John Boal Photography

Dedication of Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute

2018-04-19T14:30:00.000-04:00

Continuing my long-term project documenting Monacan Indian Nation, I traveled to Richmond on Tuesday to photograph the dedication ceremony of Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument on the Virginia State Capitol grounds recognizing Virginia Indian Tribes. The current governor, Ralph Northam spoke, and there was the official ribbon cutting.

Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam, performs the ceremonial ribbon cutting, during the dedication ceremony for Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument designed on Virginia State Capitol Square, in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Michelson, a New York based artist, designed the monument in Capitol Square next to the Bell Tower along North Ninth Street. John Boal PhotographyContinuing my work documenting Monacan Indian Nation, I traveled to Richmond to photograph the dedication ceremony of Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument dedicated to Virginia Indian tribes on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol. Monacan Indian Chief, Dean Branham, and former Chief, Kenneth Branham, along with tribal members Karenne Wood and Branch Branham also attended.

Monacan Chief, Dean Branham, left, greets former Virginia Governor, George Allen, center with Ben Adams, of the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, prior to the dedication ceremony for Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument designed on Virginia State Capitol Square, in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. As a U.S. Senator, George Allen first introduced the Thomasina E. Jordan bill along with Sen. John Warner, federally recognizing Monacan Indian Nation along with 5 other Virginia Tribes. This past January, the bill was signed into law.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam spoke at the ceremony and it was attended by current and former Virginia legislators, such as Gov. George Allen.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks during the dedication ceremony for Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument designed on Virginia State Capitol Square, in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

Early this year, in January the Thomasina E. Jordan Bill was signed into law granting federal recognition to 6 Virginia tribes: Chickahominy Tribe, Chickahominy Tribe Eastern Division, Upper Mattaponi Tribe, Rappahanock Tribe Inc, Monacan Indian Tribe and Nansemond Indian Tribe. The Pamunkey tribe was federally recognized in July 2016.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, right, greets Ken Branham, center, former Chief of Monacan Nation, and former Va Gov. George Allen, during the dedication ceremony for Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument designed on Virginia State Capitol Square, in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

Alan Michelson, Mohawk member of Six Nations of the Grand River, left, speaks with Monacan Chief, Dean Branham and Karenne Wood, Monacan, prior to the dedication ceremony for Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument designed on Virginia State Capitol Square, in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Michelson, an artist based in New York, designed the monument.

From left, Monacan Chief, Dean Branham, Chickahominy Chief, Steve Adkins, and Pamunkey Chief, Robert Gray, during the dedication ceremony for Mantle: Virginia Indian Tribute, a monument designed on Virginia State Capitol Square, in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

The Dark Secret of Photography

2018-03-19T15:40:00.002-04:00

Saw this interesting blog on Photoshelter.
https://blog.photoshelter.com/2018/01/celebrities-serious-photography-2/
I love their product and their advocacy. However, the dark secret of photography (especially photojournalism) as a profession is that it's basically only available to privileged people with a lot of resources (or special access). Not all of us are on tour with a world famous rock band, or are famous movie stars married to other famous movie stars. To me, it seems entirely predictable that celebrities are "accomplished" or "serious" photographers.

A basic professional kit of 1 camera, 2 lenses, a flash, and a computer with software and peripherals etc. is $10,000. Thankfully I have parents that helped me get started. The best piece of (sobering) advice I've ever heard is that if you want to start out as a freelancer you should have $20-30k in the bank. It would've been impossible without that help. I was also in a relationship at the time (I eventually married her!) that helped defray the cost. All that set the stage for me to make it. And 4-5 years later, I was a staffer at a terrible paper getting paid nothing and had "made it". I could pay my bills. I'm still paying off my credit card debt, but I've been "making it" as a photographer ever since.

I AM NOT saying that the only reason some people make good pictures is because they have money. But it damn sure makes it easier. You still have to put the work in. Show up. Connect with people and have good ideas. But if you're a movie star and married to another movie star. A huge magazine might just be willing to photograph your pictures of your wife. You might just be able to produce a lot of cool rock n roll photos...if you're already a rock star...You might be able to make darn cool photos of resorts and locations, as you travel the world, working...In other words, without the resources to keep us afloat the first 3-5 years building a business, I just don't see how it's possible to make it as a photographer...There are many news events, or story ideas that I've passed on because there just didn't seem to be any way to make it happen.

The profession may not have always had that barrier to entry. Years ago, you could get a couple freelance gigs in a month and your bills/rent would be paid. Everything else went in the bank and you saved it for the next great idea you had. I think of Gordon Parks, Eugene Smith or Dave Burnett. I don't think it's the case anymore. I live in the DC area and a typical freelance news gig pays between $2-300. Yes, there are many that pay less, and a few that pay more. But generally you'll get between $2-300 for a FULL DAY of shooting for a newspaper/wire service. Usually that's 4-5 hours of your time. Assisting also nets you $2-350/day. But then you don't have anything for your portfolio...which is how you get jobs later...If you shoot for magazines, they can pay between $400-1000. many pay more than that. And far too many pay less. However, if you're getting the gigs that pay more than the above, you probably spent a few years putting the work in to get to that point, which proves my point...

If you want to make a decent living in a city like DC, you need to pull in about $60-100k GROSS receipts to get to something like $45-75k net. In a city like DC...I'm ballparking it, here... Gotta pay taxes, living expenses, business expenses like software, new gear, fixing gear, etc. I'm not even counting having children, owning a home, or God forbid, having a hobby...

So to get to $60k/year (let's start on the low end), you need to pull in $5k/month. Or $1250/week. See where this is going? If you're booking nice corporate and commercial gigs, no problem. But again, that takes time to build up a client base to get to that point. So if you're new trying to make it...good luck. you need to be booking 5 jobs/week. every. single. month. This is why it takes 3-5 years, in my opinion, to get to the point that you can pull in $60k + in Gross Receipts/year. And even then it's not like you're living high on the hog. That's pre-tax. Pre-living expense. Pre-business expense. You're probably spending at least $20k on those combined, if you're lucky.3-5 years before you make a livingyeah. that's it. how the heck are you going to afford living in an area like DC if you can't immediately pull in $5k/month in receipts? Gotta have those resources and access right out of the gates. It's nice to see rich celebrities making neat photos. But lets not kid ourselves. They have a leg up on everyone because of it...I want to see the blog about the photographers that made it with nothing to start with...

