Memorial Day 2007

I was asked to speak at the Pentwater Michigan Memorial Day Celebration in 2007.
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The battles of

Gettys burg        Vicksburg            Antietam                            

Antwerp             Pearl Harbor       the Bulge             

Pusan                 Inchon                  Saigon  

Grenada             Panama                Somalia

Operation Enduring Freedom     Operation Iraqi Freedom  
           
Officially proclaimed Memorial Day, on 5 May 1868 by General John A. Logan, today is a sad day, as we honor the fallen.

My name is John Sturr, #5 son, to Thomas and Dolores and although my recent combat tour in Iraq is interesting and compelling today's memorial is about those which have given their lives in service to this great country.

I represent the Gulf War Veterans, as asked by the VFW Eldon L Chadwick Post, and I am humbled  by the personal historical accounts past and present of today Veterans.   Today I ask you to take a moment to visualize the scope of service these men and women provided.  They were Cold, hungry, thirsty, with heavy gear, walking, hot, away from home, with no days off, with the constant reminder that life is precious and gone in an instant…

They assaulted the beaches of Normandy –
scaling the cliffs of point-Du-Hoc – They froze in the German cold - negotiated the jungles and waded rice paddies of Vietnam - were on ships protecting our seas - They fought through the hot mountainess islands of the pacific.

Men and women of all services in distant lands, both known and un-known, are carrying on the same service, facing the same fears, and remembering the dead – of which we are doing today.

Words cannot offer condolence to the Mother, Father, Son or Daughter of the lost Airman – Sailor – Soldier – or Marine – and I wish I could specifically memorialize all actions and all warriors, but I can't, yet in honor of all of the fallen I offer the names of the warriors I hold close :

SSG Thomas Vitagliano KIA Iraq,
Sgt. Jay Blessing KIA Afghanistan,  
SSG. Robert Hernandez KIA Iraq.

The sacrifices made by the men and  women we honor here today – has shaped the freedoms of which we take for granted of tomorrow.  

Buss to the Left

The combination of the buss' colored panels, the light -- and the contrast of the 85m f1.4 D really makes this stand out - and combined with www.lifeindigitalfilm.com 's preset "Fuij Velvia Curve" -- the colors pop even more.

I just can't say enough about how I love those presets.

Captured with Nikon D3s, 85mm f1.4 D lens, and processed in Adobe LightRoom using www.lifeindigitalfilm.com and www.X-Equals preset "Fuij Velvia Curve"

Frustrated

I've been frustrated lately -- as I haven't taken much time to photograph... photograph anything.  Last night I decided to walk around the block and see what I could find.  I mssed the "golden hour" being distracted by a Netflix movie, so timing put me at about 9 PM.  This D3s was hardly challenged though, as the exposures make it appear to be much earlier.

For the first time in a while I've been experiementing with panning and longer shutter speeds.

Captured with Nikon D3s, 85mm f1.4 D lens, and processed in Adobe LightRoom using www.lifeindigitalfilm.com and www.X-Equals preset "Polaroid 669 Warm Curve"

Sean Stiegemeier

Shot by Sean Stiegemeier on a Canon 5d MKII and a time lapse dolly.

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

RoundUP

A little RoundUp, won't hurt anything ?!?

Orchids in Front

The NY Times posted a request for a photo taken exactly at 9am and then submitted to their site.  This was all I came up with.

Shrimp more then three

The in-law's were up down from Idaho -- and while celebrating M's birthday we ate like it was the Last Supper in-between. . . Tonight was the Pinnacle.

The band plays on

Last Saturday I was asked by Brandon Hansen to photograph his band which played at a local venue here in Salt Lake; Bert's Tiki Lounge.  The photos turned out well --

Life is good

This is the weekend after Easter in Twin -- no complaints.

Soccer

This last weekend I had the chance to photograph my Niece's Soccer game -- hit the photo for a  link to the gallery.

Easter - 2010

Here are some pics from this last weekend's Easter celebration with the in-law's in Idaho.
Good times -- with good people.

March 28 - 2006

I'm in truck 1 today as a scout - we prepped for our Habinaya mission at 0800 and proceeded to leave the IZ -- when our truck get's t-boned by a civilian force protection team in a traffic circle in the IZ. 

Just bangs and bruises -- the truck is totalled.

The frame was bent so much the driver side passenger door flew open and ejected SSG Cameron.  I was on the passenger side back seat and took the brunt of the impact.  All are fine, just banged up.

We switched trucks --- and proceeded on with the mission to escort 1star Bolger - a 6'4" thin faced 60'ish cold hearted bastard.

After leaving the Fallugia area on approach to Habinaya -- about 1hr20min trip -- truck 3 takes an IED blast.. all is well.. no injuries and we drive on and deliver Gen. Bolger.

We travel to return at 1430ish from Habinaya... in the same area -- the same area... truck two takes a blast full force on the drivers side.  Rear drivers side door blown off, rear passenger ejected, bolth legs in shreds below the knee.  We used a poncho to carry him from his impact site about 40 yards off the road to the road. Turniquets on both legs below the knee. 

The medic was God today -- Medivac unavailable -- no air at Fallugia -- no stable comms from our position -- Blue Force Tracker in use but not much help --- no cell reception. 

Gunner may lose a leg -- driver takes shrap to back and should make a full recovery - TC has hole in cheek and may have piecies loged in skull somewhere.

One gun truck and Gen.Bolgers truck make trip back to Habinaya on their own for QRF and Ambulance!!  Site is secured at 1615 -- wrecker arrives to recover humvee and we move out at 1700 - and arrive at IZ at 1830.

Ejected SSG Hernandez dies enroute.

SSG Hallberg (gunner) may loose a leg and is enroute to Germany

SGT Wilkerson TC - is critical to some extent as they access -- don't know where he is at (hospital)

SSG Bell (driver) shrapmetal to back - should make full recover - don't know where he is at (hospital)

We don't mark our contacts on blue force because we don't run secure -- that's why you don't see any of our stuff reported.

Jesus -- man.....

Everyone is in shock - after all of these months we are at war in an instant.

Everytime we travel to Habanaiya we get hit -- all because a 1 star doesnt' like to fly... hopefully that will change.. 

Zack Arias

Arias was the featured speaker at Photocamp Utah 2010. 

It is a photographic event hosted by an all volunteer crew, created from a vision of a few, intended to
serve many.  This last Saturday Jermy Hall and volunteers set out to host the second Photocamp Utah and it was a hugh success.  The tickets to this even sold out in about 6 hours from what I understand.

Miles Daisher

Last year, upon visiting the in-laws in Twin-Falls Idaho, I love Idaho, I photographed a gentleman
jumping off the Perrine bridge.  It's legal to jump off bridges in Idaho -- another reason to love Idaho.
And Idahoians love their guns also -- but I digress... so -- while I was in Las Vegas, watching NBC's
Today show last week -- I saw this story of a guy from Idaho, parachuting in a boat -- go figure.  Long story short -- it's the same guy.  See the video below.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

On the strip of Las Vegas CityCenter is complete and I couldn't resist making this picture, of of my wife and her mother, in front of one of the massive 80 foot long 60 foot high white walls. 

Shot in color with the Canon SD780is and then convered to B/W using a LR preset from www.lifeindigitalfilm.com

Pete Stott @Stott and Scott Jarvie @Jarvie

I found Vegas a distracting place to make plans -- yet alone find a familiar face.  From class to class - or
running back to the show floor I would catch a glimpse of @Stott and @Jarvie.  Finally we sat down with the Smugmug owners to discuss our reactions to the constantly improving Smugmug services - that organization is great.  Thanks to @Jarvie for the invite.

Jerry Ghionis

Being associated with www.Pictage.com, and having Full Access status, had its perks.  I was able to sit in on numerious presentations from seasoned wedding photographers - one being - Jerry Ghionis.  Here he gestures some of his techniques.

HOMBRE

Past the fence of the office parking area, staring right back -- is Hombre !!!

Ronald McDonald House

A few collegues cornered me at the office and asked me to volunteer my photographic services to document the finished remodel of their efforts at the Salt Lake City Ronald McDonald House. 

This remodel was of only volunteer effort, supplies, and resources, and I was more then happy to be a part of the great things this organization adds to the community and families alike.

Pictagerazzi

On a whim -- I signed up to be considered for what Pictage is calling their "Pictagerazzi" for
the WPPI convention in Las Vegas next week.  Well -- as luck will have it -- I was chosen to be one
of 30 other photographers to photograph the event -- more can be seen at the link.  This should
be really cool.

http://pro.pictage.com/wppi/