When Paths Cross

We've moved

2010-06-08T19:16:00.002-06:00

Dear Blogger,

Thank you for the memories and years of service. I liked you a lot during our time here, but I think it's time for us to part ways.

It's not you, but me. I swear.

Feel free to pop on over to the new digs at www.joshuabuckphotography.com/blog

Enjoy!

I'm Still Here

2010-02-04T00:06:00.002-07:00

I know, I know. It's been too long, right? Well, here's the reason. These past two months I've been working on launching TimesCallMedia.com.

While I've learned a lot and putting the pieces together have been frustrating at times, I can say that this project has been long overdue. For years I've wanted our photo staff at the Times-Call to have more of an online presence. And, here is the result. (It's still not done and some bugs have to be worked out.) The best part is the possibilities are endless and I hope this continues to grow in size and popularity. Feedback is welcome.

Enjoy and Happy (Belated) New Year.

Cold in Colorado

2009-12-09T22:26:00.004-07:00

Freezing. Frigid. Frozen. Brrr.

Thought the day before was cold, but -20 at 5 a.m. and -12 when I had the great idea to walk around the corner to take some photos. I actually felt my nose hairs freeze. Of course I forgot gloves because the string that my mom tied to the gloves, which run through my coat sleeves broke. How convenient on a day like today.

On a side note: I realized how long it takes for Nikon cameras become so cold you can barely hold them...about 30 min. And the battery that usually lasts 3 weeks is now 1/2 full (I'm an optimist) after a full day of shooting outside.

I love long underwear.

Mr. Mom

2009-11-23T20:31:00.003-07:00

Jeremy suspects some of the stay-at-home mothers he meets think he is gay. Others, including some men he was fishing with, asked if he has a disability that forced him to drop out of the workforce in order to watch his children full-time.

Neither of which can be further from the truth.

See, Jeremy is proud of the fact that he knows how to iron, cook and clean. More over, he is proud that his children are loved by him 24/7 and that his house is the cleanest on the block. He and his wife have a great relationship, he says, despite not seeing a lot of each other. Jeremy happily stepped down from his chef position when his wife landed a great job as a controller for a multi-national corporation and stepped up as a father. He also volunteers as a youth wrestling coach at night.

This was a story that I was happy to have two full days to photograph. With recent cutbacks in hours, workforce and overall resources, it seems as though we journalists at smaller papers don't have a lot of time to spend on story. But, once in a while we can get away with it. It also helps to have great co-workers to pick up assignments so we can actually spend time with a subject instead of throwing a quick flash up for a portrait.

It was funny when I told Jeremy I had a lot of time on my hands and that I could just hang out for the day. He quickly snapped back: "Dude, veg out like broccoli. I'm just happy to be talking with a dude."

Snow Day!

2009-10-28T22:12:00.002-06:00

Gotta love snow days, especially when you have a few hours to kill, a couple cameras and some compact flash cards in the pocket. Oh, the most important piece of equipment: a cupcake in the lunch box.

And the city desk loves it too, because well, they didn't have to beg us to go out and photograph weather art in Boulder County.

At least there's ice cream in Kansas

2009-10-24T17:00:00.002-06:00

Kansas wasn't very kind to the Colorado Buffaloes' football team today. Here in Manhattan, "The Little Apple," Kansas State whooped up on the ol' Buffs 20-6. Needless to say, it was pretty boring. The only thing that was remotely interesting was the quarterback flip flop, which left one Tyler Hansen scratching his head as he signaled in plays.

As for me, it was a pretty bad day on the photo front, too. I found myself out of position a lot, my frames weren't coming together and otherwise came out pretty standard. I hate standard, because well, I came all the way here. I ran a lot, lugged all this crap up stairs, down stairs, and still came away with a feeling that I just didn't do that well.

Oh well, there will be more games and at least there was ice cream at the end.

A Sign of the Times

2009-10-01T20:06:00.004-06:00

Bill Busch is dressed in a fresh pair of slacks, a finely starched white shirt with a gold Cross pocket pen and red power tie. He looks like he's heading into the office. Instead, I photograph him standing on one of the busiest street corners in Longmont - with a sign.

See, Bill Busch doesn't want a handout. He wants a job.

Sounds simple enough, right? But, for the 58-year-old professional who was laid off on Feb. 17, 2009, wanting a job and getting a job are a bit farther apart than he would like.

"It's getting down to crunch time," Busch says over the traffic noise.

There's desperate and then there's creative. Busch prefers creative. For this I am compelled to respect him. And, I'm sure to the thousands of drivers who passed him on this particular Tuesday the act looked desperate. But, they didn't stop to ask did they? It's a hard question to ask. I know, because I stopped to ask. Don't judge the book by a cover, for inside a desperate looking action just may be creative.

“I know the supply chain from start to finish,” says Busch. “Basically from the raw materials through manufacturing to the finished product in your hand.”

Who knows, someday soon I may be holding a similar sign saying: "I know the news photography business from start to finish..."

Friday Night Lights - Cheer Style

2009-09-18T21:54:00.004-06:00

A cheerleader standing over my shoulder said "Wow how cool!" Next thing I know 20 cheerleaders are standing over me, trying to sneak a peek at the back of my camera. I said the first thing that entered my mind: "I never had this many cheerleaders gather around me when I was in high school." They all started laughing at me, just like when I was a teenager. If I would have only known back then the way through a cheerleader's heart was to hang a camera over my shoulder I would have joined the yearbook staff. And for all you geeks meandering the halls of a high school wondering how to get the head cheerleader to notice you, I'll sell you one of my old cameras.

Football is back, baby

2009-09-04T21:44:00.004-06:00

I don't have much to say today other than football is back and I'm pretty excited about photographing preps, college and pro games. Out of all the sports I cover, football is far and away my favorite. It all started last Sunday when Jay Cutler, this time with the Chicago Bears in tow, came to Denver and mauled the Broncos. Tonight the defending Class 4A Colorado State Champs, the Wheat Ridge Farmers, came to Longmont and tilled some Niwot Cougars in the field. I don't know who's going to stampede away with the Centennial trophy thiw Sunday when Colorado faces Colorado State in the big rivalry game, but nonetheless, I'll be there. And what what would games be without the band? I shoot that too...sometimes. Come on fall weather. I'm ready.

Sen. Edward Kennedy

2009-08-26T09:25:00.002-06:00

I hadn't heard the news until I opened the paper this morning on my driveway. Sen. Edward Kennedy died Tuesday night, a year to the day after he surprised everyone at the Democratic National Convention. I can remember the electric feeling in the building that night. It was one of those moments that I will never forget, so this morning I felt compelled to dig up a couple frames.

The Great Debate - Health Care

2009-08-20T21:44:00.004-06:00

Health Care Reform - Images by Joshua Buck

Journalists are trained, and strive, to be objective every single day. I try my best when photographing everything be objective. I must show both sides. I must listen. I must keep it fair and truthful. It is my job to inform the readers and be creative without skewing the story.

This week I have been assigned two meetings with Colorado congresspeople, Jared Polis and Betsy Markey, as they met with constituents about health care reform. Even before these great debates came home, I was keeping tabs on the plan. Not because I am a news junkie, but because my wife works in preventative health care and her group specializes in the health care management for mainly indigent patients with chronic disease. While "preventative care" is sort of buzz word nowadays, just a few short months ago very few people gave a damn. To be honest I only have one question.

How will my family's life change when this happens?

I feel a little selfish thinking this way, but in the grand scheme of things we would be forced to restructure our entire lives if this change leaves us short. If you don't think change is coming, you're not keeping tabs. Because my friends, it's a comin'. I'm not saying it is good, nor am I saying it is bad. All I'm really saying is we must be prepared.

Vaca...what?

2009-08-13T09:04:00.002-06:00

Those of you who know me are privy to the fact that I hardly ever take a vacation. Nor do I ever post anything really personal on this blog. In fact, one of the last personal posts was April 2008, during my last real vacation. Needless to say, we were, and still are, overdue for a real long getaway. What we do manage to do is sneak away for a few days at a time.

I decided a month ago that for my 30th birthday I wanted to camp and hike near my childhood home outside of Fairplay, Colorado, mess around in Summit County and cap it off with a condo in Keystone. Little did I know that the Saturday before we were scheduled to leave, my wife planned a small surprise party with my closest friends and family after a round of golf here in Longmont. It was great to see everyone and I was embarrassed they all bore witness to my hack job up the 18th hole. But, I forgot real soon, as the 19th was way better.

Anyway, here are a few photographs, or snapshots really, from our quick trip. Now, off to do some freelance work to help pay for our spontaneous purchases, such as a boat rental on Lake Dillon. By the way, the golf courses in Keystone are awesome and pretty tough. I managed an 87, thanks in part to the new clubs my wife surprised me with...I just may go play again today.

New place, new face

2009-07-31T22:25:00.005-06:00

I've worked for this paper for over five years. One would think in that amount of time a news photographer would visit all the city office buildings within, oh, the first year at least. An assignment landed in my lap last week leading me to a new place and, yes, a new face.

