Santa Claus

According to Belleville, Santa Claus concerns himself with Christmas quite early.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (14/11/10) - Crowds gathered in the rain on Front Street in downtown Belleville to watch the Santa Claus parade on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

I was working on a street photography assignment at the time and was trying to be discreet with my camera, so I don't have this girl's name. Thankfully, I had a short lens and was one of several photojournalism students wandering around, so this meant that I really didn't stick out at all.

Special Project

Today I had my first special project due. I had a tricky time working in various levels and qualities of light. I focussed with a teenager named Josh who has Down syndrome. I followed him around a bit and bugged him a bit with all my photo-taking, but I think he didn't mind overall. Here are the final four.

Josh gives his mother Janice a hug before leaving for school.

Josh gets a haircut, previously a task that required Josh to be physically restrained.

Josh plays basketball with his stepfather Brien.

Josh trains for the Special Olympics.

That's one more project done!

Remembering

I don't have a huge amount of ties to the military, unlike most people in the region. I had a grandfather and a great-uncle in World War II, but as far as I know, that's it.

That being said, I still like going to Remembrance Day ceremonies. I like seeing veterans and seeing emotion. Last night a candlelight vigil was held in Trenton, so I went and took some shots and admired the beautiful light.

TRENTON, Ont. (10/11/10) - Legion executive Charles Gaudet lights candles along the edge of the cenotaph in Trenton on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010. The legion was holding a candlelight vigil in anticipation of Remembrance Day. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

Off to the ceremony itself today, then working on more projects. Always busy.

The first post.

At several points in the past, I have created blogs. One was essentially an online diary that I updated for well over two years until I got bored of it. Another was a photoblog that I started in order to document my living in a different country. That one lasted ten days. I am hoping that by not promising myself to post every day that this will be more successful.

To start, I thought I would just post a couple of pictures I've taken recently for school or for my own enjoyment. These two do overlap, in case you're wondering.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (03/11/10) - A member of the Georgian Grizzlies men's rugby team (blue) takes down Loyalist Lancer Sean McMurtry while fellow Lancer Bryan Cole follows closely behind in first-half action of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Division II men’s rugby championship in Belleville on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010. Supported by a large home crowd, the Lancers defeated the Grizzlies with a score of 28-12 to secure the title for the second year running. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

VAL-DES-MONTS, Que. (25/09/10) - Garner Millward glides through the autumn leaves on a zip line at the Lafleche Adventure Aerial Park in Val-des-Monts, Quebec, on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010. Millward is one of about thirty Loyalist College students taking part in the high ropes adventure day organized by Loyalist College Campus Rec. The high ropes course, which included eleven zip lines and over forty suspended bridges, takes four hours to complete. Photo by Rachel Psutka. 

AMHERST ISLAND, Ont. (31/10/10) - A chickadee feeds during a walk through Owl Woods, an area on Amherst Island known for its high populations of owls and other birds, on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

That is all for now.