It's All About the Emotion

You will constantly hear action photographers talk about great action moments, but what is really important to sports photographers is the emotions of the games. With camera technology getting cheaper and better every day, it becomes much easier for the amateur to get lucky with good action shots. But while I do shoot action, I am a photojournalist who is trying to tell the stories of the games that I cover. I need to find the emotions to best describe the game.

A big game was played with a lot of emotion was the Chico State against San Francisco State men's basketball game. I am constantly following the players expressions when a foul is draw or a whistle blown. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, but the expressions that captured the game the best was the frustrating defeat to the Chico State team.

Chico State's #34 Roderick Hawkins (right) reacts to a foul called on the team against San Francisco State in the second half of their men's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 21, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico State's head coach Greg Clink (center) gives the plays against San Francisco State in the first half of their men's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 21, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico State's #33 Terence Pellum (left) is fouled against San Francisco State's #44 Matt Fochtman (right) in the first half of their men's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 21, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See full post

See photo gallery

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

Black Dog in Black Burned Building

How do you photograph a black dog in a dark black charred burned building? Just like everything else. You just won't be able to see the dog camouflaged in the ashes.

The other day a fire broke out at an apartment complex in Oroville. One unit was burned entirely and the investigation to the cause began. Fire investigator Marnie Gedney used her accelerant detection canine Roxy to sniff out any accelerants that might have been around to speed up the fire's destruction. Roxy is a black lab and pretty much camouflages completely within the charred ashes of the fire. It is an interesting image that was taken because you can see the destruction very easily, but the true investigator, Roxy is very hard to see.

Oroville Fire department fire engineer/fire investigator Marnie Gedney (left) uses her accelerant detection canine Roxy to sniff for any accelerants inside a unit that was destroyed by a fire in the Bunny's Leisure Apartment at 790 Montgomery St. Wednesday, January 19, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See full post

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

General Honored

General Vang Pao was a Hmong cultural icon and former leader of the Royal Army of Laos who recently past away at the age of 81 years old. There is a big Hmong culture in the north state. When Gen. Pao died, the community took some time to honor their leader at a vigil.

Vigils are somethings that provide good emotion, but don't necessarily carry the heavy weight of a funeral. Vigils tend to bring uplifting remembrances, not sad emotions. You must always be respectful of those you are photographing. There still could be strong emotions that last when someone has died. You need to be cautious, but also search out good stories within the scene.

Annie Vang, 16, Kristina Yang, 17, and Melissa Yang, 16, (left to right) sing "How Great Thou Art" during a vigil for Laotian Gen. Vang Pao at the First United Methodist Church in Oroville on Saturday. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chee Vang and Kasia Yang (left to right) pay their respects to Gen. Vang Pao at the First United Methodist Church in Oroville on Saturday.(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

The Hmong community pay their respects at a Vigil for Laotian Gen. Vang Pao at the First United Methodist Church Saturday, January 15, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See full post

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

Big Game Brings Blood

The rivalry between Chico's two local high schools, Chico High and Pleasant Valley High, has always been a heated competition. While tempers can fly and fans can grow rowdy, in most recent years, the players have been very civilized toward each other. Most of the players know of each other on the opposing team from earlier friendships. They do play to win, not fight to win. That doesn't always mean you won't get a chance to see a little blood on the court.

During a drive from Pleasant Valley High's Darren Thomas, he unintentionally elbowed Chico High's Andrew Acevedo in the face. Acevedo left the game with a bloody nose. Beyond the accidental injury, Chico High continued to play to secure a win against Pleasant Valley.