Rep. Josh Gottheimer

2017-01-07T16:13:00.000-05:00

Maintaining a foot in the photojournalism world has been difficult lately, because often assignments come with very little notice, whereas the corporate and event planning worlds generally schedule jobs weeks in advance. It's tough to keep the calendar open for occasional photojournalism jobs to get through. I wanted to be proactive and change that in 2017.

I've always enjoyed the unpredictability of photojournalism. The feeling that you're "in the middle of it". January 3rd is that date that the new Congress convenes and newly elected representatives are sworn in. There are lots of opportunities for pictures. Open houses, lots of back slapping, friends and families are all around. I circled the date on the calendar and found a couple freshman congressman whom I thought would be interesting and were from parts of the country where I had connections to the newspapers or magazines. My first idea didn't pan out, so I contacted The (NJ) Record on the morning on Jan. 3 about covering newly elected Rep. Josh Gottheimer and the ceremonial swearing-in. Thankfully I received a positive response very quickly.

I settled into the Capitol and went about finding Rep. Gottheimer on the floor of the House chamber, voting in favor of Rep. Nancy Pelosi as minority leader. And then I went about the unfamiliar task of waiting outside the chambers to catch Rep. Gottheimer as he left. The hard part was finding him, the easy part was following him around for the rest of the day. Here is what ran in The Record.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ, 5) poses with his wife, Marla and House Leader, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI, 1)

Here are the outtakes:

Rep. Gottheimer, leaves the U.S. Capitol with his daughter and son, on the way to his new office across the street.

Family, friends and supporters crowded into his new office during an open house to offer congratulations.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) stops by to congratulate Rep. Gottheimer.

Sen. Cory Booker, stopped by as well, and even high-fived Rep. Gottheimer's daughter (below).

Rep. Gottheimer with his son in Statuary Hall, awaiting the ceremonial swearing-in

Corey Stewart for Northern VA Magazine

2016-09-07T16:02:00.003-04:00

Corey Stewart speaking to attendees and political power players at the Page County GOP Jamboree on June 25, 2016.

Recently I had the opportunity to work with Jonathan Hunley on a political story. He and I go back several years to our days at a community paper in Woodbridge/Manassas (The Potomac News/The News & Messenger, '08-'12). This was our first time in 4 years to get the band back together, so to speak.

In March, Jon and I were munching Tex-Mex at Bar-J in Occoquan when he talked about wanting to do a political profile story on Corey Stewart. Stewart was gearing up for his run for Governor of VA and had a schedule of appearances throughout VA. He also happens to be the Virginia State Chairman, Donald Trump for President.

After a few weeks and several emails pitching the story to various publications, Northern Virginia Magazine said "yes". Pick up the issue, if you have a chance. Jon did a great job putting it together. Jonathan attended a rally in Norfolk, did a sit-down dinner interview, and finally we both attended the Page County GOP Jamboree where Stewart would be, along with every other GOP Gubernatorial candidate.

Corey Stewart talks with Vance Wilkins, a long-time political player in VA. Wilkins was a Republican delegate from 1978-2002 and served as the 53rd Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2000 leading the shift from Democrat led legislature to the current state in which the GOP holds a healthy lead.

Corey's signature Caiman boots

Attendees listened as Corey worked the crowd at the Page County GOP Jamboree

Corey Stewart had his chance to make his case as a GOP Gubernatorial candidate.

I went ahead and scheduled a meeting with Stewart to do a more formal portrait in his Prince William County office a few days later, which is ultimately what ran in the magazine...

Corey Stewart in his office as Chairman, Prince William County Board of Supervisors. This ran in NVMag.

This all happened in June just a couple weeks before the GOP convention, and it finally ran in this month's Northern VA magazine. I would've loved to see more pictures, of course, but I'm satisfied with putting others up here, and NoVA Mag was very easy and nice to work with, so hopefully I'll get a chance to do something for them again in the future.

Dr. Charbel Moussa and Finding the Cure for Parkinson's

2016-09-02T10:19:00.001-04:00

I was honored and excited to get the call to photograph a portrait of Dr. Charbel Moussa (Georgetown University) for an article in the relatively new medical news journal, STAT.

Some of you may already know that I used to have a career in Neuroscience Research before starting my photography path in '06. It was nice to dip my toe back into that world, and after we did our pictures I had a nice 15 minute conversation about what he was working on and how he got there. It's a fascinating story and definitely worth a read.

https://www.statnews.com/2016/08/30/parkinsons-study-fox-foundation-feud/

This article is so illustrative of the obstacles presented to trying to cure major diseases. It isn't all about the science. Politics and money (doesn't it always?) play a role in the race for the cure.

Sherron Watkins, 14 years later

2015-10-13T09:34:00.000-04:00

Last month I had the opportunity to photograph Sherron Watkins speak at George Mason University. Sherron Watkins is known as the whistelblower of the Enron Scandal, which happened 14 years ago this month. I don't suppose corporate malfeasance started with Enron, but it sure feels like it. Since then we've had the recession, and countless numbers of corporate shenanigans.

Knowing I had a chance to photograph someone who participated in something so historic, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to shoot a portrait. We all worked out the particulars, and I assured Sherron that I'd be ready for her and we'd take 10-15 minutes of her time.

For a larger selection of portraits, visit my photoshelter gallery, here.

Watkins has been touring and giving speeches for years, now. I thought the most interesting observation she made was comparing the leadership of Enron to the fable, The Emperor's New Clothes. Those that did speak up, Watkins admits that there were several people who raised red flags, were quickly brushed aside. So up and up the ladder the buck is passed. Eventually you're left with a scandal.

It was an interesting talk, that I felt priveleged to listen to. But even better, I could make some portraits of someone who was at the center of a defining moment in Corporate US History.

