cowgirls up

Made some photos while hanging out with my mom this weekend...three are from a horse show and one's from a summer festival, but I thought they all went together thematically.

art and picture pages

Last week I hung out with some kids making art and tried to make art of them. Here are some images and on the bottom, the picture page we ran in CM-Life.


Madison "Maddie" Thrush, 7, leans into her grandmother, Jeannie Thrush, of Shepherd, Monday afternoon at Art Reac, 319 South University Avenue. Jeannie is leading art classes this week for 6-8 year olds in the mornings and 10-12 year olds in the afternoons. Maddie is part of the morning class, but stayed later to be with her grandmother.


Matthew Szymczak, 9, balances a miniature variation of a geodesic dome made of rolled newspaper during arts camp for 10-12 year old kids Monday at Art Reach, 319 South University Ave. Szymczak attends Sacred Heart Academy and will be in third grade in the fall. “This is like the only art class where the teacher has let me get out of the ordinary project and just make things,” said Szymczak, who received a sewing machine for his ninth birthday this week and is currently using it at home to make a pillow for his dad.


Laura Beadle, 10, untangles yarn to be used in her weaved sunflower project Monday at Art Reach. Laura will be a fifth grader this fall at Mary Mcguire Elementary.

walk for the world

It's been awhile since I've been actively participating in an event rather than documenting it. Saturday was Heart Cry International's Walk for the World, going ten miles on foot to raise money for upcoming mission trips to Haiti and Uganda, with pledges by the mile. HCI is sending a team to Haiti in August and I am hoping to go as a volunteer documentary photog - I was blessed to get a few pledges. A big thank you goes out to everyone who supported my walk, as well as Heart Cry's efforts to start an orphanage in Port-au-Prince and continue fueling another in Uganda.



It was an amazing day. I documented, but it was different to be part of a group rather than looking always through a lens. If I can go to Haiti in August, it will be an exhausting experience, because I intend to do the work of a volunteer but document as a photojournalist. Saturday was a taste of what that would be like, I think - being around these people was amazing. I didn't push myself the same way I would on assignment because my focus was to walk, but I did make a few pictures I liked.


"This is totally a mom-love thing," said Nicole Homan as she carried her son, Abe, 6, on her back Saturday around mile three of Heart Cry International's Walk for the World in Mount Pleasant. Abe weighs approximately 60 lbs. and was adopted from Liberia several years ago. At that time, he was so thin and sickly he could not be supported by the orphanage, which contacted Heart Cry International's director, Carla Ives, asking if she knew anyone who could adopt and restore him to health. Carla's daughter, Nicole, and her husband, Matt, were freshly married and came to Carla, saying they felt called to make Abe their firstborn. Abe's actual birthday is unknown except for clues in his dental records, which indicate he is five years old. However, since he is tall for his age he is often thought older, so at his annual birthday party this fall, Nicole told him he could decide to be five, or six, and his following birthdays would reflect that in years following. Abe chose to be six. (Photo by Libby March)

I took a pretty big shine to Abe; he was such a smart, inquisitive kid, and he loved using my camera...I wish I'd've had one when I let him borrow mine, dawdling a block behind to snap frames of houses or cars or whatever struck his fancy. His story is indicative of differences that really can and are made, and I'm so glad I have the chance to rub elbows with people who make them.

For more photos from the day, click.

remembering Lon

This is a film noir-inspired triptych I did for a final project I had in a digital imaging class taught by Lon Ferguson, one of my favorite professors ever. He recently died and I went to a celebration of life event for him at the school gallery Tuesday night.

Lon taught the first photo class I ever took, as a scared, confused, frustrated CMU freshman - three years ago. He made us learn exposures the hard way - with straight hard math on tests and the pain of long hours in the darkroom pulling our hair out to find what number of filter to fix a horribly flat print. He always had a terrible joke on hand and an ear to listen to whatever mildly trite art idea we had or technical issue we struggled with. He graded hard and made us laugh. I continued to take classes with him because he pushed us to be better, and I knew I'd learn the technical things I needed to.