One of the aspects of this job I love is not knowing where I'm going. As years pass I have find myself going to the same places with the same faces. Needless to say an assignment like this is refreshing. Why? Because the possibilities in buildings like these are endless. Stairs, skylights, colored walls, old yet modern, you name it, this place has it. I want every environmental portrait to in a place like this place. But they all can't be and that's just the way it is. In fact, I'm fairly certain that within the next few weeks a business photo assignment will come soon: "Man working at computer." How do you light that again?

Sweet, Sweet, Sweet

2009-07-23T19:39:00.006-06:00

I sit here wondering how many people know that the run-down sugar mill on the east edge of Longmont, Coloardo is still semi-operational. An editor on the desk tonight just asked why my photo looks so clean, because if you've seen the building, cleanliness is totally unexpected.

In fact, eight silos are still used to store sugar. Sweet. Every so often people have to get in the massive structures to clean. Sweet job, huh? Needless to say, injury could occur, (not so sweet) even to the best of the certified sugar cleaners. They should call that guy from the Dirty Jobs show. This would be sweet.

Anyway, the Longmont Fire Department's technical rescue team was there to practice today and one of the guys called me up to see if I wanted to tag along. A pretty sweet gig to photograph.

After a few hours of photographing through a really tiny hole, I was certain that if I fell off the "man mover," a vertical conveyor belt running a hundred feet up, that I was in good hands. This spurs another thought: A woman in our human resources office always says she doesn't want to know the "dangerous" things we do for photos. Some of these things she doesn't like? Flying in open helicopters, hanging your head out of a plane windows, watching live fire exercises, wading through floods, you know all the sweet things I've done. I'm pretty sure I won't be telling her about the "man mover," even though it was pretty sweet. I want one in my house...that would be freakin' sweet.

Trained and Ready: Colorado National Guard Troops Off To Iraq

2009-06-22T19:41:00.006-06:00

The sights. The sounds. It all seemed so real. And that is exactly what the Army strives for during Combat Readiness Exercises in Ft. Hood, Texas.

"We train how we fight," Lt. Col. Morris tells me as soldiers sprawl out across this huge military installation, training for missions in Iraq. "The harder we train them, the less complaining I get," he adds.

Not since WWII has the Colorado National Guard seen this big of a deployment.

And this is why I find myself in the hellish heat of Texas. I make the joke before landing that it even looks hot. I was informed later that we were there on a "cool" day. I would hate to see the sweat stains on a hot day.

The troops now have a few days of leave before embarking on a 10-month stint in the desert of western Iraq. I realize rather quick that I am photographing only a portion of their training and I long for more time. Not for myself, but for the people back home. I'm certain those loved ones were desperately wondering what living and training is like for soldiers in this hot and dusty place.

In the coming weeks these same soldiers will be in another hot and dusty place. Only this time the sights and sounds will be real. While we may not all agree on the war or the decisions being made, we must not forget that these soldiers and their families are our neighbors and they deserve support back home.

Flipin' you the birds

2009-06-11T22:02:00.002-06:00

Photography is like hunting.

Now, don't be so quick to draw conclusions - I don't have cammo pants, an orange vest, a gun or animal urine to mask my scent. What I do have for these early hunts are the essentials: A loaded breakfast burrito, a large cup of hot coffee, big lenses and a tripod. I should be a hunting guide for those weak city slickers who don't like the outdoors.

Now, what to hunt?

A few years ago a couple ospreys found a home near the Boulder County Fairgrounds outdoor arena. Apparently, they like monster trucks, tractor pulls, demolition derby and rodeo. I mean, what living creature doesn't? Rumor has it they stow away a six pack of Miller High Life and a tin of chewing tobacco for those special weeks in July and August. Anyway, some wildlife experts come in every once in a while to move their nest. Not to mess with the monogamous couple that comes back each year, but rather to keep them safe.

As I stalked my elusive prey my eyes began to wander. A gaggle of Canada geese passed nearby with their goslings, foraging for food. So, with one eye on the osprey nest, another eye on an osprey perched on nearby pole looking for trout and the other eye (yes, sometimes I have three eyes) on the geese, I managed to walk away with a couple photos of our feathered friends.

Not only did I make some photos, but I learned a lesson as well. Bring more coffee and masking your scent is obviously not for the birds.

'CATATUD'

2009-06-07T21:49:00.006-06:00

While gathering dishes scattered around a salvage yard in Longmont, Jennifer Greenspan spots a weeks-old kitten. She stops, whispers and motions to the skiddish kitten. She kneels down and ever so slowly, yet with quick cat-like hands, grabs the offspring of a huge tom cat roaming nearby. Meow.

"You've gotta have cattitude to do this," says Longmont's self-proclaimed feral cat savior. Greenspan's main goal is to feed, catch and fix feral cats.

But, the amount of money she spends on food each week, between $250 and $320, doesn't leave enough to cover vet fees for spay and neuter. There is one vet who allows her to bring two cats a week for fixing, though. Two cats is like a drop in a bucket. They're everywhere: under cars, in barns, old trailers, sheds, alleys...

“Once you see those animals, it stays in your head," she tells me as I photograph her on a recent trip.

As the little kitten with puss oozing from its eyes hangs out in a cage I ask Jennifer what she will name the kitten.

"Chance," she replies after pausing a moment. "Cause that's what she got today."

If you have a moment, feel free to view the audio slideshow below or read the story here.

A feral cat kinda mission

Graduations

2009-05-26T08:18:00.003-06:00

What to say about graduations? The district decides that all seven high schools that we regularly cover, not including the "alternative schools," should graduate on the same Saturday at the same time. This may not seem like a big deal, but we don't have seven photographers on staff and obviously we can't afford to hire more. We managed to scrounge up two stringers and I volunteered to cover two. This task makes for an interesting dash across town and an even more interesting parking job. Tip: take the company car so if it is ticketed...

Other than forcing me to work overtime on a holiday weekend, these ceremonies mark reflections, advancements, a rite of passage so to speak and, oh yeah, the same formats as last year, and the year before, and before, and before... I really don't have anything great to say about graduations, other than the pizza afterward is usually really good.

Here's to the Class of 2009.

Squints

2009-05-18T19:22:00.004-06:00

Man, it was hot today. I know, you people in the real heat are probably laughing because I'm complaining about 90-degrees. I'm a wimp when it's hot, so what?

I checked out the pool today, well, because it opened. I was there, in my jeans, nicely pressed shirt and hating life the whole time. I would've been in shorts, but I followed this assignment up with a scholarship reception. No shorts today. Bummer. One of the like five kids at the pool kept mugging for my camera. I really hate that, but then again, I was sticking out like a dork. I have to admit though, his look really did make me crack a smile. I kept thinking of Squints from the movie The Sandlot. Too bad Wendy the Lifeguard wasn't there to make the situation better...

An inspiring letter...carrier

2009-05-07T21:37:00.004-06:00

"I have MS," says Jose Chavez, a ten-year veteran of the United States Postal Service. "It doesn't have me."

As we "deadhead" back to his postal vehicle, Jose tells me he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2002. Deadheading is when a carrier doesn't have any mail in their bag.

Despite the diagnosis and a leg that lags the other, he still carries out his duties, and he does them well. A dog barking doesn't even draw a look over the shoulder, he's kind enough to tell this photographer not to walk through a patch of lawn because of the doggie land mines there everyday, and he looks at golfers across the street with envy. Not because he is unable to play golf, but because he is not playing on this sunny spring day. "I'm pretty much comic relief on the course," he says. "As you can see my balance isn't great." He says his brother and father just laugh and laugh, but "I can walk the course," he adds.

I asked Jose how many miles are in his route.

He stops to think.

"I have more businesses now," he says. "It used to be ten, but now it's about seven."

I think to myself how I see people who are fully capable of walking drive laps around parking lots, just so they don't have to walk so far.

Does walking help his MS? "I like to think so," he says with a grin.

Here's to you, Jose. Keep up the great work and better yet, great attitude.

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, NAVY

2009-04-30T20:15:00.002-06:00

After photographing Navy Chief Petty Officer Matt Dooley and his new recruits in a weekly PT session in the parking lot, we had a chat. A lot of older people are coming into his office, he says. And, in this economy, why not? "Three hots and a cot," as my boss says.

Job security.

Travel.

Tattoos.

Furlough. (Well I've already got that part down pat.)

"When you mean older...how old is older?" I ask Chief Dooley.

"Oh, 30," he replies. "How old are you? I can get you in a base newspaper or combat photographer job."

Hmmmm. I'm gonna be 30 soon, but I just hate laying down in the parking lot.

Wet and Rainy Night

2009-04-16T21:02:00.003-06:00

I trudge through the puddles, out onto the field. My umbrella snaps with a huge gust of wind, rendering it useless. Ten thousand dollars worth of photographic equipment is carefully covered with a $.05 plastic bag, a handful of rubber bands and gaffer tape. Friggin' McGyver style. A player looks at me, my rain gear already soaking through to my clothes, and says, "Wow, that's dedication, thanks." A parent then comes up to ask when we're going to get around to covering their team as much as the other bazillion teams. "Obviously today," I think. "I'm not out here just because I just felt like getting wet." Oh, good times.

