Speaking of Photos

Obama election touches local African-American youth

2008-11-06T10:03:00.002-07:00

My role Tuesday was to shoot video of the election. I shot a quick video in the morning of the voting process-the lines and voters' opinions on the events of the day. That night I shot a gathering at Colorado College and the Democrats party downtown. When it looked like Barack Obama was going to become our first black president I shifted gears and decided to focus on the reactions of young African Americans in our community.

Michelle Obama visits Colorado Springs

2008-10-29T12:29:00.002-06:00

A Packed house at the City Auditorium watch Michelle Obama stump for her husband on the last week of the 2008 Presidential Election.

Project Bandaloop vertical dancers

2008-10-11T19:49:00.004-06:00

Project Bandaloop dancers Rachael Lincoln, left, and Amelia Rudolph practice on the west wall of Colorado College's Edit Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts center Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008. The group was in town as part of the college's grand opening for its new arts center. They were a fun group to shoot and check out the video I made at http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155184276/bclid1155106690/bctid1847317395.

Missing in Action

2008-10-09T20:08:00.003-06:00

I shall now pick up the torch again and begin my blogging. I thought I would post some examples of recent work. I'm not in a position right now to go through the newspaper's archive looking for images I've photographed since my last posting. The truth is I'm too lazy right now to get up and walk across the newsroom. I did shoot the Democratic National Convention in Denver and will be posting some images. For now, though, here are few of my favorites of late. Again, too lazy to go and do a full cavity search.

I've posted two portraits of high school football players that go along with a weekly high school feature The Gazette publishes called Athlete of the Week. You can find it in Tuesday's edition. I have a lot of fun shooting these. Usually I have about 15-20 minutes per student. In that time I have to find a location, set up lights and make it as environmental as I can. The image of Dontre Walker of Sierra High School was photographed in the school's gym during a PE class. My lights kept getting knocked over by basketballs. The second one is of Devin Mohn, a running back from Rampart High School. I had about ten minutes and decided to place him in front a red mosaic wall outside the school. It gives the image texture. I was using two Nikon SB-800 speedlights. One on the wall and a reporter (Katy Booth) holding the other.

I also have an image a silhouetted visitors during the annual Colorado Balloon Classic. I was using a 70-200 mm lens looking inside an inflating balloon with sun behind the people. It added to the image when they began touching the outside of the balloon. I'm a sucker for silhouettes.

Lastly, this is an image of a water covered aspen leaf photographed near Cuchara Pass in southern Colorado. I was part of two aspen audio/visual slideshow I put together for The Gazette. I travelled 876 miles around the state of Colorado looking for various aspen scenes. What a great trip. Anyways, it is best when you plug in some headphones and then listen and watch. It can be found at:

http://coloradosprings.com/gazette/slideshows/special-reports/aspens/

Elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park

2008-09-27T17:43:00.003-06:00

The Elk rut in Rocky Mountain National Park is in full swing. I drove up on Wednesday to shoot the event and produce a video. The video and more pictures can be found at http://www.gazette.com

Musical football

2008-09-27T17:28:00.002-06:00

Gazette photographer Kirk Speer took this feature today of Wasson High School linebacker Terran Morrison playing in the school's marching band during the halftime show at Wasson's 50th anniversary homecoming game. Speer captured a nice slice-of-life moment.

Covering the Democratic Convention

2008-08-25T17:39:00.003-06:00

Covering the Democratic National Convention has been a challege. Long lines to get through security, battling the 15,000 other media people and walking from downtown Denver to the Pepsi Center and back and forth are the biggest things. But the energy surrounding the event is amazing.

Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn make an appearance Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) speaks Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Aurora police clear the bus route along the 16th Street Mall Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 as anti-abortion protesters yell in the background during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

U.S. Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo), left, greets his brother U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-Colo) before the Colorado delegate breakfast Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Hometown hero

2008-08-20T10:19:00.002-06:00

Gazette photographer Mark Reis captured local wrestler Henry Cejudo winning the gold against Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga Tuesday, Aug., 2008, in 55kg competition at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Cejudo was a state champion at Coronado High School.

Cejudo takes down Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga in the first period of Cejudo's Gold Medal win.

Cejudo is congratulated by friends and family after his defeat of Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga for the Gold Medal. Clockwise from left they are, friend Eric Albarracin, brother Alonzo Cruz and sister Gloria Cejudo.

In the morning light

2008-08-13T14:08:00.004-06:00

I always wanted to shoot a feature on the Manitou Springs Incline at sunrise. I attempted to go twice this summer but was turned back by cloudy weather. Finally on Tuesday the weather was on my side. My other concern was I worried that no one would be climbing it in the early hours of the day. Boy was I wrong. There must have been 20 people on the incline when I got there at 5:15 a.m. When the sun rose around 6 a.m. about 50 people were making their way up the 1,800-foot elevation climb. The light was out of this world and it made for some fun pictures. Light is everything.

Opening Ceremonies of Olympics

2008-08-08T19:23:00.001-06:00

Fireworks explode above National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Opening Ceremony Friday, Aug.8, 2008 for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. (Mark Reis, The Gazette)

Performers take part in the Opening Ceremony. (Mark Reis, The Gazette)

A performer is suspended high in the air at National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony. (Mark Reis, The Gazette

Let the games begin

2008-08-05T09:46:00.004-06:00

Gazette Photographer Mark Reis is in Beijing, China, to cover the Summer Olympics. Look for his pictures in The Gazette, online at www.gazette.com or on our blog. Above, the sun peers through hazy skies as a worker cleans small debris Monday, Aug. 4, 2008, from water running past the National Stadium in Beijing, China in preparation for The Olympic Games. The "Bird's Nest" is the site for opening ceremonies Friday. (Mark Reis, The Gazette)

More Hardrock 100 pictures

2008-07-17T21:48:00.004-06:00

I've posted more Hardrock 100 pictures on the Gazette website. This Sunday's Gazette will feature a story and photos about the two local runners Neal Taylor and Jon Teisher. To see the photo gallery visit http://www2.gazette.com/gphotos/index.php?album=hardrock100"

The final day of Hardrock 100

2008-07-13T07:47:00.003-06:00

Neal Taylor of Colorado Springs and Gazette reporter David Philipps leave the final aid station at Cunningham Gulch, 9.2 miles from Silverton and the finish, Saturday and begin the final ascent to 13,000.

Scott Mason of Heber City, Utah., runs the final stretch of the race toward the rock.

