While its on my mind, I'll explain how I got into this field. I took a test.
I returned to college after four years in the elite US Army OPFOR (Opposing Forces) regiment and a few years as a business collections coordinator for General Electric Capital.
One of my first classes was a "Master student" course. It basically teaches students how to maximize their education. I strongly suggest it and psychology for everyone.
Part of the coursework involved coming up with an educational goal. They gave us a test to see our likes, dislikes and abilities. Once we took the test, we got a set of letters to compare with a list of 17,000 possible degree-required jobs.
My letters were ACS (or some combination thereof). The letters stood for Artistic, Clerical and Social. Once I had the skill set, I wrote down the jobs available for those skills. Then, I rearranged the letters and checked for secondary jobs which have the same skill set.
For these three letters, there was only one option. I double, triple, quadruple checked, but there was only ONE job. Photojournalism.
Hmmm... a fairly compelling sign.
So, I started on this path and have not turned back. It helped me understand everything in college. Because in this field, everything is literally important.
I never know to whom I shall talk (isn't this just a lovely awkward sentence). Therefore, everything we learn will eventually be useful.
Last week, for example, I photographed a retired geologist. I was able to hold a discussion with him because I had taken historical geology in college as an elective.
Enough for now,
Friday, October 24, 2003
PJ time relativity
Before I get too deep into blog-world, I suppose some clarification rules are in order. I will post them as they come to mind, but the first is the relativity of time to most news photographers (especially the vampire crew).
Today is today until tomorrow starts. Tomorrow may start with or without sleep depending on deadline. Yesterday is generally unimportant because we can't photograph yesterday. However, tomorrow is critical because we don't know what will happen.
If you're nodding your head in silent understanding, I'm sorry.
Therefore, if I comment about yesterday (in the blog, not in hard print) it could actually be several days ago depending on the last time I slept, or if I took a nap. It can also get a generic meaning. "Yesterday" begins to mean "sometime in recent memory since my last day off."
If you're confused, don't worry. In short, because all cutlines are in present tense, so are PJs. There's now and tomorrow, but the past has passed.
With this understanding, I'll continue my pile of information.
Yesterday (see rule one -- could have been anytime this week in real-people talk), a darling young lady approached me while I was shooting football practice to ask me about photojournalism.
I feel badly about not being as civil as I should have been at first. I was inside my head at the time and didn't expect a pleasant person on a testosterone-laden football field. I think I recovered fairly well and gave her some information to get her started along her path.
If you haven't read "What is a Photojournalist," you might want to read it now so you can understand what I'm about to say. It's old, but it still applies to anyone starting in the biz. Go ahead, I'll wait.
I'll go make another cup of coffee while you read. Be right back...
Ok, I'm back, yummy.
Since you read it, you understand the first thing I suggest to any aspiring photojournalist is another field. This isn't a job you choose to do. It chooses you. It must be a mission of sorts, or it's not worth the time, trouble and stress. There are far better ways to make the same amount of money - pizzerias are one such option. Almost everyone likes pizza. :-)
Enough for now,
Today is today until tomorrow starts. Tomorrow may start with or without sleep depending on deadline. Yesterday is generally unimportant because we can't photograph yesterday. However, tomorrow is critical because we don't know what will happen.
If you're nodding your head in silent understanding, I'm sorry.
Therefore, if I comment about yesterday (in the blog, not in hard print) it could actually be several days ago depending on the last time I slept, or if I took a nap. It can also get a generic meaning. "Yesterday" begins to mean "sometime in recent memory since my last day off."
If you're confused, don't worry. In short, because all cutlines are in present tense, so are PJs. There's now and tomorrow, but the past has passed.
With this understanding, I'll continue my pile of information.
Yesterday (see rule one -- could have been anytime this week in real-people talk), a darling young lady approached me while I was shooting football practice to ask me about photojournalism.
I feel badly about not being as civil as I should have been at first. I was inside my head at the time and didn't expect a pleasant person on a testosterone-laden football field. I think I recovered fairly well and gave her some information to get her started along her path.
If you haven't read "What is a Photojournalist," you might want to read it now so you can understand what I'm about to say. It's old, but it still applies to anyone starting in the biz. Go ahead, I'll wait.