Chico High's #32 Andrew Acevedo leaves the game with a bloody nose against Pleasant Valley High in the second quarter of their boys basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 14, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico High's #3 Jesse Holmes (left) looks to pass against Pleasant Valley High's #22 Clayton Eagleton (right) in the fourth quarter of their boys basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 14, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico High's #24 Sterling Smith (left) goes up for a shot against Pleasant Valley High's #21 Darren Thomas (right) in the third quarter of their boys basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 14, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico High's #33 David Stidham (right) wrestles for a loose ball against Pleasant Valley High's #32 Brian Dooney (left) in the first quarter of their boys basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 14, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico High's #21 David Levitt (center) attempts a rebound against Pleasant Valley High's #23 Dylan Burington (left) and #21 Darren Thomas (right) in the first quarter of their boys basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 14, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

I also spent most of the night racing around the gym shooting both video and stills to put together a "sights and sounds" video of the game.

See full post

See video of game

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

Flip for Wrestling

Wrestling is always an interesting sport. I don't quite know how all the scoring goes, or what is considered a pin and what is not. A lot of times it also can seem like a big hugging match. Maybe I just like football to much. But every once and a while you will see a big slam in wrestling. That slam came in a wrestling match against Pleasant Valley and Paradise high schools.

Paradise High's Calem Fiolka (bottom) flips Pleasant Valley High's Mario Yanes (top) in their 171lbs wrestling match Wednesday, January 12, 2011 in Paradise, Calif. Fiolka won the match.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See photo gallery...

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

A Foggy Sunset

While working, I am always on the lookout for something neat or interesting. Sometimes, I am lucky enough to be blessed with something absolutely gorgeous. There was a heavy fog that had rested on the valley floor for a couple of days. Fog as a weather pattern is not that unusual. It doesn't come all the time, but it definitely adds an interesting environment for shooting. After gathering the typical people walking through the fog, I decided to see if I could get above the clouds.





I headed up Hwy 32 toward Forest Ranch, but didn't have to far to rise above the fog. I was able to pull over to this area that overlooked the valley. I was right above the fog that covered end to end. It was quite a sight that I don't think my photos can even describe properly.

I set up three cameras, two that were on time-lapse taking shots about every 5 seconds. I held the third camera in hand shooting both video and stills. The sun began to set as I began to work. It was truly a view that I was powerful. I need to figure out how to build a house at that spot. As the sun set and the moon began to shine brighter, I noticed the stars that began to show. The absolutely clear sky was something that I had not seen for a couple days. Stars filled the sky and the city lights created a glow from below the fog. There was no way to capture it all. I just breathed deeply to enjoy what I could. I did manage to snap a self portrait of me out in the scene.









Fog lies on the valley floor over Chico as seen from Hwy 32 Friday, January 7, 2011 in Chico, Calif.
(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

I later came down the hill and compiled the time-lapse shots into a video. I was surprised how much the "apparent" motionless fog actually moved. It was something you didn't notice as you stood their watching, but over the span of 30 minutes you could see the fog rolling like a river.

See video...

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

Getting Into The Center Of The Action

A photographer's dream is great access. Walking the sidelines for as many years as I have, I've begun to be a familiar face and my access has greatly improved. I enjoy being able to really get right next to the players that I cover. I think it brings a unique perspective to the viewers. It shows them an angle that they don't have access to. That is what I was able to do when covering a Chico State women's basketball game. I walked right up to the huddle during warmups and snapped a couple shots over the players. The image really puts you close to the intensity of the moment.

Chico State's #11 Natasha Smith (center) cheers on the team against Cal State East Bay before the first half of their women's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Saturday, January 8, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See full post...

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

Low Angle, High Action

During a Chico State basketball game I decided to place a camera at my feet and shoot at a really wide angle to capture all the action that happens under the basket. I wasn't able to look through the viewfinder, so I couldn't "see" what I was taking pictures of, but I knew something would fall into the frame. It was a "worm's eye" view of the game. A viewpoint that most do not see.

Chico State's #34 Roderick Hawkins (center) goes up for a shot against UC San Diego in the first half of their men's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 7, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See full post...

Tell me what you think? What is your favorite?

