Funeral for Slain Police Officer. 24•Feb.•11

Law enforcement officers salute as the hearse bearing the body of Poughkeepsie police officer John Falcone proceeds along Gleneida Ave. after his funeral services at St. James the Apostle Church in Carmel, NY on Thursday, February 24, 2011. Officer Falcone is the City of Poughkeepsie police officer who was killed in a shootout last week at the Poughkeepsie Metro-North Railroad station. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

During the world changing events in the Middle East and North Africa the last few weeks, I've fondly recalled some of my past work in the region. Here are but a few favorites from Amman and Petra, Jordan in the Spring of 2006. ~cg.

Iraqi women comfort each other as their children undergo surgery at the Jameel Tatonji Hospital in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday, April 25, 2006.

Young Jordanian sheep herder near the Jameel Tatonji Hospital in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday, April 25, 2006.

A Jordanian man walks past large murals of the late King Hussein (left) and his son King Abdullah (right) in Petra, Jordan on Friday, April 28, 2006.

Muslim visitors walk among the ruins in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan on April 28, 2006. Petra is considered the most famous and gorgeous site in Jordan located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba. It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe.

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

A showcase for some of my favorite images here on the blog that aren't particularly in the working portfolio. Look for this occasional feature where I'll highlight a single image that's meant a lot throughout my career. Enjoy. ~cg.

*To see my previous posts of this ongoing retrospective, click HERE.

Photographer Daniel Morel wins 2 World Press Photo Awards.

2011 WORLD PRESS PHOTO

Image © Daniel Morel/Photomorel, courtesy of the photographer.

My longtime friend and colleague, Daniel Morel has won two World Press Photo Awards in the 2011 competition held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You may know his iconic image above as Daniel, a Haitian photographer created the first images after the earthquake struck in Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010. His images were seen around the world in the days following the devastating earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people, and left upwards of 1.5 million people homeless. His images ran in newspapers and magazines around the world, and were broadcast on international TV news channels as well. Daniel was awarded a 2nd. place in News (Singles) for the image of the woman crawling out of the rubble (above) and a 1st. Place in News (Stories - below) for a collection of his images just after the earthquake that first day. I've known Daniel for nearly 20 years, after our first meeting in Haiti back in 1993, on my first international shooting assignment with two other colleagues. I caught up with Daniel in his Port-au-Prince hotel last January, two weeks after the earthquake, while I was there working for longtime client Operation Smile. ~cg.

Oloffson Hotel. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Saturday, January 30, 2010.

Portfolio editing w/ Daniel in my apartment. Newburgh, NY. May 2008.