I'll go make another cup of coffee while you read. Be right back...
Ok, I'm back, yummy.
Since you read it, you understand the first thing I suggest to any aspiring photojournalist is another field. This isn't a job you choose to do. It chooses you. It must be a mission of sorts, or it's not worth the time, trouble and stress. There are far better ways to make the same amount of money - pizzerias are one such option. Almost everyone likes pizza. :-)
Enough for now,
Congressional race to the raise
Congress members gave themselves yet another raise. They will now earn $158,000 per year.
Enough for now,
"How can Congress give itself a $3,400 pay raise while nearly 9 million people are unemployed, and 2 million have been out of work for more than half a year?" asked Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.With the latest increase, Congress members have received five consecutive pay increases totaling more than $21,000. This amount is more than most starting photojournalists earn annually.
Enough for now,
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Visit Healing Iraq
If you have not visited the Healing Iraq, I would highly recommend it. The blog is done by a young, well-educated dentist with a moderate view. He takes a realistic and sometimes humorous view of Iraq and the events happening there.
Fayrouz likes it most because he is the most "real" Iraqi blogger to her. The others each have one issue or another which make them less desirable as a blog news source for her. She reads them all to get a balanced look at the situation, but Healing Iraq seems to be the best at the moment.
Enough for now,
Fayrouz likes it most because he is the most "real" Iraqi blogger to her. The others each have one issue or another which make them less desirable as a blog news source for her. She reads them all to get a balanced look at the situation, but Healing Iraq seems to be the best at the moment.
Enough for now,
Monday, October 20, 2003
Dueling sitars
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News Ravi Shankar (left) and his daughter Anoushka Shankar (right) play sitars at SMU's McFarlin Auditorium in University Park on Saturday, October 18, 2003. Ravi Shankar is the biological father of Norah Jones.
No sick days for PJs
I had a spot of the flu and haven't had much energy this week. A strange aspect of this job is the requirement to arrange sicknesses for days off. Yes, we get "sick days," but when can we take them?
We get our assignments the day before we shoot. If we wake up sick, tough. I've literally coughed up blood and was still standing on a railroad track in the winter to shoot a business assignment. BTW, I was also working on my POY (Pictures of the Year) contest entry and didn't have time to sleep for three days.
Jim Mahoney has been a DMN staffer for more than 25 years. He said he has yet to take a sick day.
I tried to call in "healthy" at Richardson once, but I was told I couldn't. I wasn't lying, I was ahead on my work, there were no assignments and it was a really pleasant day. They should have let me have the day off. Nope. I think I cleaned the darkroom instead. I would've much rather flown a kite.
Since I mentioned it, I love to fly kites in the spring and fall. I don't have a fancy one, but I still like to watch it whip around in the sky. It's like a colorful form of fishing without hurting fish.
I also like soap bubbles. They are momentary, but pretty and simple fun. I had a battery-powered automatic bubble gun until my niece's Great Dane ate it. I probably should get another one since they make me so happy and don't cost much. :-)
Enough for now,
We get our assignments the day before we shoot. If we wake up sick, tough. I've literally coughed up blood and was still standing on a railroad track in the winter to shoot a business assignment. BTW, I was also working on my POY (Pictures of the Year) contest entry and didn't have time to sleep for three days.
Jim Mahoney has been a DMN staffer for more than 25 years. He said he has yet to take a sick day.
I tried to call in "healthy" at Richardson once, but I was told I couldn't. I wasn't lying, I was ahead on my work, there were no assignments and it was a really pleasant day. They should have let me have the day off. Nope. I think I cleaned the darkroom instead. I would've much rather flown a kite.
Since I mentioned it, I love to fly kites in the spring and fall. I don't have a fancy one, but I still like to watch it whip around in the sky. It's like a colorful form of fishing without hurting fish.
I also like soap bubbles. They are momentary, but pretty and simple fun. I had a battery-powered automatic bubble gun until my niece's Great Dane ate it. I probably should get another one since they make me so happy and don't cost much. :-)
Enough for now,
Monday, October 13, 2003
You can't see what you shoot
Most people think it must be cool to shoot the pro sports, concerts and such. It has its ups and downs. It looks a lot more glamorous than it is.
