Fish and Clicks

Headed down a new path - Adios Fish and Clicks!

2011-12-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

Well, for those of you who still find your way to my Fish and Clicks photography blog, you'll notice that I've been absent as of late. Between my full time job at my newspaper, my wedding photography side business and maintaining the websites for both, I've fallen behind in my blog posts. I've decided to consolidate my journalism website and my Fish and Clicks blog. This way everything will be in one place. I want to thank all of you for your support of this blog and I hope you will continue to support my photography work by checking into my new blog found at http://www.mikegreener.com/blog from time to time. It will be the best place to check out of my photo happenings and latest work. My wedding photography business Greener Visuals Wedding Photography will continue to reside at http://www.greenervisuals.com/blog

Thanks so much for following me on my adventures on Fish and Clicks. Greener out.

Photographing Behind the Scenes at the 2011 Outside Lands Music Festival

2011-09-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago, my reporter Nick DeCicco and I got to cover the entire weekend of the Outside Lands Music Festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Being a local daily newspaper in Solano County, it’s rare that journalists at our newspaper get an opportunity for press passes at such a big event in the big city. Nick keeps up a well thought out music blog and pitched the idea of covering it to our bosses and in the end were given the green light to go do and cover it. I love being in big crowds and seeing live music. Ever since I was an adolescent, the majority of my pitiful income would go towards summer concerts and band tours. This time it would be different. Our press passes were our golden tickets. One of the things I love most about my job is the doors photojournalism can take you through. In this case, it was the backstage access and photo pit in front of the front row that allowed me to get a new glimpse into the music world I grew up loving. There was not a bad performance to be had. Notable bands worth checking out in no particular order of awesomeness: Joy Formidable, Foster The People, MGMT, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah, Phish, Ok Go, Arctic Monkeys, Old 97′s, The Black Keys, Josh Ritter, John Fogerty, The Decemberists, and Arcade Fire. Here are some of my favorite snaps from the weekend. Keep on rocking people! -M

Up in the Air in June

2011-06-17T18:05:00.001-07:00

June has always been a point in the year where change comes about in Fairfield. Schools are letting out for the summer and the daily work at my newspaper shifts from the sports and education reporting into a more laid back summer mode. It's a chance to divulge more time to long term stories. I welcome it. Lately I've found myself shooting a lot of assignments from a high vantage point. I recently accompanied airmen from Travis Air Force Base up into a KC-10 Extender for a military mid air fueling exercise. It was pretty cool to be 40,000 ft up in the air in the tail section of a military jet looking down on a huge cargo plane. Likewise I also had the chance to document a young team of rescue first responders practicing their evacuation of a victim from the view point of their large training towers. This July marks my third year anniversary working at the Daily Republic newspaper in Fairfield. It's crazy how fast it has all past by me and still to this day I am pleased to find myself still experiencing new situations and covering new stories. It also makes me step back and think about how much I've grown both photographically during my time here. I've been quite busy developing my wedding photography business. My role documenting weddings has quickly become a huge enjoyment for me. One that has caught me off guard at times. I think some good changes are on the horizon for me.

May in Review

2011-06-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

And I'm back. I took a little break from the blog this month. So much has been going on in my neck of the woods. Here are some of the images I made this month that stood out to me. I felt pretty good about the images I made. I've been doing a lot of soul searching in my photography this year. The year started out pretty rough for me with beginning it with being in a car accident and then getting some heavy portfolio reviews from my mentor Alex Garcia and legendary photo editor Mike Davis. The result of these encounters is that the first half of this year has been a big period for growth and reflection both mentally and photographically. I feel like I am finally regaining my rhythm and have started making some nicer images. I've been working really hard at getting my Greener Visuals Wedding Photography business off of the ground and it is starting to bare fruit. I've got five weddings lined up this year and am working on securing a couple more. Things are good just incredibly busy. Always a good thing. Thanks for looking. -M

Memorial Day Weekend in Solano County

2011-06-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

I was one of the few people actually working on Memorial Day but it allowed me to really focus on the day's festivities.

Newspaper Photos from April

2011-05-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Amber Snider, right, is performing at the Mother's Day Artisan Festival on the Suisun City waterfront and has invited her parents Steve and Diana Wallis, left, of the duet musical group Pine Dogz to play the event along with her.

Solano County Sheriff Deputy Randy Pratt prepares to reward Hondo, his K-9 unit dog, with a tennis ball after he successfully located a bomb in the fuselage of a plane during a training excercise at the Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville Wednesday afternoon.

Eric Shih, of Lazy Q Fish Ranch in Dixon dumps a mix of around 500 bass and catfish into the civic center pond behind the Fairfield City Hall in anticipation for this Saturday's Kid's Fishing Derby.

Sheila Lewis helps lay out table cloths while work crews setup tables and chairs during the preparation for the Wine and Food Jubilee Thursday afternoon at the Nut Tree in Vacaville.

Vanden High School number one Boys tennis player Greg Deleon returns a serve from Rodriguez High School's Eduardo Lupi during their Monday afternoon match at Rodriguez High School.

Medeival Fantasy Festival volunteer Deborah Furlow makes adjustments to some of the 39 costumed plush rats from local businesses that are being displayed this week in the Ray's Cycles storefront in downtown Vacaville.

Volunteer Matthew Pryor was recently named Vacaville Police Department volunteer of the year for his efforts to help combat graffiti throughout Vacaville. "I do the job because I like to learn more about this community and try to make it a better place by helping to clean it up," said Pryor.

Solano Land Trust volunteer outreach coordinator Natalie DuMont, left, and Bob Colby, center, get directions for plant placement from Sue Wickham, right, during their restoration science Friday event at Lynch Canyon open space.

Armijo High School baserunner Robin Roxas gets tagged out while trying to steal home plate by Vintage High School pitcher Robby Rivera during their Friday afternoon game at Laurel Creek Park.

Mikayla Wilson, 3, left, helps her mom Rebecca bottle feed four Cat Tales foster kittens in their Suisun City home Friday afternoon. These next four cat images are from a brief story I did on a local cat rescue organization has helped over 600 cats find new homes.

Tanisha Champion cuddles with Phoenix, a foster cat with feline AIDS and feline leukemia as Josiah Green, 8, of Oakland looks on Tursday morning in her Fairfield home.

Cat Tales co-founder Kris Cushing, left, holds Meeka, 1, a silver and black tabby cat at the Petco in Fairfield. Over the past two years, the local cat rescue organization has helped over 600 cats find new homes.

Rebecca Wilson, of Suisun City, bottle feeds a young foster kitten Friday afternoon in her home. She is helping to raise four foster kittens for the Cat Tales adoption program.

Howdy guys. Well, it was a pretty slow April around the newspaper. But I wanted to share some of my favorite shots from this past month. Thanks for looking. Cheers to warm weather. -M

Marching into Spring

2011-04-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

March was been a busy month for me. In addition to working at my staff position at the Daily Republic newspaper in Fairfield, I have also been developing my wedding photography business on the side. Between meeting other wedding vendors in the area, getting a new wedding photography logo and building up a new wedding website, I have had little time for anything else. It is a strange notion to me that I have to now plan out my weekends with friends often three weeks in advance. I guess this is what it's like being an adult.

Well despite the workload, I've been enjoying myself at my staffer position. March lent itself to a lot of great photo opportunities. The weather here in California has been gorgeous and with it, people are coming out of their winter shells and are being active again. I'm looking forward to what April will bring. Here are some of my favorite images I made this past month. Thanks for looking. -M

March Musician Madness

2011-04-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Madness not in the basketball sense but in how busy I was for the entirety of this past March. It seemed that this past month was a big one for the community arts around Solano County. I had a great time photographing the Vacaville Singer/Songwriter competition finals in downtown Vacaville. I've been working in the area for three years now and Solano County constantly is surprising me with it's growing culture of the arts. The lighting was awesome and it was really cool to see such talented performers for a packed audience. I hope it becomes a regular event. After it was finished, I was assigned to photograph Rio Vista musician Jason Cale who won the 18 and older category at the competition. Cale is a member of the Travis Air Force Base rock band Mobility and has traveled extensively performing his music. This guy has some talent. Check out his music here. Congrats to all of the winners and finalists.

