Trainer Ray Rivera of the Newburgh Boxing Club tapes the hands of fighter Felix Davila prior to his 165lb. bout during the Junior Olympics Metro Championship Boxing Finals at the Newburgh Armory in Newburgh, NY on Sunday, May 15, 2011. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Fighter Randy Hinkson (21) of Plattekill wraps his hands at the Newburgh Boxing Club in Newburgh, NY on Friday, May 13, 2011. Ray Rivera, the club's owner / trainer may have to close the gym in June due to financial hardships. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Spent a few hours this afternoon at the Newburgh Boxing Club here in town. This for an upcoming story on the boxing club that may have to close, due to financial problems and haggling with the city. 
I've grown to the know the owner / head trainer Ray Rivera, as I've had a few assignments there the past few years. I've also covered fights where his fighters have been on the card. It's really good to see some of his fighters now appearing at bigger venues, which in turn means bigger purses for these inner city athletes.
Fighter Gary Acosta (15) of Newburgh hits the heavy bag at the Newburgh Boxing Club in Newburgh, NY on Friday, May 13, 2011. Ray Rivera, the club's owner / trainer may have to close the gym in June due to financial hardships. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Trevor Mattis is forcibly removed from Judge Donald Williams' courtroom after an expletive laden outburst directed at the judge, during his sentencing in the Ulster County Courthouse in Kingston, NY on Friday, May 6, 2011. Judge Williams sentenced both Mattis (23) and co-defendant Gary Griffin (30) to life sentences in state prison without the possibility of parole for their roles in the shooting death of Charles "C.J." King Jr. on a midtown Kingston street in February 2010. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
I've been in this business for more than 20 years and can honestly say I've never seen or heard anything like the instantaneous few moments in a county courtroom I witnessed today and photographed. Never. Ever. My career has taken me to earthquakes and other natural disasters, war zones, and I've even stepped over and around bodies in the street on numerous occasions as shocking as that all might be. I've seen and covered a lot of truly bad people at criminal trials, perp walks, stakeouts outside police precincts - particularly in New York City, and probably more police activity on the street and at crime scenes than I care to remember just now. But today's assignment called
for the sentencing of two known gang members who were convicted of killing an individual who'd turned state's evidence and previously testified as a prosecution witness in a prior shooting in Kingston, NY approximately two years ago. The victim, an individual that put the finger on the brother of one of our defendants today was eventually shot in the back of the head execution style by one Mr. Trevor Mattis, all of 23 years old. (top photo) Mattis, known as "Little - T" was the trigger man in a retaliatory killing for his brother, and his accomplice and the facilitator for the killing was one Mr. Gary "G - Money" Griffin,
a known leader of a sect of the Bloods gang in the Kingston, NY area. Griffin provided the handgun used by Mattis to kill the victim on a Kingston street in broad daylight. I'd also met with the victim's family a day after the shooting back then, as our work schedule paired me with a senior reporter and now section editor who handled those interviews with the victim's family like a polished TV crime sleuth. When this trial started, I'd also photographed these two defendants in the hallway as they were brought into court dressed in civilian clothes during the jury selection phase of the case. Long story short, they were both found guilty of Murder in the First Degree three weeks ago, during a jury trial presided over by the same county judge.
The words above highlighted in red that Mattis shouted toward the judge as he was hustled out of the courtroom (still cuffed and shackled no less) rang out almost like gunfire over the hushed courtroom. (I am not hesitant or ashamed to include them here - although I did just recently alter the spellings of the profanities - as they're included in the court's record and were heard by approximately 100 people in the courtroom. They are in the public record.) My instincts took over as this defendant's arrogance was evident throughout the morning's proceedings, but no more than when the judge was about to impose the first sentence on this young man. When he sat down, as if to show, 'I don't want to hear this anymore', I kind of sensed there might be a reaction or altercation of some sort on his part...
I'd made nearly 300 images on two cameras; beginning first in the hallway outside the courtroom when both defendants were escorted off the elevator (left) and into a holding room just off the courtroom, both wearing the county issued orange jumpsuits, and in handcuffs, and leg irons. Then from my secure spot adjacent to the prosecution and defense tables, I tried to wait for key moments during the proceedings, concentrating on making images of them throughout the morning. Both of their defense attorneys made lengthy statements, followed by the DA, and eventually two family members of the victim
read handwritten, prepared statements to the judge. It is those kinds of tense moments when the whole room is emotionally charged, observers and immediate family in the gallery are sniffling, and I'm standing there 30 feet away and still have to make good images. Changing lenses a few times to insure that I'd have a few decent image files on the Canon 5D - MKII also was a big concern of mine. I remember only minutes before Mr. Mattis' outburst and lunge toward the judge, I'd actually switched back to the older 1D body with the 70mm - 200mm attached. Again opting for the faster motor drive and smoother auto-focus, instead of the richer file of the newer 5D - MKII, I'd reminded myself. It's a good thing I'd gone with that camera as the judge began to admonish the first defendant, Mr. Mattis. When he belligerently continued to mouth off to the judge, sat down, and then had to be restrained by a slew of court officers and sheriff's deputies, I was "on him" like a big sports play, or as they say in baseball terminology, describing a fast paced, assisted putout or "bang - bang" play at a particular base.
