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Half a Tank: I HAD to share this ..

Yolanda Vazquez walks with her six-year-old son Jonathan down the hallway of the
Hilda M. Barg Homeless Prevention Center. Photo by Michael Williamson/The Washington Post

This is the kind of link I would normally share on my tumbleblog. Especially since it's a series that ended over a year ago. But I just randomly happened across it. I couldn't believe I missed it in the first place. I haven't even had a chance to get into it and experience it for myself. But I decided to share it right away. It's the kind of work I get excited about because it combines topics and interests I've always been drawn to.

The subject of this post is a series, done in the form of a blog, by two Washington Post staffers, writer Theresa Vargas and photographer Michael Williamson. The series, called Half a Tank: Along Recession Road, was a 5-month long quest to find photographs and stories about the lives of ordinary folks and how the current economic recession has altered their lives. The project ended in October of 2009, but it's still available for viewing.

I can't say I'm familiar with Ms. Vargas' work, but I'm acutely aware of Williamson's. I seem to always be just a step behind Michael Williamson. Or he behind me. He briefly left the newspaper business to teach photojournalism at Western Kentucky University – my Alma Mater – just a couple of years after I left. And he joined the staff at the Washington Post when I was still working in that metro area – shortly before I moved to Georgia.

I've never met the man but I've always been strongly drawn to his work, which can have a sort of dark, Americana feel to it. A feel that harkens back to the days when Life magazine was the chief window to the world. And, like myself, the guy has an affinity for the road. Getting out of the nation's megopolis, off the interstates. That's where you'll find America and its history. Williamson has driven countless miles. Hopped trains with hobos. He's probably hoofed more miles than many of us have driven.

I'm also keen on history and the power of photography to document and preserve visual records of people and eras for all time. Williamson has literally traveled in the footsteps of iconic photographer Walker Evans, who, with writer James Agee, produced the book Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, which depicted the lives of sharecroppers in the South during the Great Depression. Fifty years later, working with writer Dale Maharidge, Williamson chronicled the descendants of those portrayed in Evans' work. The resulting book, And Their Children After Them, won a Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction in 1990.

While following in Evans' tracks and sharing with him a fondness for photographing the details of cultures and places, I think, personally, Williamson's work often resembles, in both in style and intent, that of Robert Frank, who's momentous book The Americans was critically panned when first published. The pictures of both photographers are unsentimental in their blunt and sometimes brutal honesty in their depiction of America – especially the poor, the downtrodden, and the homeless. But they are pictures clearly made by the mind and soul of an artist. Evidence of the American Dream are everywhere in Williamson's work, but his images powerfully remind us, sometimes uncomfortably so, that there's still plenty of work to be done in this great democratic experiment of ours. While Robert Frank's view of the American Dream was that of an outsider due to his immigrant status, Williamson's is due to his upbringing.

It's natural that Williamson would be drawn to the road and to downtrodden subjects. He grew up in foster homes and orphanages in over 15 states.  His brings his own experiences to his work and gives these people a voice through his photographs. It's important and notable work. Photojournalism at its very best.

A self portrait Michael made in North Dakota.
Photo by Michael Williamson/The Washington Post

Please make some time to view Half a Tank: Along Recession Road. One caveat, though. The blog reads from the end to the beginning as each blog post replaces the one before it. I wish the Post would re-format the piece so it is easier to experience it chronologically, as if we were traveling with the two journalists.

Still, it will be worth the effort. Maybe I'll finally meet Michael Williamson, one day. Until then, we're all privileged to experience his journeys and historic chronicles through his eyes.






Update (Nov.19):Michael Williamson's latest project, From middle class to poverty, wasjust posted on the WashingtonPost website

Thursday, November 18, 2010 | posted in , | 0 comments [ More ]

Shots that make you go Hmmmmm ...

Mercer's Sharnea Boykin, left, gets the worse of a collision with Georgia Southern
guard Jamie Navarro during the second half of Tuesday's game at Hanner Fieldhouse.

Okay. I love shooting sports, and I'm fairly competent at it. Now, I'm not Bill Frakes–Walter Iooss–John Beiver good. That's crazy good. Those guys just never seem to miss anything, while I still have plenty of times where I never seem to be in the right place at the right time. Especially this year – my gear seems to draw referees like flies. I just can't begin to tell you how many great moments I've captured that are hidden behind black and white stripes. But every once in a while, I can still pull off a doozy.

And I almost didn't get this one because I was contemplating leaving early with the Lady Eagles comfortably ahead by 20+ points in the second half. I did leave, though, after I checked my images while Jamie Navarro shot her free throws. I blew the smoke off the barrel of my lens and got the hell out of Dodge.

This is the beauty of still photography, too. Video would have captured a nasty collision in real time. Sometimes, slow motion can convey something we miss in real time, but it is also fleeting and linear. Only still images can communicate the merging of elements that create something unusual, surprising, and memorable.

Anticipation plays an incredibly important role in photography. It's what separates the best from everyone else. Some things, however, you just can't anticipate, and you look forward to the surprises. You never get tired of that.

Ask anyone who's been doing this for a long time what the best part of the job still is, and they'll probably tell you – it's those shots that make you go hmmmmm.