San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographer 2011 Awards Banquet

2011-04-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the photos I was given awards for.
First Place Spot News

Award of Excellence for General News

Third Place for Best Mini-Doc Multimedia Package

It is a very humbling experience for me when my photography is recognized by my photographic peers. On Sunday evening at Scott's restaurant in Oakland, California, a couple of images I made last year at my position as a staff photojournalist at the Daily Republic newspaper in Fairfield, California were honored at this year's San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographer's Association awards banquet. I won first place in the Spot News category for an image I made from a school shooting, third place for Best Mini-Doc Multimedia Package from a multimedia story I did on a local skateboard maker (I am particularly excited about this one) and I won an award of excellence in General News category from a candlelight vigil earlier last year. This was a pretty cool honor. There is so much photojournalistic talent in the Bay Area from Pulitzer Prize winners to National Photographers of the Year. It was great to have my photography honored in a room filled with such exceptional storytellers. Congrats to all of the winners, congrats and thank you to my colleague Robinson Kuntz and a big thank you to my photo editor Brad Zweerink for all of the support and constructive criticism you've given to help further my photographic career. In all, the Daily Republic photo staff took home five awards. It was a great night.

Getting Back into my Groove

2011-02-25T16:21:00.000-08:00

Patricia Armet, right, kisses her 9-month-old Blue Nose American Pit Bull Terrier named Precious as she hangs out under a North Texas Street bus stop Monday afternoon. Pictured in the background is Michael Greene, left, and Tom Love.
Vacaville resident and country singer Buck Ford, 21, practices with his band at his Vacaville home Tuesday evening.
Sam and Lydia Katchmar have been married for 21 years and they said the success of their marriage is based off of their shared love of polka dancing.
Rowland and Wanda Spaythe ran away to get married at the age of 16 together and have spent their lives seeking adventure together. For ten years they lived and traveled on a boat sailing around the world.
Employee volunteers from the North Bay Medical Center socialize between video takes of their promotional rap video Friday afternoon in Fairfield. The event was part of the U.S. Department of Health Social Services promotional video aimed at informing women about heart attacks.
Umbrellas were out in full force outside the Solano County Government Center in downtown Fairfield Thursday afternoon as rain continued to pour down most of the day.
Rick Watson practices navigating with his white cane through the upper level of the Westfield Mall Friday morning in Fairfield. Watson has a degenerative eye disease that is quickly causing him to go blind.
The student section at Armijo High School's Girls Basketball game cheer on their team during their Tuesday night during their Sac-Joaquin Section playoff game against Merced High School in Fairfield.
Armijo High School players Erica Bossett, left, and Chloe Dawkins, right, battle for ball pocession against Merced High School's Brittany Scott during their Sac-Joaquin Section playoff game in Fairfield Tuesday evening.
Little leaguers Dylan Martin, 6, Joseph Hernandez, 7, Ernest Turner, 6, and Armando Hernandez, 5, left to right, learn how to field a ground ball during their Fairfield Pacific Little League Single A Giants team practice at Woodcreek Park in Fairfield Wednesday afternoon.

I feel like I am starting to get back into my photo groove at my staff job here at the Daily Republic newspaper. My back has been feeling a lot better and with it I have been going out a lot more on my own to feature hunt and explore the area. I've been pretty busy both at work and at home. Wedding season is on the horizon and I have been working with wedding planners and talking to brides no stop. Overall, February has been a lot of fun. If any of you haven't had a chance to check out my wedding work, I encourage you to do so. Especially if you know of anybody needing a wedding photographer. I travel. Thanks for looking. All the best, -M

Taming a Wild Turkey

2011-02-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

This is Tom attacking the plastic covered box with Center manager Margie Furco watching.

Yesterday my assignment was to photograph a wild turkey that was being rehabilitated by our local Suisun Wildlife Center. He had had his wings clipped by someone hoping to have him for a Thanksgiving day dinner. Tom the Turkey, as he is called around the center, somehow escaped and is now healing at the center until he can be released. My job was to make a cool photo of him. Sounds easy enough, right? Not the case. He was constantly running away from me before I could get close. I was set on getting a close up photo of him. The question was how could I achieve this? My answer was to make a camera trap, a remote camera setup that I could fire the camera shutter from a far off distance much like what the guys at National Geographic do to get their photos of evasive snow leopards. Center manager Margie Furco said that Tom hated the color blue and would attack it. She had made a makeshift toy for him to attack/play with from knotting up a blue piece of plastic and shaking it to make noise. That would be how I could bait him into my trap. So all I had to do was get him to do it in front of my camera.

I spent the next hour and a half encouraging a wild turkey to chase me while shaking a blue plastic bag to get his attention. Getting him to chase me took some time but soon I was running all over the yard being quickly pursued by this large squawking bird. I'm sure the ladies at the wildlife center were watching me through the windows laughing their heads off watching being chased. When I would run past my camera trap I threw the plastic in front of my camera. Tom would stop short. I must have tried this at least a dozen times. The third picture in was the closest I could get him to my camera trap. Fail. In the end, Tom won and walked off with his plastic. I have a new found respect for the Nat Geo photographers. Sometimes our best efforts don't work out like we planned. Oh well. Taming the wild is not as easy as it looks. -M

Bushwhacking to the Klamath River

2011-02-16T23:07:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I headed up north to the Klamath River with my buddy Ryan Peterson and his friend Scott Tucker in search of winter steelhead. I've been to this river a lot. With the lack of rain throughout northern California the last couple of weeks, the Klamath offered the best river conditions out of any nearby watershed. We took it upon ourselves to do some exploring of new hard to reach river access points. This meant a lot of bushwhacking through thick blackberry patches and steep hikes down into the river valley. It's a beautiful place. Bright neon green moss covers the jagged sedimentary rocks along the river bank. We made camp stream side where Ryan cooked a tri-tip for sandwiches over our campfire while Scott supplied us with fine Napa Valley Pinot Noir. It was so nice to be back in the mountains again. Alas, no steelhead would be landed this trip. Here are a couple photos I made during the weekend.

Crashing into the New Year

2011-02-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

Never have I been more relieved to put a month behind me. I started 2011 nursing the wounds from a Christmas Day car accident where I was hit by a guy running a red light. Wear your seat belts folks. They saved my life. Despite my Subaru being totaled, a massive concussion, some stitches and some ongoing deep aches and pains, I am lucky to be relatively unscathed. I've lost count to how many doctors appointments I've been to in January. Because of my accident, I have missed quite a bit of work. But as I rounded out the last days of January, I could honestly say that I am starting to feel a lot better and I am looking forward to a new year of making photos. Here are a couple shots from the past couple of weeks that caught my eye.

Best Photos of the Year 2010

2011-01-15T01:53:00.000-08:00

Well, better late than never. I've finally edited through all of my photos that I shot over the course of 2010 and have selected out my best of the year plus a couple favorites. Looking back on 2010, I realize it has been a big year of growth for me at the Daily Republic newspaper. I have been gathering up my images for submission to all of the end-of-the-year photo contests. I find the process to be a good time for reflection on the development of my photography and a chance to figure out my goals for the new year. I have no doubts big things are coming my way in 2011. I want to thank all of my friends and family that have supported me during 2010. I'm so glad you are in my corner. It was a great year. I'm looking forward to what 2011 brings. Happy New Year everybody. -M

November in Review

2010-11-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

Rachel Nathan-Funk, 12, her sister Leah, 5, Teagan Talbot, 7, and Kylie Shields, 7, lower left to right, watch Grupofolkloriko Nuevo Amancer folk dancers during a multicultural event at Dan O. Root Elementary School Tuesday evening.

