap the shot. I shot the shoes hanging from the rafters shortly after I arrived at the gym, I had noticed a lot of shoes hanging from power lines during the trip through West Philly. I guess they do that indoors too.

pc week3

John Gannon, a reptile handler at the Philadelphia Zoo, spends a Tuesday morning with giant tortoises, Prickles (right) and Mommy. He feeds them bananas and scratches their rough skin.

"It's just one of those childhood passions that I never grew out of. Some kids like sports, drawing, but they grow out of it. I never grew out of turtles. There's always something new to learn.
"They're characters, the turtles are the most fun to interact with. Turtles will actually follow you around, it seems like they really like to be around you and they each have their own personality. Bubba over there, he'll snap at you if you ignore him or stop petting him!"

photo column week 2

Susan Pennypacker owns a dance studio in Tacony, the neighborhood she has lived in all of her life. Her longest running class, Golden Gals Fitness has been very successful over the past 14 years, the same ammount of time her studio has been in business.

"I actually just found that there was a need for people to do low-impact exercise. The other classes seemed intimidating. My mother was alive at the time (that the studio had opened), and she was very instrumental in my decision making at the studio. She told me that she would be interested in a low impact workout.

"This group, we all share stories. When my mother passed away, they became my confidants.

"We're not going to look like 'Baywatch'! But we're raising our heart rate and that's a workout!"

weekly photo column

So I have started a photo column that will run every week in the Northeast Times. I am going to try to focus each week on a person in the Northeast who is making a difference, whether large or small, but mainly with the intent to make the NE a better place. This week, I went to PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) and followed around a volunteer. I interviewed her while shadowing, which was kinda difficult to do while taking pictures (note to self : get a tape recorder!), and I included an excerpt from the interview in text under the photo. Comments, suggestions, please let me know!!

The Northeast Exposed
by Jenny J Swigoda, staff photographer for the NE Times

Marian Marchese, a volunteer for Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) walks a pitbull named Rudy on Thursday night around 7pm.

When asked how she keeps herself from taking the dogs home with her, she responds "You just have to harden yourself, and figure, that if you come here and work, you can take care of more animals. It's so important to get them out of their cages and give them love and attention.

"If you can give them just a little bit of love and attention, that's just so worthwhile for me."

Marchese came to volunteer for PAWS with the intent of just staying for one day and now volunteers at least 3 days a week.

Sunset over Fairless Hills

I shot this while shooting a football game last Friday night in Fairless Hills. Frankford was playing Pennsbury.

Silver Sneakers