My first photography mentor

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.

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.

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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.

You are welcome to share this post. I would like to share about your reporter or photographer mentor in this blog. Click here.

First Amendment – videos under fire

The camera phone is great for taking selfies and silliness or for turning any crime-conscious, concerned, or curious citizen into a news capturing machine and giving rise to a new term, “citizen journalist.”

On April 4, 2015 North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager stopped Walter Scott for a supposed broken brake light. The officer made Scott exit his vehicle and pelt him with questions and threats of arrest. When Scott bolted and ran, Slager shot him multiple times in the back with his service revolver, reporting later that he shot Scott because Scott struggled to take his Taser and he "feared for his life." The incident would have ended there if not for a youth who captured the murder on camera phone.

I believe our police departments are making an effort to be more citizen-conscious. However, there are some police who are going to make mistakes under pressure and a much, and a fewer number who are outright rotten cops. But the camera phone is now pulling the veil off bogus “The suspect was resisting arrest” and “The suspect made an aggressive move toward me,” B.S.

It is legal, with some limitations, in all 50 states of the U.S. to video police activity and a Supreme Court ruling and the First Article of the Constitution fortifies that. Yet, there are still incidents of police baring citizen from videoing and even police threatening photographers with arrest.

Restrictions are increasing in some states. A strict right to privacy bill was passed in 2014 in Illinois preventing video or photograph police activity without prior consent of the person being arrested and the police officer. That bill was revised before it got to the Supreme Court.

There are currently bills in their infancy in some states, including my own of Texas, restricting video of police activity. Supporters of the bill reason for the safety of the camera operator and impeding police duties.

Here is a video of a U.S. Marshal going ape-shit berserk and smashing a woman's phone while she records an incident a few houses away. Fortunately, a neighbor across the street videoed the attack. Unfortunately, the California branch of the U.S. Marshal Department successfully kept the name of the attacker secret and did not report if anything became of their internal investigation.

Click here for much information from the American Civil Liberties Union about photography, covering protests, and what to do if you believe your rights have been violated. While you are there, donate to the work the ACLU does for us. I did, and I received a cool membership card I now carry with me.

If you want to share your thoughts, contact Christopher at amosnews@yahoo.com

Reporters Make Excelent Photojournalists part II

I am revisiting a subject that some photojournalists would believe in unicorns before they would believe a reporter can also be a gifted news photographer.

I mentioned here ex Chicago Sun-Times photographer Rob Hart, a casualty of recession-era cut-backs when newspapers needed photojournalists, not just photographers, prophesied that asking reporters to photograph their own stories was going to be the end of professional journalism as we know it.

Here is my pickleball bandana to dab a tear, Rob. The recession was hard on a lot of us back then.

Chad Rachman, a dedicated reporter at the New York Post, is also a supremely talented photographer. One photo he posted on his Facebook page was taken with a cellphone received such comments as, 

Selfie of Chad Rachman
from the reporter's Facebook page.

 “Amazing, Chad, really amazing! You really are so incredibly talented!” and “Tragically beautiful. Captivating,”

My favorite comment was from Thom Mitchell who stated, “Proof that it isn't the camera that makes the photographer but rather it's the vision of the photographer that matters.”

However, one person, Chris Gallant, used the comment section to grumble that although the photo was awesome, it was shot with a smart phone and therefore one might get the misconception that reporters can do the same. What? Reporters can't be creative? He ended his lengthy post with, “Nice, but taken out of context, could be used against photojournalists.” 

To Chad Rachman I say; you are awesome, creative, and an inspiration to photojournalists. You set the bar high this time, dude.

You can see Chad’s stories and photography on Muck Rach here.

Photo editing debate continues

I blogged a year ago about photo manipulation for journalism (here). Now, actions by judges of the 2015 World Press Photo Competition have forced the subject center stage.

To manipulate and to what degree to manipulate photos for journalism has been a subject of mine since I first got my hands on Photoshop 4.0 in 1996. 

During a photo seminar sponsored by the North and East Texas Press Association, one hundred percent of photographers I spoke with said none whatsoever, when it comes to manipulating a photo beyond slight contrast and clarity. I added heat to this class discussion I started by pointing out every time you crop a picture you are altering the photo. Him: "That's different." Me: "Different in what way?" Him: "...Uh. It just is!"

No, I’m not talking about Photoshoping  Obama with a stripper on his lap in a bar. I’m talking about improving a photo without altering the information therein.

There are many sides to this saga, so read up and begin drawing your own conclusion.

Read this informative article by The New York Times. The article contains various opinions from nine professionals.

Tell me your thoughts on the subject, amosnews@yahoo.com

https://archive.nytimes.com/lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/17/world-press-photo-manipulation-ethics-of-digital-photojournalism/?utm_source=APIs+Need+to+Know+newsletter&utm_campaign=a02c814953-Need_to_Know_February_18_20152_18_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e3bf78af04-a02c814953-45802581&_r=1

A diamond in the abyss

I teach you need to be a good conversationalist to be a great photojournalist. You need to be a outgoing and creative to break the ice with subjects or approach complete strangers. I just completed a grueling photography task I do each year photographing dozens of subjects in two days, often finding strangers to be my subjects.

This is easy if you are at an event – such as an art show, park or fair – but the task is photography for the annual Parker County Texas Visitors Guide. I must get interesting photographs – preferably human – from 16 towns big and tiny and I have been doing this assignment for about 10 years. It is grueling but challenging and satisfying.

I need to drive the entire county and I don't want to take days going out and back. To make things harder, doing it in two day means I cannot schedule to be at popular public events or make arrangements to meet people at particular times.

The bigger towns have senior centers, parks and farmers’ markets to find subjects doing interesting things, while the small towns have nothing almost nobody, at least on a day I randomly drop in.

I was dreading the small town of Peaster because it is a bleak pinpoint on the map and a woman at the school district was snooty on the phone and would not let me photograph on their campus this year Basically, Peaster is a nice high school and neighborhoods. When I arrived I took a picture of the small post office, and it wasn't even open on this weekday afternoon.

I drove around the few neighborhoods and saw a woman in her shaded back yard, hair pulled back, head down and intently painting something on a table. I was thinking “Please, oh please, oh please” as I walked up to her wood gate, introduced myself and explained what I was doing. 

I asked if I may photograph her while she painted, and she said “No, I don’t take good pictures,” I enthusiastically countered with my favorite comeback, “Well, I take great pictures, so that evens things out!” Artist Ariel Menchaca laughed and agreed. 

Jackpot! Not only did she agree to be photographed, she was doing something of interest. She was paining folk art on mirror frames for a taqueria her family was opening. For those not familiar with Texas, a taqueria is small Mexican café specializing in yummy authentic soft tacos.

It took imagination, inspiration and a little bravery to get this good picture in a tough situation. It was my best photo of the job. I drove to my next stop singing   ♫  “Everything's Coming Our Way” by Carlos Santana.