Tuesday, November 16, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

GSU win trumps all



My wife called it.
With the Georgia Southern football team seemingly out of the playoff hunt with four losses, there were lots of story lines that might have produced a front page picture.
Homecoming. The annual Blue-Out, where most folks dress out in team colors and some paint their bodies from head to toe. Being the last home game of the season, the senior football players were honored. Not to mention the nippy fall weather that had folks huddling together in their coats and blankets.
No shortage of possibilities for a front page photograph.
While alumni were out in full force, the visual presence of Homecoming wasn't so apparent, and I mentioned that to my wife before we both went about our busy work days. And, being the loyal Georgia Southern fan she is, she quipped "When the Eagles beat App State, then you'll have a front page picture!"
I smiled. Georgia Southern has struggled to return to the heights of their glory since their last Football Championship Series (FCS, formerly Division 1-AA) Championship in 2001, their sixth title overall. Since that time, they have watched Appalachian State become a perennial powerhouse and championship contender, winning three straight titles of their own from 2005-2007. Today, the Mountaineers were the number one ranked team in the country and the Eagles were supposed to be a minor speed bump on the way to another championship run.
So I went about finding a way to tell the stories of the day surrounding the game as App State raced to a 14-0 lead.
But the Eagles refused to act like a speed bump. With the Mountaineers threatening to take a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, they came up with an interception in the end zone. Then they scored with only seconds to go before the half. Then they came out after the break, marched down the field, and scored again. 14-all.
The rest of the second half was a slugfest in which the defenses dominated. Regulation ended with the game still tied up at 14. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their first possession in overtime. Then they forced a fumble by the Mountaineers quarterback and recovered it. Game over. Stadium erupts in celebration. Got my front page picture.
Good call, my love!



Georgia Southern fullback Robert Brown (5), center right, celebrates a four-yard touchdown in overtime against number-one ranked (FCS) Appalachian State at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga.  Saturday.

Saturday, November 6, 2010 | posted in , , | 1 comments [ More ]

Tip: Learn from your mistakes? Hah! Why not learn from a Pro's instead?


I've mentioned Joe McNally in another post: The best light available – in a flash.

Joe's been around the block. He was, in fact, Life magazine's last staff photographer. Photojournalist. Portraitist. Editorial, commercial, advertising photographer. If you want to learn about lighting, he is one of the pre-eminant sources for information and advice. His workshops are renowned around the world. Joe is also a fantastic, self-depricating, witty writer who's penned several books and writes a widely-read blog.

I've been getting a lot of questions lately about photography – what equipment to buy and advice about making better pictures. Today, Joe beat me to the punch. In his post, he says:

"My buds over at LIFE.com asked me to come up with a list of common mistakes folks make when starting out with a camera in their hands. Okay. No shortage of material here, right? And they came to the right source, ’cause I’ve made every mistake, basic and advanced, that one could possibly think of. Hell, I’ve even invented some mistakes."

Hence, Joe combined some historic photos from Life's archive with some sagely advice.

So, if you want some tips about what mistakes not to make and shoot better pictures, let experience be your teacher and and learn (and laugh) with a master:


Tuesday, November 2, 2010 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Reader submissions enabled on a small(er) voice



Following up on the announcement of my supplemental blog, a small(er) voice, I enabled the ability for readers to submit their own content to encourage discussion.

Got a link to a web page you want to share? A quote? A picture or slideshow you think is a great example of news photography or photojournalism? A video you think deserves some conversation?

Please feel free to click on the "Conversation" link and submit your content for posting. While the focus of this blog is photojournalism, conversation about journalism in general and current events is also encouraged, although some discretion will be exercised.

Your content could be the subject of a post here on a small voice, too. While comments for all posts will be allowed to be made anonymously, the sharing of links must include the attribution of both the sharer and the source of the content. All submission are subject to approval before posting.

So, folks, contribute and share away!


Monday, November 1, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Bookmark a small(er) voice

I'm still experimenting with my on-line "presence," so I started a tumbleblog as a compliment to a small voice.

I want a small voice to be mostly focused on my work specifically as a photojournalist for the Statesboro Herald. Here is where you will find my more thoughtful attempts to connect with the community about what I do. Commentary, tips, stories behind the stories, etc.

So, rather than clutter up this blog, I created a small(er) voice as an attempt at a more stream-of-consciousness sharing of links, articles, information and pictures, with examples of my own work and others that I admire or find interesting.

You can find the link on the sidebar to the right. So check in and follow me on both, if you like.

Oh yeah. Feedback. I need feedback, folks! Let's "conversate."


Saturday, October 30, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

A camera is just a tool, right?


Good light and composition are not dependent on gear.

I get it all the time. I'm out working, and inevitably someone will take a look at my gear and say "I bet that camera takes good pictures."

Well, no, I counter. A photographer takes good pictures. The camera is just a tool. I tell that to anyone who enquires about taking better photographs. I preach it to my students when I teach classes. A photographer understands how to use light and thoughtfully compose an image. A photographer chooses when to press the button and capture a particular moment in time. Owning a nice camera does not make you a photographer.

I might have to eat some of those words.

You can build a house with a hammer and a saw, but you can build one a whole lot more efficiently with some power tools.

For the past couple of weeks, I feel like I've been working with a hammer.

My trusty Nikon D300 wigged out on me. The mirror locked up and the camera essentially became non-functioning. It was my only working body, too, my other one being an old D2Hs with a fried image sensor functioning only as a lens holder. (Useless, unless images with a sickly hot-pink magenta cast are the look you're going for) To simply do my job, I've had to borrow a camera from the Connect Statesboro staff. I'm grateful to them, but it's been an exercise in frustration.

The camera I borrowed is a Nikon D40x, which was the entry-level digital SLR in Nikon's lineup (since replaced by the snazzier D3100). To be sure, it's cable of making fine images within its limitations. But make no mistake: it has its limitations.

