Michael Mancuso - PhotoJournal

The Wedding

2011-09-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

I almost never do this, but a friend sent me this and this is worth a serious look:

Water everywhere

2011-08-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

Here in the Trenton area in the wake of Hurricane Irene, the water is worse than the wind.

OK, I did see one big tree uprooted on Rt 130 in East Windsor.

Further down Rt 130, the highway was covered in both directions leaving stranded vehicles.

Downtown Hightstown was under water, from Peddie Lake overflowing the waterfall.

From the I-295 overpass, this is Rt 1. Trust me it's under the lake there.

The rest of my pictures from the day, along with many others, are on the Trenton Times photo blog site:

http://photos.nj.com/the-times/index.html

Base ball

2011-07-11T19:43:00.001-05:00

Two Sundays ago, I photographed Derek Jeter playing baseball with the Trenton Thunder on a rehab assignment and one week later (yesterday) I had an 1864 "base ball" match played at the historic Brearly House in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. What's Derek smiling at? It better not be the funny uniforms!

Inside a balloon

2011-06-22T22:18:00.000-05:00

It was a hot air balloon partially filled with cool air and it didn't ascend into the sky but it was still plenty of grounded fun for a bunch of preschoolers from the Greater Trenton New Jersey YMCA. The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning and PNC brought the giant retired-from-flight 75-ft tall balloon to Cadwalader Park to promote PNC's "Grow Up Great" school readiness program.

If you want to see more red, the rest of the photos are here at nj.com

Jon Herington Band at Havana in New Hope

2011-06-05T08:35:00.012-05:00

If you don't know the name, maybe you've heard of Steely Dan. Jon's played guitar for them for the past eleven years in addition to being an active working NY musician for many years. I wrote an article for The Times of Trenton about his band's appearance in New Hope. The link to the story appears below after the photographs I took at this most enjoyable show by three consummate professionals.

Dennis Espantman on bass

Frank Pagano on drums

Soundman Matt Marvin breaks down after the show... I mean he breaks down the equipment ;)

Here's the story previewing the show :

http://www.nj.com/times-entertainment/index.ssf/2011/06/jon_herington_steely_dan.html

Trenton Thunder score walk-off win

2011-05-16T22:05:00.005-05:00

I had the assignment to photograph the Trenton Thunder play the Binghamton Mets on an overcast Sunday afternoon and the game was going slow. So slow, this is what I did to keep involved. Can you believe the technique this pitcher has? Nearly identical form on two separate throws.

I thought I had my picture and I could go home late in the game with this tag at the plate, but there were only a couple more innings left and the skies were threatening rain (possible good pictures) so I resolved to stay until the bitter end.

But it instead of bitter, this ending became sweet when Austin Krum, in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, hit a line drive triple to right field which drove in two runs and earned his team the come-from-behind win, walk-off style. His teammates were pleased. Me, too!

Garden of Reflection in Yardley, PA

2011-05-02T22:47:00.007-05:00

Mark Seibert, 10, of Yardley. PA finishes making the sign of the cross after pausing with his mother, Teri Siebert, left at the entrance to Garden of Reflection, Pennsylvania's official memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, early in the afternoon on Monday, May 2, 2011. An anonymous person had just had balloons delivered and The Seibert's including hisband and father Glenn, not pictured, assisted in placing the balloons at the entrance. Michael Mancuso/The Times

Students from a social studies class at Council Rock High School pay a visit to the Garden of Reflection, Pennsylvania's official memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. Michael Mancuso/The Times

Grace Godshalk affixes flowers to the memorial marker for her son, William Godshalk, and hugs a well-wisher (below) late in the afternoon of Monday, May 2, 2011. Michael Mancuso/The Times

Visitor Eric Swanson pauses at the piece of steel from the site, positioned to point in the direction of lower Manhattan. For Swanson, who attended Rider University and lived in Piscataway at the time of the attack, it was his first visit to the memorial. Michael Mancuso/The Times

A spontaneous memorial features a newspaper headline which proclaims the death of Osama Bin Laden with a hand-written inscription "They got him!!! RIP USAF" at the edge of the fountain at the Garden of Reflection. Michael Mancuso/The Times

The Thunder is back!

2011-04-14T20:53:00.011-05:00

It was a dark and stormy night - not! It was a beautiful early Spring evening, the setting sunlight skimming the top of the stadium for the home opener of the Trenton Thunder, the double A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

Jason Fagans, 4, of Pemberton Township, New Jersey, yells those immortal words "Play ball!"

The pitcher with the least seniority, in this case, Naoya Okamoto, gets to carry around a Princess Dreams backpack.

One month

2011-03-19T09:31:00.003-05:00

It's been just over thirty days since I added anything to my blog and last night I heard about it from my friend at my band's show at the Cactus Grill last night so thanks to Marita, here's a flashback:

Trenton Devils try to score on the Elmira Jackals as viewed from a high-up catwalk where no one can hear you scream ;)

Rising waters of the Delaware River spill onto River Road in Yardley, PA.

Princeton (home of Albert Einstein) celebrates Pi Day with pie throwing and one victim grabs a snack.

Film director Jeff Stewart in Downtown Trenton gets the "edgy" treatment in this portrait.

Princeton University wants to develop Alexander Street into a more suitable "gateway into Princeton." The trees bordering the golf course can stay but they want something different than those buildings on the other side of the street.

Ned Hector — Free Black Colonial Soldier, Wagoneer, Respected Patriot, Hero

2011-02-14T23:18:00.005-05:00

Ned Hector, a black revolutionary soldier from the Battle of Brandywine (portrayed by Noah Lewis) "charges" a British canon-firing unit (people from the audience) during a program at the Hickory Corner Branch of the Mercer County Library. The program was sposored by the Friends of the Library. Michael Mancuso/The Times

Black history and American history are intertwined and part of our same shared history, if I may paraphrase just a little of what I learned from Noah Lewis' presentation.

A few other interesting items:

People of color fought on the British side as well as American.

All blacks were not poor and enslaved.

The US military would never be as integrated as it was during the American Revolution again until July 26, 1948, when President Truman issued a then controversial executive order that called for equality of treatment for all persons in the armed services, without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.

visit http://www.nedhector.com/ for more

Snow pictures? Snow problem!

2011-01-27T22:59:00.006-05:00

I've been with The Times for over a quarter century and every time it snows, I know my job is to get snow pictures. After the latest deposit in the snow bank from Mother Nature, I managed to find two things I'd never photographed before. I went to Waterfront Park to see how things looked at the baseball stadium where NY Yankees Double-A affiliate Trenton Thunder play. While the receptionist, Susanna, was trying to reach public relations director Bill Cook on the phone, he came walking out, camera in hand to make some snow pictures of his own for the Thunder's facebook page. That made my day because it's always nice to have a person in a weather picture. Bill went to work and so did I.

After that, I spotted a really big crew working on clearing the snow around Trenton's War Memorial, home of Patriots Theatre. I never photographed that many people shoveling at once before.

Sad Day in Bordentown

2011-01-23T00:20:00.007-05:00

Saturday, January 22, 2011 was the day of the funeral for Army Pfc. Benjamin Moore, who grew up in Bordentown City and graduated Bordentown Regional High School. The young soldier, who was also a volunteer firefighter and certified EMT at Hope Hose Humane Co. #1 in Bordentown, was killed in combat in Ghanzi Province on Jan. 12, in an IED attack. Funeral services were held at Trinity Methodist Church.

