Morgan Petroski 2/18/20 Morgan Petroski 2/18/20

Anthony Schmidt's Car "Betty"

Preface: When we moved to Woodinville, Wa, a few months ago, I began exploring our new community via the local facebook groups. I wanted to see what was happening and what to expect from our new small town and our neighbors. What I found was this wonderful story of a boy on the autism spectrum, his love and talent for photographing miniature cars, and an amazing community that supported him. I knew his story had to be shared and reached out to his mother to see if I could help tell his and their story.

This past Sunday, members of the Woodinville community gathered, cruised their cars, held a small car show, and presented (local-celebrity) Anthony Schmidt with, what can only be described as a dream car for a 12-year-old, a 1957 Ford Custom 300 named “Betty.”

As we waited in the parking lot of Leota Middle School for the cruising cars to arrive, the rain was coming down off and on, and suddenly the cars began to appear. I’m pretty sure Anthony heard them before the rest of us saw them. He took off down the street to watch as they rolled in. More and more cars were coming, for a brief moment I didn’t know if they were all going to fit in the parking lot. After the cars all rolled in, we waited for the grand entrance and reveal of Anthony’s car. Finally she came rolling down the street and Anthony greeted her by running towards her, his arms in the air in excitement.

As his car rolled into the parking lot it was surrounding by people who cared about Anthony and his family. Anthony climbed in and could just see over the wheel, obviously a few years away from driving Betty on his own. As the trio of him, his little brother, and his friend, climbed in and out of the car countless times I could only stand there and imagine the memories the car has already witnessed and the new memories that will be made with her as well.

It takes a community to pull off what I witnessed on Sunday. A few of those community members that must be mentioned: Greg Wilkinson (donated the Ford to Anthony); NAPA Auto Parts Woodinville employees; APC Auto Spa Woodinville; Bob & Jeanie Rash; Woodinville Cruisers Car Club members; and Rich McKee who organized the event. I know I’m new here but thank you to this wonderful community for the love and support I witnessed and photographed on Sunday. I hope to continue telling Anthony’s story through photos again in the future.

Please check out Anthony’s photography:
Instagram: @anthony_ryan_schmidt
Website: www.anthonyryanschmidt.com
Facebook fan group: Friends of Anthony Schmidt Photography

Anthony poses with his 1957 Ford custom 300.

Anthony framed in the window of his car after receiving the keys to to his car.

Young brother smiles and yells in excitement of his big brother's new car.

Anthony hangs his arm out of the window of his new car.

Woodinville Car Club and friend gather around Anthony's new car.

Anthony's friend check out the fuzzy dice.

Anthony and Greg Wilkinson, who gave him the car.

One boy checks out the truck, with the another peeks out the window,

Anthony's family and a friend pile in his new car "Betty."

Anthony Schmidt and his new car a 1957 Ford Custom 300 "Betty." Photo by Woodinville family documentary photographer Morgan Petroski.

Morgan Petroski 6/7/17 Morgan Petroski 6/7/17

New Chapter, New Country

Four-month-old Moby Hjelm helps Beth Trujillo lay out A1 on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, on his mother's last day the Albuquerque Journal.

This post is a bit overdue I'll admit it. Back in January of this year I had my last day in the newsroom of the Albuquerque Journal. A newsroom that had come to feel like a second home. Journalists, we're funny people. We know our city or our beat all too well, way better than our non-journalist friends. We become a second family when we spend such odd hours with our coworkers, sometimes on last minute road trips, sometimes just filing and editing late into the night racing to the final deadline. We eat (free) pizza on election nights together as the results come in. We celebrate when our coworkers have family milestones: marriages, births, and graduations. And also support each other when harder times hit. I was only supposed to be in Albuquerque for six months. SIX MONTHS. I arrived in the summer of 2007 and almost immediately started counting down. Not that I didn't love it. I did. However, I was in my "intern" part of life and expected to move on to another internship in six months and thus wanted to make the most of my short time there as most interns do. I had a blast. I took every opportunity that came my way. I climbed a crazy peak, flew in a hot air balloon, drove all over the state whenever asked, and tried my hardest to make some cool photos.

I ended up staying nine and half years. The Land of Enchantment really was the Land of Entrapment. I became a staff photographer, then the assistant photo editor, and then the photo editor. A lot changed in that window of time as well. A newspaper that was so focused on the print product, finally started paying attention to the web. (I feel like I can say this as a GenY-er who saw the writing on the wall from the day I walked in the door.) And with the push to web, the photo department had a chance like never before to be seen.

But, I've gotten off track...

