A Hunter of Stories

Studying Humans

The human automotive traffic flowing at a steady pace along Frontier Drive at its back, the Cooper’s hawk sits on its perch between road and parking lot.

The immature raptor shows no signs of fear or any other discomfort as it eyes the humans traveling to and from the Sheetz convenience store in Staunton, Va., during the daylight hours of New Year’s Eve 2009.

Talons remain securely wrapped around the utility line strung between the poles.

The hawk’s head moves about in an easy manner in what can only be described as people watching.

— Mike Tripp, photojournalist / The News Leader

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“A Hunter of Stories” explores the world through the photos, words and life of a photojournalist.

. . . . . . . . . Some Days You Have To Get Away

This morning as the day approached the noon hour, I had a discussion with my boss at work and felt very troubled during and after that discussion.

The paths become harder to walk when one finds himself asked to add even more tasks to an already overfilled load.

What does it say when on most days of work one is unable to even find time to take a simple lunch break and so works between 8 to 10 hours non-stop?

And then you find yourself asked to do something else on top of it.

After this meeting, I found that I could go back to my desk and allow it to eat away at me for the rest of the day … or … I could take a rare lunch break and get away from the office a bit.

It is no secret that I also wish to get into better shape physically as well as grow closer and more in tune with the natural world.

So I ventured to Bells Lane just outside of Staunton for an escape from the stresses of work and to seek to better myself while being open to basics of the photographic hunt.

As my boots tread the pavement of the roadway, I had my camera slung across my body and a staff in my hand.

The squirrels were everywhere and so were the birds with the chickadee being the one that called my name most often.

– Mike Tripp, photojournalist

** “PHOTO NOTES” takes you behind the lens of the camera as the photographer offers a behind the scenes glimpse from inside the shoes of a photojournalist as well as offers the rare chance to hear some of his thoughts in the process.

A tree at Coyner Springs Park stands out against fog shrouded mountains in Waynesboro, Va., on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009. Evaporating water from melting snow and ice brought fog to some parts of the area that morning.

— Mike Tripp, photojournalist / Hunter of Stories

Snow Play leads to Snow-covered Safari

From the moment the snow began to fall on Saturday, Dec. 5, my two-year-old daughter Abi was all about the snow.

She wanted to run in it.

She wanted to stomp in it.

She even wanted to make a “snow bear” … her version of a snowman … in it.

Seeing the wintry world through her eyes was truly a blessing as it caused me to open my eyes and try to see as she did.

She squealed, laughed, pointed, muttered, called out, yelled and even laughed some more … an very much excited.

Several times that Saturday, we caught her running through the house with mittens in hand to the door only to run back to us and try to drag us to the door.

It did not matter that it was dark outside just as it did not matter that she had already stripped herself down to her white colored bottoms.

All she knew was that there was snow outside, and she wanted in it.

The next morning, she awoke and immediately was calling out as she was wide awake and there was snow on the ground.

As soon as she was out of her room, she was a blur up the couch to the large picture window and then just a much of a blur running to get her mittens.

A crying fit ensued when I told her in no uncertain terms that she was going to have to eat her breakfast before we could even think about going outside.

After several minutes, she settled down and ate her waffle.

When she finally made the escape to the wintry wonderland, she found the day a bit brighter than the day before and the snow a little bit deeper.

Her small legs pumped hard as she plowed her way from the front yard to the back yard and back again (many times) through the snow to see everything there was to see.

She visited the “snow bear” a few times as well and even played and played and played and played with the white powder.

Try as I may, she did not want to keep her mittens on as they restricted hr ability to touch the white stuff a bit too much for her tastes.

So we battled over mittens and jackets and boots with her two-year-old mind being very persistent but obsessed with the piles and piles of flakes.

Did also mention that she fell quite a few times in the powder?

This normally happened when she reached a section of snow slightly deeper than the rest and these moments became very frustrating for her.

When she at last had her fill of trudging, she led the way back towards the house but when I thought she was ready to go in, she mouthed one word over and over …

“Ride?”

Not through with the snow just yet, Abi decided it was time to see the snow as it existed elsewhere and take in the wintry sites in the process.

And we did just that.

Setting our sights for Waynesboro, we let the adventuring begin with her perched in her car seat (more like the captain’s chair) in the back and me in the front driving with my camera beside me.

She wanted to take in the sites, so I figured … Why not look for a few photos in the process.

The first photograph came along Wayne Avenue in Waynesboro where I caught sight of friends out for a leisurely stroll under the snow-covered trees as they followed the sidewalk to church.

From there, I turned the car in the direction of Ridgeview Park where an ice-covered parking lot awaited.

Thankfully, there was only one other vehicle in the lot so hazards were less in driving and more in walking to grab the next photograph which was of the metal pedestrian footbridge as it spans the South River.

At this point, I figured it safe to turn back towards home, choosing to take the long way back as we kept our eyes open for some country scenes.

Not only did road itself off an eye-catching setting, but what Abi thought to be cows grazing atop a snow-covered pasture turned out to be horses that were also pleasing to the eye and photo worthy.

And even after that, I caught sight of a favorite line of trees (something I have photographed before) and could not resist adding their snow setting to the collection.

— Mike Tripp, U.S.S. Pathfinder / A Ship of the Cache

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“Adventures of the Pathfinder” follows the adventures of “Team Pathfinder” (aka. U.S.S. Pathfinder of the Ships of the Cache) of which Mike Tripp is a part as they explore the world with an adventurous spirit and a lot of fun.

. . . . . . . . . That Groundbreaking Sun

The events are silhouetted by the morning sun as the unfold.

Standing at the podium, Gov. Tim Kaine addresses those gathered during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Western State Hospital in Staunton on Monday, Nov. 29, 2009.

On 66 acres adjacent to the current location, the new facility is expected to be completed in the spring of 2013.

When I first arrived to cover this event and took in the scene, I instantly saw the largest obstacle — the sun.

The way those setting up the event had laid everything out, the podium and those speaking with be looking to a sunlit crowd while many of those in attendance would be looking not just at those speaking … but into the sun.

From my vantage point, the challenges of the assignment rose slightly on the hardness scale as now to get the photos I wanted, I would have to be mindful of lighting, over or under exposure, lens flares, shadows and more.

However, it did not take long for me to figure out some of the best angles (generally from either side) as well as the fact that I could go artistic and use the back-lit setting to my benefit.

– Mike Tripp, photojournalist

** “PHOTO NOTES” takes you behind the lens of the camera as the photographer offers a behind the scenes glimpse from inside the shoes of a photojournalist as well as offers the rare chance to hear some of his thoughts in the process.