There’s nothing like a good, old fashioned football rivalry to fill up a nice fall Saturday.

Such it was this past Friday when Delhi and Walton met at Jim Hoover Field for an annual battle. The game pits two of the finest coaches in the state — Walton’s Hoover and Delhi’s Dave Kelly. They are the top-two winningest football coaches in Section Four history and, between them, have more than 550 victories in a combined 84 years of coaching.

Yikes!

The game was like many in the past. Hard-hitting, defensive and a couple of big plays to separate the two. In the end, it was Walton which came out on top, 28-18.

That victory gave Hoover a 29-13 edge over his Route 10 rival.

Though, I’ll admit, I didn’t roam as much as I had hoped for this photo essay, I did capture, I believe a feeling of this game. So, below, are some of my favorite images from the game.

Tough catch.

Too high.

No room to run.

Getting away.

Pass attempt.

Just out of the reach.

Coach Jim Hoover.

Coach Dave Kelly.

Tackled.

On the Walton sideline.

On the Delhi sideline.

Breaking away from the pack.

Game over.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Outside of human friends, this guy is my best friend.

This post is written in conjunction with the 30 Days of Writing, a blog challenge devised by Nicky and Mike at “We Work For Cheese.” I’ll be participating throughout the month of June. If interested, you can see my post with the details of the challenge. 

Please note that some of these posts will be serious, some will be normal, and some will be an attempt at humor. This one has a little of everything. 

I could spend a lot of time talking about best friends.

See, I don’t believe in the “one” best friend. I feel any close friend is a best friend of sorts. So I could talk about traveling with some best friends. Or being in a wedding. Or playing softball. Or learning some new outdoorsy game, like geocaching. Or traveling half way across the country to see someone really get a start in life.

This guy was my best friend for a few years as well.

There are close friends who I only talk to like three or four times per year. But they are still close friends, thus a best friend of sorts.

And having best friends is a wonderful things. I’ve had the chance to see many of them get married, have kids, succeed in life. Many have been there for me, too, especially over the past year and a half when I’ve needed many “lift-me-up” moments.

But, I fear if I talk about some of this stuff, I’ll leave someone out.

So I’m going to go somewhere else with this.

My camera.

Photography goes back a long way with me and my family.

My grandfather was an avid photographer (I wish I had some of his old images… they would be cool to have and look at). When I was younger and we visited them in Philadelphia, he’d take me on his daily walk to a Fotomat booth to drop off or pick up film. He’d always joke that he was going to visit his “girlfriend, so don’t tell grandmom.”

Of course, those “girlfriends” were way younger and not really girlfriends!

If it was a day he picked up film and I was lucky enough, he would let me open up the envelope to see the wonderful images he took. It was so cool!

My friendship with photography started there.

As I grew, I used many different types of cameras. Old Kodak 120 cameras, the disc cameras, point-and-shoots and, eventually learning the film 35mm cameras when I worked for my first newspaper — as a seventh and eighth grader working for the local daily.

My uncles still love photos. In fact, one of my uncles gave me one of my grandfather’s final cameras he used. A nice 35mm film camera. I need to get another lens or two for it, but it works very well. It’s cool to have.

For a few years, when I went back to college in the late 90s/early 2000s, I stepped away from photography. Film was expensive and I couldn’t afford the digital age. That would come at a later time.

My current buddy. When this guy arrives, I was in total euphoria.

Photography has exploded in recent years.

With digital being as it is, it becomes cheaper and cheaper. Many people are discovering photography and utilizing it. I’m on my third digital SLR and love this camera more than I can say.

It’s been to Ireland with me. It’s visited all sorts of areas I’ve been to. It’s taken sports photos, weddings, kids of friends, people shots, candids and so much more. I love having the camera with me.

Having the camera gives me some freedom and the feeling of knowing I can make some sort of art any time I snap the shutter. My current pal has probably taken more than 100,000 images since I bought it in 2010 — and that’s a low-ball estimate.

And, it also takes HD video — which kicks total ass.

Believe me, I have some great best friends. And many of them have been in the photos I’ve taken. But, as I noted, I’d leave someone out with a post about them. They know who they are and what they mean to me.

They also know what the camera means to me and that’s proof of a good friendship.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Mmmm... cheese!

Cheese.

It’s a milk-based product to die for.

It also happens to be the first day of the 30 Days of Writing Challenge. So I needed to find a way to mix this glorious food into my normal weekly edition of Foto Friday.

So, I’m going to share some cheese photos to go with both posts and mix them into one.

I love me some cheese.

First, some cheese stuff.

Cheese is one of the few foods I would have a hard time living without. There are not many cheeses that I don’t like, at least in one form or another. With things such a bleu cheese, I don’t like it by itself, but mixed with some garlic and melted as a steak topping? Awesome.

Cheddar, of course, is the bomb.

Gouda. Swiss. Irish cheese. Smoked. Brie. So many types of cheese, so little time. I even think there’s a place for sandwich cheese (ie: pasteurized and individually packaged…) and spreads.

I try and check out cheese sections wherever I go. And I like to try new stuff whenever I can. In fact, I think I am willing to try cheeses more than I am certain other things.

One thing that’s outstanding about cheese is all the wonderful foods you can eat cheese with, and all the drinks you can enjoy with cheese.

For example, I realize many people love wine with cheese.

Not me.

I love trying new cheeses, like this smoked bacon. Awesome.

See, I’m not a wine guy. I couldn’t tell you the difference between a red and a white (besides color) or between a Chardonnay, a Merlot or a pinot noir.

Beer goes well with cheese, especially a good beer, such as a Guinness or a strong ale. Drinking something like Coors Light wouldn’t work well with cheese, I don’t think.

For me, I enjoy water with cheese as I feel like the water won’t take away from the taste of the cheese. I’m sure wine and such accent the cheese, but I’m more of a naturalist with the cheese.

Then there’s what you eat with cheese.

Pretzels and cheddar... awesome!

Personally, eating cheese by itself works for me. Yet, I still find myself trying other things.

Pretzels, for example, go well with cheddar cheese. Triscuits and Wheat Thins seem to go well with anything. Ritz crackers? The same. There are so many varieties of crackers out there, that I’m sure you’ll be able to easily find something to go with the cheese you’ve chosen.

I’m a fan of spreads, too. Anything from things like swiss almond to something like Laughing Cow, which is a wedged cheese with seven different varieties, go well with normal crackers.

Nothing like a little spread for Triscuits!

Cheese is also something that is very photographic. This is, after all, a Foto Friday post. Getting zoomed in and playing with the focal points is a nice way to do things. Also, mixing in different things — such as crackers, pretzels, knives etc. — will make things a bit better, too.

There’s a cheese factory near me and I am hoping to stop there sometime this summer. I think it would make for some pretty wild photos. Especially if I could shoot the process of the cheese being made.

But even if I can just see full cheese wheels and other cheese things — still good photos.

In the end, if you are taking photos of cheese… what’s the best part?

Eating all the cheese you use as props!

Yum!

Cheese!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

A bike is a great thing to ride, but is there more to them?

Photography is all about having the passion to find something and make it into a photograph.

Whether it be a piece of nature, sports, people, events or whatever else, one needs to have some sort of passion to want to make the scene that they see into something that can last a lifetime or beyond.

But photography isn’t just about capturing a scene, it’s also about looking at something and finding the different parts of it and turning those parts into photographs to capture an imagination.

Readers of my blog know that I love my iPhone and I really dig the camera and the apps available to use. But, there’s something to be said about the traditional way of taking photos, be it a film or digital point-and-shoot or SLR. The idea of actually using a camera — and only a camera — to take the photo and go from there.

With a new bag that makes it easy to carry my camera on a bike ride, I looked at my bike in a different way.

Over the past few years, I’ve been searching to get a camera bag that was a messenger bag. I found a Tamrac one before I got my backpack bag and didn’t like it, so it went back. I recently stumbled upon a Lowepro bag.

I’ve never owned Lowepro, but know several people who love them. I did some research, found a few in-depth reviews and decided to get one.

The $20 price didn’t hurt, either.

Since getting this bag, I’ve loved it. I’ve found it’s easier for me to carry my camera and equipment.

The other night, I opted to test it for one of the reasons I got it — for when I went out on a bike ride. It worked well. I liked the comfort of it. But as I settled in at a local park to scout out some cache locations, I started looking at my bike a little closer.

Even a handlebar grip can be kind of cool.

It was there that I realized how interesting a bike actually is, photographically that is. A bike has some intricate parts to it and that leads to some interesting shots. I wish I had a true macro lens as I think that would help things, but I used my 17-40 lens and it worked out well enough.

From the brakes to the gears to the handlebars and other parts of the bike, it’s really something quite fun to shoot. If anyone came around the park while I was there, they probably wondered what the hell I was up to. Of course, I wonder sometimes when I’m out shooting if people think I’m a little loony anyway.

But I digress…

You can get more detail with the closeup on the bike.

I studied the bike a little bit and started to shoot the pieces of the bike. I took more images than I am sharing as some really came out bad. Again, a macro lens would be outstanding.

But this got me thinking a bit more about simple things and photography.

I’ve discussed photography with other hobbies of mine — such as geocaching — but I hadn’t really thought about some things like this. I’ve also discussed getting close or low to the ground, but for some reason I never put things together.

The simple things really can be a good way to see a hobby or an object. Such as a bike.

