4:08 PM The fire whistles blew. I was outside in the Gazette parking lot and was walking back in when my Co-worker Jamie was coming to find me. She said there was a possible structure fire in the 1200 block of Gompers Ave. I jumped in the Gazette car and OF COURSE hit massive traffic trying to get onto Philadelphia Street. Finally I made it to Gompers...where there was smoke billowing out of a small metal building with the word "Office" hanging over the door. Access was made by the fire fighters into the building and once oxygen hit the fire...it came shooting out of the top. What a smokey blaze too! At one point the safety horns had to be blown to get the men safely out of the building because there was no way to see what the stability of the structure was. Three fire companies later and countless men and women going in and out of the building, numerous windows busted and usage of heat seeking cameras the fire was out. I'm so glad that I was working today. I've been waiting for a blaze like this for a while. I'm not morbid but like I've said a million times...bad things are going to happen regardless. I just hope I'm the one working when they go down. These are my favorite shots of the day...below. I lurve it.
On Easter I met up with the Dotts Family. I grew up with their youngest daughter Susan and her mom Karen contacted me to take some family photos while their oldest daughter, Angie was in town from Las Vegas with her family. We spent a few hours shooting around this covered bridge that is right in the front/side yard. Here are a few from our shoot. I have to say this family is extremely photogenic and minus a few minor meltdowns and lots of candy breaks everyone got through this shoot :)
Tonight marked the start of the 2010 Altoona Curve baseball season. Ziggy Hood, the Pittsburgh Steelers 1st round draft pick, threw out the first pitch and signed autographs for fans during the game. The Curve took on the Harrisburg Senators during the sporadic rain showers. The Curve won the game 5-1. Hopefully the streak continues. Sunday, Stephen Strasburg will be making his Major League debut at the Blair County Ballpark and tonight, the San Diego Chicken will be at the park.
I am currently working as a photojournalist at the The Indiana Gazette where I have been on the staff since December of 2002. I did, however, leave to work at the Altoona Mirror for a year. I worked for a season shooting for the Altoona Curve. I save lives on Tuesdays at Citizens Ambulance in Indiana as an EMT.