Hey, guess what I’m celebrating today!

Yes indeed, Burrill Strong Photography officially started five years ago today. I wanted to write a massive pile of magnificent prose to mark the occasion, but I found that I didn’t have much to say. And besides, it’s Burrill Strong Photography, not Burrill Strong Proseography. So, in the absence of magnificent prose, here are some of my favorite photographs from the past year. (These are somewhat chronological, but not strictly so.)

A Chelsea baserunner narrowly avoids the tag on his way to third base.

Current & former CHS baseball players gather for Akel Marshall’s retirement ceremony.

Anna Rode keeps an eye on the ball for a photo to accompany a feature article in the Standard.

A Dreadnaught and a Bulldog fight for the ball in a playoff game. The game went to a shootout. Dexter won.

A Dreadnaught avoids the penalty against Ladywood in the playoffs. The loss ended Dexter’s season.

A Chelsea softball player finds herself oddly synchronized with the umpire.

On a dry day, sliding into home plate can be dusty.

The CHS softball team keeps an eye on the action from the dugout.

This is a good example of how much fun reflections can be to photograph.

The flexing bat makes this one of my favorite photos of the spring.

The aftermath of a playoff loss provides powerful images.

On the other hand, playoff victories provide fun images. Here, Milan softball celebrates a regional victory.

The Milan softball team celebrates the final out of its win in the state semifinal.

Milan’s senior pitcher Kat Hoffman reacts to the Big Reds’ defeat in the championship game.

The Belleville lacrosse goalie levels a Dreadnaught. He scored anyway.

As Chelsea and Saline demonstrate here, lacrosse is a very physical game.

A CHS lacrosse helmet lays on the field during halftime of a game late in the season.

Local veterans stand during Chelsea’s Memorial Day ceremony.

A local resident makes contact during a vintage base ball game.

A classic car drives through Chelsea’s classic downtown on a beautiful day in May.

An area band performs at one of Chelsea’s Sounds & Sights on Thursday Nights events.

The drummer of the Macpodz is silhouetted by the stage lights during Chelsea’s Sounds & Sights festival.

A local family enjoys the music during one of Chelsea’s Sounds & Sights events.

Fireworks light up the sky during the Independence Day celebration at Hudson Mills Metropark.

The Chelsea fair’s demolition derby is always a popular attraction.

This year’s derby was accompanied by a stunning thunderstorm.

I wasn’t kidding about the storm being stunning. That’s all lightning behind the clouds.

The Run for the Rolls has become a popular race. It runs down Main Street immediately before the fair parade.

Chelsea’s own Jiffy Mixes hands out hundred of boxes of its mixes during the fair parade.

Andy asked me to take his senior portraits.

Chelsea opened its football season by defeating Novi during the Big Day Prep Showdown at EMU.

Dom Davis and the Chelsea defense stifled Novi.

CHS football games are the place to be on Friday nights in the fall.

I had the privilege of photographing a first birthday party. Can you tell her dad is a football coach?

My good friends Mike and Bethany asked me to take their engagement photos.

Mike and Bethany might be vaguely fond of each other.

Mike and Bethany also asked me to take a few photos of their wedding at Somerset Beach Campground.

The sand made one wedding guest very happy.

The Chelsea Area Fire Authority holds an open house every year. Kids always enjoy using the fire hose.

That’s using your head.

You’d think this wouldn’t end well, but…it did.

A Bulldog takes a soccer ball directly to the face. This wouldn’t be funny if he’d been hurt. But he was fine, so it’s hilarious.

Did you know Chelsea has a veterans’ memorial? It’s well worth a visit.

Local elementary school students listen during Chelsea’s Veterans Day ceremony.

The kids brought gifts to present to the veterans after the ceremony.

CHS senior Bryce Bradley outlasted his knee brace to win a cross country state championship.

Skyline basketball featured a high-flying senior.

Lincoln basketball proved to be too athletic for Dexter.

The CHS basketball student section got loud for Chelsea’s game against county rival Dexter.

This is one gorgeous Albuquerque sunset.

Youth Dance Theatre puts on a superb production of the Nutcracker each year.

Sometimes wrestlers’ bodies bend in ways they shouldn’t.

And sometimes wrestlers find themselves with new perspectives on the world.

The University of Michigan staged an art exhibition at Chelsea’s abandoned Federal Screw Works factory.

The FSW exhibition featured some curious sights.

Chelsea hockey played Skyline at the University of Michigan’s venerable Yost Ice Arena.

Chelsea’s Kyle Whipple took the opportunity to level Saline’s goalie. The hit resulted in 17 minutes of penalties for Whipple.

Dexter’s goalie absorbs the Dreadnaughts’ overtime loss to Lumen Christi in the playoffs.

Chelsea’s fans celebrate along with Austin Sullens after a goal against Lumen Christi in the playoffs.

Steve Jacobs, owner of Velocity Data Centers, poses during a photo shoot.

Theater lighting provided this backdrop for a Chelsea House Orchestra concert.