Bug on my Windshield, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

A Volkswagon Beetle passes on Derry Road in Hudson Tuesday, Feb. 26 in
Hudson. Recent snowfall caused slow traffic and slippery roads to add
to one of the biggest snowfall accumulations in recent years to the
Granite State.

I don't think this photo ran in the paper. When I shot it I saw a
yellow beetle approach but missed the shot. Bummed for a nano second,
a second beetle came along behind the first to pick up my spirits.
What were the odds?!
Corey Perrine
Staff Photographer/The Telegraph

I had no reason to post this, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

other than I saw it today, liked it, and shot it. At the Community
House, Milford.

-Don Himsel

PT Loser, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

So I purchased a 4x4 truck after getting sick of all the New England
snowfall this winter. I've always wanted a Toyota truck after the end
scene in the movie Back to the Future. Ever since, I had been an in
the closet truck lover. I finally found an excuse to bite the bullet
and find a nice little truck. I looked for weeks and finally found one
in in Salem, Mass. It was last Wednesday I drove it home. So elated
on my find, I was ready to conquer the snow. However, I never had the
slightest inkling how my Michael J. Fox hopes would come to a swift end.

I was driving in Exeter, N.H. on a residential road saw a plow truck
up ahead. I was traveling a cautious 20 mph and thought nothing of the
passing. I could see him and he could see me, so I thought. Then in an
instant he floored it backwards as I was passing his salt and sand
spreader and SMASH!, POW!!, BIFF!!!, ZORT!!!! KABLAMO!!!!! like a
scene from the campy 60's Batman show, my new silver 4x4 hopes were
dashed in seconds. I had no time to even alert him with my horn. It
was a definitely a brace-for-impact moment. The windshield crushed and
the passenger side glass shattered as I was tossed about five feet
sideways. I sat gripping the wheel as the other driver left his
vehicle and asked, "Are you okay?" In my mind I thought, "Just a
broken heart."

In the wake of the aftermath I'm dealing with insurance claims and a
rental car driving a PT Loser, I mean cruiser.

I wonder when the snow will end? I hear Miami is nice this time of
year *sigh*

Corey Perrine
Nashua Telegraph/Staff Photographer

P.S. This photo was taken with my camera phone please excuse the
excessive grain.

Nashua students protest for teachers, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

A photo and video shoot ended quickly for me this morning at Nashua High
School North, as I was asked to leave school property by the principal
after videotaping students protesting outside the school. They were
there early, toting signs in support of the teachers who are negotiating
a new contract with the city. Our newspaper was invited by the students,
and we check out their Facebook forum out before going to see what they
would be up to.

They were very organized and quickly gravitated to my video camera, not
having a clue as to who I was or where I worked. I try not to identify
myself right away in events like this, so that the subjects will go
about their business as if I'm not there. But they quickly started to
wave and say "Hi mom" into the camera, as if on stage.

One of the female students asked me to leave, saying the group would
then go to class. But was that the case? Where they only there to be
videotaped? Many were saying they would be on t.v. I just let them do
their thing. And I explained to the girl that I would stay there as long
as the kids were protesting, unless I was asked to leave by an
administrator.

Well, it wasn't long (actually about two minutes after I arrived) that
the principal and a school police officer asked me to leave the
property. Out of respect, I did. But did the students go to class when
the camera was put away? Some did, and others stayed to continue the
picket.

It's too bad video or t.v. camera become a magnet for people. It's not
just kids. I've seen many adults act in unusual ways once the camera is
pointed at them. As visual journalists, we strive to capture people and
events in a natural way, not encouraging or discouraging the subjects,
or directing them in any way. I usually put the camera down, or point in
another direction, when people smile for the camera, or wave. Who taught
them how to do that anyway?