Bordentown's Mayor James Lynch greets mourners following services. Benjamin Moore was posthumously named chief of Hope Hose Fire Co. and according to Lynch, he will be officially named honorary mayor of the city at the next meeting of the city commission.

The End of the Road (to vic-to-ry).

2011-01-09T21:52:00.015-05:00

This is a picture of air. Two men jumping in the air and the air going out of the Eagles' sails. The momentum was building. The comeback was set. After a game of Packer domination, the Eagles had the ball, a little time and momentum. Riley Cooper was supposed to catch this ball in the end zone and give the over-achieving Eagles the first-round playoff win, but the interception blew all that and left the crowd gasping for air.

Before the game started, the crowd wanted to be happy.

Michael Vick was sacked early and too often.

The Eagles did do some flying.

Or apparent levitation, at least.

I had a feeling Asante Samuel was going to make an interception on this play, so I was ready. He wasn't quite.

At the end, Jeremy Maclin walks off while Packers celebrate.

The Replacements

2011-01-03T00:03:00.008-05:00

The Philadelphia Eagles played their last regular season game on Sunday, January 2, 2011 and they could neither hurt nor help their playoff standings. They were already guaranteed a home game the following Sunday, so many of the starters were rested and their replacements got a chance to play.

Eagles wdie receiver Chad Hall was thrilled to catch a TD pass.

So thrilled, he did the "Lambeau Leap" into the stands ...

... and struck a pose after coming back down to earth.

Running back Jerome Harrison picks up 36 yards on a run in the 3rd quarter.

Safety Jamal Adams, who was only promoted from the practrice squad on December 31st, breaks up a pass intended for Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

Both quarterbacks took turns getting sacked. Kevin Kolb backs up Michael Vick.

The Cowboys weren't resting their regulars, but QB Stephen McGee is a backup to an injured Tony Romo. Next up for the Eagles in the first playoff game are the Green Bay Packers, who beat the Eagles in the season opener, but in that game by knocking Kevin Kolb, who was then the starter, out of the game, they unleashed Michael Vick, who was then the backup, into his starting and starring role.

Xmas Time

2010-12-23T23:35:00.004-05:00

If you're Christian, don't be offended. The "X" is an ancient Greek symbol for Christ. Anyway, the Princeton Tour Company hosted a "Party Like A Rockefeller Caroling Fest" involving a tour, pre-show party and a performance of "A Christmas Carol" at McCarter Theatre, in Princeton, New Jersey. They stopped to sing carols at the rectory of Trinity (Episcopal) Church where the pastor's two sons peered out the window to see what heavenly sounds were emanating from outside their residence.

A Caring Christmas

2010-12-18T12:19:00.005-05:00

Sunday night, December 17, 2010, you have the opportunity to do good, feel good and hear some great music at The 11th Annual Ernie White Band And Friends Christmas Benefit Concert at the beautifully restored Patriots Theater at the Trenton War Memorial. (Personal note: If you're now thinking "Oh, I don't want to go into Trenton" then wake up. The place is right off the highway, Rt 29. You don't have to walk the streets.) This year's beneficiary is The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. I've got to stop. This is starting to sound like a press release. Here's the deal. Ernie's an acquaintance. We both went to St. Anthony's high school at the same time. I can recall him playing with a rock band of his on stage at a school assembly. It was quite a cool and radical departure from the usual school assemblies we were used to at a catholic high school in the seventies. Fast forward to now and when I show up for the photo shoot for the Good Times cover, here he is with the same guitar I specifically remember him playing back on that stage in high school! (I'm a guitar player, too, so I notice these things.) For eleven years now, Ernie has been using his musical ability and influence to raise awareness and funds for local charities. That makes me proud of him.

Football Fun

2010-12-09T10:12:00.007-05:00

I've missed photographing the last two Philadelphia Eagles NFL football games :( but I did find these two brothers in the beautiful Mill Hill section of Trenton turning the street and sidewalk into their playing field. It was so cold, normal people were covering their mouths to not directly inhale the icy air, but kids aren't normal people. I used to do that!

Take my life ... please!

2010-11-09T07:28:00.012-05:00

This appeared in The Times today:

EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Mancuso is an award-winning staff photographer at The Trenton Times. He recently graduated from comedy school – and has decided to keep his day job. Here is his first-person account of that adventure.

Take my life ... Please!

Catch A Rising Star Comedy School offers hope for would-be stand-up comics

On the first night of class, the main message longtime Philadelphia radio personality and
stand-up comic Steve Trevelise gets across to me and seven other students enrolled in his
comedy school is that you don't want to do other people's jokes, instead, he says mine your
own unique life experiences for humor.

Sounds personal. It is.

Co-instructor Jimmy "Roundboy" Graham, also a veteran comic, stresses the same idea -
originality.

So this isn't going to be a "comedy karaoke" where, after a few lessons on microphone
technique and audience rapport, I can walk up onto the stage under the lights for five
minutes and safely recite time-proven one-liners from the likes of Henny Youngman.

I'm supposed to make people laugh telling stories from my boring life?!? I've been working
diligently for 50 years to keep my soul hidden. I have to bare it now?

When I surprised my family and closest friends with the news that I had enrolled in the class,
held at the Catch A Rising Star Comedy Club inside the Hyatt Regency Princeton, I never
heard anything like "Oh yeah, I can see you doing that!" The reaction I got more commonly
was nervous laughter: "Oh ... heh, heh, really? ... Y-y-you did?" In fact, I got my first taste
of getting a really big laugh unintentionally, when I told my 22-year-old son Andy that I had
enrolled in comedy school. This normally reserved guy who laughs one shot at a time, like a
starter's pistol, suddenly became a semi-automatic weapon.

"We're gonna have a lotta fun!"
Steve Trevelise

Class 1
I am playing it fairly cool so far, as I listen to extremely supportive talk from our instructors,
two guys who have very long resumes in the business. My first wave of deep terror creeps
up and hits me while I watch Steve talk about how to hold the mic. I don't want to hold a mic.
I don't really belong here. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Nonetheless, minutes later,
I get my first chance at standing on the comedy stage under the lights at "Catch" (as we
insiders call it) and speaking into a microphone - the whole experience ... minus the room full
of (potentially hostile) strangers.

My classmates are supportive. They know it's going to be their turn next. Steve, in his
relaxed and friendly way, asks a few questions from the darkness beyond the stage lights
and pretty soon, I'm holding the mic in the right place, chest-high and away from my
face while I'm telling a story from my youth, about the time I was working in the Sixties at
downtown Trenton's Mayfair Theater as a 16-year-old usher wearing a powder-blue blazer
going down the aisle with my flashlight, quietly asking older, stronger and way cooler guys,
right in front of their friends, to "Please keep the noise down" or "Please keep your feet off
the seats."

My classmates respond positively to my recollections. I grin inwardly, feeling giddy, even
dizzy, as though I had just downed a Red Bull with a whiskey chaser and I don't drink either
one. I'm normally very reserved and I was becoming uncomfortable at how comfortable I was
becoming, standing in the spotlight, talking about myself.

"It takes a year to get a good tight 25 minute set."
Jimmy "Roundboy" Graham

Class 2
One week later, I come to class wishing I had had more spare time during the past week.
I didn't work hard enough thinking of topics, premises and punch lines. Some of the initial
glow is fading. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. We're getting into the technical side and
analyzing the mechanics of comedy and I fear I'm losing some of the romance. I want
comedy to be my mistress, not my wife.