Many folks appreciate lightness in a camera body. It's sure a lot easier on my shoulders and neck. But a little heft has its advantages. A heavier body acts as a counterweight against heavier professional-level lenses. The D40 looks and feels downright silly with a 70-200 mm f/2.8 telephoto zoom lens mounted on it. Plus, the camera is made of flimsy plastic. Camera equipment tends to get knocked about in the course of covering news assignments. The build does not inspire confidence.

Like I said, this camera is capable of making good images. I shot a fairly bang-up portrait for the cover of one our monthly publications. Light and composition are two of the three most important elements of good photography. That part never changes, regardless of your gear. The third – timing – is where I consistently have experienced frustration. And, in photojournalism, I can't think of anything more important than timing.

Missed a funny moment while D40 searched for focus

I'm accustomed to a camera responding instantly. I shoot a frame, and the D300 was instantly ready to shoot another. If I needed to shoot a burst of frames, I've had up to 30 or so frames available, at 8 frames per second, no less. Not so with the D40. Sometimes, there is a lag when I press the shutter release. Sometimes I have to wait before I can shoot again. Nikon claims "instant response time" and "3 frames per second burst rate," but I beg to differ.

Plenty of light? No problem. Typical human movement? Sufficient. But news photography frequently requires shooting action in low light. Thank goodness all of our local high school and college football teams were playing out-of-town games last weekend. Still, I was cursing as the D40 struggled to make in-focus, properly exposed images at a Halloween haunted house.

So, if you ever wondered what you get when you spend megabucks on a digital camera, this is what differentiates a model with pro features from an entry-level camera:

  • Durable build. When you drop big bucks on a camera, you should expect something that can take a reasonable beating. The camera body itself will outlast the electronics that make it function. (e.g. my D2Hs) Higher end models come with a degree of weather sealing, too, to keep moisture and dust from invading the electronics inside your camera. Not water-proof, mind you. I wouldn't suggest shooting with any sophisticated electronic cameras in a driving rainstorm. But a gentle sprinkle shouldn't make your gear lock up.

  • Processing power. A digital camera is essentially a mini-computer, and you can expect the same difference in performance that you would between a $500 computer and a $5,000 computer. Every camera function is dependent on processing power, from responsiveness, to autofocus speed, to image processing, etc. An entry-level DSLR is just fine for most folks. But when you need to make a couple thousand images in one day ( and sometimes I do), you need something more robust.

Those are the main things, but some other niceties come with a bigger price tag. Ergonomics and convenience, for example. Instead of having to scroll through endless menus to change certain settings, pro models have lots of buttons and dials right at your fingertips to quickly make adjustments. You get what you pay for.

Perhaps I needed to spend more time with the D40x to squeeze the most out of its potential. It's the kind of camera that would suffice more many, or most, photography enthusiasts. In fact, it would be a great used purchase for those looking to step up from a point-and-shoot. It's not a power tool, however. (Well, maybe one of those off-brand power tools you can buy at discount stores.)

My equipment breakdown has expedited the approval by our corporate folks for a new D300s camera body, which should arrive in the next day or so. Just in the nick of time, because there are football games Friday and Saturday with playoff implications. Having two camera bodies is not a luxury for a photojournalist, either. Backup is not the only consideration. I lament the countless pictures I have lost because I was switching lenses. To that end, I should get my trusty D300 back from the repair shop fairly soon, too.

I can't wait, because it sure takes good pictures.




Thursday, October 28, 2010 | posted in , , | 2 comments [ More ]

"a small voice" goes mobile



I'm keen on irony.

After posting about the virtues of print, or "Legacy," media, I decided to make a small voice more mobile friendly. If you would like to read a small voice on your mobile phone, click on the a small voice MOBILE SITE link.Bookmark it and stop in where ever you are, now.

And comment! I want to know what's on your mind. Journalism is a conversation, folks!



Tuesday, October 26, 2010 | posted in , | 0 comments [ More ]

"The war between old and new is a false construct. Nothing goes away."


… I lose patience with pundits who prophesy and lobby for the demise of all traditional media in favor of newer forms. - David Granger, Esquire Editor-in-Chief 

I covered the Georgia Literary Fair today at Georgia Southern University. The focus was on books. Real, honest-to-goodness printed books, their authors, and people who love to read them. I photographed a woman who loves to read books. She loves the feel of them and how they smell. And I spoke to some student volunteers who also said they loved books but, ironically, were fiddling with their smart phones while on break.

 Then I ran across a quote from which the title of this blog comes from.

I often think about the future of my profession. What will it look like? Will photographs be viewed only on tablets and smart phones? Will photojournalism be a viable career choice in an environment where everyone expects information to be free and where news organizations troll for free material from amateurs and hobbyists as the lion's share of their content? Will photojournalism as a full-time job be reserved for only a select, super-talented, ultra-committed few?

Sometimes, that's the picture being painted. (That's a quaint saying, isn't it?) Many appear to be advocating for the complete abandonment of printed communication, or "Legacy Media," as they say with a snarl. Maybe I am becoming a dinosaur, but I can't help but feel that some stories are more appropriately and most powerfully communicated in print.

Fact is, today's digital viewing devices simply can't adequately display the images modern digital cameras are capable of producing. The iPhone 4 touts itself as the highest resolution smart phone ever made at 960 by 640 pixels. Sounds impressive, but all those pixels are packed into a 3 1/2 inch screen. So, no matter how far you zoom in, you are still viewing a 3 1/2 inch image.

