Photojournalism

Easy does it

Copyright Jeff All

Sometimes when my brother Joshua and I were exploring these abandoned buildings, we put our self in some dangerous situations. This complex was easy enough to access but it was filled with deep pits in very dark rooms. One of these pits actually had the skeleton of what appeared to be a dog. We theorized that the dog fell in the pit and couldn’t get out. Joshua even saw scratch marks on the sides of the pit where the dog had tried hard to escape.

This photo was taken at the Chicago Steel and Wire Company building in South Chicago. I love water towers so I wasn’t going to miss the chance to shoot this one up close and personal. I climbed on to the roof to get a better vantage point. I realized the roof was pretty soft so I walked carefully to get my shot. The shot took about 5 minutes to get the different exposures I wanted and once I had the shot, I stood up and started walking back to the edge of the roof. I had momentarily forgotten how soft the roof was and my foot broke right through the roof. As I began to fall, my first instinct was to protect the camera. I turned my body and my shoulder hit the roof. Luckily, my body didn’t break a larger hole in the roof sending me two floors down into who knows what.  My heart was racing, my leg scratched up and a deep sense of relief that I didn’t fall to certain  injury or death. I carefully eased my leg out of the hole I had created and made my way to the edge of the roof and down the ladder. I found Joshua and we had a good laugh over it. We agreed to stick together from that point on.

To say the least, I think this image will always serve as a reminder to be more careful!

Walleye Run

Copyright Jeff Ball 2010

The Walleye Run in the Maumee River in Toledo, Oh is a big event each year. It’s so big, Toledo has named it’s professional hockey team, The Walleyes, who are actually in the playoffs right now. Each year the Walleye come up the Maumee river to spawn and it attracts hundreds of fisherman each year. At peak times, you can see fisherman of all ages, sexes and races fishing shoulder to shoulder. Some fish waste deep in the water with their waders, nets and stringer lines and some fish from small boats in the middle of the river.  Despite the method, most leave with at least one fish on their line.

It’s also great business for local bait vendors and sports equipment retailers. There is a certain set of gear that it seems all fisherman must have. Those who don’t have the proper gear look awkward and amateur.

This shot was taken at dawn near Sidecut Park in Maumee, Oh.

Pride Parade

Copyright Jeff Ball 2008

As spring approaches I’m starting to think about all the things I love about the warm weather. Gardening, Hiking, and of course Pride always top my list.

This image was taken at the 2008 Pride Parade on Colfax Ave. right across from the Capitol Building. This photo always brings a smile to my face.  They both look ready for a festive day!