Lessons in Holding on to Your Pictures

2015-09-21T11:22:00.000-04:00

I recently received an email request from New York Magazine regarding a portrait I took of Dan Backer. It was a little surprising, if only because the picture they were thinking of was one I did of Dan 4 years ago. He and his wife are personal friends of ours. In 2011, I was a staff photographer at the News & Messenger and working on getting better at portraits and specifically business-style portraits. So we agreed to meet up. He needed professional portraits, I needed to practice, so we met up and spent a little time doing some portraits. He's still using those portraits. Which is how NYMag found me.

Shot in Dan's apartment, 2011. NYMag eventually selected this one for their article.

2011

I contacted Dan and we met up quickly on a Saturday morning before one of his meetings and we did a little refresher session. NYMag ended up going with the one I did 4 years ago, but that's ok. I have more portraits. And so does Dan. It's a good lesson in hanging on to your work, because you don't know who will come looking for you.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/09/frat-house-fund-raising-with-dan-backer.html#

On the mean streets of Old Town Alexandria, VA. 2015

Save Oak Flat

2015-07-23T16:56:00.000-04:00

I don't usually use this blog to talk about causes, but two days ago I became aware of one of the more perplexing land swaps in U.S. history. Perhaps for the first time ever, the U.S. Government is attempting to transfer sacred Native American land into the hands of a private foreign interest. How? Why? Maybe we should follow the money.

The pictures are from the demonstrations held on the U.S. Capitol lawn yesterday. These are the San Carlos Apache and their supporters. To see a full edit, check my gallery here:

http://johnboalphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery/SaveOakFlat-DC-Rally-2015/G0000n9TZ0_2pwKc

Carrie Sage Curley, San Carlos Apache, dances to music played by fellow members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

In December of 2014, as we drew near another shutdown, the Defense Authorization Act was passed in Congress and at the last minute, a rider was slipped in...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/03/ndaa-land-deals_n_6264362.html

Buried on page 1,105 is a land transfer of 2,400 acres of Tonto National Forest in AZ which includes Apache ancestral medicinal, ceremonial and burial grounds to Resolution Copper. This land transfer was tried twice before in the House and failed. Naturally, with any bad legislation that makes a few people very rich, there's no reason not to sneak it in by any other means possible. They found that way by doing it at the 11th hour on the back of a must-pass defense authorization bill. We should thank Arizona Sens. McCain and Flake.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/opinion/selling-off-apache-holy-land.html

The argument they make is about jobs, naturally. And technically, this land is "Public Land". Oak Flat is just beyond the reservation line in Tonto National Forest. But the agreement has always been about "allowing" Apaches to return to their ancestral land to conduct ceremonies and rituals. Let's forget for the moment the actual concept of Apache land not being in their possession to begin with. At what point is it even relevant to talk about jobs when the way to get there is to destroy land that is culturally significant to indigenous people? And by destroying this land you are, by proxy, destroying a people. This is their sacred land. They have coming-of-age-ceremonies here for women. No one would ever consider selling off the Mt. Sinai if there were some metal to be dug up from underneath. No one would consider demolishing Mecca, if they thought they could get some more oil out of the ground. Why does it make any sense to steal the land from people? The only answer, of course, is that these are Native Americans. They are impoverished and small in number. It's too easy. Hell, we've been doing it for 400 years, why stop now?

Sandra Rambler, makes her way to the Protect Oak Flat demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol.

http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/02/sandra-rambler-traditionally-speaking.html

Aside from the disputable jobs/money figures Resolution Copper puts forth, the better question is to ask what right they have to take land that the Apache's would never had any intention of selling for the right to completely decimate the landscape and line their pockets? In case you aren't sure, the particular brand of mining would hollow out the land, allowing erosion to leave a 2 mile wide crater.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/29428-the-apache-way-the-march-to-oak-flat

Baase Pike, 10, Apache, awaits the demonstrations.

It's hard to understand why anyone would think this is a good idea...unless you realize that a few people would probably stand to get very wealthy off of this deal. It's the only way to make sense of it.

Wendsler Nosie, Sr, tribal councilman, speaks to fellow members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and their supporters in front of the United States Capitol to protest the transfer of Apache land to a private Australian-British mining corporation

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/20/grijalvas-save-oak-flat-bill-boosted-historic-preservation-listing-161136

Either way, the Apache naturally didn't stand pat. Aside from starting their own form of "Occupy Oak Flat" movement, they came to Washington to protest the land grab. Another AZ representative, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-3), introduced H.R. 2811, which would repeal the land grab.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2811/text

Carrie Sage Curley, San Carlos Apache, watches Wendsler Nosie, Sr, tribal councilman, speak to fellow members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and their supporters in front of the United States Capitol.

Shooting as a Generalist

2015-05-07T15:42:00.001-04:00

I am a "generalist", as they say. In some circles this might be the kiss of death. Often the advice is to specialize and market the heck out that one thing you do really well.

But as someone who cut their teeth as a photojournalist at community newspapers, I rapidly found that I enjoy doing different things. The mix helps keep me fresh, and engaged alowing me to always be thinking about how to do something better.

Even though I consider myself a generalist, I do tilt toward the editorial and portrait world. So when I shoot other things like events, conferences, often I think about how I would shoot this if it were an assignment instead of a commissioned job for a corporate client. The dilemma as a generalist is keeping my portfolio up to date. So I'm always looking out for the moments that might work for the client and for my portfolio.

Here are some of the best of those from the past couple months:

...during a video shoot. Just checking light and looking for a good angle for this Benedictine Sister in Bristow, VA

...on vacation in Puerto Rico. We sat down for lunch and mojitos. I decided I had to take her picture after seeing the beautiful light in front of the restaurant in Old San Juan.

...I covered a few events for Rodney Choice and I saw these moments. Here is the Mayor of Memphis just chatting with some nice window light. Thanks Rodney!

...What's better than a mechanical bull? Being able to shoot from above a mechanical bull...

...shooting inside Senator Chuck Grassley's (R-IA) office in the US Capitol...

Photographing Jess and Patrick in the Aftermath of the Boston Bombings

2015-02-20T16:18:00.001-05:00

I had the distinct honor of photographing Jessica and Patrick for The Boston Globe in December for a story that ran in late January (see the story here), who happened to be victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Both had lost their left legs as they watched the marathon. Jessica, at the time of the assignment, had been considering amputating her right foot, due to the pain and continued rehabilitation/recovery.