Cuisine

2009-04-16T13:55:00.002-06:00

Back when I was in art school I hated shooting food. Spending hours in the studio I used to think "I'm never gonna use this stuff." Needless to say, food photography is not my strong suit and I've had my fair share of cuisine assignments as of late, that's for sure. I spent an evening up in Allenspark at a swanky restaurant, you know, one of those places that takes 3 hours to eat. Even with all that time between courses, I only had a split second to actually shoot the food, since my photo work was not the top priority of the chef. But, who could blame him when a dish costs the hungry customer $50? I shouldn't have gone there hungry...

Snow Storm

2009-03-26T20:57:00.002-06:00

Well, I just turned on the sprinkler system just last week. I guess that's what it takes to get some snow up in here. By the way, I fertilized yesterday, so the grass may be greener when this wet stuff melts.

From sledders to dogs, up and down three highways, to the lonely trucker, I photographed the snow storm survival for the better part of the day. I did learn one thing in my little venture out: If I ever become an over the road truck driver I will have a laptop and iPhone. How this guy from El Paso is surviving I do not know. See, he had an accident a couple months ago up in the Northwest. His rig is still there, so for the time being he has a loner. No CB, no T.V., no CD player in this rig, just a simple cell phone, some Micky D's, a half-eaten bag of pecans (because he got a case of them out of the last load he hauled) and a bunch of time. Good luck, buddy.

Fire

2009-03-03T20:50:00.002-07:00

I usually complain to the firefighters I know that they drive way too damn fast, especially when the fire is near the station. But, on Saturday they could have been sitting in the parking lot of this scene and it still would have been big. It helps that this fire was only a few blocks south of the office.

Here I am clocking out on this mellow Saturday (yes, I have a time card) and tones come over the scanner. All I can think about is my comfy bed on what is my Friday night. Dispatch says the old, abandoned flour mill is completely engulfed in flames. Yeah right, completely? I think not. I head out the door, just going to swing by on my way home. I smell smoke, but see no flames. I head down the hill, around the corner and park next to a police car. By this time, the fire is roaring. The first fire truck is on scene, getting set up. I call the office to tell them to scratch main story on the front page, this is huge.

After a couple hours, a few thousand gallons of water, a pair of muddy shoes, frozen pant legs and 477 frames, I walk back to the office. All that water has made a bog where my truck is parked, hoses run wild and I am forced to abandon my office on wheels.

In the end it was amazing and the job done by the departments and our staff was outstanding. The day after we were talking in the office and concluded this was the sort of fire that only happens once a decade. And that's probably because firefighters drive way too damn fast.

Check out this slideshow if you have a couple minutes.

CAPER Awards

2009-02-28T11:54:00.002-07:00

Had a great time with great friends last night as we attended the annual Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards banquet. The TC crew was there in good fashion and it's always fun to have a night on the town. It was a bitter sweet moment as The Rocky Mountain News staff was honored with several standing ovations. They racked up the awards and were granted General Excellence for their outstanding work through out the year. They will be missed...

State Wrestling

2009-02-24T13:29:00.004-07:00

"Emotionless, exhausted and without expression, Ryker Haddock loped off the Pepsi Center floor Friday night like it was any other match.

A triple-overtime win, against the top-ranked wrestler in the state, for a spot in the championship finals, and no fist-pumping celebration?"

Just the perfect athlete you want in the finals, right? I like when kids go crazy after winning. It makes my job fun and exciting. Ryker Haddock is the kind of kid that takes it in stride. He barely cracks a smile. He took to the mat in the finals and opened a can of whoop-ass. Up by a bunch of points I figured this would be the time all of the happiness would explode. It didn't. He hugged his coach, hugged his family, not saying any words, and headed for the elevator. His coach yells: "These guys want to talk to you!" He just won the state title and he's heading back to his seat in the upper deck? Luckily for me his partner in the wrestling room came down to congratulate him. Hoisting him up and twirling him around.

All in all I a good time last week shooting state wrestling. We had 30 kids in the tourney the first day, not counting two other schools I had to cover for our sister paper. It was a long three days of running around, worrying about covering three matches at the same time, in a few cases. I always try to cover them all, as sports writers like to change their minds on who the focus is until it's too late. State wrestling is a tough assignment. Not because the photos aren't there, but because they are everywhere. It is hard to cover reaction when you are expected to have all of the action. Heck, I guess it's easy when your main wrestler has no reaction at all.

Did you shoot that?

2009-02-14T15:11:00.003-07:00

"If you want a photo of this, we can provide you with a CD," a marketing guy says, flipping through some nice prints of the exact same thing in front of me.

Sometimes capturing reality is harder than it should be. Whenever I get an assignment to photograph a politician, I always think to myself: "I can be late." Why? Because they are always late. However, I am always early. Hey, you never know. Miracles happen.

Today, the senator was on time for his tour of a plant here in Longmont, but I'm not permitted to photograph the real part. Instead, I'm taken to the end of the tour and instructed to wait. Wait. "Should be soon," they say. Wait. Shoot some frames of nothing (see above). Then wait. Just before the senator is to walk out, we're told we can't shoot this, can't shoot that, try not to get this. Then, halfway through the end of the tour, a gentleman asks: "Did you photograph the laser spectrometer reducer 2000?" Note: I'm not using the real name, just in case. I mean, I couldn't shoot it, so I probably can't say it, right? My reply? "I don't even know what a laser spectrometer reducer 2000 is!" They obviously didn't know the CEO was going to open the secret door housing the laser spectrometer reducer 2000.

I can see their point, it's secret and "proprietary." (The buzz word used all day.) But here's my question, as a tax payer. My government is going to be spending $780 billion, some of which may go to said company. What do they do and how will it benefit my community and me? We certainly may read about it, or at least read the jargon thrown around. But heaven forbid we show anything real.

Sometimes a mug shot is better than going in the first place...or not. At least I got paid to wait.

Better Late Than Never

2009-02-04T19:52:00.002-07:00

Been needing to catch up on this thing. I've been shooting my fair share of CU hoops lately. Although these are from last month, which flew by too quick, this was one of the better games I've been to. Yeah, they're CU and they lost. But, when KU comes to town it's one of the only times you'll actually see fans fill up Coors Events Center...and they're not wearing gold and black! I guess the KU fan in the last photo was right when he joined in the chant: "This is our house!"

PBR at the National Western Stock Show

2009-01-21T22:01:00.005-07:00

I've been meaning to post this since last week, but life has gotten in the way. That and a head cold has been keeping my motivation levels down.

I got to cover the Professional Bull Riding event at the National Western Stock Show and it was a blast. After transmitting photos another photog and I were chatting. We came to conclusion that we do have the best jobs in the world. I guess I will ride the wave while I can. With the current state of print media, who knows if this job will exist next year or even next week...Tonight before shooting basketball I read an online article that really boosted my morale. To steal a phrase from a fellow photo j student I went to college with: "Keep on keepin' on." That's all we can do.

Old Timer

2009-01-08T21:20:00.003-07:00

Had a quick portrait session with Gil Vidaurri the other day. I'm not sure what the story is about, as my assignment said just a portrait of Gil or of him working on his house. Anyway, after shooting it I'm still not sure what the story with Gil is about. He was a very nic man, though. And easy to photograph as well.

Whatever the story this is what I got out of Gil. He was born in 1933 in a home just down the road from his current home -- which is also his childhood home -- on Dunmire street in Frederick. Gil has been long active in the community, including the Lions Club and the Tri-Town Ambulance service, which his wife founded. “At one time, I had four jobs,” he said. “ I worked for a box company, a farm, a gas station and an apartment complex. I guess I was trying to spread myself around too much.” Gil retired a few years ago from his business he founded in 1963, Vidaurri’s Heating.

Just last week I was telling my wife about a project I want to do when I either retire from newspapers (HA, HA) or get laid off. I won't tell you what it is, though. I will say this: People like Gil will fit the bill perfectly.

Olde Stage Road Fire

2009-01-07T22:58:00.002-07:00

Whew, what a day of smoke, wind, flames and distraught people. On my way to work I was sent straight to a fire that was 2 acres when I left and 25 acres when I arrived. Now, the Olde Stage Road Fire is about 1000 acres. Dry fuel and high winds will do that to any fire, I guess.

After fighting my way into the area I found myself in the thickest smoke I have ever seen. I felt suffocated, I couldn't see enough to shoot, I could feel the heat from the flames that eventually jumped the highway and I lost my truck. Funny, given I was only about 20 feet from where I parked. An entire subdivision was evacuated, which I walked about a mile to get into. It's a weird feeling when you walk in and everyone is going out. I ended the day shooting the evacuees at a local high school. I'm in need of a shower, so off I go.

How I Rang in the New Year

2009-01-04T15:01:00.005-07:00

When I was a kid I grew up on a few forested acres outside of Alma, Colo., in a log house that didn't have a t.v. or phone. Computers were only in big businesses and I think we had one in our school somewhere, but I never got to use it. People now sometimes ask, "What did you do all day?" We kept ourselves occupied with minimal items and obtained a huge appreciation for the outdoors and its beauty.

