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07/25/2005 12:45:09 PM · #1 |
...the continuing chronicles of my freelancing...
well, this turned into something a lot different than what i thought it was going to be...
Assignment: "Feature shot of the Allen triplets, L., K., & B. All three are playing on the Richmond Jr Golf Tour. Be there at 10:30am."
when i got this friday, i had all kinds of ideas about how to approach the assignment. this sounded like something to have fun with. heck, i even thought i might even be clever enough to get a creative shot of a golf bag for 'tools of the trade'. so, i went out almost 30 minutes early, just to give myself some time.
and, when i got there, i found that they had actually teed off 15 minutes before i got there, nearly 45 minutes before i was supposed to be there!!!
so, one of the tour directors takes me to a golf cart so he can help me hunt them down. thankfully, they're walking, and have only shot a few holes. BUT, these triplets are two sisters and a brother; the brother is in a group one hole AHEAD of his sisters. we have to get to him and get him to wait after his tee shot. soon enough, his sisters approach the green where we are waiting.
it's about 10:30am, and it's already close to 90 degrees. today is supposed to set records for heat. there is not a cloud in the sky--it's just a washed out white sky. and i only have about ONE minute to get my shots. no time for getting creative, no time for much anything. thankfully, i had my camera ready to go before we caught up with the brother. i was shooting with my super-wide angle (16-35), at 16mm, with settings of iso400, F/5, and 1/1000. i also had my soon-to-be-upgraded-420ex on, as well, to fill in the shadows from the harsh overhead sun. on one hand, these kids were fairly shy; on the other, they took direction. so, i lined 'em up like the 3 musketeers, each holding out a driver with the brother in the middle, and popped off a few frames. and, just as quickly as i had started, i was done and they were gone...
no second chances, no lemme-make-sure-it-came-outs. the tournament couldn't wait!
so, i bomb back to my office, picked two, quickly captioned and adjusted the levels on them, and sent them to the paper, hoping that i had something that would work, and wondering what my options would be if these wouldn't work.
finally, after an eternity (well, actually, more like 20 minutes), the photo director let me know that "ya got a good one."
what did i learn from this? never, NEVER take an assignment at face value. no matter how simple and straightforward it appears to be, always check it out ahead of time. most importantly, touch base not just with the reporter, but the assignment contact person AHEAD of time, just to make sure there are no missing details.
now, i'm going to go get a big drink of cold water...
Message edited by author 2005-07-25 12:45:24. |
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07/25/2005 01:16:09 PM · #2 |
Well done, Skip... this learning curve sounds steep but it's clear you're racing up it at full steam!
Message edited by author 2005-07-25 17:48:52.
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07/25/2005 02:29:12 PM · #3 |
Thanks for sharing. I'm sure your posts are answering many "what if's" for many folks at DPC. All these assignments sound like great fun...great fun that I have no time for, unfortunately. But when I reach independently wealthy status, I may give it a try....assuming cameras are still around by then!
Message edited by author 2005-07-25 14:29:37. |
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07/25/2005 02:39:47 PM · #4 |
thanks, kavey & matt!
yes, this is fun! and it will be even more fun, once i really get in the groove. it is unreal, how much there is to learn.
on one hand, dpc is a great place to learn, but there is really no comparison between it (dpc) and shooting in the real world. there's hardly room to compare photojournalism with other types of photography. sure, there are exceptions, but, for the most part, when it comes to photojournalism, there are very, very few "do-overs". this is one very quick way to find out how much stress you can handle...
;-)
Message edited by author 2005-07-25 14:40:21. |
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07/25/2005 02:49:12 PM · #5 |
And when youre really good like David Burnett, I'll buy you a Large Format 1950's Graflex Speed Graphic so you can realy feel the pressure hehehe!
Seriously though, you seem to be picking up speed. Any words of advice to someone who is completely frustrated in their jobs, and wants to get into photojournalism? |
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07/25/2005 02:50:35 PM · #6 |
| edit: Reading the links in your profile. Lots of reading there. |
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08/05/2005 06:48:34 PM · #7 |
finally...it made it to print
sometimes, you shoot assignments that will be in the paper the next day. sometimes, you shoot things that will sit a week or two. sometimes, you shoot things that will never see the light of day...you just never know. this was shot almost two weeks ago. |
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08/05/2005 07:08:38 PM · #8 |
| Very cool yet again. Thanks. I love hearing about all this. I just got my third newspaper credit today. Nothing on assignment. I just go out and take the picture then send it to the papers. You're way sounds more fun. |
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