Before moving to Minnesota, I only shot a handful of hockey games. Working the night shift, I feel like a substantial amount of my time now is dedicated to shooting the sport. Sometimes a few games a day. Which is OK, since hockey quickly became my favorite sport to shoot. Broken sticks, the occasional fight, the opportunities to shoot unique angles, all make the sport a challenge but also very rewarding. Hockey is winding down now for the season, with both college and high school in the books.  With that, here are a few of my favorite shots from the past few months. 

Looking through some of my work from the past year, I'm reminded that I've got one of the best jobs on the planet. This year has had its ups and downs. Clowns, pets and sports are always enjoyable to photograph but part of being a newspaper photographer is also covering struggle, violence and death and those have not been in short supply. Regardless, I'm fortunate that people have let me into their lives, even if for a brief moment, to make pictures. Looking forward to what 2016 has in store.

All photos ©StarTribune

All photos ©StarTribune

When you shoot for a large daily newspaper, it's hard to digest a lot of what you cover. Maybe it's just bad memory or sheer volume, but I honestly can't remember what I shot just the day before sometimes. After an assignment, I typically file a handful of my favorite images, tag the maybes, archive the outtakes then move onto the next assignment or continue working on something in progress.  

Some assignments stick with you though.

Last month, Barway Collins, a 10-year-old boy from Crystal, Minnesota, went missing after being dropped off from his school bus. His father, Pierre Collins, was charged with his murder shortly after his body was found and is currently awaiting trial.

The murder was beyond senseless and hit the Liberian community, of which Barway was a part of, hard. I can't pretend to understand what the family or community is going through but I do know that it was incredible seeing so many people come together as family to mourn for Barway. About 2,000 people attended the funeral and as somber of an occasion as it was, there was also genuine celebration for life. I've never witnessed anything like it. I hope it's a long time until I have to again.