Josh Weiss/Josh D. Weiss Photography

Creative (Sugar)loafing

Josh D. Weiss — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:40:49 +0000

Sugarloaf Highway in Gwinnett is being extended on the east end by about six miles. The section past Grayson Highway will be limited access. Construction has been going on for awhile so we were doing an update story. Shot these last month but the story just ran today.

Near the start of the extension just past Grayson Highway.

Constructing one of the two bridges.

Rock crushing machine.

Marin Morrison’s Funeral

Josh D. Weiss — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:32:22 +0000

Let me start this post first by saying that I don’t believe any photojournalist enjoys covering a funeral. That said, its part of the job and from time to time we have to do it.

The interesting thing about this funeral, was that it was being webcast from Washington state. Marin had grown up in the area so the church and family worked together to show the funeral on a large screen in the chapel. The service may not have been right in front of me, but the emotion was.

Kristie Layne holds back a tear during the webcast of Marin Morrison’s funeral at the Ivy Creek Presbyterian Church in Lawrenceville Wednesday.

Peg Alton, left, claps for the deceased Marin Morrison at the request of Morrison’s parents as Sandra Evans, right, watches the Webcast of Morrison’s funeral at Ivy Creek Presbyterian Church in Lawrenceville on Wednesday.

Carrie Rajek, middle, kylie Lowry, black jacket, and Melissa Rutledge, left, look at photos of Marin.

A large screen was used to show the webcast of Marin’s funeral in Washington state.

The top of the Ivy Place Presbyterian Church the night of Marin’s funeral.

Programs for Marin Morrison’s funeral.

Mary Kate Young, left, and Kevin Dascall, right, hug before the start of the webcast of Marin Morrison’s funeral.

Kylie Lowry holds a swim cap distributed to all attendees in honor of Marin who was an avid competitive swimmer.

Jeffrey Murray signs the guestbook.

The guestbook.

Hannah drum wipes a tear from her eye during the webcast.

A wreath on the wall of the Ivy Place Presbyterian Church.

Goggles and a swimcap in honor of Marin.

Randy Alton watches the webcast of Marin Morrison’s funeral Wednesday.

Monster House

Josh D. Weiss — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:59:16 +0000

Last week I shot a story about this house that had been foreclosed on and then caught fire. This all happened early last year so the house has been sitting all messed up for months and no one has done anything about it.

I got lucky because while I was taking photos, these neighbors had just arrived back from a trip and were walking around their driveway as they brought stuff into the house. I really only wanted a shot of them in the foreground carrying stuff while the nasty house was in the background, but then the guy stopped and turned and just started looking at the house. Didn’t really say anything, so you could tell he was frustrated about having to live across the street from it.

Andrew Parr looks across the street from the driveway of his Dacula home at a foreclosed home that was damaged by fire. The home has been sitting untouched since the fire, which occurred July 5, 2008.

Feed Me!

2711 Winky Bluff, Dacula, Ga.

Too close for comfort

Josh D. Weiss — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:12:46 +0000

Covered a basketball game tonight for the paper between Meadowcreek and Brookwood. Despite a fairly terrible football program, apparently Meadowcreek’s basketball team is pretty good. They won, but it was a really close game.

See, even during fierce competition there is time to come together and love one another. Ok, is it just me or does it look like they are about to kiss?

Someone didn’t coop(erate)

Josh D. Weiss — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Sunday night someone threw a large rock through the front door of the Lilburn Coop and stole $200 from the cash register. The employees said it was ironic, because if the person who did it had come and said he needed help they probably would have just given it to them, and they’d still have their front door.

I got there just before the glass guy got there so I got lucky and was able to actually show him putting in new glass. You’d be how surprised how difficult it is to show missing glass in a photo after the shards have already been cleaned up.

Don Forrester, a volunteer, watches as Mark Dunn of Binswinger Glass replaces the glass in the front door of the Lilburn Co-op after it was shattered by a rock during a burglary Sunday night. The thief took $200 from the register of the co-op.

Marianne Sievering, a part-time employee of the Lilburn Co-op, holds up part of the rock that was used to smash the glass of the front door of the co-op Sunday night.

A day at the ranch

Josh D. Weiss — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:46:18 +0000

I had an assignment at The Yellow River Game Ranch today in Lilburn. As I was walking around the premises getting my shots I kind of shot other things I saw too for myself since I haven’t been to the place since I was in elementary school.

A (Lindsey) Peacock hangs out at the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn, Ga.

Feel the Heat

Josh D. Weiss — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:02:06 +0000

Early last month I shot the first practice for a new youth wheelchair basketball team in Gwinnett called The Gwinnett Heat. The story finally ran today so here are the photos from the shoot that I liked.