This weekend I re-visited those feelings of my youth as I sat on a porch miles east of Yampa, Colo., overlooking a 4,000 acre ranch surrounded by 20,000 acres of National Forest.

This is how I rang in the New Year. I did nothing at a ranch owned by my uncle's longtime friend and business associate.

It was great to get away from the television, internet, email, phone, work, and everything we call "civilization." I didn't miss surfing the 'net or watching the news, but I did have to run to town to buy a few newspapers. I was going through withdrawals without that item, I will admit. Plus, who needs the Brian Williams' of the world when you can sit and drink black tar coffee with a Cow Boss named Mike for a few hours? He is a great guy with practical and worldly knowledge. The frame of him is my favorite by the way.

I am so happy I got away. I now feel refreshed and ready for 2009, especially after making a few frames for myself, with no pressures of work, deadlines, editors or audiences. These frames were for me and me alone, but now I feel like sharing. Happy New Year!

Actors

2008-12-24T12:47:00.002-07:00

I like taking portraits of actors. They always come with ideas, are open to anything and don't need coaching. I'm not a very good coach, by the way. Don Fried is a play writer and was featured in the Times-Call this year after his first original production hit the stage. For our annual "Where Are They Now" series, we caught up with Mr. Fried, who has been writing more and more. His current play is titled "The Debate," in which he portrays Charles Darwin. No lights, no gimmicks, just straight photography for this one. Can you guess which one ran on today's A1 or which would you choose?

Brrrr

2008-12-21T22:48:00.002-07:00

Finally getting warm after spending the better part of the day in what was probably the coldest football game I have ever covered. The Buffalo Bills came in to town, although it felt like Buffalo in December, and put the Broncos in the freezer. It was a good game that came down to the final play, which Denver botched and saved me and my frozen fingers from overtime. I think my brain was frozen due to the simple mistakes I made today, such as having the wrong lens on the camera when Jay Cutler dove into the endzone for a TD. Oh well, better than a real job.

No More Parades!

2008-12-13T20:23:00.003-07:00

Whew, I think I'm finally done with the Holiday Parade beat...I'm starting to feel like the Grinch.

Holiday Cheer

2008-12-06T22:08:00.002-07:00

I always say I like this job because every day is different. Then, the month of December rolls around...

It seems as though each December brings the same holiday celebrations, with the same people, the same parades, the same settings, the same lights, the same music...you get the point.

This is when the job can become boring. On the other hand a photographer or reporter can push themselves to make the same 'ol events look different. I actually don't mind covering the same thing over again, mainly because I try to see if I can actually see the same 'ol thing different. Not saying these are different or ground breaking, but you should have seen the photos from my first parade held in the dark. So raise a toast of your favorite beverage, because here's to only photographing Santa two more times this year!

Colorado v Nebraska

2008-11-28T20:33:00.003-07:00

Just finished transmitting my photos from a whirlwind game featuring Nebraska and Colorado. I'll write more about the trip later, but for now here are some photos...

On the road: An accident, a horse, and a cat

2008-11-20T13:59:00.004-07:00

A huge accident involving two cars south of town claimed two lives late yesterday afternoon and I was sent out to the scene. The crash was so bad emergency personnel kept us back as they worked on the car fire and the patients involved.

Sometimes while photographing something so horrific it helps to notice something nice. As all of this unfolded on the highway the sun was dipping behind the Rocky Mountains, showering the landscape with warm light. Horses grazed in a field only to be disrupted when a medical helicopter buzzed overhead. The moment was gone. But at least I got a few frames before having to return to reality.

To top this all off, while walking back to the truck I noticed another fatality. Unlike the others there were no firetrucks, ambulances or police. Just a cat who I suspect left behind one worried family.

Now, to find some good news...

Adoption Day

2008-11-18T21:32:00.002-07:00

I came in on the tail end of this story about adoption when a fellow staffer couldn't make it to work. She had been photographing this family for a while and when the big day came she couldn't be there. I will admit that I was happy to step in, as it was a pretty good assignment, I think. It was very fun to see such a cute, happy and bright little girl named Patti be accepted into a "forever family." Magistrate Kristina Hansson opened the ceremony by saying people usually aren't thrilled about being in her court, so this day, which happened to be National Adoption Day, was dubbed "Happy Court." Good times.

First Playoff Win

2008-11-12T20:00:00.003-07:00

One hundred years ago this year the Longmont High School football team won a National Championship. This year Longmont has been steaming along, en route to a state championship. (I probably just jinxed it, huh?) The team's first round playoff win last week was the head coach's first ever post-season win. He cried, then laughed and then jumped and I managed to get one frame.

Veterans Day Dinner

2008-11-07T17:50:00.002-07:00

A quick photo from a Veterans Day dinner at a local school. The Buffalo Soldiers of the American West prepare to post the colors.

Historic Election

2008-11-05T21:59:00.002-07:00

Well, it's official...Barack Obama is President-elect. It was a long day to say the least. Places I went throughout the day before hitting the sack around 2:30 a.m.? Well, here are a few: polling places, supporters on the street who voted in their first election, the county clerk's office to report on the ballot snafu and finally people dancing in the streets of Boulder. That was pretty cool, mainly because it wasn't just crazy college kids, but people from all walks of life. As a lot of newspaper headlines read today: 'Change has come'

I suppose only time will tell.

Ghost Hunters

2008-10-29T15:08:00.003-06:00

In the spirit of Halloween I am posting some recent photos of a ghost hunting assignment I had a couple weeks ago. I spent half a day with Richard Estep, research director for Boulder County Paranormal, and a group of researchers at the Dicken's Opera House in Longmont. There are a lot of local theories of spirits and ghosts roaming the old building, but none are really confirmed. The current owner of the restaurant and bar that occupy the building has never had occurrences in the years that he has owned the place. Nonetheless, these people went in looking. As Estep says: "About 90 percent of our investigations are quiet and uneventful. It’s the 10 percent that aren’t that keep us doing it."

New Arrival

2008-10-19T22:56:00.002-06:00

Well, after much anticipation she's finally arrived. My daughter, Danica, was born Friday, Oct. 17 at 10:07 a.m. We've all had a pretty long weekend, but we're all home now and everything is good, especially because she hasn't been poked or prodded by nurses and doctors all day.

Buffs Fall To Texas

2008-10-06T10:01:00.003-06:00

It was no surprise that a ranked Texas team marched into Folsom and beat up the Buffs. It was a pretty lackluster performance by the Colorado team. The offense couldn't move the ball well, and when they did special teams couldn't his simple field goals, three in fact. The defense couldn't stop the Texas offense, thus making it a very one-sided game. It was still fun, though.

Broncos Knock Off Bucs

2008-10-06T09:39:00.002-06:00

It was a fun weekend as I covered three football games in as many days. Here are a few from the final game, as Denver beat Tampa Bay 16-13. Brian Griese, as some Denver fans will remember, played in Denver a few years ago. The defense didn't go easy on him. It was no surprise that he left the game with an injury. While editing someone asked if it was Champ Bailey's hit that took him out of the game. Another photog spoke up: "Yes, but...Griese was never really in the game."

Yak Pack

2008-09-30T13:07:00.004-06:00

"If we have to bail...well, don't ask me, I'll be gone. But, just pull this 3 seconds after leaving." - Popeye, a Yak 55 pilot.

I've always wanted to fly upside down in an airplane. I've flown in small airplanes a lot of times and have never gotten the chance to be inverted. That all changed a couple weeks ago. I fulfilled a dream and I didn't even get sick...but almost.

The Colorado Yak Pack is a group of pilots who fly Yakovlev Yak-52 's and Nanchang CJ-6's, both Cold War era training planes from Eastern Bloc countries. Basically, they fly formations, go on mock bomb runs and dog fight one another, all for the sake of expensive amusement. Each year the Colorado Yak Pack, who are members of the Red Star Pilots Association, gather in the small southeast Colorado town of Lamar to train and basically just have fun. A number of the pilots in the pack are from the Denver area, with a few being from Longmont or surrounding communities. This provided us with a perfect excuse to drive down and see first hand what all the fun is about. They have also recently flown over some high school graduations and community festivals.

My first flight was pretty relaxing. A four plane formation with mellow turns. On a whim I asked a pilot - call sign "Popeye" - if I could occupy his back seat for a five-plane formation session.

"Will we be pulling any G's?" I asked excitedly. "I don't think so," Popeye replied.

Yeah right.

I didn't want to be the person to have to call mercy over the radio, but after seven rotations of the same maneuvers, i.e. hard banks, nose-dives and steep climbs, etc., I was flirting with the edge of well, you know... Not super ill, but it may have gotten out of hand. Yep, I was the wuss who called mercy.

As if my bruised and battered ego was not aching enough, I realized the g-meter in Popeye's co-pilot cockpit was only registering two the whole time. I can only pull two?, I kept asking myself. I felt better after learning we topped out at four, repeatedly. The dumb gauge was broken! Anyway, after wobbling out of the airplane like a drunken CU student at a cool frat party, another pilot told me not to be ashamed. "Oh, I'm not," I said. "I didn't yak in a Yak."

