"Giving Back..." (Part 2) Newburgh, NY 15•Feb.•12

(2) - During my lecture last night for the Hudson Valley Professional Photographer's Society at the Hilton Garden Inn in Newburgh, NY on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. (Photograph by Peter Salo)

"More Winners..." Feb. 2012

Kinda starting the year off right with a (small) announcement that an image of mine was awarded a second place (top) in the NPPA - MNCC (National Press Photographer's Association - Monthly News Clip Contest) for last October. The image that's come to be known around the office and with colleagues as "The kid with the cellphone..." has easily become a favorite of mine. I've explained that covering a fire (or any spot or even general news event) isn't only about photographing the actions unfolding right in front of you. Firefighters, cops, EMS personnel working a hectic scene, or even a "guy at a mic" (politicians and executives of any stature delivering a speech come to mind here) become the "locator" images or even the ones that will serve as an historical reference for later use. Editors live to see these straight ahead photographs. Images of burning buildings, twisted metal, and gurneys on the street just mean you got there in time at a breaking news event and made some timely pictures. Old school photographers know of the saying, "f/8 and be there..." when it comes to shooting spot news. Sometimes you have to walk around the building, scene, or even meeting room or lecture hall, and make it a point to change lenses, and just "see what's going on" away from the main action. Listen to neighbors or onlookers, because they may have "seen something" that you're not quite aware of yet. It also can't hurt if you hustle to a fire like this on your day off... ~cg.

Here's how the original looked with the complete caption info:

A boy uses a smartphone to photograph exposed flames burning through the rear of a 3 - story house during a three-alarm fire at 488 Liberty Street in Newburgh, NY on Sunday, October 23, 2011. Nearly a dozen people were left homeless after the fire erupted in the multi-family home when a resident was cooking in a second-floor apartment in the rear of the building. All the occupants got out safely and there were no injuries. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

"I've Got Multiple Shots Fired Down Here..." Newburgh, NY 21•Nov.•11

This one was a difficult scene to work late last night. When I took the reporter's call (above) just after 10PM, I immediately replied, "I'll be there in 10 minutes..." We both live in the neighborhood and know the shooting victim from working these streets... ~cg.

Newburgh Chief of Police Michael Ferrara (left) joins other officers as they examine a gunshot round outside the Terrace Lounge on Liberty and East Parmenter Streets in Newburgh, NY on Monday night, November 21, 2011. Donovan "Snoop" James (29) was shot multiple times by an unknown assailant and was eventually flown by MedeVac helicopter to Westchester County Medical Center for emergency treatment. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Veteran's Day. Newburgh, NY 11•Nov.•11

"The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month..."

Newburgh firefighter Capt. John Ryan presents the nations colors during a Veteran's Day ceremony in Newburgh, NY on Friday, November 11, 2011. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

"An October Snowstorm...?" 29•Oct.•11

Well, you certainly don't see something like this everyday. To say that a pretty severe snowstorm on Saturday wrought havoc on the Northeast is probably an understatement. The last time I viewed a national news organization's site, there were something like 9 people killed and upwards of 1 million people left without electrical power. In our region, my second HS divisional playoff game was canceled, just as the snow began blanketing the turf field a little after noontime. Editing and transmitting from the warm press box helped, but the drive home that normally would've taken 30 minutes, required an hour and a half on the interstate in slushy, wet snow. Neighborhoods in my town are still without power and I'm writing this on Monday morning, the 31st. I certainly hope this isn't any indication of what's to come this winter... ~cg.

NEWBURGH, NY. A Newburgh firefighter returns to his vehicle after responding to a call on Sunday morning, October 30, 2011. A rare October snowstorm dumped several inches of snow in the Northeast region, downing trees and causing power outtages to thousands in the tri-state area. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

NEWBURGH, NY. A Newburgh firefighter returns to the firehouse after they responded to a call on Saturday evening, October 29, 2011. A rare October snowstorm dumped several inches of snow in the Northeast region, downing trees and causing power outtages to thousands in the tri-state area. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

(2) - Washingtonville fans braved the snowstorm prior to the Section 9 Class AA Divisional Playoff game between NFA and Washingtonville at Faller Field in Middletown, NY on Saturday, October 29, 2011. The game was postponed due to weather and has been rescheduled for Monday evening. © CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

