Crime of Passion

Law enforcement officers converged on the scene of a shooting at 1305 Villa Park Circle in Bellevue, Wis., Friday afternoon, Aug. 28, 2009. A 48-year-old woman shot and killed her estranged husband Friday afternoon, then killed herself shortly afterwards in what Brown County Sheriff Department officials have called a murder-suicide.

Nearby residents watch law enforcement officers work the scene of the shooting.

School gardens

Ned Dorff, an alternative education teacher at Franklin Middle School, poses for a portrait in the school's garden with his student Brandon Grovogel, 9, left, Brandon's sister Hannah Schroeder, 11, and mother Christine Schroeder in Green Bay, Wis., Friday, Aug. 28, 2009.

Health-care

A couple months ago, now, I shared some photos from President Obama's health-care reform kick-off here in Green Bay. He chose our fair city, apparently, because we have some of the best and most cost-effective health-care services in the nation.

I rarely editorialize on this blog. I'm slightly straying from that rule here, though. I look at this state-of-the-art machine in the photograph below... in a peaceful-looking (and feeling) room. It's a device and place designed to make an awful experience (radiation treatment for cancer) less taxing on patients.

Scott Moon, a medical physicist with Radiation Physics Consulting Services, does quality assurance on a Trilogy linear accelerator at Bellin Health's The Cancer Team in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009. The device delivers precise radiation to patients for the treatment of cancer.

Who doesn't deserve access to this? In the United States, we have some of the most advanced medical tools and procedures in the world to heal us, cure us, and improve our lives. As people – with beating hearts and breathing lungs – access to some basic level of health-care is a right, yet we are privileged in America to be so fortunate in what we have access to. We're a proud enough nation to offer more than the basics to everybody. And yet, millions upon millions are shut out of not just our top-tier care, but of what they simply deserve as a person.

They are today's second-class citizen.

Bay Beach

How cool is my job that I get "assigned" to walk around an amusement park on the shores of Green Bay and make photographs? I need to have that type of outlook more in life.

Ride operator Jason Paulsen drives the train for riders at Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, Wis., Friday afternoon, Aug. 21, 2009.

Canoeing through the swamp

Spent four hours canoeing through the swamps of Lake Fausse in Louisiana yesterday with Kevin and Denny. Kevin recorded this video message of us for my mom as a little surprise. Hi, Mom!

Favre is a Viking

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) jokes with former NFL coach Steve Mariucci after practice at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009.

Tuesday I was sent to Minneapolis to cover some local news in a not-so-local location. Legendary Packer quarterback Brett Favre – who has twice retired – again came out of retirement. If signing with the Jets last season wasn't enough of a slap in the face to Wisconsinites and Packers fans worldwide, signing with the Packers' divisional arch rivals just about did the trick.

Despite being in Minneapolis for two days, covering the Vikings was a very brief experience. It's not like covering the Packers where photography and filming is generally allowed the entire duration of a preseason practice. In Minnesota, you get 30 minutes at the beginning of practice. And of course it's not the good 30 minutes. It's 25 minutes of stretching, running, and... umm... "self sub-abdominal adjusting," and then 5 minutes of very light warm-up activity.

Simply put: It's a challenge. Tack on the task of shooting enough video footage for a 90-second video and you're one busy guy.

You're given a 2-minute warning before they tell you to stop shooting. You're allowed to stay and observe. But if they see that camera rolling, get raised to your eye, or hear a click, you're out of there.

It's torture. Imagine this: Favre is eight feet away from you chatting with the other quarterbacks and adjusting his brand new purple helmet... and you can't make a frame. You could risk it. But if you're caught, you run the risk of having your credentials stripped, and in the process screwing yourself and/or the other photographer who's planning on covering Favre's actual game later that week (which is arguably more important).

Sometimes the rules just suck.

Here are a few other frames I liked.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) prepares to throw deep to a receiver during practice at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) runs after practice with strength and conditioning coach Tom Kanavy.

Former NFL coach Steve Mariucci answers questions from the media regarding newly signed Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) after practice.

Upon Tuesday's arrival of the Minnesota Vikings' new quarterback Brett Favre (4), Carter's Cafe lightheartedly changed it's sign across from the Winter Park practice facility.

Bookwings

Four-year-old Isabelle DeVasure does the teaching during free choice time, reading the day's featured book – Leo Lionni's "Little Blue and Little Yellow" – to volunteer Kylie Watzka, at BookWings, a literacy program at the Howe Neighborhood Family Resource Center in Green Bay, Wis., Wednesday morning, Aug. 12, 2009.

A new helmet

Patrick Gannon, 5, of Oshkosh gets fitted for a new bike helmet by Center for Childhood Safety's Justine Lodl as Kohl's and the Green Bay Packers teamed up to promote bike safety, giving away and fitting 300 helmets for children outside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Monday, Aug. 10, 2009. In the background is Gannon's sister Anna, 8, being fitted.

Packers Training Camp

Are you ready for some football? I am. The beginning of August brings the beginning of the Green Bay Packers preseason training camp.

We cover every training camp practice each day. It can get repetitious, but I've found that a positive outlook works wonders. I go in to each practice with the goal of making one picture that is different from what I've already done. Sometimes you fail. Other times you more than make up for those failures.

Training camp is as much about the fans and tradition as it is about actual football-playing. For decades, Packers players have ridden young fans' bikes between the Lambeau Field locker room and the practice facility across Oneida Street. Kids love it. Adults, including myself, think it's pretty cool, too.

Green Bay Packers' Greg Jennings (85) rides a bike to the first day of training camp at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009.

This year the Packers have a brand new practice facility with seating for a couple thousand people. This was a huge upgrade from a double-wide sidewalk along a busy arterial road. The new Ray Nitschke Field should prove to be a much safer and more enjoyable experience for all.

Green Bay Packers fans packed the stands of the new Ray Nitschke Field for the first day of training camp at Ashwaubenon, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009.

Getting decent action photos from practice is always important. Here are a few of my favorites from the past week and a half.

Green Bay Packers Al Harris (31) breaks up a pass intended for Ruvell Martin (82) during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Sunday morning, Aug. 2, 2009.

Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers (12) throws under pressure during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Tuesday morning, Aug. 11, 2009.

Green Bay Packers Kole Heckendorf (19) catches a pass while covered by Tramon Williams (38) during the first day of training camp at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009.

I look away from the action, too. Pictures of fans and some more artistic views of practice help me work towards my goal of making a new picture a day.

Green Bay Packers players stretch before training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Sunday morning, Aug. 2, 2009.

Steve Tate of DeForest stands at the top of the bleachers waiting for a dedication ceremony for the Green Bay Packers new Ray Nitschke Field before the first day of training camp in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009. The Packers are the only professional sports franchise in the United States that is publicly owned.


Magnus Schroeder, 6, left, and Ben Bruzas, 6, of Kenosha plead for autographs before Green Bay Packers training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Tuesday morning, Aug. 11, 2009.


Green Bay Packers quarterbacks Brian Brohm (11), Matt Flynn (10) and Aaron Rodgers (12) work in "QB school" during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Sunday morning, Aug. 2, 2009.


Joyce Cleven of Green Bay waits for Green Bay Packers players to arrive for the first day of training camp at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009.

Lightning crashes [the party]...

This wasn't the apocalyptic-looking lightning bolt that I was hoping for, but it will have to do.

Lightning flashes over an evacuated Lambeau Field during a weather delay at Green Bay Packers Family Night in Green Bay, Wis., Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. The team scrimmage that drew thousands of families was canceled because of the storm. Photo by M.P. King/Press-Gazette