Check out a video of the protest on nashuatelegraph.com
--Bob Hammerstrom

Flipped, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

Somebody flipped their car tonight in Hudson. Fortunately no serious
injuries. However, the real breakthrough was the inadvertent follow-up
with the officer from the other night. He apologized for the other
night and I had a chance to explain why we do what we do as
photojournalists. I basically told him that as grand-scale an event
that 9/11 was, it didn't compare to the other night, obviously. I went
further to say that If we had not the brave men and women who had the
courage to capture such atrocities we would not learn or know so that
we can prevent such things from happening in the future. They are
tools to learn from. I see myself as not only a person who reflects
the visuals of life but a teacher, a poet, a sociologist, a
psychologist, an informant. Without the eyes and ears of a community,
photojournalists, we don't learn, we don't progress, we don't know.
Tonight here is my message to all to slow down in inclement
conditions. Have good tires. GPS systems can tell us upcoming road
contours. Wear a seatbelt. Parents, teach your kids about safe driving
and follow through they understand and apply such.
Corey Perrine/The Telegraph
Staff Photographer

What's in your feeder?, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

I have photographed many kinds of birds in my 20-plus years as a
photojournalist, but capturing their songs was a whole new experience
for me.

As multimedia producers for www.nashuatelegraph.com, we often use
wireless microphones pinned to the lapel of our subject during an
interview. But how do I pin one on a woodpecker flying in and out of the
birdfeeders this week at the Audubon Center in Auburn? My first attempt
at capturing its conversation with the chickadees and a nuthatch
involved clipping the tiny microphone to the wire mesh on a sunflower
seed feeder. But would the birds peck at it, or leave a surprise for me
to clean off later? The birds didn't bother it, but the contraption
wasn't close enough to pick up their voices. That's so strange because I
could hear them clear across the field.

Next I tried setting the video camera without the radio microphone in a
snow bank below the feeders, not only to warm up inside the Audubon
Center, but to let the birds return without me standing as a predator to
them. That didn't work for sound either, as the microphone on the video
camera didn't pick up well.

So, after dusting the snow off the bottom of the camera (don't tell my
boss), I attached a shotgun mic to the video camera from my audio kit.
Now, it's not a 12-gauge, but it certainly can give me a lot of sound.
The long microphone picks up sound coming from a single direction.
That's how I captured the sounds of a large woodpecker hundreds of yards
away in a tree. He was now the bass, and the other birds were the
sopranos. But I still don't know what the screech was coming from a barn
in the neighbor's yard.

If you are interested in counting birds, there is a Great Backyard Bird
Count started today across the country. You can find out more
information at www.birdsource.org/gbbc. There are also more still
photographs of birds in a Mycapture gallery on our website, as well as
the Backyard birds video on the Audio/Video page.

-Bob Hammerstrom

Shooting Ethics, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

This photo created Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. when a man was
shot. Although not fatal or serious, thank goodness, he was
transported to a local area hospital. A friendly police office came up
to me and asked if I could not shoot for his "dignity's sake." I
responded politely with a question, "Am I doing something illegal?"
His response was, "No. But I just don't want you to photograph, It's
your moral decision." To combat against my decision to photograph he
decided to keep his flashlight conveniently directed at my lens as he
walked away. I was ready to make a more visually communicative scene
but have to admit he threw me off my game mentally, I suppose his plan
worked. Although this is not the greatest photo. it is what it is.
However, the greater lesson comes up with what viewers don't realize
about our jobs as photojournalists we face everyday is ethics and the
message we bring.

Ethics. Yes, ethics. To your surprise we do abide by a code of ethics.
It's a strict code of ethics. Basically in a nutshell, we cannot
influence the situation in anyway. We cannot suggest our subjects to
do anything, minus portraits which I avoid on daily assignments, but
that's another discussion. Pretty much we photojournalist document
life as it comes at us, one frame at a time. I actually love the code,
it gives me rules to abide by. I take my job seriously, sometimes too
seriously. I feel I represent the eyes of the community to reflect
what happened that is noteworthy. Good and yes, bad. Why? So we can
live in a better world, so we can be aware of our surroundings, so we
can improve and live and grow for a better tomorrow. Idealistic yes,
I'm very idealistic. However, we must see the good and the bad, the
normal, the weird, the business and the lack thereof to know how to
push to a brighter future. This image to me represents the chaos in
this world because people dispute and can't control themselves. It
means we need to be aware of what a mad person with any weapon or
object can do to attempt to destroy. It represents the frailty of life
and how precious each day is. To me I did not take away dignity I
created this with the hopes that others might keep theirs.