Steve calls comedy the last vestige of free speech. I guess I'd better stop my internal
whining, pull myself together and go on with renewed resolve. This isn't grammar school. I
don't have to be here. I asked for this.

Jimmy, who calls himself "Roundboy," has the gravelly voice and rambunctious manner of a
football coach, which he also is, speaks to us about energetic, enthusiastic stage presence,
until he glances my way and mentions "... or maybe a deadpan delivery could work for
some." He's got me pegged. Deadpan is my only shot.

Class 3
We have a guest comedian sitting in with us tonight - Joe Fortunato, a long-time friend of
Steve's. He's also a filmmaker and he's the one who will be videotaping our graduation
performance. When I observe Joe's face, I can envision a team of comedy writers inside his
head furiously scribbling notes on scraps of paper and handing them to his brain so he will
be ready at any given moment with a comment or a comeback.

As the class progresses, I notice that he and Steve are instantly coming up with funnier
lines off the tops of their heads than anything in my homework, which I had a whole week

to prepare. When I get onstage to read some of my lines, Steve encourages me to "sell"
my material in my own unique "voice." Meanwhile, magnified by the microphone, I hear my
actual voice echoing in the empty room, quivering like a bowl full of jello in the club car of a
moving train. I'm not the only one in trouble. Tonight, classmate Stephanie has a migraine
and struggles to finish her five minutes.

Class 4
With graduation, and our first five minutes in front of a live, paying audience only 24 hours
away, the time to hesitate is through. It's time to light our fire. After a pre-game pep talk from
our coaches, we each take the stage for final run-throughs of our acts and this time, there
are no do-overs.

As in any art form, the greatest practitioners of stand-up comedy have done so much
studying and practicing behind the scenes that when they perform, it appears to be effortless
and so natural that it seems easy for anyone to do. Based on my performance tonight at
dress rehearsal, on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being, say, George Carlin, tomorrow I will
definitely be a proper fraction.

Graduation
The room at Catch a Rising Star in the bottom floor of the Hyatt is packed with people eager
to laugh. It's up to us to deliver. Tonight, we sink or swim - or tread water ... or perhaps do
a dead man's float - for five minutes. Can you feel my confidence? The clock is running and
the heartbeat is racing. Just before I go on, coach Jimmy grabs me by the arm like I'm his
quarterback about to run onto the field in sudden-death overtime and tells me "Silence is OK.
Leave room for the laughs." We each had to write our own introductions. Steve reads mine
to the audience. “And now here's a guy who's down on himself, so you don't have to be...
Michael Mancuso!" I take the stage to polite applause and lay a cue card down at my feet.
That's not totally professional, but then, neither am I. And so I begin.

Things aren't coming out exactly the way I wanted to say them, but inside I pat myself on
the back for heeding the advice of coach Jimmy. I do let the jokes breathe. I get through
my five minutes of fame, wind up my act, thank the crowd and tell them they've been great.
Wait. Do they really care what I think? I'm the vulnerable one standing under the bright lights
begging for approval. They don't need me. Maybe not, but they are nice to me and for that I
am most grateful.

As each of us has our turn on stage and then retreats to a designated corner of the room,
I look around and suddenly I feel a tangible bond with my comedy school classmates. I'm
proud of each one. I have an idea of what they've gone through. And if I don't pursue a
career as a stand-up comic, and believe me I won't, I at least gained some poise for my daily
interactions with people. Now that I've been there, I can paraphrase a line my brother, a
physician, uses from his professional education and adapt it to my experience. "So you think
you're funny? Where'd YOU go to Comedy School?

Halloween Pt II

2010-11-06T22:21:00.003-05:00

Bill Hock was the official photographer for Halloween at The Cactus Grill. Here are a couple of me. I might decide to keep the tattoo arms. I only wish I could have kept the hair.

Vegas, PA

2010-10-31T15:25:00.004-05:00

Big Chill (the classic rock in which I play) performed at the Halloween Party at our home base, the Cactus Grill in Pipersville, PA. The theme was "Vegas." I managed to make a few photographs between the notes. This one of my bandmate and his lady is my favorite.

There are a few more here: http://www.michaelmancuso.us/cactus/

Buddy Guy

2010-10-24T00:10:00.004-05:00

Blues icon Buddy Guy influenced and continues to influence many people. He influenced Jimi Hendrix. That's all I need to know. He stopped by Trenton, New Jersey to perform (in spite of a cold) at Patriots Theatre in the War Memorial. A Buddy Guy concert is an education. Here's how he would look if I were a painter.

On this song, called Skin Deep, he plays an electric sitar. How cool is that?

Battle of the Birds

2010-10-17T20:25:00.004-05:00

Philadelphia Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin makes a TD catch in the 2nd quarter despite the best efforts of Atlanta Falcons CB Brent Grimes. Maclin had a banner day, 7 receptions for 159 yds and 2 TDs.

New acquisition, RB Eldra Buckley only has one speed, top. Here he gets hit during a run in the 4th quarter by Atlanta Falcons #28 DeCoud, Thomas & #92 Chauncey Davis.

LeSean McCoy led in rushing with 21 carries for 64 yards, most, but not all of them with at least one foot on the ground.

Eagles TE Brent Celek runs after a catch.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid watches the clock before calling a timeout.

DeSean Jackson is helped off the field after a brutal hit.

Jeremy Maclin doesn't like the ground either.

QB Kevin Kolb releases...

...stands in cool light...

...and gets off another throw. He went 23 for 29, for 326 yds and a QB rating of 133.6.

Trent Cole celebrates a sack.

Who says you can't go home?

2010-10-04T07:23:00.016-05:00

The much-anticipated return of Donovan McNabb to Lincoln Financial Field (in his first time as the Washington Redskins quarterback) was full of unanticipated happenings.

Here he takes to the field for pre-game warmups before fans were admitted to their seats.

Later, he scurried in (under armed guard) and when his name was announced, the fans greeted him warmly, with applause and a standing ovation.

Donovan flies like an eagle to celebrates his first TD pass.

His replacement on the Eagles, Michael Vick nears the end of a gutsy 23-yd run to the goal line...

...where two Redskins converged and made him into a broken-rib sandwich.

Vick's a warrior. He got up to walk off but fell to his knees, reminding me of an old photo of NY Giants QB Y.A Tittle. If you know what I'm talking about, you're over the same hill I am.

Eagles FB Owen Schmitt comes back to earth after attempting to hurdle a defender.

RB LeSean McCoy contributed an impressive 174 combined yards, receiving and running.

On the final play of the game, a "Hail Mary" pass into the endzone, Eagles WR Jason Avant has a firm grip on the ball...

...but only for a fraction of a second, and the Eagles can't steal a victory.

However, McNabb and his ex, Eagles head coach Andy Reid, can steal a hug on the field after the game, while McNabb's new head coach Mike Shanahan , isn't looking.

Renaissance Faire fare

2010-09-20T19:47:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe I've never been assigned to one of these before, but I finally got one yesterday. I brought my "fairy boxes" to Columbus, New Jersey and photographed the New Jersey Renaissance Faire. There weren't cameras back then, so I had fairy boxes. And I wasn't a newspaper photographer while I was there I was a "scribe". I tried to keep a low profile during the wench auction and I kept my cell phone in my pocket to avoid being exposed as a bad wizard.

