Go ahead. Tell THESE guys roller skating isn't a sport. I dare you.

When I was a kid, we spent our Saturday afternoons skating in circles to the music of Bryan Adams and Cyndi Lauper. "The Oldies," we called it.

Come to find out, the Oldies now are tunes from Jock Jams and "Come on Ride the Train." Hey ride it ... woo woooo ...

The music may have changed, but the skates definitely are the same.

Here are a few photos from roller skating class at a Mill Valley Elementary School, Muskego. This particular school is one of just two schools left in the area to teach roller skating to its students.

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 500 ISO, f6.3, 1/30, Manual
Dylan Seawright (right), a student at Mill Valley Elementary School, Muskego, lets out a little frustration while taking a break Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, during a physical education roller skating class.

 
Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 500 ISO, f2.8, 1/160, Manual
Cole Janz, a student at Mill Valley Elementary School, Muskego, keeps his balance Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, during a physical education roller skating class. The students are required to arm themselves with helmets and wrist guards before they are allowed to participate. The school has been teaching roller skating for the past 15 years.

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/160, Manual
Andrew Haupenchal (left), a second-grader at Mill Valley Elementary School, Muskego, lets out his excitement Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, during a physical education roller skating class. The students are required to arm themselves with helmets and wrist guards before they are allowed to participate. The school has been teaching roller skating for the past 15 years.

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 500 ISO, f2.8, 1/160, Manual
A student at Mill Valley Elementary School, Muskego, takes a tumble Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, during a physical education roller skating class.

Although I'm no veteran of the business, one thing I've come to realize through experience is this: People in a creative profession need at least one day per week where they don't have to be creative.

Last week, I worked all seven days, but at the end of the week, I barely had a photo I was proud to call mine. So when Sunday hit, I put down my camera. I left it sit, safe and sound, on my living room floor. It was time to relax. Bye bye camera ...

Call it Murphy's Law ... call it Just Plain Unlucky ... but here's what happens when you put down your camera: You see the impossible. You see the photo that editors say will never happen. You have an "Oh S***" moment. 

"We'd like to do a story on wild coyotes in Brookfield." Riiight, say the photographers. How would you ever illustrate that? Maybe we could stake out and wait for a coyote to stroll down Bluemound?

Sunday afternoon, my boyfriend and I were driving through Brookfield. And we saw a coyote, less than 10 yards from the side of the road. "Now THOSE are the types of photos I like," he said, looking in his backseat to see if I had my camera along. "Now THOSE are the types of photos my EDITOR would like!" I replied. Cars were stopping on the road to check out the animal. I stared at the coyote and he stared back at me. It's almost as if he knew I was a photojournalist. I think he even laughed at me.

Soooo, I'm sorry to say, the photo of the suburban coyote is well-embedded into my mind, but that's about the extent of it. It happens. Instead, here's a photo from last week that made me smile. I felt about the same as Daniel (below) when I saw the coyote. I'll appease myself by saying ... maybe it was just an ugly dog?

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 500 ISO, f2.8, 1/80, Manual
Daniel Bonin (center), 7, practices a self-defense move Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008, during "Self Defense for Children," a class put on by the New Berlin Recreation Department. During this weekly class, kids learn methods of escape from various holds, along with verbal and physical skills to avoid attack.

Swimmers have to accept a certain inalienable truth: They're going to be photographed with their mouths open.

I spent a few hours this past weekend at the Greater Metro/Classic 8 Conference Meet, held at Waukesha South High School. The lighting was great. The staff members were helpful. And the heat sheets were correct ... for the most part. Kudos to WSHS for putting on an extremely "media friendly" event.

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 500 ISO, f2.8, 1/400, Manual
Sophomore Nick Bietz, of Menomonee Falls, competes in the 200-yard individual medley Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008, during the Greater Metro/Classic 8 Conference Meet, held at Waukesha South High School, Waukesha.

Confession — I finally used my flash.

Waaaiitt ... NOT SO FAST! I may have used my flash, but I never turned it on.

I simply used it to prop up the lens on my camera body and avoid as much blur as possible during the five-second exposure of the photo below.

Flash gives me a stomach ache. It's distracting to the people I'm photographing. I'm convinced flash makes people nervous. I like to blend in as much as possible, and if there's a light popping off in people's faces, nothing else seems to be on their minds except, "I hope I look good."

Then again, my resistence to flash photography gives me just one more thing to improve upon. There are hundreds of great photographers in this world who make beatiful images on a daily basis using everything BUT available light. Someday, I just might get there ... but in the meantime, my strobe is a darn good tripod. The picture below is any but extraordinary, but it proves photos always can be made, even in the darkest of conditions.

Hannah Montana fans and their families look through their 3D glasses at The Marcus Ridge Cinema, New Berlin, while watching, "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" in the state-of-the-art theater. The film captures the sold-out 54-city concert tour and will be shown in New Berlin through today.

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 400 ISO, f3.2, 5 seconds, Manual

Before I go shovel my car out of the parking lot, I thought I'd post a quick photo I made this afternoon. While driving down Moorland Road in New Berlin yesterday, I noticed the MidAmerica Bank sign was experiencing some problems. I thought to myself this morning, Why not go back today and make a picture? I crossed my fingers the sign hadn't yet been fixed. Afterall, you must be crazy to work on a day like today ... 

It only took me twice as long to drive to the sign, but the irony of the entire situation is quite photo-worthy. This just may be the worst snow storm I've ever experienced.

P.S. If it's you, Mr. Big-White-Truck-Man, who stopped to help push my car out when I got stuck, thank you very much. I owe you, big time. Strangers like you are why I moved back to Wisconsin. 

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 320 ISO, f2.8, 1/1600, Manual

We hated each other at first sight.

The gymnasium at Franklin’s Forest Park Middle School and I, that is.

Make no mistake — the school’s students and staff are incredibly helpful and polite, but the light in the gymnasium … ummm … leaves a bit to be desired.

As I walked down the middle school’s hallway, coming closer to the glowing “non-light,” the blue and green colors emitting from the double doorway seemed to be laughing at the poor Nikon strapped over my shoulder. I took a seat on one of the folding chairs and watched members of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wheelchair basketball team warm up. No windows. Flickering fluorescent bulbs. Fast action. Siiiiiigh.

“Yeeeaahhh … I’m sorry about the lights in our gym,” were the first words out of the principal’s mouth as he walked up to me with an apologetic smile on his face. That’s when you know it’s bad.

No worries, though. The event was definitely worth its photographic challenges. Members of the college team spoke to students about their disabilities and then challenged them to a full-court game.

I snapped this photo when one of the players leaned back into a beam of light. He took his shot, and I took mine.

Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/60, Manual