Morgan Petroski 3/6/15 Morgan Petroski 3/6/15

Southwest Snow - Albuquerque

During Feb. 26-28, 2015 Albuquerque received the most significant amount of snow since 2006. My main concern throughout the two nights of snow was to make sure our photo staff at the Albuquerque Journal did a great job covering the storm in photos. So my days were filled with planning and anticipating what was going to happen across the city that needed to be documented. The only times I got a chance to take some photos myself were at night right before crawling into bed. Both Thursday night and Friday night, my fiancé and myself ventured out into the cold falling snow. We hiked from our house down to Central Avenue. Both times were really just excursions for myself to snap some photos. I grew up in Florida, so to some degree snow still excites me even though I've experienced it many times by now. And I love night time landscape or cityscape photography. Things just look different at night and I love that. Anyway, here are some photos from our excursions on both nights as the snow was still falling. I shot them with my Fuji X-E2 that I really wish was weather sealed. I may have to grab the X-T1 next, as my Fuji has become my camera of choice and I obviously don't fear shooting in extreme weather conditions...

For more snow photos, check out: Southwest Snow. It's my most recently edited Exposure piece for the Albuquerque Journal, featuring the collective hard work of Journal staff photographers.

Morgan Petroski 1/28/15 Morgan Petroski 1/28/15

Chuck Hawley Group - Albuquerque Band Portraits

A few weeks ago I shot some quick portraits of the Chuck Hawley Group around the Albuquerque Museum. I was hoping for some nice late afternoon light, but of course it ended up being one of the few overcast days we've had in the past month. Eh, soft overcast light? I'll take that too. Just goes to show, you can plan everything else, but not the weather.

Morgan Petroski 1/13/15 Morgan Petroski 1/13/15

Heights Community Center 75th Anniversary Party

A place where I've spent many Tuesday nights dancing and hanging out with friends, Heights Community Center celebrates 75 years of happy feet walking through its doors (and dancing on its floor).

Preface

Seven and a half years ago when I first made the move to Albuquerque I knew no one in this lovely Land of Enchantment. I had just driven from Florida to begin a six-month-long photo internship at the Albuquerque Journal and was in search of the local swing dance community, which I hoped existed. I had already been swing dancing for a few years by then and it was my main creative outlet outside of photography. I think I was in Albuquerque no more than two days before some deep digging on Google spit out what seemed to be some outdated info on a weekly Tuesday night dance at Heights Community Center. With nothing else to do on my first Tuesday night in Albuquerque, I drove into town to see if the dance was actually happening. Much to my excitement I found a rather large crowd of people dancing when I got there!

This became the place where I met my soon-to-be Albuquerque friends. I don't remember who I met or danced with that first time at Heights, but boy was I excited to have found a place to dance. Much to my surprise (and excitement) I soon learned of other weekly swing dances. The Tuesday night dance at Heights Community Center will always have a special place in my heart though. It's where I first found a community that would become a very big part of my life and where I began some very close friendships.

History & A Party

On December 30, 2014, the Calming Four hosted a 75th Anniversary Party for Heights Community Center. According to the city of Albuquerque website, Heights Community Center was the first community recreation center in the city. It was constructed between 1938 and 1942 as a National Youth Administration Project, one of several New Deal programs active in Albuquerque during the Great Depression. During World War II, servicemen stationed in Albuquerque for training flocked to dances at the center. Folk, square, and swing dancing groups still actively use the center's wooden dance floor, which many consider the best in the area.

So the space and floor have been going strong for 75 years, but now, finally, the floor needs to be replaced. There are only so many times you can sand down and refinish a floor, particularly a dance floor. Desi Brown, Tuesday night swing dance organizer, and the Calming Four, are beginning a year long fundraiser to raise $10,000 for a new floor. The 75th Anniversary Party was the kick-off for the fundraiser.

Learn more:

Calming Four: Primordial Swing Dance Group. Join them every Tuesday night at Heights Community Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Tuesday Night Swing ABQ group on Facebook where Tuesday night dancers can post info, not run by Calming Four.
Lessons (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) begin at 7:30pm. Dance begins around 8:30pm, ends at 10:30pm.
Heights Community Center can be found at 823 Buena Vista Drive SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.

To donate to the new floor, a donation account has been set up at New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union:

The Calming Four HCC Floor Donation Fund Acct: #2426670-1.

More photos can be found on my Facebook page: Morgan Petroski Photography

Morgan Petroski 1/12/15 Morgan Petroski 1/12/15

Rail Yards of Albuquerque

Any excuse to visit and photograph the Albuquerque rail yards sounds good to me. Actually I wasn't even scheduled to shoot this on Friday, but due to more important breaking news I "unfortunately" had to scramble to get there on time. Gosh darn. The city of Albuquerque has come out saying "Dangers abound at the city's rail yards." After shooting ASH I could help with this lecture. I won't get into specifics, but yes, the rail yards are dangerous. While filming we were constantly reminding each other of this, even though it was so obvious. Despite its danger it's a beautiful place. The light, the dirt, the space. Here's a few of the photos from last week's short tour.

Morgan Petroski 10/17/14 Morgan Petroski 10/17/14

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2014 - Albuquerque Journal

For this year's Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta I soared above the event with KOAT, covering the fiesta from the sky. I've done this now three separate years and each year is just as exciting. It might sound glamorous but each year it means getting up around 3:30 am to get some breakfast and get to the airport in time to catch my ride. That's pretty darn early, but so worth it. Our photo staff at the Albuquerque Journal covers every single day of the nine day event each year. Our staff photographers are out on the ground each morning, inside and outside of the park, photographing the balloons as they blanket our city. Everyone has their favorite spots to view the balloons from after covering the fiesta for years. It's always interesting to see how everyone sees the fiesta through their lens, as each photographer documents it differently each year. To see more photos from the entire photo staff at the Albuquerque Journal check out our gallery: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2014.