And...action!

2010-09-14T07:35:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was the Philadelphia Eagles home opener followed the next day by a high school soccer game. Vastly different levels of playing fields, but they do have something essential in common - contact.

Splashdown!

2010-09-07T23:00:00.004-05:00

Labor Day in America is the unofficial end of summer. In need of a weather picture and intent on avoiding the usual places, local pools, lakes, rivers and fountains, I ventured across state lines to the one and only Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. Their motto used to be "Take my face to Sesame Place." That's quite and expression on that young face.

Family Vacation 2010

2010-08-15T17:01:00.005-05:00

My brother Tom graciously and generously rented a house on Cape Cod for his family, mine and my sister's and invited all of our kids, too, including his one grand niece, my granddaughter Gianna. The house was beautiful and accommodating and I think had more bathrooms than my house has rooms!

Even though I was supposed to be relaxing, I got a most welcome wake-up call one morning!

Uncle Andy

2010-07-11T23:32:00.002-05:00

How comfortable and safe does my granddaughter look being held by her Uncle Andy?

It's like a heatwave, burnin' in my heart...

2010-07-07T22:23:00.003-05:00

Wait a minute. It IS a heatwave, here on the eastern seaboard of the United States, anyway. For a photojournalist that means photographs of people (preferably kids) getting wet.

It can't be denied, he tried.

2010-06-30T07:19:00.000-05:00

Trenton Thunder ss Luis Nunez makes a diving attempt but can't reach a ball hit in the 2nd inning of the Thunder's game vs the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Isyou featuring Sharon Kenny

2010-06-23T23:57:00.002-05:00

What was billed as "an amazing night of local artists that have no singers. A night of pure instrumentals" at The Mill Hill Saloon in Trenton, New Jersey, got even better, when Sharon Kenny joined Isyou for some of their set, including a wonderful rendition of a song written by David Bowie and made famous in 1972 by Mott The Hoople, "All the Young Dudes".

Revive!

2010-06-15T19:23:00.003-05:00

Members of various Christian churches spent a weekend at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on West State Street in Trenton, New Jersey participating in an event called Revive! , a weekend of worship and proclamation in support of immigration and incarceration reform. On Sunday, the last day, they didn't rest, they took to the streets, stopping for prayer and reflection at four neighborhood locations. Michael Mancuso/The Times

Music at Grounds For Sculpture

2010-06-05T15:00:00.007-05:00

I stopped by the one and only Grounds For Sculpture located in Hamilton Township, New Jersey to see the one and only D.J. Haslett, left accompanied by Autin Wright in a musical performance. D.J. is retired from a career in corporate life and now works at GFS and is an artist and musician as is Autin.

Smoke and the Water

2010-05-27T07:14:00.003-05:00

By the time I got to this house fire in Trenton, the flames had been put out, but there was still plenty of smoke and water, and heat. For these working firefighters, the weather report could have read, temperature, 76, feels like 120!

82 Years and Counting (his vote)

2010-05-13T18:33:00.001-05:00

Lifelong Trenton resident John Clancy, 82, exits the North Ward Community Center after voting early Tuesday morning in the city's mayoral election. Lafayette Brown is at right holding the door. When I asked him how long he's been a Trenton resident and he answered 82 years, he added with a twinkle in his eye "Now, I've given it (his age) away!

Dreamlift 2010

2010-05-12T17:43:00.002-05:00

Having your picture taken between Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty is in itself enough to make it a good day but it's even better when the next item on your agenda is a whirlwind trip to Disney World! May 4th marked the 21st year of the Mercer County Sunshine Foundation's Operation Dreamlift, a day in Disney World for chronically ill and special-needs children.

The Kiss

2010-04-26T19:35:00.004-05:00

The landscape in the vicinity of the Hamilton train station has changed again thanks to the installation of another sculpture on Klockner Rd near the intersection of Sloan Ave. Installed today, Seward Johnson's "Unconditional Surrender" brings to mind the iconic moment photographed on V–J day, August 14, 1945, in Times Square. Michael Mancuso/The Times

Special Guest

2010-04-17T12:52:00.003-05:00

We had a special guest stop by for her first visit to Grammy & Poppy's house this morning.

En plein air

2010-04-16T10:27:00.001-05:00

At the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park off Alexander Road in Princeton Township, Maxine Shore, of East Windsor, New Jersey, a retired art teacher with the Princeton Regional School district, paints a scene the way nature intended it, in the open air.

Blue Mass

2010-04-13T19:33:00.002-05:00

The 11th Annual Celebration of Law Enforcement, commonly known as the Blue Mass, is celebrated in The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in Trenton, New Jersey. All three of these photographs were taken above sea level, so to speak, either from a balcony or with my camera elevated on a stick. I was going for the floating, guardian angel perspective.

Jersey Fresh

2010-04-08T11:00:00.004-05:00

Farmer Ronny Lee, of Lee Turkey Farm in East Windsor, New Jersey, holds a flat of broccoli seedlings he has grown in his home-made incubators (on the ground on either side), which serve the same purpose as a greenhouse for much less expense, he says. The past month's precipitation has delayed planting in the fields this year. But soon, these seedlings will be spread throughout the fields and produce good yields. Keep your eyes peeled. Now it can be revealed. The farmer is well-heeled. I'm standing just inside a fence so to get it all in I took two photos and stitched them together. Think global if you want to, but eat local.

Donovan 2

2010-04-05T20:11:00.003-05:00

Ok. I've had a chance to get over the shock, but I'm still trying to decide what it means to trade your eleven-year quarterback to a division rival. He can tell the Redskins 1) all about the Eagles offense, 2) much about the defense and 3) special teams, 4,5,6,and 7 ALL about Andy Reid. That should be worth lots to the Redskins. On the other side, the Eagles will know 1) all about Donovan. You do the math. Here he is in the recent past, facing his future team.

Donovan - WTF?

2010-04-04T21:37:00.003-05:00

In NFL Team Management 101 (which is as far as I got) they told us to try not to trade a player to your division rival because you play them twice a year and you'll have to get past them to win your division AND they'll tell their new team all your secrets. And obviously don't trade the quarterback because he knows everything about your team. That's head coach Andy Reid (who has been very protective of his quarterback ever since they started going together in 1999) talking with Donovan McNabb telling him "I brought you here and I'll never trade you, but if I do, you won't turn your anger into laser-focused desire that you never had before and destroy us on your way to your first Super Bowl win with your new coach, will you?" Donovan's thinking "Let me sleep on it. I'll give you an answer in the morning."

Spring

2010-04-03T12:24:00.003-05:00

A lunchtime walker makes her way across the Capitol Plaza Park located between the State House Annex and the State Library in Trenton, New Jersey where flowers have begun to bloom. It is Springtime and a polarizing filter and a little fill-flash help bring the scene all into balance.

From Haiti with Love

2010-04-01T22:43:00.003-05:00

Maria Rose Michaud, 19, in her new home in the Yardville section of Hamilton Township,where she lives with her adoptive parents Rev. Jean Michaud & Marie Michaud. The Michauds first heard of Marie Rose from a family friend who cared for her when her mother died. After nine years of bureaucracy and red tape, the Michauds, with help from Congressman Chris Smith were finally able to adopt Marie Rose and bring her to the US. The final complication was that on the day her adoption became legal, the devastating earthquake hit Haiti.

