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My Week at MSU

For the last six days I have been shooting a freelance job for Michigan State University through a Grand Rapids marketing firm. We are highlighting the ten different majors within MSU’s School of Agriculture, shooting environmental portraits of students from each major. Andy, the art director on the project, and I, have been tromping all over the campus, shooting at farms, greenhouses and in fields with sheep stalking us. This picture is of a student named Gail who works at the school’s dairy farm from sun up to sun down. Shortly before this, Gail helped deliver a baby calf that we witnessed with wide eyes. I did photograph the birth, although I don’t think the marketing department will be using those shots to recruit students 🙂

For Cassie…

My second-cousin-once removed-in-law, Cameron, (it took a minute to figure that out), and his mom and dad came to visit Chris and I in Grand Rapids from across state in August. We took some pictures in Grand Haven and it was so much fun enjoying one of the last few beach weekends of the season. We topped it off with a trip to Culvers and Cameron was an extremely good sport 🙂

Swing!

Delight

I shot this photo for a story about a woman named Delight Lester (yes, that’s her real name) who teaches dance lessons to children and adults with disabilities. This was the first night I met Delight, it was just before a soccer game, she and the girls were going to perform a half time show. They practice together every Saturday at a studio in Grand Rapids and I hope to follow it further. The song they ended up dancing to was by the Cheetah Girls, I don’t know the name of it but the lyrics were about how we are all the same inside, even though me may not look like it.

Deondre

One year old Deondre Jefferson suffers from high lead levels. I took this portrait for a story about racial disparities and the health of children.