Why I like photojournalism (and why I don't like it some days)

Yesterday I spent a good deal of time covering a large, three-day Christian concert held between Midland and Odessa called Rock the Desert. At first things started well, we had had a lunceon for all of us interns at the office earlier and I drove out to the concert site with my editor Mark to shoot photos of the event. All went well until it began to rain lighlty right as we were about to meet up to head back to the office. Of course the weather is part of the coverage, so we stayed a little longer. I ended up taking a shot that went on the front page as the weather had postponed some of festivities.


Image © Odessa American

These people were waiting in line to buy merchandise for one of the bands that had just gotten off stage as the storm clouds built up in the background.

After taking longer than we planned to, it was off to the office for Mark and I. By the time we got back it was 5:45 p.m., and I had a 6:30 assignment. That gave me 45 minutes to turn in my photos and get across town. I was late, but it wouldn't have mattered whether I was 15 minutes early either since the worship dance group I was supposed to photograph wasn't doing anything. They were beginning to plan for an upcoming show in October and had just finished up one show, so they didn't have any routines or costumes. I made the mistake of telling the reporter I didn't have much time and that I needed to leave in 10 minutes so I could get back out to Rock the Desert by 7:30 (why me God?!?!? is what I was thinking). So the reporter asks the group to perform an older routine for us, and despite the fact that I tried to stop them from doing so they got very excited and went about getting prepared. The reason I didn't want them to do this is because the photos from something like this are what I call "canned", in other words the event/shot/etc. was put on merely for my benefit and would not have happened if I had not been there. So I shot the photos, although I am going to talk to Mark about it and see if we can reshoot them. I just had a bad feeling in my gut about doing something like that. Now I have to include that the photos were basically posed for me in the cutline or I am dealing with an ethics issue. This is not aimed at this particular reporter, who is usually great to work with, but facts should be checked before writing up an assingment. It is frustrating to walk into somthing like this, especially with limited time.

So, after shooting the dance group I leave for the concert (late again I might add). I am supposed to be there to cover a "special guest" that ended up being a presidential impersonator that never even got to speak. Everything was going well until the rain started, this time very heavily. So sometime after 8:15 I find myself hudled in a tent with about 100 other people trying to stay dry and shooting everything I can. People praying, running in the rain, tents and stands being blown over, and families huddling together.


These people were trying to gather their belongings and get to shelter.


This girl is a part of a group called the Jesus Crew from Abilene (my hometown!). They are praying for the rain to stop.


Here this boy is praying out in the rain covered by just a blanket.

All the while water is getting all over my camera and lenses and even though I know the camera and my main lens are water-sealed I was worrying. Finallyaround 8:45 I decide I need to run back to my truck. I take off my button up shirt (good thing I had a t-shirt on underneath) and wrapped it around my camera leaving a little room around the lens in case I saw anything on the way and made a mad dash to my truck. I ended up waiting over and hour and 20 minutes just to get to the highway since I had wisely chosen to park in the sponsor are which was far, far from the road. I finally walk into the apartment cold, wet , tired and angry around 11:00. I told myself I had had a horrible day, but in the back of my mind I couldn't help but disagree with myself. It had been a crazy day, but still a good one since I got to photograph the world around me. I guess there is a part of journalist that feeds on the challenges and obstacles that sometimes pop up in the field. So I really do like this job, even when I don't.