I want to
write about my most influential news photography mentor, Tom Beesley
(1945 – 2007). I
miss Tom, and I will expand on that at the end of this post.
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| Tom Beesly |
Tom was a
longtime member of the Texas Press Association and earned a reputation in news
photography to the point he was asked on occasions to speak at newspaper
convention seminars. He is the only person I know personally who had a news photo
picked up by the Associated Press and his professional career began as a field
photographer for the US Army during the Vietnam War.
He won two Photographer of the Year awards, but was annoyed when I also won two and in consecutive years. "Well, whatever you say, Mr. Photographer of the Year," he once sniped after I offered a photography suggestion.
When he
spoke about photography or a photo assignment he never spoke of f-stops,
shutter speed and settings. While a some photographers
like to talk about their equipment, Tom loved to talk about how he took a picture, such as
his thought process, how he talked with his subject, and what he did to get access
or a perfect angle. He expected the same when he spoke with other photographers because even at his skill level, Tom wanted to learn.We worked apart and at times together in two different newspapers.
At a press
convention a photographer cornered Tom and began enthusiastically describing
his impressive equipment collection thinking Tom would engage in conversation
of the same. Tom looked past him and at me with one eyebrow raised and tilted
head as if to say “Get me the heck out of here, please.”
Tom also disdained boring, common photographs and explored ways to make the ordinary interested.
Here is one
of his favorite photo stories: He was assigned to take a picture of garden
club members and went to the shoot with cool ideas.
However, the women, dressed in their Sunday best and ready for their photo, insisted
on standing side by side for a boring group photograph. Tom grudgingly took them
outside and lined the women up when suddenly, “The photography gods smiled upon
me,” Tom dramatically said. As he began shooting, the lawn sprinklers came on and amid screams and shrieks Tom rapid-fired a few shots while women dodged and pranced while clutching their hats.
Guess what picture he published.
Tom didn’t
just think outside the box. He destroyed boxes.
It is
because of Tom that I teach and share how and I find camera settings and equipment somewhat insignificant. It is because
of him I completely believe a good photographer’s talent is in their head, not
in their hands.
---------------
OK, I really
miss Tom. He had a life-long love of sailing and motorcycle racing and his photographs appeared in various sport magazines. He crashed during a race and died a few days later.
A month
after his death I attended our annual press convention and award ceremony. The
judging team broke protocol and told our
company ahead of time that Tom won an award. This was done to give
us a chance to avoid an awkward situation when his name was called and also to allow his
wife to be present. Mrs. Beesly asked me to go to the podium when it was time and say a few words about Tom.
When the award was announced, I
accepted the award and being on the edge of crying all I could do is hold the plaque up and say, “For Tom,” and return to the tables to give the plaque to his widow.
When I
cleaned out his desk I found a beautiful, happy photograph of a girl holding an American
flag which he took at a city Fourth of July event. On the back of the frame was a hand written note, “You don’t stop
playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.”
I have it on my wall.
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