Plugging into Parkdale

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Work continues on the new Circuit City store under construction near Parkdale Mall in Beaumont on Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

Beaumont CC talk

If local folks are interested, the Beaumont Camera Club invited me back for a talk at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 4, 2007. Their meetings are held at the Beaumont Art League, inside the old fair grounds on Gulf St. in Beaumont. Everyone is welcome to attend the free talk.

I'll show two sets of images and answer questions until 9 p.m. In February we discussed equipment, biz issues, access and ethics. All questions are welcome. If I don't know the answer immediately, it'll be a future blog entry. :-)

Enough for now,

Lamar's 1st Ed. leadership Docs

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Graduates, friends and family listen as Senator John Cornyn (bottom, center) presents a commencement address during Lamar University graduation ceremonies in the Montagne Center at the university in Beaumont on Saturday, May 12, 2007.


Members of the Lamar University inaugural graduating class for the doctoral program in educational leadership line up to begin the Lamar University graduation ceremonies in the Montagne Center.


Members of the Lamar University inaugural graduating class for the doctoral program in educational leadership (front row) listen during Lamar University graduation ceremonies.


Lamar University president James Simmons (left) presents the first doctoral graduate degree in educational leadership to Susan Caffery (right) during graduation ceremonies. Caffery is a senior counselor at Central Medical Magnet High School in Beaumont.


Susan Bradley (center) displays a symbol of her music major on her cap during Lamar University graduation ceremonies in the Montagne Center.

West Brook's playoff bid ends

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

West Brook's Tim Ferguson (No. 4, left) races a ball to the plate as Pearland's Reid Wendell (No. 23, right) waits to make the tag during a playoff baseball game at West Brook High School in Beaumont on Friday, May 11, 2007.


West Brook's Todd Wallace (No. 6) pulls away from a head-high ball during a playoff baseball game against Pearland.


West Brook's Will Partain (No. 11, right) steps away from an after-game players' meeting to collect his thoughts. With two players on base, his 7th-inning hit could have given the Bruins the win. Instead, he grounded out and the team's playoff bid ended with the 6-4 loss to Pearland.


West Brook's Jordan Soper (No. 22, left) comforts Josiah Svoboda (No. 8, right) after the team's playoff baseball loss to Pearland at West Brook High School. Svoboda was listed on the starting lineup before Game 1 but never pitched due to a flu-like illness.

Please read "West Brook exits playoffs" by Chris Dabe.

High school research paper answers

Last time I answered collegiate questions. This time, I answered an e-mail from a junior high student. These questions fill in some gaps for the Frequently Asked Questions section. The posts listed there should provide all the answers for almost any research paper. Students can use the information as direct quotes because I'd just copy and paste the answers. :-)

What was your first job as a photojournalist?

After I graduated from college, I had no job. I didn't know how to get a PJ job or stringer gigs. I had been Editor of an independent student newspaper. Before that, I was a news editor, PJ and reporter.

I could write, shoot, edit, layout pages, operate a process camera (for a printing press) and I had a few photo and writing awards. I could process B&W film in my car. I also had my own fully-operational, archival B&W lab at home. However, I didn't know anything about the biz.

So, I pulled out the phonebook and started calling every newspaper, magazine, wire service and book publisher within seven counties of Dallas. I combed through the classified ads and NPPA job bank.

I simply wanted work as a PJ. I wouldn't settle for less.

I was lucky with one of the first calls. The Richardson News happened to have a reporter whose son was also a photographer from my university. She hooked me up with the Editor.

I showed my prints and collegiate clips and got my first freelance assignment to shoot the cover of a weekend guide (even small papers had them then). I got paid $25 for the shoot and $5 for each image they ran. They also reimbursed my film.

It eventually turned into a full-time job five months later, but those were some mighty lean five months. I worked any camera job I could find. One gig paid a whopping $10 per published shot plus expenses (printed in my own darkroom on deadline).

However, I refused to give up. With each new client, my work was seen by other publishers. I also kept knocking on doors. By October, I had enough clients to drop the low-paying gigs. The higher-paying gigs kept me busy enough to continue shooting.

By November, I was earning enough to survive, but I worked 20-hour days each day of the week. So, a low-paying staff job with insurance and a chance at any days off looked like heaven.

Aside from the likes/dislikes test you described on your blog, what was the most important influence on your decision to become a photographer?

The test was it.

I had a good job as a corporate collector for General Electric Capital at the time. I was earning more money in 1990 without a degree than I do now. So, it didn't matter which degree I got.

If you haven't guessed, I like competition. That's what hooked me with journalism. It's fiercely competitive. Even in college, my classmates were trying to be better than other colleges and professionals. So, I was hooked.

What was your first major accomplishment as a photographer?

As mentioned above, not starving to death. :-)

The first really significant (pro) event was the Moore, Okla. tornado. The town was completely flattened by the biggest tornado in recorded history. Although it was my day off, I covered it because I wanted to let our readers know how to best help those affected.

I borrowed a dependable car and spent the day shooting and talking to folks. Access was difficult. I talked to anyone who would give me time. I drove back the same night, caught two hours sleep and pulled together two pages of stories, sidebars and photos.

Our community stepped up and sent the items the residents requested. Instead of blankets and old clothes, a semi-trailer full of tools, lumber, chainsaws, work gloves, generators and medicine (including tetanus shots) was collected and sent to Moore. I could tell my work paid off and people were going to get what they actually needed to start rebuilding.

Do you have a most memorable photograph? What was it/why?

There were a few times when I was crying or laughing too hard to press the shutter release. A few images have won awards. Those are memorable because they allowed my work some recognition.

The ones I tend to think are my best are those which create some domino effect to get help for deserving people in need.