About the same time as my maternity leave was starting with my son, my husband was offered a post-doc at the University of Montreal. So it was finally time to say goodbye to my Journal family and start a new chapter in Canada. So on a bittersweet Friday afternoon, I brought my 4-month-old son to work with me and said my goodbyes to the people and building that had welcomed me nine and a half years earlier. It's been a few months now, and I still miss the journalism adrenaline rush, but mostly I miss my co-workers and comrades who made the daily battles worth it.

So, here I am, now in Montreal, missing New Mexico a little, but also enjoying this new wonderful city. If anyone needs a photographer, or a journalist, I'd still very much love to tell your story.

Morgan Petroski 11/26/16 Morgan Petroski 11/26/16

Imprisoned Innocents

Photo Story: Imprisoned Innocents

Each of the 51 women imprisoned in Central Ibarra Penitentiary is also a mother. The Ecuadorian courts allow the women to choose to bring their children to live with them as they serve hard time. The opposite of prisoners, the children are free to come and go as they please. But the youngest spend all their time with their mothers, never setting foot outside. Neglected and broken toys are often ignored. One meal a day is served per prisoner and the families receive no extra food. Likewise, the women are forced to share tiny bunks with their children. Fights often break out among the children as they mimic the aggression they see daily. Despite rough conditions, the mother/child bond provides solace in a hostile environment. Forty-foot walls and a watchtower serve as haunting reminders that misplaced children live in jail. Even in the darkness of imprisonment the mothers hope for a future for their children brighter than their own. This story was produced as part of UF’s Florida Fly-Ins program in 2006.

Morgan Petroski 5/16/16 Morgan Petroski 5/16/16

Yjastros Flamenco Company

In April I was able to shoot some of Albuquerque's professional flamenco dancers. Below are just a few of my favorite photos from one of their rehearsals before a performance. This recent shoot for the Albuquerque Journal of Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company ended up being the cover of the Life in New Mexico section for the week.

Read the full story by Adrian Gomez here: Dancing a way of life for Yjastros members

Enjoy!

Morgan Petroski 4/15/15 Morgan Petroski 4/15/15

Game of Thrones Season 5 Premiere - Santa Fe

In Santa Fe, the city different, at George R.R. Martin's personal theater, the Jean Cocteau Cinema, HBO and GRRM hosted a Game of Thrones Season 5 premiere with a tiny red carpet on Saturday March 28, 2015. Now I just might be a Game of Thrones fan... so needless to say I was excited to shoot the event for the Albuquerque Journal. This also meant assistant arts editor and UpFront columnist Adrian Gomez and I were able to watch the first episode of the new season a few weeks early. High five! George R.R. Martin is a very cool cat and extremely generous. I even overheard him tell some fans that were passing by and stopped for a photo with him to wait around to see if any seats opened up so they could come in and view the episode. I don't know if they made it in or not, but for an invite-only event that was fully booked that was very kind of him. He and the theater also had earlier screenings in the morning for locals willing to wait in line. It was so popular they added an extra screening at the last minute.

Santa Fe is a great place for a celebrity of any caliber to live or visit. The city and state are so laid back that celebrities can really just be part of the community. During the after party a group of actors currently in Santa Fe filming "The Ridiculous Six" stopped by and mingled with party goers and of course took some time to pose on the red carpet, but more importantly, pet and pose with Flurry, an Arctic wolf that was visiting from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary for the premiere. By the end of the night it honestly felt like the wolf was more sought after for a photo than any of the celebrities.

George R.R. Martin has lived in Santa Fe for many years, before the Game of Thrones empire took off. The theater he now owns, the Jean Cocteau Cinema, closed down in 2006, and he bought it, renovated it, and reopened it in 2013, much to the delight of many New Mexicans. It's a neat little theater and he pretty much shows whatever tickles his fancy.

Overall the premiere was quite laid back, heck the red carpet was all of 10 feet long. Whereas the season 5 premiere in San Francisco appeared to be what you would expect from such a popular TV show, with a much longer red carpet that stretched past the piles of media waiting to interview and photograph the show's celebrities. I watched the red carpet portion live on meerkat a few days before our own Santa Fe premiere. They were completely different experiences and I wouldn't trade ours for anything.

Read more about the premiere in Adrian Gomez's UpFront column: "Hollywood comes to the City Different." See more photos on our Albuquerque Journal photo page: Game of Thrones Season 5 Premiere.

Game of Thrones Premiere Santa Fe Jean Cocteau

George RR Martin Game of Thrones Premiere

The Ridiculous Six at Game of Thrones Premiere