There's a technical situation most people don't realize: PJs don't get to see a single decent play with both eyes during the game (if we're doing well).
We see the game with one eye jammed against the eyepiece of a single-lens reflex camera. When we look through the eyepiece, we're actually looking at the light bouncing off a mirror and sent through a pentaprism. When we shoot, the mirror flips upward to allow the light to pass through the lens and onto the CCD (or film) to record the image.
In practical terms, this means our view goes black for every peak moment in the game. If we actually see a play though our firing eye, then we missed the shot.
PJs don't see what actually happened during the game until we ingest digital files and view the images later on a computer (or chimp - look at the camera display). Since sports are normally shot on deadline, we typically don't see most of what we shoot anyway since we look for specific types of images (a frame with at least one person from each team colliding together while the ball/puck/whatever is visible). If PJs do our job, we miss physically seeing the most visual moments of an event.
The other reason most PJs don't get to "enjoy" an event is because we're working. We're looking for not only a document of what happened, but a unique image which conveys some of the emotion or something "extra" from the event. Hopefully we find something the audience didn't notice during the event.
Not only do we need to find an interesting image (because we'll face the wrath of a photo editor very soon), we need to get names, verify spellings and collect other journalistic facts.
With slower moving events, this isn't a big problem. In fast-action situations with limited access, this is a major problem.
Here's a quiz for example: what's the correct name and spelling of Pink's tour drummer.
Maybe this question is a little hard. OK, who would be a defensive player for the Dallas Diamonds pro football team whose jersey has a number 2 in it, but the other number is obscured by an opponent?
With this problem in mind, remember there is a six-inch hole on the section cover of Sports or Overnight waiting on an image. The hole must be filled within one hour of the moment we take our last shot. Sometimes, we might only get to shoot one song at a concert. BTW, the office is 10 miles from the concert venue and the highway is under constant construction.
No stress now...
The photo editor (this is a little hypothetical because I'm combining parts of all the editors into one hypothetical example) won three Pulitzer Prizes and has 30 years in the biz. He's waiting on you to deliver a "fresh" image (something he has never seen in any of the billions of images he's already examined). His dinner came from a vending machine down the hall. There's a nuclear accident on the other side of the planet that blew Page One's design. It's also his wedding anniversary, and you're the last image he needs to put the paper to bed.
BTW, do you have enough gas in your truck? Just checking...
OK. If you're still reading, you're just sick. So, there you have it. Maybe it isn't as glam a job as some think.
However, once a PJ gets beyond the above obvious shortcomings, we really have a cool job. We go places and do things few others ever do.
Personally, I like shoots which make my heart thump a little hard. I've flown in MiGs, hot air balloons and a stunt bi-plane. I almost got to barnstorm in a B-17, but the rain stacked up the paying passengers and messed up my ride. Better luck next time. :-)
Enough for now,
There's a technical situation most people don't realize: PJs don't get to see a single decent play with both eyes during the game (if we're doing well).
We see the game with one eye jammed against the eyepiece of a single-lens reflex camera. When we look through the eyepiece, we're actually looking at the light bouncing off a mirror and sent through a pentaprism. When we shoot, the mirror flips upward to allow the light to pass through the lens and onto the CCD (or film) to record the image.
In practical terms, this means our view goes black for every peak moment in the game. If we actually see a play though our firing eye, then we missed the shot.
PJs don't see what actually happened during the game until we ingest digital files and view the images later on a computer (or chimp - look at the camera display). Since sports are normally shot on deadline, we typically don't see most of what we shoot anyway since we look for specific types of images (a frame with at least one person from each team colliding together while the ball/puck/whatever is visible). If PJs do our job, we miss physically seeing the most visual moments of an event.
The other reason most PJs don't get to "enjoy" an event is because we're working. We're looking for not only a document of what happened, but a unique image which conveys some of the emotion or something "extra" from the event. Hopefully we find something the audience didn't notice during the event.
Not only do we need to find an interesting image (because we'll face the wrath of a photo editor very soon), we need to get names, verify spellings and collect other journalistic facts.
With slower moving events, this isn't a big problem. In fast-action situations with limited access, this is a major problem.
Here's a quiz for example: what's the correct name and spelling of Pink's tour drummer.
Maybe this question is a little hard. OK, who would be a defensive player for the Dallas Diamonds pro football team whose jersey has a number 2 in it, but the other number is obscured by an opponent?
With this problem in mind, remember there is a six-inch hole on the section cover of Sports or Overnight waiting on an image. The hole must be filled within one hour of the moment we take our last shot. Sometimes, we might only get to shoot one song at a concert. BTW, the office is 10 miles from the concert venue and the highway is under constant construction.
No stress now...
The photo editor (this is a little hypothetical because I'm combining parts of all the editors into one hypothetical example) won three Pulitzer Prizes and has 30 years in the biz. He's waiting on you to deliver a "fresh" image (something he has never seen in any of the billions of images he's already examined). His dinner came from a vending machine down the hall. There's a nuclear accident on the other side of the planet that blew Page One's design. It's also his wedding anniversary, and you're the last image he needs to put the paper to bed.
BTW, do you have enough gas in your truck? Just checking...
OK. If you're still reading, you're just sick. So, there you have it. Maybe it isn't as glam a job as some think.
However, once a PJ gets beyond the above obvious shortcomings, we really have a cool job. We go places and do things few others ever do.
Personally, I like shoots which make my heart thump a little hard. I've flown in MiGs, hot air balloons and a stunt bi-plane. I almost got to barnstorm in a B-17, but the rain stacked up the paying passengers and messed up my ride. Better luck next time. :-)
Enough for now,
Mavs delay of game
I didn't follow-up last night because I didn't make it home until after 3:30 a.m. I shot the Mavericks vs. New Orleans pre-season game at the American Airlines Center as an extra assignment. It threw my schedule off.
Dallas won the game and got to evaluate most of its new players. Because the Mavs scored more than 100 points, the fans also got passes for free chalupas (an open-faced Mexican taco) from Taco Bell.
It was my first time to shoot a Mavs game although I had a shooting pass last year, and the organization was a freelance client many years ago (before Mark Cuban bought it).
Someday I might write about how I got the freelance gig, but the short story is that I had no idea who any of the players or coaches were (didn't care at the time). I had to ask everyone's names. Nelly was very cool and patient with me. They seemed happy with the images each time I shot for them, but I digress...
Enough for now,
Dallas won the game and got to evaluate most of its new players. Because the Mavs scored more than 100 points, the fans also got passes for free chalupas (an open-faced Mexican taco) from Taco Bell.
It was my first time to shoot a Mavs game although I had a shooting pass last year, and the organization was a freelance client many years ago (before Mark Cuban bought it).
Someday I might write about how I got the freelance gig, but the short story is that I had no idea who any of the players or coaches were (didn't care at the time). I had to ask everyone's names. Nelly was very cool and patient with me. They seemed happy with the images each time I shot for them, but I digress...
Enough for now,
Congrats for the twins
Congratulations to the doctors and everyone else involved in the separation of the Egyptian twins here in Dallas.
Mei-Chun Jau and Kim Ritzenthaler have been thoroughly documenting the twins since shortly after they arrived. I'm certain both will win many awards for their excellent images. The images and stories are posted on the DMN site.
Mei-Chun Jau and Kim Ritzenthaler have been thoroughly documenting the twins since shortly after they arrived. I'm certain both will win many awards for their excellent images. The images and stories are posted on the DMN site.
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Roughing the Raef
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News New Orleans Hornets' Jamaal Magloire (No. 21, top) comes down on Dallas Mavericks' Raef LaFrentz (No. 45, bottom) during a NBA pre-season basketball game at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday, October 11, 2003. LaFrentz was traded from the team later in the season.
New batteries and a Mavericks pass
I shot high school football tonight. Colleyville Heritage played at Keller. I always must leave during half time, so I never know the results until after I turn in the images. When I left, Keller was doing much better. It was a good game though.
I got two treats at the office today. First, I got some new batteries for my digital cameras. It's just in time because the two I had are really on their last charges.
I can't use the new batteries until they finish conditioning though. To condition a battery, I must discharge and recharge the battery at least three times. Each cycle takes about 12 hours. I'll have one ready by the time I start shooting tomorrow and the other two will be ready for use next week.