We go ga ga over gigantic High Definition televisions. No matter how big the screen, however, the resolution remains the same: 1920 by 1080 pixels. Professional level digital cameras are capable of producing TEN times that resolution – or more. In other words, an HD TV is capable of displaying only 10% of the detail captured by a pro digital camera.

Newspaper reproduction is limited, too, but it still requires an image roughly twice the resolution, or more, than that of HD TV to print adequately. Ever consider what you might be missing?

That's just technical mumbo jumbo, however. What photographs communicate, and how they do it, is more important. And I firmly believe that print is still often the best way to present still photography. On digital devices, photography is too often presented as video - in a linear fashion. An on-line slide show simply doesn't produce the same experience as a two-page spread in a broad sheet newspaper. And size does count. Does anyone believe those pictures of the World Trade Center on 9/11 would have been nearly as impactful on smart phone screens instead of on the front pages of our newspapers?

I love technology, though. The Digital Age offers opportunities to tell stories in more different ways than ever. We can appeal to a much broader audience. We would be fools not only to resist, but not to embrace the opportunities. But that doesn't make more traditional means of communication any less rich or valid.

Anyway, I'm glad someone like Esquire’s David Granger is better able to articulate how I feel.

For the full quote, click here: Words of Wisdom from Esquire’s David Granger - Mr. Magazine.

Saturday, October 23, 2010 | posted in , | 0 comments [ More ]

Miraculous Rescue, Remarkable Reunion: more on how photographs connect us



Miraculous Rescue, Remarkable Reunion - News Story - WCVB Boston

Photographing tragedy is often controversial. Photojournalists are sometimes accused of being heartless ambulance chasers and sharks at a feeding frenzy when they turn their cameras on the suffering.

But I still firmly believe there is great social value in documenting the human condition – all of it. Sometimes, the value is not understood until years later.

Photographing breaking news has always been the forte of Boston Herald photographer Stanley Forman. In the late 1970s, Forman garnered an unequaled three straight Pulitzer Prizes in a row. Perhaps his best known photograph, and most controversial, is one that shows a woman and a child falling from a collapsed fire escape during an apartment fire. The woman died on impact and the child miraculously survived.  It's a heart-wrenching depiction of the worst kind of tragedy. The woman's death was not in vain, however. In short order, the City of Boston revamped it's safety regulations governing fire escapes. While many condemned the Herald for publishing the photo, this question, as always, remains: would such forceful action by city officials have ever taken place had the picture not been published?

The ultimate value of some photographs may not be fully understood until years later. The story linked above is such an example. Sometimes, we are quick to condemn photographs of tragedy in the name of protecting the victims. In this case, an innocent child who lost everything. The photographs depict the heroism of the firefighters in this instance, and that's of great importance. However, we see how, over thirty years later, these photographs and the person who made them helped a woman make sense of and better understand her own personal history.

The fact is, sometimes photographing tragedy actually helps victims cope. Many subjects of disturbing photographs never forgive the perceived invasion into their private experience and emotions. However, many others come to appreciate, over time, the attention given to their circumstances.

In his book Lessons in Life and Death, photojournalist David LaBelle says that photographing tragedy actually has a therapeutic value. That confronting mortality and that of loved ones can help people appreciate life itself. Photographs of tragedy, if used compassionately, can serve as a form of psychotherapy for society, as a whole and on a personal level.

And the key is compassion. As LaBelle says, "Love doesn't always wear a smile."

In the end, Tammi Brownlee's story is just another example of how photographs can reach across space and time and connect us as human beings.

To see more of Stanley Forman's work, click here: Stanleyformanphotos.com

Hannah Forman

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Knowing when to say when ...

ECI running back Darion Moody, center, leaves Poral defenders
flailing on a 64-yard touchdown run on 4-and-2 when the
Bulldogs were trying to run out the clock just before halftime Friday.

There's a certain amount of guilt that goes along with being a one-man photo department at a small newspaper.

You can never adequately cover your community. The news is 24/7. It never stops. You end up having to make choices and sometimes compromise your journalistic ideals. Sometimes you're the one putting in the 14 hour work days, and sometimes it's your co-workers, and you feel guilty when it's not you. And you're constantly juggling that sense of professionalism and commitment with family and activities outside of work. It's a hard, if not impossible, balance to achieve.

Today, I spent most of the day with my sick 3-year-old. I didn't get in to the office until most folks were just kicking off for the day. I knew I was okay, because the only thing I had to shoot was Friday night high school football. Still, most of my co-workers had already been working at least half-a-day, and several would be working past 11:00 p.m., either web-casting the game, writing game stories, or putting together the newspaper for the next day. So, when I decided to bug out of the ball game at halftime, there was a twinge of guilt.

Some folks don't understand shooting sports. "Can't you get one good shot and then leave, since it's likely only one shot will be published in the paper?" they say. But it's not about getting a shot. It's about getting the shot. About telling the story of that game. Or at least a small group of photos that capture its essence.

I hate to leave a game early because of that. You just can't count out some kind of crazy turn of events that results in a monumental comeback. It's rare, but I've seen it happen, and I feel it would be professionally remiss to skip out on a game early just because I have a couple of good action shots. My worst nightmare is to leave a game early, have something unlikely happen, and not be there to capture the real story.

Tonight was not one of those times. The score was 42-0 at halftime. So, with both my wife and I facing long work days on Saturday – on our wedding anniversary, no less – and a feverish toddler, I left at halftime tonight.

So, with sincere apologies to Portal High School, my co-workers, and Statesboro Herald readers ...