Armijo High School freshman point guard Azhiana Musolf passes to a teammate after diving for a loose ball during her team's Monday night game against Hogan High School in Fairfield.

Mass casualty volunteers from the Solano Community College nursing program and EMT students watch as paramedic Perry Hookey, far right, applies fake blood on the forehead of volunteer Russ Koch, left, prior to the start of the simulated disaster drill at the college Thursday morning.

Vacaville Ballet Academy dancers Madelline Layeghi, Laura Rutter, Sonya Thrasher, Daisy Montero and Rachel Goldberg, left to right, prepare for their upcoming performance at the Wednesday CLub in Suisun City during their practice Tuesday evening.

Local fisherman Greg Moe casts his line out into the Suisun Marsh during a recent morning fishing session for sturgeon and stripper bass. Moe has been fishing the area for over 35 years.

Passengers on Amtrak's westbound train from Sacramento get off at the Suisun-Fairfield train station Monday evening.

Student members of the Fairfield High School Scarlett Brigade Marching Band rehearse their routine in the student parking lot Monday afternoon. The school will be hosting the Tournament of Champions band competition this weekend.

Mary Palmer, of Fairfield, along with her son Robert, 9, recently received quilts from her church made from favorite T-shirts of her deceased husband.

Members of the 60th Expeditionary Medical Support unit secure their chemical warfare outfits during a mock missle strike at Travis Air Force Base Thursday afternoon. The event was part of a three day excercise on the base meant to simulate situations at a deployed location for the troops.

A Year in the Marsh - Preparing for the Hunt

2010-11-26T17:02:00.000-08:00

A Year in the Marsh - Preparing for the Hunt at the California Farms Duck Club from Mike Greener on Vimeo.

A look into the preparation of of the California Farms Duck Club and their efforts to create habitat to sustain their life-long love of duck hunting in the Suisun Marsh.

For the past couple of months, a reporter from my newspaper and I have started working on a year long documentary project focusing on the Suisun Marsh and the Delta. With water usage being such a hot topic in California, we wanted to explore all of the groups and organizations that are staking their claim for water rights. Our first subjects were members of a local duck club and their year-round dedication and passion for creating habitat for waterfowl. I had a great time hanging out with these guys. Stay tuned over the next year for other installments to this series. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. -M

Steelhead fishing on the Klamath River

2010-11-19T10:12:00.001-08:00

After a grueling summer long hiatus from fly fishing, I finally remedied the situation. Last weekend I met up with my good buddy Ryan Peterson of The Fly Shop and The Big Pull for a weekend fishing for steelhead along the banks of the Klamath River in Northern California. I spent most of my time with a spey rod in hand but I did manage to pick up my camera for a little bit. Here are a couple shots that caught my eye. Tight lines.

New Multimedia - Waller's Rally

2010-11-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

Waller's Rally - Catching a New Wave from Mike Greener on Vimeo.

Here is a multimedia video I just completed about a finish carpenter that defied the failing economy by turning his childhood fun into a modern-day longboard skateboard venture.

I'm pretty excited about this post. For the past month I have been working night and day on this multimedia project. I found Bob Waller, of Waller's Woodys, by chance while working on another story for my newspaper. Bob is a high end finish carpenter here in Fairfield who for the last 25 years has been doing high end custom woodworking and carpentry throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. As he puts it, "I was a cake decorator for a house. Doing beauty for the sake of beauty." When the economy began taking a nose dive two years ago, Bob watched as his business dwindled from being booked six months out to a near trickle. It was that point that he realized he needed to go another direction. A phoenix rising out of the ashes. Through the encouragement of his sons, he decided to harness the life-long love of skateboarding and started a longboard skateboard company based off of the old 1960's Woody panel wagons.

This story meant a lot to me in that it was a very personel project. For the past couple of months I had been frustrated with the stories that I was producing mostly due to the fact that my newspaper always gave me very limited time to development and work on one. I wanted a project that I could do on my time at the pace I wanted to develop it at. A pace that favored quality over quick deadlines. Waller's Woodys was my answer. Bob and his family were gracious enough to open their door and let me into their lives. Through their patience and trust, I was given full reign to experiment and try new approaches to telling a story. Most notably my use of video. I've done little video work as a photojournalist throughout my career and I saw this project as a great opportunity to give it a shot. I had a great time with it. I am grateful to them for allowing me play and to step out of my comfort zone as a journalist. Check out the video, let me know what you think and spread the word. Best, -M

I'd like to dedicate this story to a friend and insanely talented photographer Monica Lopossay who recently helped me to refocus my approach to my photography. I am forever grateful.

The Darker Side of the Job - Making Graphic Photos

2010-11-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

Friends of an unidentified shooting victim react as Fairfield police officers perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him Monday night in the parking lot of Armijo High School.

Friends of an unidentified shooting victim escort each other away as Fairfield police officers perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him Monday night in the parking lot of Armijo High School.
Fairfield police search individuals who were in a home where a shooting took place Tuesday night on the 200 block of Hamilton Drive. No arrests were made and police continued their investigation into the night.

I'll say it right off the bat. I hate these types of assignments. There are times in my journalism profession when I am forced to confront difficult situations and circumstances. Every day in our photo department we listen to the police scanner traffic. Most of the time it is fire engine crews headed out to a medical emergency. Other times it's another call about a car accident on I-80 Interstate. But every once in a while, it is a call about shots fired. I've come to learn that violent crime is a very real problem in the community my newspaper serves. My job as a photojournalist is to tell a story through my images that can help our readers stay informed and also to keep them aware of events happening throughout their community. Thankfully these situations don't come around often. But when they do I am forced to make a big decision...Do I make that photograph?

Earlier in the month of October, I was working the night shift at the newspaper when the call came across the scanner that their were a group of people fighting on the parking lot of a nearby high school just down the street. Immediately after that, I heard the dispatcher say "shots fired." Boom! I was out the door with my camera in hand. My reporter and I arrived at the scene not four minutes after the call. Most of the police were coming in behind us. I arrived at the scene (shown in the first two photographs. The third is a separate incident) of people screaming and upon further examination a lone police officer giving CPR to a young man on the ground. It was a horrible sight. It is rare to respond to a scene and be one of the first people there. Most of the time the incident has already ended. This time was very different. I knew a wave of police would be arriving soon and would very quickly put me and my camera as far away from the scene as possible. I knew I had to work fast to make a picture. Times like this your training and instincts just kick in. Your own emotions are shielded by the camera in front of your face. A young man is fighting for his life. You just react.

In journalism school my instructors described it as "Passing the Cheerio Test" as in if the controversial photo doesn't make the reader spit out his morning breakfast while also telling the story, the photo was considered "safe" to publish. It is this balance newspapers constantly battle with and the topic has been addressed and discussed relentlessly by my colleagues in the profession. Where is the line drawn? What is our duty to our readers? Really tough call. It was times like this when we had such a powerful photograph, a decision was made and my editors knew that the line must be approached.

My editors decided to run the two top photos on the front page. Their basis was that the victim could not be identified in the photo and the images told the story that no words could quite describe. It got a lot of reaction. I returned to work the next morning expecting to hear of all the subscriptions that were canceled because of the photos. I was surprised to find a very different response. There were tons of comments on the story online and as expected, the photos drew some criticism. But for every negative comment there were two or three comments from readers that expressed how important thought it was to show these photos. These events were happening in their community and they didn't want to ignore it anymore. The decision to run the images had started an important conversation throughout the community. I consider that a success and those comments tell me that I am doing my job well. Regardless, it doesn't make it any easier to make the photographs but I feel it is very important that I do. What do you think? -M

The Fall of October - Part One

2010-11-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

Shaina McCormick, 18, of Fairfield, kisses her new fiancee Marine Lance Cpl. Aaron Waller, 19, of Fairfield, after he proposed to her in the Sacramento airport on Oct. 9. Below, McCormick embraces Waller after he popped the question.