The second goodie was a photo pass to the Dallas Mavericks for this year. As with the Stars, I want to shoot them whenever I can this year.
In previous years, I didn't want to shoot the pro teams too much because we have someone assigned to each game. I didn't want to step on their toes. However I was shooting the Dallas Desperados along with John Rhodes. It allowed me to take bigger chances with my images because I knew he would have something if the play didn't go as I hoped.
So, I'll try to be a second set of eyes. The Mavericks play tomorrow at American Airlines Center, so if I can finish my assignment relatively early, I'll go shoot some of the game.
I'm tired today, so I'm not going to get too detailed tonight. Tomorrow, I have a restaurant review and an assignment about a family-owned business in Northeast Tarrant County. It has undergone some interesting twists to adapt to the new role of Southlake (from farming to bedroom community). The business was once a feed store. Now it is a BBQ (barbecue) restaurant.
Enough for now,
I got two treats at the office today. First, I got some new batteries for my digital cameras. It's just in time because the two I had are really on their last charges.
I can't use the new batteries until they finish conditioning though. To condition a battery, I must discharge and recharge the battery at least three times. Each cycle takes about 12 hours. I'll have one ready by the time I start shooting tomorrow and the other two will be ready for use next week.
The second goodie was a photo pass to the Dallas Mavericks for this year. As with the Stars, I want to shoot them whenever I can this year.
In previous years, I didn't want to shoot the pro teams too much because we have someone assigned to each game. I didn't want to step on their toes. However I was shooting the Dallas Desperados along with John Rhodes. It allowed me to take bigger chances with my images because I knew he would have something if the play didn't go as I hoped.
So, I'll try to be a second set of eyes. The Mavericks play tomorrow at American Airlines Center, so if I can finish my assignment relatively early, I'll go shoot some of the game.
I'm tired today, so I'm not going to get too detailed tonight. Tomorrow, I have a restaurant review and an assignment about a family-owned business in Northeast Tarrant County. It has undergone some interesting twists to adapt to the new role of Southlake (from farming to bedroom community). The business was once a feed store. Now it is a BBQ (barbecue) restaurant.
Enough for now,
Friday, October 10, 2003
Colleyville sandwich
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News Colleyville Heritage's Tyler Henley (No. 12, center) gets sandwiched between Keller's Greg Trent (No. 40, left) and Shawn Jared (No. 22, right) during a high school football game at Keller ISD Athletic Complex in Keller on Friday, October 10, 2003.
Cars must be legal at all times
I got the horn on my truck fixed. Now I need an air filter and some new tires to pass inspection. I know it's odd to freak about inspection, but PJs are always around the police. We don't have the money or time to be paying preventable tickets.
Occasional speeding tickets are a different story. Luckily, technology is helping with the need for speed because we can transmit distantly. Formerly, we needed to travel several counties to deliver images in a short time. I'll explain how we transmit some other time.
Enough for now,
Occasional speeding tickets are a different story. Luckily, technology is helping with the need for speed because we can transmit distantly. Formerly, we needed to travel several counties to deliver images in a short time. I'll explain how we transmit some other time.
Enough for now,
Nothing new
Nothing much new today. Shot the other nephew's football game. It ended in a 6-6 tie. My nephew started on both offense and defense. It was a cloudy daylight game, so the images should be nice. I didn't get to try to light it though.
I go back to work tomorrow. I have a restaurant review and a football game in addition to a snapshot portrait.
The big boss sent me an e-mail and said he has some new EN-4 batteries for my camera. YEAH!
Enough for now,
I go back to work tomorrow. I have a restaurant review and a football game in addition to a snapshot portrait.
The big boss sent me an e-mail and said he has some new EN-4 batteries for my camera. YEAH!
Enough for now,
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Shooting the family football players
Today I shot my younger nephew's football game. They lost miserably. It was painful to watch.
Nonetheless, I shot it so he and his little buddies look like they are battling for ground. As long as nobody asks them for the final score, they can hold their heads high with their photos.