WHEN!


Portal's Deontre Williams is slow to get up off the field after having his punt blocked by ECI's Wezley Ealey in the second quarter Friday.

Friday, October 8, 2010 | posted in , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Facing loss

Sometimes, photographs are the best way to tell a story. But they have limitations.

One of my assignments last week was to photograph Connie Sacks, whose husband, a former soldier and contract medic with a government agency, was killed during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan in July. She was clearly still in shock and emotionally raw. Despite that, she shared her story with the Herald. She shared the story of his life, his heroic actions after being mortally wounded, as well as their love story – one for the ages.

How do you show that, with a photograph, during a short interview in her living room? You can't. Photography is best used to create emotional connections. So I knew I had to craft an image that was emotional.

When I first entered the living room, I noticed how the soft window light created a distinctive mood in the room. I knew I could use that to my story-telling advantage. I listened as writer Holli Deal Bragg asked questions and listened to the responses. Connie alternatively beamed with joy and choked with tears as she recalled her life together with husband Max. He was all around her. In the home they renovated together. In the yard they got married in. In the furniture he restored. In the seashells they collected. All the while, she clutched his military dog tags that she wore around her neck.

Personally, I hate to shoot over-posed, directed portraits. But I knew I would have to do a little coaching in this instance. I posed Connie by the window to take advantage of the light. And I told her how to hold the dog tags, which hung near her waist, so I could photograph them close to her face and still maintain a natural feel. She was nervous to be in front of the lens. In the end, though, I really didn't have to do much. Almost immediately, she gazed at the object and began to reflect. I had my shot before she even had a chance to get uncomfortable and think about what we were doing.

So, yes, this is a posed portrait. Not my favorite thing to do, especially under the circumstances. But it couldn't be more honest or more real. I hope it's a suitable tribute to both Connie and Max.

Sometimes folks ask me what you say to people under those circumstances. In this case, I thanked Connie. Sharing her story was courageous, and it's a service to our readers and our community. Grief will touch us all at some point in our lives, and we can learn from how others cope.

And we remember those we've lost through those who remain.




Monday, October 4, 2010 | posted in , | 0 comments [ More ]

Link: Headshots don't have to be boring


SLIDESHOW
Photo focus: Creative headshots
from reuters.com

Usher poses for a protrait in NY.
(REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

Mention the topic of "head shots" to a lot of news photographers, and you just might get a groan as a response. Little postage stamp-sized pics that are used to simply identify the subject of a story or a quote don't typically get the creative juices flowing. Plus, they are overused and over-assigned, as I professed in a previous post.

Unfortunately, some assignments lend themselves to little more. Depending on the notoriety of the subjects, the only access you might get is when they are speaking at a podium or some other kind of heavily controlled environment.

However, I ran across a slideshow on the Reuters news service site that just goes to show how really good photographers can still see things in unique ways.


Friday, October 1, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Hindu deity makes a clutch grab in Georgia Southern win

Who needs Photoshop?

I swear, this is totally real. It's simply the result of being in a particular spot at a particular moment in time. Shoot enough frames, you're bound to come up with some surprises.

Georgia Southern wide receiver Mitch Willford made a clutch reception on fourth down in the fourth quarter against Elon that allowed the Eagles to run out the clock. He celebrated, as did offensive lineman Zach Lonas. Their bodies and arms lined up in way you could never have planned for. It's phenomenon totally unique to still photography.

Anyway, a four-armed receiver ought to haul in anything that comes his way.

Saturday, September 25, 2010 | posted in , , , | 1 comments [ More ]

Family trumps politics

Mary Matalin expounds on her daughter's occasional opinion of daddy
James Carville, background left, during Wednesday's appearance at
Georgia Southern University's Hanner Fieldhouse. 

Political power couple James Carville and Mary Matalin brought their He Said/She Said act to Georgia Southern Wednesday.

 The two may disagree on politics, but I was able to capture a moment when they whole heartily agreed – where Matalin described how their daughters can be mightily embarrassed by their Dad's antics as a New Orleans Saints fan and proud Louisianan.

Uh, loser!

Thursday, September 23, 2010 | posted in , | 0 comments [ More ]

Touchdown Jesus, Southern style ...

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the famous football icon at the University of Notre Dame known as "Touchdown Jesus."

Well, my colleague at the Morgan County Citizen, Angelina Bellebuono, e-mailed me a pic that's almost unbelievable, at the same time not surprising. It kind of speaks volumes about football, religion, and the South. What's funny is that Angelina didn't know she made this image when she pressed the shutter button.

She was simply doing what many of us news photogs do when shooting sports. That is, shooting pictures of the scoreboard after important plays to mark the score, time, down and distance, etc. to help with captioning later on.

"When I began editing, I realized I was looking at DaVinci's 'Last Supper.' Without the supper. I never saw it as I was actually shooting the image," she said in her e-mail.

It kind of reminds me of religious apparitions you hear about on occasion. You know, like the Virgin Mary appearing in a cloud formation or a potato chip shaped like Jesus.

Angelina wondered if it was subliminal. I say not. There's nothing subtle about religion and football here in Georgia.

Some might say they are one in the same.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 | posted in , , | 1 comments [ More ]

Politics aside ... I am a biased journalist

I'm not much for politics. Sure, I've got my opinions. Plenty of strongly held ones, too. But I keep'em to myself when I'm on the job. You know, in the interest of fairness and accuracy, which are the true benchmarks of professional journalism, not the ubiquitous, misunderstood, and misapplied term "objectivity."

