Weekend

    I spent the last four days photographing the 12 yr old Cal Ripken Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament in Clifton Park. I did the same age group two weeks ago in the state tournament hosted by N Colonie. It is challenging, since I set up and process and print on site so parents leave with an 8x10 or 5x7 print of their child in competition. A colleague, Nate Whitchurch worked with me in Clifton Park. We shot twenty games and input more than 2,000 images. A lot of work.
    I am impressed by the involvement of the parents, many of whom made this trip their summer vacation. Teams traveled from Maryland, Delaware, NJ and Penn. The quality of play was at times amazing. I had forgotten what 12 year olds can do. Very impressive.
   This weekend also marked the conclusion of a life changing experience for my brother-in-law, Matt LaClair. Along with a mutual friend, Mike Stratton, the two finished the Appalachain Trail. They hiked straight through starting in late March in Georgia. They finished the nearly 2,200 mile hike in Maine four months later this Saturday . I tip my hat to them. What an experience. Their blog site is PorterandPace (trail names).