What a finish at Hardrock 100

2008-07-12T08:20:00.002-06:00

Kyle Skaggs of Glenwood, N.M. shattered the record at the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race this morning winning with a time of 23 hours, 23 minutes and 30 seconds. Here are two pictures from early this morning. And yes, all the other runners are still on the course as I write. Above, Skaggs, 23, kisses the rock in Silverton at the finish Saturday, July 12, 2008. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

Skaggs relaxes on the Silverton school gym after winning the race Saturday morning. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

The first day of Hardrock 100

2008-07-11T15:35:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures from the first day of the Hardrock 100 race that started this morning in Silverton, Colo. Above, Jason Halladay of Los Alamos, N.M., reaches the summit of 13,200-foot Oscar's Pass after a 3,000-foot climb in two miles. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

Michelle Schwartz fights the cold-swift waters of South Fork Mineral Creek at the first river crossing. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

Whit Rambach crosses South Fork Mineral Creek atthe "Porcupine Shoeshine" as the runner call. (Christian Murdock, The Gazette)

Hardrock 100

2008-07-10T17:30:00.007-06:00

Gazette reporter David Philipps and I will be covering the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race through Colorado's San Juan Mountains this weekend. The race begins 6 a.m. Friday with the cutoff 6 a.m. Sunday. We'll blog during the race at this website and http://outthere.freedomblogging.com

Neal Taylor of Colorado Springs prepares his drop bags before the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado Thursday, July 10, 2008. The ultra marathon begins 6 a.m. Friday. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

From around the Globe

2008-06-28T15:29:00.002-06:00

Here are two pictures that caught my eye today from the Associated Press wire: Above, a woman drinks water after a morning prayer on election day in Harare. Zimbabwe is holding a run off election in which Morgan Tsvangirai, the main opposition leader in the country has pulled out citing violence and intimidation.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Participants in the second International "Marathong" of Vevey run on the dock of the lake of Geneva in Vevey, Switzerland on Saturday. About 200 people in thongs (flip-flops) participated in this 1.55-mile-long run.(AP Photo/Keystone, Dominic Favre)

Fountain Valley Nature Center

2008-06-28T15:14:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the lack of new postings on our website. I've been out of town for the last two weeks. While I was gone Gazette photographer Bryan Oller produced an audio/slideshow from the Fountain Valley Nature Center. Pictured above is a male red-winged blackbird. If you missed it, check out the audio/slideshow at http://www.gazette.com/interactives/naturecenter.

A fish story

2008-06-09T21:20:00.001-06:00

This photo from the Associated Press wire just cracked me up:
David Shepard removes a stuffed king salmon from his flooded home on Sunday, June 8, 2008, in Edinburgh, Ind. As much as 11 inches of rain swamped the state Saturday, flooding homes, threatening dams and closing several roads and highways. Weekend storms pounded the U.S. from the Midwest to the East Coast, forcing hundreds of people to flee flooded communities, spawning tornadoes that tore up houses and killing at least five people. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Kryger)

Mountain bike races return to Colorado Springs

2008-06-05T12:27:00.005-06:00

After a six-year absence the Sand Creek Mountain Bike series returned to Colorado Springs Wednesday. The series continues for the next two Wednesdays, June 11 and 18. To see the story or the video of the first race visit http://www.gazette.com. The event is held at Bear Creek Park off 21st street and is a fun event to shoot. The course intersects itself allowing photographers and spectators great access.

Peak Performances: The album covers

2008-06-04T09:16:00.005-06:00

I had the opportunity to shoot this Spring's special section Peak Performances, which is a tribute to the Colorado Springs area's best prep athletes. I created the theme of Album covers and let the athletes pick their favorite artists. Some of the covers were recreated by duplicating the lighting and scene and a couple were finished off in Photoshop. I really had fun working with the athletes. It was much harder than I thought it would be to make them as close to the original as I could. Here are three of the covers. Can you figure out what the original covers were? Look at Friday's Gazette to see all the covers and their originals.

Words could never describe

2008-05-30T12:08:00.001-06:00

Here are three pictures from the AP wire from the last couple days that are perfect examples of an image being worth a thousand words. Above, a mother cries as she holds a photo of his daughter who was killed in an earthquake, as she stands in the ruins of the Fuxin No.2 Primary School in Wufu, in China's southwest Sichuan province Thursday May 29, 2008. China's central govenment has promised to punish harshly anyone found responsible for poor constuction of schools, though it has also said that building codes in the stricken region did not require structure to be able to withstand a quake of the power of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake on May 12. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

A man crosses a damaged bridge in Hanwang town in Sichuan province Friday, May 30, 2008. The government announced Friday that the confirmed death toll from China's worst quake in three decades was 68,858, an increase of about 350 from a day earlier. Another 18,618 people were still missing. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

A landslide falls down the side of a mountain in Sabinas, some 20 kilometers, 12 miles, west of Manizales, Colombia, Thursday, May 29, 2008. No victims were reported, officials said. (AP Photo/ John Jairo Bonilla)

2008 Air Force Academy graduation

2008-05-28T22:42:00.002-06:00

The 50th class of the Air Force Academy graduated today in a wet, chilly Falcon Stadium. Gazette photographers Kirk Speer, Mark Reis and I covered the event. Here are two of my pictures. Visit http://www.gazette.com to see the video and slideshow of President George Bush and the cadets.

Riding with the Thunderbirds

2008-05-27T20:46:00.002-06:00

Gazette reporter Tom Roeder rode with the Thunderbirds Monday and I shot video and stills. Here are a couple pixs from the day and to see the video of Roeder riding with the Air Force pilots visit http://www.gazette.com

Storm clouds

2008-05-23T20:35:00.002-06:00

Colorado never has a dull moment when it comes to weather, especially in the summer. Gazette photographer Bryan Oller took this picture from eastern Colorado of the storm clouds building over Pikes Peak earlier this week.

Saturday's images from our world

2008-05-18T06:47:00.002-06:00

Colombian pop star Shakira performs during "The Concert For The Children" in Buenos Aires Saturday. Colombian singer Shakira's ALAS foundation, Latin America in Solidarity Action, host two simultaneous concerts in Mexico and Argentina to raise awareness to help the neediest kids in Latin America. (AP Photo/Emiliano Lasalvia)

Boston Red Sox's Manny Ramirez throws his bat as he is almost hit by a pitch by Milwaukee Brewers' Seth McClung during the seventh inning of the first game of their day-night baseball doubleheader Saturday in Boston.(AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

A dead student's hand holds a pen tightly in the debris site of Dongqi Middle School in Hanwang Town of quake-hit Mianzhu City, southwest China's Sichuan province. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Liu Zhongjun)

Spring skiing on Pikes Peak

2008-05-16T07:42:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week I rode Little Italy and The Cornice above Glen Cove for a video to accompany Out There reporter David Philipps's story on backcountry skiing in the spring. I tried out a helmet camera I bought a couple weeks ago. I wanted to give viewers a sense of what it's like to ski the terrain on Pikes Peak. The hardest part was learning how to edit two different video formats in Final Cut Pro 6. The helmet camera uses DV 4:3 format and our Sony camera is HV with 16:9. The quality is much better with the Sony. I wasn't totally happy with the final results but it was the first time I used the Helmet camera. I think it's a fun way at looking at things and I want to try on other outdoor sports.

China Earthquake

2008-05-13T16:20:00.002-06:00

The disaster from Monday's earthquake in China is unreal and the photos coming from the Asian country are amazing. Here are three I grabbed from The Associated Press wire. Above, rescuers search for survivors on a collapsed road in Beichuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Tuesday. Rescue workers sifted through tangled debris of toppled schools and homes for thousands of victims buried or missing after China's worst earthquake in three decades, as the death toll soared to more than 12,000 people in the hardest-hit province alone. (AP Photo / Cong Feng, Xinhua)

An earthquake survivor seen at a hospital in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province, Tuesday. (AP Photo/EyePress)

Rescuers carry a child out of the debris of collapsed buildings after the earthquake in Beichuan county in southwest China's Sichuan province, Tuesday (AP Photo/Wang Jiaowen)

Mothers and Daughters

2008-05-09T14:08:00.013-06:00

A couple months ago I was leaving the downtown YMCA when I saw this young mother and her toddler walking down the hall from the daycare center. Their relationship seemed magical in the way they bonded with each other. I started thinking about the relationship between a mother and a daughter and how their relationship is different than one between a father and son or even a mother and son. I decided to explore this idea for Mother's Day. The result is a package featuring audio/slideshows of four life stages of a mother/daughter relationship at http://www.gazette.com/interactives/mothersday. In Sunday's Gazette there will a story and photos by reporter Melissa Cassutt and me. The mothers and daughters I met for this project were an inspiration to me and I hope they are to you.