When I'm covering political events, the story I always try to tell is the human interest angle. In the interest of fairness, I'll tell you straight up that my personal bias in my work is that of humanity. One of the great advantages of using photographs as a means of communication is that we can see ourselves in other people, regardless of cultural, political, religious or personal beliefs.

In our increasingly polarized political atmosphere (and I admit that's an opinion based on my personal observations), I'm always looking for little nuggets of humanity. When Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, visited Statesboro Saturday as part of his "Fire Pelosi" tour to stir up participation in November elections, the political electricity in the air couldn't be felt more strongly.

At the end of Steele's speech, a citizen reminded him to address an issue of great importance to her. Honestly, I couldn't really understand much of anything she said from my vantage point, but she was clearly feisty and her comments elicited side-splitting laughter – especially from Steele himself. Did I mention doubled over with laughter?

She was asking Steel for a definitive statement on whether or not the Republican National Committee was going to support Christine O'Donnell, the surprise winner of the Republican primary for a Senate seat in Delaware. In other words, she was holding the leader of her political party accountable, and she was doing it with humor.

Is there anything much more human than humor? Any time we can see opponents, adversaries, or anyone different from ourselves as the human beings that they are, well, I think there is great hope for humanity itself, because that is the starting point for any progress.

So there it is. My bias. Sue me if you don't like it, but don't say you weren't advised.

By the way, Steel said he and the National Party have started transferring funds to O'Donnell's campaign and would support her in every way.

I am a journalist, after all.

After his speech during a stop at the Holiday Inn in Statesboro on his "Fire Pelosi" tour, Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele doubles over laughing at the spunkiness of Hazel Jordan of Savannah, right.

Saturday, September 18, 2010 | posted in , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

September 11th in 2010: here, there, and everywhere ...



This is how our local Statesboro and Bulloch County public safety officers honored their own on Saturday, September 11, 2010.

Tim Grams of the Statesboro Fire Department, left, rings a bell to honor safety officials who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 during a ceremony at Bulloch Memorial Gardens Saturday.


And this is a link to one of my favorite photo blogs, The Big Picture by the Boston Globe, which features many pictures from many sources about how people remembered 9/11.

The Tribute in Lights illuminates the sky over lower Manhattan on September 11, 2010. (REUTERS/Gary Hershorn)

Monday, September 13, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Remembering 9/11 from behind the lens ...

Bill Biggart's final photograph. He was killed when the second Trade Center 
tower collapsed on top of him minutes after this exposure.




Many of the world's greatest photojournalists were in New York City on September 11, 2001. I thought I'd post just a few links to recollections of 9/11 from the men and women whose photographs will help ensure we never forget.






I'll try to add more links as I find them. Feel free to add your own.

Friday, September 10, 2010 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

'Tis the season: multimedia slideshow

It's become a marker of fall for me. Georgia Southern football and multimedia.

On Saturdays, I lurk amongst the tailgaters with my funny looking Zoom H4 audio recorder (looks a little like a stun gun).

On Monday, I start perusing through over 1000 images shot at the game and listening to the audio I recorded. Then I start to play around with music loops in Apple GarageBand until I have some music appropriate to set the stage.

Mix it all together with Joe Weiss' amazing little Soundslides program, and voila!

Hopefuly, something a little better than a clicky-click slideshow. Perhaps something that captures a little more of the energy at Paulson Stadium?

Soundslides is pretty amazing. It produces an Adobe Flash-based slideshow which looks way better than a typical on-line video. Check out the full-screen mode by clicking in the bottom-right hand corner.

Tell me what you think.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 | posted in , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

1980s madness ...



Okay, I feel really old.

 After the Statesboro High School marching band performed their '80s Madness routine at halftime Friday night, Tyler Smith, 17, told me I was one of the few people who recognized he was portraying Slash of Guns-n-Roses.

"People were coming up to me and saying 'Hey Ozzie!'"

Madness, indeed!

Friday, September 3, 2010 | posted in , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Football madness: stories from the sidelines

Portal's Nolan Clark lies prone on the field after cramping up on a 
Southeast Bulloch kickoff return.

As a photojournalist, my main job is to tell the stories I cover through photographic images. Sometimes, additionally, the access afforded photographers gives us a chance to make observations and share stories of the non-visual variety. The sidelines at sporting events can provide some unique experiences and perspectives not always accessible to most fans and even sports writers who tend to stick to the press box.

Our first Friday night football game of the 2010 season featured Southeast Bulloch and Portal high schools. Tons of story lines. Two local, cross-county rivals playing each other. Two new head coaches, to name a couple. From a news standpoint, last Friday was a can't-lose situation. On the field, however, somebody had to lose.

In the end, Southeast Bulloch won in convincing fashion, 37-12, snapping a 19-game losing streak in the process. The story in the following day's paper reflected the significance of that feat, as well it should have. They exercised a demon and set a new tone for the future of their program.

But there was another story line that emerged on the sideline which was discussed amongst us in the local news media and was also reflected in my photographs as I edited them later. It's an issue that most every small school struggles with when competing against larger schools. Sometimes football is a game of attrition as much anything else.

Portal's Jordan Cowart, one of the many two-way players for the Panthers, 
walks slowly off the field after a turnover against Southeast Bulloch.

Portal High School head football coach Cherard Freeman.

