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These are some of my favorites from each year in high school and little bit of their stories. To see my specialty photo galleries, see the sub-tabs.
As the front line of Denver's April 5 "Hands-Off" March steamed down Colfax, I wanted to capture a feeling of motion, but also take in the size of the protest and its messages. Kneeling below the marchers, I used a wide angle lens to capture a unique-photo that encapsulated the meaning of the march: "WE RESIST." One of my proudest photos of all time.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkIII.
During one of the many ice hockey games I went to this season, this was my best shot. A winger takes a slap shot towards the net, and as both he and a defenseman watched the puck fly, I happened to be in the perfect place behind the net. This is one of my best hockey shots ever – a testament to luck, the right place, and the right time.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkIII.
"Nothing but Soul"
This photo, of trombonist Theo Doot, is one of many picturing his solos and his soulful style. His dynamic expression and stance while playing trombone solos have been the subject of many of my photos. I enjoy repeatedly returning to jazz band concerts because the students always create fresh poses and use fresh instruments that assure that every single time I go to a concert, I can get intriguing shots. This is part of a gallery that was posted on the Journal instagram.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkIII.
"Injury to One Is an Injury to All"
This was my favorite photo from the Denver 2025 May Day march, a protest centered around workers' rights and unions. This photo gave me chills – one protester raised a flag with a classic union slogan "an injury to one is an injury to all." Next to them, a row of marchers scream out chants to the Denver streets. I am very proud of this shot – to get it, I sat down on the pavement with a wide-angle lens.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkIII.
For the yearly Denver MLK "Marade" (parade and march), Representative Jason Crow (D-6) and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston both spoke to the crowd. Before stepping up to the podium, Crow patted a Marade staffer on the back and thanked him for his work. After his speech, I got the fantastic opportunity to speak with Crow and Johnston briefly.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkIII.
Two religious clubs at my school, the Jewish Student Connection and the Muslim Student Association, organized an event led by a local rabbi and imam to make peace in the Israel-Hamas War. It felt like a tense atmosphere because of such a polarizing issue, but it remained lighthearted with the sole purpose of coexisting and security. I thought this photo of the rabbi cracking a joke and the moderator chuckling in the background captured the vibe well.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkII.
↓ 2023-24 below ↓
Part of the gallery on Creek's 7-1 loss, I was especially proud of this photo that showed an embrace between Regis attackers after scoring their first goal of seven. Creek players in the background showed visible disappointment. Little did they know it was only the beginning of their struggles.
Photo taken with a Canon Rebel T6.
"Horns Up"
This photo, capturing a group of Creek Marching Band musicians playing pep tunes, taken at a football game, was never used in an official USJ gallery. Yet, I still remain proud of it because of its air of importance. The bells convey strength and I liked how it featured students from a few separate sections in the band, playing as one unit.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkII.
In Creek's Power Week, a five day fundraiser event, competitions were played avery night in the community. On the night of this 3v3 basketball game, I also had to cover the Brain Bowl event. I was able to rush from one event to the next and take photos courtside. I'm proud of the photo because it serves to show the purpose of the event: not to win and compete, but to have fun, and laugh off the losses.
Photo taken with a Canon Rebel T7.
"Toss Sweep"
This was my first opportunity to photograph football, and I struggled with lighting and shutter speed. Although the field is well lit, the dark backgrounds of night games made it difficult to capture fast movement with good lighting. Though I had to play around with aperture and ISO a ton, I am proud of this photo because it captured what we on the USJ fondly call a "BIP" (ball in photo) shot with minimal motion blur.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS5D MkII.
↓ 2022-23 below ↓
After a student died and two administrators were injured by school shooters at Denver East High School, East's Student Demand Action (SDA) led many protests on Denver Capitol Hill to push for gun legislation. This photo, of East SDA operations manager Grant Cramer, was a shot I had a vision of before the march. I planned to sit on the pavement below the marchers and get a similar shot. Eventually, when I realized that was irrational and impossible, I was forced to take the camera off of my lanyard to get the angle low enough. After many attempts, I got this shot, one of my proudest of all time.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS7D.
I was inspired by previous USJ galleries for interesting angles and photo opportunities. I learned how to find ways to be unobtrusive to the concert while taking dynamic photos. I gained the courage to stand right next to the stage to get photos of musicians' faces. This one, of drummer Maggie Lee, captured an angle of her waiting to play the drumset through a slit between brick walls on stage right.
Photos taken with a Canon EOS6D MKI.
Taken of a South Metro fireman running away from his truck to respond to an electrical fire after school on Sept. 20, 2022. This was my first real photojournalism opportunity, being able to get up close with the fire truck. I interviewed a CCHS student and an admin and the story became a short breaking news piece on the USJ's website.
Photo taken with an Apple iPhone SE (3rd Generation).
50 years after Roe V. Wade was passed by the Supreme Court, Denverites assembled at Denver's Capitol to protest its 2022 overturning. I saw the chance for this photo as the march gathered and regrouped at a street corner. The rally and march took place on Jan. 22, 2023, in downtown Denver.
Photo Taken with a Nikon D3300.
This was my second jazz band reporting trip of the school year, this time the band was accompanied by CCHS's percussion ensemble. This photo, of senior baritone saxophonist Axle Kipp, was taken during a Caribbean Latin-American influenced piece where Kipp soloed. I was right below the band when I took this, adjacent to the edge of the stage.
Photo taken with a Canon EOS7D.
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