From left, Rev. Jean Michaud speaks to media in his home, watched by Congressman Chris Smith, Michaud's wife Marie & their adopted daughter Marie Rose Michaud. Michael Mancuso/The Times

Happy (belated) St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-24T22:33:00.002-05:00

I know St. Patrick's Day has come and gone, but I am half-Irish wanted to share this. The three judges sip a contestant's offerings in the Jameson’s Irish Coffee Contest at Buddy’s Shamrock Pub in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. From left, Curt Yeske, Jack Rafferty (former longtime mayor of Hamilton Twonship, New Jersey) and Keith Hamilton, Mercer County Freeholder. Michael Mancuso/The Times

It Happens Every Spring

2010-03-14T21:02:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess lots of things happen every Spring, including a young kid pitching to his dad. I just wish Spring (minus the torrential rain) would get here already! BTW, his name is Eli Morales, in case he makes the majors one day, you saw it here first.

Back from Iraq

2010-03-02T22:22:00.004-05:00

Is four months a long time? That's how long member of the 6th Airlift Squadron were deployed in Iraq, separated from family and friends back home. But today, they returned and met those family and friends on the tarmac at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Thank you for your service!

It's a black thing.

2010-02-28T23:28:00.003-05:00

It's a black thing. You wouldn't understand...or would you? At the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey, reenactors did their best to help visitors understand something about three centuries of black soldiers in America, from colonial times to modern day ROTC at a living history program on the last day of Black History month.

B-West

2010-02-23T22:13:00.004-05:00

Here's a brief photo tribute to running back, kick returner, receiver, blocker Brian Westbrook, who was let go by the Philadelphia Eagles today.

Couldn't leave out 10/19/03, East Rutherford, NJ where Westbrook saved the Eagles' season stepping over the last Giants defender Marcellus Rivers en route to his 84-yd punt return with under two minutes remaining which gave the Eagles the lead and win.

2010-02-06T18:02:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since my last post. I'm reluctant to take Brian Dawkins off the front, but I guess all this snow is worth a mention. My car can't go in this much snow, so I got on the light rail RiverLine and rode into Trenton and went to the top of a parking garage for some high viewpoint images, the kind where I find a nice picture and then wait for a person to walk into it.

Back in Bordentown, the snow was light and fluffy, just right for tasting, while grandfather does the work.

And even having to shovel doesn't mean you can't keep your tongue out to collect snowflakes while you work.

Dawk's Return

2009-12-27T23:50:00.002-05:00

Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles let 13-year Eagle veteran and inspirational leader of the team Brian Dawkins go because according to their formula, they don't pay for players who aren't in the prime of their playing careers. That's fine, but they should have recognized the exception. Dawkin's intensity and heart are rare and don't show up on spreadsheets . He was welcomed back warmly by the fans as his new team, the Denver Broncos came to Philadelphia.

A standard photo op turned precious

2009-12-07T20:41:00.004-05:00

Annika Adrian-Hage, 6, of Pennington gives a spontaneous hug good-by to State of New Jersey Treasurer David Rousseau after a brief visit to present to Gov Jon Corzine, through the treasurer, a "basket of hope" containing pictures and stories representing over 160,000 children and adults with developmental disablities who would be affected state budget cuts. Her father Robert Hage is at left, holding twin sister Maya. Their registered nurse is Abi Fadairo and at right is Tom Baffuto, executive director of ARC of NJ. These two girls were interested in everything around the office except the proceedings, but when the official photo op was ending and the dad asked one of the girls, who was already near the exit, to wave goodbye, my spidey sense started tingling. Annika moved toward the treasurer and I moved in. This is why, after twenty-five years, I believe there are no bad assignments, only bad photographers.

Eagles - Redskins

2009-11-30T23:38:00.005-05:00

What the Eagles-Redskins game means to me. By Michael Mancuso. It means I get to cash in on my brownie bet with Debbie. I've known my best friend since we were 5. He's in a mixed marriage. He's an Eagles fan and she's a Redskins fan. Why won't she just convert?

LeSean McCoy stays low to cross the goal line and score a game-tying two-point conversion. I knew exactly which play they were going to run, so I got myself into position for this shot. Of course, I alway know exactly which play they are going to run. It's just that most of the time, my psychic commands don't seem to penetrate their helmets or something.

Asante Samuel looks for running room after one of his two interceptions. Fallen Redskins QB Jason Campbell is on the ground going "Oh *#@^!"

This is the pass that lead to the aforementioned interception. The young QB was under a lot of pressure. I like the challenge of the almost impossible contrast between the players in the shade and the sunny background.

It's hard to avoid saying something about him using his head.

Life imitates art

2009-11-15T23:02:00.010-05:00

Most people have seen the cherubs from Italian Renaissance-era painter Raphael. This three-year-old in a dance class in Lambertville, New Jersey may not have seen the painting, but she doesn't have to. She is a cherub, watching ballet dancers perform selections from holiday favorite The Nutcracker.

Here's the complete picture.

And here's the complete picture by Raphael from which the cherubs were taken. It's called The Sistine Madonna.

Art Opening

2009-11-06T19:58:00.005-05:00

I'm occasionally of two minds on particular subjects, but this is ridiculous. Last night, I got to be four people at once! I went to an opening in an art gallery as an art fan, a music fan, a represented artist and a newspaper photographer. I got the assignment to go to Roma Bank headquarters on Rt 33 in Hamilton Township for a show in conjunction with the Arts & Business Council of Greater Trenton, with the purpose of celebrating and building connections between the region's business and arts communities. (The two people left of center are looking at some of my work and the guitarist at right is Jim Arkus.)

Deadlines being what they are, I couldn't stay long, but I did stop my car on the way out long enough to make a few more photographs and combine two exposures to show what it looked like from the outside.

Eagles Fly High Above Giants

2009-11-01T21:54:00.007-05:00

Happy days for the Philadelphia Eagles as Jason Avant jumps on Bret Celek to congratulate the tight end on his TD catch vs the new York Giants.

This place was the point of convergence. In one area the Philadelphia Eagles and Giants would meet and within hours, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees would meet in game four of the World Series. (above) Outside The Linc, a guy wearing a Giants jersey outside The Linc gets some attention even as his brother-in-law, left, sports an Eagles jersey. Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies play, is in the background.

This Langhorne, PA couple, the Romeo & Juliet of the sports world share a moment together before gametime.

I shoot football with two cameras, one for far away and one for when they get closer. When Eagles RB Leonard Weaver started running through the line, I was using the big lens. I quickly realized he was breaking away (and starting to fill the frame), so I picked up the other camera in time to catch him jumping away from a tackle before reaching the endzone for the Eagles' first TD.

Eagles defender Quintin Mikell was sure he was going to make an interception, but somehow the ball slipped through his hands.

Former Eagles coach, the late Buddy Ryan used to say about receiver Chris Carter "All he does is catch touchdowns". All current Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson does is catch long touchdowns (and return kicks for long touchdowns). With this 54-yd TD he tied an Eagles record with his sixth TD of the season of 50-plus yards.

Giants QB Eli Manning usually makes a good expression when he gets sacked.

I never saw Andy Reid open his mouth this wide as he tells QB Donovan McNabb a thing or two late in the game. McNabb now has a bunch of stuff like over 30,000 yds passing, over 200 TDs passing and 3,000 rushing yds and 20 rushing Tds. You get the point.

