A day of extremes

Mark called me on my way out the door this morning and asked me to shoot some photos of a cowboy group who was putting on a Pony Express ride to the city of Seminole, TX. I had fun on this assignment and enjoyed hanging out with the cowboys, people who are usually fun in general. Not long after I got back to the office, I went out with one of the reporters, Casey, to the scene of a fatal rollover. This was my first accident scene, and to have it be a fatality made things that more wierd and surreal for me. I really had to watch what I shot, and try to not to anger the state troopers by getting too close. I went back to the Odessa American and went over the photos with Mark and Gene Powell, assistant managing editor. They helped me pick out the best photo that wasn't too graphic or offensive (I should note that I did not intentionally shoot anything to be offensive but at the scene of a fatal rollover it's not hard to find some pretty sensitve material to shoot). So after that experience, I went to a volleyball coaches conference at Odessa High School. This was a total extreme to the rollover scene, and I realized how crazt this job can be somedays. I hope covering wrecks never becomes routine to me, I don't want to reduce it to just another assignment. Here are some pictures from the day and a couple of pool shots from yesterday.


D.J. Laws, left, and Robert Byrd ride along FM 1788 as part of the Pony Expresses Ride to Hobbs, N.M. The participants rode in two mile shifts for the relay. Image © Odessa American


Bert Madera of Jal, N.M. prepares his horse, Cowboy, for their 2 mile shift along FM 1788 Friday as part of the Pony Express ride to Hobbs, N.M.Image © Odessa American


Bert Madera, founder of the Pony Express Ride from Jal, N.M. prepares to take his turn on the first leg of the ride to Seminole along FM 1788. Image © Odessa American

Here are a couple I missed yesterday from the local pools story:


Chris Stewart, 15, takes his turn running and jumping across the pool on top of some floating discs at Sherwood Park Thursday Afternoon. Image © Odessa American


Justin Rebber, Sherwood Park lifeguard, keeps an eye on the diving board and surrounding area Thursday afternoon. Image © Odessa American

Here is a photo from the accident scene. I won't relate any details about it yet as I am not sure what's proper to include for now.


Image © Odessa American