merry xmas y'all

With our bellies bloated from brunch, we all decided to hit the local sledding spot to take a spin on some old, plastic toboggans (and even some inflatable tubes that popped but Todd still found their deflated carcasses useful for sledding) There really is no good way to explain this video except that my little nephew, Charlie, is one tough-@$$ kid.



Merry Christmas from Emily Nelson on Vimeo.

makes me crazy

I've got an informal list of things that make me crazy and this is on it. The holiday season is commercial insanity and we all see the same ads over and over and over again - this one stands out. And what's incredibly baffling is that it's been airing since what, 1992? Really? I'm assuming White Diamonds shoppers know exactly which aisle in the grocery store they can purchase this magical scent. This commercial kinda destroys whatever pleasant memories I hold for Elizabeth Taylor. I'll share it with you. And to my girls in NYC...yeah I know.

off to Brooklyn!

I'm off to Brooklyn to visit my most amazing crew of friends from college. Somehow it all worked out that the dozen or so of them all ended up living the life in the city. I was stubborn and decided to stick to my rural, mountain-loving roots. They're all scattered throughout the city...but we reunite every year at this time to celebrate our birthdays because as crazy as it is, a bunch of us are December babies so it's time to clink our glasses and celebrate. I just hope I can keep up with all the plans and excitement, this little country girl doesn't get a taste of the city too much anymore. I'm gonna be up WAY past my bedtime...but I'll leave you guys with a few photos they sent my way. Would I be friends with anyone else? :)

all red in the face

I was honored again with a 2nd place win in the latest National Press Photographers Association Multimedia Contest for my OxyContin series that published in October. I am thrilled! The newspaper industry is a very uncertain place right now as lay-offs have been striking newsrooms around the country (including the Burlington Free Press) and the mood within our own newsroom was pretty bleak this week as several of our co-workers received their pink slips on Wednesday. I'm still very passionate about the news industry and am ever curious to see which direction we're headed, so keeping ahead of the curve by embracing the new wave of web-based publishing and multimedia has been very important to me. To be recognized for this work is simply awesome! I've received some great reactions to the project from community members, colleagues, local law enforcement, teachers, principals and families that are struggling with drug addiction in their families and I'm really proud of the discussion it has spawned around Vermont. But now, to have my piece welcomed into a national press forum is fantastic!

pinkpinkpink

I got myself into a whole mess of pink dresses the other day when I stopped by the Miss Vermont/Miss Teen Vermont USA Pageant at the Sheraton. I really had no interest in the actual pageant, but I really wanted to see what was going on behind the scenes and the girls were kind enough to oblige. When I walked in the room I was immediately greeted by shrill screams of excitement...and no, those screams weren't for me, they were for each other since the energy level was something unparalleled. Was I like this in high school? Was I this hyper, excited, elated and giddy? Everything seemed to be a brand-new experience. I immediately wanted to judge this age-old pastime for its "shallow values" but these girls were having a blast! I might think the girls' most favorite part of the pageant was behind-the-scenes where they could let loose, be silly and play with all their make-up, beauty tools, hairspray and of course, strut in front of the floor length mirrors that decorated the walls of their prep room.

Unfortunately, this photo never ran in the paper. But, that's what I have this blog for, to share it anyway! I thought this one captured the pink chaos I was experiencing. How many layers of eye shadow must one apply before you are really, really ready? How much hairspray to get those curls to bounce just so? How much tape is needed to wrap those little piggies until they're runway ready? The answer: it's never enough until the Queen Bee is crowned.

Enjoy!

O Christmas Tree!