Dog Days of Fall

2008-09-27T14:17:00.002-06:00

Thought this was a funny little moment during a canine companion festival I went to today. I guess the saying holds some validity...some dogs really do look like their owners. I wouldn't mess Pepper or his master.

Better than Bingo

2008-09-25T22:42:00.005-06:00

For some strange reason I've had pretty slow days lately. I don't know why I'm not getting a lot of news assignments, well I do, but that's another post...

This afternoon my assignment was canceled. I just got back into the office when the phone rang. A woman called informing my boss a group from one of the local nursing homes was out fishing on a boat with a non-profit dedicated to providing the elderly and disabled fishing experiences. We recently ran a story on the formation of this group, but it being a slow day I offered to go check it out. And this is where I met Evelyn Littlejohn, who is 90 years young.

After an hour or so of sitting on the boat, watching the six of them fish, unsuccessfully I should add, I struck up a conversation with her. I bent down and said: "Evelyn, I can feel it, you're going to catch a fish." Two seconds later her bobber sank. She started reeling in the small bass with all of her strength.

"It was a real thrill, let me tell ya," she later recalled.

Kathy Crier, whose mother Marjorie Horn, 91, was on the boat approached both the non-profit and the activities director with the idea. "(My mom) has fished all of her life," Crier said. "It brings back a lot of good memories."

Another woman with the group told me a lot of folks didn't come out because it was interfering with their Bingo games. Bingo happens all the time, I suspect. Fishing, however, doesn't. And a bad day of fishing has to be better than a good day at bingo.

Buffs go 3-0? Yeah, really.

2008-09-24T14:02:00.003-06:00

Wow, the Buffs and the Broncos are both 3-0. Here are a few from Colorado's night game against West Virgina last week. The lights at CU are so horrible even the ESPN camera guys were complaining...it was fun despite my lack of photo skills in overtime!

Favorite season

2008-09-16T21:59:00.007-06:00

I love football season. Not only does it mean cooler weather, but I just love shooting football. I don't know why, but it is my favorite sport out of all the ones I regularly cover. I'm not one to complain about dark stadiums that high school fields offer, or standing on the sidelines during the cold nights, or going to Colorado's Folsom Field to cover the Buffs. Here are a few from Colorado's first couple of games, including the Mile High Showdown between Colorado State and Colorado.

Bull Riding

2008-09-16T10:47:00.002-06:00

I've been meaning to post this for quite sometime now, and as usual I'm behind. I spent a couple months this summer following some bull riders. J.D. Ford and his father run a ranch in southwest Weld County, where they raise rodeo stock and twice a week host bull riders of all ages and abilities. I spent four or five weeks at the ranch on Wednesday evenings, went to a couple rodeos and finally a Professional Bull Riders event. We decided to break up the package into three parts: The rookies, The weekend cowboys and The kid who made it big. We were fortunate in the last part to spend some time with world-ranked bull rider Kody Lostroh. He grew up in Longmont and just so happened he was host to the PBR Enterprise Tour Kody Lostroh Invitational. This was a nice stopping point for the project. I failed in my attempts to do audio with this package. I simply ran out of time, but I have it all and will hopefully someday wade through it all...yeah right. Anyway, I really wanted to ride a bull, but then a funny thing happened...I came to my senses. Click here to see more.

As Promised

2008-09-15T11:58:00.008-06:00

Well, I promised to put some photos up from the studio I set up for portraits. Here are a few done for the football preview section. In years past we have profiled players, but this year we mixed it up. We sought the people who make high school football possible. It was fun to photograph and see how it all came together.

Also, I have finally updated my website with some recent work. Feel free to check it out...www.joshuabuck.net

The Kennedy Saga...Cont.

2008-08-15T22:59:00.005-06:00

Well, I never intended for this to be a blog about my family. But, given the circumstances (and the fact that some out-of-town family and friends seem interested) I will again post about my daughter's saga. Despite having a cast through a four-week heat wave here in Colorado, she has handled the limited mobility well. She hasn't begged to go swimming, or ride her bike or any of the other things she normally does. Yesterday, while in the daily grind of shooting portraits for a football preview, she stopped in for a quick snap while the studio was set up. (I will post those portraits after they are published.)Today, we went back to the orthopedic doctor's office to cut that big cast off. She was a pretty good sport, but still thought, I think, they were going to cut her arm off. I should really watch what I say when teasing her. Damn, she's so literal sometimes and can't figure out when I'm being sarcastic. Needless to say, another three weeks in a shorter cast. She opted for purple this time. Gotta go buy a silver Sharpie for the autographs. Good news is her arm will continue to grow normally. In case you're all wondering about her hair style today, we figured since she was being so good we'd let her do her own. She kept calling herself a rock star, but looked more like Punky Brewster. People kept looking at us like super liberal parents you might find in Boulder. Things like that tend to happen in Boulder...

Early Morning Blues

2008-08-12T09:17:00.004-06:00

I don't know what we were thinking...
A while back I was at an assignment and a woman told me about this Head Start program for children of migrant farm workers. I passed it along to our education reporter and we were set to do a story. After the first visit, the school looked like any other I have photographed, and although interesting, I knew we had to dig a little deeper.The reporter and I found ourselves meeting at the office at 3 a.m. to make the drive to a farm house in Weld County by 4 a.m. The children who attend this school get an early start, as their parents go to work just as the sun breaks the horizon. The children don't get home until 4 p.m. or so, making it a long, long day for anyone, let alone infants and toddlers.

Arm Trouble

2008-07-23T21:14:00.004-06:00

Notice to parents: When your kids wake up and say they don't think they should go to school, perhaps we should listen.

My three-year-old woke up last Friday and said she didn't want to go to the last day of summer camp at school. We survived the first year of preschool with only minor incidents...if you call a parasitic worm in her little tummy "minor." Yes, she picked up worms and yes, I've heard all the jokes. Anyway, we have survived school...until Friday.

Atop the monkey bars in the playground she made the decision to let go. Instead of a soft landing in the sand she fell on her left arm and fractured her radius and ulna. The school called to say she was hurt, but not crying and they thought she was fine. It being the last day of camp they brought out pools and water toys, but she refused to play. This is highly unlikely for the girl who only a week prior said, "Just drop me off," while heading to her first swim lesson.

Long story kinda short, I went to pick her up and although she was favoring her broken limb she still managed to squirt me with water. I took her to the doctor and she was a trooper in x-ray. They said "It's broken" and she insisted a band-aid would suffice because it "Doesn't hurt, Dad." (Hey, it works on all her other injuries.) Well, after six days in a splint, today she was given a huge cast for the next month. I did plan on documenting our little trip to the orthopedic doctor's office, but apparently when you only pay some $300 per month in insurance you actually HAVE to participate in the casting process. So, no photos from the exciting event. Although, I'm wondering that if I don't up the premium payment I may have to pursue a degree as a physician's assistant. All in all she is taking it pretty well so far. If her bones aren't healing well in a month she may need a smaller cast, the doctor said. Good times.

First Gallery Show

2008-07-19T21:08:00.002-06:00

Been pretty bad about posting lately, but I have been busy putting together a photo exhibit. ArtWalk is an event in Longmont that happens three times in the summer months in Longmont. Art hangs in a lot of businesses downtown and people stroll through Main Street and take a gander. This year was the first that photojournalists were featured and painstakingly printed and framed like a mad-man. Turned out to be a good showing of people and we even sold a few prints for a good cause. All the proceeds from my sales went to help out my friend and co-worker, Jill Mott and her family. Jill and Patrick's son, Rafiki, 2, was diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I would like to thank all those who purchased a print for helping them on their journey. You can read more about their personal experiences here.

Upsherinish

2008-06-20T21:20:00.002-06:00

I love the fact that I get to learn something new each and every day while working. I had never heard of an Upsherinish celebration before this assignment landed in my hands. The word upsherinish literally means to "shear," and is a ceremony marking the formal introduction to Jewish education for three-year-old boys. I don't know if I would just sit there while 50 of my family and friends took a turn on my head. I'd be bald.

Lyons Outdoor Games

2008-06-07T20:00:00.005-06:00

They're not the X-Games by any means. Here, you don't have to fight for a good spot to take photos. The athletes are nice, no credentials, no hassle. For sure I don't mind these days or assignments.

Tornado Damage

2008-06-07T19:31:00.004-06:00

A couple weeks ago a huge tornado ripped though Weld County. Hey, I just got the press release saying it was an F3 twister. My co-workers did an excellent job in covering the disaster on that day. I was busy with Athlete of the Year portraits as well as taking over other assignments that needed to get done. So, the following day I decided to take the old Speed Graphic 4x5 camera out to do some black and white work. Another photographer was already out doing daily work for the paper and web, so it gave me an opportunity to go back to my art school roots.

A couple days passed and I went to develop the film. In my hastiness I dropped seven sheets into a water bath for the pre-soak. Not thinking anything of it, I let them sit without touching them. Uh, mistake? Some of the sheets stuck together, forcing me to peel them apart. I could actually feel the image being pulled right off the film. Ick. So, that is why some of these are ruined. Oh, well...it's art now.

