MIKE CRUPI documentary photo blog

Church Rocks

mike — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:31:28 +0000

Some Rochester-area Catholic rock bands gathered Aug. 27 for a concert at St. Pius Tenth Church. These are a few still photos I took utilizing the stage lights. You can check out the video I put together here. photos & video copyright Catholic Courier

A bass player warms up.

Rock of Faith, a band from Hilton's St. Leo Parish, performs.

The Eastern Shore

mike — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:44:25 +0000

A few scenics from a recent trip to St. Michael’s, Maryland.

Sunrise on the dock.

Catching a blue crab in the pot.

Puerto Rican pride

mike — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:09:15 +0000

The colorful clothing and personalities of this year’s Puerto Rican Festival. I also shot some video of the festival. photos copyright Catholic Courier

A girl wears a festive mask.

People in the crowd wave Puerto Rican flags.

Miss Puerto Rico of Rochester dances.

A festive family stops for a bite to eat.

Throwing bowls for a good cause

mike — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:06:19 +0000

I traveled to the Rochester Folk Art Guild’s pottery shop to photograph potters throwing bowls that will be used for Empty Bowls, an event that raises awareness of the effects and hunger and raises money to support local efforts to reduce hunger. I also shot some bowl-throwing video that can be viewed at CatholicCourier.com. photos copyright Catholic Courier

Folk Art Guild summer resident Thom Stollar throws a bowl.

Folk Art Guild summer resident Jufang Zhang crafts a bowl.

Folk Art Guild resident Turiya Gross shapes clay.

Horse play

mike — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:04:07 +0000

These photos are from an equestrian event at Batavia Downs. I thought the simple lines and beauty of the horses translated well into black and white.

Having a field day

mike — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:55:57 +0000

Is there anything better than the final days of school? That feeling of being finished, with only the summer in front of you? These are some pics I took of students enjoying an end-of-the-year field day at St. Lawrence School in Greece. photos copyright Catholic Courier

A student uses all his lung capacity to propel some bubbles.

Students jump rope beneath a bright blue sky.

A student watches colorful bubbles float through the air.

High school rugby, who knew

mike — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:19:27 +0000

I just finished a package with still photos and audio on the rugby team at Rochester’s McQuaid Jesuit High School. Their top squad finished 15-2-1 this season and won the New York State High School Championship tournament. What a tremendous sport to shoot, so full of intensity and action. These kids don’t hold anything back. You can check out the audio slideshow by following this link to the Catholic Courier. photos copyright Catholic Courier

McQuaid players converge to stop a Pittsford player from scoring during a match at Mendon Ponds Park.

Each team hoists a player into the air to try to catch a throw-in.

Players collide while vying for a throw-in.

My kind of town

mike — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:53:23 +0000

While visiting my sister-in-law in Chicago I wandered the city looking for interesting light and landscapes. The thing that always surprises me about big cities is how you can sometimes walk just a few blocks and go from hustle and bustle to quiet tree-lined streets and green spaces; no traffic, no crowds, just pockets of urban tranquility. Lincoln Park, which is an area of the city but also a wonderful park on Lake Michigan, exemplifies that.

I spent a morning waiting for the fog to lift along the lake. It never really did, but the half-skyline it created offered a unique view of the city.

You have to take in a Cubs game if you’re visiting the north side. I’m used to the bleachers being some of the less desirable seats, but at Wrigley they’re the place to be, whether you’re into heckling opposing players or watching homerun balls sail onto Sheffield Avenue.

Every time I visit Chicago I’m captivated by the areas under the ‘L’ overpasses, whether it’s the light created by the spaces between the tracks or the people strolling underneath or the crooked street signs, it just appeals to me visually.

Priestly portrait

mike — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:16:25 +0000

In my experience priests are pretty modest and don’t enjoy posing for pictures. Getting them to relax for an environmental portrait can be a challenge so I was pleased to get this brief moment of clarity when photographing Father Tom Nellis. photo copyright Catholic Courier

Football fundamentals

mike — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:26:36 +0000

I recently covered a football clinic for Seton Catholic School sixth-graders. The students got some hands-on training from coaches and players at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford. A number of the photos ran as part of an audio slideshow on the Catholic Courier web site. photos copyright Catholic Courier