Solano Winds conductor Bill Doherty directs his pupils during their Tuesday evening rehearsal at Solano Community College.

Dr. Seth Kaufman, left, of North Bay Medical Center waits for a medical robot controled by Dr. Alan Shatzel, on computer monitor, of the Mercy Neurological Entity of Greater Sacramento Area during a demonstration of the new machine Thursday morning in Fairfield. Dr. Shatzel can remotely control control the robot from his Sacramento location with a laptop and a joystick.

Fairfield High School player Nicholas Wullenwaber makes a shot on goal during his team's Tuesday evening game against Armijo High School.

Larry Nelson, former Vacaville High School head wrestling coach, center, is being inducted into the Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame. Nelson highly successful career spanned over 43 years at the school.

The Fall of October - Part Two

2010-11-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Travis Air Force Base KUDOS participant Justice Wong, 4, tries on a chemical warfare gas mask during a mock deployment simulation for children of deployed troops. The event aimed to show the children the process of what their parents do to prepare for deployment.

Spouses and children of deployed military troops walk the Travis Air Force Base tarmac to tour a C-17 Globemaster cargo jet during a mock deployment demonstration to give the children a better idea of what their parents deployment is like.

Solano Community College professor Danielle Widemann gives her Physical Geography science class a visual lesson explaining how the earth's axis and orbit around the sun creates the seasons here on earth during a recent class. Widemann, along with her entire family, went to SCC for their education and she has been teaching at the school for over seven years now.

Shawn Beckett, 2, far right, along with Kalie Beckett, 3, Calece Beckett, 5, and Reese Moten, 4, left to right, wait outside their home after emergency crews evacuated them after a semi truck drove into a low hanging power line near the corner of Rocky Hill Rd and Novato Drive in Vacaville Tuesday evening. The accident left thousands of PG&E customers without power.

September in Review

2010-10-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Image Featured in the new Flyfish Journal

2010-09-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

I checked the mail the other day to find that the newest edition of The Flyfish Journal issue #3 has been published. It's exciting because I had another one of my photographs published as a double truck in the opening spreads. I've been with these guys from the beginning and I am anxious to see where they take it next. These guys are rewriting the definition of the fishing magazine at a time when the industry and magazines in general are in a state of flux. The magazine has coffee table quality printing, is well written and has excellent photo play. I have yet to find another venue that displays my photos so well. You can check the magazine out for yourself here or find it at any major publication store like Borders or Barnes and Noble. Sweet.

Back to Their Loving Arms. The Troops Come Home.

2010-08-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I was sent out to Travis Air Force Base to photograph the arrival of the California National Guard's 49th Military Police Brigade after their year of deployment to Iraq. This isn't the first time that I've documented a troop arrival. But this time was a bit different in that our fair Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would be in attendance to shake the hand of each troop as they got off the plane. This changed my approach to photographing the event in that my access to roam around was limited by the numerous "Secret Service" aka California State Troopers who are his body guards. I decided to really study the crowd and try to absorb the mood of the place. The impatient excitement of the family members was everywhere. I realized that for all the stresses I might have during my work day, none hold a candle to the military family members that must wait around for their loved ones to return home from a war. This became apparent to me when I started to watch the faces of family members as they saw their loved ones, their streaming tears of joy and then watch them embrace on the windy, military tarmac. What a release. What a relief to have your daughter, your son, your mom or your dad back save and sound. It was a pretty cool event to witness. -M

A Brief August Update

2010-08-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well, summer is winding down here in sunny Fairfield and we are all looking forward to the start of the new school year. Here are a couple photographs that I made over the last couple weeks.

Is July Over Already?

2010-07-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

Crazy. Another summer month gone by. Here is some of my favorite images that I made over the last two weeks. Hope all is well everybody. Thanks for looking. -M

A Tale of Two Bars

2010-07-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks I was assigned two stories about local watering holes here in Solano County. The first was a story on the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, a non for profit group who help raise money for the community. The group is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year and I spent the better part of an afternoon watching them socialize over discounted beer at their meeting hall at the Marina Center in Suisun City. They are a great group of people. The second bar I documented was the historical Bird's Landing Tavern out in the middle of nowhere. It's a pretty incredible place. The owner Shirley Paolini, well into her 80's, continues to run the place since the passing of her husband Mel a few years back. The place has been around since the 1930's and was used by Clint Eastwood to film his 1982 film "Honky Tonk Man" movie. Nowadays it acts more as a museum than a working bar. Locals still come in for an occasional beer but the highlights of the place lie in the antiques and old historical photos of Bird's Landing and Collinsville that line the walls of her bar while peanut shells pile up on the floor. It is a quiet and peaceful which is just how Paolini likes it. During out conversation during my visit she would often look up at the photos on the wall and when I asked her about them she said, "I always feel like I am around good friends when I look at them." She's a pretty cool lady. I love these old gems of places off the beaten path. This both of these places were a lot of fun to shoot. -M

The Cusp of July

2010-07-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

I find it hard to believe that summer is already half way over. But alas, mid July is here. Things have been pretty calm around the newspaper for most of June and into July. I've been doing a lot of cruising for feature photos aka "slices of life" around town. We've been quite fortunate to have a pretty cool summer this fall with the minimum amount of 100 degree days and people have been taking advantage of the opportunity. I took the opportunity to head home to Chicago for a long overdue week vacation. I just returned home early this morning. Got to see some live blues, watch some friends get married, build a chicken coop for my mom, clean a garage for my dad, visit with old friends and even meet with ace Chicago Tribune senior photographer Alex Garcia. All in all it was a great little trip home.

Faith in Hip Hop

2010-07-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I did this story on a couple guys here in town who were making a Christian based hip hop album. Their group is called Immortal Ministries. It was pretty cool to watch how they piece together their rhymes and sound effects into music. It is a lot like mixing a multimedia piece for the newspaper. I'm not a religious person. But regardless of whether or not you believe in their message, it was cool to see them following their passion for hip hop and create upbeat songs. You can check them out here

Welcome Summer

2010-06-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple photos that I made in the last week or so. Now that school is out things are really starting to slow down here assignment wise. This is pretty normal at small daily newspapers like mine. But these slower summer months offer good opportunities to start long term projects. Currently, I am in search of a good documentary topic to shoot. I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. My focus is turning to the end of this week when I will be headed home to Chicago for a week. Really looking forward to seeing some old friends and family. Thanks for stopping by. -M

Looking out for Nicholas

2010-06-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

These photographs are from a last minute story I shot of a local family who have come together to help raise their nephew who has Down syndrome. I had literally about 24 hours to get this story shot while holding down the photo department as the sole photographer while my fellow staffers were absent either on vacation or injured. Things were kind of rushed to say the least. But considering the time constraints, I was pleased with the results. The power of family never ceases to amaze me. You can read the captions under each photograph.

Mary Eble, left, and her sister Martha, right, play with their nephew Nicholas Eble by encouraging him to box. "We try to introduce him to new activities and keep him moving," said Mary Eble. Nicholas requires a constantly present caregiver and that role is divided between his two aunts and his father.

Mary Eble struggles to convince her nephew Nicholas that changed plans for the evening mean that he must accompany his aunts to their boxing class instead of watching movies at home. "Routine is so important to him because their is so much in his life that he can't control," said Mary Eble, "It is a big comfort to him and when things don't go to plan, often times we have to work to find a compromise."

Nicholas Eble, 31, plays his Ghostbusters video game at his home in Fairfield. "Nicholas is in many ways pretty independant," says his aunt Mary Eble, "His ability to entertain himself allows us opportunities to get other stuff done around the house."