Heather Neilan, 26, is expecting her first child, a daughter in July. After spending time with her, I have no doubt she'll be a great mom.

April Walters, 24, and her daughter Flora, 2, almost didn't survive childbirth. They're the ones I found at the YMCA and now I know why their relationship is special.
Every time I was with April and Flora I left with a smile on my face. April is one of the most positive-minded people I ever met and Flora is one happy, fast-moving 2 year old.

Cheryl Delgado is learning to deal with her 18-year-old daughter, Sarah, turning into a woman. This must be the hardest stage of motherhood and I really thank them for letting me into their lives.

Amy Peck, 37, left, Debbie Kindoll, 57, and Bess Piper, 83, are three generations of mothers and daughters who survived the earlier stages of the mother/daughter relationship. I found it interesting to get their perspective. Debbie said the audio interview was like "three hours of therapy." She was probably right. Editing the audio for all four stages was emotionally draining for me. But telling personal stories like these are why I'm a journalist.

Dust in the wind

2008-05-07T23:07:00.001-06:00

U.S. Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit try to take shelter from a sand storm at forward operating base Dwyer in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan Wednesday. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

Chile volcano

2008-05-03T21:41:00.002-06:00

This amazing shot from today really shows the force behind a volcano as the Smoke and ash rise from the Chaiten volcano, in Chaiten, Chile Saturday. It also reminds me of Mount St. Helens back in 1980 when I was a child growning up in Seattle. Chilean authorities evacuated hundreds of people from remote villages in southern Chile after the volcano erupted, sending minor earthquakes rippling through the region.(AP Photo/Daniel Basualto)

Fresh from the wire

2008-04-30T20:33:00.002-06:00

Today's Associated Press photo wire was full of some great photos. Here are three of my favorites: Above, A Tibetan exiled monk holds a rose during a protest outside the Chinese consulate in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday. Dozens of Tibetans were detained as they tried to hold a protest outside the Chinese consulate in Nepal's capital to condemn China's recent crackdown in the Himalayan region. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Performance artists of Argentine creators of the long running "De La Guarda" lie in a water basin as they pose during a photo-call to present their new show "Fuerzabruta" in Mexico City.(AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A boy plays soccer at La Boca neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Argentina is renowned world wide for its top-notch soccer players and the passion of its fans. No team better expresses the fervor of Argentina's fans than Boca Juniors, one of the teams that has earned the most titles internationally.(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

This week's best from The Gazette

2008-04-26T18:44:00.003-06:00

Living in Colorado we often take for granted the beauty that surrounds us and working at The Gazette I often take for granted the quality of photojournalism my co-workers do on a regular basis. Here are some examples of the work done by The Gazette staff in the last week. Above, Kevin Kreck shot this photo of Master Sgt. Scott Simpson blowing Taps for his son Sgt. Christopher C. Simpson and Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge during their memorial Thursday on Fort Carson.

Carol Lawrence captured this nice feature from Garden of the Gods on Thursday.

Bryan Oller shot the cattails in Fountain Creek Nature Center on Monday.

Mark Reis shot this nice portrait of Doherty High School track athlete Carly Allen for an Athlete of the Week feature.

Kirk Speer shot this picture of Air Academy High School's Hayley Bernstein, right, and Allie McLaughlin after their game against Heritage High School on Friday.

Mop dog

2008-04-24T23:57:00.002-06:00

This photo from Associated Press photographer Frank Augstein has to be the funniest picture I've seen in a long time. Augstein shot a Hungarian Puli sheep dog, Fee, jumping over a hurdle during a preview for a pedigree dog show in Dortmund on Thursday April 24, 2008. The Dog looks more like a mop than an animal. Too Funny.

Visions of Science

2008-04-23T09:58:00.003-06:00

The BBC News website features a really cool slideshow of images in science. Check it out at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/sci_nat_visions_of_science_/html/1.stm.

Nice catch

2008-04-21T21:44:00.002-06:00

Both Temple Daily Telegram photographer Scott Gaulin and this great blue heron made a nice catch with this photo of the heron harvesting a bass at Temple Lake Park in Temple, Texas, Monday.

A night with the police

2008-04-19T14:20:00.002-06:00

A couple nights ago Gazette Photographer Kevin Kreck spent the night with Colorado Springs Police Officer Troy Lindvall for a story in Sunday's paper on police response times. Kreck worked with the snowy weather and natural lights from the police car to get some great shots. Here are three pictures and to see more visit http://www.gazette.com/interactives/policeresponse.

Colorado fires

2008-04-16T15:33:00.005-06:00

Colorado is on fire again and The Gazette photographers have spent the last two days covering one down range at Fort Carson and one at the eastern Colorado town of Ordway. To see The Gazette's slideshow visit http://www.gazette.com/interactives/wildfires2.
Above, A shell of a house and garage is all that remains at this Ordway, Colo., residence Wednesday, April 16, 2008, after a fire swept through the small eastern Colorado town on Tuesday leaving two firefighters dead and at least 20 buildings destroyed. (Gazette photo/Christian Murdock)

Greg Dickey, right, friends and family stand poised with shovels as a wildfire rages next to the land surrounding the Juniper Valley Ranch restaurant on Tuesday. Dickey is the owner of the Juniper Valley Ranch, a historic family-owned restaurant that has been on Highway 115 since 1951. (Gazette Photo/Jerilee Bennett)

Katie DeBerge, 12, left, reacts to the smoke in her eyes as she and her mother Cindy DeBerge were reunited after Katie took shelter near a lake when a fire swept through their home in Ordway, Colo. (Gazette Photo/Kirk Speer)

Shooting from the cliffs

2008-04-14T07:10:00.004-06:00

This weekend I was in Billings, Mont., speaking at a photo expo and after I was done Saturday afternoon I went to the Rims above the city for a walk with friends when I came across some rock climbers repelling the 40-foot cliffs. I had to shoot them. The cliffs were perfect for shooting because you could shoot from the top and then climb down these steps carved into the sandstone to shoot from below. After a couple minutes they offered me a chance to repel the cliffs. I couldn't refuse. Talk about a fun evening of repelling and shooting.

Talk about a celebration

2008-04-13T22:15:00.002-06:00

Associated Press photographer Bill Kostroun captured a great moment from the New Jersey Devils/New York Rangers game of the Devils players celebrating with teammate John Madden (11) after he scored in overtime to give the Devils a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers in Game 3 of a first-round playoff NHL hockey playoff series Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Charges dismissed against Iraqi photographer

2008-04-09T15:31:00.004-06:00

Posters of Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein are seen during a protest in front the U.S. embassy in Madrid Tuesday on the 5th anniversary of Spanish television cameraman Jose Couso, who was killed by U.S. soldiers in Iraq. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

BAGHDAD (AP) -- An Iraqi judicial committee has dismissed terrorism-related allegations against Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein and ordered him released nearly two years after he was detained by the U.S. military.

Hussein, 36, remained in custody at Camp Cropper, a U.S. detention facility near Baghdad's airport.

