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.