Ran with story, here.

Initially, the idea was that I would accompany her on a visit to the doctors and therapists at Walter Reed. When that idea fell through (permissions, especially when it's close to the holidays are especially difficult to come by). So the best we could do was meet in front of the NIH metro stop and shoot for about 30 mins.

The initial story (a year after the bombings) is here, and you should read this one and the one that ran in January, because Eric did a great job following this story over the years.

When the job is to capture the essence of a complicated story, both tragic and amazing, it's pretty tough to succeed on any deep level as a photographer. Essentially, I regarded this story as a love story. After 20 minutes, we all laughed together, because it almost felt like an engagement shoot. And maybe it was in the sense that they were starting their lives anew. They were perfectly pleasant and wonderful people to meet. You'd never know what they had to go through.

Outtakes from a portrait assignment

2014-11-07T12:55:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I applied for a staff position at the Boston Globe. I did not get it. Staff jobs, especially ones at greatly respected papers that win Pulitzers, are very hard to come by. However, they contacted me about freelancing for them in DC, which is the next best thing. You never know who is going to see your work and find a reason to get in touch.

Then on Halloween I received a call from one of their photo editors (Yes, they have more than one!) about a portrait they needed that day in Washington. They were doing a story on millennials and their impact (or lack thereof) on the upcoming elections. The subject was a pleasant 18 year old intern at the Hart Senate Office bldg who happened to be from the Boston area. The assignment was fairly open ended. They had interviewed the student and had quotes to use, like this one:

“If you ask any number of my friends, they don’t even know how to apply for an absentee ballot or that you even could,” said Suren Nannapaneni, an 18-year-old sophomore at GWU.

This is what ran with the story:

The outtakes:

Miss Rodeo Virginia at the County Fair

2014-08-21T14:55:00.000-04:00

I really had a plan to attend the Prince William County Fair for a few days and get some good pictures. August often is a slow month so I thought it'd be perfect to spend some open days shooting on my own. Then I lost my phone. Then my car broke down, then I got busy with work.
I did, however spend 1 morning (with Catherine and Lawrence Deeds of Skyline Farm in Orange, VA) and one evening (roaming) there. Here are some of my favorites.

One of the first things I did, when I had a free night was go to the rodeo. Then I saw Missy. So we talked and I figured I had to get a picture of her, and she was very cooperative. So was the light.

Melissa McMullan, Miss Rodeo Virginia 2014, of Ft. Valley, VA, stands with her horse, Sarah, during the Dave Martin Rodeo. McMullan represents Virginia regionally and nationally, while promoting "rodeos and the western lifestyle" in Virginia.

A child shooting bubbles, next to a food booth with nice light and a ferris wheel background. You have to stop and take a picture at this point...

This is Catherine and Lawrence Deeds unloading their goats for the Fair. They were very nice, and didn't mind at all that I followed them around for a couple hours. I would've been annoyed by me at that point.

There is a surprising amount of paperwork that goes into registering your goats for contests.

Photography out on the Bay

2014-08-01T10:33:00.000-04:00

A couple months back I had the opportunity to photograph Thomas Parham for University of Mary Washington Alumni Magazine. He is the director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Tidewater Ecosystems Assessment office. Basically he's in charge of making sure the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay is healthy and helping the public understand and care about the health of the watershed. The Chesapeake Bay watershed encompasses 64,000 square miles and portions of 6 states, it's no small task.

When I started to plan for the shoot, the natural inclination was to find a spot where we could get Thomas near the water. Sandy Point State Park, next to the Bay Bridge was a natural spot. We met up at dawn and unfortunately we didn't get that gorgeous golden light to erupt behind the bridge. Instead, it was a foggy, rainy morning. But with that, you get that nice blue, soft light. So we made do. Here is the picture that ran, along with a couple outtakes. He was totally up for it and patient as we spent a couple hours walking around the park, chatting about the watershed and photography.

In this one, I decided to "create" some sunlight, as he stood on the beach next to a fence and vegetation.

On the rocks with the historic lighthouse in the background

Seeing Stories in Real Estate

2014-07-10T16:16:00.000-04:00

When I first changed careers in 2006 to become a photographer, one of the first things I had to figure out, naturally, is how to make money. Weddings, events, portraits, and obviously photojournalism all pay to some degree or another. What I didn't anticipate was my long-standing relationship to real estate photography. After interning at two different papers and starting on my path toward a career in photojournalism, I came back to DC in 2007 with no work. It shouldn't have been surprising, but it was. So I had to find other ways to make money. That led me to shooting real estate, while I figured out how to get paid to shoot photojournalism. First I shot for the company Homevisit, then on my own. To this day I shoot real estate, even if only for a few people that I like shooting for, but still, it's occasional work that is actually interesting.

After walking into hundreds (thousands?) of homes, the furniture, the art, the books and the rugs can all tell you where they've been and sometimes what they've done in their lives. Especially when the seller is an older person. They usually have accumulated so many things from so many countries, it's hard not to look around and be interested in everything. So even when I'm "only" taking pictures of someone's house, there are still stories.

Outtakes From Visiting Capitol Hill

2014-06-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

Joseph Delaney, Mayor of Garfield, NJ, center, and Thomas Duch, Garfield City Manager, right, greet US Senator Cory Booker (NJ), prior to a hearing chaired by Booker, of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works’ Subcommittee on Oversight, Tuesday, June 10, 2014.

I followed Mayor Delaney into the halls of the Dirksen Senate Office Bldg during a break, just to keep shooting. Here, he speaks to reporter, Herb Jackson, about their roots in NJ.

Sometimes you get a phone call like this: "Hi, this is John Doe from That-Newspaper-You've-Worked With-Before, are you available to shoot a hearing in 3 hours?". In this case it was The (NJ) Record, and the hearing was with the US Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works.
I always appreciate phone calls like this. 1) because it's work and I always appreciate work and 2) it's work on The Hill, which I always enjoy. One of the cool things about working in situations like this is that it is dreadfully boring and it's always a tremendous challenge to get anything usable, but also to get anything mildly interesting. Add in the fact that I actually get to witness Democracy at work (although it's always hard to actually pay attention to whats being said because I'm trying to find a picture that's not obvious and/or boring).

Here are a few outtakes from the shoot. The (NJ) Record only needed to use one photo, here. But obviously I shot more than that, trying different angles, compositions. It's always good to try things out for the next time and to keep pushing to find something interesting.

Garfield, NJ mayor, Joseph Delaney, spoke as part of a panel detailing the ongoing efforts and challenges to clean up a hexavalent chromium spill from 1983.

Sen. Cory Booker (NJ) chaired a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works’ Subcommittee on Oversight on Tuesday, June 10, 2014.

Making the Most out of a Business Portrait

2014-02-12T16:04:00.000-05:00

Not all assignments are created equal. Sometimes you get an assignment and all the right ingredients of light and moments are seemingly lined up for you just to push the button. And then there are the other 99% of assignments. These fall into the categories of awful to not-so-great. But there is opportunity in all of them. Many of them are portrait assignments. When I worked at The News & Messenger, I had my fair share. Sometimes they were destined to be dreadful. Horrible light, an unwilling subject combined with very little time.

Recently I had the privilege of photographing Mike Infurnari for The Fairfax Times. He was just named the new Executive Director of the Foundation for Fairfax County Schools. I knew the setting would make the picture, but I did have time on my side. Thankfully, Mike told me he had "the whole morning open". To a photographer, this actually sounds like "you can take the whole morning to make a great picture". Of course this isn't exactly what it means. He is very busy and was trying to be accommodating. So I tried to split the difference, and he was gracious enough to give me a couple hours. Most of that time was spent walking around the bland office building trying to find a spot other than his office to shoot. I hate shooting portraits in offices. They rarely turn out to be interesting.

But I did find a wide open and empty cafeteria with beautiful light. And on the way up the elevator I suddenly realized this was a great spot.

In each spot I used 2 speedlights, to different effects. I think i've turned a corner in my lighting philosophy. I think I spent most of my newspaper career as trying to flex my muscles to prove that I could light. Now I'm very interested in the idea of making it look like it isn't lit at all. Mostly I wanted it to look like it wasn't being lit, or if it did look like it was lit, it was very subtly.

Photography and Luck

2013-11-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

It just occurred to me that it was 5 years ago this week that I officially started my first staff job at a newspaper, the News & Messenger. In fact, my first job as a 10 year old, was as a paperboy for the Potomac News (what it was called back in ‘85).

"The man who said, "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It's scary to think so much is out of one's control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net, and for a split second, it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck, it goes forward, and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose."

From the movie, Match Point

It seems like a long time ago. So many things have changed. I was full of optimism then, and

in the time since it’s become more apparent how distinctly the role of luck and circumstance has played in shaping my career. It’s funny to think back and how easy I thought it would be if I just put the work in. And to an extent, hard work does pay off, but I’m realizing more and more these days that it’s almost as important to get a little lucky. I won’t deny that I’ve worked hard to get to this point. Working as a photographer these days is insanely hard to do, but without a little bit of luck, it’s hard to imagine making a go of it these days.

While covering the DOMA and Prop 8 protests at the Supreme Court, in March, 2013, I decided to make a picture of the podium while we waited for people to speak. After a quick exposure check and a recomposition, I started to make another picture, and this person reached in to make an adjustment to the remarks taped to the podium.

I can still remember early 2006 and sending as many emails and making as many phone calls as I could looking for internships or anything from newspapers in the area. No one usually responded. Dylan Moore, then the DP at the Potomac News, gave me a shot and thus started my informal internship. I would come down there on Thursdays and Saturdays and after a few weeks I started shooting assignments. Getting a chance to shoot on a semi-regular basis at a newspaper with lots of help (staff of 7), was a huge stroke of luck. By the time I was hired in ’08, the staff had been cut to 2. I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility to say that I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t get that chance, at that time. That chance led to an internship in York, PA from Jan-July 2007.

The York Dispatch was the last paper to respond to my internship application. I had been turned down by the other 3 or 4, until Randy Flaum called late that December in 2006. On the 21^st they offered me the spot, and would start Jan. 1.

Would I be doing this if my dad didn’t give me his Pentax Spotmatic so I could be a yearbook photographer as a senior in high school? What if he never took pictures at all, and they never had National Geographic in the house for me to gaze at as young child.

This was shot during "Snow-zilla" on Feb 10, 2010. By chance I drove by the Manassas Nat'l Battlefield Park at the moment Jamie and her dad were getting their sno-kite assembled. Driving that day was laborious, to say the least. No chance I come across this if I drive by 5 minutes too soon, or 20 minutes too late. The sno-kite broke in the wind 20 minutes after they started.

I was hired as a staff photographer without showing anyone my portfolio. I still think that's amazing. However, this was the paper I had interned at (informally) from June-December 2006. Getting hired as a staffer was probably due to the fact that the managing editor knew me and the other photographer recommended me. So without the opportunity to work with The Potomac News in '06, I wouldn't have been hired. I'm sure of that.

There are so many lucky turns and fortunate events that it’s hard to think about them all. In an industry that’s defined by moments that can either be captured just right or not, perhaps I’m more likely to view the world through this lens.

I captured this by chance. There was so much happening during the evacuation of this mobile home park after a devastating flood, I just turned and shot when I saw this boy carrying stuff out of his home. When I got home I realized saw what he was carrying. Of course, it's not lost on me that while this photograph was a bit lucky for me, the boy's circumstance was decidedly unlucky.

We photographers are always trying to put ourselves in the best spot to catch that one unpredictable moment when everything lines up just right. A gesture, a movement or when the layers of people, background and light align just so and click, you get it. Too often you don’t get it. It’s only looking back (at the back of the camera or sitting at the computer) that you realize you didn’t get it. And sometimes, just sometimes, you look back and you realize you did get it. Sometimes in spite of yourself. I’ve always said that luck is where hard work and opportunity meet. I didn’t make the quote up, but once I heard it, I thought it just about summed up photography perfectly.

