Re: One day's work

[hmphoto <hmphoto@delphi.com>]

>Sorry I may sound a bit harsh, but shooters like Harrison and others on the
>LUG are constantly asked "I bet that was a lot of fun!" or the big one that
>still drives me crazy, "Boy are you ever lucky getting to go to all those
>places and somebody pays all the expenses!" " And they pay you to? Wow are
>you ever lucky!"
>
>And there's no life like it! :)
Ted,

This post described the essence of being a photojournalist great.  Never 
have I heard it described in such a way.  And as you say people always 
say the above things, not realizing that you generally work 10-12 hour or 
longer days when in the bush, spend the nights cataloguing and creating 
ids for unprocessed film, staying in different motel rooms almost every 
night of the week.  Or when shooting a sporting event like the World 
Serries (I have not done an Olympics yet, but have 2 world serries and 1 
SuperBowl, and the Masters under my belt so far) that you arrive hours 
(at least 3, maybe 4) before the game and are so intent on getting the 
action photos you really don't see the game.  I try to tell people this 
and they don't understand it.  Shooting sports on that level you better 
damn well have the photo, or it is your a** that is on the line. Then you 
are at the venue for hours, usually 5-6 processing film, id the shots, 
and transmitting the pix.  It is probably faster now with the advent of 
digital cameras, but you still have to file the shots and get everything 
ready for tommorow.  Either setting up for the next game or packing it 
all up to hit the road to where ever the next day takes you.

In my current situation I usually have a total of 1 hour for my shots.  
This is one hour to scout a totally unfamillar location, set up lighting, 
shoot the photo, then tear everything down and on to the next location.  
The only photo on the "One day" page I spent more than one hour on was 
the dancing class, and if you saw the instructor I GUARANTEE you would 
have stayed as long as possible also.  ;))

But there is NO WAY I ever want to cahnge careers.  I love what I do, and 
have not worked a single day in my life.  Even when I am not shooting 
photos I am looking at the light and thinking if only there was"x" going 
on there it would be a great shot.  Believe me when you think like that 
and look at the world as one big picture waiting to happen you begin to 
see photos every where.

>From my earliest days as an amateur all I wanted to be was "like those LIFE
>magazine photographers!" That was the driving force all the time and
>although I never had the privilege of shooting for LIFE, I'm not done yet!
>Who knows! :)   

For me it was Nat. Geo.  I have been lucky enough to have LIFE call 
twice, and boy was I walking on clouds.  I thought I had died and gone to 
heaven.  Now I just gotta get one of thsoe Nat Geo assignments where you 
can really work a subject, one day I hope crossed fingers.  If you are 
still plugging away at 68 that means I have 36 more years to achieve it. 
:)  At least I am using the right cameras. ;)

As Ted said photojournalists are pasionate about their work.  You have to 
be. Life withour passion is not life, it is mearly living.  
Photojournalism without passion is mearly snapshots stuck in a drawer.

Harrison McClary
http://people.delphi.com/hmphoto