Winter Crunch

Saturday was an eventful day. I went to three different small towns outside of Belleville for different events. Stirling for pond hockey, Campbellford for their winter car derby (decided to skip the Polar Plunge due to an overpopulation of photoj students there), and Brighton for a snowman building competition. Turned out there wasn't really much to take photos of in Brighton but I did get a free hot dog out of it, so that was fine. The best photos of the day came from Campbellford, where a bunch of crazy guys tow their beaten up wrecks to a field and drive around in the mud trying to destroy each other.

CAMPBELLFORD, Ont. (29/01/11) - Blaine McKelvey of Oshawa manages to back his car up on top of the vehicle of another competitor at the 2011 Winter Crunch held in Campbellford on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. McKelvey came fourth in his heat but failed to place in the finals, which was won by Mason Foster of Belleville. Run by Impact Motorsports, the Winter Crunch is the first demolition derby of the season for most drivers. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

CAMPBELLFORD, Ont. (29/01/11) - James Turgeon of Springbrook (right) takes aim at Mason Foster of Belleville during the first heat of action at the 2011 Winter Crunch held in Campbellford on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. Foster managed to take the win from Turgeon in the heat and went on to win the finals of the Mini Feature category of the demolition derby with his battered car "Dirty Dodge II". Chad Vale of Trenton placed second and Turgeon finished in third. Run by Impact Motorsports, the Winter Crunch is the first derby of the season for most drivers. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

CAMPBELLFORD, Ont. (29/01/11) - Mason Foster of Belleville salutes the crowd after winning his heat of the 2011 Winter Crunch held in Campbellford on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. Foster went on to win the Mini Feature category of the demolition derby with his battered car "Dirty Dodge II" triumphing over the other vehicles. Run by Impact Motorsports, the Winter Crunch is the first derby of the season for most drivers. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

CAMPBELLFORD, Ont. (29/01/11) - Shane Vale of Trenton prepares to take on the other cars in a heat of the 2011 Winter Crunch held in Campbellford on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. Vale won his heat but failed to place in the finals, which was won by Mason Foster of Belleville. Run by Impact Motorsports, the Winter Crunch is the first derby of the season for most drivers. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

CAMPBELLFORD, Ont. (29/01/11) - Shane Vale of Trenton investigates the smoke pouring from his car after winning his heat of the 2011 Winter Crunch held in Campbellford on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. Despite winning his heat, Vale failed to place in the finals, which was won by Mason Foster of Belleville. Run by Impact Motorsports, the Winter Crunch is the first derby of the season for most drivers. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

Spot News, or why I feel like a voyeur

I admire spot news photos that are well done. I used to look at them and think, huh, car hit a tree. Moving on. Now I'm thinking about where the photographer parked/ditched his car, how close he is to being hit by still-moving traffic, police yelling at him, and the inevitable feeling that you're taking advantage of someone vulnerable.

I was driving around last night heading to some event or another and a car crashed at the same intersection I was in just seconds before. I literally saw the crash in my rearview mirror. I've been driving for 8 years now and have never seen that happen, so I was a little shocked at first. Because it was about a block from the police station and only a few more from the hospital, first responders were there almost immediately. It looked not too bad, although one woman was carried away on a stretcher. She was walking around first though.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/01/11) - Emergency responders tend to the occupant of a car involved in a crash at the intersection of Dundas Street East and Front Street shortly after 7 pm on Friday, Jan 28. No further details were available at the scene. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/01/11) - Emergency responders transport the occupant of a car involved in a crash at the intersection of Dundas Street East and Front Street to a waiting ambluance shortly after 7 pm on Friday, Jan 28. No further details were available at the scene. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

Not the greatest, but it's the best spot news I've shot so far. On a side note, all car crashes I've photographed (three in total) have occurred at some point on Dundas St, which is also the road I live on. So if I need spot news all I should have to do is go for a walk, right?

It's cold outside

I spent my Saturday in snowpants, up to my knees in the snowbanks of the forests north of Madoc with a 300mm lens and close to 200 dogs.

