Years ago I thought it would be cool to get down low into the path of some sparks coming off a grinder to take my photos. And it was cool. The only problem was the 14 mm lens I was using didn't have any filter on it and looking at the glass afterwards was a little disheartening. It didn't ruin the lens, but it didn't help it out any either. The little marks that were made made the lens less sharp and in time the marks deteriorated the lens. So when I did it again, this time with my 17 to 55 mm lens I was confident that it would be ok, because I did have a filter on it. The story is about students getting ready for the annual RoboBotics competition. Aaron Powell of MASH was doing some grinding of the frame for his team's bot. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer