Friday, October 31, 2003

PhotoJournalist's risks are too strange to explain


A vulture flies overhead as officers of the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office, Fort Worth Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation recover human body parts from the Westside Landfill in Tarrant County near the intersection of I-30 and Linkcrest on Thursday, April 10, 2003.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News

I shot more cute kids in costumes tonight. I didn't post any on the DMN site because kids and pets are considered "too easy." Point, shoot, "Awww."

It's OK to have one or two images in a portfolio, but if a news photographer's portfolio is nothing but cute kids and animals, there is a big problem.

We're required to make insurance changes once annually. My wife and I decided to add some life insurance for her.

Luckily, I'm already covered on everything because it appears I'm a risk. The eligibility questionnaire asks if the potentially insured is considering any of a series of dangerous activities in the next five years. Fay isn't, but if it were me, I would have needed an "all of the above" box. Heck, just from this year, I could've added some activities to make any life insurance agent sweat.

Most situations require too much explanation for a checklist. This is a cellular phone call to my wife:

"Hey honey, I'm going to be late tonight because I'm ankle deep in muck at the landfill while the cops try to find some more pieces of the body. OK. Love you too."

I read that back to her. She said, "Yeah, when they found the body." She is such a sport. I told her people will buy her book once I'm dead. ;-)

Enough for now,

2 comments:

Mystery said...

Hey Mark I was wondering what the benefits of the job were? Can you let me in on that?

Mark M. Hancock said...

The main benefits are innumberated in my introduction.
Essentially, we get to make a difference in the communities we cover. We highlight the good and expose the bad. We also have a lot of fun along the way.
We get to meet the most interesting and inspirational people around. We get to attend cool events and do crazy things. We get to live a visual life. It isn't for everyone, but for some, it's our dream job. :-)