Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]How does one get to be a photographer at a radio station............ Well HCJB is not a typical radio station. In Quito we record and broadcast, English, Spanish, Quichua, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, French and German programs.... Our Pifo transmitter site is the largest non-governmental site in the world. We have designed and built the majority of our shortwave transmitters, mostly 100KW and a 250KW as well. (realize that the effective power on our high gain antennas is much more) We've also designed and build portable FM transmitters (actual production is now being licensed to Crown) that are being used to start radio stations all over the world. We have two small Hydroelectric plants that generate the electricity to run our transmitters and provide some operating funds as well. But we do a lot more than radio. We have two hospitals in Ecuador and six clinics, medical caravans that go out to remote villages, health development people who train health promoters in remote rural areas. A television production studio and dubbing facility, pastoral training and counseling group, our own printing facility, auto repairshop, accredited media college. (TV, radio and print journalism), multi-track digital recording studio, accounting, personnel, engineering, ISD, etc. and yes one-man photography department...... If you can imagine all of the possible photographic needs that these areas can generate.... you'll understand why I'm busy. Add to that slide-duplication, powerpoint slides, copy work, E-6 and B&W darkroom and now digital scanning, Realize that we are a not-for profit organization and we have roughly 300 non-paid (missionary) staff in Ecuador and close to 600 employees throughout Ecuador. This means we rely on donations and monthly support for much of our operations, thus the need for all sorts of images to help raise funds and report back to our supporters...... Including lots of family portraits.. My financial support comes 100% from: my two home churches, friends, family and acquaintances. Our W2's are indeed rather modest compared to what we were earning, but we really do live comfortably and the eternal benefits are best described as... well......... heavenly. The question that usually follows is how one affords Leica on my salary. Well....fortunately I spent a lot of money on equipment long before we came to Ecuador and the sale of rarely used items, a few collectibles and my Hasselblad system allowed me to buy my EOS kit and what Leica I now own. My wife and I set a small amount aside each month towards equipment and I do sell some B&W images of Ecuador from time to time that go towards my camera fund. While I'd like a M-6HM and a new Noctilux like everyone else on the LUG who does not yet own them (Thanks a lot Ted, Tina and the whole list of other Noctilux users and of course Erwin "Puts" which incidently is short for "Puts the notion in your head that you'll not be satisfied with anything but the latest version and eventually the Noctilux too" : ) ) .......I'm not hurting for equipment. I'm rambling again.... Must be the caffeine and aspartame in my Diet Coke..... Duane Birkey HCJB World Radio Quito Ecuador http://members.tripod.com/~Duane_Birkey/index.html