"Sometimes the Dog Wins..." 14•Oct.•11

NFA head coach Bill Bianco (right) greets Monroe-Woodbury head coach Pat D'Aliso (left) after their Class AA football game in Central Valley, NY on Friday, October 14, 2011. NFA defeated Monroe-Woodbury 7 - 0 to end Monroe-Woodbury's 63 - game winning streak against Section 9 teams. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Rain. Mud. Spit and Blood... Friday night high school football at the playoff tournament level; although it may be a little early yet to be thinking that way just beyond the midway point of the season. Sounds sort of a like a John Madden promo or something. I can almost hear Madden's voice echoing in my ear: "Now you see this kid here, Mikal Myers of NFA (at right). He's got the mud thing going all over his body, a two-way lineman who doesn't wear any protective padding on his arms - now HE'S a football player...!" Ever since I've been at this newspaper, there's been the mystique of Monroe-Woodbury football. (Similar to the plateau and rare air that NFA basketball has lived on for years...) I've been privileged to have photographed some of the best HS football competition in my career up here in the Hudson Valley, and a lot of it has had to do with covering M-W football the last 5 years. Last night was challenging and at times just down right tough. An intermittent rain kept things at a point just below miserable, not to mention my drop-dead deadline, when I needed to have images shipped to the paper. Nerve racking. Nail biting. But beyond the headaches and everyday stresses, it was still fun. And that's what counts probably more than anything...

*Here's the slideshow from the very muddy game... ~cg.

Working an all-day "Zombie BBQ..." Newburgh, NY. 1•Oct.•11

Had some time off coming from the day job, so I was able to do a few things for a good friend & local restaurant owner here in town yesterday. A good day for a good cause, as the "Psychedelic Zombie BBQ II" was held inside the old Newburgh Armory. Some very large spaces, smaller rooms and a gym for vendors, outdoor BBQ, and an outdoor beer garden. I'd decided the night before to pack up my "quick & dirty" two light portrait set and bring it along, just in case I encountered folks really into this whole Zombie thing. Little did I know... It was a long and tiring day (about 15 hours on location), but it was good to see a few performers I know. It was also fun making the varied images and stepping up to the challenges of working under difficult lighting conditions in the old building... (Will try to add a slideshow of the day soon.) ~cg.

Chrissie O' Dell and her band One Hot Mess perform during the Psychedelic Zombie BBQ II at the Newburgh Armory in Newburgh, NY on Saturday, October 1, 2011. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

"Blood Work..." FBI Gang Raids - Part III. Newburgh, NY 13•Sept.•11

Heavily armed FBI agents leave the scene at 433 Third Street in the City of Newburgh, NY, on Tuesday, September 13, 2011. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Orange County Sheriff's Office, NY State Police, DEA, and Newburgh Police arrested suspected Bloods gang members wanted for murder and other violent crimes, during coordinated pre-dawn raids throughout the city. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

*More on this in a bit. I have been sorting out coverage of my third pre-dawn raids here in my city over the last 16 months or so... ~cg

*On Covering Hurricanes "K-I-M..." (Katrina, Irene, Mitch.)

NEWBURGH, NY. A woman examines debris onshore near The River Rose, and original paddle-wheel boat moored along the flooded Hudson River waterfront in Newburgh, NY on Sunday, August 28, 2011. Hurricane Irene knocked out power from South Carolina to Maine, and parts of New York State saw more than a foot of rain. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS. A young boy pauses near a car covered with debris along the bank of the Rio Choluteca (Choluteca River) under the El Chile Bridge in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on Saturday, November 7, 1998. Hurricane Mitch left upwards of 11,000 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and the rest of Central America. Floods and mudslides have leveled houses, buried villages and washed out major roadways and bridges, cutting off the northern and southern regions of Honduras. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

NEW ORLEANS, LA. Destroyed homes in the Lower 9th. Ward of New Orleans, LA on Wednesday, June 28, 2006. Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf states 10 months ago. © Chet Gordon / THE IMAGE WORKS

Venturing around town this afternoon to make a few images of the rising Hudson River (top image) and early damage caused by Hurricane Irene, got me thinking of my past work at Hurricanes Katrina in June 2006 along the Gulf Coast and Mitch, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras back in 1998. Clearly Mitch was the most destructive of all hurricanes that I've seen to this day. Katrina's numbers were devastating just as equally, but more so in terms of displaced, uprooted survivors, and sheer property damage in the Gulf States. And Irene these last few days...? I think the jury is still out on this one. Following are a few more archived images to sort of serve as a reminder of what severe hurricane damage looks like and the unforgivable destructive forces they bring... ~cg.