My work day is never dull. I often tell people that if they need to work by a strict schedule, have a clue what's coming around the bend, or refuse to work a 9+ hour work day then they should not become a photojournalist. I started my shift at a Winooski trailer park yesterday covering a story about heating assistance programs, but I was quickly pulled off that story and raced to Jericho to meet up with these guys (pictured) to collect donated Christmas trees from tree farms all across Vermont to send to the troops serving overseas - an awesome way to spread some holiday cheer. It was time for a road trip of the best kind. As these guys hauled sappy pines, balsams and firs to their truck I was busy snapping away and collecting audio for the slideshow I'd pull from this. Yesterday was gorgeous, a perfect day for a road trip through the Vermont landscape. We started in Jericho, headed to Morrisville, Cabot and then finally Walden. Stopping off for grinders at a gas station along the way we talked gas prices and Christmas shopping scams. I learned a lot about hunting and of course, a lot about trees and the tree farming business. Being able to sit shotgun with these guys for an entire day of xmas tree collecting was pretty cool and I like the photos I grabbed along the way. Each tree farmer we met was different from the last, but they did all share that great, quaint, kinda-shy farmer vibe that I love.

Check out the audio slideshow I produced for today's paper...and as always...enjoy!

Trees for Troops!

sweetpups

A new dog kennel facility opened in Burlington last week and I had to shoot it - big deal, right? The assignment might not be that exciting but I got to play with the cutest puppies, including this Boxer named Roscoe. I was in a desperate search all day to find a suitable standalone image for A1 and I was striking out left and right....until I met this guy. This is the last shot I took on my way out the door and when I looked back to say byebye there he was peeking over the wall at me. Always find pictures when you least suspect it!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Ok, I'm a couple days late but we've been busy. Seems our family is growing by the second and we shared Thanksgiving dinner with as many as them as we could, before reaching complete tryptophan-induced exhaustion yesterday.

Here's a photo I took when I stopped by the Chittenden County Emergency Food Shelf last week to donate my turkey. Looks like hundreds of other people had the same idea which is a beautiful thing. Hope your day was great and your bellies full!

Zutano: A Palace for Babies.

I love this picture. I could not have planned this or even thought of it. I guess that's what happens when you spend the majority of your day with babies. Michael Belenky (pictured) is the owner/President of Zutano baby clothing company. Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of making the trip to Cabot, VT to see the Zutano company headquarters. I'll admit, this whole baby world was completely unknown to me before the arrival of my niece, Lauren, so I'm still learning the ins and outs of babydom, but what I do know is that babies are big business bucks. I find myself falling prey to the cute, miniature versions of, well, everything. What kills me is how quickly these little guys grow out of this expensive clothing, but I tell myself: hand-me-downs! I really need to put a picture of little Lauren up on this blog soon. It's her fault. Her little face destroyed me, what with those fatty cheeks. I apologize to you, Dani, because it's "Cheeky's" influence that caused me to shelve the book you gifted several years ago, "I Hate Other People's Kids."

I'm one of them now. A baby adorer.

So you can imagine how much fun this particular assignment was. While reporter Dan McLean interviewed the business owners and a selection of employees, I was free to browse the designs, the in-house photo studio, and of course, all of the babies. We were working on this story because Zutano allows its employees to bring their babies to work WITH them up until the child's first birthday. How amazing. Five women use this program and bring their little ones to work each and every day. What was more amazing was how quiet and peaceful the office was. We all found ourselves addressing each other calmly, using our "inside voices" and even the movement about the place was relaxed. No one was in a rush and there were certainly no loud shouts barking orders. I could get used to this....

Then it was diaper changing time.

Thank god for small reality checks...

YAY Burlington!

The CDC just ranked Burlington, VT the HEALTHIEST city in the US! I've always had a lot of pride for my hometown, so this post is a celebration of that. Clearly the study was conducted before last night's chocolate binge, but here are some photos to show that Tom and I are trying, trying to be those healthy Vermonters we all love.

:) Now get outside!

oh bear.

I should've added this to the previous blog about Bear's amazing level of laziness so here's another photo of my lounging canine. Yes, he is using my pillow to rest his head. He has a very clear understanding of what pillows are used for and feels that he shouldn't be left out. Again, no job prospects in his future. I told him the Sunoco is hiring down the street but he wasn't impressed.

koji.

No story, just cute. This is Koji. He is our neighbor's cat who frequents our front porch, the roofs of our cars and a new perch: strollers. Koji's family recently had their first baby and I think he feels a bit left out. I guess he knows he can't be avoided if he mans the stroller.

Oh, and here's a picture I dug up from this summer. Bear and Koji...always a playful battle.

flipping hilarious. by lauren.

This is Lauren. I work with her. She's looks like a mess in this picture and she's the most fun person to work with. You may or may not have read my take on election night in the post below (mom), but if you did then you'll appreciate Lauren's take on election night 2008 at the Free Press newsroom. I was out of the newsroom all night shooting at the dems party so I appreciate Lauren's "tour." Clearly the night tooks its toll...



Read Lauren's blog post.



Thanks for being awesome, Lauren.

election night insanity.

Words really cannot begin to explain what happened last night, but I'll try. I'll admit, I'm not one for politics, pundits and political parties, but this was quite possibly the greatest, most important election in our history and there was no way in hell I was going to miss it. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the Democratic headquarters in Burlington for their election night party. The night was abuzz with excitement and anticipation as state by state results flashed onto the jumbo screen in the Hilton Ballroom downtown.

I was feverishly shooting and running back to the Free Press table to edit and upload photos to the web as we focused our efforts on live blogging, live chat, live feed video and live photo galleries. Reporter Adam Silverman kept the public abreast of the goings-ons of the Dems party even filling them in on the flavor of the evening by capturing snippets of the DJ music choices. Reporter Mark Gould manned the live video feed and even transformed his coverage into a sort of TV news feed - snagging people from the election party floor for impromptu interviews. Technical difficulties aside, the night flew by perfectly. I've included some photos from the election party below. We all know how emotionally charged this election was. When the final countdown began for the west coast poll closings and the results finally arrived the room was screaming, jumping, hugging and crying. I shot in all directions, dodging elbows and a massive swell that was forming in front of the jumbo screeen. I had goosebumps and was shaking and the room was 80 degrees. Congrats Obama. Well played.

And then it was a race to get up to UVM campus as the newsroom heard screams and chants running down Main Street and knew something big was about to happen. Mark and I loaded up our gear and hit the road to find 3,000 students (in UVM fashion) drumming, dancing and singing with great excitement. They were fine on their own, but once we rolled in with our cameras and lights the energy level exploded. At one point I think I lost contact with the ground as we worked our way into the center of the crowd and, well, just went with it. Holding my cameras high above me I kept shooting "hail-marys" hoping I was capturing the action. I forgot to include those photos so I'll run some later on. It was great being in a place where celebrations are happy. Last night's community celebration reminded me of the 2004 World Series play-offs in Boston, but that night ended much differently. Crowds swelled and began torching cars, tearing down street signs, fighting, smashing windows and a full riot squad had to intervene leaving many injured and one dead. Not here in Vermont, we've got great people here.

Check out my boss, Ryan Mercer's audio slideshow of UVM students taking to the streets. I was still at election HQ so luckily he was able to shoot this awesome material. Raw excitement.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/110408rally/index.html

GALLERY: Election party headquarters: Click here!

GALLERY: Obama makes history

VT Secretary of State Deb Markowitz cheers!

Gubernatorial candidate Gaye Symington delivers her concession speech as Gov. Jim Douglas is re-elected.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a fellow shutterbug, collects some photos of party-goers at the Hilton.

Rep. Peter Welch delivers a speech to the excited crowd gathered at the Democratic Election party.

VT Attorney General Bill Sorrell gives a thumbs up to Obama as news of Pennsylvania's results arrive.

bear: the laziest, most spoiled dog alive

This is Bear. I thought I'd share some photos that have been building up on my computer. See, Tom and I are used to this. Every day when we get home from work Bear is there, excited, waiting, jumping and yelling at us to sit down, relax and cuddle. This dog is incapable of sitting on the floor by himself, he has to be snuggled under your arm, on your pillow, under the blankets or even, on top of you (pictured below). Tom and I have learned how to share over the years, but Bear has taken that to a whole new level. Every night I fall asleep with this drooly snout snoring, groaning and staring back at me. Oh, and as I write this I spy Bear curled up on Tom's side of the bed with his head on the pillow. What a life. Thanks Bear. Go get a job.

I'm fast asleep on the couch, a nightly routine, and Bear doesn't waste an ounce of space.

Passed out with his favorite squishy toy, Bear takes a snooze in his cutest pose.

Thanks for sharing Bear.

Worthless.