High's, Low's and Lower's

It's great to see the home team win. The celebration and excitement makes for great images. But sometimes the team can't always walk away with a win. The disappointment and frustration may be hard to watch, but it makes for great pictures. Both men and women's Chico State basketball teams were unable to pull a win in a recent game I covered.

Chico State's head coach Greg Clink (left) argues a call by referee Russell Burch (right) against Cal State Dominguez Hills in the second half of their men's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 28, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico State's head coach Greg Clink reacts to a call against Cal State Dominguez Hills in the second half of their men's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Friday, January 28, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico State's #41 Kristin Marquardt, #20 Taylor Lydon, #33 Pauline Ferrall, and #30 McKenzie Dalthorp (left to right) react to a missed point against Cal State Monterey Bay in the second half of their women's basketball game at CSUC Acker Gym Saturday, January 22, 2011 in Chico, Calif.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

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Questions Surround Shooting

Chico is not the same safe town it used to be. Violent crimes have become an all to familiar event. A shooting in the south campus area has left police looking for answers. But it also leaves the community with questions. Where has the peaceful Chico gone. Some think that Chico has become more violent. It hasn't exceeded levels above the normal population growth. It is unfortunate that such violent incidents occur in the first place.

Blood is visible on a wall as Chico Police look around for additional evidence as they investigate the scene along W 4th. St. at Hazel St. Saturday, January 21, 2011 in Chico, Calif, where a shooting occurred nearby the night before.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Chico Police investigate the scene along W 4th. St. near Hazel St. Saturday, January 21, 2011 in Chico, Calif, where a shooting occurred nearby the night before.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

Bloody footprints are visible on the street corner as Chico Police look around for additional evidence as they investigate the scene along W 4th. St. at Hazel St. Saturday, January 21, 2011 in Chico, Calif, where a shooting occurred nearby the night before.

(Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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)

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