When the two teams put their best 11 players on the field against each other, there wasn't a great deal of difference in talent – if any. But when you looked at the sidelines, SEB's advantage was evident. The Yellow Jackets dressed out possibly three times as many players as the Panthers. While SEB has its share of two-way players, Portal players almost never came off the field, with practically the same 11 playing defense, offense, and special teams. That takes its toll, especially on the big guys in the trenches. Add in South Georgia heat in August, and that's a lot to overcome. More than once, there were multiple Portal players cramping up on the field between plays.

So what's the point of this post? There's certainly no slight intended towards Southeast Bulloch. They earned their win and I look forward to covering them. I hope the Portal players aren't embarrassed. I expect them to be very competitive against teams in their own region. They have some players who can "ball" and a coach who really likes to teach the game of football.

The point is that sometimes pictures can tell a part of the story that might not make it into the gameday story. And sometimes I like to pass on what I see and hear while working the sidelines.

More to come ...

Portal quarterback Hunter Oglesby led all rushers with 137 yards against
Southeast Bulloch.

Thursday, September 2, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

High temps not conducive to creativity

Jennifer Burnett,18, of Dahlonega gets a ride from
childhood pal Tracy Bardugon, 18, as the two move
in to campus housing at Georgia Southern University.

I've been trying to teach my two-year-old to share. This week, he shared a virus with me.

The result has been a triple-digit temperature, matching the triple-digit temperatures outdoors in South Georgia this past week.

I took one day off, trying to recover – to no avail. With community events piling up, I returned to work in time to cover Friday's "Operation Move-in" at Georgia Southern University. The official opening of campus housing to new students is something we cover every year, so I usually try to think up a new angle each time. The blazing heat seemed like a pretty logical one, this time.

Now, I can be pretty stubborn. I'm always trying to push myself by attempting to make pictures I've never made before, no matter how mundane the subject. I'll work some events long and hard, almost beyond reason, just to come up with an image that's not hackneyed or cliche. I'm not always successful. Not successful nearly as often as I would like. But I always make the effort. It's just not in my nature to mail in any assignment.

Friday was chock full of story-telling opportunities: Two life-long friends become roommates for their first year of college. After a commuting, long-distance relationship, a high school grad finally joins her boyfriend as a Georgia Southern student. Four people tote an entire shoe collection for a rising freshman moving into campus housing.

Catherine Lee, 18, of Atlanta affectionately punches boyfriend

Michael McFarland, 21, Friday during Operation Move-In at

Georgia Southern. 

But my body and mind just weren't up to the task. My muscles ached. I was constantly wiping sweat from my eyes. Yet, my vision seemed to get no better after I wiped them. My brain was hazy – no sense of timing or composition. I was mindlessly making frames, hoping one might tell an interesting story. Rather than sticking with any particular subject for any length of time, I quickly bowed out and moved on.

Dyree Scott, left, and brother Ben help Savannah pal 
Jamari Mixon move into Eagle Village by toting his 
shoe collection.

After shooting several different scenarios, I wasn't particularly happy with any of my images – a lot of them had that "almost-but-not-quite-good" quality – and realized I hadn't really communicated what was so apparent - the heat. Those fleeting moments, where someone paused and wiped their brow or took a sip from a water bottle, were completely escaping me. I was still resolved to try and make some type of image to communicate these oppressive dog days conditions.

However, in this case, dog days did not translate into dogged determination. I was just dog tired.

The tipping point came when one of the event volunteers saw me. "You look really hot. Are you okay?" And she offered me water and and a towel.

And then it happened again, as I made my way. "Man, you look hot. Are you okay?"

And again. And again ...

Even in my dazed and confused state, I got the message. Time to bag it, Scotty B. You've become a reptile (and not a cute one like that gecko on TV), unable to regulate your body temperature in these conditions. Find a rock to crawl under – quickly.

So I trudged back to my car and left for the office to turn in the pictures I did manage to make.

Lesson learned? Well, I tried to tough things out, but toughness doesn't always translate into creativity. Sometimes, you gotta know when to say "when."

Can I go to sleep, now?



Saturday, August 14, 2010 | posted in , | 0 comments [ More ]

The eyes of the beholder: more on contests ...

1st place Feature Photo and Photo of the Year, 2009 Georgia AP Awards, Division A.

There's been another round of annual contest awards, and it might be worth further examining their significance, which I began to do in this post: The award is not the reward.

There are two main press associations in the state of Georgia that conduct annual contests: the Georgia Press Association and the Georgia Associated Press Association (this link is dated, but the best I could find.) The GPA contest is open to every newspaper in the state. The Georgia AP contest is open to members in the state who subscribe to the AP wire service, so many smaller papers are not represented. Both contest have this in common – they are broken down into divisions so that papers with similar circulations are competing against one another instead of with everyone in the state. The Statesboro Herald competes in the Division D (Circulation 8,000–under, daily newspapers) in GPA and in Division A (circulation 10,000–under) in Georgia AP. The Herald recently garnered 15 awards in the Georgia AP contest. Suffice to say, I'm very proud that my publication and my co-workers have been recognized.

On one level, I like the breakdown. It gives everyone an opportunity to be recognized for outstanding work. On the other hand, it allows almost every publication to designate itself as "award-winning." Personally, I wish they would add all-division awards for each award category because I think some of the smaller newspapers are doing journalism that measures up to what the larger organizations are producing. That's significant and that kind of  commitment and achievement should be recognized when it happens, considering the difference in resources between larger and smaller publications.