A decision by a four-judge panel said Hussein's case falls under a new amnesty law. It ordered Iraqi courts to "cease legal proceedings" and ruled that Hussein should be "immediately" released unless other accusations are pending.

The ruling is dated Monday but AP's lawyers were not able to thoroughly review it until Wednesday. It was unclear, however, whether Hussein would still face further obstacles to release.

U.S. military authorities have said a U.N. Security Council mandate allows them to retain custody of a detainee they believe is a security risk even if an Iraqi judicial body has ordered that prisoner freed. The U.N. mandate is due to expire at the end of this year.

Also, the amnesty committee's ruling on Hussein may not cover a separate allegation that has been raised in connection with the case.

AP President Tom Curley hailed the committee's decision and demanded that the U.S. military "finally do the right thing" and free Hussein.

Under Iraq's 2-month-old amnesty law, a grant of amnesty effectively closes a case and does not assume guilt of the accused.

Hussein has been held by the U.S. military since being detained by Marines on April 12, 2006, in Ramadi, about 70 miles west of Baghdad. Throughout his incarceration, he has maintained he is innocent and was only doing the work
of a professional news photographer in a war zone.

The amnesty committee's decision covers various allegations by the U.S. military against Hussein, including claims he was in possession of bomb-making material, conspired with insurgents to take photographs synchronized with an explosion and offered to secure a forged ID for a terrorist evading capture by the military.

The committee may still be reviewing a separate allegation that Hussein had contacts with the kidnappers of an Italian citizen, Salvatore Santoro, whose body was photographed by Hussein in December 2004 with two masked insurgents standing over Santoro with guns.

Hussein was one of three journalists who were stopped at gunpoint by insurgents and taken by them to see the propped-up body. None of the journalists witnessed his death, said Santiago Lyon, AP's director of photography. The AP wrote a story about the incident at the time.

The AP said a review of Hussein's work and contacts also found no evidence of any activities beyond the normal role of a news photographer. Hussein was a member of an AP team that won a Pulitzer Prize for photography in 2005, and his detention has drawn protests from rights groups and press freedom advocates such as the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"The Amnesty Committee took only a few days to determine what we have been saying for two years. Bilal Hussein must be freed immediately," said Curley, the AP's president.

2008 Pulitzer Prize winners

2008-04-07T13:58:00.005-06:00

Reuters photographer Adrees Latif won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography with this photo taken Sept. 27,2007, of a Japanese video journalist, Kenji Nagai, falling to the ground after being fatally shot by a soldier during a demonstration in Myanmar.

Concord Monitor photographer Preston Gannaway won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his photo of Carolynne St. Pierre, who was stricken with terminal liver cancer, surrounded by loved ones in her home.

"I Have a Dream" dies 40 years ago today

2008-04-04T10:38:00.004-06:00

Forty years ago today Rev. Martin Lurther King, Jr., was killed in Memphis, Tenn. Here are some pictures from today and the 1960s of the civil rights leader. Above, Martin Luther King III, left, his wife Arndrea, and his sister, Rev. Bernice King, pray at the tomb of their father, civil-rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther Jr., Friday in Atlanta on the 40th anniversary of King's assassination. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledges the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial for his "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington, D.C. in this file photo of Aug. 28, 1963.(AP Photo/File)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., third from left, marches in a line of men with arms linked during the March on Washington for civil rights on Aug. 28, 1963. (AP Photo)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Aug. 28, 1963. (AP Photo)

Only in Aspen

2008-03-31T16:29:00.004-06:00

Sometimes life cracks me up. I arrived in Aspen this afternoon in the middle of a snowstorm to shoot a couple stories for our life section. I decided to look for a weather feature to help with the daily paper when I ran across this clothing store with bikinis on display. The contrast of summer inside and winter outside made for a good feature possibility so I sat down and waited for the moment. These two women dressed in their winter coats and boots walked by and I had my shot. The story got even better when I chased them down to get their names. The two women, Anna Burns and Nicki Kretchmer, are swimsuit models who have been in previous Hooters calendars and were in Aspen to help with next year's calendar shoot. I couldn't stop laughing.

Remember Cesar Chavez

2008-03-29T22:06:00.003-06:00

I covered a march honoring Cesar Chavez today in downtown Colorado Springs. The union activist's birthday is Monday, March 31. He died in 1993 at the age of 66. I followed the group of about 100 people for 30 minutes before the clouds parted. I started shooting low because I really like the texture of the skies with the marchers and their signs. Regina Bell, 15, holding the sign with the picture of Robert Kennedy and Chavez at the end of his fast in 1968, and the other marchers felt the United States should designate a day to recognize Chavez and all the things he did for the migrant workers and unions in our country. I think they have a good point.

The Best of Photojournalism 2008

2008-03-28T20:48:00.005-06:00

Olivier Douliery of ABACA Press took first place in the News Portrait and Personality category of the 2008 Best of Photojournalism with this photo of the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet during the festivities at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Tibet's spiritual leader received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by U.S. lawmakers. The contest, sponsored by the National Press Photographers Association, is underway. Results can be found at http://bop.nppa.org/2008/

Aerial photography

2008-03-27T09:40:00.004-06:00

Billings, Mont., Gazette photo editor and pilot Larry Mayer shot this photo of Billings pilot Alan Kasemodel circling over a Rocky Mountain College student who crashed his plane in the Pryor Mountains Tuesday evening. The student can be seen carrying an orange survival blanket in the upper right of the photo. Mayer has shot a lot of interesting pictures from his plane. His aerial landscapes are amazing. Check them out at http://www.larrymayer.com.

A Family's loss

2008-03-24T16:00:00.006-06:00

Last week a terrible crime was committed leaving children without their mother and father. Many readers did not agree with our decision to run a photo of the crime scene, but other readers did. News is not always pretty and sanitized, sometimes it is be unsettling. Our job as photojournalists is to try and document our community, both good and bad, in the best way possible.
While Kevin Kreck's first photo is powerful, we published it inside and in black and white. His second is as powerful and shows the effects on those left behind.

Jonika Winkler visits the memorial she began for her best friend Colleen Dwyer

Why we ran a disturbing picture

2008-03-22T18:36:00.004-06:00

A tragic event struck our community Wednesday. An estranged husband shot his wife then pointed the gun at himself, leaving them both dead and their children without parents. The Gazette ran this photo above shot by Gazette photographer Kevin Kreck with the story. Some readers were upset and responded on our website. One reader said "showing a picture of the bodies was tacky. Real tacky." Another wrote: "The Media in CS (Colorado Springs) disgusts me!" I understand why they were upset. They should be and that's why I feel we made the right decision to run the picture. Kevin's photo showed the tragedy of the event and made readers stop and think about it. Kevin told me today that he waited until the police blocked the view of the husband's head. He didn't want to show the man's disfigured face. It wasn't necessary. But showing the bodies told the reality of the violence. If one woman sees this photo and is inspired to get out of her own bad domestic situation or if this photo encourages people in our community to seek a better way to protect people in similar positions, running the photo was worth it. Maybe our society wouldn't be so numb to events like this if we didn't filter the news as much as we do. Don't get me wrong. Newspapers shouldn't run disturbing photos without a very good reason. But this was a very good reason. Kevin's picture still haunts me and it should because we should all be haunted by this story.
I think some readers were haunted too by their comments on our website. One reader wrote: "I think these pictures are horrific and graphic, but they show the frailty of life, and really makes us think about our own. Perhaps one could even go so far as it COULD be helpful to some abused women reading this, thinking about taking the restraining order off their abusive spouse/boyfriend. Seeing such a graphic picture may get them thinking they don't want to be the next one face-down in the grass."
Another reader wrote: "We live in a retched violent society and if we've any hope of raising the public's desire to force change we must first expose that very society to the truth." I couldn't agree more.