For those wondering about technicals, it was a night game on a field with poor light. I shot 1600 iso on f/2.8 at 1/200 with fill flash. Yes, there will be occasional red eye, but photojournalism ethics allows red-eye elimination for sporting events. The justification is it's "possible" to eliminate red-eye in the darkroom by burning down.
In reality, if you only adjust the red saturation in PhotoShop, the remaining colors are correct and it isn't a big deal.
I still would rather light the entire stadium, but I never have time. Since I've thought about it, I might need to try it at my other nephew's game (if it doesn't rain).
I normally light entire arenas for basketball. I use directional light for boxing. And, I use a softbox for volleyball. I used two softboxes to light a rodeo earlier this year. I had outstanding results. These can be seen on my portfolio.
Enough for now,
Nonetheless, I shot it so he and his little buddies look like they are battling for ground. As long as nobody asks them for the final score, they can hold their heads high with their photos.
For those wondering about technicals, it was a night game on a field with poor light. I shot 1600 iso on f/2.8 at 1/200 with fill flash. Yes, there will be occasional red eye, but photojournalism ethics allows red-eye elimination for sporting events. The justification is it's "possible" to eliminate red-eye in the darkroom by burning down.
In reality, if you only adjust the red saturation in PhotoShop, the remaining colors are correct and it isn't a big deal.
I still would rather light the entire stadium, but I never have time. Since I've thought about it, I might need to try it at my other nephew's game (if it doesn't rain).
I normally light entire arenas for basketball. I use directional light for boxing. And, I use a softbox for volleyball. I used two softboxes to light a rodeo earlier this year. I had outstanding results. These can be seen on my portfolio.
Enough for now,
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
Vacation with confidence
I have tomorrow off. Sometimes days off are questionable because of newspapers' needs. Luckily, the paper has the full staff around, so as long as I'm back to work by Friday, I won't be particularly missed.
This is one of the nice/bad things about different-sized newspapers.
At The Richardson News (my previous, smaller paper), I was the entire photo staff. When I asked for vacation, it was an elaborate dance to find a "slow week" for me to leave. When I returned, I was actually missed and the editors and staff members were happy to see me return. Then life got back to normal for everyone.
At a larger paper, we can take vacation almost any time. However, we sometimes feel like small cogs in a large machine. If we're there, we're useful. If we're not there, it's not a major problem other than budgetary (each PJ is still a deduction from the staff budget, but there's additional strain on the freelance budget).
Similarly, technology has isolated photo staff members. With a WiFi laptop and digital equipment, we can pick up my assignments and submit images from any location. If we want, we could avoid seeing any co-workers on most days. This is a major change from the old darkroom days where most of the staff had to process and print in the office.
I moved downtown post-darkroom. Even then, we needed to process and scan images downtown (color negative film).
Even though the newspaper has a large staff (more than 30 photographers), I sometimes may not see one of the other PJs for a few months because we're on different shifts or one of us miss the monthly meetings.
I dreamed of this situation many times in college when my fingers were getting wrinkled from too much time in the darkroom, but I miss those days a bit now. This feeling is probably similar to missing being poor or hungry. It's much easier to think nostalgically of something while removed from it and no longer suffering.
Anymore, we don't have anything to complain about. We make OK money for doing a cool job. Deadlines and some events are a little stressful, but it keeps us happy at the same time.
Enough for now,
This is one of the nice/bad things about different-sized newspapers.
At The Richardson News (my previous, smaller paper), I was the entire photo staff. When I asked for vacation, it was an elaborate dance to find a "slow week" for me to leave. When I returned, I was actually missed and the editors and staff members were happy to see me return. Then life got back to normal for everyone.
At a larger paper, we can take vacation almost any time. However, we sometimes feel like small cogs in a large machine. If we're there, we're useful. If we're not there, it's not a major problem other than budgetary (each PJ is still a deduction from the staff budget, but there's additional strain on the freelance budget).
Similarly, technology has isolated photo staff members. With a WiFi laptop and digital equipment, we can pick up my assignments and submit images from any location. If we want, we could avoid seeing any co-workers on most days. This is a major change from the old darkroom days where most of the staff had to process and print in the office.
I moved downtown post-darkroom. Even then, we needed to process and scan images downtown (color negative film).
Even though the newspaper has a large staff (more than 30 photographers), I sometimes may not see one of the other PJs for a few months because we're on different shifts or one of us miss the monthly meetings.
I dreamed of this situation many times in college when my fingers were getting wrinkled from too much time in the darkroom, but I miss those days a bit now. This feeling is probably similar to missing being poor or hungry. It's much easier to think nostalgically of something while removed from it and no longer suffering.
Anymore, we don't have anything to complain about. We make OK money for doing a cool job. Deadlines and some events are a little stressful, but it keeps us happy at the same time.
Enough for now,
Monday, October 06, 2003
A crazy Saturday
I had a busy day on Saturday. I started out in Little Elm at their new city hall open house. I went from there to Irving to shoot the Centennial Park dedication, and then I had to run downtown to shoot the Dallas Sidekicks (professional indoor soccer team) for deadline.
I got basically 1 hour at the first assignment, 30 minutes at the second and 1 hour at the last. It's best if we get around three hours to shoot a sporting event or a large public event.
I feel bad that I couldn't spend more time in Irving. The assignment said they would have fireworks. I saw they were going to do some sort of railroad spike driving ceremony. It could've been cool to shoot the spike event, but there are only so many PJs available for all the events in town.
The whole weekend was crazy for assignments anyway.
I started a mini-vacation last night. I took time off to shoot my nephews football games. It's a tradition I started when they played pee-wee football and has followed them to Jr. High. Each has a game this week. So I'll shoot them both.
The photos serve as a document of the boys' training and provide some extra images of their buddies to make them survive the horrible teen years. Anything you can do to make a teenager be "liked" is a good thing. Most teens have a really hard time. They could all use a little help.
Well, I suppose I have an idea of what I can do with this blog for a while. I have a strange job, and I can write about it here. My darling wife, wanted me to start blogging so I could save her the stress of listening to me.
She calls me "Merlot" because she thinks I whine (merlot is a wine). It's OK. I call her Shiraz if she is difficult and Chardonnay if I want something. ;-)
Enough for now,
I got basically 1 hour at the first assignment, 30 minutes at the second and 1 hour at the last. It's best if we get around three hours to shoot a sporting event or a large public event.
I feel bad that I couldn't spend more time in Irving. The assignment said they would have fireworks. I saw they were going to do some sort of railroad spike driving ceremony. It could've been cool to shoot the spike event, but there are only so many PJs available for all the events in town.
The whole weekend was crazy for assignments anyway.
I started a mini-vacation last night. I took time off to shoot my nephews football games. It's a tradition I started when they played pee-wee football and has followed them to Jr. High. Each has a game this week. So I'll shoot them both.
The photos serve as a document of the boys' training and provide some extra images of their buddies to make them survive the horrible teen years. Anything you can do to make a teenager be "liked" is a good thing. Most teens have a really hard time. They could all use a little help.
Well, I suppose I have an idea of what I can do with this blog for a while. I have a strange job, and I can write about it here. My darling wife, wanted me to start blogging so I could save her the stress of listening to me.
She calls me "Merlot" because she thinks I whine (merlot is a wine). It's OK. I call her Shiraz if she is difficult and Chardonnay if I want something. ;-)
Enough for now,
I'm the other one
Before I go too far, I should explain that I'm Mark M. Hancock not Mark Hancock. Mark (no middle initial) is the photojournalist for the Oklahoma Journal. I'm at The Dallas Morning News.
Strangely, both of us are in the same area with the same name doing the same job. It really confused a PJ in Sherman because he finally sent me an e-mail asking me how I was at an event in Oklahoma City and Dallas at the same time.
:-)
Enough for now,
Strangely, both of us are in the same area with the same name doing the same job. It really confused a PJ in Sherman because he finally sent me an e-mail asking me how I was at an event in Oklahoma City and Dallas at the same time.
:-)
Enough for now,
Introductory blog entry
© Mark M. Hancock / DFWmark.com
A hawk attacks a pigeon in the parking lot of the Richardson City Hall for an early Sunday morning snack.
Hello. I'm a staff photojournalist for The Dallas Morning News daily newspaper. This is the introductory entry for this blog. To learn more about me or see more of my photos, go to my Web site at www.newseagles.com.
