Pictures I Like-from last weekend
Honor guard members carry the casket during the funeral for 1st Lt. Damon Leehan at Henderson Hills Baptist Church on Thursday, August 25, 2011, in Edmond, Okla. Leehan was killed in Afghanistan Aug. 14, when a military vehicle he was riding in struck an IED. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
There has been plenty to photograph and some sad and interesting news stories in the Oklahoma City Metro area in the last week or so. You can follow these links to read stories about Mississippi Kites in Noble, Oklahoma, Officer Chad Peery, who made an appearance at an Oklahoma City RedHawks game, and Byron Rivera, who talked to The Oklahoman for a story about his son Crystian Rivera.
You can click these links to see pictures from events like the Cardboard Boat Regatta, funerals for 1st Lt. Damon Leehan and 2nd Lt. Joe Cunningham or see all the galleries from the Photo Department at The Oklahoman.
Oklahoma City police officer Chad Peery and sons McKade, 6, left, and Morgan, 4, are greeted by members of the Oklahoma City RedHawks as Peery rolls down the third-base line in his wheelchair while rounding the bases after the third inning as part of the "Home Run for Life" promotion during the minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City RedHawks and the Iowa Cubs at RedHawks Field at Bricktown in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. Peery was left paralyzed after being beaten while trying to break up a fight at bar earlier this year. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
Kristy Wicker releases a recovered Mississippi kite at WildCare on Thursday, August 25, 2011, in Noble, Okla. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman
Byron Rivera, the father of Crystian Rivera, reacts as he talks about his son during a meeting with Staff Writer Tiffany Gibson at The Oklahoman on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011. Crystian Rivera has been arrested in connection with the death of his ten-month-old sister. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Leah Sparks helps her son Kye Sparks, 6, out of their boat during Edmond's Cardboard Boat Regatta at Arcadia Lake in Edmond, Okla., Saturday, August 27, 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Recent unpublished pictures
The Honor Guard stands at attention as the casket of 1st Lt. Damon Leehan is unloaded from a plane at the Oklahoma Air National Guard near Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Sometimes there just isn’t enough room in the newspaper for all the pictures that we take. I’ve written about this before, but to put it in perspective, in the last 20 days, we’ve put roughly 1,900 pictures into the Merlin archive system. 1,400 or so were never published in the paper, although many of those have been seen online in our photo galleries, in blog posts or in slideshows.
Here are a few of the many pictures that you may not have seen in the newspaper.
Yukon's Derek Deeds reaches for the ball but comes up short during a high school football scrimmage at Putnam City in Oklahoma City, Friday, August 19, 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Generals cornerback Cheyenne Williams (81) is greeted by his girlfriend, Claribel Zamudio, after a scrimmage at U.S. Grant High School on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011. Photo by Zach Gray, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Swim bike run
Athletes race into the water to start the Arcadia Lake Triathlon and Aquabike at Arcadia Lake in Edmond, Oklahoma on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
It’s not often that I get to work as the sun rises while wearing crocs and swim trunks, but if there’s a triathlon in one of the area lakes, I get to do just that. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the Arcadia Lake Triathlon and Aquabike in Edmond last weekend.
You can see more images of the triathlon by clicking here, or you can follow this link to see more photo galleries from assignments around the Oklahoma City metro area. Remember that you can get a closer look at any picture featured on Alternate Crop by clicking on the image.
Spectators watch a close race as Brad Steele (left) and Boz Anderson (#218) sprint toward the finish lineduring the Arcadia Lake Triathlon and Aquabike at Arcadia Lake in Edmond, Oklahoma on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
Boz Anderson swims toward shore during the Arcadia Lake Triathlon and Aquabike at Arcadia Lake in Edmond, Oklahoma on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Rowing on the river
Rowers compete during the USRowing Masters National Championships on the Oklahoma River, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Staff Photographers covered the USRowing Masters National Championships on the Oklahoma River over the last weekend. You can watch a video of the competition by clicking here, or you can click here to see more images from The Oklahoman’s photography department.
Rowers compete during the USRowing Masters National Championships on the Oklahoma River, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Marilyn Faranzen with the Minneapolis Rowing Club cheers on rowers during the USRowing Masters National Championships on the Oklahoma River, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
A team from Fairmount/Nashville after winning the Men's Heavyweight AA 2x Final during the USRowing Masters National Championships on the Oklahoma River on Friday, Aug. 12, 2011. Photo by Zach Gray, The Oklahoman
A member of the Malta Boat Club team hangs his head after breaking an oar in the Men's Lightweight C 2x race final during the USRowing Masters National Championships on the Oklahoma River on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011. Photo by Zach Gray, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
Pictures I Like-getting caught up
Honor guard carries the flag draped coffin during the funeral for 2nd Lt Jered Ewy, 33, of Edmond, at Henderson Hills Baptist Church, Thursday, August 11, 2011. Photo by David McDaniel, The Oklahoman
In the last 12 days, the War in Afghanistan has affected families close to home, we’ve had swings in the weather between extreme heat and severe storms, OU and OSU started up the football season, students went back to school and grass fires started around the Oklahoma City Metro area.
Here’s a couple of pictures that stood out over the last two weeks. You can see all of our photo galleries by clicking here.
Music teacher Amy Thomas greets students arriving by bus as a thunderstorm moves through on the first day of school at Rose Union Elementary in the Deer Creek School District in Oklahoma City Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011. Photo by Paul B. Southerland, The Oklahoman
Norman firefighters work to put out a fire that totally involved numerous apartments at 1111 Oaktree Avenue on Friday, August 5, 2011, in Norman, Okla. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman
Scott Sanchez prays over Manuel Garcia, a homeless man, after providing him with water from the City Rescue Mission in Oklahoma City Friday, Aug. 5, 2011. Photo by Garett Fisbeck, The Oklahoman
Two women walk to further inspect a large fire in Edmond on Saturday, August 6, 2011. Photo by Zach Gray, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
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
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
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
