Lester Seat exercises his two border collies, Scout, 3, and Kitt, 18 months, as they take advantage of sun and moderate temperatures at Andrews Park on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in Norman, Okla. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman

-Nate Billings…

A cormorant takes flight with a white pelican in the background at the Oklahoma City Zoo lake during its migration south in Oklahoma City, Thursday December, 8, 2011. Photo by Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman.

We’ve been a little behind on posting here lately. I hope this will start things back up.

Steve Gooch spent some time at the Oklahoma City Zoo earlier this month and made some nice pictures of birds at the lake. Here’s some of his shots, and you can see more in this photo gallery.

White pelicans make a stop at the Oklahoma City Zoo lake during its migration south in Oklahoma City, Thursday December, 8, 2011. Photo by Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman.

A group of white pelicans make a stop at the Oklahoma City Zoo lake during their migration south in Oklahoma City, Thursday December, 8, 2011. Oklahoman Photo by Steve Gooch

A cormorant takes flight at the Oklahoma City Zoo lake during its migration south in Oklahoma City, Thursday December, 8, 2011. Photo by Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman.

-Nate Billings…

Ron Millican stands under an umbrella near the door of the maintenance barn at C.B. Speegle Stadium in Oklahoma City before the high school football game between Del City and U.S. Grant on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

Here are a couple of pictures from Thursday night’s rain-soaked football games. In addition to high school football,  the Bronchos from the University of Central Oklahoma played Black Hills State at UCO in Edmond.
You can see more pictures from Thursday night’s game by clicking here.

UCO's Terrance Davis (1) is tackled by Black Hills' Joey Brown during the college game between the University of Central Oklahoma and Black Hills State at Wantland Stadium in Edmond, Okla., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman

-John Clanton

 …

Chalk artist Bobby Marsee creates a work of art, as Rose State College hosts a cultural fair as part of the 23rd annual Global Oklahoma festival at the Rose State College campus in Midwest City, OK, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. By Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman

In addition to the OU game against Ball State, photographers at The Oklahoman also staffed the Head of the Oklahoma Regatta, the 23rd annual Global Oklahoma Festival, a Czech Festival in Yukon, and the Homecoming festivities at the University of Central Oklahoma.

You can see all our photo galleries by clicking here.

Oliver Salowna, of the Dallas Rowing Club, shows off his "live to row, row to live," tattoo during the 2011 Head of the Oklahoma Regatta at the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City on Sunday, October 2, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

A rower carries his boat toward the Devon Boathouse after the 2011 Head of the Oklahoma Regatta at the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City on Sunday, October 2, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

-John Clanton…

Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs, Gen. (Ret) Rita Aragon stands on a chair and applauds while a song is played during a "Salute the Troops" event at First Southern Baptist Church in Del City on Monday, September 26, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

Staff photographers at The Oklahoman are getting ready to start another weekend of photographing high school and college football. Before that, though, here are a couple of pictures from the last few weeks that I think deserve another look. You can see all of our photo galleries by clicking here.

The sun sets behind Bethany High School freshman David Noriega as he plays with the high school band before Bethany and Washington played their high school football game in Bethany, Okla., on Friday, September 16, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

Freshman Angela Vargas gets a hug from student Kasra Kaidan (left) and Challenge Day staff member Romeo Marquez after Angela spoke to students during Challenge Day at Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. Challenge Day is a group building exercise to end bullying and other discipline issues. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

-John Clanton…

Lightning streaks across the sky during a weather delay before a college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane (TU) at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

Chris Landsberger, Sarah Phipps and I have been shooting weather pictures in Tulsa for the last three hours while waiting for the skies to clear so that Oklahoma State can play a football game against Tulsa. The scheduled 9pm start was already the latest college football game kickoff that I’d been a part of. If we get this going, it’ll be after midnight. More as it develops…

Fans clear the stands as a storm delays the start of the college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane (TU) at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

A fan waits out a rain delay before a college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane (TU) at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman

-Nate Billings…

Rides light up the Midway at the Oklahoma State Fair at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City on Thursday, September 15, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

There are plenty of pictures and stories to catch up on if you haven’t been to our photo galleries page lately. The Oklahoma State Fair is underway at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. We have photo galleries of Leon Russell’s concert and pictures from the fair on Friday. High school and college football continues as well. You can see images from Thursday night’s high school games or Friday night’s games in the metro.

Earlier this week I photographed the Goodwill Games at The Children’s Center in Bethany. Staff Writer Scott Wright wrote a story about some of the residents and patients at the Children’s Center and the obstacle course competition between Washington High School and Bethany High School. You can read Scott’s story by clicking here.

Chris Schatz reacts as he is pushed onto the field by nurse Sydney Stell (right) and music therapist Rachel Nowels at halftime of the high school football game between Bethany and Washington in Bethany, Okla., on Friday, September 16, 2011. Residents of The Children's Center played drums with the high school bands from Washington and Bethany. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

Ada's Dillon Holder (28) breaks away from a Grant defender during a high school football game between Ada and U.S. Grant at C.B. Speegle Stadium in Oklahoma City, Friday, Sept. 16, 2011. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

-John Clanton…

Noah Shemely, 11, dives into the pool at Pelican Bay Aquatic Center in Edmond, Okla., Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman

Before we get too far away from summer, there are a couple of pictures that deserve another look. These pictures are an abbreviated look at some of the topics that we photographed over the summer months, but for one reason or another, they haven’t been used on Alternate Crop.

You can see more pictures from The Oklahoman’s photo department by clicking here.

Dennis Portis, front, plays a game of horse shoes with Dianne McDaniel during a Neighbors Night Out event for the John F. Kennedy neighborhood in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Sept. 10. 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

The damage left behind on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011, in Oklahoma City, Okla. after the wildfires that cut a path through northeast Oklahoma City last week. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

Phoebe, a Chihuahua, is lowered into the water by her owner Leslie Kilgore, of Norman during the annual Pooch Pool Party at Westwood Waterpark in Norman on Sunday, September 4, 2011. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

-John Clanton…

Perched on a window screen, a robber fly eats a small moth in Oklahoma City. Photo by John Clanton, The Oklahoman

As both of you know, I’ve been trying to get good macro pictures in my spare time by reversing a 50mm lens. I’ve written a couple of blog posts about it. Staff Writer Ken Raymond recently wrote a story about a student at OU who puts my macro pictures to shame.

Thomas Shahan’s pictures have been published in magazines around the world and even sold to M.I.T. to be used in scientific textbooks. It was by looking at his macro pictures that I found out that the insect doing the eating in the picture above is called a Robber Fly.

You can see more pictures by staff photographers at The Oklahoman by clicking here. You can always click on photographs featured on Alternate Crop for a closer view.

-John Clanton…

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…