Occasionally locking eyes with Mattis (left) wasn't easy either. How do you look a 23 year-old killer in the face and not be effected? I found myself closely observing them both during the whole proceeding and
remember thinking that these two young men are of age to be my children. Certainly they are someone's sons. The whole racial aspect of case gnawed at me too; here were two more hard core Black gang-bangers going away to state prison for life, and Griffin (right) even quoted a Malcolm X speech as he was led away, decrying, "I've been railroaded! I've been bamboozled...!"
A Black Bear cub kept Newburgh Police and other law enforcement officers at bay for several hours in Newburgh, NY on Saturday, April 30, 2011. It is believed the cub wandered north from the Cornwall and West Point areas, seeking food and became disoriented in a neighborhood near The Foundry Condominiums. The animal was eventually tranquilized and safely removed from the area at approximately 2:30AM. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Esteban Guerrero of Marlboro portrays Jesus prior to walking the Stations of the Cross processional from St. Patrick's Church through the streets of Newburgh, NY on Good Friday, April 22, 2011. The Stations of the Cross commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Rev. Fernando Hernandez holds a crucifix during an interview after the Stations of the Cross processional from St. Patrick's Church through the streets of Newburg, NY on Good Friday, April 22, 2011. GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Esteban Guerrero portrays Jesus as he carries the wooden cross past The Church of St. Francis of Assisi on Benkard Avenue during the Stations of the Cross processional from St. Patrick's Church through the streets of Newburgh, NY on Good Friday, April 10, 2009. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Esteban Guerrero portrays Jesus as he pauses with the wooden cross on Broadway during the Stations of the Cross processional from St. Patrick's Church through the streets of Newburgh, NY on Good Friday, April 10, 2009. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
Esteban Guerrero as Jesus carries the wooden cross on Mill Street during the Stations of the Cross processional from St. Patrick's Church through the streets of Newburgh, NY on Good Friday, April 10, 2009. CHET GORDON/Times Herald-Record
MOMBASA, KENYA. Parishioners carry a wooden cross into the Holy Ghost Catholic Cathedral after the Good Friday processional through the streets of Mombasa, Kenya on Friday, April 14, 2006. © www.chetgordon.com/blog
VENICE, ITALY. A nun walks through the streets of Venice, Italy on Good Friday, March 29, 2002. © www.chetgordon.com/blog
For Tim and Chris.
I've closely followed and greatly admired Hondros' work for a few years; particularly his images made in Liberia during civil war fighting there in Monrovia in 2003 (above). I remember his work back then crossing my electronic picture desk almost nightly when I was a night photo-editor at the NY Daily News. He's probably best known for this haunting, iconic image of the crying Iraqi girl after 
American soldiers gunned down her parents at a checkpoint in Tal-Afar, Iraq in January 2005 (right):Diary (2010) from Tim Hetherington on Vimeo.
Hetherington also produced the Academy Award nominated documentary film RESTREPO, and was a previous 2008 World Press Photo Picture of the Year winner for the image of an American soldier exhausted in a bunker in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan (bottom).
NEWBURGH, NY. A man views the toys and balloons placed among a candlelight memorial at the boat launch on the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY on Saturday, April 16, 2011. LaShanda Armstrong, 25, her sons Landon Pierre, 5, and Lance Pierre, 2, and daughter, Lainaina Pierre, 11 months, were killed when she drove her van into the river on Tuesday evening. Her 10-year-old son Lashaun Armstrong escaped through the window of the minivan and notified authorities at a nearby fire station. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS
2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.
Found this on the web this morning while home recovering (see earlier post, "Don't Try This at Home...") and wanted to make sure and share this talk with colleagues and friends in the creative world, particularly the working photographers I know. Designer Mike Monteiro of Mule Design in SF offers advice worth it's weight in gold to design professionals like us. Just simply substitute 'photographer' for his use of the world 'designer' in his presentation. *"Hey, it's my blog after all..." ~cg.
I was diagnosed with a kidney stone after sudden and incapacitating pain in my lower back forced me to halt the workday on Tuesday afternoon. After quick thinking and solid health judgment, an ambulance was called to the scene and I eventually spent that night and the last two days in St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital, the local hospital here in the city. The stone, more like a rounded grape seed, with a few jagged edges, was removed from my urinary tract by natural means early this afternoon. For a few moments there I was mentally preparing to remain in the hospital for as long as necessary, and / or have the pesky foreign object removed by a urologist. Thanks to all the wonderful hospital staff - everyone from the ambulance personnel and first responders on the scene in a retail parking lot who transported me, to the housekeeping workers, medical interns, nursing staff on the ward, the on-call doctors in the ER, and of course the very patient urologist who assured me that this was a common occurrence and very treatable. Let's just say it's been a tedious and "tender" time around the ranch here the last 72 hours or so... ~cg.
Holding the 4mm kidney stone in a specimen cup after it was removed by natural methods from my urinary tract at St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, NY on Thursday, April 14, 2011.
