Daniel Proctor (Center), 13, and Cheryl Cleary from City of Refuge Worship Center in Peoria stand at the corner of Western and Lincoln on Friday evening, offering prayers and alerting residents to the services the church provides. Representatives from the church take to the same street corner every Friday evening to spread their message.

The lead image from my assignment this evening- just really like the kids face and the way it’s framed up.

-Pat

Dressed in mime outfits, (From left) Jada Jones, 15, Raven Taylor, 13, Skylar Johnson, 14, and Taylor Hightower, 18, wait to perform with the Heavenly Anointed praise dance group from Peoria Friendship Church on Saturday afternoon at the Sister 2 Sister Day event in Morton Square Park in Peoria.

I couldn’t stop photographing these girls- I love their faces and the layers created by them sitting in rows.

-Pat

Bill Stevens of Springfield climbs out of a dunk tank along with his “chick on a stick” on Saturday during the annual Redneck Fishing Tournament in Bath, Ill.

An outtake from shooting the amazing Redneck Fishing Tournament last weekend. Check out my blog post on the Journal Star photo blog for more:

Cheers,

Pat

William Cirone and his brother Chris (not pictured) helped design and build the off-the-grid power system for their parents’ new home in rural Knox County. The brothers are starting a consulting business for home wind and solar power based on their experience. A wind turbine and 36 solar panels all routed through a central power hub provide the home with power year-round. A backup propane generator adds supplemental power during periods of low wind and sun.

I found out the other day that this photo I shot a few months ago for the Journal Star is on the cover of this week’s Christian Science Monitor, which they got via the Associated Press. Read the article here… and the original Journal Star piece here.

Cheers,

Pat

Antonio Williams of Peoria competes for team Riverplex in the shopping cart relay event of the 20th annual Lifeguard Competition on Sunday afternoon at the Lakeview Aquatic Center. Current and former lifeguards from each of the Peoria Park District’s pools competed against each other in multiple events.

-Pat

No matter how many times we go back here, there’s always something new.

On Wednesday Garrett and I met up with my college comrades Roxy, Erica, Face, and Adam and went to explore the amazingly abandoned Chanute air force base to our photographic delight.

-Pat

Went down to Champaign-Urbana to hang out with my brother on my days off this week. Takes me back to the good ole days of undergrad. Anyway, just a little Risk action here. Photos from wandering around in the infamous abandoned air force base soon to come.

-Pat

Say Josie, 2, of Peoria rides a mini train ride on Friday evening at the Heart of Illinois Fair in the Expo Gardens in Peoria.

One of many from a little over a week of shooting the fair. Check out a few more on the Journal Star photo blog.

Cheers.

Ronnia Simmons of Peoria stands in the intersection of Western and Kettelle at the scene of a police standoff with a reportedly suicidal man allegedly armed with a rifle on Monday night, July 12. “It’s a mess,” said Simmons of the wave of violence this summer. “I’ve got two years left of nursing school and then I’m leaving Peoria.”

While waiting in front of the police tape at the scene of a standoff a couple weeks ago, I saw this woman standing in the street watching everything unfold, perfectly lit by a street light. There was a large group of people on the street corner as well, but Ronnia stood out under the light. I knew that we wouldn’t need this picture for the next day’s story but to me, her body language seemed to sum up the mood in Peoria after an unsettling few weeks of violent crime. Fed up, tired- exasperated. After making the picture I talked with her about the violence in recent weeks and what she had to say entirely matched the look on her face, which was the same look I saw on a lot of faces that night. Hopefully things will start to quiet down and all those tired faces will start getting a little brighter in the next few weeks.