Creative weather feature

2008-03-18T20:31:00.003-06:00

Associated Press stringer Nathan Bilow created an interesting weather feature Friday by framing a woman walking along Elk Avenue in Crested butte with icicles in the foreground. The picture tells in a unique way the story of the how the Colorado mountain town has received more than 30 feet of snow this winter.

Associated Press 2007 best pictures

2008-03-14T21:40:00.003-06:00

Here are some of the best pictures from 2007 that ran on the Associated Press photo wire as picked by the AP wire service. Above, two acrobatic planes from the Zelazny group collide during a performance at an air show in Radom, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 1. Both pilots died in the crash, but there were no reports of injuries in the crowd. (AP Photo/ Darek Redos)

A worker exhumes a corpse as another stands at left in Guatemala City's main cemetery, Friday, May 25. Cemetery rules establish that six years after burial relatives must pay 180 Quetzales (around $24 U.S.) to renew the grave site for another four years. If cemetery fees are not paid, the skeletons are thrown into a collective graveyard. In 2007 more than 2000 bodies were exhumed due to failed payments. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A hot air balloon's basket is engulfed in flames shortly after takeoff when it was about 25 feet off the ground in Surrey, British Colombia Friday Aug. 24. Witnesses said passengers screamed and jumped to the ground. The balloon reportedly took off from a grassy field with 12 passengers. The balloon crashed in a trailer park and campground , injuring as many as 11 people, police and local reports said. Two additional people were unaccounted for. (AP Photo/Don Randall)

The severed lower left arm of a Taiwanese veterinarian is seen in the jaws of a crocodile, Wednesday, April 11 at the Shoushan Zoo in Kaohsiung, 350 kilometers (217 miles) south west of Taipei, Taiwan. Chang Po-yu's lower left arm was bitten off by the crocodile when he tried to pull a tranquilizer dart from the reptile's body. Two bullets were shot at the crocodile but it was unharmed. Chang went through emergency surgery to have his limb reattached. (AP Photo/Steve Chen)

Seagulls perch on a giant baseball glove during a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants Monday, July 31 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Iranian police officers and others view the scene as five convicted criminals are hung, in a neighborhood of Mashad, 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) northwest of Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday Aug. 1. In the second round of collective executions in 10 days, Iran publicly hanged 7 criminals convicted on various charges of rape, robbery and kidnapping, according to reports on the official web-site of state broadcasting company. (AP Photo/Halabisaz)

Hazardous job

2008-03-13T17:36:00.004-06:00

Photographers covering the men's Big 12 conference college basketball tournament find themselves in the middle of the action as Colorado forward Jermyl Jackson-Wilson, top right, flies off the court in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Spring sports

2008-03-13T17:28:00.003-06:00

Say "Goodbye" to winter and its inside sports and "Hello" to spring and the outdoor games that come with the warmer weather. Here are two SPRING photos from today's wire to get you excited. Above, Milwaukee Brewers' Rickie Weeks, reflected in sunglasses, signs an autograph for a fan before a spring training baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Cubs right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, of Japan, leaps at the fence to catch a ball hit by San Diego Padres' Jody Gerut in the third inning of a spring training baseball game in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Featured photos

2008-03-08T18:36:00.002-07:00

Here are some fun photos from The Associated Press wire:
Above, men in loincloth jostle each other in the mud water at Mimusubi shrine in Yotsukaido, near Tokyo. Hundreds of local dwellers took part in "the muddy rite" the ceremony to pray for the good harvest for the year and good health for babies. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Visitors take pictures of an angel shark using their mobile phone as it passes above them during the public opening of The Manila Ocean Park, the country's first oceanarium in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Pat Roque)

Los Angeles Clippers fan Brooke Amblen watches the Clippers play the Portland Trail Blazers as she sits behind an advertising banner during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

And the winners are...

2008-03-06T15:33:00.004-07:00

The Gazette photo staff picked up two awards over the weekend. Photographer Kirk Speer earned third place in the feature photo category of the Colorado Associated Press contest Friday night for his picture of the dog playing in the snow. Photographer Christian Murdock earned third place in sports photograph category at the Colorado Press Association awards Saturday for his picture of mountain boarding crashing last summer during the national competition at Snowmass Village.

Northern lights

2008-02-29T17:44:00.003-07:00

One of the most amazing things to see in nature is the Northern Lights. The first time I saw them was in northern Idaho. I stayed up until 4 a.m. watching nature's light show. Here is a picture taken by Associated Press photographer Bob Martinson of the Aurora Borealis spinning above the Talkeetna Range and a hay field on Farm Loop Road near Palmer, Alaska, on Friday, Feb. 29. The center of the circular corona, usually near Earth's north pole sometimes fluctuates further south and can be seen from a lower latitude as in this instance.

A bird's-eye view

2008-02-29T17:38:00.003-07:00

A blue tit is reflected in a wing mirror of a car that is covered with raindrops in Friedrichshafen, southern Germany on Friday, Feb. 29. (AP Photo/Felix Kaestle)

total eclipse of the moon

2008-02-21T20:44:00.003-07:00

The Clouds parted over Colorado Springs just long enough for Gazette photographer Jerilee Bennett to capture this image of Wednesday night's lunar eclipse. If you missed the event, the next one is Dec. 21, 2010.

Feature hunting

2008-02-21T14:43:00.006-07:00

Sometimes the news of the day isn't very visual. Pictures of boarding meetings, the legislature or things in the future don't generally make good photos. Yesterday was one of those days, but we still needed good pictures for the paper. That's when the feature hunt begins. The way I look for a feature is every day when I'm out and about I try to notice things that might some day make a good feature. In the back of my mind I log those things like how the afternoon sun makes a cool shadow against a building or how in Memorial Park in the fall on Saturday mornings the junior football leagues play their games. Ideas that might make a good feature. A couple days ago while walking my dog along the Monument Valley Trail I noticed all the people running and walking. A feature opportunity. So yesterday when we needed something I went to the trail and found an interesting vantage point and shot the picture above of Air Force Academy track and field members running.
Some people may think features are a waste of space. If we ran them all the time, I would agree. But sometimes they are a nice slice of life from our community. I was an intern at the Missoulian in Missoula, Mont. One day I spent an afternoon looking for a feature in the rain and produced an average one. I was bummed. My photo editor Kurt Wilson told me that 50 years later someone could look at the paper and my photo and see what life was like in Missoula on that day. That gave me a different viewpoint on the feature hunt. They are another way of documenting life in our community.

