Telephoto

I could see a large column of smoke while still several miles from the Lincoln Way East accident. The call on the scanner was for a tractor-trailer accident with fire. When I finally arrived in the area, I had to take a detour because, as the fire policeman said, “We ain’t lettin nobody through.”  That was ok with me because I could see the accident and knew I could take a side street and walk to the scene. 

The fire was out when I started to take photos. I could still see firemen directing a hose towards hot spots. But the truck’s cabin was completely scorched. I didn’t know the status of the driver or if there were any other  injuries. Power lines were down and across the road. A fireman told me later that the driver had escaped and had only minor injuries. One look at the truck and you would think it was much worse. In this case the driver was unlucky to have such a violent accident, but lucky to escape with minor scrapes.

News photographers are expanding their horizon to include shooting online videos to the mix of media.  I’ve started to post more news/features videos online in both www.publicopinionnews.com and YouTube.  It’s a bit time consuming so the videos don’t always publish in a timely manner like photographs. I enjoy creating videos, but there is so much latitude involved in how well I want to present the footage.

Sometimes I’ll simply load raw footage from a serious accident or fire. Other times, I’ll put on my producers cap and incorporate, interviews, still images with action and even throw in a few creative image techniques. Featured is my video of Fasnacht Day preparation at  a local farm store.

http://youtu.be/IcRSo0QTIQI

Usually, when it snows in our area it’s easy to find standalone feature photos. I can drive a couple of blocks and find a pedestrian or someone working outside. Occasionally, I’ll find a runner who doesn’t allow a few flurries to impede his exercise plans. But on this day, I wanted to keep it simple and find something artistic and quickly read.

I glanced over at the Founding Family statue as I passed by on Main Street and really didn’t see anything inspiring. By the time I drove around the block, the snow got a little heavier and then stopped. It started to rain a little. I waited for someone to walk past with an umbrella – as my snow feature would turn to rain art.

The rain stopped and the snow fell again. This time there was enough of the flaky white stuff for me to capture a picture.  You have to imagine what it was like centuries ago when these men were actually in that same spot.  That is what gives the picture character.

On a technical note: I underexpose by one or two stops to get as much detail as I can of the snow. Increasing the camera’s shutter speed allows me to stop the movement so the flakes aren’t blurred. Finally, I like to compose photos so the background is clean. Whenever I can find a way to inject color in the scene, I’ll do it.  In this case, the roof of a building provided a nice backdrop.

I started Friday morning with a phone call, text and email about a school bus accident on Glen Street. There’s always anxiety when accidents involve children. That anxiety grew as I got closer to the scene.

The first thing I noticed were the many EMTs lined up with stretchers, helping kids who were on their way to class. The bus was on its side, partially on a sidewalk and in the street. Scary stuff for little people as well as big adults like myself. I can always feel the tension when there are very serious injuries at an accident scene. I can tell by the faces and actions of firefighters and EMTs.

I was relieved to discover that neighbors banned together to help the kids to safety after they escaped from the school bus through the emergency exit.

My job is to record events as I see them happen. Sometimes spectators are annoyed when they see me working. But the atmosphere was relaxed on Glen Street. Kids were transported to a hospital with minor injuries. But nothing’s minor when one considers what could have happened during such a violent collision..

Too often, accidents occur when pedestrians and cars share the same road. Both groups have to exercise extreme caution.  On one of the coldest days of the season, a cyclist was struck by a car and sustained very serious injuries (including broken bones).  I watched as paramedics worked diligently to save the man’s life and prepare him to be airlifted to York Hospital.

This type of accident could have happened to anyone. The guy who collided with the cyclist stood nearby with much concern about the injured man. It’s an awkward situation to be in – knowing that one minute you’re on your way to make appointments then, suddenly, life’s trials get in the way.

I kept my distance from the work the Chambersburg ambulance crew was performing. The last thing anyone wants to deal with is having a photographer too close and “in the way.” The best lens to use in this situation is an 80-200mm telephoto. It easier to keep a distance and still be able to zoom in on storytelling details.

A huge apartment house fire in Shippensburg displaced 13 people January 16. Freezing cold temperatures must have  made the job of fire fighting very difficult. I noticed most of the furniture was spread on the lawn when I arrived. On the roof was a stuffed animal. The kind of stuffed animal that probably brought comfort to its owner. Perhaps with a good bath, it can still serve its purpose.

http://www.nppa.org/competitions/monthly_news_clip_contest/view_winners.php?c=28&d=Oct&r=3&t=FSP&p=1st

Most newspaper photographers like to win NPPA monthly clip contests. It’s acknowlegment from a group of judges who think that your picture is a little better than the other photos the judges viewed. But everyone knows that pictures are subjective. If you scramble the deck and bring in a different set of judges, they may select other photos as winners.

NPPA clip is one of my favorite contest, because they don’t take into account the size of the newspaper. I’m judged against Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer photographers as well as those at under 20,000 circulation newspapers.

Here’s a link to a video slideshow that features the best Public Opinion staff photos from 2011:  http://bcove.me/8qcyvnnp

A lone firefighter drags a hose during a raging fire. A fire at 4970 Sunset Pike, Greene Township, completely destroyed a barn and nearby wood pallets, February 19, 2011. (Public Opinion, Ryan Blackwell)

 The photos I selected for this presentation represent a year of capturing news, sports and feature images throughout Franklin County.  We had a year of notible events including a firefighter burned at a house blaze, life-threatening accidents and a series of animal cruelty cases. The injured firefighter photo (captured by staff photographer Ryan Blackwell) won a readers choice poll from P.O. Facebook friends.

Some of my personal favorite images are the ones photographers have to find.  In a book entitled “The Great Picture Hunt” author Dave Labelle talks about how some of the best photographs are representative of everyday life.  A trip down a back road or a drive down an unbeaten path can reveal candid moments. It’s up to the photographer to approach the subject with creative vision and to return with stunning enterprise feature. Examples of this are shown in a few photographs. I particularly like the ducks in flight, squirrel with a McDonald’s bag and kid playing in crate of apples. Playing with food is something we all did as toddlers. It’s great when a reader can see more than just the two-dimensional image and look beyond the photographer’s caption.

It’s difficult to inject humor into a photograph. Most viewers will either think it’s stupid or immediately laugh. I thought it was hysterical that one of the fattest squirrels I’ve ever seen seems to prefer a burger and fries over acorns. Who knew???

I pulled up into a parking space at a local McDonald’s and noticed a furry tail wagging in the trash can. Before I could get my gear, the creature was leaping, with bag in his mouth, to a nearby bench. I was surprised it could move so fast. That would have been a better action photo, but I was caught looking.

I always try to keep a camera and zoom lens arms length to capture fleeting moments. The squirrel heard my motor drive and shot through the woods. Maybe he was supposed to be on a diet, too.