2009-10-23T15:22:00.003-05:00

Just got back from a visit to "The Most Important Event in Photography: October 22-24, 2009. Located at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City the show boasts a huge expo floor, hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of new products and a conference with over 100 seminars." That's some hype! I went up with fellow photographer Mike Dill. Besides being tempted with all the photo equipment I don't have but really "need" there was a special reason to go this year. There was an exhibit of some of the photos from the do1thing project in which I participated and one of my images was on display.

http://michaelmancuso.us/Tamara/

http://michaelmancuso.us/Yakima/

Classic and Classical

2009-10-18T08:25:00.003-05:00

Noted musical arranger/conductor Larry Baird leads the Greater Trenton Symphony Orchestra in an afternoon rehearsal for their performance with the progressive rock group Kansas that evening at Patriots Theatre at the War Memorial. Baird has done this kind of thing before with the Moody Blues, for example, and he's a veteran of over 500 shows according to the GTSO's regular conductor John Holly. I have more behind-the-scenes photographs at http://michaelmancuso.zenfolio.com/ There's a slideshow button, so sit back and relax for a minute (literally).

Opponent of the moment

2009-10-11T21:06:00.009-05:00

Well, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't exactly a formidable opponent at the moment, but the Eagles didn't play down to their level and didn't lose the game. Andy Reid got his 1ooth regular season win and under him, the Eagles are 11-0 following the bye week.

Philadelphia Eagles rookie WR Jeremy Maclin makes his first TD catch, of two on the day vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

His second one, a 40-yd TD pass from QB Donovan McNabb in the 2nd quarter, was a little easier. Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Will Allen is at left.

Philadelphia Eagles FB Leonard Weaver scores the Eagles' 2nd TD of the day in the 2nd quarter on a 20-yd pass play. Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Geno Hayes is on the ground.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Josh Johnson is downed at the end of a run in the 2nd quarter. Philadelphia Eagles from left are Akeem Jordan, Victor Abiamiri, Antonio Dixon & Sheldon Brown (on the ground). I'm too tired to be clever right now. Goodnight.

Heads up!

2009-10-06T18:50:00.002-05:00

Trenton Police department academy recruits sit in the council chambers in city hall during a press conference.

And here are more heads -

And a little more soccer action

Ooh, look at the rainbow!

2009-09-28T20:00:00.007-05:00

Go on, say it. That's what you were thinking anyway. I didn't even notice the rainbow at first. It was the lighting that made me stop my car as I was driving home from work. After some sudden, violent rainfall in the early evening, I caught the sun peeking out from the cloud covers before it went to sleep for the night. It cast some wild light on the brick buildings of the old Roebling Steel complex contrasting them against the dramatic sky.

Eagles Honor Roll

2009-09-28T08:39:00.003-05:00

Two former players were honored at halftime. Randall Cunningham, who played with the team from 1985-1995 and Al Wistert who was an active Eagle from 1943-1951!

Birds in flight

2009-09-28T08:15:00.003-05:00

They're Eagles, so they're supposed to fly, right?

Or sometimes, they make their opponents fly.

And maybe even fly with their opponents.

Corporate photo shoot

2009-09-25T11:24:00.006-05:00

Why, Eagles, Why?

2009-09-20T21:42:00.011-05:00

"Coulda, would, shoulda, didn't." That's a direct quote from former Eagles QB Bubby Brister. Remember him? The Eagles had quite a few different guys line up behind center today with that new Wildcat formation, which was cool because it was so different. It was the first NFL start for the Eagles QB of the future Kevin Kolb. He didn't play great, but he's low on the list of reasons why the Eagles lost.

The game was preceeded by the always awe-inspiring military jet fly-by. I'm serious, when those big birds of fire scream overhead, all I want to know is where do I surrender?

DeSean Jackson's 71 TD catch from QB Kevin Kolb was cause for celebration early.

Unfortunately, there were more big plays going the other way.

Just around the time the Saints' Robert Meache ran out of room to run, my camera ran out of room to fit him inside the frame.

Here's Kevin Kolb late in the game receiving the traditional "Welcome to the NFL, starter" hug from an opponent.

For the love of the game

2009-09-17T22:07:00.003-05:00

In a few days I have my first Eagles game of the season so I welcomed an assignment to photograph the Trenton Central High School vs Notre Dame football game as a warm-up. The only trouble is everything in a pro football game moves about four times as fast. Everything except me.

Heavenly

2009-09-13T16:57:00.004-05:00

Today, I had the joy of photographing a gospel choir group called the "Original Specials" at St. John the Baptist Church in Ewing Township, New Jersey. These six women have been singing together for 41 years. There were no tv cameras, no auto-tune, no studio effects, just authentic human feeling expressed beautifully through the voices of six people. That felt good!

King of the Blues

2009-09-12T10:10:00.004-05:00

OK. It's official. I have the blues and I can still play the blues, but I won't be the King of the Blues, at least not the 2009 Guitar Center King of the Blues. Find out the rest of the story at my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/helpsome12day

Early Bird

2009-09-03T19:22:00.004-05:00

It's really difficult to look at this photograph and not say "Wow!" to these colors. That's what the seagull said. I heard him. Then he said "Goodbye" to summer. Point Pleasant, New Jersey 6:17am

Playing close to the Thunder

2009-08-23T21:58:00.005-05:00

On the way to the game, I saw these kids playing basketball close to the Thunder.

Trenton Thunder, that is. They live across the street from Mercer County Waterfront Park where the Trenton Thunder were hosting the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

The weirdest thing was while I was photographing the action, one of the young man's shots did that thing where the ball gets lodged between the rim and backboard. He scurried up the pole as fast as a squirrel and used his body weight to tip the backboard over and he rode it down to ground level where he pushed the ball free and then let the backboard spring back up into position!

Let the games continue!

Crouton, where is thy crunch?

2009-08-13T10:36:00.004-05:00

Now the storms are getting tricky. They just pop up in discreet little cells, drop torrential rains and then disappear so your friends in a neighboring town go "What are you talking about? It didn't even rain here!" Everything is soggy.

When the Rain Comes...

2009-08-05T23:51:00.005-05:00

It's been a couple of days without a violent thunderstorm, so I'll have to go back to to the end of last month when I got on my poncho and went out in a downpour to get a couple of photos around the Trenton NJ Transit station.

Can you ever see a photo like this and not think of Abbey Road?

A Mighty Wind

2009-08-02T17:24:00.006-05:00

"Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it." - Charles Dudley Warner, collaborator with Mark Twain

Civil Air Patrol Major Michael Carter sifts throught the wreckage of two CAP trailers at the Trenton-Mercer Airport rolled over and destroyed by the morning's storms.

Emergency personnel prepare to remove a small aircraft that was blown off its moorings and wedged in a corner leaning against a building and a gate by a storm that swept through the area at the Trenton-Mercer Airport.

Going back earlier in the week, a similar storm wreaked havoc in the Yardville section of Hamilton Township. Uprooting massive, mature trees and dropping them on homes.