"While You Were Sleeping..." Newburgh, NY 10•Feb.•11

6:20AM. An FBI agent walks along Bayview Terrace in the City of Newburgh, NY, on Thursday, February 10, 2011. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Orange County Sheriff's Office, NY State Police, and Newburgh Police made arrests of suspected Latin King gang members in coordinated pre-dawn raids. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Today's workday is part of a continuation of my street crime coverage here in Newburgh, NY, particularly last May during city wide arrests made on known gang members. Back then 78 individuals were taken into custody on various charges, but mostly on drug offenses of different counts. Some of today's "targets" as they're known by law enforcement personnel were wanted in connection with several unsolved murders here in the city as well. Earlier today, as the dawn was just breaking, the FBI again coordinated raids involving multiple law enforcement agencies at residences of know Latin Kings gang members. Thanks to good sourcing and organizational work by our Newburgh beat reporter here at the paper (at left in photo), we were able to have another good street reporter (center) and staff photographer (right) join us just after 5AM to begin our own coordination around the city's East End. Upon learning of the type of individuals we might get a glimpse of during these raids, my heart beat faster, and my breathing grew short and determined. I was getting nervous in the reporter's car, parked a few doors away from an address that we knew beforehand was going to be raided. It is almost an indescribable feeling, "a rush" if you will. I mean not knowing if the individuals being sought are considered armed and dangerous, may flee, or even the strong possibility of gunfire that might ensue. Certainly the officers were well armed, including a team of agents with a battering ram, and full body shield. Yea, all these thoughts raced through my mind in the final moments before we exited the reporter's car. It was about 7˚F outside, just before 6AM. My first frames were made moments later, mostly as a test under available light with the older Canon 1-D. Nothing usable there. It wasn't like the FBI agents and other officers didn't know who we were. They were still arriving on the scene in undercover cars, SUV's, and marked radio cars, and parking at all kinds of angles in the street, intentionally clogging up the nearby t-intersection. I always make it a point in these situations to purposely dangle my press credentials around my neck, particularly when I'm cautiously walking upon a scene, and at this time, still in the morning's shrinking shadows. I also give a short and to the point low angle wave to the officers that see and acknowledge me, making sure they all get a good look at me and my colleague. One FBI agent even jokingly commented to me that I needed the newest Nikon D-3 or D-3s like his as he retrieved his equipment from a vehicle, so I could shoot at high ISO's like 12,800. Boy that was a brief moment of acceptance, and it was then that I realized I was "in" and would possibly have a good opportunity of making a few images of a "target" when they brought him out of the house in the next few minutes. My main images would still have to be shot with flash though, as available light exposures were still only 1/20th. sec. at f/2.8, ISO 4000. That wasn't going to cut it. I had to quickly change AA's in the flash again atop the Canon 5D - Mark II, as the only flash image I'd made as a test (of the reporters above) was more than a half hour ago. I guessed the extreme cold drained those batteries quickly. Fortunately, I'd thrown a set of AA's in my coat pocket, and was able to drop those into the flash only a minute or two before the murder suspect was led from his residence (below). 6:30AM. Suspected gang member Luis Tambito (center) is taken into custody from his home at 45 Bayview Terrace in the City of Newburgh, NY, on Thursday, February 10, 2011. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Orange County Sheriff's Office, NY State Police, and Newburgh Police made arrests of suspected Latin King gang members in coordinated pre-dawn raids. Tambito was charged with two other men in the murder of Jerome “Rude Boy” Scarlett in the area of Farrington and Lander streets on May 11, 2010. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

I was lucky this morning. Real lucky. Something told me to change those batteries in the flash at the last moment, as well as creeping up to the bumper of the unmarked car in the street after I'd gotten the unofficial OK from an agent. I'd even asked another agent if I was "OK here" when the suspect was quietly led down the stairs by a few FBI agents without incident. Looking back, I didn't even realize he was cuffed, as the walk to the car only took about 5 seconds. In my mind's eye witnessing this scene seemed liked 20 minutes passed as I managed only about 5 or 6 frames, especially with my auto-focus going nuts in the dark. *(note to self - switch to manual focus at future perp walks, especially with flash under these conditions...)
When that scene was over, I managed a few "B-roll" images of agents, vehicles, etc. and we drove to another known address and just barely missed another "target" being led out his apartment. More backup images made there of agents entering the ground floor apartment with their evidence boxes and bags. And oh yea, remember to wave to the NY State Police helicopter overhead, who were no doubt filming all the active arrest scenes... ~cg.

Click HERE to read our story in today's paper and HERE for last May's story below:

"Knock - Knock...!!!"