One of the most interesting aspects of these awards is comparing what stories and photographs are chosen in each of these concurrent contests. Sometimes the differences are striking because most newspapers submit the same bodies of work to both contests. It can provide a fascinating study and insight into what people consider to be outstanding journalism and photojournalism. While the public, in general, probably has wildly varying ideas about this, you can see that practicing journalists serving as contest judges have varying ideas, as well. Because of that, sometimes you have to take winning contests with a grain of salt. As a photojournalist, I am always honored by recognition, but sometimes I find winning selections curious.

The photo at the top of this post won First Place for Feature photo in Georgia AP. This was the photo that won First place for Feature photo in GPA:

First Place Feature photo in 2009 GPA contest, Division D.
First Place Sports Feature – 2009 Georgia AP

Both pictures failed to place at all in the corresponding contest. Similarly, in the Sports Action category, a Georgia AP first place winner failed to place in GPA while 2nd and 3rd place winners in GPA failed to place in Georgia AP. Further, Georgia AP 1st and 2nd place winners in Sports Feature failed to place in GPA, where a complete different picture placed 2nd.

Same group of pictures submitted. Completely different sets of values and sensibilities demonstrated by two sets of judges. It wasn't with just my photographs, either. The winners lists and selections varied wildly from one contest to another, although you could get a sense of what types of photographs some judges seemed to prefer.

Over the years, I've been able to sense when photographs are judged by fellow photographers and when reporters or editors who work primarily with words are making selections. It's actually pretty easy to tell, particularly in the feature photograph category. Writers are inevitably drawn to the cute, cuddly photographs – especially ones with kids and animals. Photographers tend to look for something else. Moments. Light. Composition. Symbolism. You can tell when judges appreciate the subtle things that make photographs memorable.

First Place Sports Action – 2009 Georgia AP

However, even when judges are among the most respected photojournalists in the business, personal values and taste come into play. If you get a chance, check out the web sites of the two most important photojournalism contests in our country: "The Best of Photojournalism" sponsored chiefly by National Press Photographers Association and the "Pictures of the Year" contest sponsored chiefly by the University of Missouri School of Journalism. The NPPA and Missouri once co-sponsored a single "Pictures of the Year" contest, and it's interesting to compare and contrast the results since the split a few years ago. Categories and breakdowns continue to diverge every year, and you can get a sense of differing philosophies.

The work of former Rocky Mountain News photographer Todd Heisler is an interesting study. His amazing and touching behind-the-scenes visual account of funerals for Colorado Marines who returned from Iraq in caskets in 2006 won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature photography that year. In the "Pictures of the Year" contest, the same work, split into two parts, yielded only a Third Place for Issue Reporting Picture Story and an Award of Excellence (an honorable mention) in the Newspaper News Picture Story category, but Heisler was honored with second place for Newspaper Photographer of the Year. The same body of work garnered him a First Place for Best Published Picture Story in the "Best of Photojournalism" contest, yet he was completely absent from the list of photographers considered for Photojournalist of the Year.

Ultimately, the presence of his work in all three contests speaks to its significance, but it also goes to show that recognition is highly dependent on a particular judging panel's standards.

About this 2009 Photo of the Year in Georgia AP Division A (also the top photograph) ...

It was a bit of a surprise, especially to the Herald's Publisher and Executive Editor. Of all the photographs I made in 2009, perhaps the most remembered is the one that took first place in the News Photograph category (in the Herald's division) of both state contests.

First Place General News, 2009 Georgia Press Association (Div. D). First Place Spot News, 2009 Georgia AP (Div. A).

Personally, I think it's the most important photograph I made during the year. When a far-away war touches us so personally, so intimately, folks take notice. Why the (perceived) snuff? Well, it can't hurt to try and get inside the judges' heads.

This is what the judges said about the Photo of the Year: "Great use of Light. Unique moment from what could have been a predictable event."

And I'm flattered by that comment. I cover numerous festivals every year, and it's a real challenge to produce photographs that don't look the same as the previous year ... and the year before that ... and so on.

Once, when asked about the artistic quality of his work, even when covering war or other horrific conditions, photojournalist James Nactwey said:

"I am not intending to create art but rather to create a profound human communication..."

While my primary role as a photojournalist is not to be an artist, sometimes I do try to create art. Sometimes life presents itself in unique moments. A certain quality of light, a moment, a composition come together that helps us examine common, even mundane facets of life in a new way. Certainly, to appreciate everyday life can be profound.

However, the photojouralist's role becomes even more important when life presents us with overtly profound moments. We try to make visual records of historic moments that help define us as a people and a community at particular points in time. I'll always feel the funeral of Georgia National Guard Sgt. Brock Chavers was one of those moments.

Again, to get inside the judges' heads ... they had to choose four Photos of the Year – one from each division. And, sadly (for our military families), there were several funerals in Georgia for soldiers who lost their lives overseas and many photographers who documented them. Perhaps they felt one of these photos was enough to represent all four divisions, and there were images that may have communicated the tragedy and loss more forcefully.

My photograph of grief is subtle. If you put it in a lineup with other funeral pictures, it probably wouldn't be the first to jump out at you. The photographs that depict loved ones wailing and crying are the ones that hit you in the gut and make you feel the loss more immediately. Some may actually prefer my photograph of the Chavers family for that very reason. It's difficult for many of us to be confronted, often graphically, with another's grief.

That's not why I'm proud of this photograph, however. What makes this photograph special, to me, is that it's their story. Brock Chavers' family. A military family's story of loss. Their dignity. Their quiet resignation and numb acceptance. A young boy's look of incomprehension.

That's the most important photograph I made in 2009. Does that make it the best photograph? The "Photo of the Year?"

I guess that's in the eyes of the beholder.


Monday, August 2, 2010 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

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