…and a golden Elvis
A collection of Elvis Presley decorations in a storefront window in downtown, Perry, Oklahoma on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
I pulled into a parking space in downtown Perry, Oklahoma on Tuesday afternoon after photographing some minor storm damage following severe thunderstorms the night before. In a storefront window a few doors down from the Kumback Cafe, was a collection of Elvis Presley figurines, including a bright gold one that caught my eye. I’d been to Perry and the Kumback Cafe before to make this slideshow, but somehow I missed the golden Elvis.
Here’s a photo gallery with images from storm damage in Perry and around the Oklahoma City metro area. Remember that you can click on any image featured on Alternate Crop to get a closer look.
-John Clanton
Back to school on the southside and elsewhere
Teacher Marcie Levy-Escobar gets a hug from former student Estfany De La Fuente, who graduated in 2010, during the Back 2 School Bash at Santa Fe South Charter High School in Oklahoma City on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. De La Fuente was at the school helping her cousin, who is a freshman this year. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Students in different school districts around the Oklahoma City metro area started school last week. At Santa Fe South Charter High School, students start the year with the Back 2 School Bash. Students and teachers get a chance to talk, look over their class schedules and pick up school uniforms a few days before the school year gets started.
I photographed the Back 2 School Bash and the first day of classes for a story by Ginnie Graham at the Tulsa World and the Oklahoma Watch project. You can read Ginnie’s story by clicking here, or take a look at more back to school images collected by staff photographers at The Oklahoman.
Senior student Naomi Cerda gets a hug from her teacher, Cleda Spaeth (at left) while a classmate, Dimitri Wortham (right) holds Naomi's five-month-old son, Adriel Hernandez, during the Back 2 School Bash at Santa Fe South Charter High School in Oklahoma City on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Student Council President Dimitri Wortham (center) and secretary Angie Mata (left) join other members of the student council to form a tunnel with their arms for parents and students to pass through as they are greeted at the front door during the Back 2 School Bash at Santa Fe South Charter High School in Oklahoma City on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Sophomores Laura Ortiz (center) and Monica Serna (right) compare their schedules as they talk in the hallway during the Back 2 School Bash at Santa Fe South Charter High School in Oklahoma City on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Grassfire claims Edmond homes
Firefighters tried to save George Reich’s home as it was engulfed in flames on Blackjack Lane, Saturday. They ran into his home only to quickly retreat and on their way out grabbed seven family photographs from the hallway wall. They were the only items saved from the home.
I found Reich Sunday morning picking through the rumble searching for anything of value. Oklahoman photography intern Zach Gray and photographer Bryan Terry also met Reich Saturday evening as Blackjack Lane burned.
George Reich tries to salvage items after his home on Blackjack Lane was destroyed by wildfire in Edmond, Okla., Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011. A wildfire burned 1,000-acre blaze and several homes Saturday. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman.
George Reich walks past the burning remains of his neighbor's house on Blackjack Lane in Edmond, Okla., Saturday, August 6, 2011. Reich's home was also a complete loss. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
George Reich's motorcycle his home was destroyed by wildfire on Blackjack Lane in Edmond, Okla., Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011. Photo By Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
The large grassfire claimed seven homes and three mobile homes around the Coffee Creek area in Edmond, Okla. See The Oklahoman photographs from Saturday and Sunday by clicking the links below.
Watch a video on the fires by clicking here
-Sarah Phipps
Farewell to the summer interns
Derius Brown, 9 of Yukon, dunks his head underwater at Will Rogers Park in Oklahoma City Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
This summer three photography students joined The Oklahoman Photo department as interns; Zach Gray, from Oklahoma State, Garett Fisbeck from the University of Central Oklahoma and Ashley R. West from the University of Oklahoma. Friday is their last official day as interns. Here’s a few our favorite images they produced that you may not have seen on Alternate Crop before.
Hopefully, we gave them a chance to photograph the different types of assignments that news photographers are typically sent to. You can see more images from the 2011 summer interns and staff photographers at The Oklahoman by clicking here. There have been a couple of new slideshows recently too, including one about the Oklahoma City Royals senior softball team, by Garett Fisbeck.
James Paul looks around at some of the more than 6,000 owls on display in the home that he shares with his wife, Doran Barrett, on Wednesday, June 29, 2011. Both Paul and Barrett are deaf and recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. Photo by Zach Gray, The Oklahoman
Steve Bearfoot participates in the parade during the Red Earth Festival at the Cox Convention Center Friday, June 2, 2011. Photo by Ashley R. West, The Oklahoman
Jerry Dyre greats teammates on his way in to the dugout during a game at the Plex in Oklahoma City, July 19, 2011. Dyre played for the Oklahoma City Royals because they were short one person. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
Tell Judkins wipes his eyes after resurfacing at Lake McMurtry near Stillwater on Friday, July 8, 2011. The group was looking for catfish to enter into the 12th Annual Okie Noodling Tournament in Pauls Valley, Okla. Photo by Zach Gray, The Oklahoman
Anna poses in Tribal print clothing near the Oklahoma River and the Chesapeake Boathouse in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Photo by Ashley R. West, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Macro photography-Heat Dome version
A Blue Hawaiian sno-cone melts in he sun in Edmond on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
As you’ve read before on Alternate Crop, I’ve been using our “pool” 50mm macro lens, which can focus closer than my 50mm @ 1.8. For the really close pictures like these (except for the fish picture), I take the lens off and hold it up to the lens mount backwards. Focusing is a little more difficult with a reversed lens because you have to physically get the camera closer or farther away from the object to change the focus.
Here’s a few images I’ve collected over the last couple of days. You can see more macro photography posts by clicking here, or you can click here to see some of the hot weather images we gathered in the record-setting month of July.
An insect chewed holes through this sunflower leaf at the Dorothy Day Center at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Oklahoma City on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
A fish lies dead in the sun after water receeded from Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
A dried out plant lies near a crack in the ground on a beach at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
A camp without limits
Shaylin Wells, age 12, of Jenks, Okla., gets rolled around in a padded tube during a summer class camp at Mat Trotters Gymnastics in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Oklahomans Without Limits (OWL) is a summer camp for kids who are blind or visually impaired. The camp pairs each visually impaired child with a sighted buddy for the week long camp. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
I take my daughter to gymnastics class every week. As soon as she walks in and sees the equipment and the coaches, she can’t wait to get her shoes off and get into the gym. At first, it was a very different experience for a group of children who visited Mat Trotters Gymnastics in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The kids, who are blind or visually impaired, visited the gym as part of the Oklahomans Without Limits summer camp. Some of the kids had never been to an overnight camp or a gymnastics gym before and couldn’t see what awaited them.
They walked gingerly on the soft, carpeted floors and felt of the balance beams and the padded obstacles. Before long, and with help from their sighted “buddies,” the campers were accustomed to their surroundings and having fun. They rode zip lines, jumped into foam pits and walked on the balance beams. But the most heartwarming moments happened when the campers were able to “fly” while strapped into a harness and hoisted into the air. That’s when I saw some familiar expressions of joy.
You can read the story by clicking here, or you can see more images from the Oklahomans Without Limits summer camp by clicking here.
Kane Barton, age 16, of Oklahoma City, who is visually impaired, "flies" in a harness at Mat Trotters Gymnastics in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Oklahomans Without Limits (OWL) is a summer camp for kids who are blind or visually impaired. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Unpublished Fashion Show
Marjorie Maupin (foreground) takes pictures as she and other guests watch models walk down the runway during a fashion show called Insight, a celebration of Culture and Style at National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
I had fun photographing a fashion show a few weeks ago. I’ve had fashion show assignments before, but never one that was this organized. As usual, I left my strobes in the trunk of the car and tried to take advantage of the interesting, and sometimes difficult, available light in the room. There’s not going to be room for these pictures in the newspaper, so I’ll show a few here.
The show, which was held at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, featured modern styles inspired by traditional Afghan and Rwandan attire. Students from Oklahoma State University designed and created some of the clothing featured in the show. All proceeds from the event benefit The Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women and their program called Peace Through Business.
You can see more pictures by Staff Photographers at The Oklahoman by following this link, or take a look at what’s in the Mood section of NewsOK.com.
A guest gets a close look at clothing desgned by and OSU student during a fashion show called Insight, a celebration of Culture and Style at National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
A model walks down the runway during a fashion show called Insight, a celebration of Culture and Style at National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. The show featured modern styles inspired by traditional Afghan and Rwandan attire. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
A model walks down the runway during a fashion show called Insight, a celebration of Culture and Style at National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Kimberly McCullough carries a dress designed by an OSU student to a potential customer during a fashion show called Insight, a celebration of Culture and Style at National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
World Cup of Softball 2011
The sun sets during the championship game of the World Cup of Softball between the USA and Japan at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Monday, July 25, 2011. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
Staff Photographers at The Oklahoman have been covering the World Cup of Softball out at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City for the past several days. The tournament ended with a 6-4 victory for the USA over Japan in the championship game Monday night.
