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During the summer months daily assignment work can be slow and, on the rarest of occasions, I might not even have any assignments. Thursday happened to be a no assignment day. With our schedules both open, summer intern John Adkisson challenged me to a shoot out with these rules:

1. Best single photograph wins.

2. The photo must be shot between the hours of 10:00 am and 12:00 pm.

3. The photo must be shot outdoors.

4.  Photographing people you already know is not permitted.

5. The photo can be black and white or color.

6. Both photos would be judged by Chris Zaluski, Multimedia Producer at The Roanoke Times.

I accepted the challenge and then realized that I might be in over my head. The quality of light between the agreed upon hours is not optimal for making photographs. In addition to that, I'm competing with an emerging photographer who is full of energy and has a fresh perspective on a city I've lived in for three years.  And lastly, there isn't too much outdoor activity happening on a late weekday morning.  With that litany of excuses I set out to find my photo.

After cruising through a few neighborhoods I found this moment. I also learned that the popular activities during the agreed upon hours are either walking or porch sitting.

-Jared Soares

Lacalvin Hickman (left) and A.J. Johnson share a laugh while fighting over a water hose after washing their car Thursday morning in Northwest Roanoke. The duo spent the morning washing their car for the week.

On Wednesday afternoon, I asked Jared if he wanted to have a shootout.  He agreed and later showed me a video of a Great White shark eating a seal in the spirit of friendly competition.  The challenge was on.

When we started on Thursday morning, I drove around for the first hour unable to find anything interesting.  I started to sweat a little bit and wondered if I was going to find anything at all.  I drove past this neighborhood on a whim and, luckily, I found Gladys hanging clothes out on a clothesline.

Gladys Hubbard, of Roanoke, hangs clothes out on a clothesline on Thursday morning near the intersection of Keats St. and Centre Ave. in Roanoke.

After returning to the office, I thought I'd done a decent job, but I took one look at Jared's photo and knew he'd won.  Jared captured a real moment in the late morning heat.  I'm glad Jared accepted the challenge, and I'm okay with getting beaten by an awesome photojournalist.   It was a fun experience and challenge.  Until next time.

-John Adkisson

Judges Comments:

Forest Park Academy student DeAndre Mumford, 19, lets his daughter Raynee Mumford try on his cap after Forest Park Academy's closing exercise at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke on June 11, 2009. Photo by Jared Soares | The Roanoke Times.

Marvin Fuentes of Roanoke sleeps during the lunch hour while working Tuesday afternoon at the new Green Ridge Recreation Center in Roanoke County. The building is expected to open in January 2010, offering an indoor pool, a walking track, a small waterpark and other features. John W. Adkisson / The Roanoke Times

I was photographing this walking tour of a new recreation center in Roanoke County, when I spotted this guy taking a nap.  I thought about how awesome naps are, in general.  I remember taking naps in kindergarten when I was a kid, after gulping down a carton of milk.  It's a shame that as you get older there's less time for naps and nobody around to hand you a carton of milk.

Riders practice backstage at the 2009 Roanoke Valley Horse Show. Photo by Kyle Green/The Roanoke Times

Participants, workers and spectators trekked through the mud at the Salem Civic Center on the first day of the 38th annual Roanoke Valley Horse Show as the rains fell intermittently Monday afternoon.  Photo by Stephanie Klein-Davis / The Roanoke Times