Meals on Wheels employee Gerald Madueno, left, accompanies Nicholas Eble as he delivers a meal to a Suisun City resident. "We want Nicholas to be intergrated like everyone else," says his aunt Mary Eble, "Since being laid off from his previous job, Nicholas has been volunteering for the non profit once a week."

Nicholas Eble works on his fist jab with with Jesse Lopez Jr., owner of J L Tepito Boxing Club Thursday evening during his aunts boxing class. Trying to keep Nicholas active can often be a challenge for his family and their work schedules so they push him to try activities they are involved in like boxing.

Excited over the news that he will spend Friday evening at his father's house, Nicholas Eble, 31, gives his father Nick a hug before accompanying his aunts to their boxing class.

Sunburns and Summer Fairgrounds

2010-06-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

I spent the better part of this week covering all of the happenings of the Solano County Fair festivities. Not the busiest fair I've attended in my career. I'd imagine that the organizers were frustrated about it too especially when they are competing against a Six Flags roller coaster park across the street. For my money the Ferris wheel just can't deliver. Still, for the few kids that did attend you could tell they were enjoying themselves. Like most fairs around this country, we had the 4-H livestock competitions. I was never in these events as a kid but watching them now it is pretty fun to watch the kids and their reactions during the events. You can tell that each has put in a lot of work to get here and they all take it quite seriously. Separate from the 4-H events, I stumbled upon a new event of pig racing. They were pure comedy. An uplifting end to what has been a very long and hot week here in California.

Solo June

2010-06-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

June has, so far, proven to be a crazy month for me at my newspaper. For much of the time, I have been working solo due from a mixture of co worker's injuries, vacations, and departure from the photo staff. Between attending meetings and running around non stop shooting all of the assignments, I've had little time for much else. Oh wait I also shot my first wedding of the year. You can check out my images from it here. I knew there were more reasons why I've been busy. Now that school is out in Solano County things have started to cool down. It has been a month of big transitions for everybody around here. Me with my crash course into becoming a temporary one man band photo department and departure of a co worker. My photo editor Brad Zweerink and I said goodbye to a good friend and fellow shooter Chris Jordan after his decision to work freelance and shoot weddings got the best of him. I must say I was sorry to see him go. A great guy and and a solid photographer. I learned a lot from him. I wish him all the best. I still have half a month to go but here are some of my favorite images that I've made so far. Cheers. -M

Solano County High School Graduations 2010

2010-06-15T20:27:00.001-07:00

Ahhhhh, Graduation week. That special time of year when working as a staff photographer feels a lot like the movie Groundhog Day. The same over and over again. One of the challenges that my fellow shooters and I bestow upon each other is to try to reinvent yourselves as the week goes on. Because on the surface, all of the graduations are so similar. Repetition in the ceremonies, the speeches, the celebrations, etc that it can quickly feel like you are taking the same pictures. This year I was assigned to shoot three of the five high school ceremonies. I tried to keep a look out for something different than the typical ecstatic hands in the air shots of the graduates. The class president of the student body offered that chance. My favorite photo from the week was the one of the girl with the monarch butterfly in front of her. The caption for the photo ran as follows:

Vanden High School graduate Heaven-Leigh Christensen, 18, center, is visited by a monarch butterfly during the Class of 2010 graduation ceremony Friday afternoon. Butterflys were released by class president Sharlayne Moynahan, 18, not pictured, as a symbol of hope and transformation into new beginnings.

This shot was made well after the release of the butterflies. I saw this moment happening out of the corner of my eye and turned to snap a couple frames before this rogue monarch flew off. I thought it was a pretty neat ideal to incorporate in a speech and a different twist on the graduation photo scene. It made me think back to all of the transitions I've had in my life since high school graduation. These kids are in for a wild ride. I wish them the best. -M

To view more photos from my graduation coverage of Vanden High and Fairfield High, click on their names.

Looking Back on May - Part Two

2010-06-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Looking Back on May - Part One

2010-06-15T19:52:00.001-07:00

Rounding Out April

2010-05-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

Struggle and Hope

2010-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

Back in the Saddle - Flyfishing the Lower Sacramento River

2010-04-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Photo of me by Matt Payne

I'm almost embarrassed to admit it but I haven't been fly fishing since last November. It has been a constant annoyance for me not being able get out and fish. It's funny how quickly prior commitments build up and begin to consume so much of your time. I was in dire need of getting out onto a river system. Enter Montana fishing guide Matt Payne. This past weekend I had the opportunity to go fish with Matt and his buddy Matt Swan, a guide for The Fly Shop, on the Lower Sacramento River up in my old stomping grounds of Redding, California. Payne has recently moved to the Sacramento area with his wife Janelle and has been actively scouting out northern California rivers for his guiding business. He's a great guy and a damn fine fisherman. We made a day of hooking into rainbow trout, drinking Coors, and talking all things fish. You couldn't ask for a better day. This trip was a real treat for me because for the majority of the time, I had a fly rod in my hand and not a camera. Sometimes it's nice to change it up. Still, shooting pictures is hard to resist. I made a few frames of the Matt's rowing and nympthing near the Sundial bridge that I was pleased with considering it was high noon sun beating down on us.

Later on I met up with an old fishing buddy of mine Justin Miller, of The Fly Shop, and we cooked up some Argentina style steaks and as a happy experiment, we grilled poblano chili peppers stuffed with feta cheese and wrapped in bacon. I'll be thinking about that meal all week. Justin is probably one of the most talented fly tyers I know. He was all stoked about his upcoming stripper fishing trip and with that, he decided to design a new fly for the occasion. I have yet to meet someone who gets so pumped about fishing like Justin does. The guy thinks like a fish. Like a true perfectionist, he left nothing to chance and decide to test out his new pattern in his bath tub and if need be would make design adjustments. It was so nice to be in the company of trout bums again. It was an overall killer weekend. Already looking forward to the next outing. -M

Gary Vaynerchuk: Do what you love (no excuses!) | Video on TED.com

2010-04-13T02:04:00.000-07:00

Gary Vaynerchuk: Do what you love (no excuses!) | Video on TED.com

I don't normally share this type of stuff on my blog. But I think this guy's message holds true to so much of what I believe in and what I constantly strive to do in my life. Get out there and do what you love to do. Check it out. -M

The Art of Pigeon Racing and The Best of Winter Sports

2010-04-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned in previous posts, the last month or two I have been shooting some pretty cool assignments. I met this pigeon racer and his wife who own over 600 pigeons. A short story that yielded some cool shots. I've been continuing to play with my Profoto lights and apply them to our annual Athletes of the Year section of our paper. Far from perfect but as I continue to grow as a shooter I am starting to really dial down and command my light. It's an ongoing battle to say the least and a hell of a lot of fun.

Boy's Best Friend

2010-04-02T13:35:00.002-07:00

This was a pretty cool story I got to do earlier in the month. I spent a week following Anthony and his Labrador retriever Saffron around in an attempt to show their unique relationship. Anthony is a diabetic and was having a lot of trouble monitoring his sugar levels. So his parents in their search for a solution came across this cool program called Dogs4Diabetics. Enter Saffron. She is a trained service dog that can smell when Anthony's blood sugar levels are getting low often times up to 15 minutes before he actually is low all through his breath and sweat. She's trained to jump on him and warn him. This process can happen up to 20 times a day. It's was a pretty cool relationship to watch. Since Anthony's sugar levels can fluctuate at any time, the two are essentially together 24/7. The assistance doesn't come without responsibility. Anthony is the only one in the family who can care for the dog. As a service dog going into places most dogs don't, Anthony must also keep her clean. A task that has developed into taking her into the shower when he goes. As his dad puts it, "Having Saffron by Anthony's side serves as a safety barrier between him and the emergency room." I had a lot of fun shooting this piece and getting to know them.

