Mid South Wrestling
Zack Whitaker, age 8, poses with his toy championship belt prior to an event at the Golden Goose Flea Market Event Center in Midwest City on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. Whitaker says his dream is to be a wrestler. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Over the last month or so I’ve been collecting photos and audio from a group of wrestlers at the Golden Goose Flea Market and Event Center in Midwest City. The events are held every two weeks at the event center. The story ran in Sunday’s newspaper, but I realized driving back from Holdenville today that I hadn’t blogged about the slideshow I made of the wrestlers.
I’ve included two of my favorite images here, but you can watch the entire slideshow here.
A member of TMS or "Too much Sexy," Stephan Katz, who wrestles as Seth Allen, poses for the crowd at the Golden Goose Flea Market Event Center in Midwest City on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
More State Fair
My daughter and I split an order of curly fries at the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair onThursday, Sept. 17, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
In years past I spent so much time working at the Tulsa State Fair that I was sick of it by the time my wife wanted to go. This year I got the family out to the fair early on Friday, and then went to work on Sunday for the paper. Here’s a picture that I like from Sunday evening. You can see a gallery of pictures from the fair as well as this weekend’s football games by clicking here.
Waiting in line for a ride, Kayla Melher (right) and her sister Olivia, wear glasses they bought on the midway during the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
2009 Oklahoma State Fair opens Thursday
Carnival worker Tyrone Mosley sets up stuffed prizes in his midway booth, Tubs of Fun. Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009. Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman
For the last two days we’ve photographed vendors and business owners setting up for the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair. We’ll have a photographer at the fair everyday and Doug Hoke, the Director of Photography at The Oklahoman, wants to see a photo gallery everyday.
Josh Minshull, an employee of Express Ranch, uses a step ladder to reach the top of Troy, one of the Express Ranch Clydesdales during a bath before the 2009 Oklahoma State Fair at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. Troy, Minshull said it takes 20-30 minutes to wash each horse. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Health care rallies
People on both sides of the health care debate held rallies at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
People in favor of a public option gathered on the south side of the Oklahoma State Capitol at around noon on Sunday, after a short march. A few hours later, people opposed to the legislation gathered on the other side of the building. I collected several images from the afternoon, and paired it with a counterpart from the opposing rally.
-John Clanton
The Moving Wall
James Krick, a veteran from Shawnee, Okla., looks at The Moving Wall exhibit, a replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, at Woodland Park in Shawnee , Okla., on Sunday, August 23, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
When I was a kid, my father, a Vietnam Veteran, took his family to see The Moving Wall when it came to Veteran’s Park in Tulsa. I was young, and I’m sure I didn’t fully comprehend or appreciate what I was seeing. My dad, like many Vietnam veterans, knew people back in 1968 whose names are now on the wall. I remember thinking that for such a large exhibit, the names were very small.
A bottle of beer left near a flag at The Moving Wall exhibit, a replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, at Woodland Park in Shawnee , Okla., on Sunday, August 23, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
I’m 23 years older, with a family of my own now, so the wall was infinitely more meaningful to me, seeing it at a park in Shawne, Okla., on Sunday afternoon. Most people around me were in their church clothes, looking at the wall, touching it and taking pictures. Photographing it for the newspaper, I wanted to keep in mind the small type on the wall, and how many names it takes to fill the panels.
Mary Morse, of Shawnee, is reflected in The Moving Wall exhibit, as she look at the memorial, a replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, at Woodland Park in Shawnee , Okla., on Sunday, August 23, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Prep Photo Day
Three times a year the Sports Department invites metro-area high school coaches to bring themselves and their players into The Oklahoman’s offices for picture day. We catalogue the pictures for use in our Prep Grid every week or when players achieve something outstanding in their sport. Then we use the pictures in the paper or on NewsOK.com. For nearly four years of working here, I’ve somehow managed to miss this assignment. Wednesday afternoon, though, I loaded up lights, background, light stands and background stands, extension cords and cameras and hauled them to the banquet hall of our offices in Oklahoma City for Prep Photo Day.
