About Eric Seals

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“If you learn to shoot with your heart, you’ll move peoples souls.” That was said to Eric back in 1993 by a good friend and is something he thinks about as a photo and video journalist for the Detroit Free Press.


A graduate of the University of Missouri in 1993 he went to work at The State Newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina until 1999 when he joined the staff at the Detroit Free Press.


Over the years Eric has covered Presidential campaigns, intifadas in Israel/Palestine, 5 months covering the war in Iraq and many sports from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing to several Super Bowls, World Series and NBA Finals.

In 2008, in addition to doing stills, Eric started shooting video features and projects for the Free Press and the CBS-Detroit morning show. He’s been recognized for his video story telling with a national Webby Award and several Michigan Emmys along with several state and national awards for his photojournalism.

Eric has taught at several workshops around the country from the Mountain Peoples Workshop at Western Kentucky University to being a fellow (May 08) and speaker (May 09) at the Knight Digital Media Center at the University of California-Berekley. He really loves to mentor and teach others who are interested in this great profession of video storytelling. Seals is married and has two kids ages 12 and 7.

Stories

Digital media stories published elsewhere by Eric Seals:

  • 1st Black Marines go on a journey back into time [edit]
    Detroit area Montford Marines, the 1st Black Marines to fight in World War 2, were given a trip down memory lane with many old black and white pictures from a retired Army veteran from Clarksville, Tennessee. Julius Singleton. Check out the story and video about these men 612 miles apart. How the pictures came to be in Singleton's hands, why he wanted to share the 77 pictures and what it all means to these men in their 90's http://tinyurl.com/Montford-Marines-Remember Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press
  • Marcus Buggs - Fighting the odds, gets into college [edit]
    Second video on Marcus Buggs a teen who is trying to overcome major odds. He saw his dad killed in front of him when he was 9. His mom is in federal prison and he's helping his grandfather raise his 4 siblings while going to high school. This story and video takes you with Marcus as he gets fitted for his 1st suit, receives an award and visits a college where he shocks everyone with some great news. 1st story and video about Marcus is here -> http://tinyurl.com/GrowingUpQuick Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press
  • Godzilla the wild turkey attacks a woman in Michigan [edit]
    Edna Geisler 69, of Commerce Township, Michigan gave the name Godzilla to this wild turkey that has been terrorizing her at her home for a month. Most days Edna can barely make it out to her car without the turkey attacking her. The Department of Natural Resources was called for help on removing this bird protected under Michigan law but they said they could not help her. Some think Godzilla is being territorial because mating season is getting close. ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press
  • Marcus Buggs - Growing up quick, determined to succeed! [edit]
    Marcus Buggs, of Ann Arbor, MI was getting ready to blow out 18 birthday candles but in reality he's been a man since he was 9. He saw his dad shot & killed in front of him and his mom has been in & out of jail ever since. Never really having the "typical" teenage life, he had to help raise his siblings. Marcus is so determined to succeed, be a role model & not let the bad things define him. Check out the story & video in the Detroit Free Press by writer David Jesse & I. Marcus is someone you want to root for, he inspiring! http://tinyurl.com/GrowingUpQuick
  • Wes Leonard - His tragic death leads to saving lives. [edit]
    On March 3, 2011, Fennville High School basketball star Wes Leonard died of sudden cardiac arrest after sinking the winning shot to send his team into the playoffs. He could have been saved with an AED but the battery was dead. Almost one year later his mom Jocelyn Leonard leads the Wes Leonard Heart Team making a difference & saving lives, one school at a time by educating schools on the importance of AED's. Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press eseals@freepress.com
  • Happy as Pigs in Slop; Mud Day in Detroit [edit]
    Shot with 3 GoPro's. Two hand held & one a kid wearing one mounted on a Chesty. 1,000's of kids from Metro Detroit became pigs in slop as they covered themselves with lots of mud during the 24th annual Mud Day at Hines Park in Westland, a suburb of Detroit. Over 20,000 gallons of water & 200 tons of topsoil made a hot day in Metro Detroit cooler for many. Shot with GoPro's ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press