Urban Sprawl

2008-06-07T19:20:00.003-06:00

So, I should have posted a bunch of stuff weeks ago. But, due to circumstances surrounding our office, i.e. to busy to do anything else but work, I am posting this...finally.Geraldine Erfert is upset that the home she moved into as a newlywed in 1946 has been sitting on beams waiting to be moved for nearly three years. She is even more upset that vagrants have broken, vandals have tagged it and pigeons live in the old farm house north of Colo. Highway 66 and U.S. Highway 287. Geraldine and her son Ivan, who was born at the home, have been in a dispute with a structure moving company over equipment rental charges. Both parties say the structure will be moved off the property, now owned by Wal-Mart, in the coming months. “I’m heartbroken. It’s truly sad. We were the fourth generation to be there,” Geraldine said.

I met her out at the home for a portrait. It sits off the highway, in a field, down and embankment and on the other side of the fence. Her son said she may not be able to get out there, but agreed to the meeting. My intentions were to photograph her on the road with the home over the shoulder. But, upon arrival she hopped out of the car, down the embankment, over the fence, through the weeds and shaking her cane all the way there. She is upset, sad and disappointed, that's for sure. She insisted on climbing onto the porch to catch a glimpse inside, just to make sure her couch was still there. While I did photograph her standing on a huge I-Beam, I thought this photo showed her feelings a little more. Oh, the joys of urban sprawl.

Hay Goat!

2008-05-18T15:35:00.001-06:00

Found this while driving to my assignment today. I thought it was funny...I bet there was a tin can in there somewhere.

More sports

2008-05-18T15:22:00.004-06:00

We're almost done. Tuesday two local teams square off in the Class 4A State Soccer Championship game. Here are a few from soccer last week. I keep finding myself shooting the opponents, because they have more emotion than the winning team. This poor goalie was getting worn down and beat up by Silver Creek, but that's the way the ball falls...

Yesterday was the final day of Class 4A/5A track. The Longmont High School boys team brought home the first place team trophy and let's just say they didn't really celebrate as much as other teams do. I would have thought they would have gone crazy, since the last time this happened in LHS boys track it was 1950. I did a better job of getting a sunburn than shooting photos.

Another State Championship

2008-05-10T16:16:00.004-06:00

I don't know what it is about the St. Vrain Valley and high school athletics. There must be something in the cool Rocky Mountain Water around here. It seems like in every sport we have a team either close to going to the show, or at the show, or winning the show...
The Niwot girls tennis team captured the Class 4A title yesterday. Finals were today, however. They had a showing in four of the seven final matches today. Even if they all lost they still had enough points walk away with first.I heard a funny story about their head coach today. When some of these girls were 11-years-old a group of parents asked if he would be their coach. Shortly after taking on the challenge he said this team had a chance at winning a state team title. Well, he was right. They will take the first ever team trophy home in Cougar history.Next up...golf, soccer and baseball.

No Turning Back

2008-05-06T20:37:00.006-06:00

For me this was the moment I realized there is no turning back. Months of planning all boiled down to just a few more minutes of independence. For me, it was an 'Oh S$%#' moment. I, like many others before me, knew the rest of my life would never be the same. Not that committing to one person is a bad thing by any means, but even when grooms mentally prepare for that moment of commitment they realize that they are not prepared at all. Some might argue that the real feeling of 'unpreparedness' happens when grooms are amazed they are standing before their bride, despite buckling knees and fluttering butterflies. For me though, it happened when I was putting on the tux. That is truly when the realization came that the day I thought would never come did indeed arrive.

My younger brother took the plunge last weekend. I don't know if he felt the same I did six years ago and I didn't ask. I think the expression in this photo answered my question. Good luck, brother.

Ugggh...

2008-04-26T12:13:00.003-06:00

The last day of a great vacation is always the hardest. It was great to forget about the real world for seven days and you know, all the things responsible adults have to worry about. Now, looking back I wish I didn't have to return. Although, its not like we're returning to a bad place. Chatting with people around the pool most were real jealous we have to return to Colorado...At least we're not driving back to Illinois like the people we met in the parking lot! No offense to Illinois folk, but I would much rather fly 2 1/2 hours to Colorado than drive to Illinois.

We are tired, sunburned and aching to go back to the beach and pool. You know it was a good trip when you already start planning the return trip while on the road to the airport, as we did today.

Vacation

2008-04-19T14:27:00.002-06:00

It's been far too long since I have been on a vacation, three years in fact. So, I find it hard to believe that I am actually sitting here, in the airport, about to embark on a trip for a whole seven days. We actually made it all the way to the gate, with a three-year-old, in 20 min.

Gotta go, time to fly.

They're Back

2008-04-11T18:19:00.004-06:00

Didn't the season just end?

At least that's how it seemed last week when I was driving towards Coors Field. The Rockies were back in town to open their 2008 season. Here are a few photos from opening day. Despite the team's loss to the D Backs fans didn't seem to care. There is a lot more baseball to play...maybe they'll end in October?

Finally Some Flames

2008-03-20T21:40:00.002-06:00

I'm on a blogging roll. Forgot to put this one up last week. I'm a sucker for silhouettes, especially when there's five acres of cattails on fire and it's too muddy for a brush truck to get out there. It does suck when I get a call at 11 p.m., just moments before popping the top on a beer. It was still cold when I got back...

Turkey Caller

2008-03-20T21:28:00.003-06:00

Went to the mountains the other day an met Richard Raybourn, a retired pipe fitter turned woodworker. He spends a lot of time in his shop making anything and everything out of wood (including a wooden lampshade. But, he is really proud of his decorative turkey calls. You can hear how he got started and also how they sound here. It's always fun to meet new people.

State Championship

2008-03-20T21:15:00.003-06:00

Here is a follow up to the Silver Creek girls basketball team from my previous post. They lost to Broomfield in the Class 4A State Championship game 50-34. I meant to post this last week, but I just found the time...see an audio slideshow here. I did the show on deadline, so it has some rough spots. I hate excuses, but it is a lot of work to do in one afternoon/early morning. I may go back and fix it later. (FYI, I always say that and then another comes down the pipeline.)I thought this was a nice moment caught between assistant coach Tom Kramer and his daughter, Janelle in the team's locker room after the game. Tom Kramer has been coaching some girls on the team since they were in second grade and now their time spent on the court is over.

March Madness

2008-03-12T22:07:00.005-06:00

In March 2005 I was assigned to cover Silver Creek girls playoff basketball in Colorado Springs. The team lost to Broomfield and their dreams were crushed. They were a young team then and everyone kept saying 'Wait until they're seniors, they will dominate.' Well, they're seniors now and they're on a roll.
Tonight, for the first time in the team's history they are in the Class 4A Championship game. And who do they face? Broomfield, of course. It is pretty cool to see a team grow and succeed over the years...

Here are a few from tonight in Boulder where they beat the Pueblo East Eagles (my mom's alma mater.) Oh yeah, today is her birthday. Too bad her old high school had to face the Raptors on this day...

Happy Feb. 29th...See you in four years

2008-02-28T23:35:00.003-07:00

In honor of Leap Year we found a 3-year-old going on 12. I got this assignment to photograph her during an interview...lame, lame, lame. No offense to the word people, but we photographers should be more creative than that. After calling Megan's mother and setting up a time with her neighbor's trampoline, ordering 24 balloons and coaxing two co-workers into assisting, we were set. Megan was so outgoing and open to anything I asked her to do, including jumping about 400 times while I photographed her. I still don't think she understood the idea I had in mind. I mean how could she, I didn't even have an idea in mind, well kinda, but not really. Anyway, mad props to Chad for his Photoshop cutout skills and for being a lighting grip and to Jill for helping move the trampoline, for being a human light stand and for her creative input. I think it turned out well for being on deadline...

See you in four years...

Warren Miller

2008-02-21T21:55:00.002-07:00

As a kid growing up in the shadow of a ski resort it became a ritual for my brother and I to race down to the theater each fall to get amped for ski season. What played on the screen was enough to make us want to strap on our skis on and hit the dirt slopes. I can recall the "oohs and awes" from the crowd and that voice, like the films, are legendary. So today, when I met and carried on a conversation with Warren Miller I was like, 'Holy S**T, I can't believe I am talking to Warren Miller.' I am not star struck very easy and as time goes on I realize that famous people are just that - people. Albeit they are usually people with a lot of money. But, Warren Miller's work, visually and emotionally, made me say wow back then and perhaps that I draw from those films subconsciously when photographing things now, who knows. Too bad the films are not as great as they were when he was at the helm...

Turns out, Miller's grandson attends a local middle school and his family organized a fundraiser, complete with an appearance by the retired filmmaker. It was also pretty cool to hear the impact a single film could have on people. Take the couple in the photo up top for instance. They would have never met if it wasn't for a Warren Miller film 30 years ago. And what did the matchmaker have to say regarding his matchmaking skills? "I hope I didn't screw you guys up too much."

Never Groundhog Day

2008-02-16T17:22:00.004-07:00

The one thing I love about working for a newspaper is the fact that your whole day can change in an instant. I went to work yesterday thinking I would be photographing some high school kids knitting hats for cancer patients. Instead, I heard an out of breath police officer chasing a suspect through yards. Thirty cops hunted for a parole violator with warrants for about an hour. Way more exciting than knitting teens. On a side note, I hate when I hear my vehicle description being aired on the police airwaves when I arrive at a scene. "Does anyone know if one of our guys is in a black truck?" Next thing I know an undercover unit is following my every move. "He looks suspicious," they said. I finally had to call the office to tell someone to call the cops to get them off my tail. The funny moment came when an undercover detective I know well rolled his window down to say "Stop **** following us!" We all know they like to see their photo in the paper. Man, I hate when the perp stares me down...After shooting two basketball games last night I heard a fire call. Ninety percent of the fire calls are bogus and we rarely move. You know when something is really on fire because the first firefighters to respond have anxiety in their voices. An abandoned building caught fire for the second time in two months. Can you say "arson?" There are no utilities to the building, but tons of empty 40 oz. malt liquor bottles surrounding the property. Hmmm? Anyway, three engines, a chief, an ambulance and the tower truck responded to the fire. I went back this morning and they were still mopping up. I missed them taking the walls down with the tower truck, though. Had to go shoot some pizza being made. I'm out for the weekend...

Chinese New Year

2008-02-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

I was sent to a Chinese New Year celebration at a local restaurant tonight and it was better than I expected. Here are a couple from a Lion Dance, traditionally used to frighten demons from local businesses and communities, and to help bring good fortune to all. Anyway, I didn't expect them to go inside, but they did and I missed a lot of photos. I hate excuses, but I am going to use one today. I had a flash malfunction once inside the dark restaurant and like I said, I didn't think they would take these massive costumes (with two people in one) inside. So, needless to say I was forced inside with half of my gear sitting outside next to their stuff. I know, excuses, excuses. I should just admit I failed to execute the opportunity...sue me.

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

Super Tuesday turned out to be SUPER. I was assigned to photograph both Republican and Democratic Caucuses at two schools here in Longmont. I expected to get to the schools and see a handful of people sitting at a cafeteria table, voting and going home. Yet, to my surprise a lot of people seem to be getting more involved. I don't know why, but it seems to me that more and more people are becoming passionate about selecting the next POTUS.

I really do think people are caring more and more about changing the face of American politics. If nothing else the discussion is great, mainly because we are free to have the discussion. I see the news coming out of places like Kenya right now and wonder why so many Americans today don't get involved.There are people in this world who would kill (and are, by the way) to have the voting rights we have today. Yet, so many people would rather sit at home in front of their 60" plasma and weigh the option of which American Idol they will cast a vote for.

As the debate of which candidate was better for America waged on tonight an Obama supporter compared the Clinton and Bush dynasties to the Banana Republic. A man quickly stood up and said, "Ma'am, with all due respect this is not, nor will it ever be, the Banana Republic." This is America and people are charged. Either that or I am becoming more perceptive.

Spelling Bee

2008-01-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from a spelling bee at a local elementary school. The funniest moment came when a second-grader, who was squinting his eyes said: "This is challenging." He misspelled the word "sentence," but only by one letter. I was taken back to when I was in my first spelling bee in second grade. I misspelled "mountain," but only by one letter.

Election Season

2008-01-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

I could never run for office. People who know me well know I am shy. I could never get in front of a room full of people and answer questions off the cuff. First off, I could not sit still that long. I can barely take photos of people speaking without walking around a room 20 times. That happened today as I was taking photos of a candidate running for the U.S. House of Reps. I shot every conceivable angle, and they were all terrible. After shooting the obligatory straight on photo for 30 min. I noticed how every speaker I have ever seen uses their hands to make a point, so I found myself making these photos.

MLK

2008-01-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

During a celebration of the legacy left behind by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this week, Glenda Robinson opened her speech by saying she was going to tell us "all about the civil rights movement, because I was there." I thought to myself: 'Self, we're going to be here forever.' She marched with King in the 1960s and was attending college in Memphis, TN, the same place the civil rights leader was assassinated in 1968. She said she would never forget that day. She was in her dorm room when the shot rang out. Today, she is active in educating people about the movement, saying we all have sacrifices to make in our lives, just as King did during his time. She and other members of the Second Baptist Church of Boulder entertained the crowd gathered with gospel singing between her vivid stories of her time during the Watts Riot of 1965 and the Selma to Montgomery March, among others. Oh yeah, we were out in less than two hours.

Winter Sports

2008-01-12T21:51:00.001-07:00

Fall has turned into winter and now that break is over basketball and wrestling are in full swing. Got to go to one of the biggest wrestling tournaments we cover all year, next to regionals and state, of course. I am only showing one basketball photo because I have not made a decent pic all year. Gimme a break, we're only 12 days into '08. I don't know why these are greyscale, I just felt like seeing in black and white today.

Happy New Year

2007-12-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is ready for 2008 and had a good holiday. It has been a good year and I am looking forward to the next. After a week of work, the Times-Call staff got the Year in Photos show uploaded in time. I can't just write a post and not have a photo, so here is one I made yesterday at the opening of a new recreation center in Erie. I can't believe it actually ran in the paper this morning, given it just looks different and doesn't say a whole lot about the expansive building.

Anyway, see you in '08. Gotta go to work now.

Miracle of Life

2007-12-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

For a while now I have been working on a Rites of Passage photo essay. To round off the personal project I was desparetly looking to photograph the birth of a child. I didn't want just any birth, however, I wanted to find an unusual birth situation. Perhaps with a midwife, or a home birth, or a water birth. I must have called and emailed every midwife in Boulder County and Loveland. I just kept thinking someone has to answer me, but they didn't.I know I have mentioned this before, but in my work e-mail I get numerous "tips." Many times I just scan and delete and I am glad I kept this one. A woman emailed from a new Nurse-Midwife clinic that just begun in Boulder. I immediatly called and got in touch with Merrilynn Artman, CNM, MS. She was amazing and realized I just wasn't some creepy dude with a camera. On a Sunday – a day I like to turn my phone off, but didn't for some reason – I got a call from a woman who said she wouldn't mind if I took photos of the birth of her son. Bizzare. After months of trying all of this came together without me trying.Long story short, I slept with my cell phone for a month. I always thought the call would come when I was out of town for football playoff games, or at 3 in the morning and I was anxious to say the least. The call came when I was shooting the Denver Broncos game on Monday, Nov. 19. I moved some photos and ran to Boulder and made these photos over many hours.An editor once told me I needed to step out of my comfort zone to make better, meaningful photos. I can honestly say I did that with this little project. I would like to thank The Champe Family and Merrilynn for allowing me the opportunity to document their huge day and fellow staffer Jill Mott for helping me edit the audio and photos. To see an audio slideshow you can click here.

State Football

2007-12-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we had one team go all the way and win. Berthoud is a town between Longmont and Loveland, where our sister paper is located. In the past the Reporter-Herald coverd the Berthoud Spartans, but this year was a little different. We now added them to our preps list because apparently we have a significant number of readers in those parts, said some survey. Needless to say I was a bit surprised that I got to cover their championship game today in Colorado Springs. Usually I travel for hours to witness a bitter loss, but not today. It was also nice to hear the football team dedicated the game a fellow Spartan, Nikko Landeros. Nikko and his friend both lost their legs when an approaching car pinned them between their vehicle on a rural road as they changed a tire earlier this year.

Been A While

2007-11-24T17:44:00.001-07:00

Sorry, it has been a while since my last post. Things have been quite hectic in these parts. Lots of football and it looks like we still have some teams, both high school and college still in the hunt. Here are a few frames from the last few weeks...I promise to share more real soon, including a little story that will run in a couple weeks (not sports related, yeah!)P.S. The last two are from Nikon's new D3... For you photo geeks there is nothing like shooting with a night game with a 600mm f/4 and a 1.4x teleconverter at ISO 5000! What an amazing camera for $5000.

New website

2007-10-30T23:17:00.000-06:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to put together a website. Well, here it is! I really wish I had joshuabuck.com, but no luck. So, I had to go with www.joshuabuck.net For those of you wondering why the color scheme changed on this blog this is why. It's all about continuity.

Feel free to check it out...and maybe give me some freelance work???

World Series

2007-10-30T23:07:00.001-06:00

Well, I am almost caught up on sleep. I had the opportunity to cover a World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. What an amazing experience.I was thinking of the biggest game I have ever covered and I could only think of the Avs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Broncos in the AFC Championship game and some Nuggets playoff games. These two games beat those hands down. I had fun, met some cool people and for the first time ever I wasn't bored out of my mind covering baseball. These are a few of my favs from Game 4.
At first I was a little bummed we didn't get one spot on the field, but I actually liked my first concourse position a little better. The background is a lot cleaner and the view of every position is really good.
Of course, Lewis, and the man with the editing skills, Rick, and I had to have our photo taken by friend Barry from the Rocky. Thanks, Barry!

To see some more photos you can visit my sportsshooter page here.

Rockies win the NL Pennant

2007-10-17T20:44:00.000-06:00

Who would have ever thought this would happen? The Colorado Rockies actually swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS and will play in the World Series. It was a blast covering the home games, although it was a downpour all night on Sunday. The guys on the radio were annoying me because they kept calling it "mist." I bet if they were out there sitting in it they would admit it was a downpour. Anyway, the first two photos are from Monday's game and the two others are from soggy Sunday.To see more photos you can always visit my paper's multimedia page. I also have updated my sportsshooter page, if you are interested.

Big Sports Weekend

2007-10-03T22:33:00.001-06:00

There must be something strange in the water that Colorado athletes are drinking. On Saturday the University of Colorado Buffaloes upset the No. 3-ranked team in nation - Oklahoma - at Folsom Field. It all came down to a field goal with only seconds remaining in the game. I usually could care less who wins and who loses, but it is always kinda nice to photograph a winning home team, especially given the Golden Buffs only beat 2 teams all last year.Then, on Monday the Colorado Rockies beat San Diego in a National League Wild Card Playoff game at Coors Field. Although the Rocks were scoring early, the Padres kept answering, keeping everyone on their toes. The game was so long I was honestly getting a little bored in about the 11th inning due to lack of game action. I saw more people praying in the stands than I have ever seen in church. Perhaps the baseball God did answer the Rockies fans, because Matt Holliday scored the winning run in the 13th inning. The place was going nuts. These 'down to the wire' sporting events - which I have photographed a few this fall - are starting to take a toll on my blood pressure. I am always nervous that I am going to mess up royally at the last minute. Not to say that these are the best, but at least they're in focus...kinda.

Harvest Moon

2007-09-27T23:26:00.000-06:00

One of the benefits of living in Longmont is the view of the Twin Peaks to the west. The view is almost different every single day. At 13911' and 14,259' respectively, Mt. Meeker (front) and Longs Peak are somewhat of a spectacle. Although this particular photo has been done by other Times-Call photographers, I had yet to do it myself.The Harvest Moon is the first full moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox. It is somewhat of a challenge to figure out the right spot to photograph the moon framed in the peaks. It may not be perfect, but I think I may have learned how to do this even better next year. It was worth getting up at 6 a.m. for 3 min. of firing off frames.

Wandering eyes

2007-09-20T22:39:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when I can't really get into a football game. I end up taking 10 photos of a hovering piece of organic material. Let's just say I missed a few key plays tonight because I was looking at things that just don't matter. By the way, Longmont won. You would have thought it was a playoff game by the reaction.

Aliens? No, just meth!

2007-09-13T23:17:00.000-06:00

A UFO didn't really land in the middle of an industrial park. Instead the Longmont Police Department's Mobile Command Unit parked in front of the building. After an hour or so of standing around, not being able to see anything and watching the golden hour of light fade away, I was getting nervous.The cops said they were investigating a possible meth lab in two of the units. Usually, this means members of the "Joe Public" are cordoned off far away for safety, making my job difficult to say the least. To my surprise once the detectives and firefighters started suiting up a Sgt. came to my rescue. He placed me about 10' from the two units and left me there. Some cops are cool. I thought for sure I would be kicked out after one of the space men pulled a "death bag" out of the dumpster, but no, I was left alone. I usually don't question carte blanche access, but after seeing that thing I just had to ask if I was inhaling any dangerous chemical fumes.
If any of you have ever seen a meth lab investigation, it is a lot of sitting around. But at least I didn't have to be in the space suit breathing bottled air like these guys and fortunately I was able to skip out on the fire hose shower...Yippee

Splish Splash

2007-08-28T21:25:00.000-06:00

Well, I am happy to report that I was only called a pervert once while shooting these. Kinda hard to prove you are actually a journalist when your credentials are not waterproof...and getting names was a pain since I left the underwater pencil and paper in my camera bag. Ugh!
I was assigned to do a feature page from all of the pools in town. So, I headed to Walgreens to buy a disposable underwater camera ($10.99) and headed to the pool in my trunks. What a great way to get paid!
The downside (as if there was one) was I forgot my goggles. Good thing, since the only ones I could find after shooting were my daughter's pink pair. So, I was forced to point the camera in the direction of fuzzy blobs and pray something came out. They may not be great, but I had a good day nonetheless.To those people who thought I was a perv: I hope you saw last Sunday's paper...

Festival on Main (part of it anyway)

2007-08-24T22:56:00.000-06:00

Wow, two posts in two days...

Downtown Main Street was closed for the annual Festival on Main. Tons of stuff going on to take photos. I shot this in color, but thought the patterns looked better in black and white.

Dog Days of Summer

2007-08-23T21:25:00.000-06:00

I've been real bad at posting to this in a while it seems. Had a week off, it was cool. Didn't really think about taking photos, which was also cool. This is from my first day back this week. Each year at the end of summer the two kiddie pools in Longmont are opened to our furry friends. The air was filled with a pungent wet dog aroma. Yummy. I kept asking myself, 'Do dogs pee in the pool like their counterparts?' hmmm?

Old School

2007-07-31T20:30:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago my wife and I toiled in the basement, sorting items we thought we would never use into piles: the sell pile, the keep pile and the trash pile. It was not as bad as those TV shows with all of the pack rats or anything like that, but we had to get rid of some stuff. Long story short, I came across some old 4x5 film holders and a box of film that expired in 2004. My wife often reminds me that it is items like these that create the mess. But I always say I need them knowing fully that I will rarely use things like old film and camera gear. Well, I found an excuse last week.I was sent to the Longmont Boxing Club to photograph one of the last workouts before six of the members traveled to Kansas City for the Ringside World Championships. In my tenure at the paper I have worked on a few boxing stories so my boss did not hesitate to put this one in my hands. A fellow shooter on our staff said he would like to gather audio at my assignment. From there I decided to ask another co-worker to use his old Speed Graphic camera (an old 4x5 press camera) to take six portraits of the fighters going to the tourney. I raced home, gathered all of my old "crap" and loaded a new battery in one of the many light meters I have, but rarely use since going digital.I shot six portraits in a few hours with only 14 sheets of expired film, which would be processed in expired chemistry in a darkroom that now serves as a newspaper library, compliments our managing editor. My co-worker put it well when he said, "Josh has a lot of balls in the air." Hell, I can't believe I remembered how to load 4x5 sheet film in a holder, let alone mix chemistry from scratch.Shooting something like this is rewarding. Not that the photos are show stoppers or anything, but it takes me back to the basics, back to using my eyes and realizing my vision. My problems seem to disappear for the time mainly because I know every shot literally counts. I know there is no motor drive with 5+ frames a second and no checking my exposure by "chimping." The only thing I have to rely on when working with this medium is skill (a.k.a. HOPE) and vision. I truly believe these are the reasons why every serious photographer picked up a camera in the first place.

As for me, I will hang onto the "crap" in the basement no matter how many garage sales I have in the future.
Longmont Boxing Club coach Raul Utajara rents a space above a Longmont welding shop on his own dime each and every month, which can get tough sometimes, he admits, considering he also works a full time job. "Sometimes I feel like I don't sleep," Utajara said, given he heads straight to the gym after work to train his fighters. He and his assistants left with six local fighters late Monday night to compete in the Ringside World Championships in Kansas City, Mo. Pictured from left: Raul Carrillo, Matthew Chavez, Adrian Pineda, Carlos Nevarez, Augustine Bantista, Coach Raul Utajara, Julio Quintana, John Neel, Jose Adrian Pineda, Lucas Montoya and Angel Gardea. Photo taken Friday, July 27, 2007. (Times-Call photo by Joshua Buck)

A Pretty Chill Dude

2007-07-07T22:19:00.000-06:00

How can you pass up photographing a large ice cream cone in the bowels of the Budweiser Events Center? It would have been cool to photograph a big beer, but I didn't see one around.

Mayan Fire Ceremony

2007-07-06T21:54:00.000-06:00

You never really know what to expect when you get an assignment that says you are going to a "Hippie Party." Walking into the unknown is great sometimes. Turns out it really wasn't a hippie party like I thought it would be, but it was a Mayan Fire Ceremony on the "Blue Moon." For those of you who have never heard of a blue moon it is when there are two full moons in one month. This happened on Saturday, June 30 (depending on where you live, apparently.) Aum-Rak, a Mayan Shaman from Guatemala was on hand to perform the ancient ceremony.

I even had my aura cleansed with flower water...Anyway, here are some photos and feel free to check out an audio slideshow here.

Weekend Excursion

2007-06-22T22:51:00.001-06:00

Growing up in the small mountain town of Fairplay, Colo. was great. As a kid I went hiking, fishing, snowshoeing, camping, skiing, snowboarding and backpacking all of the time. Fast forward 10 years: I now have one daughter, moved to the Front Range and not to mention a career...needless to say rarely do I get to the mountains. Anyway, I was itching to get out. Usually someone else gets these assignments, but I asked for it when I saw it come to the desk. I have to admit it was worth the sore legs, back and neck...mainly because I got paid to have fun.

You can view an audio slideshow here.

Each hike Wellspring participates in has a scriptural theme, but they all center on enjoying the time away from the rat race and turning our attention to God and the evidences of Him in nature, His creation.