In the end, I spent a while looking for intriguing shots. To see what I could do with the camera to make something interesting, at least to me. The best part of this is I learned something and figured out a different way to look at things. Though I had used many of these techniques before, I never seemed to merge them.

I might have to try it a bit with geocaching and disc golf. Maybe even softball.

I also hope you get a chance to push yourselves with the camera a bit more and come up with some fun ways to shoot things. If you have some ideas, leave a comment below. I’d love to try a new way of doing things!

For now, here are a couple more of the shots I took:

A brake.

The bike "computer" I have.

An extended weekend for those of us in the States, so if you’re going to be out shooting, have fun. I have some things lined up and I’m looking forward to being out with the camera for much of the weekend. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! 

There are times when everything speaks to me in a photo sense -- such as this scene I drove past twice once day and realized it made for a cool shot.

I don’t know how all of you are with photography, but I kind of go in waves.

There are times where I look at almost anything and find a way to make it into a decent image. There are other times where I could be staring at the perfect photo opportunity and be absolutely stumped with what I should do.

It’s kind of like a peak-and-valley sort of thing.

Oh the days where one struggles to find a good shot...

Part of that also goes with the desire — or lack thereof — to carry my camera. While it’s true that the iPhone gives me a solid backup plan, the reality is when I want photos, I like to use my main gear. If I get too far out of habit carrying it, then I start relying on the iPhone way too much.

To be fair, the iPhone takes some amazing images. I’ve even had it capture some pretty crazy shots that were action-based. But it isn’t — and won’t ever be — a true replacement for my DSLR.

So what to do?

I’m currently in one of those valleys, or funks.

That’s normal when doing a project like the 366 though. Taking a photo every day and hoping it’s not some “mail-it-in” image is something I hope to do. But there are times when I just don’t want to take photos. Be it because of carrying stuff, the weather or something else. I love my camera, but it’s so tough when you just want to sometime blend in and be part of something.

When I completes my 2010 Project 365, I said I’d never do it again. Technically, that’s true because this year is a Project 366. However, knowing the struggles I am having, I think this will be the last time I do this project. I’ve come close to ending it this year, but I go out and get a photo because I want to see it to completion.

I’m not as diligent in posting daily or submitting to all the groups, but I have done each and every day and plan to complete it.

Anyway, off subject there.

I’m curious where photographers find inspiration?

I often find inspiration in old or odd signs.

For me, it depends on where I am. For now, I am in a small area. There’s not a lot of diverse things. By that, I mean street photography. If you are a nature photographer — and I do that at times — this area is amazing. Mountains and hills. All four (usually) seasons. Waterfalls (well, have to travel a little for them), rivers and streams and other nice things.

My town — and some surrounding towns — are somewhat picturesque villages and small hamlets, which can provide some wonderful things. I’m going to try and do a small series soon — once the college lets out of some things that local high school kids painted last year. Once the college kids are gone, it’s easier to just navigate the area and such on a bike and get a bunch of images.

But for the most part, I’ve photographed the town. I have to do it more with the Holga Project I’m involved in, so I will be seeing it from a different way.

But for a daily shot, sometimes I have to reach.

Too, there are days when you know things are rolling and shots just pop out at you. It’s almost like it was a form of destiny for you to be at a spot at the exact moment to shoot it. Whether for a project or just out shooting, the opportunity was there and you took it.

As I said, I’ve been struggling lately. I look at stuff and thing “meh.” The skies are blue, the weather has been beautiful and my new $20 Lowepro Messenger camera bag (extremely awesome and what I’ve been looking to find for years) gives me no reason to not have my camera and be ready to shoot.

So what kind of inspiration do you photographers use?

Sometimes inspiration comes from just watching a scene or situation unfold.

People?

Scenery?

Macro?

Wide-angle?

Subject?

I’m interested — and hoping this post will get some — in some comments from other photographers to let me know what they do to get out of a funk. I’m sure it will snap soon, I just need to do it. I’d love to get into a photo club or be involved in a photo walk sometime. I think that might help. There aren’t many photographers who I know that enjoy just going out and snapping photos all day anymore.

Let me know what you do and if you have any sites to check for said inspiration.

This weekend is supposed to be wonderful with weather. I plan on doing a little hiking and some geocaching. Hopefully by carrying the camera, I’ll get some good shots. I don’t know what of yet, but I’m hoping.

And next weekend is one of our area’s biggest events — a 70-mile one-day canoe regatta. I used to cover it for the paper and have always enjoyed it. This year is the 50th year the race has been held, so I plan on taking the day to shoot the event and kind of follow it a bit differently than I have done in the past. So the inspiration will hopefully be there!

So drop me your thoughts in the comments below on how you battle “photo blog” or get inspiration!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!