I left the staff job in March 2012. My wife was going back to work and we had a new baby girl. Three plus years seemed about right for me, so I went freelance…again. This time, with a little luck, it seems like it’s for good.

Gettysburg at 150

2013-07-10T22:36:00.000-04:00

A week ago I spent two days (separately) in Gettysburg during the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Quick synopsis: Robert E. Lee's Army collided with the Union around Gettysburg. Three days of fighting ensued, 50K soldiers were killed wounded or missing from the battle, and the war was essentially over, because the Confederates lost the battle. Flash forward 5 months in 1863, and you get Lincoln's Gettysburg Address at the Cemetery in Gettysburg, and the place is sealed in legend.

What I've always found to be interesting at these Civil War events/gatherings is meeting the people go to these events. The most successful images I came away were the ones that required getting closer and perhaps even talking to the subject. First, I found that, often, as a photographer, we get to see things behind the scenes that many don't. This includes reenactors sleeping. Here are a few photographs of confederate living historians (as they're technically called) in repose.

Secondly, I found people that looked interesting and I made portraits (some candid, some posed). They were all dressed for the occasion, and they were living historians and "regular" people.

Planting flags at the Soldiers National Cemetery (Gettysburg Address)

Mourning dress, or "Widow Weeds", as I was told they were called...

Lincoln look-alike contest.

Third, I'm always fascinated with how people observe events these days. Increasingly, people are placing a camera, ipad or phone between their eyes and what is actually happening. Sometimes its for a picture or two, but more and more often I'm finding people are shooting video with these devices and are witnessing the event only through the screen in front of them. It's a curiosity to me, to travel and spend the time and energy to go somewhere to "experience" something like this, and to do it from behind the screen of you're iPad or iPhone.

Thousands gathered on the Confederate side to participate in the Commemmorative Pickett's Charge Walk on July 3, 2013. Pickett's charge was the final, unsuccessful Southern advance that ended the Battle of Gettysburg.

Finally, there are a few pictures from the general experience when I wasn't talking to people and I was just walking, and watching...

Supreme Court and the Hearings on Gay Marriage

2013-04-11T16:40:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks back I decided I was going to shoot the demonstrations and protests outside the Supreme Court, as related to Gay Marriage. Specifically California's ballot proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), both of which essentially make it impossible for gay people to marry.

So, not surprisingly there were measurable contingents supporting both sides of the issue, although those that supported gay marriage were visibly more numerous.

One of the things I wanted to try was bring my trusty Speed Graphic (4x5 press camera) down there and shoot some B/W. I figured everyone was going to get similar stuff.

This reminded me of a blog post I read several weeks back on the merits of process, and how this can affect the way we view photographs. Joerg Colberg discusses it at length here on his great blog, Conscientious.

Do not rely on the process as that which solely determines the quality of the work. If your process is prominent use its strengths. But at the same time push against the process itself, so that the end result is a good photograph - and not some photograph produced with some process. - Joerg Colberg

So with that in mind I had another look at my 4x5s and I sighed. They just didn't measure up. While I came away with some ok stuff, I was ultimately disappointed in the results. On the other hand, while I came away generally disappointed in the results of my digital images, upon further inspection, I was pleasantly surprised. Have a look at my website gallery to see the full take. In June they'll be making the decision. I'll be back for that, for sure.

Why I Believe The News & Messenger failed

2012-12-30T20:44:00.001-05:00

Today was the last day The News & Messenger (Manassas, VA) published a newspaper. I worked as a staff photographer at the N&M from November 2008 until I left to freelance back in March of 2012. Before that, I was a part-time photo intern at The Potomac News (which eventually merged with the Manassas Journal-Messenger to create the N&M) from June to December of 2006. Before that I was a 10 year-old paperboy for The Potomac News, which was then a M-F afternoon paper.

I can only speak from 7 years experience. But what I see is this: the biggest reason The News & Messenger closed is that those in charge were trying to fill the paper with “hyperlocal” news, when the vast majority of the county population were increasingly disinterested.

While I was a staff photographer at the N&M, we received a bunch of demographic data from a company about who lived in the county, where they were from, what they preferred and, presumably, why they didn’t buy our paper. Here are the two most important findings to me:

Over half the county population had lived there less than 6 years.

A large percentage regarded “their city” as Washington.

It’s a demographic issue. Simply put: people in Prince William County don’t care about high school football (I can back this up with a long-winded response that I won’t bore you with, here, but suffice it to say, 500 readers and 100 comments from the same 10 people does not mean anyone cares about HS football), and they don’t care that Joe Smith opened a dentist office on Liberia Avenue. They don’t care, because they aren’t from there. Over the past 3 decades, PWC has become a Washington suburb. People moved there to work in DC. They’re from other parts of the DC metro area, or the country.

I mentioned I worked as an intern at the York Dispatch. I don’t claim to know intimately what their subscription numbers are, or their monetary position, but I know this: York is a 2 newspaper town. Washington DC is barely a 2 newspaper town. The YD is an afternoon paper, and the York Daily Record is the morning paper. I believe the biggest reason the papers still exist is due to the fact that most people in York are from York. Most people in York County claim some part of the county or York City as their hometown. They don’t say “Baltimore”, even though many in the county are just as far from Baltimore as those in Manassas are from Washington DC. That is to say, they care about their community paper in ways that people from a Washington DC suburb can’t, or don’t.

It’s interesting to note that the YD suffers from some of the same problems as the N&M. I can share many similar stories of head-scratching decisions bad photo assignments and staffing issues about both papers.

Both papers had small staffs, and low pay. Everyone multitasked. Both papers covered a geographically large county. I should mention at this point that the N&M outsourced the printing of the paper in 2009, and eliminated the copy desk in the process. This created a host of other problems, not the least of which was having a deadline of 8-9pm for a morning paper. But I truly believe the proverbial horse was out of the barn at this point. It really was academic on whether the paper would close or not. Many of us believed it was just a matter of when, not if the paper would close.

Perhaps it could be argued (I can attest that many would) that the decisions made at The News & Messenger accelerated it’s decline. I think, however, in the face of the march towards Washington Suburban-dom, the paper was doomed.