(3) MITCH. Tegucigalpa, Honduras. November 1998.

KATRINA. New Orleans, LA June 2006.

KATRINA. Gulfport, Mississippi. June 2006.

(2) KATRINA. Biloxi, Mississippi. June 2006.

(2) IRENE. Newburgh, NY. August 2011.

"It's Too Darn Hot..." July 2011

*With apologies to Ella Fitzgerald, yes, it truly is "Too Darn Hot..." this week here in the Northeast. ~cg

Eight year-old boy keeps cool in the spray of a sprinkler at Audrey Carey Park on Liberty Street in the City of Newburgh, NY on Thursday, July 21, 2011. The Northeastern U.S. has endured a heatwave for a week, with temperatures reaching near 100ºF. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

Of the two images I sent in early yesterday morning, here's the one we used (below) of the same boy to illustrate this ongoing heatwave...

Just another few days at "The Office..." July 2011

(2) Newburgh City Police SWAT Team officers outside 260 First Avenue during a drug raid in Newburgh, NY on Friday, July 15, 2011. Five individuals were taken into custody including one female and a 15 year-old juvenile. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Newburgh City Police SWAT Team officers take a woman into custody during a drug raid at 260 First Avenue in Newburgh, NY on Friday, July 15, 2011. Five individuals were taken into custody including this woman and a 15 year-old juvenile. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

(2) Soniel "Sonny" Ayala is taken into custody by Newburgh City Police officers at the intersection of First and Carpenter Avenues in Newburgh, NY on Friday, July 15, 2011. Ayala was wanted for a stabbing during an armed robbery earlier this morning. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

Tommy Bell on the field in Michie Stadium at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY on Thursday, July 14, 2011. Bell was Army's first 1,000-yard rusher in 1954, but isn't in the Army Sports Hall of Fame. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

(2) Michie Stadium at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY on Thursday, July 14, 2011. Army will host San Diego State in their 2011 home opener on Saturday, September 10th. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record

"Happy 4th....!" Newburgh, NY

Independence Day fireworks explode over the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY on Monday, July 4, 2011. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

Workhorse Nikon D-1X. 28mm - 70mm f/2.8AF, old school SILK tripod, Nikon MC - 20 timer & shutter release. ISO 200. f/11 - f/13. 3 sec. - 13 sec. ~cg

*For Gil...

"Winter in America."

It's been a week since musician Gil Scott-Heron has passed away at 62. Heron was certainly much more than a poet and songwriter whose infectious tunes just had a way of staying with you, even after nearly 30 years. He liked to call himself a "bluesologist" and I'd heard in one interview he said, "I'm just a piano player from Tennesee..." I'd written about his passing last week here on the blog, including the article that appeared in The New York Times. Listening to radio programs, reading some of the other testimonials to him and listening again to some of his past interviews, it is time to post this multimedia piece which I began putting together about six months ago. All the images were made here in Newburgh, NY, encompassing my coverage on the streets the past few years, although I'd had the soundtrack in my head for much, much longer.

I've wondered what Gil would think of the piece utilizing his words & music, but just a day or two ago I realized he'd already seen it - all over this country. ~cg.

Memorial Day. - (Present Day) Newburgh, NY.

Spent the morning at the Memorial Day Parade here in town, basically for myself, as I wanted to put the old Nikon D-1X through it's paces again. Ended up utilizing the 14mm (equivalent to a 20mm on the digital body) and just had a blast "getting in real close" to a few subjects. Also shot 95% of the take on Aperture priority, which I almost never do. With the sun constantly playing peek-a-boo behind an overcast sky, I didn't want to keep using the hand meter or "chimping" (looking at the images on the back of the camera) while walking the parade route. By tweaking the exposure compensation settings on the camera, I was pleasantly surprised by the results of this "quick hit" self assignment. ~cg.

NEWBURGH, NY. Vietnam War veteran Richie Sanchez (53) watches the Memorial Day Parade proceed along Broadway in Newburgh, NY on Monday, May 30, 2011. Sanchez served in Army as an infantryman in Vietnam during 1975 - 1976. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS