Roller Coaster Week!

This week has been a little bit crazy. Some very slow days and some crazy ones. Onto the photos! 
First, Simi Valley had a shooting. The news came to me through my editor, and I live on the opposite side of Simi from the location. By the time I got over there, picked my way through the police barricades, talked to the Public Information Officer and got to the actual scene, it was all over. Sometimes even with your best efforts, you're just not quick enough. 
This was my most interesting shot, and it really doesn't excite me. Michael Coons, a local freelancer, was much quicker and got the best shots out of all the photogs there. He actually got pictures of the hostages escaping, of the arrest, of the SWAT team moving in. 



We didn't use it in the Acorn, and I noticed the Star didn't use any shots from their photogs either. Sometimes it's all over before you get there, and the rule is to never leave an event without a shot, any shot, you have to FIND a picture before you go. But sometimes the best picture just isn't yours. It's always a bummer. 

Anyway, onto the photos where I actually was in the right place at the right time. 

Arboles Animal Clinic held a microchip day.



There were quite a few pet events to shoot, actually. Here's an adoption event at YogaWorks in Westlake.







A cute scene at a pet faire in Camarillo.





Last week I shot the poppies in bloom at the Conejo Valley Botanical Garden.











The Conejo Valley Arts Council held its 40th anniversary celebration, with some local performers.









The Camarillo Newcomers club gave Food Share a check for $4,000. Apparently much more than they were expecting!





Conejo Valley Association of Realtors handed out their annual scholarships to local high school kids. Here's a great way to make group shots more exciting - use a wide lens and get close! I used bounce flash here, which would have been better if I could have had some natural light mellowing out those shadows, but it was a very small, dark room. It still came out better than your standard on-camera-flash group shot.





Simi Valley's little league Challenger Division (for the handicapped) held its annual baseball game. What a fun event to shoot. Difficult (parents wandering around the field, getting in the way) but fun.



















Venture Crew held a backpacking seminar. I think they must not have advertised much - it was a very small turnout. Good information, though. Here they are showing off their camping knives, an essential piece of equipment.





And in Thousand Oaks, I shot Touch-A-Truck! Very cool event.











I also added Agoura High pictures to my graduation photos. Scroll down a couple entries and you can find the slideshow.