Tonight I'm setting up the site. My wife will also have a blog soon. It should be fun as well since she's Iraqi.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Baseball tie
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News Dylan Jordan (No. 7, right) of the Lewisville Dodgers slides safely across the plate as Garrett West (No. 1, left) of the Astros tries to catch a pickoff with a new glove at the plate during a baseball game at Lake Park in Lewisville on Thursday, October 2, 2003. Thousands of dollars of new baseball equipment was stolen from the Lewisville Baseball Association in August. Local businesses replaced the equipment for the young players. The catcher's glove was part of the new equipment purchased.
Thursday, September 18, 2003
An eye for fashion
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Raven Tippens, 11, (center) of Grapevine watches as Mac Cosmetics representative Jan Flowers of Nordstrom (right) applies make up to Tippens' mother Meshelle Ellison (left) during the first Hair by Hope at Colleyville Center in Colleyville on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2003. Twenty five women on "tight budgets" were pampered with hair styles, make up tips and goody bags. The event was organized by Hope Church of Grapevine and conducted by professional stylists and make up artists.
Saturday, September 06, 2003
National Championship Pow Wow
Sammy White (right) dances with other competitors during the 41st annual National Championship Pow Wow at Traders Village in Grand Prairie on Saturday, September 6, 2003.
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Thursday, August 07, 2003
Hot squirrel
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
A squirrel takes a break from the afternoon heat in a tree at the Colleyville Nature Center in Colleyville on Thursday, August 7, 2003. The center was established in 1996 with 46 acres of natural refuge, nine ponds, 3.5 miles of multi-use trails, an amphitheater, covered pavilion, grills, rest benches, a playground and a fishing pier.
Speed climber
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Shannon Lochridge, 10, climbs the structures at Summit Climbing Gym in Grapevine on Thursday, August 7, 2003. Lochridge is a member to the U.S. national climbing team, where she qualified in both the speed and difficulty categories.
This young lady was simply amazing. I had to climb the wall in the background with some of my equipment for another shoot a few weeks earlier, so I knew how much effort (and sweat) it takes. She flew to the top of this obstacle like she had wings.
Friday, July 11, 2003
Experimental Kahlo
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Maryam Baig, (from right to left) Alana Macias, Julian Guevara, Edward Cisneros and Justin Brumit pose for a portrait at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas on Friday, July 11, 2003. They perform in "To DIE:GO In Leaves." The play is an experimental drama based on the life and writings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
Sunday, June 22, 2003
Contemplative walk
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Barbara Kalley (from left to right), Peggy Hookey, Dee Lewis, and Sally Jones walk an outdoor labyrinth at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff on Sunday, June 22, 2003. The labyrinth is an 11 circuit design modeled on one in the Chartres Cathedral in France. The public is welcome to walk the pattern, and it is always open.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
Busted
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Officer Chris Huski (right) of the Grand Prairie Police Department warns Dustin Manning (left) and Eric Legrand (center) of St. Louis, Mo. about their personal water craft behavior during lake patrol on Joe Pool Lake on Saturday, June 14, 2003.
The police patrol is responsible for the safety and security of water surface and the lake parks of Joe Pool Lake recreational area.
Sunday, June 08, 2003
Overwhelming fortress
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
WW II veteran Hubert Carpenter of Pittsburg, Texas is overwhelmed with emotion after a flight in a B-17 Flying Fortress at Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington on Sunday, June 8, 2003. His wife Pat Carpenter (right) was on hand to share the moment. It was the first time Carpenter flew in a B-17 bomber since his was shot down over Germany.
Saturday, May 24, 2003
Baseball playoff tag
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Preston McGinnis (No. 2, left) flies as Highland Park's Justin Walker (No. 25, right) tries to regain balance after a run down near home plate during a Region II semi-finals baseball playoff at Allen High School in Allen on Saturday, May 24, 2003. Highland Park won this game 3-2 and tied the series at 1-1.
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
Aiming high
Mark M. Hancock / © The Dallas Morning News
Birdville High School senior Toby Zelt practices at the school in North Richland Hills for the state pole vaulting competition on Wednesday, May 7, 2003.
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