There is a future (online or otherwise) for community newspapers. Of course they should be well written and staffed with hard-working, professional journalists. That goes without saying. But they need to exist in communities where people actually care about their community. In DC, there simply aren’t enough people who grew up and consider their neighborhood their hometown. Most people are from out of town and consider their town to be Washington, even if they are from Manassas, Fairfax, or Hagerstown. The closest community daily is the Free-lance Star, out of Fredericksburg. It won’t be long. And everyone will blame the internet, but it’s not the internet, it’s Sprawl. That will eat the community paper.

Happy Holidays!

2012-12-19T01:21:00.002-05:00

Several weeks back I got this idea to create a series of postcards to send out to the many people who helped me out in 2012. I thought it would be fun to recreate a photo from when we worked together (either when I worked as an assistant, or as the photographer) and turn it into a holiday themed photo.

I figured it'd be easy enough to re-create these photos inserting Santa into the scenario. The first such photo I planned on re-creating was a job I worked on with Stephen Voss. I worked as an assistant on a job where he photographed Sandra Fluke, for Newsweek, and I really loved that image. I thought it'd be easy enough to re-create that with Santa instead.

So I checked that off the list. And I kept going down the list of people I worked for. Combined with the clients I worked with as a photographer, the shot list started getting large. But a funny thing happened. It was the rudiments of what appeared to be the faux documentation of Santa Claus. Traveling on public transportation, the gloves in a museum, sitting at home. It turned into a project about creating a Santa Claus in our world. I mean, if Santa existed. His clothes and apparel would have to be in a museum somewhere, right? He couldn't be making toys all day, every day, could he? He must just want to chill out in the living room and surf the web and watch TV. What would it look like in his bedroom? All these thoughts went through my head and a project was born.

I found Santa on the internet. Big shock. When I put the idea to him, he seemed a little skeptical. When I started to rattle off a huge shot list to him, he wasn't so enthusiastic. It turned out he wasn't in the best of health and couldn't be on his feet for too long so my long list wasn't going to work. Instead, I pared down my list and agreed I'd set up the backdrop and lights at his home, we'd pop out to the local metro stop (instead of Woodley Park, in DC) and we'd have to be ok with that. The other shots would be done later.

As it turned out, the background of the Vienna Metro station was fantastic and his living room was large enough for a 12 foot seamless. Lucky me.

As for shooting in a metro stop...

CAN METRO PLEASE STOP HARASSING PHOTOGRAPHERS?

I had an assistant carry a beauty dish on a pole and we were prepared to make a couple passes on the escalator when the Metro employee came bursting out of her booth,
"You can't take pictures here, you need permission!"
"No I don't," I replied. We kept walking to the escalator.
"I'm going to call my supervisor, you can't take pictures here without a permit!" She yelled back.
"Please do. Call the police. This is a public space". We kept on.
And by the time we were finished, as we left she let me know she felt "disrespected" by me and didn't appreciate it. She continued that her supervisor said we weren't allowed to use a tripod and take pictures there without permission. I responded that she was wrong and pointed out that we weren't using a tripod. Then we continued to walk out of the metro stop. And I tried not to get too furious.

100.8(2) Still photography that does not require a tripod, special lighting, film crews, models, impair the normal ingress/egress or operation of Authority services and can be accomplished by a hand held camera by one person is not regulated...(thanks to DCist for their post, here, but nonetheless it is a continuing issue with photographers)

Just like the Metro photo was inspired by working with Stephen Voss. This photo
was inspired by the few days I worked with Dan Winters during summer.

While I wasn't able to execute all of the ideas I had in my head (I'd mention them, but I'm scared someone might steal them...and hell, maybe I'll do a similar thing next year), I was able to put together what I felt to be a small, cohesive set of images. Please enjoy them for what they are. I am normally a photographer that deals in photographing "real" events and "real" people. But this was too fun to pass up. Please visit my site to see the entire gallery here.

Happy holidays.

New Mexico: balloons, and hikes

2012-10-17T16:23:00.003-04:00

I recently came back from New Mexico. Aside from visiting my wife's family in Rio Rancho, we were able to see a little of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. High winds ruined the first day of balloons so we weren't able to see the mass-ascension in the morning, although we did have the enjoyment of waking up at 430am and waiting in lines and riding school buses to and from the park for a few hours. However, the next evening we attended the Balloon Glow, an event where hundreds of balloons inflate, tether, and ignite their torches and glow at various times after sunset. Fireworks brought the night to a close.

Click on a picture to see a gallery of the images from this post. I think it's a really awesome feature Blogspot added.

"Carne Red Burrito" from Sadie's, balloons, and near-perfect weather. Seriously, how can you complain?

Inflating a balloon as we watch, backs to the setting sun.

You'll never be disappointed in the light you find in New Mexico.

Firing it up at dusk.

Watching the balloons light up the night, from left, are my wife, our daughter and my sisters in-law

After what seemed to be the end of the fireworks display in front of us, we were startled by a new show of fireworks to our left.

For one day & night, we drove up to Santa Fe (always required when we visit NM). And thanks to a friend, we drove out to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Stunning, and yet another example of the endless amounts of outdoor activities to do in New Mexico when I'm you aren't stuffing your face with carne adovada or chiles (yes, this is what you should do in Santa Fe, along with the occasional Margarita). Neither of us had ever heard of it. Not surprising since I didn't grow up there. However, my wife grew up in Santa Fe and hadn't known of it's existence. It was a fairly easy hike, but interesting and thanks to the nice weather (which NM seems to have plenty of), it offered tremendous views once you summited the several hundred foot plateau.

Eva is tempted by an apple under a tree, in the presence of a snake, at Shidoni sculpture garden in Tesuque, just outside Santa Fe.

New-ish Work...

2012-06-27T09:14:00.001-04:00

Since I left the paper in March, my life has definitely taken an interesting turn. A busy turn. I stay at home and take care of my daughter, who is now approaching 7 months...and in the mean time I do a lot of assisting. What's been difficult is finding jobs where I actually shoot. This is a collection, with comments, naturally, on what I've been shooting in the past month.

I revisited Ricky Chang (see my project and blog post here) to see what he was up to, as well as photograph the launch of his friends' bike across america fundraiser (see their blog and info here). It was great to see young people taking such an active role in helping someone out. These are some pictures from that morning.