Black Iron Bowl video

2008-02-14T20:43:00.006-07:00

A couple weeks ago I blogged about my trip to Telluride for a story on the newly opened Black Iron Bowl. The story runs Friday in The Gazette and check out the video I produced at http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155184276/bclid1155106690/bctid1418511525

Lovely pictures

2008-02-14T17:31:00.004-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day with some images around the world. Above, Angie Sherbina, 16, and her boyfriend Rod Lats, 19, both from Federal Way, Wash., skateboard along Alki Beach in Seattle, on Valentine's Day Thursday. "After this I'm going to surprise her with something," said Lats "and then take her out to dinner." The couple spent the "whole day hanging out together." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Karen Ducey)

A displaced Kenyan boy smell a rose given to people by Kenyan charity workers at an camp for displaced people in the Mathare slum in Nairobi. Kenyan flowers, mostly roses, account for a quarter of Europe's cut flower imports, and Kenyan growers have been pushing to keep exports up for the Valentine's Day despite ethnic violence that has paralyzed the East African country.(AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo)

Bobby and Star Perez kiss as they joined dozens of other couples in a Valentine's Day mass wedding on the River Walk in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Three different views of today

2008-02-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

These three pictures were shot today. One was shot in Spain, one in Iraq and one here in the United States. They couldn't more different in subject matter.
Above, a model displays an autumn/winter design by Miguel Palacio during the Pasarela Cibeles fashion show in Madrid. Spain's top fashion show has turned away three British models because they are too thin. Organizers of the fashion shows used a mathematical formula to calculate the models' body mass index, a measure of their weight in relation to their height, and 30 percent of the women flunked, said the Association of Fashion Designers of Spain. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

Carolina Hurricanes' Ryan Bayda, right, is upended as he tries to score against Boston Bruins' Andrew Ference (21) and goalie Alex Auld (partially hidden) in the first period in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

A mother kisses the foot of her dead daughter in a hospital yard in Baqouba, capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. The 10 year old was killed in a roadside bomb blast. (AP Photo)

2008 World Press Photo winners

2008-02-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

The winners of the 2008 World Press Photo contest were announced today. Here are five winners and to see all the winning images visit www.worldpressphoto.org.
Above, World Press Photo of the year 2007 by British photographer Tim Hetherington for Vanity Fair showing an American soldier resting at bunker, Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, Sept. 16, 2007.

First prize in the Arts and Entertainment Singles category of the 2008 World Press Photo contest by American photographer Ariana Lindquist showing a girl in a character costume, Shanghai, China, 2007.

First prize in the Daily Life Singles category by American photographer Justin Maxon, Aurora Photos, showing Mui, a homeless woman with HIV and her son bathe in the Red River, Hanoi, Vietnam 2007.

First prize in the Contemporary Issues Singles category by South African photographer Brent Stirton, Getty Images for Newsweek showing the evacuation of dead Mountain Gorillas at Virunga National Park, Eastern Congo 2007.

Third prize in the Sports Action Stories category by American photographer Chris Detrick, The Salt Lake Tribune.

On the lighter side of life

2008-02-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's nice to see photos that cheer you up, like these two from today's Associated Press wire. Above, an Ivory Coast fan plays a horn ahead of Ivory Coast's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final soccer match against Egypt in Kumasi, Ghana, Thursday. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Actress Charlize Theron laughs on stage before she was awarded the 58th annual Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, Thursday at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)

Extreme weather

2008-02-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

The United States has seen some extreme weather this winter. Here are two pixs from yesterday. Above, Elaine Weston of Crested Butte, stands on a snow bank to shovel out snow so light can enter the windows of her home in the Colorado mountain town, on Wednesday. As snow keeps piling up in Colorado's mountains, the state's snowpack is building to its biggest level in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

David Derreberry carries a photo of his niece, saved from the rubble of his family's home, in Clinton, Ark., Wednesday after a tornado struck the town late Tuesday. As they mourn those killed in the nation's worst tornadoes in more than a decade, people across a devastated swath of the South are also coming to grips with a deeply shaken sense of home. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Ski shooting

2008-02-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday I checked out Arapahoe Basin's new Montezuma Bowl with my cousin and his friend. It wasn't a fresh powder day, but the light was good for photos. I almost always bring my camera equipment and over the years I've gotten to the point where it's no problem snowboarding with the extra weight. Here are some tips if you want to shoot some pictures on the slopes. 1) Bring someone to shoot or find someone at the base. If you don't and you are shooting in the back bowls, you may wait for hours for a snow rider to make a picture. 2) I carry my camera bodies, a 17-35 and 80-200 in my backpack along with a towel. I wrap the bodies in ski caps and the lens in pouches with caps on them. 3) I wear a fanny pack in the front with my 14 mm lens, strobes and other accessories. This seems to balance the weight and that makes boarding moguls much easier. 4) I also carry light gloves and hand warmers to keep my fingers and camera batteries warm. I found that a cold camera body will zap the heat out of your hands so I will duct tape hand warmers to my camera bodies to keep them warmer and make the batteries last longer. 5) Have fun. There are a lot of good pictures to be found on the slopes of Colorado.

Daily favorites

2008-01-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

Animals almost always make fun subjects to photograph and Gazette photographer Kirk Speer shot 10-month-old Mahal, an orangutan at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, yesterday before it was transfered to the Milwaukee County Zoo.

The spectators casting a shadow on the grass as Henrik Stenson from Sweden tees off and the angle from above make a cool shot during the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Thursday. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Gazette photographer Mark Reis shot a nice image of the morning light on the Pikes Peak and the new St. Francis Medical Center under construction in Colorado Springs Thursday.

Powerful rainbow

2008-01-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

A rainbow is visible looking West from Palm Springs, Calif. on Monday, Jan. 28, 2008 next to an array of wind turbines. Southern California has been hit with heavy rainstorms totaling more than four inches in some areas over a 24-hour period which has some experts on edge about the possibility of mudslides. Scattered showers are forecast for the next few days. (AP Photo/Sandy Huffaker)

A helping hand in Iraq

2008-01-26T17:31:00.001-07:00

Gazette photographer David Bitton and reporter Tom Roeder covered a free medical clinic in Baryk, Iraq, Thursday given by the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The story runs tomorrow in The Gazette and a slideshow with more images from the clinic can be found at www.gazette.com/interactives/iraq/0127 . For more Iraq coverage, see www.gazette.com/war.

Best pictures of the week

2008-01-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite images from around the world taken this week: Jaime Garcia Serrano, from Colombia, poses before starting an exhibition of mathematics and memory skills in front of a screen with the number pi at the University Computense of Madrid, Thursday. Garcia Serrano recited by memory and for hours, random sections of the number pi taken to 150.000 decimal places. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Egyptian border guards and riot police officers clash with Palestinians trying to cross the border after militants exploded the wall between Gaza Strip and Egypt earlier this week, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Levi LaVallee from Longville, Minn. flies his Snowmobile through the air during the final Speed and Style competition on Thursday at the winter X Games at Buttermilk Ski area, near Aspen. LaVallee placed first in this new event for these games. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

Trader Daniel Ryan laughs as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday. Wall Street pulled off a stunning comeback Wednesday, surging higher in late trading and wiping out what looked to be yet another precipitous decline. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Long-term parking

2008-01-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Friday when I was walking around Crested Butte looking for a feature I spotted this old Landcruiser buried in the snow. The situation was too funny and I had to take a picture. Might make a good postcard someday.

Snowing in Crested Butte

2008-01-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

More snow is falling on Crested Butte as Brandon Mines clears the sidewalk alone Elk Avenue Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. Six inches fell over night on the Colorado mountain town adding to the more than 10 feet of snow that has blanketed the town this winter. The snow continued through Friday. Photo by Christian Murdock/The Gazette

Telluride's Black Iron Bowl

2008-01-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday I spent the day in Telluride's Black Iron Bowl. You have to hike to the top but the ride is well worth it. Reporter Dave Philipps and I took local expert skier Herb Manning with us for some photos. The light on top of the bowl is back lit and the bowl itself was mostly in the shadows so I tried to work with the light. Today in Crested Butte I'm faced with a different challenge: It snowing and socked in.