Under two hours

2009-07-26T17:56:00.005-05:00

I had a physically demanding day, how about you, couch potato? I did a triathlon in the morning, a softball game at noon followed by a tennis match later in the day and I'm still not tired. OK, when I say "did" I mean I kind of watched other people "do". I simply documented. The New Jersey State Triathlon was held at Mercer County Park and consisted of the usual, swim, cycle and run. This one also featured the unusual - Martin Weinapple, 74,of Princeton, New Jersey, finishing the Sprint Division (500m swim, 11.5 mile bike, 5K run) in under two hours. Fine for him, but he's making the rest of us look pretty bad ;)

After midnight

2009-07-20T22:02:00.005-05:00

Trenton Police escort youths into the community center at Triumphant Life Community Church in the city's east ward during a joint effort with the mercer County Sheriff's Department to enforce a midnight curfew and get kids off the streets. While inside waiting for an adult guardian to pick them up, a DVD of The Passion of the Christ movie plays on the television.

Just Ducky

2009-07-04T12:14:00.008-05:00

Okay. Everybody into the pool! He meant people, not ducks. A resident of The Island section of Trenton, New Jersey called that a paddling of ducklings had taken up residence in her & her husband's pool, so off I went! I've been to similar assignments before where animals refuse to respect the boundaries of human constructs ;)

It's not a fossil. He's swimming underwater.

And here's the photograph that was the most trouble. The little buggers would move to the opposite direction of the slightest movement of a human at poolside so there was no way to get a close-up photo. That's where I proved that I'm smarter than the average bear...or duck, in this case. I clamped my camera to the pool's ladder with a wireless remote switch. It still took the owner and I about five minutes to maneuver them into position where I could get the wide angle close-up photograph I wanted.

Wedding Day

2009-06-29T08:50:00.003-05:00

After a month of rainy days, last Saturday, the clouds parted for the union of Ted & Jennifer, but it wasn't the weather that made it a beautiful day, it was the joining of two sweet people, their families and their cultures. Congratulations and mazel tov!

I'm jazzed

2009-06-26T23:58:00.007-05:00

In my previous entry, you saw how two nights ago, I "shared the stage" with blues guitarist Chris Duarte and now last night I shared the stage for real, for one song, anyway with world renowned jazz alto saxophonist, Trenton's own Richie Cole. I tried recording the thing on a cheap camcorder but the sound if unusable. Here's the only proof, a video frame grab. Richie very graciously called me up for a blues number (bebop scares me) at his appearance at Bordentown's Record Collector. This night was thirty years in the making since it was about that long ago that Richie played at a picnic I was attending and the word was that musicians could bring their instruments and jam. When I heard all that jazz, I turned around and put my guitar back in the car. He later told me "We could have done blues" and even before The Simpsons came into being, I slapped my forehead and said "Doh!" Now I finally had my second chance and I want to thank Richie Cole and the band for making my dream come true.

I got da blues

2009-06-26T06:55:00.005-05:00

Last night I got to see Blues guitarist Chris Duarte in a master class and concert performance at the War Memorial in Trenton. The unusual setup features the audience sitting on the back of the stage and the performers on the front of the stage facing us. Sounds mixed-up, but it's a very intimate setting, plus I can now tell people that I shared the stage with Chris Duarte! That's Chris at left with local phenom Paul Plumeri Jr during the master class. There are sixteen photos at http://michaelmancuso.zenfolio.com

2009-06-14T22:44:00.001-05:00

(above) Graduating seniors from Notre Dame High School in Lawrence Township turn their tassels during commencement ceremonies held at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. (below) Heartfelt hug. Are we really done with high school?

2009-06-10T19:04:00.002-05:00

I heard some insightful comments in North Trenton the other day at a press conference/vigil in memory of shooting victim Tamrah Leonard, 13, who was killed by stray gunfire while at a block party billed as an event to help stop the violence in Trenton's North Ward hosted by North Ward city council candidate and New Black Panther Party youth minister Divine Allah, top left. I heard pain, sorrow and frustration, and things like "Don't say a gang member killed one of our babies. Say one of our babies killed one of our babies."

2009-06-07T19:24:00.005-05:00

You can make up your own headline for this one using the words hot, dog, hotdog, well you get the idea . Last Sunday was the 3rd Annual Bark At The Park Day presented by Dogs & Cats Rule at Trenton's Waterfront Park, home of the Trenton Thunder a minor league NY Yankees affiliate. Fans were invited to bring their dogs and this is Yorkshire Terrier "Rudy".

Earlier that day...(top photo) During a presentation on Peace in Judaism, in the New Jersey State Museum Auditorium, Marsha Rudolph, of Lambertville, NJ, holds in her hand a pointer used to follow along in reading or singing from the Torah. Out of respect, the Torah itself is not touched, so a pointer is used as a placeholder. (bottom two photos) Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum of String of Pearls Congregation in Princeton talks about and reads from the Torah scrolls. Participants next walked up West State Street to Trinity Cathedral, for a presentation on Peace in Christianity, where the event concluded with an Interfaith Potluck Dinner.

2009-05-25T15:15:00.003-05:00

What an awesome day I had yesterday photographing the wedding(s) of Sara & Ajay! I almost never get sick, but came down with laryngitis on Saturday. Fortunately my style is to seamlessly blend into the background for most of the day and when I needed to communicate, my assistant (and son) Andy was my voice. Thank you, Sara and Ajay for allowing me to be part of your memorable Memorial Day weekend.

2009-05-14T21:10:00.006-05:00

Last Sunday I got to photograph country legend Randy Travis at his Mother's Day concert in Trenton at Patriots Theater. Besides being a photojournalist, I do some graphic design and now features editing at The Times and I put him on the cover of our weekend entertainment tab called Good Times so I thought I'd go and see in him in person, too. I'm not the world's biggest country fan, but still a fan. I've never seen a big country star in person and Randy is big and he and his band are damn good and I say that as a fan and lifelong musician. It's always a pleasure to see someone at the top of their game, even if it's a game I'm not good at myself. First, here's the cover:

(I had to give a little shout out to the Star Trek movie opening, too.) And here's from the concert:

Also, I posted some others on a site I'm trying out called Zenfolio. The slideshow feature is nice. (The icon is near the top right.) http://michaelmancuso.zenfolio.com/p472687973/h1d378c66#h1fe486fc

2009-05-08T19:48:00.006-05:00

Last Sunday was a real dog and pony show and in the words of Sammy Davis Jr. "And I mean that!" (If you don't know who he is, you're a lot younger than I am.) There was a horse show in Hunterdon County followed by the Trenton Kennel Club's 80th Annual All-Breed Dog Show held in Mercer County Park.

Clockwise from top left, Uli, a bulldog from Manhattan, chills (literally) with a cold compress wrapped around her head waiting for the finals. Hickory, a scottish deerhound and Best in Show winner gets groomed before the official photograph is made and Morgan Mattrioli, 14, leads Hawaii Quinn, a great dane, around the ring during judging.They won 1st place in the Junior Division Open Intermediate.

Now for the equine part, clockwise from top left, American Saddlebred horse named The King's talent is ridden by Julie Butler, of Trenton, New Jersey. Check out the horse's posture. Looks like a real merry-go-round horse. So that's where they get that! Before the show King's Talent is groomed with clippers by Lalo Carroen and finally, Theresa Scott, of Long Valley, New Jersey, shows an American Saddlebred horse named A Magic Surprise.