  • Petie the Lost dog. From Tennessee & back again [edit]
    Petie, a 4-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, went missing from Erin, Tennessee and his 77-year-old owner in July. Somehow Petie made the 600 mile trek to Rochester Hills, Michigan. A volunteer from the Michigan Humane Society is reuniting the two tomorrow when they drive him back down to his home. A microchip inside Petie made the process of finding Petey's owner easier. Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press
  • Trailblazers; 1st Black Marines to fight in WWII [edit]
    Video that I shot & produced on the Montford Marines, the 1st Black Marines to fight for their country during WWII. Of the 20,000 a little more than 200 are still living. Congress will soon bestow on them one of the highest honors in our country the Congressional Gold Medal. Now in their late 80's some of the 1st Blacks in the US Marine Corps known as the Montford Marines talk about their experiences serving their country in World War II. While fighting in the South Pacific they were being discriminated against at home & abroad but will soon get their due respect. Eric Seals/Detroit Free Press eseals@freepress.com
  • Detroit crime victims, victimized again [edit]
    Eighty-nine year old Irene Phimister was beaten to an inch of her life over six dollars and a handful of jewelry so a few guys could feed their heroin habit. Irene is owed $1,200 but has yet to see it. Hundreds of crime victims like her in Metro Detroit are still waiting on millions in restitution money to be mailed to them. The process to pay has been a long, slow and often times non-existent. The prosecutors and clerks office blame each other while the money just sits in a bank and victims sit and wait. ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press
  • The Art of the Foul Ball [edit]
    May 2008 fellow Eric Seals records the stories of those lucky enough to grab a major league baseball souvenir. More multimedia coverage of that same day at the ballpark can be found here.
  • Remote control car racing takes off! [edit]
    On any given Saturday during the summer, some grown men go out for a round of golf, some just like to race remote control cars. At a dirt track in Metro Detroit these guys race the kind of cars you can't find at Radio Shack or Toys R Us for $50. They are basically scaled down versions of race cars that can go as fast as 60 mph & cost up to $2,000. They all do it not just to feel young again but for the fun, competition and the camaraderie of it all. ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press
  • Professional arm wrestling [edit]
    The Hit Squad is a group of 11 men from Metro Detroit who train & compete for national championships in arm wrestling. Having muscle is a huge help but so is technique, attitude, focus & desire. ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press
  • Video poem; The 1st Day of Kindergarten, [edit]
    Milestones for many parents? Their baby's 1st steps & learning to talk but nothing makes them as nervous & emotional as watching their kids head off to kindergarten. A really nice poem written by a kindergarten teacher called "The First Day" puts it all in perspective. ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press
  • Local Coach's in Video [edit]
    Fellow Eric Seals, photographer and multimedia producer for the Detroit Free Press produced this fantastic video on local coach Courtney Hawkins of Flint (MI) Beecher High School.
  • Turkey Farm in Metro Detroit [edit]
    KDMC workshop fellow Eric Seals created an excellent video essay about a Turkey Farm in Metro Detroit.
  • Sandwiches Made with Love. YEAH BABY! [edit]
    Ernie Hassan has made 1 1/2 pound made-to-order sandwiches at his market in Metro Detroit for the past 50 years. Many come for the sandwiches you have to unhinge your jaws to eat, but most return because Hassan treats his customers like family. Eric Seals (May '08) produced the video of Ernie's Market for the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Grand Hotel Spruces Up for another Season [edit]
    The majestic Grand Hotel has received guests since 1887. Located on Mackinac island off the northern tip of Michigan, the hotel is a popular summer retreat for vacationers. The hotel is open only six months out of the year, so a lot of work goes into getting it ready. Eric Seales (May 08), a multimedia journalist for the Detroit Free Press, spent two days shooting to create a video profile on the hotel and the family that has run it for three generations.

Writing

Content on this site written by Eric Seals (includes contributory writing):