Remembering March Part Two

2010-04-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Spring is California is incredible. Everything has been so green and the temperature has held steady at around 65 degrees. All this nice weather has really brought people out in the community. It's like someone flipped a switch. Now all of a sudden their have been a constant flow of pretty interesting stories and overall everyone around here has been in a good mood from the nice weather. Always a good thing. It has also been extremely busy around the newspaper. Hence my lack of posting. So here are some photos that I shot from the month of March.

Remembering March Part One

2010-04-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

High School Sailing Competition

2010-02-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

One thing I have really come to enjoy about covering prep sports on the west coast is the difference of activities offered at these high schools than ones offered back when I was in high school in Illinois. A couple Saturday's ago, I got to cover a high school sailing race called the Keelhauler Regatta. The annual event is hosted by Cal State Maritime and draws numerous high school sailing teams from throughout the area. Definitely not your typical prep sport and not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon. -M

Women with Guns

2010-02-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of December I went to photograph a woman that was starting a Womens Gun Club at a local shooting range. These photos are the second part of our coverage for that story. You can read the story here. Along with the initial portrait I shot of her, I also did a little photo story of her teaching the other women in the club. I grew up shooting rifles as a Boy Scout but had never actually shot a hand gun before. These ladies were kind enough to let me try one out. I can see why if holds so much interest for people. It was pretty fun to shoot.

The Sporting News of Fairfield

2010-02-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Holy smokes! I have been busy these last couple of weeks. So much so that I haven't had much free time to update on my blog. I continue to cover all of the local sporting events happening around Solano County. The winter seasons are beginning to wind down. Playoffs are upon us. Here are some of the more interesting shots I've made over the last couple of weeks. -M

Quick Out of the Shoots in the New Year

2010-01-20T14:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I've really been enjoying the new year so far. I have busy working on a new website that I hope to have completed in a month or so. I'll be sure to let you all know when it is up and running. In addition, my wedding photography business has taken off and I already have numerous bookings. If you or someone you know is looking for a wedding photographer, I'd be happy to help out. Here are some of the images I have made at my newspaper this year. 2010 is going to be a big year for me. Stay tuned. -M

Bird on a Wire

2010-01-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it doesn't get more cliche than a shot of birds roosting on a telephone pole. But I was going back through all of my images from this past year and stumbled across this image. It was one of those off the cuff shots you do think much of at the time. Something about it caught my eye and I thought I would share it with all of you.

Fairfield Firefighters - A Day in the Life

2010-01-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, a reporter and I accompanied members of Engine 37 of the Fairfield Fire Department to document a day in the life for them. The guys were very gracious with opening their doors to us. I've spent some time documenting firefighters in the past but I forgot how hard these guys work even when there isn't something burning. There is always something to do. We had a lot of fun with them.

December in Review

2010-01-01T10:57:00.000-08:00

December has always been a great month for me. Despite the obvious Christmas appeal, it also is the month I was born. So close to the new year and have taken to using the month as a time for reflection. This December was particularly nice due to the fact that I was finally able to have a vacation and be home with the family for the holidays. It just doesn't feel like the holidays unless I am back in Chicago with the sleet and rain. It was a great time. I now am focusing my attention on the coming year. Changes are on the horizon. Big things to come. Can't wait. Happy New Year everybody. -M

Personal Food for Thought

2009-12-04T23:48:00.000-08:00

"I don’t think there are many editors who could give me the assignments I give myself.” -Arthur Meyerson

November in Northern California

2009-11-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some snaps from this past month. I've been working hard with some business items for my photography. Change is coming. Stay tuned. I am so thankful for all the love and support all of you have given me over these years. It gives me strength to keep going further. Happy Thanksgiving everybody. -M

Fall Classic

2009-11-25T20:33:00.000-08:00

Alas, my fall sport shooting opportunities are winding down. All of the local teams are finishing up their seasons and I am bummed to see them go. Indoors that is. The northern California fall has been epic this year. Gorgeous colors and a steady 60 degrees. But the inevitable rains are on the way and with them activities and daily assignments will tend to be held indoors. Not necessarily my favorite place to be. Oh if only there was high school downhill skiing in Fairfield. Wishful thinking. Here is some of my recent outdoor fall sport pictures. Best, -M

Steelheading on the Klamath River

2009-11-10T17:31:00.001-08:00

I just got back from a weekend fishing the Klamath River with my buddy Ryan Peterson, travel specialist at The Fly Shop. It was just gorgeous this time of year. The fall colors were really popping. I recently purchased a new Profoto AcuteB 600R power pack and lamp head and decided to test them out this weekend. Oh the possibilities. I think I am just scratching the surface with these images of the fly line ripping off the water. I was really pleased with the results. The best part of the trip was that I finally landed my first (small) steelhead. A long time coming. It was great to be back out on a river.

On a side note, I wanted to thank all of you for your votes and support of my work. The book voting end yesterday on the 9th of November. I really appreciate all of the feedback and comments you all posted. Alas, after getting around 265 votes I don't think I reached enough to make it into the final round of the book judging but I was able to reconnect with many of you and meet some new friends in the process. I look at it as a challenge to improve for the next time. Thanks again everyone. Tight lines, -M

Seeking the Big Boom - A Glimpse into the new Shopping for Dynamite book

2009-10-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why I named my new photography book "Shopping for Dynamite"? Here is a new commercial I made that gives the back story into how I came to name my book. When my brother Eric and I were in Potosi, Bolivia, we had heard that you could purchase dynamite. We had to check it out. This is what we found. Thanks to everyone who has voted for my book on Blurb.com. Keep going! There is still time and I still have a long way to go on the voting front. If you haven't had a chance to vote yet here is a link.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/877170

Help your buddy Greener out and spread the word.

Rounding out October

2009-10-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everybody! -M

Shopping for Dynamite - Book Release

2009-10-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

After almost a year of working on this project, I am happy to announce the release of my first coffee table book "Shopping for Dynamite - A Brotherly Adventure to South America." The book documents, through photographs and stories, the six month journey my brother and I made in 2008 backpacking throughout the whole of South America. Hope you all get an opportunity to check it out. Anxious to hear what you all think and please...Spread the word. Thanks. -M

Buy it here.

Looking back on October

2009-10-21T14:24:00.001-07:00

I had an awesome October. Just came off an awe inspiring week in upstate New York when I attended the Eddie Adams Workshop Barnstorm XXII. I met a lot of amazing photographers and got a chance to show my work a lot of big wiggs in the journalism industry. I should have some photos up from last weekend soon. I love this time of year.

Week in Review

2009-09-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple new shots from the past week. I have been pouring all of my energy into getting my portfolio ready for the Eddie Adams Workshop coming up next week. I can not wait. It promises to be pretty intense. More to come...

Food for Thought

2009-09-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

"The camera relieves us of the burden of memory. It surveys us like God, and it surveys for us. Yet no other god has been so cynical, for the camera records in order to forget."

- John Peter Berger, an art critic, novelist, painter, and author.

A Week's Worth

2009-09-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

Coming off my football portraits last week, I have been pushing onward with the start of fall sports. It is nice to be busy again here at the paper. I'm looking forward to what comes next. I found out that I have been featured on the blog of a new up and coming fly fishing magazine called The Flyfish Journal. You can find the link here. The magazine is set to be on news stands throughout the states at the end of September and I will have numerous fly fishing photographs from my travels in South America expedition featured in their inaugural issue. Feel free to let them know what you think of my work. Best, -M

The Return of Prep Football and the Portrait Machine

2009-09-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

Well after a long summer, football season has finally arrived. Things are starting to get busy around the paper with the dawn of the new school year. Prep sports are getting underway and my newspaper, like so many others, does an annual prep football preview section to ring in the new season. I was assigned to shoot portraits of the new guys filling in the empty positions on varsity. I have been shooting nothing but portraits all week. Actually a fun change of pace for me. The last two are from another story about die-hard pro football fans. Getting ready for some football. Go Bears!