Below are a few images from the competition that you may have missed. You can follow these links to see images from Team USA’s games against the Czech Republic, Canada, Australia, Saturday’s game against Japan, and Sunday’s win over Great Britain. You can also click here to see more photo galleries by staff photographers.
Kelly Grieve (2) slides into first after attempting to steal during the World Cup of Softball at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City on Friday, July 22, 2011. The USA beat Australia 5-2. Photo by Zach Gray, The Oklahoman
Michelle Moultrie (15), a left-fielder for team U.S.A., dives for a ball during a game between The United States and Great Britain at the World Cup of Softball at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Sunday, July 24, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
Magdalena Loudova (12) of the Czech Republic misses a catch for an error during a game in the World Cup of Softball at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Thursday, July 21, 2011. The USA beat the Czech Republic, 7-2. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
USA pitcher Keilani Ricketts (10) catches the ball tossed from catcher Ashley Holcombe (23) as Japan's Eri Yamada (11) slides home to score in the first inning during a game in the World Cup of Softball between the USA and Japan at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Saturday, July 23, 2011. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
OKC Royals Living Life to the Fullest
Players of the Oklahoma City Royals pray before beginning a game at the Plex Sports Complex in Oklahoma City, July 5, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
For the last few weeks, I have spent some quality time with an extraordinary group of gentlemen.
The Oklahoma City Royals are a group of 75+ senior softball players that get together every Tuesday night to fellowship and play the sport they love.
Sports intern Tariq Lee and I worked on this story together. I produced a slideshow separate from his story and we somehow came out at the end of it with a great package that is featured in the sports section of the Oklahoman and on its very own nDepth page on NewsOK.com.
One of the most profound moments I witnessed while doing this project was when one of the guys pulled out a piece of paper with the name of a condition he had been diagnosed with. He had to write it down so he could remember what it was called and tell the other guys about it.
A player for the Oklahoma City Royals reads a new condition that he has been diagnosed with, Polymyalgia rheumatica, to his fellow teammates at the Plex Sports Complex in Oklahoma City, July 5, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
The condition was polymyalgia rheumatica, a syndrome with pain or stiffness, usually in the neck, shoulders, and hips.
I was inspired by the positive outlook of the players. I won’t ruin any more of the story for you, I’ll just say that I hope I’m this cool when and if I turn 80-years-old.
Check out Tariq’s story and my slideshow here: OKC’s Boys of Summer
Ray Rowland gets ready to bat during a game at the Plex in Oklahoma City, July 19, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
Loal Buttram runs onto the field during a game at the Plex Sports Complex in Oklahoma City, July 5, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
The Next Step is free
This photograph, featured on pages 20 and 21 of a new book called "The Next Step", shows Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook dunking in front of the Milwaukee Bucks' defense at The OKC Arena in Oklahoma City. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
A new book titled The Next Step, published by the OPUBCO Communications Group, features images and stories from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2010-2011 season. Graphic Designer Matt Clayton designed the book and filled it with images from staff photographers at The Oklahoman and stories about the team from staff writers in the Sports Department. Here are a few of the images that appear in the book and a preview of a few of the pages.
The Next Step will be available for free at convenience stores around the Oklahoma City metro area starting on Saturday, July 23, 2011. You can read more about the Thunder by clicking here, or you can follow this link to see more pictures by The Oklahoman’s Photography Department. You can also get a closer look at any picture featured on Alternate Crop by clicking on the picture.
This layout on pages 10 and 11 features images of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (left) by Staff Photographer Sarah Phipps and Kevin Durant in action against the New York Knicks by Staff Photographer Bryan Terry (right)
Oklahoma City Thunder fans cheer as the Thunder score the first points of the game during the first round NBA Playoff basketball game between the Thunder and the Denver Nuggets at OKC Arena in downtown Oklahoma City on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (0) reacts during the first round NBA basketball playoff game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, April 17, 2011, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
Oklahoma City mascot Rumble the Bison slaps the hands of Thunder fans during the NBA basketball game between the Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City, Thursday, January 13, 2011. Oklahoma City won, 125-124. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
