Archive for October, 2008
Bears Update
Interlaced with these images is a column I wrote for class this week. You’ll see what it’s all about :-) Hope all is well where you are. I’m learning just another lesson on how fulfilling hard work is. And how rewarding naps become. Enjoy!
5 o’clock is my new most favorite time of day. Most of the rest of my city and state are joyous for the opportunity to escape the daily grind. The traditional work force is ready to roll their mini-vans to the day care and pick up their snotty noses, others are excited to open the door and take their wet nosed best friends out for an evening stroll.
On the counter, I am ready to bundle up in all the layers my closet has to offer and venture off to a baseball field full of red noses and ashy calves on Bowling Green’s West side of town.
24 young men, none taller than my arm pits, and all full of more dreams than a collegiate graduation, await the minute they can yell “How YOU doin’ Miss Liz?” This comment offered up by any other male, I would take offense to, but these Bears, a youth football team, have earned the right to heckle me and comment on my kinky hair or my lack of a backside.
I yell back my usual, How was school today boys? and they giggle amongst themselves. Sometimes one offers up another’s poor grade on a test or someone’s new girlfriend. Often they just grin.
All but four of the players are African American. All but five have no fathers in their lives. Three of the five coaches have no need to come, no son that plays, no children at all, but they, too, are here each week.
As I step foot on to the parched green grass and clay diamond that is their makeshift football practice field, I think about why I am here for over two hours. Three times a week I watch. An additional four on gamedays I will see through the viewfinder of my camera.
We all come for potential. Head Coach Danny Corothers has been coming for 15 years, all in an effort to reform his community. “Most of these boys live in the projects of Bowling Green. I did too. But I want these boys to know they can be good men and sports is how we can get to them”
He brings school supplies to the boys, introduces them to leaders in their community and checks their grades each week. None of this he has to do; all of it he wants to do.
Corothers fills their heads with phrases: Do what you gotta do, so you can do what you wanna do. Originally I frequented practice in search of a coach story to photograph, I now come because it fills my soul to attend.
They want my support, they want my name on their t-shirt and they want my help with their homework. All of this, along with my images I am glad to offer up in exchange for growth. Growth in this community, growth in my own life and growth in theirs.
Soccer Chats
For class we have a sports portfolio due in a few weeks and let me tell you…sports isn’t my most favorite. Anywho, I headed out to the local fields as my second stop Saturday morning. On a whim, I called my best friend, Carissa, who goes to UK for a little heart-to-heart. We’ve been playing the most endless game of phone tag and who-da-thunk-it; she answered! Needless to say, I was no longer interested in soccer…and we talked for 45 minutes…until I had to leave to get to the Bear’s football game. I shot while we talked, but was never really cognizant.
It was super swell to talk with my BFF, but even better when I was going through my take tonight and saw this. It certainly isn’t life changing, but it will work in a pickle.
When it rains, it pours
Doesn’t it always seem that those nearest you have opposite schedules. When I am swamped and sooo busy, all of my friends have light weeks and those closest to me want to see me. Then when I have an ounce of time, they’re all crazy busy. Who knows – it’s still working in my advantage, because I am getting a little catch up work done…which is AMAZING!!
Here is another image from practice when it was raining. I just love these bears.
Wedding Fun
Check out this image from helping out my friend Nathan Morgan yesterday. I was serious business with those flowers.
Playing Catch Up
It seems like a game that will never end. I am shooting sooo much that I am having trouble finding the time to look through it all so that I can share it with you all.
Here is an image I shot yesterday. I went to Nashville and met up with the Bears football team as they went to watch TSU play.
And as I was going through old files, I found these from Abby’s birthday is August. That cake was soooo yummy (thanks mom) and I sure could go for another one right about now…especially since summer is about to leave us. Have a good week :-)
Bears Bonding
I love this image I shot at practice last night. As you may have read, I am following the head coach of the bears football team here in Bowling Green. The boys are in the 12-13-year old bracket and are quite hard on themselves at times.
Here is an image of a player crying next to his father, also a coach. Practices are so intense, but this dad, (who is also a minister and gets everyone so fired up, people walk out of the sermon) talked with his son for 15 minutes about failure and how to get better. They’re just the cutest group ever. After I missed for the workshop and returned today they were all excited to see me and were worried about where I had been. They even say excuse me when I am shooting on the field and they have to run around me.
An update on wedding openings – May is filling in quickly as is June. Sooo exciting!
FAMILY SESSIONS – THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
It looks like I will make it home to shoot for the weekend. There are only 3 spots left for pictures.
Note that family sessions this weekend are for a 45 minute session, and include images of the whole family and the individuals within. $150 covers the session shooting time and online ordering. You will be notified by email when the images are online in the shopping cart for ordering. Email elizabeth@lizzieloo.com ASAP to get in – first come, first filled.
Hope you are well – more photos soon – I am recovering from 11 hours of sleep in 3 days. And let me tell you…my bed is the most comfortable it has ever been!
Just one for now
It’s crunch time here at the workshop. Our shooters are out for their last full day and I am running on 7 hours of sleep for the past 2ish days.
Here is an image from my driving to an assignment this morning – tobacco is HUGE here – and they do it a bit differently than at home – I will explain the concept in full detail soon. Until then check this out.
THATS GREAT