back to the Friday night lights Monroe-style...!!!
trying to fill in the gaps, or just enhance what i have so far...this is kind of a lot to post up, but, hopefully it's not too hard on the eyes....i think the first 2 pix are my favorites, but again, i welcome any input!!

little kids always seem to love playing under the bleachers - it's like their own private fortress where only they can fit - just liked the lines and symmetry of this one, and the sense of teenage style you get from the legs and feet

it's school spirit from every angle!

i really have been wanting to get something tight to add visual variety to this...perhaps one of these works? there's another one later - not so tight, but i like it too and probably couldn't use both

this little water boy was so interesting to watch - he took his job SO seriously...he'd just stand there and watch as these guys sucked down their water on the sidelines, like the most attentive waiter in the world! and you can just tell he wants to be right where they are now when he grows up

yep, another homecoming night....when the homecoming court makes its entrance onto the field, EVERYONE is a photographer!

showin' some love for the junior class float entry!!

that's all for now! thanx for lookin......

Had a Friday night not at football and actually took up an invite to a gallery reception instead...which felt really weird and kind of guilty, but it was probably a good idea to take a break anyway (especially after the day i had!)...i'm really looking forward to going back out this Friday...felt strange not coming in Saturday and posting pix up here right away, too...but, here's something goofy i shot today -- i know it's just a cute silly kid pic, but he's just such a goof, i couldn't resist.

he just cracks me up, even moreso because he's SO over-the-top happy, and the frog just looks like the biggest grump on the planet!

a few more from last friday that i was considering....just throwing these out here, in case i missed something in them at first edit

after peeking around the pole at me, swinging from side to side, i think she felt maybe she could sneak a secret look from right behind it

more from the Friday night lights...my and Monroe County's version of it, at least...i may be posting a few more sporadically throughout the week - 3 cards is a lot to look at, and when i get some feedback here, there may have been some i missed...or those, hmmm, i think i dig it, but i'm not 100% sure. anyway, trying to stay away from the teen sideline scene last night, and it was homecoming, so i wanted to work that, as well...had a little trouble getting out of "daily" mode and into the kind of feel/mood i'm aiming for, but i think it came together more as i went on...just trying to keep an open mind/eye, not overthink things and be in that place where you're seeing the pictures that are there instead of looking for them...lemme know what y'all think....& thanx for looking

at small schools, everyone chips in to help, including the athletic director-come-ticket seller

homecoming night means EVERYONE gets extra decked out with the team spirit

something about this i kind of liked, not sure why, or if in the grand scheme of things i'll end up using this

love the expressions on these guys' faces, especially the guy at the bottom right

after their half-time performance, the band parades to the fence-line, stopping their playing to lead the crowd in a rally-cry...trying to get that, i stepped back into their line-up, only to find, the cheer over, the instruments went back up as they paraded side-ways off the track...of course, there i am in the middle of them, and they're walking towards me, but facing away, so i'm dodging the staggered onslaught of band members and their very large instruments til i could get out of the pack....i felt a little like i was living in a game of "frogger!"

homecoming floats and would-be queens await their turn to parade around the field at half-time

think this might be one of my favorites from the night

these little girls were cheering for all the potential queens - no particular favorite...they all want to be on the homecoming court when they grow up

just when you think it's time to go... thankfully there's room for more on the card - loved the single light just over her head...lucky...this is also one of my favorites

"This is actually really relaxing," said Anthony, as his sister and friend turned him into a mummy, burying him in a sand pit in the park Monday. What a lucky find! With no assignments and the weather being back to summer, I was looking for a feature - makes me feel bad when i've not shot a thing as i head home - and i was striking out til i happened upon this. One of those moments when you pull over super-fast, scramble to grab your gear and get out of the car before they all get up and run off to something else or head home (which inevitably seems to happen WAY too often!) Also one of those moments when you head back to your car, only to notice that in your haste, you parked about 2 feet away from the curb like a complete moron! Guess i'm not doing much to dispel those stupid old cliches about women drivers, huh?

more and more and more football Friday nights....almost didn't go since i was tired getting up for the early shift after little sleep after staying up too late visiting with a very dear friend whom i miss terribly!! anyway, after i scanned through the list of games and realized one was on the field literally 2 blocks from my house, i knew i'd feel WAY too guilty, so, off i went, and here's what i got....

mmmm, free hot dogs!!!!

this little girl isn't a terribly big fan of football, and she doesn't want to be a cheerleader, either. her favorite sport is soccer, which if you live in Monroe/have been following the public forums regarding a sports writer's recent article, you would know is really funny!

i love the bleachers in this field

these boys don't actually go to this school - but we recognized each other from last week's game. their team was playing away, so they came to this one instead. "so, this is what you do on a Friday night if you don't have a home game to go to?" "what else is there to do in Monroe," one of the kids said. good point...look where I was on my Friday night, too....

girls hangin...more and more clusters of kids on the sidelines....safety in numbers??

cheers! can't decide between these two -- feel free to weigh in, and to say neither....there's plenty of football season left to go