Christmas 2011

The fog was extremely heavy the night I arrived at the volunteer firehouse.  There were a few cars in the parking lot and the first door I tried was locked.  The second door opened up to a brightly lit room with a few people sitting behind tables, a decorated Christmas tree and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus sitting in two oak chairs.  I asked one of the volunteers sitting at a table how many children they were expecting.  She said it depends, some years they have quite a few but you can never tell.  Might be less this year because Santa had made a visit to the local school that day.

(Fieldon, IL USA) Owen Schaaf attempts to hold up two fingers to tell Santa how old he is.

Several minutes passed and a couple came through the door with their two sons.  You see the youngest of the two above, on Santa's lap, trying to get his fingers situated to show two.  His older brother wanted nothing to do with the bearded man handing out candy.

Game Faces of the Week 2

(Waverly, IL USA)  Two fans watch the action on the court at the 2011 Waverly Holiday Basketball Tournament.  Their combined age is 183.  One volunteered he was 17 years younger than the other.  One stopped driving at age 98.  Dare to guess who is older?

I decided a few weeks ago that I'd try and find the best game faces of the week as I'm out shooting different sporting events.  This is the pick for the last week of the year 2011.

Best Game Faces of the Week

(Rochester, IL USA) As fans cheer, a member of the Southwestern Middle School 8th grade team shows how she is feeling after receiving her second place team medal. The loss to Normal Kingsley was the first and only for Southwestern of the season.  Kingsley remained undefeated and won the state championship.



Sometimes you get great game faces in your images. These are two of the best this week. While they may not be a favorite of the subject, they are my favorites of this last week and they would both be basketball.

(Piasa, IL USA) A Jersey player shows his game face as the Southwestern player tries to block his shot.

The Last Picture Show

AMC Entertainment, Inc.,  the second largest movie theater chain in North America, has just shuttered a local movie house.  Over the years, thousands of parents have dropped off their children at the front of the theater for a night at the movies

Jerseyville is a small rural town in Illinois that serves as the county seat. The decades old theater now owned by AMC that sits across the street from the vacant Moose Lodge is now closed as well. What makes the closing so sad is the fact that the theater was profitable, it just doesn't seem to fit the business model of the huge conglomerate that recently purchased it.

(Jerseyville, IL USA) Traffic passes the Stadium Theater the last night of operation by AMC Entertainment, Inc.  The closing marks the end of a theater that had been in operation since 1949.

At the time this is written, AMC has the theater listed for sale at $770,000.  The facility was last sold for less than $73,000 several years ago.  Many believe this is a tactic used by AMC to stifle competition.  One regional theater operator said recently in a local newspaper interview that facilities AMC owns and abandons are usually set for sale at such high prices, no other theater operator is able to purchase them.

“If you look and see what they’re trying to sell it for, from my perspective, it is impossible to even consider any type of business plan that will work on $770,000. I couldn’t charge $20 a ticket and figure out how to pay that,” he said. “What I believe their goal is, is to let it sit on the market for a period of time. When they say ‘Well, we don’t have any serious buyers,’ then they’ll donate it to the city.”  The man went on to say that once given to the city there will be a stipulation that the building cannot be used to show motion pictures.

(Jerseyville, IL USA) One of the last customers stands at the concession counter of the recently shuttered Stadium Theater waiting for popcorn. There is no more candy in the display for sale, only free popcorn and soft drinks provided at what may be the last show ever to take place in the facility.

AMC seems to be closing smaller theaters in order to force people to travel to bigger, more lucrative locations.  This small town loses a profitable business and tax revenue.  Local residents will need to travel further and spend even more money to reach other theater locations as gas prices climb and the recession doesn't seem to want to go away anytime soon.

(Jerseyville, IL USA) The crowd patiently waits for free popcorn and soft drinks before the last show at the Stadium Theater.  People in line reminisced somewhat sadly about past times at the theater, while the younger children expressed delight about being able to being able to get all the free popcorn and drinks they could on this one occasion.

As could be expected, an AMC representative said the company’s asking price for the Stadium Theatre is not an arbitrary number, as some have claimed. (Personally, I think it's calculated to minimize the ability of anyone to utilize the facility for its intended use as a theater and hinder competition.)

“When the sale of a theater or building becomes necessary, AMC works with a local broker to determine an appropriate asking price for the property, which is what we have done in Jerseyville,” he said.

The representative also said he is not aware of any stipulations attached to the sale of the Stadium Theatre at this time. He went on to say that if the price were reduced, stipulations preventing its use as a movie theater would not be added. He did, however, say those stipulations have been added in other instances.

(Jerseyville, IL USA) The Stadium Theater starts to fill with patrons as the theater gets ready to have one last showing.  The movie to be shown was Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life".  The theater was showing the movie on the screen via a DVD rather than film.  The other theater screen immediately behind the projection booth of this space was showing "How to Train Your Dragon". 

At the last showing, there was no noisy 35mm film running through a projector, only an almost silent DVD drive spinning in a computer connected by a cable to a digital projector.  The projection room still contained most of the equipment needed to show a film, but it wasn't used.  The manager explained that the film projection equipment will be obsolete soon as theaters are changing to digital media.

I suppose a Frank Capra movie could be a fitting end to a local landmark if it can't be reopened.  Seems such a shame to close it since it's profitable and especially more so to do it at Christmas.

Merry Christmas AMC.  I hope you get a stocking full of old maids!

Obama In Osawatamie

(Osawatamie, KS USA) US President Barack Obama has just entered the Osawatamie High School gymnasium and is moving toward the podium to speak.  US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is at the far right of the image looking up into the crowd. 

Was off to Kansas to capture a few images of President Obama. I had a photo request that included things like demonstrations. Hey, this was Kansas and even people that would never vote for the man still wanted to see him and not a person was impolite. Being locked in immediately before the event as a member of the assembled media, I didn't get the opportunity to see the one group that did show up to protest. Considering they are the same ones that protest at service members funerals, they didn't need any more coverage than they already get.

(Osawatamie, KS  USA) A scene of the crowd as they listen to US President Barack Obama.

There are a lot of stories in this crowd shot.  No way to know what they are, but it's certainly a diverse group.

(Osawatamie, KS USA)  US President Barack Obama speaks to a gymnasium full of media and the public. 

Everywhere the President goes, a crowd follows.

Basketball - One Point Win & 1000 High School Career Points

(Jerseyville, IL USA) All eyes are on Matthew Murphy as he tips in the ball to score a cumulative 1000 points in his high school basketball career.  Murphy is a senior at Jersey Community High School.  The Jersey Panthers were playing the Waterloo IL Bulldogs when he reached his 1000 points. 

It was an eventful week for basketball at Jersey Community High School.  Senior Matt Murphy topped 1000 points and the girls team won a game by one point.  The girls game was a last fraction of a second win!

(Jerseyville, IL USA) The Jersey Community High School Panthers girls basketball team celebrates immediately after their one point, last second, win against the Indians of Mascoutah IL.  With a fraction of a second to go in the game, a shot was made and as the horn sounded the ball went through the hoop to give Jerseyville a win by one point.

Crown Fountain

(Chicago, IL USA) A face smiles at visitors to Crown Fountain in Millennium Park on a fall day in downtown Chicago.  The changing images on the panel are created by LED lights behind a wall of glass blocks.  During warmer weather the panel sprays water from the ever changing images.  This panel is one of two that face each other and form the fountain.

Millennium Park is a favorite spot for visitors to Chicago.  This image of a Crown Fountain tower panel was shot on a fall day after the water had been shut off for the season.  When the water is flowing you might see a face, which is created by an LED panel behind glass blocks, spurting water from pursed lips.  The fountain is comprised of two panels which face each other, spray water and change the image created by the wall of LED's.

Chicago Street Musicians

(Chicago, IL  USA) Two street musicians at the intersection of State and Monroe in downtown Chicago the Friday after Thanksgiving.  People were rushing everywhere to start their Christmas shopping.

I watched these two musicians from the other side of the intersection for quite a while before I crossed the street and grabbed a few shots of them playing.

Lara Logan - Ernie & Lucha Vogel Moral Courage Speaker

(Elsah IL USA) CBS foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan stands backstage and reviews material for the audience immediately before lecturing as the Ernie and Lucha Vogel Moral Courage Speaker at Principia College.

(Elsah, IL USA) CBS foreign affairs Correspondent Lara Logan onstage during her lecture as part of the Principia College 2011-2012 speaker series.  Logan is the chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News, and a correspondent for CBS's 60 Minutes.

Lara Logan has put herself in dangerous situations many times in order to report issues and events that shape the politics we see unfold in the middle east.  This has come at a very steep price and in February 2011, she was sexually assaulted and beaten by a mob while reporting on the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square.

Logan at one point addressed a question she has been repeatedly asked, "Was it worth it?"  Her answer was that if she had died, no, it wasn't worth it.  But she lived, and yes, she thought that it was probably worth it.  Then again, her husband, he would say that it wasn't worth it.

Personally, the woman I met was extremely pleasant.  She sometimes struggles as all parents do with juggling a career, a home life and children.  I give her credit for standing up and telling exactly what has been happening in places where we many times only see a sanitized view. 

Lara Logan smiling and talking in the "green room" before her lecture at Principia College. 

You can see all of the images by clicking on the link.

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p427496849

Calhoun Girls Volleyball & A New Feature!

New feature, slideshow with music!

The Calhoun High School girls volleyball  team won the regional title and is now off to sectional play.

Leica M8 With Firelight (Beer Drinking, Bonfire and Hayride)

(Brighton, IL USA) Three friends sit on a bale of straw during an annual fall bonfire and hayride. L to R Bill Huebener, Bob Sancamper and Art Tunnicliff.  Leica M8 and Voigtlander 35mm f1.2  1/20 second at f1.4

(Brighton, IL USA) A young boy and his dad sitting near a roaring bonfire at an annual fall party.   Leica M8 and Voigtlander 35mm f1.2.  1/20 second at f1.4

Went to a fall party that included a day of shooting most every type of firearm available to the general public, followed by a bonfire and hayride.  I used my Leica M8 to capture a few images after dark to see how well it worked with firelight.

As expected, because of the extreme IR sensitivity, full color images have a distinct magenta cast.  The black and white images look superb considering the conditions.

Calhoun Girls Volleyball Regional Championship



(Hardin, IL USA) Calhoun High School students cheer their team during the Illinois Class A girls volleyball regional tournament held at Calhoun High School.

The Calhoun High School girls volleyball team is now off to sectional Play after their defeat of Franklin/Waverly.

(Hardin, IL USA) The Calhoun High School girls volleyball team holds up their Class A regional award plaque as fans cheer from the bleachers.

See all the photos from the game by clicking on the link.

Cheerleaders and Football

(Hardin, IL) Cheerleaders for the Calhoun Warrior football team leaping for photos by friends and family before the game with North Greene of White Hall.

Nothing sets the mood for a football game better than leaping cheerleaders.  See more from the game by clicking on the link.

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p302775436

What's Wrong With This Picture?

I was photographing a high school football game and at halftime a group of young girls went on the field to do a routine that they had learned at a cheer leading camp.  Some of the girls looked as young as three or four years of age.  As they did their routine on the field I moved to several different vantage points to see if I could get something interesting that might be usable for the paper or parents.

That's how this story begins.

First let's see how well you can answer the blog title.  What is wrong with this picture?

If you look at this image, you can find all kinds of things wrong.  I'll even point out the two obvious technical ones to get you started.

1) A really slow shutter speed that didn't stop the motion of the young girls dancing on the field.

2) There is significant flare from the lens being pointed directly at a light source at night.

What more do you see that could be wrong or improved upon?  Composition maybe?  Color balance?  You are probably missing something significant, but you wouldn't know that until I finish the rest of the story.

As the girls finished and I was walking off of the field, a woman came up to me and asked if I had any images of a particular little girl.  I told her that I may have some, but that I would have to check as I didn't recall the exact person she was asking about.  I handed her a card and told her she could look online and see for herself.  She then explained why she was asking and that is what is wrong with this image.

One of the girls in this image is in foster care and it was her foster mother that approached me.  She explained that she couldn't let any images get out of the six year old for fear that her parents could track her down.  She went on to explain that the girl had been in 12 different foster care settings in her six years of life.  She also explained that the girls brother had been in 15.

How can any agency that is charged with protecting children allow 12 different foster care placements by the time a child is six years of age? 

That is the not so obvious "What is wrong with this picture?".

Just think that as you look at the image, one of those girls has been taken from her biological parents, placed in 12 different foster care settings and is only six years old.  It begs the question as to why the agency charged with her care hasn't terminated the parental rights long ago and let the child grow and thrive in a stable loving family.

Twelve placements in the lifetime of a six year old and 15 for her not much older brother. 

That is what is wrong with this picture.

Why is it tolerated?

Wreaths on the Missisippi in Honor of Veterans

(Grafton, IL)  A view up the river from the boat that laid memorial wreaths on the water to honor veterans.  The wreath laying was one of the many activities associated with Grafton's 175 year anniversary.

(Grafton, IL)  Grafton celebrated it's 175th anniversary with activities that included a wreath laying ceremony at the confluence of the Missisippi and Illinois rivers.  The wreaths were laid as part of the boat parade.  Wreaths for WW2, Korea, Vietnam and MIA's were placed on the water by veterans.  The WW2/Korea wreath was laid by Herb Jilek, a 91 year old veteran of the Normandy invasion.

(Grafton, IL)  Herbert Jilek, a 91 year old WW2 veteran that participated in the D-Day Normandy invasion is tossing a wreath into the water at the confluence of the Missisippi and Illinois rivers as part of Grafton's aniiversary celebration.  While underway on the boat, the veteran recalled how he believed he was only alive because "good Germans" had decided to surrender rather than continue to fight.  He said that at that time there were so few of his unit left that had the Germans known, their position likely would have been overrun and he would have been killed along with the remainder of his unit.

Friday Night Lights

(Hardin, IL)  Here are some high school Friday night lights from the varsity football game between the Calhoun Warriors and Greenfield Tigers.  Officials stand in line along with spectators and players as the national anthem is played.

It had been raining and the air was cool along the Illinois river which is just across the road from the field.  On a warmer night the mosquitos would have been fierce, but the cooler air kept them away.

Both teams are from rural southern Illinois and this image is typical of what happens on Friday nights across the state.

Volleyball

Nothing like going back to the high school you attended and capturing images of students doing their thing.  This time it was girls volleyball.  The lighting is better in the gym than it used to be so photography is somewhat easier.  I saw my class picture hanging on the wall as I walked in and passed the band room that I spent six school years going to. 

I got really close with a 14mm Nikkor lens as they were warming up and captured this image.

Click on the link below to see all of the Jersey vs Southwestern images:

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p363590142

You know He's Right

Author and commentator George Will shows his iPhone screensaver.  The screensaver is an image of the Barry Goldwater 1964 presidential campaign button which reads, "In Your Heart You Know He's Right".

(Elsah, IL) Pulitzer prize winner George Will spoke at Principia College on the evening of September 9th, 2011.  He made a reference to his screensaver during his lecture and after the event was over I asked him if he minded if I shot him and his phone.  He pulled out his phone and here it is.

See all the images by clicking on the link below:

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p552044502

Football Season 2011

(Hardin, IL) The Calhoun High School Warriors football team listens to the coach immediately after a scrimmage game on 8/19/2010.  Next Friday the team starts regular play.

It's time again for high school football...

Link to images:

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p307028773

The Rural Landscape

(Greene County, IL) An abandoned farmhouse that was once occupied by generations of farmers now sits in disrepair awaiting whatever vandalism comes its way.  Someone has removed the toilet and left it on what was one the front porch as trees start to overtake the structure.  There are no remaining glass panes anywhere to be found and the doors have all been removed or damaged.

If you escape suburbia and drive through the countryside,  you see the hard evidence of what is happening to much of rural America.  Once vibrant small towns are struggling to maintain themselves or have disappeared completely.  In the general vicinity where this image was made there are many named locations on maps that do not have any structures remaining.

Jerseyville Legion Senior League Playoffs

Seems like at playoff time there always has to be some sort of controversy.  In this particular case it was about a bat.  Seems the bat in question was on a recent list list of unapproved types and it was only brought to light after a play had been made.

Game officials checked all the bats of the Eldred Legion team after one of the bats was found on the unapproved list.

And we also have the exciting shots of guys trying to beat the ball.

A Rock Island runner tries to beat the ball that is almost in the glove of a Galesburg player.

Click on the header to go to the galleries or use the link below to see all the photos.

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/f855249845

Dr. Baig

Dr. Mirza Baig displaying one of the thousands of gifts his clients have given him.

I first met Dr. Baig several years ago at a fundraising event for Alton Illinois based Community Counseling Center of Northern Madison County.  Community Counseling recently changed its name to Wellspring Resources and built a new headquarters on the site of their former building.  The doctor and I have a common love of western boots and numerous other things.  He prefers the traditional, more pointed toe on his boots and me.. well,  I prefer the wider roper toe on mine.

Dr. Baig has worked with a lot of extremely sick people and is passionate about his work.  At the recent open house held by Wellspring to show off their new building, the doctor and I were catching up on things and I handed him a card.  My cards are a mini-portfolio of images I have shot with contact information on the back.  He went through them and said he wanted me to shoot his picture.  I said I could do sometime and as soon as the ribbon cutting and other niceties were over I found him in his office. 

I talked with him a bit to try and get a better feel of what would show who he is.  It's easy to get a perfectly exposed image, but it's harder to get something that shows who the person is.  Even harder when you can't really photograph the person with the people he works with. He said something that got me digging a bit more and this image is what we ended up with.

The penny has nothing to do with compensation or money.  It's just one of the thousands of gifts that his patients have given him through the years.  He has kept every present and knows the story behind each one of them.

If you ever get the chance to meet Dr. Baig, ask him about his patients and how they show their gratitude.  It's really a very touching story.

Last of the 2011 Jersey County Fair Photos

Fair ended with a demolition derby.  Several good derby images and this one of the fair at night after the derby.  The economy has seemed to hit the fair this year and there were, according to vendors, less receipts.  As you can see in this photo there were certainly less people on the rides after the derby.  Even the grandstand and infield were less crowded than in recent years.

You can see all the fair photos by clicking on the link: http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p986465352

Todays Digital Images

The photo above is from a collection of around 100,000 negatives rescued from an auction house after the contents of a storage locker was sold for non-payment of storage fees.  The woman who created the images had died and no one knew they existed until the contents of the locker was sold.

It begs the question, what will happen to the vast amount of digital images produced today if there is no physical representation of the image?  Are Flicker, Facebook and Photobucket the new storage lockers that we can look to to find amazing material 60 years from now?  Will the hard drives of our loved ones be preserved for posterity?  How many of us have thrown away old digital storage media because we either didn't think it was important and didn't want to take the time find out or just didn't have a way to read the "obsolete" format it was on?

Sometimes the only way of looking to the past is the physical paper record.  Bound original copies of newspapers exist in many libraries or they may have microfilm copies.  The original images are long gone that are contained in the publication.  There are exceptions, but I think it's important to understand that if we really care about preserving the digital images we produce today, something needs to be done to preserve them other than having them on a hard drive.

Click on the link below to be taken to the web site about the images:

http://www.vivianmaier.com/

Sights from the Jersey County fair

What's not to love about county fairs?

You could watch the motocross riders,

and then be off to your favorite carnival ride after the show!

The Jersey County Fair is held every summer at the American Legion Park in Jerseyville IL.  These are a few images of what was there to entertain the crowd.  More images as the fair continues through Sunday.  If you want to see more, click on the link.

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p986465352

Something that won a prize

14mm f2.8 ED AF Nikkor handheld at 1/60 second, f8, 800 ISO

Now for something other than sports.

The black and white image above is of one of the upper classrooms of the historic Hamilton School in Otterville IL.  This school has been recognized as the first free school in Illinois and the first integrated school in the United States.  The building was in use until the early 1970's by the Jersey Community District 100 school system.  The site is now maintained by volunteers and contains items that were in use at the school when it was in operation, some items date back to the 1800's.  As the volunteers raise funds they repair and maintain the building.

This room is actually one half of the larger room that was turned into two classrooms at some point in the past.  The original large room was to be a place for the community to gather for worship services.  There are plans to remove the dividing wall to restore the room to the original size. 

This image won the Grand Champion award at the 2011 Jersey County Fair.

Knowing something has gone wrong...

The photos above and below don't really need captions if you understand baseball.  For those of you that are wondering,  the guy at 3rd is safe and the 3rd baseman is watching the ball skip away that he just missed.  The one below is of the batter just a millisecond before he is struck in the middle of his back with a baseball he knows he can't dodge.

See all the images from the American Legion Senior League playoff game from Tuesday (July 13, 2011) night held in Hardin IL.  The Calhoun Legion squared off against the Eldred (Carrollton) team and held a large lead midway through but ended up losing the game.

Championship game is Saturday.  Jerseyville vs. Eldred.

It's all fun and games until...

You are practicing new takedown moves during summer wrestling camp and you are the one being taken down! 

The Takedown

The Jersey Community Unit 100 wrestling team coach had a summer camp for wrestlers of all ages and it was the first experience for some to wrestle.  I forgot to ask the boy in the yellow shirt if it was his first experience on the mat.

Warm Up

The one on the left is flying through warm ups.

Sometimes Black & White Images Are Just... Better!

Years ago when all you had was Tri-X or Recording Film (Yes,other film manufacturers other than Kodak made similar products.) and various different film developers to try and gain every last bit of light sensitivity the film could give you, I remember wishing I could do color images at the same film sensitivity levels.  Back then it just wasn't possible to do at the venues I was trying to photograph at.  I'd say that if I had to rely on film I'd still be pretty much B&W for most indoor and night events as the lighting hasn't improved much over the years.

Now I have available digital image sensors that can capture a really great looking color image at ISO ratings in excess of 10,000.  If you can barely see it, you can capture an image.  So, where does that bring us? 

The black and white image that didn't need color.

I have been looking at this one exposure and I kept tweaking it here and there and it finally hit me.  This one is just better in B&W.  It has a face with a great set of eyes, bodies banging against each other lots of people in a very small space.  I knew something was missing.  Actually it had something it didn't need, color.

So, here is the result and I like it much better than the color version.  More gritty and raw.  Taken during the middle of the day when I could have shot color years ago too!  Funny about how you wish for things and then end up where you started.

...and she thinks it's over



An unidentified, recently graduated high school student moves against a sea of people into the great unknown.


I suppose here in the US most high school graduation ceremonies are completed and it will be off to college or work for those that graduated.  As everyone was leaving this particular ceremony, I caught out of the corner of my eye this message on a cap and turned quickly to grab a shot of her signage.  She immediately disappeared into the crowd after I got a few images of her from behind.

It made me laugh to think she actually might believe what she put on her cap.

Jerseyville Hospital ER Groundbreaking

Jersey Community Hospital, located in Jerseyville IL, is the second largest employer in the county.  Today they broke ground to expand their emergency room facilities.  Many times these small town ER's mean the difference between the life and death of trauma patients. 

Click on the link to see all the photo's: http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p834341249

Eldred/Carrollton vs Jerseyville American Legion Baseball

Jerseyville took on the Eldred (read Carrollton Illinois Class A Baseball champions) American Legion baseball team last night.  The doubleheader had Jerseyville winning the first with Eldred the second.

Been working on some wrestling images that will be up in a few days.  So stay tuned.

If you need a photographer, contact me for availability.

We Won!

Illinois Class A High School baseball champions, the Carrollton Hawks, come running out of the dugout before the final play of the game is completed.  If you look closely you can still see the first baseman stretched out and the runner still in motion.

Carrollton High School won the 2011 Illinois Class A Baseball Championship that was held recently in Peoria.  It was 95 degrees in the midday sun and the players took turns going into the hallway leading to the dugout as the cool air leaked out from from the locker room.

I liked the photo so much that I'm using it on my Twitter page (@mweaverpics) as well as this one.

If you would like to see the photo gallery of the championship game, click on the link below.

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p832045015

To see images of the team from the sectional through championship games, click on the link below.

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/f375380461

West Central Illinois All-Star Football Game



Members of the North All-Star Team sit on the bench and comtemplate the game.


Well.. here we go.  Another way to show off photography and find people who want it.  The image above is from the West Central Illinois All-Star Football game of June 18, 2011.  The game was held at Illinois College in Jacksonville IL.  It had rained in excess of 10 inches in the 24 hours proceeding the game.  There were almost 100 players from 36 high schools competing on the "North" and "South" teams.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, I don't think I need to tell how how the game turned out.

You can see all of the other photographs from the game by clicking on the link.

http://michaelweaver.zenfolio.com/p139463538