-Corey Perrine

uh oh..., originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

Speaking of change. Read about the shake up in Wisconsin.  Will print newspapers end up like our friend here?

 -Don Himsel

You, me and Uncle Maury, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

I attended the New England Press Association workshops last week. Dave
Solomon, our managing editor and president of NEPA asked me to put
together a workshop on photography for reporters. I think it was
well-received. I'm always happy to help folks up the quality of their
photography.

Much of my schtick was about rethinking the when and why they go about
making thier pictures as well as the how. I often said that you don't
really need the Big Guns to make photos for many of the assignments.
Yeah I'm looking forward to taking possesion of a new Canon EOS Mark III
but I also look forward to using my Nikon Coolpix while on the job.
It's super portable, has a great macro feature and is just plain fun.

Alex Majoli is my hero. A photographer with the photo agency Magnum he
has used one-touch cameras in his photojournalism and has made some
fabulous images. As Eamon Hickey wrote about him on Rob Galbraith's
great digital photography resource site "the same camera your snap happy
Uncle Maury takes to Disney World."

I think about Majoli when I'm out shooting and I sense that stuff gets
in the way of what I'm trying to do, tell someone's story. Here's a
photo I took of a dew-covered bloom at Beaver Brook in Hollis awhile
ago. So remember. It's often where you point that camera and when you
push the shutter that makes the photo, not the camera itself.

-Don Himsel

Maybe I should have two, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

I used to be a gear hound early in my career. I carried a satchel full
of lenses and accessories and I was a mediocre photographer. I'd like
to think that over the years my journalism and photography have
improved. I know that now I carry a lot less crap. Two lenses have
taken the place of the 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 105mm, 135mm 180mm and the
300mm I hauled around. Two camera bodies. Strobes. Oh yeah, film.
Bricks and bricks of black and white film.

As time has gone on I've learned to ask myself if buying (and carrying)
a certain piece of camera equipment will make me a better photographer.
Often the answer is no. Lately I've added to asking myself if the
purchase will keep me from filling the oil tank or getting money in the
kids' college funds. So when Damon, our managing editor/online sent me
something about this lens I just had to share. It's made by Canon. A
1200mm f5.6. There are less than 20 of them out there. Sucker costs
$99,000. The photo here is from the Reuters Website. There's other
pics and info out there if you search.

I remember what I paid for my first house. Charming place. Three bedroom
fully dormered cape with a two car attached garage. It would have never
fit on a tripod as well as this lens.

Additionally I thought I'd surf the 'Net quick and see what else may
cost this much. Some of what I found was a couple of years old, but...

stuff that costs about $99,000-

* "Lightwave Electronics Corp. Compact, Air-Cooled, Diode-Pumped
Coherent Laser Radar with Very Low Power Consumption $99,000"
* "Aurora Simulation, Inc. A Configurable Object-Oriented Expert
System to Embody Cultural (Awareness) Models $98,700"
* ''Hazardous Material Decontamination Vehicle" for New York City
$99,000
* "A super-duper Continuum Audio Labs' Caliburn battery-powered
turntable system - which includes the turntable, Cobra tone arm, power
supply and dedicated isolation stand for $99,000! The phono cartridge
(with needle) is extra."
* building lots on Abaco, Bahamas, at Lubbers Quarters, $99,000
* 1982 Lambourghini Countach LP400S Series 3. "Only 82 of these
handcrafted Italian sportscars were ever made." Located in Montana.
$95,000
* The "broad average" for a kidney transplant $75,000 to $100,000
(from the National Foundation for Transplants Website).

So Damon, order me one, ok? Maybe it'll make me a better photographer.

