Operation Smile's NYC Photography Exhibit is up...!

My photograph (above, right) from the Operation Smile Mae Sot, Thailand mission and other photographer's work ready to be hung at SplashLight Studios in New York on Monday, February 25, 2008. Spent the day helping fellow New York photographer Rohanna Mertens & organizer Benj Gershman install 60+ images featuring images from the 27 Operation Smile volunteer professional photographers who participated in the organization's 25th Anniversary initiative "World Journey of Smiles" last November. The exhibit at Splashlight Studios on Manhattan's West Side is open to the public Feb 26 to March 3. The opening reception is Thursday, February 28th. 7:00 - 10:00PM. © Chet Gordon/www.chetgordon.com



*the $50.00 donation fee has been waived, but you must still RSVP to: Tatiana Sotiriou, Operation Smile Northeast Regional Development Manager, 917-214-6700 tsotiriou@operationsmile.org

*Another weekend of championship HS wrestling.

Dragged in two Dyna-Lite UniJr.'s, Pocket Wizards, super clamps, 100' of extension cord, plenty of gaffer's tape yesterday to light a large HS gym again for championship wrestling... This was a hectic night covering the tournament, as I had to leave the gym, quickly edit the first few matches on the laptop, and send a few images for use on the paper's website. Returned back to the mat to shoot the last two matches, including the heavyweight bout with undefeated wrestler, Corey James of Kingston HS. Fortunately the HS had reliable and fast wi-fi in the hallway off the main gym.

*Aircraft De-Icing @ SWF. Feb. 22, 2008.

I finally, finally got one...! Today, believe it or not, in all the messy weather & heavy wet snow, I followed my instincts & headed back to Stewart International Airport (SWF) early this morning here in our coverage area & made an image I've been wanting to make for more than 10 years or so. It's no secret that I have a thing for aviation, and this image about says it all for me in one simple frame, made with "slow" 300mm f/4. (not the "big-gun, mortgage-the-house" 300 f/2.8 sports lens...) Through the years I've seen other photographer's work on the wires and even local guys I know in NYC & other markets move similar images, but I just wanted one of my own... That's it.

An Atlantic Aviation worker de-ices a jetBlue aircraft prior to departure at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, NY on Friday, February 22, 2008. The season's latest snowstorm is expected to blanket the region with up to a foot of snow.

"Go (very) early. Stay late. Get the uniform dirty..." -cg.

*Just something quick from today...

Saw this barn up north returning from a morning assignment, and couldn't pass it by without turning around and making a few frames on RAW. The noontime light was just too good...! Enjoy. -Chet.


Farm on Route 209 in Napanoch, NY on Thursday, February 21, 2008. © Chet Gordon / THE IMAGE WORKS

A Week of Champions... High School Alpine Skiing, and Track & Field Championships. Feb. 14 & 16, 2008.

*Lots of driving and a couple of long days this week, but it made for good images...








Here's how my workday looked for HS skiing on the mountain: 2 Canon digi-bodies; (#1) w/ a 70mm-200mm, & (#2) w/ a 300mm f/2.8 & monopod over my shoulder. In the bag is a 16mm-35mm zoom, strobe & light meter, extra camera battery. Throw in plenty of hand warmers, extra gloves, favorite Gore-Tex ski-hat, too many layers of shirts to remember, long underwear, wool socks, and of course, a pack of (lucky) Dentyne Ice gum...


I really don't know a lot about photographing skiing. Never been on a pair in my life, but "Hey, it's a sport, right...? And that's what I'm there for, to make good images..." I remember thinking to myself, 'Don't fall up here on this friggin' mountain...! along with a few inaudible swear words" (Photograph by Richard Ross/The River Reporter)

*More Weather Pictures...

Gets kind of hard to continually illustrate a miserable weather day & keep in mind that images of snow plows, spin-outs, shovelers, and window scrapers are getting lame. Here's a few that I like. (Thanks to Bob Garneau, Terminal Manager at SWF today. *Stewart International Airport...)

I made the same photo yesterday at two different assignments...

(top): Girls listen intently to Natasha Watley of the U.S. Olympic softball team during a softball clinic for fast pitch softball players at Frozen Ropes in Chester, NY on Saturday, February 9, 2008.
(bottom): New Canaan, CT cheerleaders wait to perform during the 6th. Annual Winter Cheerleading Competition at Monroe-Woodbury High School on Saturday, February 9, 2008.

Operation Smile's World Journey of Smiles Photo Exhibit Opening. Thursday, February 28, 2008. 7PM.

I am honored and pleased to be included in Operation Smile's World Journey of Smiles Photo Exhibition, opening on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at Splashlight Studios on the West Side of Manhattan. As many of you may know, I have been volunteering with Operation Smile for the last 10 years, documenting nearly 20 of their international missions to sites in Thailand, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Jordan, Paraguay and Russia.

*Getting to know the athletes..

I thought this was kind of cool two weeks ago. Photographed Jordan Coburn, a HS athlete winning the 110 meter high hurdles (indoors, right) at West Point, and remembered that I'd also made a similar image of him last summer winning the same event at the Empire State Games over in Westchester County (outdoors, left). He also won the high jump in the West Point meet by clearing a height of 6'4":



"Thank goodness for a reliable and fast Canon 300mm f/2.8 AF..." -cg.

*Recent work, contest time, and basically just keeping my "S*%T" together lately...

Images & thoughts from the past 2 weeks or so. With the death of Heath Ledger, and hustling to get my images of him off to my agency, as well as the paper, coupled with a few sleepless nights of finalizing yet another year-end contest entry in the trades, it was a hectic few weeks of the new year. Managed to light-up a few sports venues again and covered the funeral for a 15-year old HS girl who died after falling through the roof of an elementary school.




"Go early. Stay late. Get the uniform dirty..."
-Chet.