Turmoil & blue skies.

Well, it's a sad day here at the Acorn. We lost three very talented people in the first layoffs in the history of the paper. I can only wish them all the best in the future.
Fortunately, the photo department is running a very tight ship and therefore we were spared from any cuts. It was so nerve-wracking to hear about the layoffs, knowing that the photo dept is usually the first place publishers look to cut. But we're at three photogs for five papers and it's already tight. Here's to hoping that this is the bottom for us and we'll pull out of this hole a stronger, leaner paper. I know as a department we're still learning so much. The three of us make an excellent team. I have no doubts that this year, all three of us will be award-winning photographers in the CNPA awards. We can only improve... I know this year's graduations and sports finals will be fantastic, now that I have the 20D and the MkIIN. Having both bodies will be a major plus, and on top of that I'll likely be buying a 70-200 4.0 with my tax return. I can't afford pocketwizards, but I'm going to give the $60 set of Cactus V2s a shot for off-camera lighting and I'm planning on attending some lighting workshops and becoming an active strobist poster as well. With the improved gear and some added education, I think my photos should improve a ton.
So it's stormy in the office here but in other news, we've had ridiculously hot weather lately and bright blue skies. When it's that nice I pull out the polarizing filter every chance I get and pop those clouds.

Here are a few shots from this week:

Moorpark High School varsity baseball player Landon Hunt.










And a roofing company in Moorpark generously donated a new roof to the Little League snack shack. I found a nice banner flapping in the wind for some color.

Goodbye, Rocky.

This morning I nearly broke down in tears as an NPR reporter announced that today the Rocky Mountain News will publish its final edition - 149 years, 311 days since its first one.
This was one of the few smaller papers left that published in the tradition of truthful, honest journalism, asking the hard questions and taking the important photographs. The publication was characterized by sharp, smart, thoughtful stories. I counted it as one of the top ten papers in the nation. A newsroom full of staff who wouldn't just run the articles that advertisers wanted to see. Staff who believed in hard-hitting journalism, not fluff and not PR. Photographs run large, full of emotion and light. I was always inspired by their photos, always, always.
This is devastating news, friends. I'm shocked and disgusted that the Scripps corporation didn't do more to preserve a top-notch paper and a staff of breathtaking quality. The paper was for sale for one month before it was shut down. What a disgrace.
My hat is off to the photographers, editors, writers, and countless other behind-the-scenes staff, who suddenly find themselves out on the street in cold and dark economic times. Best of luck, friends. You can read their final edition stories at the Rocky Mountain News website.