2009-04-30T07:12:00.005-05:00

My boss told me he was going to want me to get a weather photo the next day, but as every National Geographic photographer wannabe knows, the best light is usually around dawn and dusk. So I had three choices, wait until the next day and take my chances with the glaring, overhead sun, wait until the next day and wake up at dawn (?!?) or wait until dusk later that day. It wasn't a tough choice, especially since there are more people around at dusk than dawn. After I went home, I waited a couple of hours and went out "in search of." I soon found a park and a young man fishing in a pond. The dwindling light was right and the soft glow of the lights from a little league baseball game next to the pond even helped brighten up the young lad. I braced my elbows on a fence and made the exposure. I left the horizon slightly tilted as I originally shot it because it to me it looks like the curvature of the earth. In fact, with the blue water and green moss, the pond looks like the earth. The only problem is it's a horizontal and they need a vertical for the cover of a magazine. Doh!

2009-04-19T18:16:00.003-05:00

I discovered a previously unkown fact today while at St George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. Jesus rose two times. Hey, I didn't say it. A parishoner did, although it was tongue-in-cheek. Today is Easter (the day celebrating the rising from the dead of Jesus Christ) according to Greek Orthodox tradition, whereas the rest of Christianity celebrated Easter last Sunday. Anyway, before there's hell to pay, let me tell you I can't imagine a better church for photography. The iconography, the artwork and the lighting, not to mention the people! Absolutely georgeous! I always feel humbled to be a welcome guest in something as personal to a group of people as a house of worship.

2009-04-13T17:37:00.004-05:00

Nothing but blue skies (with the help of a polarizing filter) last Thursday around downtown Trenton.

A section of side wall falls from what was a prison as demolition progresses on the area located behind the Old Mercer County Courthouse on S. Broad and Market Streets.

Warm weather has encouraged flowers to bloom and pedestrians to walk along West State Street near the statehouse.

2009-04-02T21:43:00.002-05:00

Mazel Tov! Clockwise from top left; Princeton University student Ethan Ludmir, a board member of Chabad on Campus, holds up the new Torah at a dedication ceremony held at the Rockefeller College Common Room on the campus of Princeton University. Following the dedication ceremony, the new Torah is carried by Zvi Webb (various people took turns) in a procession to its permanent home in the Chabad House, just off campus. A student reads music taped to the person walking in front of him. Later when I asked Zvi for his name for the caption, he gave it to me along with a brief history of Judaism. (I did give him permission to explain what was happening even though I've photographed quite a few Torah dedications. He was a very nice man.)

2009-03-26T06:59:00.003-05:00

The American Boychoir and Alumni Choir, eighty men and boys, spanning six decades, present their Annual Homecoming Concert at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 801 West Street, Trenton. Inside the church, with violins and cellos playing and those voices, the sound was beyond understanding.

2009-03-21T10:07:00.003-05:00

Now that Spring has arrived...

Last Saturday night I saw my best friend and his wife and they told me they were thinking of calling me because earlier that day two neighborhood girls were hanging around outside reading in the mild weather. Well they were hanging around alright, up in a tree reading. Since I was working the next day I said to give me a call if they climb up there again and they did, so off I went and here it is.

When it ran in the paper, editor Bill Mooney used the headline "Library branches."

2009-03-08T22:25:00.004-05:00

How much personality can one three-year-old have? Here's your answer. Ryan Schultz, 3, who has been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is the center of attention, in this family photo. (The kid is a total charmer.) His father, David, left, has started a foundation called Ryan's Quest, "to increase awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy with the purpose of allocating funds for research that has the greatest potential of finding a cure or treatment for this disease." Most patients are wheelchair dependent by age 12. Life expectancy varies from early teens to age mid 30s. Ryan's mom, Maria is at right feeding Ryan's one-month-old brother, Mason.

2009-03-02T20:47:00.005-05:00

In my own personal version of March Madness, here are two more basketball photos, with a twist. One is action from a Rider University game on Sunday March 1st. That's Ryan Thompson for Rider. His older brother Jason graduated Rider and now plays for the NBA's Sacramento Kings. I photographed their parents for a story and they are a crazy couple! Crazy in a good way.

This one is Steinert High School teacher Tracy Quinn, in her classroom. When she played for Hamilton High School, her team won the state championship, coached by a great guy and former band mate of mine, Mickey Kessler. He forgot more about basketball than I'll ever know.

2009-02-26T23:26:00.000-05:00

Lisa Lenihan, of Hamilton, holds her six week old son Liam, for the distribution of ashes during a lunchtime Ash Wednesday service at St. Gregory the Great Church on Nottingham Way in Hamilton Township, New Jersey. I wonder what Liam is giving up for Lent.

2009-02-24T23:36:00.005-05:00

I've been to a few basketball games these past days. The big photo, above right, was from the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton. I went up as high as I could (press box) and got a clear background when I finally got a guy going up for a shot, facing the right way. At regular old high school gyms, the bleachers don't go way up, so I usually go low, on the floor to be exact and sometimes the players do, too.

2009-02-15T08:18:00.007-05:00

On Friday I got to spend a couple of hours hanging out with and photographing two homeless teens for the do1thing project at HomeFront's Huchet House, in Trenton, New Jersey, a place where family care workers and a parent educator focus on ensuring pregnant homeless women receive needed services like prenatal care and employment training. I tried something different, too, my first foray into slideshows with audio. I had just purchased a digital audio recorder, for two reasons, they have really come way down in price and my sister had given me a B&H Photo gift card for my birthday. It was delivered on Wednesday and I brought it with me as an afterthought to Huchet House and got a very little bit of reluctant audio from the girls before I left. It took me most of Saturday to learn how to edit the audio and incorporate it into a slideshow using various "new to me" programs. After I sent my still photos and slideshows to do1thing, I posted the slideshows on my own webspace. Each one is roughly thirty seconds long. I only had a couple of hours to be in their worlds, but it seems even stranger to try and tell their story in thirty seconds.

You can see them here:

www.MichaelMancuso.us/Yakima

www.MichaelMancuso.us/Tamara

2009-02-09T22:58:00.004-05:00

What's the word I'm looking for...? Well if these people can't help, there's no hope. They are participants in The Classics 9th Annual Scrabble Invitational held at Classics Bookstore, 117 South Warren Street, Trenton, on a Sunday morning. What an eclectic mix of people! I guess word nerds (and I use the term lovingly) come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Starting with the young...

Here's the view from the top (of a bookshelf).

Ah, yes! Thinks that help you think, juice and a Dunkin' Donut.

Back to the word "nerd." Here's an expensive stopwatch. It costs $200 and it requires a $25/month data plan. I'm just jealous of the "Google phone."

2009-01-30T20:31:00.003-05:00

It happens every year. In the northeast it gets cold. Birds fly south for the winter. I don't. I guess that makes me less than a bird-brain...

...0r perhaps a horse's ass. At least he's smart enough to wear a jacket while it was raining.

And here we have the civilized human, off to catch a train to work, no matter what the weather.

2009-01-25T18:19:00.010-05:00

What should I call this, Mommy' s going off to war? She is. Guardswoman Sgt Zelene Diaz walks with her son David Diaz, 4 following a Departure Ceremony for the 1-150th Assault Helicopter Battalion shippiing out for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Earlier, Sgt Richard Schwartz, right, sings "God Bless America" to conclude the ceremony.

NJ Gov Jon Corzine, 2nd from right and MG Glenn K Reith, right, Adjutant General of New Jersey applaud. The others in photo from left are Senators from NJ, Robert Mendez and Frank Lautenberg.

From left, Chaplain Joanne Martindal plants a kiss on the cheek of Madison Tolska, 8, months, held by her dad, Capt. Eric Tolska onstage after the ceremony was over. Last week, I was at the inauguration and now this today. Makes me proud to be an American.