On the road in Telluride

2008-01-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

This week I'm in Telluride and Crested Butte working on a couple stories for the print version of The Gazette and for the Gazette website. Today I was climbing Telluride's new inbounds back country area for a future Out There story. The terrain is well worth the 20 minute hike to the top. Steep bowls with great snow. The hardest part of covering it was carrying my Nikon equipment and a Sony video camera for the online story. It's worth it in the long run because I captured some great video and still images. Tomorrow I shoot more in Telluride before heading to Crested Butte to film the mountain and work on a panoramic project for our website. Should be cool.

From Iraq

2008-01-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

Gazette photographer David Bitton begins his second week in Iraq covering Fort Carson troops with reporter Tom Roeder.
See David's photography at www.gazette.com/war and Roeder's blog at www.gazette.com/blogs/iraqnotebook.

Today's best work

2008-01-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Editing the Associated Press wire today I came across some striking images from around the world. I would like to share some of my favorites with you. Above, a girl poses with a sticker bearing the words "Freedom of speech" during a protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the Bulgarian capital Sofia.(AP Photo/Valentina Petrova)

A woman rides a horse through a bonfire in the small village of San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain, in honor of Saint Antony, the patron saint of animals. The people of the small central Spanish village of San Bartolome de los Pinares honor Saint Antony the night before the official day of honoring animals in Spain.(AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James creates a cloud of dust after he clapped his powder-coated hands together before the team's NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio.(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Dancer Antony Hamilton from Melbourne's Chunky Move performs during a dress rehearsal of Mortal Engine at the Drama Theater of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. Mortal Engine is a dance-video-laser performance where the music, lighting and animation is controlled by the dancer's movements.(AP Photo/John Pryke)

A mother and her two daughters react after police fired tear gas in between houses in Kibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya. Machete-wielding young slum dwellers in Nairobi skirmished with riot police on a second day of opposition protests, but demonstrations across the edgy East African nation appeared to be losing steam amid a harsh police crackdown.(AP Photo/Riccardo Gangale)

Reporting from Iraq

2008-01-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Gazette photographer David Bitton and reporter Tom Roeder have arrived in Camp Taji in Iraq after a long journey that began Sunday from Colorado Springs. The two Gazette journalists will be covering our Fort Carson troops for the next six weeks. Look for stories, photos and videos in The Gazette and at www.gazette.com . Also check out Roeder's blog at www.gazette.com/blogs/iraqnotebook.
Above, Spc. Amanda Gallant, left and Pfc. James Jensen, right, both with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, work out at Camp Taji on Friday, Jan. 11, 2007. Photos by David Bitton/The Gazette

Pfc. Eric McIntosh, of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, plays a video game in his barricks.

The Art of photojournalism

2008-01-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Every day photojournalists give readers images of death, war and natural disasters. But sometimes it's nice to give readers images that show the beauty of the world around us. Here are some those pictures from last week. Above, a Montenegrin fisherman steers his boat on Skadar Lake, some 20 kms. south of Montenegro's capital Podgorica. (AP Photo/Risto Bozovic)

Hoarfrost blankets a vintage vehicle and surrounding trees in a wooded area near Harwood, N.D. (The Forum, David Samson)

An albino alligator is seen at an aquarium in Sao Paulo. Brazil. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)

Georgians walk to attend the Orthodox Christmas service at Trinity Cathedral complex in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Eastern Orthodox Churches mark the occasion according to the old calendar, two weeks after Western denominations. (AP Photo/Sergey Ponomarev)

On the campaign trail

2008-01-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

I've seen some really nice images from the campaign trail the last couple days on the wire. I know many of the moments are staged by the candidates, but I think the photographers covering the events are capturing now nice moments and are being creative in their storytelling. Here are three from today I like. Above, Associated Press photographer Elise Amendola shot Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., far right, and her daughter, Chelsea, as they are introduced by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, left, at a rally in Nashua, N.H., Friday, Jan. 4, 2008.

A video camera shows Republican Presidential hopeful, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney during a media availability in Portsmouth, N.H. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Republican presidential hopeful former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee plays with the Moma Kicks bands lead singer Lisa Guyer during a campaign stop in Henniker, N.H., Friday. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

The World celebrates 2008

2008-01-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

Fireworks light the sky near the Grrossmuenster church in Zurich, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Keystone, Steffen Schmidt)

More than a thousand people jump into the waters of English Bay in Vancouver, B. C., as part of the 88th annual polar bear dip to ring in the New Year. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

Fireworks illuminate the ancient Parthenon atop the Acropolis Hill in Athens. (AP Photo /Petros Giannakouris)

A female impersonator Gary Marion, transformed into "Sushi," hangs above Duval Street and thousands of New Year's Eve revelers at the Bourbon Street Pub Complex in Key West, Fla. The Big Red Shoe Drop, with "Sushi" in a huge facsimile of a woman's high heel shoe, is a takeoff on New York City's Times Square ball drop. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman)

Seattle rings in the New Year with fireworks at the Space Needle. (AP Photo/Jim Bryant)

An Iraqi youth wears a Santa Claus suit while holding sparklers to celebrate the New Year in the Karradah neighborhood of central Baghdad, Iraq. (AP Photo/ Hadi Mizban)

Italian Marco Fois dives into the Tiber River from the 59-foot high Cavour Bridge in Rome. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

Jack Ciesemier, center, and his wife Karen, right, of Chicago make their way through Times Square during the New Year's Eve celebration in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

Best of 2007 photos

2008-01-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

Check out our favorite photos from 2007. Each Gazettte photographer has his or her own audio slideshow at http://www.gazette.com/interactives.

Between a camel and a camel

2007-12-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Talk about bad luck. A camel keeper gets stuck in the middle of camels after the start of a race at the Sweihan camel race track, about 100 kms south of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Dec. 28 2007. I hope he's all right. Associated Press photo by Kamran Jebreili

A country in unrest

2007-12-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Violence in Pakistan has exploded since the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Thursday. Here are pictures from the wire. The first one by Associated Press photographer B.K. Bangash of a Bhutto supporter mourning among the chaos after suicide attack is one that we'll remember forever.

Kashmiri protester throws back an exploded teargas shell toward the Indian policemen unseen during a protest in Srinagar, India, Friday, Dec, 28, 2007. Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir clashed with hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators protesting the assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Associated Press photo by Dar Yasin

Angry supporters of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto attack a police officer, who trying to find shelter in a government office, at a protest rally in Gujaranwala, Pakistan. Associated Press photo by Aftab Rizvi

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas from the Gazette photo staff. Enjoy this funny picture by Associated Press Photographer Rick Rycroff of British tourists Louise Norden and Roz Taylor wearing Santa masks and hats as they celebrate Christmas at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

Good weather, bad weather

2007-12-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

Weather can make for some great photos--good and bad. Here are two examples from the Associated Press wire service. The top one was shot by Arno Balzarini of a woman skiing toward the 2,372-meter high Shijenzan, underneath the Schijenfluh in St. Antoenien-Partnun in the southeast of Switzerland. Beautiful picture. The second one was shot by Salina Journal photographer Jeff Cooper of a blizzard in central Kansas today. I like them both, but I think I would prefer to be in Swizerland.

