Not all photo assignments are glamorous, exciting and lend themselves to great photos. Today was one of those dreaded days when “guy speaking at podium” popped up on my to do list… Thankfully that guy was kayaker/conservationist Trip Jennings, a National Geographic Young Explorer grant recipient, who had nice visuals to accompany his talk at Redmond High School about two exploration trips to the Congo. I’ve done this “You be the Photo Editor” before with sports, and now today’s challenge is guy at podium. Below is a series of Trip speaking with different backgrounds from his presentation. The question, which frame tells the story for you? Please leave your answer in the comments.

Los Gentlemen, above, put on a winning performance during the Rockathon finale at the Old Fire House Teen Center in Redmond on Friday, May 6, 2011. It was my second year to cover the music event for the Redmond Reporter, which was an 80′s theme with each of the four band finalists performing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” during their set. Photos of each group including Pave the Earth, Stuck on a Bus and D-Frost after the jump…

Yesterday’s sunshine also brought with it an afternoon assignment to Olallie State Park to watch Eastside Fire and Rescue firefighters complete their annual refresher training for swiftwater rescue. Above, four firefighters cross the Snoqualmie River to help establish a highline for rope rescue during a training session, May 4, 2011. More photos after the jump…

Two models sport formal looks during the Silhouettes of Style runway fashion show at the Westin in Bellevue, April 29, 2011. Continuing my recent informal blog post theme – fashion – I had two assignments on Friday that fit the bill. Started my day at the Bellevue Goodwill to watch people scramble and jostle for clothing and items during the annual designer label sale, followed by a fundraising runway fashion show. More photos from the catwalk after the jump…

I recently got to take my turn as a fashion photographer for an article on spring makeup trends in The Scene magazine. We partnered with noted stylist and makeup artist Rosaline Hampton… that right there makes my job easy, not to mention the good looking ladies that enthusiastically hopped on board the project! Above is the image we used for the cover, showcasing Rebekah and a vibrant makeup to add pop. More photos after the jump…

Sometimes you have to just stop and take it all in… a quick snap of last night’s sunset while covering a high school soccer game in Bellevue. Nice to see some color in the sky other than the long grey of spring we’ve had so far.

Olympic-hopeful boxer Alex Love poses for a portrait at Ring Sports United in Bellevue, March 1, 2011. I was assigned to photograph a female boxer for the Bellevue Reporter before she moved to Colorado to train for a chance at a spot on the women’s 2012 Olympic team. I walk into the RSU gym in the North end of Bellevue and met a confident athlete, with work-ethic, drive and a great attitude – even if she likes throw a verbal jab once in a while. More photos after the jump…

It’s spring time here in the Pacific Northwest and we’ve had a particularly cloudy stretch to start the seasonal change. Thought I’d take a minute to share a couple of snapshots from the last few days pausing to take in the momentary sun breaks. Above, the power line trail in Redmond on Wednesday. April 6, 2011. More photos after the jump…

Mercer Island resident Lois Jacobson, 86, holds a hand-tinted photograph of her first solo piano recitial in the eighth grade in the late 1930s. Photographed at her home on Mercer Island, March 21, 2011. Lois is a great example of why I love my work as a photographer — meeting people and hearing their stories. More photos after the jump…

This morning I saw a Tweet that an overturned truck that had spilled lumber across the Interstate 90 Westbound on ramps from both directions on Interstate 405 in Bellevue. The frame above tells the story, though the overturned truck had already been hauled away by the time I found this vantage point. As a photographer, I am always looking to find the best angle for and image — one that is interesting or helps tell the story. Some times you have to work for the the good view, and that was the case on this breaking news shoot. More photos and thoughts after the jump…