It’s hard to be pessimistic about my job when I get to shoot something new every day. My favorite photo mantra is about how a photographer’s favorite assignment is his next one. Sure, some days are better than others, but at least every day is different. Here’s a random selection from the past few weeks.

Students in the building trades program at the Ohio Hi-Point Career School, from left, Brandon Schwyn, Trey Bowersmith and John Baesmann lower tools down to project supervisor Ben Ludlow at the end of the work day on March 11. The students are working with UCo Industries to build a home that will be donated to a Union County family.

Washington Elementary fifth graders, from left, Scott Morris, Garrett Askew and Luke Seman perform “On Top of Old Smokey” using IBC root beer bottles filled with varying amounts of water during a practice before school on Feb. 26. The trio will compete against other grades at the school on March 5. The winner of that competition will face bottle musicians from other schools in the district.

Since being diagnosed with kidney disease just before his twenty first birthday, Youth Needing Organ & Tissue Transplants founder Edward Drake, now 23, has assisted nearly 500 kids during their quest for new organs. The Toledo native started YNOTT in order to raise awareness about becoming organ and tissue donors and to provide support for those in need of a donation.

Otterbein College security officer Chase Rogers writes a parking ticket outside the Campus Center building on March 10. Otterbein is in the process of turning their security force into sworn-in police officers.

Gary Carter clips the hair of Pickerington resident Shawn Wuertz on March 19. Carter, owner of Reynoldsburg Center Barber Shop, is hanging up his sheers after 35 years in the hair cutting business.

In order to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis, the National MS Society arranged for LeVeque Tower and the AEP headquarters in downtown Columbus to light up orange.

And last, but not least, I chuckled as I followed these two pooches enjoying the spring breeze…

Basically had to go back for day 2 of the state wrestling meet to pick up the scraps, so to speak. Since we got action of all our wrestlers on day 1, I mainly focused on getting features, though I did manage to get some decent action frames.

Shooting the finals was a different beast altogether. There were only three mats set up, and fortunately, I only had four wrestlers who were all in different weight classes. There was a lot of pageantry before the matches started. The mats were actually elevated two feet off the ground. A herd of pro and wannabe photographers lined up shoulder-to-shoulder along the side of the mats opposite the officials and coaches. Unfortunately, I was only one for four in the winner department.

2008 U.S. freestyle wrestling gold medalist Henry Cejudo

Before heading back to the Schottenstein Center for the second day of the Ohio state wrestling meet, I thought I’d post some of my shots from yesterday. We had three shooters covering the three-division event. Our primary objective was to get a usable action shot of every local wrestler. There were times when all three of us had three wrestlers we were covering on the mats at the same time. It was a bit of a zoo atmosphere. Fortunately, we got everyone and I can focus on finding features this evening and tomorrow.

Thomas Worthington’s Alex Karageorge takes a knee after losing to Mason’s Dan McCormack in the 285-pound class during the opening round of the state wrestling meet at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center on March 5.

Marion Franklin’s Filandus Boyd, right, gets twisted up with Tyler Regan of Miamisburg in the 112-pound class.

Bishop Hartley’s Jarrod Zang gets pinned by Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy’s Alex Utley in the 160-pound class.

Hilliard Davidson’s Tyler Rich, right, tries to keep his balance while wrestling Westlake’s Nick Lawrence in the 125-pound class.

Upper Arlington coaches Matt Stout, left, and Brett Purcell talk to senior Kevin Drake after his come-from-behind victory over Wadsworth’s Nate Ball in the 145-pound class.

Johnstown’s Chris Block, left, tangles up Delta’s Max Pennington in the 140-pound class.

Janis Krums‘ iPhone photo (larger version) talked about yesterday in Silicon Alley Insider ran six columns wide on today’s LA Times front page.

Check out this link to see a collection of the best 100 photos shot by ThisWeek photographers in 2008. My colleague Tim Norman spent a lot of time pouring through thousands of captioned photographs from our 2008 archive to put together the slideshow.

View it here.