Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to take various types of photographs. The most unique by far, have been the ones I took while working for as a reporter/photographer. I took thousands of photographs from people to sports to crime and accident scenes.

During this part of my life, I developed many of my photography skills, although I continue to learn more every day with the changing digital world. 

Recently a friend of mine asked me what photography awards I’d won. Here are three photographs that I’ve tinkered with (and not very well I might add) to bring them from a picture frame hanging on my wall to digital. I have yet to discover the best way to convert printed pictures to digital…

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pictures from my past. 

After hearing about an accident over the newsroom scanner, I grabbed my camera and headed to the crash scene, where there was an accident involving a semi-tractor trailer and a highway construction vehicle. This photograph captures the grim post-accident scene of someone helping to pick up the debris scattered along the interstate.



Tears turned to triumph after this photograph was taken. During a semifinal softball game, the pitcher comforted her teammate, the shortstop, who felt responsible for the other team’s two-run lead during the inning. During the final inning, the pitcher and shortstop’s team pulled ahead and won the game.



Although the photograph below didn’t win any awards, it’s a favorite of mine given the story behind it. During what now has been coined the “Great Flood 1993”, I was working at a daily newspaper in Missouri. One of the local fire departments called me to let me know that floodwaters had isolated a little town along the Missouri River called Wainwright. They were making plans to rescue the town’s residents and would I be interested in going with them. I asked how soon did they need me to get there, while inside I heard me say “Heck yeah!” in my then southern drawl that I had picked up while living in Missouri. 

When I arrived, the fire captain met me and introduced me to two U.S. Coast Guard members. They were going to be my crew for this adventure.

So there I sat on a boat, headed into the swiftly moving floodwaters of the Mighty Mo (Missouri River). Had I thought this through a little more, I might not have jumped into the boat as quickly as I did, but there I was. We had made several failed attempts to get around the levee, which was completely submerged under the fast current. The crew decided to try to go over the levee. The boat ended up getting caught on the levee and the end of the boat that was still “free” was grabbed by the current, placing the boat (and us) in an interesting predicament. Thankfully, two of the crew quickly grabbed long rods, jammed them into the levee, pushed just enough to lift the boat up after several tries, so the boat could move off the levee. I kept telling myself, “at least I am in safe hands” being with a fireman and two coast guard members. After that minor glitch, they ended up scrubbing the “rescue.”

As we headed back to where we entered the river, another team of firefighters had been able to make it to the little town via a land route. Even though I missed getting photographs of the rescue, I definitely felt my experience on the Might Mo during the Great Flood of 1993 was definitely more memorable!