-Don Himsel

Humor in photography, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

Pun was intended. Had to dig this photo out of my archive to get some
humor going on this blog. Humor photography is something I've always
enjoyed capturing. Animals and people seem to be at the top of my list.
To me there's something about expressions and rare moments frozen with a
still camera, that cannot be copied or repeated over time. This image
was taken with a 35 mm film camera and black & white film inside a rural
farmhouse using available light. Now bears are not extremely rare to see
in northern Minnesota, but a cub this age is usually protected and
hidden away by its mother.

Taken nearly 20 years ago for a small daily paper I worked at in Fergus
Falls, Minn., this tiny black bear cub was rescued from it's den when
loggers in northern Minnesota damaged its den and the mother was killed.
It was one of two cubs brought to Marion Otnes who started up a wildlife
rehabilitation farm.

Although it was fed by a bottle as a tiny cub, the cute little thing
grew up into a juvenile and was later released into the wild. I can
remember going back to the farm to photograph it a few months later, and
it was already more than 20 pounds larger. That tiny squirrel-sized ball
of fur that I laid on the floor to photograph was scaling my leg with
it's twin, digging in with its claws.

-Bob Hammerstrom

What's a kingcake?, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

When I had first site of it, it looked like a round tea ring with way,
way too much frosting, in multiple colors. And, it looked like a small
child had dropped a few small toys inside while decorating this birthday
cake.

As fellow staff photographer Grant Morris tore open the Fed Ex box sent
to him by his mother, he exclaimed, "It's a kingcake." Now since the
holiday had passed just a couple weeks ago, I'm thinking "Why would
somebody decorate a cake like that to celebrate Martin Luther King Day?"
What's up with this new fella from New Orleans? Was this a family
tradition to received a birthday cake by FedEx, piled with loads of
colorful frosting, topped with confetti, stuffed with long-lost trinkets
from a sibling's toy box, and accompanied by colored necklaces and a
golden mask? Is he a new Super hero?

Well, now I'm embarrassed to find out all the people in New Orleans get
these cakes each year. Just not in a FedEx box! It's a tradition for
those southerners to throw parties during the 12 days of Mardi Gras. And
the baby inside the cake wasn't accidentally dropped into the cake
batter by a passing toddler. After Googling Mardy Gras, I found the
official web site, with a history about the festival. Check out
http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/. The festive custom of including the
baby in the cake derives from the Christian holiday, with the three
kings coming to see the birth of Jesus. Check out this site for more
info on the holiday.

So someday, if I'm every honored enough to receive a kingcake, complete
with a miniature Barbie protruding from the rainbow of frosting, I'll
know that it didn't come from a small child next door, and it wasn't for
my birthday!

-Bob Hammerstrom

Supersized Pinch, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

As a photographer I've noticed that I seemingly attract attention anywhere
and everywhere I go. Until I moved here I lived and worked in Los Angles
where I frequently saw people mutter the word paparazzi to one another as I
walked by, doing work on Skid Row in Los Angeles I had people attracted to
my equipment in association with their next biggest score. Until Superbowl
Sunday I hadn't had a problem with the people here. Other than drunk people
wanting me to take their picture as if I'm a party photographer, there were
no problems. Everything was cool. That is until I made a visit to The 603
Lounge where I had my butt grabbed a half dozen times by a woman who easily
could have been my mother. Maybe "The Big Game" brings the frisky out of
people. Maybe I'm just dead sexy. Who knows. Really all that is important is
the fact that I still got the photo. Enjoy.

-- Grant Morris

Turning my back on the action, originally uploaded by Nashua Telegraph.

So, as you can imagine, working the night shift has opened me up to shooting
ALOT of high school sports. Latley, its been lots of hockey and
basketball...neither of these are particularly my favorite sports to shoot
and there isn't a lot of visual variety especially in the dungeonous gyms
that grace the face of Southern New Hampshire. The light is terrible but the
moments are there still. I've taken it upon myself to start looking around
me instead of focusing on the mainstream action. Personally I find shooting
behind me more rewarding than shooting the same thing that everyone else in
the world is shooting, particularly when referring to high school sports.
Real-estate in the newspaper is expensive so there wasn't room for these in
the paper unfortunately. But thats why God gave us the internet, I can show
you five photos that you haven't seen before.