2009-09-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have always been a huge live music fan. As a high school student growing up in Chicago, there wasn't a summer weekend when I wasn't seeing a band in the city. Still to this day, I am consistantly watching my radar of when the next good band comes to town in anticipation of seeing them. So when our Daily Republic Tailwind editor Nick DeCicco approached me about trying to get press passes to this year's Outside Lands Music Festival, I was all about it. Getting them wasn't a guarantee, but it was worth a shot.

About two weeks before the show, we got the word that we had been approved and we started making our plans for the three day show. I have shot a couple big concerts before but nothing of this magnitude. So when I arrived after navigating the BART system, it took me a while to take it all in. The festival consisted of five music stages scattered throughout Golden Gate Park in downtown San Francisco. I wanted to show a variety of the acts that would be performing so Nick and I roughly planned out which acts we wanted to see and have me photograph. The festival organizers were very helpful towards the press, extending complementry food and beer but very firm in their rules when it came to shooting the musicians. Every band was accessible to shoot during their performance but the photographers would only have access to the front photo pit (infront of the audience front row seating) for the first three songs of a set. This was awesome and at the same time could be frustrating. Because of the very short amount of time, I had to join the scrum of photographers shooting frantically and try to get as many usable images as possible. Your constantly shooting, moving around, dodging other shooters and fighting for a good shooting angle. It was chaos but a hell of a lot of fun to be apart of. There is something to be said of experiencing a concert inches from the band members performing on stage. The festival was a gathering for celebration and it provided an endless supply of enthusiastic people and good photo opportunities. It was an experience I won't soon forget. -Mike

Check out more photos at our new media gallery at http://www.photo.dailyrepublic.net/?p=386

A Quick Pic

2009-08-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

I was on my way out the door from an assignment today and I came across this scene. Geese crossing the road. Nothing special. But the light was really nice and one falling behind gave a little hop to get to the other end. I kinda like this shot and I wanted to share it. -M

A Small Piece of the Puzzle - Studying Large mouth Bass in the Delta

2009-08-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

I recently did a story on my roommate Anna who is doing a study for her University of California Davis ecology grad program on large mouth bass in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It is a pretty cool study aimed at determining what effects the non-native bass are having on the native fish like the endangered delta smelt. This is just a small piece of the puzzle regarding water usage throughout the state. Anna had the fun part. With the help of her assistants, she has been catching these bass, worm and pole style and then performing surgery on them to implant tracking devices. It was a pretty crazy process to watch. It will be interesting to see what happens next when the data will start pouring in.

August and Everything After

2009-08-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

Another collection of photographs from a very overdue post. August like July was an incredibly slow month for us here at the paper. I have been taking the opportunity to put together a newer version of my Shopping for Dynamite book about the six month journey through South America with my brother Eric. The book is in it's final stages after countless edits and re designs. I will make an official post when it is completed. So for now here are some images that I have made lately. -M

California Reconnaissance

2009-07-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Ever since landing my job in Fairfield, California I have been hard pressed to get the time to go fly fishing. Regardless of the direction I could head, it would be a solid 2-3 hour drive to get to some decent trout streams. And with that knowledge, there always seemed to be something else occupying my attention. It was maddening. So when a scheduling change up at work allowed me a four day weekend, there was only one thing on my mind. I needed to get my line wet. My brother Eric is a pilot up in Alaska and after one of our weekly phone conversations, the idea of a road trip came up. One of the perks of his job is his ability to fly for free on Alaskan Airlines. I proposed a weekend fishing mission to the greater Yosemite National Park/Eastern Sierra mountains and he jumped at the idea. Weeks went by and all the necessary preparations were made. I picked Eric up at the San Francisco Airport around 11 p.m. and we decided to push on (4 hours) through the night driving all the way to Mammoth Lakes. Having never fished the area before, stopped at one of the local fly shops in the area called The Trout Fly and ended up getting the scoop from Granite, one of the knowledgeable guides in the shop. For the next three days we fished the Upper Owens River, Hot Creek and the Tuolumne River within Yosemite National Park landing countless 10-12 inch rainbows and brookies. Nothing to do cartwheels over, but it was a great opportunity to scratch the fly fishing itch, make some cool night photographs, explore the pretty scenery and catch up on each others lives while sharing a bourbon bottle between us.

Tahoe Sightseeing

2009-07-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, my morena Clara and I along with my two roommates Zach and Anna made a trek to Lake Tahoe to hike up Mt. Tallac. There was a great view from the top.

Harvest time

2009-07-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Harvest is in full swing here in California. Everywhere you can see the explosion of fruit stands along the roads and the numerous farmers markets in the small towns. Having started my own vegetable garden I now know the rewards of patience for letting your crop come into its maturity. What most people don't realize is that behind the scenes of the California law enforcement, another type of harvest is being conducted. The cultivating of marijuana. Eradication is a better word for it. Last week I was able to tag along with the Solano County Sheriff Department for a drug bust on a couple illegal pot gardens in the nearby hills of Pleasant Valley. This is nothing new for them. Every year law enforcement officials bust thousands of these gardens throughout the state. This time would be no different. The same protocol was applied. Find and identify the plants from helicopters in the air, organized your crew of undercover policemen and drug task force officers, and then send in the troops to disperse/arrest the growers on sight while eradicating the crops.

I was on hand to document the eradication of the plants. The law officials had identified about 6000 plant garden and by the time I had arrived, they had sent in their armed police officers to cut down and and haul out the goods. Unfortunately the press wasn't invited to this part of the event. We would have to wait at the drop point. The wait wasn't that long. Maybe twenty minutes. Then I looked up hearing the buzz of the on coming helicopter bringing in the drugs. It isn't everyday you have the county police placing thousands of marijuana plants at your feet. The familiar smell from college was engulfed all around us. As I stood on top of the awaiting dump truck I shot pictures as officers worked to free the plants from their transport nets. It was a surreal feeling to be crawling over literally hundreds of thousands dollars worth of drugs. I kept thinking it was so much fuss over such a simple plant. As I watched the officers pour diesel fuel over the massive pile of marijuana, I grabbed a six foot plant and had Vacaville Reporter photographer Rick Roach take a portrait of me. You never know when another opportunity like this would come again. Something tells me that living here in California, I won't have to wait to long. -M

A Lazy July

2009-07-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

It was pretty incredible. June seemed like such a busy month for assignments and then July came around and instantly there was almost nothing. It has been a blessing and a curse. Good because I have been avoiding going out into the 100 degree heat of Fairfield and have instead been devoting my time to revamping my Shopping for Dynamite book. It has been bad because I haven't been shooting much photos. Hence the lack of July posts. I figured I would post some of my favorites of the month here.

The Making of a Photo Illustration

2009-07-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to talk a little bit about a photo illustration that ran on the front this past week's Sunday Sports section of the Daily Republic. I was assigned early last week to photograph our sports department's picks for the Track Athletes of the Year, Daje Pugh and Dante Thomas of Fairfield High School. I love getting these type of portrait assignments. There are no rules for them and they allow me full control of the final outcome. They allow me to really think of creative ways to show individuals in a different way. Such was the case for photographing Daje and Dante. Both of these athletes had stellar track & field seasons this year. The story was focusing on their success in their hurdling events. I wanted to show them hurdling. Going to the track was too obvious of a place to photograph them. I wanted to put them in a not so common place. I find that coming up with the concept of a portrait photograph is usually half the battle. I found my idea for this image while driving past the water fountain in downtown Fairfield and seeing the kids playing in it. My thought process was that I wanted to show big kid athletes playing but at the same time look tough. I wanted to show them exploding through the water like they did to their opponents this past season. I felt the fountain would be the perfect canvas.