I owe any technical understanding of exposures to him, and even more any understanding of Photoshop. I'll never forget how encouraging he was every time I beat myself up for falling short of my lofty artistic expectations. Thanks for everything, Lon.

sportier than i've ever been before...

I think I've been to more high school sporting events over the past couple weekends than I ever went to in high school. And, I think I had a lot more fun shooting than I ever would've cheering as a high schooler (I have to confess I was one of those anti-cheery types in my formative, oh-so-long ago years...ha ha)

LIBBY MARCH | for the Daily News
Meridian High School sophomore Taylor Hull slides into a home run, narrowly missing being tagged out, during the Meridian Mustangs' game Saturday against Ithaca High School's Yellowjackets at Meridian High School. The Mustangs prevailed over the Yellowjackets 4-0.


Meridian High School senior Brittanie Coleman rounds third base during the Mustangs' game against the Ithaca Yellowjackets Saturday at Meridian High School. Coleman made it home and contributed to the Mustangs' win over the Yellowjackets with a score of 4-0.

Pioneer High School's Fernanda Arruda returns a point to Midland's H. H. Dow High School's Katie Close during their No. 4 singles match, battling for the Division 1 State Finals title Saturday at the Midland Community Tennis Center. Arruda lost to Close 0-6, 5-7..(Libby March | for AnnArbor.com)


Lauren Wilcox, center, hugs her No. 1 doubles partner, Paige Munroe, tightly as fellow Pioneer High School tennis players surround them, celebrating their victory over Midland's H. H. Dow High School's Meghan Woody and Allie Vickery Saturday at Midland Community Tennis Center. Wilcox and Munroe beat Woody and Vickery after three sets and a final score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4..(Libby March | for AnnArbor.com)


Libby March | for the Morning Sun
Shepard High School senior Wesley Kenny, a first baseman, slides to second base during the Bluejays' varsity game against the Reese Rockets Saturday at Valley Lutheran High School in Saginaw, Mich. Kenny was pronounced out.


Clare High School senior Kristopher English pitches during the Pioneers' game against Saint Charles High School Saturday at Valley Lutheran High School in Saginaw, Mich.

running uphill

I felt very free on this day.

summer special olympics! white space!

It's my second week as temporary CM-Life photo editor for summer, and last week staff photographer Amelia Eramya and I covered Special Olympics; her photo (right center) is part of coverage on Special O athletes staying in the dorms here on campus. The rest I shot of some of the facets of the Summer Games.

Designer Chelsea Kleven and I teamed up for more space and bigger photos; I think we're both pretty excited about this page. It's the kind of thing I've always wanted to do at Life - more space and bigger photos than we run as a general rule.

To see a gallery of Special Olympics images larger, check out the CM-Life slideshow.

midland sure likes to run and walk..

Kirk Walrath, 40, crosses the finish line on Mill Street with a time of 33.46 to win the 10K race as part of the the 25th Annual Midland Community Center's Dow Run/Walk on Saturday. "I wanted to break 34.00," said Walrath, who said he felt "surprised and pretty happy" about coming in first this year.

Water is poured on Adreanne Dobos, 4, of Beaverton, after she finished the 1 Mile Run as part of the 25th Annual Midland Community Center's Dow Run/Walk on Saturday near the Midland Community Center. Adreanne, cheered on by her parents, Adam and Jennifer Dobos, aunts, Amy and Annie Dobos, and uncle, Aaron Dobos, completed the run as the last section of her "kid marathon," running 25 miles over the course of two months.

Participants in the 1 Mile Run prepare to take off from the corner of Mill Street and North Street Saturday during the 25th Annual Midland Community Center's Dow Run/Walk.

quinceanera time in the upper peninsula

I went home for a long weekend and celebrated both my sisters' birthdays; these are from my baby sister's 15th birthday party.








Happy birthday Laur!