[Leica] at the Napa Valley Marathon STEVE BARBOUR!

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Steve Barbour showed:
Subject: at the Napa Valley Marathon


> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/barbour/PAW2011/icy.jpg.html
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> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/barbour/PAW2011/icy2.jpg.html
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> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/barbour/PAW2011/frenchnapa.jpg.html


Hi Steve,
When I read a title about a marathon before I open the photograph . In my 
mind's eye a scene of thousands of bodies  IE: The Boston Marathon or the 
likes.

So when I opened the picture and it was "Spiderman!"  I near choked! :-) But 
the best part was the "warning sign" "ICY"

Of the three, I like the children in the vehicle seen through the raindrop 
covered window. As simple as it is, one could say it falls into the "Happy 
Snap" category, that doesn't matter, as it has far more going for it in a 
story telling moment.

My category? It's a story telling photo within the marathon when doing a 
documentary. Most people only see the runners, near naked or funny costume.. 
the simplest and most obvious..... but you looked around and caught another 
story telling side moment that not everybody is pounding the pavement.

My first Photo Editor, a snarling old creature from the Neanderthal era! :-) 
Well OK he scared the hell out of me always because he had my "future photo 
life in the palms of his hands!"  He always had a huge pair of "SCISSORS" on 
his desk.... referred to his... "MODIFYING TO COLUMN SIZE" cutters Trust me 
there wasn't anything as scary as watching him take beautiful print you'd 
just made to fit a 4 columns across the newspaper broadsheet. Then see him 
cut the centre out because he only had to "fill a two column space! "

His last minute instructions just before I went to shoot a marathon.... 
"Hell I don't want to see 100 pictures of guys running in their boxing 
shorts..... let's have lots of people watching, eating, and clapping and 
whatever the hell they do when not in the race!" I asked innocently "Why ? 
The guys running are the story?"

Now one must realize as a "some what rookie" you never argued with the Photo 
Editor...... that is if you wanted to keep your job. His response loud and 
clear everyone in the newsroom could hear..
"WELL ANY IDIOT WITH A BOX BROWNIE CAN TAKE SNAPS OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE 
RUNNING!"

Need I say anything more! I've always looked for the little moments at 
events ever since... they are the fillers!....

"WE SEE THIS OFTEN IN SONNY CARTER'S PHOTOS!" "The little story telling 
moments!" And there are others on list with a similar eye!

Ever since, when covering major events I've kept my eyes open for "behind 
the scenes" quiet little vignettes!  Quite often they are the "cream" to 
back-up the big crowd picture any idiot with a box brownie can shoot! :-)

If I allow myself a quiet moment, I can still hear the editor's booming 
voice as it echoed across the newsroom! :-)
ANY IDIOT WITH A BOX BROWNIE!!!  ..... and I was standing there with a Leica 
on my shoulder! :-) Really???? :-)
Therefore your children through the rain drop covered window is the cream. 
It's a "nice photograph!" :-)

cheers,
ted