In addition, I've received some work from The Fairfax Times, as well as some freelance work with my old paper, The News & Messenger. The funny thing is that when I shot these assignments, I couldn't help but reflect on the difference my attitude was as a freelancer versus when I was a staffer. When I was a staffer, it was a luxury, if not impossible to get to an assignment early and "scout" it out. Lingering in order to find something a little bit extra was also a luxury. So with these assignments: A cardboard boat race, a high schooler with Leukemia, and a couple swim meet assignments, I found I had as much time as I wanted. I didn't have to run off to a Chamber of Commerce event. There was no headshot of city council member I needed to get in an hour. These assignments were the only ones I had that day, so I relaxed, and shot. I don't know if I got better pictures than I would have as a staffer, but I know I was more relaxed and enjoyed it a bit more.

LOOK3, Shoot What You Love

2012-06-14T10:50:00.000-04:00

I recently attended the LOOK3 photo festival in Charlottesville, VA for the first time. This is definitely a festival I'd been wanting to attend since I first heard of it several years ago. Here are some pictures and thoughts on some of the stuff I saw in the past week.

-I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't really know Alex Webb's work. His was the first gallery I walked into. Alone. I was there a day early to see the TREES talk with David Doubilet, so I got some exploring out of the way early, without a thousand people around me, which was great. I was blown away. In fact, my first response to seeing all this work was, "damn, I should just quit. there's no way I'll ever be this good". I'm not quitting, but damn, was I inspired.

-I loved being able to meet random people, hang out with them, and then meet the people they know, collect business cards so you can look at their work later. It really is an inspiring week to meet a ton of people whose work you've never seen before.

Enjoying beers and conversation at Jared Soares "Small Town Hip-Hop" showing at The Bridge Progessive Arts Initiative gallery

Pedestrian walks past Bruce Gilden's outdoor gallery.

Donna Ferrato answers some questions. She was awesome.

Outdoor cafe along the Charlottesville Mall, downtown...

-What struck me a day or two into the festival is not only that there are an incredible array of photographers out there that you'll never know, but that the great ones are shooting what they love. Most of what you see is not assignment work. And if it is (like in the case of Lynsey Addario, it's work that's come about because she doggedly pursued an issue that she cares about. The assignments came later). It's that simple. Shoot what you love, even if it's taking pictures of your daughter with random animals, like Robin Schwartz. While it may not be your cup of tea, it's hers. And you can tell she loves it because her images are wonderful. Over and over, this theme repeated itself. During the Works or Shots projections at the end of Fri/Sat nights, I saw work about where children sleep, paint splatter, Zambia's space program, The Dakotas, and an Autistic son, among others. It was all incredible work, b/c I believe the photographer was shooting what they cared about, and not looking for what publishes or sells but just shooting what moves them. It's an extremely simple lesson, but very difficult to apply. How do you suddenly ask yourself, "What do I love? Now go shoot it." I think you need to just let it happen. For me, I'm curious about many things. I have many ideas I think would be interesting to explore visually. I also have a tendency to wonder whether the particular idea is marketable. Maybe I should stop worrying about that and just shoot and see. Maybe the philosophy of "shoot first, ask questions later" applies here.

cookout/picnic at the McGuffeyArt Center

Sam Abell sighting! I love his work.

-Collectives and Collaboratives are the new trend. It's been so for a while, I suppose. The agency is "dead". Luceo, Grain, Prime...just a few of the collectives I've had a chance to look at either before LOOK3 or because of LOOK3. The festival was a great opportunity to meet these people and hear what they had to say. Again, though, you see their work, and it's simply doing what they love, and then finding other people that compliment them and then finding strength in numbers. Maybe it's a model that will stick. At least it gives hope to many freelancers like myself.

My last 2 weeks at the paper and why I left a staff job.

2012-03-06T18:09:00.006-05:00

This past weekend was my last at The News & Messenger, a paper I’d been a full-time staffer since November 2008.

When I first started to write this, I wrote too much. Then I realized I could write this very simply: With the arrival of my first child in December, it became readily apparent that staying with the paper was no longer viable. My wife and I decided that it made the most sense for me to stay at home with the new baby and freelance. First, I don’t have to sign over my paycheck every month to a childcare center. Childcare really is that expensive…or that’s an indication of how little I got paid. Additionally, it allows me to focus on freelancing, which is where I was headed anyway (especially with the disappearance of staff jobs from the larger, more prestigious papers).

I like to think I did my best while working at The News & Messenger. I know I’ve become a much better photographer, and much of that is due to daily assignment work.

Here are pictures from every one of my assignments during the last two weeks at the paper…

Assignment, 2/21; Mark Miller, former MLB pitcher now the pitching coach at Hylton HS.

Assignment, 2/23; "can you get a picture of people enjoying the weather outside?"

Assignment, 2/23; Woman started a business running errands for people...

Assignment, 2/24; Woman started business counseling people on how to speak publicly

Assignment, 2/24; Local Firestation receives new HAZMAT equipment and tools...

Assignment 2/25; Civil War skirmish is re-enacted in Occoquan.

Assignment, 2/25; Bridal show comes to Ft. Belvoir...

Assignment 2/29; Boys swimmer of the year.

Assignment 3/1; Gymnast of the Year.

Assignment, 3/2; Girls Swimmer of the Year

Assignment 3/3; Girls and Boys hoops, VA state quarters (no flash allowed, doh!)

So those were my last 2 weeks of assignments and it's about what we do on a week to week basis as photojournalists at a small daily paper. I remember not long after I started at the paper, I received a phone call from a photographer who liked to volunteer for the local high school. We chatted on the phone because we were doing a story about volunteers that help out local high school sports programs. He then asked if we were hiring, because "I can shoot sports as good as you guys...". Well, we weren't hiring, but I did want to strangle him through the phone, because we don't just shoot sports. We shoot everything, and often we shoot stuff that doesn't appear to be anything at all, and it's our jobs to turn it into something interesting. That's what I learned in 3+ years of working at a community paper, and I'm hoping it's enough to prepare me to move onward.