Martinez Johnson practices sprinting across court with his wheelchair during the first practice of the Gwinnett Heat.

Awkward positions

Josh D. Weiss — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:36:11 +0000

Shot the Gwinnett County Wrestling Championships today at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Ga. I’ve never shot wrestling before, or been to a meet before, so it was an interesting experience.

I think I did decently, hopefully I’ll do better next time though.

Matt Johnson (Parkview) dec. Corban Nilson (Brookwood) 3-2

140: Zach George (Grayson) dec. Josiah Connell (Collins Hill) 4-0

135: Billy Anderton (Buford) dec. Alex Hillis (Parkview) 10-3

130: Joe Epps (Brookwood) fall Travis Elrod (GAC) 3:58

125: Devante Brown (Central Gwinnett) fall Clint Jones (Parkview) 4:42

160: Alan Gigolaev (Peachtree Ridge) fall Kyle Smith (Brookwood) 5:23

140: Zach George (Grayson) dec. Josiah Connell (Collins Hill) 4-0

119: Noah Hunt (Dacula) dec. Nick Isburgh (Grayson) 7-5

Looking Ford

Josh D. Weiss — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:56:54 +0000

Today I shot this Ford dealership that was closing its doors. Most of the cars had already been taken off the lot and sent elsewhere so I was lucky to find both of the owners still on the property.

Denny Arrington, left, looks around the empty showroom at Arrington & Blount Ford on Ga. Highway 316 at Collins Hill Road. Arrington and his partner, Wendell Blount, decided they wanted to retire.

One of the few remaining cars in the Arrington & Blount Ford dealership parking lot on Ga. 316 at Collins Hill Road will soon be moved to one of three nearby Ford dealers.

2008 Chick-Fil-A Bowl

Josh D. Weiss — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:44:04 +0000

Last night, besides being New Years Eve, was the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (formerly The Peach Bowl) at the Georgia Dome. The LSU Tigers took on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

I think the expectation going into the game was that Tech’s triple-option offense would tear apart the LSU defense which had been nothing short of terrible for a good part of the season. However, it didn’t exactly play out that way.

LSU scored on its first drive, Tech struck back with a field-goal, then the second quarter happened. LSU outscored Tech 28-0 and the game was pretty much over.

The Dome has pretty bad lighting so its always a challenge to get the proper exposure that can stop action, but what made it even worse last night were these barriers used for advertising that were placed in front of the photo lines. We were forced an extra yard back on the sidelines as a result, which were pretty crowded.

Fortunately, during the second quarter I was able to stick around this one corner of the field where there weren’t barriers due to LSU’s utter dominance during the quarter. Overall, I think I shot pretty well though.

LSU’s Richard Dickson (18) celebrates with a teammate after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter of Wednesday’s Chick-Fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

LSU’s Keiland Williams (5) runs the ball past Georgia Tech’s Morgan Burnett (1).

LSU quarterback jordan Jefferson (9) goes flying after being knocked out of bounds by Georgia Tech’s Rashaad Reid (28).

LSU’s Charles Scott (32) jumps into the arms of Lyle Hitt (65) after scoring a touchdown against Georgia Tech during the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

LSU’s Richard Dickson (18) makes his way into the Georgia Tech end zone for a touchdown as Tech’s Rashaad Reid (28) tries to pull him back.

LSU’s Matt Branch (82), Tyler Edwards (46) and Charles Scott (32) wait around before the start of the Chick-Fil-A bowl.

Georgia Tech players huddle up in the tunnel before entering the field prior to Wednesday’s Chick-Fil-A bowl.

The Ramblin’ Wreck leads the Georgia Tech team out onto the field before the start of the game.

LSU’s R.J. Jackson (28) flips over after making a catch.

LSU’s Brandon LaFell (1) goes airborn after catching a pass as Georgia Tech’s Dominique Reese (26) and Rashad Reid (28) defend.

Georgia Tech’s Andrew Smith (83) watches the ball after he fumbled a punt return.

LSU’s Alex Russian (85) signals LSU ball as ref’s sort out a pile formed ontop of the fumbled ball.

Georgia Tech’s Josh Nesbitt (9) jumps while running.

LSU’s Terrance Toliver (80) gets tackled from behind by the Georgia Tech defense.

LSU’s Chad Jones (3), Tyson Jackson (93) and Quinn Johnson (45) celebrate after another second quarter touchdown.

LSU’s Charles Scott (32) gets wrapped up from behind by Georgia Tech’s Rashaad Reid (28).

Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson paces the sideline after his team gave up a touchdown on the opening drive.

Maybe giving fans cows with parachutes wasn’t such a great idea.

Georgia Tech’s Derrick Morgan (91) and Michael Johnson (93) celebrate during the first quarter of the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. There wasn’t much to celebrate after the first quarter.