The beginning of Christmas

2007-12-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

This well composed image by Alvaro Barrientos is from the Grotto inside the Church of Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born. It's in the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem. I really like the way Barrientos framed the person in foreground with the others in the background. Nice use of layers. The body language of the pilgrims makes the picture too.

Out of place

2007-12-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

This photo by Associated Press photographer Petar Petrov is a funny picture because he framed snowboarder Hans Kainz in a way that makes him seem out of place as he jumps during men's big air qualifications. The picture was from the snowboard FIS World cup in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007. Sure, the competition was staged in town, but without seeing the jump it seems like Kainz is lost.

The hardest assignment

2007-12-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

Rose Hockersmith, left, hugs her daugther, Leslie, as they and hundreds attended the "Celebration of Life Service" for Stephanie and Rachel Works who were shot to death during a shooting at New Life Church. Photo by Bryan Oller/The Gazette

Melissa Gonzalez, left, and Aimee Donahue collect flower petals from a flower arrangement at New Life Church following the service. Photo by Mark Reis/The Gazette

Memorials are the hardest assignments to cover as a photojournalist. They're even harder when the memorial is for someone as young as Stephanie Works, 18, and her sister Rachel, 16, whom were killed in the New Life Church shooting last week. Gazette photographers Mark Reis and Bryan Oller shot the service Wednesday. They both shot some compelling images. Unfortunately we didn't have room for any of the pictures in The Gazette.

Wrong place at the right time

2007-12-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday when I was shooting the Broncos/Chiefs game I shot this picture of umpire Jim Quirk getting hit by Chiefs defensive linebacker Derrick Johnson. I was following Broncos running back Selvin Young when the umpire found himself in the wrong place, but the right time for me. I always like photo surprises like this picture. In the film days, I would have never known I had it until I saw the negatives. Today I saw it in the back of my camera when I was chimping after the play. Sometimes it pays to be lucky.

Best of the wire

2007-12-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Associated Press photographer Odel Balilty used the light well to frame this cyclist competing in qualifiers for the UCI Track Cycling World Cup, at the Laoshan Velodrome in Beijing, Friday Dec, 7, 2007.

This aerial photo shot by Associated Press photographer Elaine Thompson really gives a good perspective on the damage done by the recent storms in the Northwest. A piece of broken roadway lies in a muddy river in rural Lewis County , Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007.

Snow in those Colorado hills

2007-12-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Our Colorado mountains are getting pounded, making for some great opportunities for powder skiing pictures. I got to get up there. The top picture was taken at Breckenridge by Leisa Gibson. Peak 8 opened Friday, Dec. 7, 2007, and more snow is expected all weekend long.

Associated Press photographer Nathan Bilow found Jeff Hanle digging his girl friend's car out of the deep snow in Aspen Friday and a skier riding his bike to the slopes with his skis and poles on board. More than a foot of snow fell overnight in the Colorado mountain town.

Here's a video from Breckenridge today:

In our Colorado Springs backyard

2007-12-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we, Coloradoans, take for granted the beauty surrounding us. Here are two pictures from the last couple weeks. The first picture Gazette Photographer Bryan Oller shot of Pikes Peak and the second one of a sunset over Prospect Lake was shot by Gazette Photographer David Bitton. Enjoy.

More flooding

2007-12-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Associated Press photographer Elaine Thompson shot this picture of Interstate 5 running into the flooded Chehalis River at Centralia, Wash., Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007. Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency Monday following the third in a series of storms that hit hardest on the Olympic Peninsula, Kitsap County and the southwest corner of the state. I feel guilty being in Colorado Springs today with its 60 degree weather and no rain.

Storm coverage

2007-12-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Olympian photographer Steven Bloom covered the storm damaged Ranch House BBQ near Olympia, Wash., Monday and co-owner Melanie Tapia receiving a hug from Ginny Wallace, a friend and DOT worker who stopped by to check on them after a wall of mud destroyed the restaurant.

Olympian photographer Steven M. Herppich captured this stranded motorist stuck in the middle of an Olympia, Wash., street as flood kept rising.

Seattle Times photographer Steve Ringman was with Woodinville firefighters, Jesse Disch, left, and Justin Ralph as they pull residents and their pets from their apartments in Woodinville, Wash.

Seeing theses images from the Northwest brought back a lot of memories for me. I grew up in Seattle and worked in Oregon for five years. In 1996 I covered the Oregon floods and mudslides that left a family dead, many homeless and closed Interstate 5. Covering storms like that can be tough physically and mentally. First, keeping your equipment dry is impossible. I lost a camera body and a strobe in the mud and rain. I even lost my muffler and tailpipe on my car while escaping the rising Umpqua River. Second, you are cold, wet and dead tired as you work around the clock. And third, it hard to see people in your community lose everything. In Oregon, I had to cover the funeral of the mother, father and family friend who died in the mudslide. It's not easy, especially when the people you are shooting are your friends and neighbors. Covering events like this are a rush. Don't get me wrong. But they take their toll.

World Aids Day

2007-11-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Worlds Aids Day is Saturday and here are three different perspectives shot Friday from around the World to mark the event. The top photo shot by Ron Edmonds shows the large AIDS ribbon hanging from the North Portico of the White House in honor of World AIDS Day.

The middle photo was shot by M. Lakshman and shows a 4-months-old female child, who is reportedly HIV positive, sleeping inside a cloth hammock at a Community Health Education Society orphanage in Chennai, India.

The third picture shot by Jacquelyn Martin shows students from the George Washington University chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign protesting outside the White House, calling on the federal government to "cut the red tape" around access to AIDS prevention and treatment.

Funny pictures

2007-11-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Good photos spark emotions. The picture of the plane hitting the second World Trade Center tower on Sept. 11, 2007 and the picture of the firefighter carrying the infant after the Oklahoma City bombing are two examples that quickly come to mind. But sometimes it's nice to see picture that make us feel happy. Here are two pictures from today that made me smile. The first one, shot by Associated Press photographer Mike Thomas, is of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens throwing popcorn in his face after scoring against the Green Bay Packers. The second one, shot by Gazette Photographer Carol Lawrence, is a picture of local Chick-fil-A mascot Chris Loos playing around in front of the restaurant where he works in Colorado Springs. He won the distinction of being one of the Top-10 cow performers in the country.

Washed out

2007-11-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward hits the soggy turf at Heinz Field after hauling in a first quarter pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger against the Miami Dolphins. I know this game wasn't any fun for the players and fans, but as a photographer, the opportunities are endless. Reminds me of the five years I spent in Oregon shooting the Oregon Ducks and high school football in the rain. Associated Press photographer Gene J. Puskar shot this one.

Wrong place at the wrong time

2007-11-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

These fans were a little too close to the action when Los Angeles Clippers' Ruben Patterson jumped into the stands while running for a loose ball. One of the fans lost his dinner. Associated Press photographer Danny Moloshok caught the moment.

Santa Road

2007-11-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

They aren't The Beatles and street isn't Abbey Road, but these Santas shot by Associated Press photographer Gary He cracked me up. The volunteers of America's "Sidewalk Santas" were walking across Fifth Avenue.

Moon over Colorado

2007-11-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

Associated Press photographer Bill Ross shot this silhouette of a single engine plane caught in the full moon on Saturday evening over Denver.