I called up each of them and told them my idea for the shoot. Both were up for it and we settled on a time to meet. I chose a time in the late afternoon when I knew that the light would be the best. Their were numerous things for this shoot that would be out of my control. Weather and the fountain. I arrived an hour earlier with fellow photographer Chris Jordan to test the light and to figure out how I was going to shoot Daje and Dante. Chris and I did some test shots with my portable light set up and determined which fountain jets I would have them jump through.

Once I had my exposure and lights dialed in, it was time to have Daje and Dante step in. We were at the mercy of the fountain. Each time the fountain shot off, I have Daje and Dante sprint and jump through a pre determined jet of water. This was the tricky part. It is very difficult to get both your subjects looking stellar in the same shot. As a photographer there is little I could do to help remedy this besides encouraging them to keep their eyes open or to direct how and when they should jump. My lighting consisted of two Nikon Speedlight strobes on stands: one at far camera left to counter the evening sunlight and one just to my right to add a little pop to their faces. These were triggered remotely by my pocket wizards. I would only get one flash burst per jump to light up my subjects. Therefore, I had to wait to squeeze the camera shutter at just the right moment. This process took many attempts to do. Despite the cool breeze and the oncoming sunset, Daje and Dante were good sports about their numerous runs through the fountain.

After the shoot, I returned to the Daily Republic Photo Department and began the final series of steps to make this photo illustration come together. I choose the best two images (see above) and spent a whole day working in Photoshop to carefully blend together these to images. Once my two subjects were together on the same canvas, I added extra jets of water to the background to enhance the overall impact of the image. The spray of the water made it really difficult to blend together. It was tedious work but in the end I was quite pleased with the results. -Mike Greener

Drag Racing against the Fuzz

2009-07-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

Top the Cops from Mike Greener on Vimeo.

This is a multimedia story I just completed for my newspaper about an unique, youth out reach program that the Fairfield, California Police Department is implementing into combating local street racing. It had been awhile since I last brought our HD video camera out to an assignment. I thought it turned out pretty good. -M

Vimeo for Everyone!

2009-07-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

A Bark in the Park from Mike Greener on Vimeo.

This is a video I did last fall about the community of pet owners that occupy the Lagoon Valley Dog Park in Solano County

I recently discovered this great alternative to youtube called Vimeo. I re uploaded this old video I did last fall on a local dog park. Hope you all like it. Best, -M

Sticking to his Goals

2009-06-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

For the past six months I have been following the progress of a local teenager's goal of losing weight. Sophomore Alfredo Ortega, 16, got a slap of reality back in December 2008 when his doctor found signs of diabetes and serious liver problems due to his obesity. From that point on, Alfredo decided he was going to make a change. Tipping the scales at 371 lbs be began a rigorous work out routine with his family members and continued to follow it daily since. Each month we would do an update of his progress. This week marked the end of our coverage of him when he reached his goal weight of 250 lbs. It was pretty incredible to watch him transform like this. When I first started shooting him he was incredibly self conscious about his image and would never smile. As you can tell from his big grin above, he has found his smile. When asked what he was going to do next he said he was off to Disneyland with his family. He earned it.

Old Love

2009-06-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

This was from an assignment I shot the other day about a elderly Fairfield couple, Jim Davis and his fiancee Barbara Gregory, who met over the Internet and were now getting married. They had me over for a tour of their home and to tell of how they met. Jim is the biggest pack rat I have ever seen. Collections of stuff was everywhere. Antiques galore from floor to ceiling. Both of them loved to talk and flirt with each other. They reminded me of a couple of high school students; laughing and giggling the entire time. They were a riot. I had them sit at there dining room table and tell stories of how they met online. "I knew I would marry him when he cleared a wall for my photographs," said Barbara about the wall behind her fiancee. I thought it was cute that after all this time, they had finally found each other and I felt that this shot really captured their relationship. Ah, the power of the Internet.

Getting my Wings

2009-06-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had an opportunity to spend the day riding along on a C-17 Globemaster cargo jet for a media day with the United States Air Force. The event was all part of a military training operation called HYDRA created to give contingency response units such as the 615th Contingency Response Wing of Travis Air Force Base the chance to train with other Air Force units and services on quickly setting up and coordinating operations between multiple small airfields. This training would simulate how well the participants would respond to getting humanitarian supplies into an isolated region struck by an earthquake. It was also a chance for the military to show off it's capabilities to the working press.

I had only previously been in these planes during airshows growing up. Now the opportunity to fly in one while being in the cockpit (especially when they would be doing an in flight refueling) was too cool to pass up. We spent the whole day flying around to different dirt landing fields and dry lake beds throughout southern California. My job was to document it. A long but entertaining day.

The Classes of 2009

2009-06-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy week running around shooting all of the local high school graduations here in Fairfield.

Sport Season Enders

2009-06-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

After these last couple of weeks shooting high school sport playoffs, my arms have developed a tan line that a farmer would be proud of. The job has been keeping me busy. Here's a long overdue update.

Light Pollution - How Solano County uses Light at Night

2009-06-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent documentry project I finished up here at work. I have included the page layout from how it ran in the paper too. Best, -M

Artificial light allows Solano County residents to continue doing the tasks of daily life long after the sun sets. But the luxury of light comes at a cost - it dims the starry grandeur of the night sky and, when used improperly, wastes energy. Light pollution foes advocate using only the amount of light that is needed and focusing it on the areas where it's needed. As Solano County continues to grow, communities must decide how much light is needed for safety, advertising and other hallmarks of modern life. They must decide how much is too much.

Hope

2009-06-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

This guy's reaction is a mirror image of how I am feeling. I've finally figured out how to make my photos bigger. More improvements to come.

Enjoying the Weather

2009-05-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Row your Boat

2009-04-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

One of the nice things about working at a newspaper is that the assignments tend to be very random. This past couple of days definately fit into that mantra. It started off with a story on a women's whale boat rowing team. These women were training in the Bay for an upcoming race paddling 80-year-old whaling boats with massive oars. They were pretty intense and a lot of fun to shoot. Grunts and all. From there I ended up shooting some portraits of retiring teachers/coaches and a preview picture for the upcoming Wizard of Oz musical opening up this weekend in Fairfield. Baseball season is in full swing. Top off the list with a wine 'n' dine, an airforce spouse home makeover and a kids fishing derby. Never a dull moment in the news biz. Things are going well. -M

The last week or so in Pictures

2009-04-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Cousin Alarm Clocks

2009-04-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

I realize just how absent I've been from my blog postings. I've been telling myself that I will try to be better. With all the beautiful spring weather that has befallen upon Davis, I have been distracted and have spent most of my free time outside. So to bring it up to speed, I want to show you what I have been up to. For the last week I have been down in Los Angeles attending a sports photography workshop called The Sportsshooter Academy. It was a week long hands on workshop where not only did I get to work with some of the leading sports photographers in the country but I was able to ask questions, get my work critiqued by them and overall try to grow as a photographer. I found it to be a worthwhile experience and left it feeling inspired. During my week there, I was lucky enough to be able to stay at my cousins home with his family in Irvine. His kids, Tucker, 8, and Piper, 4, I had only previously known when they were infants and through the family grapevine. It was a lot of fun getting to know them now that they could have a conversations. I was quick to learn that these conversations would usually happen early in the mornings when at 6 am sharp they both would spring from there beds and go wake up their cousin Mike. I didn't get much sleep last week between the long hours at the workshop and the interupted rest at my cousins home. Still, they were a lot of fun. I learned how to lose at handball from Tucker and was re introduced to drawing with crayons in the early morning hours with Piper.

2009-03-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Recent Work

2009-03-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Samplings of Summer

2009-03-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

This shot is from an assignment the other day about the arrival of the carnival at a local mall. Growing up in the Midwest, most people don't even mutter the word carnival until at least the beginning of May. You can imagine how much of a surprise it was to learn that in California most traveling carnival shows have been going at full speed since mid January. Just like that, summertime is almost upon us here in California.