Several participants accurately described the process as they walked toward the “X” I had marked on the carpet. “mug shots…like in jail.” Exactly. With nearly 400 people showing up to have their pictures taken, we need a way to elimiate mistakes. Each person holds a piece of paper with their name, high school and sport written on it. That way, when I write the cutlines, the chances of getting the names wrong goes down drastically.
Just a few pictures in, I decided to keep an eye out for interesting moments. Most of the high school boys try to look tough, while their teammates stand behind me, trying to get them to smile. A couple of girls from Blanchard, Okla., ask me to take funny pictures. One coach suggested I take a picture “like this” as she held her name card in front of her face. Two girls asked for a picture together, and a kid from Santa Fe South High School was just dazed by how bright the lights were.
I put together a video of all 380 athletes and their coaches. You can see all 779 pictures in less than a minute, while it took nearly 5 hours to photograph them all.
-John Clanton
Stained Glass
Here’s a quick video that I posted this morning about the art of stained glass. I tried to show a little bit of the process behind the windows you might see at church on Sunday.
-John Clanton
People on Sundays
Antonio Aguirre fulfills a promise as he and his family visit the National Shrine Infant Jesus of Prague at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Prague, Oklahoma on Sunday, August 2, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Antonio Aguirre promised he would do this. He stands in line after Mass with his daughter, Galilea, strapped into her car seat, waiting for his turn to approach the National Shrine Infant Jesus of Prague. Like other visitors to Mass at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church on Sunday, Antonio, who lives in Oklahoma City, wants a chance to touch the robes of the small Shrine. He stands at the front of the sanctuary for several minutes, bending his head close to his daughter. He gets Galilea out of her car seat and holds her up to the Shrine. A family member gently touches Galilea’s forehead and cheek with the tiny robes.
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, located in Prague, Oklahoma, about an hour east of Oklahoma City, celebrated the 60th Anniversary of becoming a National Shrine on Sunday, August 2, 2009. There was Mass, a barbeque lunch, Novena Prayers, and outside, a small carnival with horseshoes, inflatable toys and volleyball games.
Inside the church, Antonio’s family moves aside, letting others take their turn. We quickly find a bilingual teenager to translate for us. “He says he promised he would bring the baby when she was two weeks old.” says the teenager as Antonio speaks in Spanish. “Promised who?” I ask. Nodding toward the shrine he says, “Him.”
-John Clanton
Media-Out of Play
Members of the media stand "out of play" during a training exercise at the former post office building near SW 5th and Hudson in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Both of you may have noticed some commotion outside the old post office building on SW 5th in Oklahoma City on Wednesday morning. Oklahoma City Police and other emergency responders were participating in a training exercise inside the building, which they called ‘Fawlty Towers.’ Mock terrorists took over Fawlty Towers, complete with volunteers, mock injuries and mock fatalities. I joined other photographers and reporters behind the Out of Play signs and tried to make pictures of the event.
I caught a flashlight right in the lens as I joined other news photographers in following Oklahoma City Police Officers search through rooms at Fawlty Towers. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Eventually, the media joined the officers as they searched the first floor of Fawlty Towers. We photograph assignments like this fairly regularly, whether its Oklahoma City Police, Oklahoma County Sheriffs department or local fire departments. Police and firefighters take their training seriously, so it’s important to show that in the pictures. But it’s also important to give some perspective to the event. I tried to include something in these pictures to make it obvious that this is training. Sometimes it can be as simple as composition, but in this case, most of my pictures include members of the media, and one of them includes my own reflection.
News photographers watch as Oklahoma City Police Officers search through rooms at the old post office building during a training exercise at the building near SW 5th and Hudson in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
To see more pictures from this assignment, and other photo galleries, click here.
-John Clanton
People On Sundays
Jay Miles holds his son Jay Jr., as they spend time together on the shores of Lake Hefner on Sunday, July 19, 2009. By John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Jay Miles relaxes on the trunk of his car under a shade tree. Behind him, sailboats take to the water at Lake Hefner. “We like the breeze. Don’t have to worry about the heat,” said Jay, who explains that the family visits shady spots at the lake almost every day. Jay and his wife Melydia talk about their car, a 1973 Impala that Jay is remodeling, about the boats, car shows in the summer, and about their young son, Jay Jr., who manages to crawl into the front seat as we talk.
-John Clanton