Eldorado Sled Dog race! It was fun, but cold.

ELDORADO, Ont. (22/01/11) - Musher Ed "The Sled" Obrecht and his sled dogs braved the cold to take part in the annual Eldorado 50 mile sled dog race north of Madoc on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011. The route was shortened to 42 miles due to poor snow conditions. Photo by Rachel Psutka. 

ELDORADO, Ont. (22/01/11) - Musher Ed "The Sled" Obrecht's beard is a little worse for wear after the long Eldorado  sled dog race north of Madoc on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011. Mushers, dogs, and spectators braved the -23C temperature at the race start. Photo by Rachel Psutka. 

Guess what I've been shooting...

It's.....hockey! Back to Ontario means back to school and back to OHL. I fulfilled some of my OHL duties by shooting two games this weekend, one in Kingston and one in Belleville. Here are my best from the Kingston Frontenacs vs. Oshawa Generals.

KINGSTON, Ont. (14/01/11) - Oshawa Generals right-wing Christian Thomas gets twisted up as he makes a shot on goal in first period action at a game against the Kingston Frontenacs in Kingston on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. The very physical game ended in a 5-3 win for the Frontenacs. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

KINGSTON, Ont. (14/01/11) - Kingston Frontenacs captain Taylor Doherty celebrates his teammate Nathan Moon's goal in the second period of game against the Oshawa Generals at home in Kingston on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. The very physical game ended in a 5-3 win for the Frontenacs. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

KINGSTON, Ont. (14/01/11) - Kingston Frontenacs right-wing Mitch Lebar makes a drive towards net against the Oshawa Generals at home in Kingston on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. The very physical game ended in a 5-3 win for the Frontenacs. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

KINGSTON, Ont. (14/01/11) - Nathan Moon of the Kingston Frontenacs is cheered on by fans as he engages in a fight with Calvin de Haan of the Oshawa Generals at home in Kingston on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. The very physical game ended in a 5-3 victory for the Frontenacs. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

KINGSTON, Ont. (14/01/11) - The Oshawa Generals bench reacts to the crash between Andy Andreoff of the Generals and Erik Gudbranson of the Kingston Frontenacs at home in Kingston on Friday, Jan. 14, 2011. The very physical game ended in a 5-3 victory for the Frontenacs. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

Last of the Mac's

Yes, I did shoot a lot of hockey over the break. I only shot for the four round-robin days, actually, but it felt like a lot. This is the last bit of Mac's I'll put up.

CALGARY, Alta. (29/12/10) - Sydney Gorzitza (centre) and Avery Gouw (right) of the Medicine Hat Sports Hounds battle Ashley Morin of the St. Albert KAL Tire Slash for the puck at the Mac's AAA Midget Hockey Tournament in Calgary on Wednesday. Despite an early 2-1 lead, the Hounds failed to score in the third period and the Slash managed to score with less than two seconds on the clock, defeating the Hounds 3-2. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

CALGARY, Alta. (27/12/10) - Kohl Bauml of the Saskatoon Contacts takes a shot on net as Luke Mahura of the St. Albert Sports Raiders tries to sweep the puck away in the second day of the Mac's AAA Midget Hockey Tournament in Calgary on December 27. Bauml had two goals and an assist and was awarded star of the game, helping his team to a 5-4 victory over the Raiders. The Saskatoon Contacts went on to win silver in the tournament overall. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

CALGARY, Alta. (30/12/10) - The Medicine Hat Sports Hounds celebrate Sydney Smith's third period penalty shot in a game against the Calgary Chaos in the last day of the round robin at the Mac's AAA Midget Hockey Tournament in Calgary on Thursday. The Hounds scored two goals in quick succession in the third period to earn a 4-2 victory over the Chaos. Photo by Rachel Psutka.

Boys and girls, all fantastic. I had a good time doing freelance for the Medicine Hat News, covering their female team, and loved the whole "working on a deadline" thing. I loved having the media access to go right up to the glass and shoot the hockey stars of tomorrow. I want to do more like this.