Email me at propixelographer@gmail.com

From New Moon To No Moon

Stepping outside as it was getting dark I noticed a strange circular shape in the sky. It was a new moon. It looked huge. I tried driving around town to get a better view. I headed up Hwy 32 and saw the thumbnail shape hanging over the foothills. I took out my camera and was only able to capture of couple of shots before the moon tucked behind the mountains. It was too dark to see the ridge line, but as the moon descended into the horizon, the outline of the mountain range appeared silhouetted in front of the moon. It was a great sight to see, and then it was gone.

A new moon phase sets behind the mountain range as seen from Hwy 32 Wednesday, January 5, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See full post...

Looking for Wild Art...Finding Wildlife

I headed out to Oroville in search of some "wild art" on a slow news day. With all the bad rap that Oroville gets, I find the town to be a great place for those who love the outdoors. There are many hidden trails, and many spots along river and waterway areas. It might not be right in front of your face like Bidwell Park in Chico, but spend enough time getting lost and you'll stumble across something beautiful. That's exactly what I did. I walked along the Feather River when I noticed a bird take flight. Having a long shutter speed I panned with the bird as it flew just inches above the water.

A merganser bird takes flight along the Feather River Wednesday, January 5, 2011 in Oroville, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

See full post...

Fire Damages Home

A fire completely destroyed a home in north Chico today. I unfortunately was at the Polar Bear Swim when the incident was called out. I didn't know it was going to be a big fire. I couldn't leave the Polar Bear Swim right away, being that it was about to start soon. I tried to listen to my scanner hoping it was nothing, but didn't hear any chatter. I figured nothing ever came of the first response. It wasn't until the fire had already been put out and engines were being released that I realized something serious had happened. I headed over to the scene hoping there was still firefighters at the scene. To my luck they were still there and I was able to get a nice picture of a firefighter hosing down the hotspots in the walls. The slower shutter speed gave the image a nice look, even though I was quite late to the incident. It just goes to show that I can't be in two places at once.

Cal Fire - Butte County volunteer firefighter Eric Pittman from station 42 hoses down hotspots at the scene of a fire that burned down a home on Meridian Rd Saturday, January 1, 2011 in Chico, Calif. The 3 residents were not home at the time of the fire that began around 12:40pm and fully engulfed the home by the time the first engine arrived. The landlord, had not been accounted for at the time, but is not believed to have been home either. The home had no electrical or heat source and the cause is under investigation. The fire was reported by neighbors and burned an approximate 1200 sq. ft home as total loss.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Taking the Plunge into the New Year

Well 2011 has arrived and it was an eventful day. Hundreds of Chicoans gathered for the annual Polar Bear Swim across the Sycamore Pool at One Mile Recreation Area. I was assigned to cover the event. I decided to shoot both video and photos. It was quite challenging being that the swim last no more than 20 seconds. How did I shoot both?

People brave the chilling cold water in Sycamore Pool at One Mile Recreation Area for the Polar Bear Swim Saturday, January 1, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Wearing a "Happy New Year" headband, Kelly Nokleby laughs with friends after she and other people brave the chilling cold water in Sycamore Pool at One Mile Recreation Area for the Polar Bear Swim Saturday, January 1, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

I just set up 5 different cameras. I had one remote camera on the west end of the pool and a second remote camera on east end. They were both point and shoot cameras shooting video. I also placed a remote camera with a fisheye lens looking over the middle of the pool that was going to shoot a timelapse of the event. I carried the fourth and fifth cameras on me to shoot both video and photos.

It was a hectic scramble. What made it difficult wasn't shooting both the video and photos at the same time, but rather the large crowd that had gathered. Both sides were filled with people who gathered to take the plunge on one end, and to watch on the other.

People leap and dive into the chilling cold water in Sycamore Pool at One Mile Recreation Area for the Polar Bear Swim Saturday, January 1, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Two remote cameras were placed in the trees for the Polar Bear Swim Saturday, January 1, 2011 in Chico, Calif. The one on the left was shooting a time-lapse and the one on the right was shooting video.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Next year, I will probably try some different angles to switch things up a bit.

See video....