An FBI agent (left) and a Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force officer serve a search warrant at 113 Lander Street in the City of Newburgh, NY on Thursday morning, May 13, 2010. Upwards of 600 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies raided gang hideouts and made arrests of Bloods and Latin Kings street gang members as part of Operation Blood Drive and Operation Black Crown at various locations throughout the City of Newburgh. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

FBI agents gather outside the former National Guard Armory in the City of Newburgh, NY on Thursday morning, May 13, 2010. Upwards of 600 officers from multiple law enforcement agencies raided gang hideouts and made arrests of Bloods and Latin Kings street gang members as part of Operation Blood Drive and Operation Black Crown at various locations throughout the City of Newburgh. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Gerald Celente. Kingston, NY 9•Feb.•11

Gerald Celente during an interview at the Trends Research Institute in Kingston, NY on Wednesday, February 9, 2011. Celente is the editor and publisher of The Trends Journal. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Got the assignment today to photograph author, publisher, political thinker and analyst Gerald Celente in the offices of his Trends Research Institute in Kingston, NY. Celente is a regular on CNN, CNBC, FOX News, etc. and couldn't have been nicer. It helped a lot that our reporter has known him for a long time, so the interview was very casual and laid back. When I walked into the open office space, I was thrilled at the mid-morning window light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling windows in a space that was once a turn of the century marketplace. Even though I'd brought along my "quick & dirty" location strobe kit with multiple camera flashes, radios, clamps and such, along with another separate bag of umbrellas and light stands, I decided to really keep it all simple with just the Canon 5D-Mark II, with only one lens, the 28mm - 70mm f/2.8AF, and a light meter. That available light was just too sweet to pass up.

I guess that's still one thing I kind of look forward to in this business; walking into an assignment and not knowing what to expect. It's also still fun to meet people that are on top of their game and have the opportunity to interact cordially with them while I work. ~cg.

*More NPPA Winners... (for Nov. 2010)

Newburgh Police Crime Scene Detectives and funeral home personnel remove the first of two bodies from 12 Liberty Street in the Heights neighborhood of the City of Newburgh, NY on Friday, November 5, 2010. Two men were the victims of a double homicide last night. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Another winner in the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) Monthly Clip Contest for last November. This image was made during another day-long stakeout at the scene of a double homicide here in Newburgh. Again. What made this a long day was that I'd already made the location or "safe" images of the house and the cops on the street, and had actually moved my images and video clips from back home only a few blocks away. I decided to return when the reporter told me the coroner's office people had arrived, and ironically one of their officers is the former Newburgh chief of police. We don't usually publish "body bag" photos in our paper; but this one proved to be a big case, as the victims were a former cop and his nephew. The photograph appeared on our front page the following day. The perps of the crime have since been caught as well as the mastermind who ordered the hit. It's going to be an interesting trail later this year that's for certain... ~cg.

"Baby, It's Cold Out There..." New York. Jan. - Feb. 2011.

The cold weather has been a real bear here in the Northeast the past few weeks. Here's a brief look at what I've been shooting lately. (How many days until pitchers and catchers report in MLB Spring Training...?) ~cg.

United States Coast Guard Cutter Sturgeon Bay (WTGB 109) of Bayonne, NJ steams upriver to clear the shipping lanes of ice along the Hudson River in West Point, NY on Thursday, February 3, 2011. Temperatures reached into the 30˚'s in the Hudson Valley region after a two-day storm brought snow, sleet and freezing temperatures from the Southwestern states to New England. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

United States Coast Guard Cutter Sturgeon Bay (WTGB 109) of Bayonne, NJ steams downriver to clear the shipping lanes of ice along the Hudson River in Cornwall, NY on Thursday, February 3, 2011. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

City of Newburgh Department of Public Works (DPW) snow plow driver Paul Taylor is seen reflected in the mirror of Ed Mitzner's truck as they plow streets in the City of Newburgh, NY on Wednesday, February 2, 2011. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Vehicle buried in snow on Crescent Avenue in the City of Newburgh, NY on Wednesday, February 2, 2011. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Eastbound traffic (left lanes) on Route 84 in Newburgh, NY on Wednesday January 12, 2011. The third major snowstorm of the winter has blanketed the East Coast from Georgia to New England. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

A man shovels the sidewalk in front of his Liberty Street home in Newburgh, NY on Wednesday January 12, 2011. The third major snowstorm of the winter has blanketed the East Coast from Georgia to New England. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record