*The making of a meaningful (sports) portrait. Feb. 2010

Eric Culver of New Paltz High School photographed in the pool at SUNY New Paltz in New Paltz, NY on Friday, February 19, 2010. Culver is an Olympic hopeful, qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON
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*Sometimes you hit a home run. With the bases loaded, in the bottom of the ninth inning. And everybody gets to go home happy. (Even if it's the middle of February and this "playing field" happens to be in the shallow end of a competitive swimming pool at a local college...)

I'd been thinking about the above image last week and how it was all meticulously planned out in my head even before arriving at the pool. I probably started thinking about making this image a week ahead of time when I first saw the assignment on the schedule, but it hadn't been given to a photographer yet. I began "imagining" how I'd want to photograph our local HS swimming sensation, Eric Culver during a morning practice. I'd already photographed him in action a few times at meets (at left, also lit with multiple strobes) and at the Empire State Games a few summers ago as well. The kid was very agreeable to my idea, as were his two coaches. That was a big help, and everyone was enthusiastic. I just had to wait until practice was over, as I wanted to make sure there weren't going to be any unnecessary waves in the pool. Yes, besides planning everything down to the last detail of utilizing two or three small camera flashes with snoots to light the subject, I was planning on getting in the water with Eric. Having never seen this particular college pool, I gave a silent sigh of relief to myself when there actually was a shallow end at the starting blocks. Couldn't imagine attempting this image if the pool didn't have a shallow end for me to stand up in. While the team continued practice for another hour or so, that time allowed me to properly set-up my remote lighting kit with Pocket-Wizard radios & transmitters (I went with three strobes) and shot quite a few test images (above) at various exposures, - well ahead of time before I was going to step into the pool. I kind of figured that I'd want to keep the shooting time for me in the water to only a few minutes, so when I did get out of the water, I'd better have all the images I wanted.
While waiting for practice to end, I manged to make a few simple portraits of Eric (at right) when he paused at the starting blocks to talk to one of the coaches. There was this wonderful window light coming in through a bank of large frosted glass windows behind the starting blocks, and when he sat on the blocks between practice starts - it was just a ready made feature portrait there for me to make too. On these quick images, you can actually see where the strobes fired to sort of give a little fill - light on his right arm, shoulder, and face as well. That light is coming from the far strobe that I placed on the lifeguard chair near the far end of the pool. Everything worked and one of the coaches even changed lenses for me at poolside while I was in the water. I remember the camera strap getting wet, and verbally reminding myself not to let the camera go, even if the wet strap was around my neck, as we were both standing in waist deep water.
One of the biggest factors in completing a portrait session like this or any other non-typical assignment for me is to obviously be prepared with all your gear & well thought out routine all ready to go - including a backup plan if needed, be confident that you can accomplish the assignment, let the subject and support people know what you're trying to do to create the type of images you set out to do, and most of all - have fun...!!! ~cg.

"Snow...!!!" 28•Feb•10

More on the snowstorm of February 2010.

I can't write on just one specific day of snowstorm coverage this week, so this is sort of a recap of the last 3-4 days, if you will. Basically it hammered us. We have two deaths reported here in our ciculation area of Orange County, NY. I couldn't keep track of the days I was out there shoveling, shoveling again and then shoveling some more. 200,000 utility customers lost power during the week and I was one of them. Late Thursday night I lost power and was expected to be out and about making images early Friday morning. As difficult as it was to get going that cold morning - the bigger problem was finding a reliable wi-fi location so I could move images to the paper. Walking the neighborhood those first few hours on Friday was even a challenge, so making images close to home sort of became an adventure of sorts.
Once we realized that there was electrical power in a neighboring town, and specifically in a business / strip mall area, I headed to the local Panera Bread shop to utilize their wi-fi, have a good, hot lunch and meet with colleagues and friends who all had the same ideas. All in all, some 30" or more fell just in my area here in the eastern most part of Orange County, along the Hudson River. Friday's workday ended with a search for an open gas station, as well as a few supplies from the supermarket (which was powered by their own generator, and I remembered how odd it was to see this huge building all lit up in the snowstorm, while every other business establishment was dark on Friday night.)

There is really nothing nice about having to work out in the elements. Blowing winds, moisture, fallen trees, and treacherous driving conditions make even the simplest of days and getting around my coverage area a nightmare.

Here are a few more images from the week in no particular order:

"All the Way Back Home from Haiti..." 07•Feb.•10

So I've been back home for a week now from the earthquake in Haiti. Barely had enough time to do laundry, and get to the stack of dishes that seemed to grow in my kitchen sink. Those of you that travel hard for international assignments must know of these feelings. This was the third earthquake zone I've been to, as well as hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides and areas of militarized conflict around the world. It usually takes a few days for me to "re-adjust" to the everyday and sometimes mundane happenings here at home. Besides, I was thrown right back into the work schedule on Tuesday afternoon covering a couple of big HS and community college basketball games, on strobes no less. Yesterday it was HS swimming and immediately after, HS girls indoor track championships at West Point. But Haiti hasn't been out of my thoughts for a single moment all week. I've thought about producing this slideshow and how to present it. Even recorded a Haitian girl last Saturday singing a gospel tune in Creole in the camp before I left for a day of shooting in Port-au-Prince. Not sure yet if I'll add any audio to these images. Quite honestly, I think they're powerful enough. Thanks for looking and having an interest in my work - I appreciate all your comments. -cg.

*(Use the arrow at the bottom left of the player or click the image to start the slideshow. Enable full screen viewing by clicking the 4-way arrow icon above the credits button at lower right of the player. Pause the portfolio slideshow in the right column by clicking the "II" pause button. There is no audio track with this presentation.)

Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 30•Jan.•10

This is Port-au-Prince today, two and a half weeks after the earthquake that killed an estimated 200,000 people. More on all this later when I return to CONUS and am able to add a slideshow here to the blog. These are the images that we all as photojournalists push ourselves to create. No matter where it is when the call comes. I was last here in 1999 and prior to that in 1993 with two former colleagues on my first international shooting assignment. "Thanks Funch for encouraging me to tag along on that first trip back then. I have felt your spirit here all week..." -cg.

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Haiti. 29•Jan.•10

Bon Jour from Fond Parisien, Haiti. We didn't have internet for most of the day yesterday, so I fell a little behind in the editing / transmitting routine from here on the border of the DR. (Dominican Republic.) Here's an idea of how it looks from my end to be working here, documenting the work of trauma and orthopedic surgeons operating on Haitian earthquake victims.

I haven't worked this hard since, well, my last volunteer surgical mission... -cg.

Haiti. Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Fond Parisien, Haiti: Putting in a lot of hours. It is not easy. It's hot, dirty and tiring, but the rewards are many. The smiles and the happy glances from the grateful Haitians acknowledging that this surgical team is helping them here in an IDP (Interally Displaced Persons) camp in the mountains is immeasurable. That is why I am here. -cg.

"Haiti..." January 2010.

Young Haitian orphaned boy at the Love a Child Health Center in Fond Parisien, Haiti on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. An Operation Smile orthopedic and plastic surgical team from Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA are in Haiti treating victims of the 7.0 earthquake earlier this month.
© Chet Gordon for Operation Smile

Fond Parisien, Haiti. Welcome back to Haiti - This is truly "The Zone..." (more on this mere phrase later.) Returning to Haiti two weeks after the massive earthquake that struck this island nation is obviously overpowering - almost traumatic if you will. From earlier posts you'll know that I'd traveled here in the Fall of 1993 on my first international self-assigned shooting trip. More like a mission. Or a calling, if you will. The images that are constantly produced here by any number of photographers are always powerful. Haiti tests your strengths and passion as a photographer, even if you don't realize it at the time. There is something about the people, the language, and oh this beautiful Caribbean light here. But I am not here on a mere nostalgia visit. This is the real deal, because as the world knows - the shit really hit the fan here two weeks ago. That is why I am here. Without question, without hesitation. Working as a volunteer for Operation Smile of Norfolk, VA means the world to me. Always has throughout my career. It has all sort of been a blur through the weekend and the continual travel, last minute change of plans and logistical nightmares of sorts so far. The medical team I'm documenting are settled into refugee camp called the Love a Child Heath Center about 20 kilometers from the Dominican Republic border, here in the mountainous region of Haiti. Most of the team are now sleeping in tents left by a team from Camden, NJ that pulled out today after two weeks here in country. That's right, I said American trauma and plastic surgeons as well nursing staff are sleeping out under the stars. I prefer and empty storage room we've converted from a classroom in one of the buildings on the grounds of this compound. In fact, we were initially going to work at a field hospital on the Dominican Republic side of the border, but when the need was realized here by our administrative and advance people, swift decisions were made to move the team here for the duration of their stay.

It's late. I feel extremely lucky to have internet connectivity and hoping it'll be reliable for the rest of the week. I'll work hard to add a few more posts here during the week on the blog, after I've moved files to the client. You can read more of how this mission is going for Operation Smile here in Haiti by going Here. -cg.

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"En Route to Haiti..." 24•Jan.•10

Operation Smile warehouse workers unload cargo from a tractor-trailer onto a waiting SWIFT AIR Boeing 737-400 charter aircraft at Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, VA on Sunday, January 24, 2010. An orthopedic surgical team and support personnel from Penn State are en route to Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake earlier this month. © Chet Gordon for Operation Smile

Writing from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, en route to Haiti. I am traveling with a small team of orthopedic surgeons and support staff from Penn State University, all volunteering our time for Operation Smile to get to Haiti to do what they can in treating the thousands upon thousands of traumatic injuries we're likely to see from the earthquake on December 12th. Arrived here earlier tonight from Norfolk, VA on a chartered Boeing 737 aircraft (above & left) that is primarily used to fly pro sports teams based in the Arizona market around the country. It was truly a first class operation, and most of us weary travelers forget about the few days we've been in Virginia awaiting air transportation into Haiti after the Marines pulled their offer to fly us directly into Port-au-Prince on Friday evening. It was a whirlwind to even be asked to document this mission for longtime client Operation Smile, as I literally got the call on Thursday afternoon in New York while working, and by close of business that day, Operation Smile people had me booked on a 10:20AM flight Friday morning to get to Norfolk to met up with the medical team, as our initial departure for Haiti was to be Friday night...
Tomorrow is an extremely early call as we're scheduled to meet the cargo that accompanied us on the plane and begin the overland journey to Haiti. We are expecting a least a 3 or 4 hour drive to the border. I'll do my best to send images to the Operation Smile offices back in Norfolk, as well as blogging when I can here. Stay tuned. -cg.

Onè Respe: A Photographic Benefit for the Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake

When last week's massive 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, rescue & humanitarian workers from around the world stepped up immediately - some arriving within 24 hours. Photographers from the world's premiere picture agencies, newspapers & wire services raced to the island nation as well. The images coming out of the capital city Port-au-Prince and outlaying countryside are just heart wrenching. Everyday. Doesn't matter who's making the images- it all hurts. Those of you that know my career, know of my past trips to Haiti, and the stories I've told of the impoverished island nation. Fast-forward to the present. Fellow photographer Lane Hartwell in the Bay Area contacted me and asked would I donate a few of my images for a fund raising magazine for the American Red Cross that she was producing. Without hesitation I hustled to send her a few of my favorite images from Haiti that I'd made back in 1993. I only wish I had more of those wonderful old chromes scanned and ready to go as high res digital files. In fact, that personal trip was my first international shooting assignment. These are preview pages of my images made on that trip that are included in the magazine. (Click each page to see a larger view):


I do hope that you'll visit the magazine publisher's link HERE and purchase a copy. All proceeds from sales of the magazine will benefit the American Red Cross International Response Fund to help the work ahead in Haiti. Especially now with such grim images coming in we wanted to give a glimpse into the lives of the Haitian people and hope for what is possible. These photographs show the sense of family and community, the sheer happiness of the Haitian children in spite of the extreme poverty in their country. -cg.

"And on the Sixth Day..." Jan. 16, 2010.

Christina Bookal walks back to her apartment after a prayer service organized by Chaplain Crisis Response Ministries at Bookal's Benkard Ave. home in the City of Newburgh, NY on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Bookal is the mother of 4 year-old Marc Bookal, who went missing on December 14th. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON

As I'd written last month on this story of the 4 year-old missing child case, "This One Hurts..."
I am still occasionally on the story of little Marc Anthony Bookal who went missing from his home back on December 14, 2009. It has been some week for news (and sports for that matter) and the good pictures from select assignments keep happening. Since this is the biggest story I'm on so far this new year and is actually a continuation from late last year, including a few in my POY (Pictures of the Year.) I have to visit and post some of the images here and highlight how the case is going. -cg.