I don't have one image that meets all three criteria. So, I'd say this image is memorable because it got help flowing to Hurricane Katrina victims. This image (1st image ) is memorable because it's become the face of Hurricane Rita. Texans rolled up their sleeves and got to work rebuilding after the hurricane. They were damaged, but determined.

What do you feel is the most rewarding aspect of your job/are you happy with your decision to become a photojournalist?

Obviously, I like to help people. Sometimes we help after unexpected disasters. Sometimes we simply let readers know what's happening around town so their dates don't become disasters. :-)

I'm satisfied with my decision to be a PJ. The personal cost has been high, but I'd pay the price again. I have no regrets.

Could you describe a normal day as a PJ?

I've been at all three levels of this biz. Each has its own stresses and chaos. I feel most comfortable in my current job because there's an editorial cushion (other shooters and wire photos). Meanwhile, it's the top daily newspaper in its circulation class in one of the most competitive states.

I'm the mid-shift (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.). This means I might cover a morning or night shift for other shooters if needed. For this example, we'll say this is regularly-scheduled shift:

8:30 a.m.
Wake up, get coffee.

8:30 - 10 a.m.
Answer urgent e-mails. Get more coffee. Check the newspaper's Web site and possibly browse other local and national news to have an idea what's happening and develop some back-up plans if news is slow. Get more coffee.

10 - 11 a.m.
Prepare for work, commute to work.

11 a.m.
Care to guess what I do first at work?

Yup, get more coffee. Pick up assignments. Handle any immediate-need paperwork issues at the office. Check my work e-mail and finalize any plans for the day's shoots. Often, assignments are "pending" based upon some other action. These must be resolved to either be dropped or assigned.

Then, the day becomes unpredictable. If everyone behaves themselves, I'll have two or three assignments. I shoot them, turn them out, do my archive work and go home.

If someone happens to kill someone else or something explodes, the day becomes a little more stressful. Other days are completely dead, and I must find images.

This is when the morning time on the Net helps. If I know what's happening, I can find a local angle for national stories. I also keep a second blog of upcoming and regularly-scheduled events to get ideas for instant filler images.

Lately, I've been too busy to update my other blog. Consequently, my options are severely limited. Hopefully I'll get a chance to update it soon.

If something goes crazy, I must shoot it and immediately turn it out (tone, caption, transmit) for the Web and Page 1 layout. If it's a quiet day, I can shoot all my assignments and turn them out before the 9:30 deadline.

If I'm close to the deadline or travel is distant, I'll transmit from location. If I have time, I'll do it in the office.

On any given day, I can be up to 400 miles away from the office. If I'm going more than this distance, I'll typically have at least one day's warning, Then, I have the option to stay overnight in the other location.

Once I've finished my day, I come home and talk with my wife - if she's still awake. If not, I'll get some food (I eat once each day). Then - you guessed it - get coffee and check my e-mails.

If I make it home by 10 p.m., I watch "The Daily Show." After Jon Stewart, I'll prepare the night's blog entry and have some mind candy (play solitaire or Dynomite) for about 30 minutes. Then, I work on longer blog entries, answer complicated e-mails, update my other blog (locate and include future events), surf other sites for inspiration and info, research story ideas and try to learn something new each day.

When I can't see the computer clearly or the sun rises, I'll crash for a few hours and start all over again. I'm older now, so I try to sleep at least four hours each night. When I was younger, I tried to sleep at least two hours. In college, I would go from Sunday to Wednesday morning without sleep each week. I'd sleep two hours on Thursday and Friday. I'd crash hard on the weekends.

I do freelance assignments as well. I schedule them for my days off, take vacation days or try to work both into work days. I work on art and stock photo projects on days off.

Has digital photography altered/changed your photography style?

Not really. I tend to shoot with less depth-of-field because I never know if there's trash on the CCD. I like to shoot at f/16, but it's not worth risking the consequence if I don't need to do so.

Do you believe that photography can be considered a form of art?

Yes. Although the same tools are used, the end results and the underlying businesses aren't the same. When I'm a PJ, I wear my PJ hat and shoot PJ images. When I'm an "artist," I shoot differently.

This doesn't mean they aren't one-in-the-same. It only means I prefer to create extremely complex images as my "art." I've won art competitions with my news images, and I've won news competitions (illustration) with my art.

Do you travel a lot?

Not at my first job. Since then, I've averaged around 200 miles of travel per day for the last seven years. Many days, I only go 30 or 50 miles. Other days I could go 800 miles round trip for a shoot.

A few times each year I'll need to stay in another city. But, I love my wife dearly, and I'd like to see her every few days if I can. Some shooters can literally be in foreign countries every day of the year if that's their desire (and shooting/logistical ability).

How long have you been interested in photography?

When I was in the Army, I learned how valuable images were to me. Soldiers can't keep much. So, we keep small items. I valued photos I'd get from home. These kept me up-to-date with changes.

I'd send them point-and-shoot prints of my life as well.

However, I never had a decent camera until after I decided to become a PJ. I didn't know what I needed when I started down this road. I signed up for a class, read the syllabus and went to a pawn shop to get the most for the least. I was lucky and found what I needed to get started.

What advice would you give a high school student who is interested in pursuing photography, PJ specifically, as a career?

Smile a lot and learn to love light.

I'm saying this because the advice below is not as happy.

This is a really cool job, but it comes with a heavy burden. Many PJs have one or more ex-spouses. Many lose all their friends. Many have financial problems their entire career. Some die.

Don't settle for anything less than the best from yourself. Research your competition and become better than them. This is a highly competitive field. If you aren't ready for this reality, you're not going to make it. There's no lack of talented, dedicated, unemployed PJs. They want any job just as much as a new college grad. However, they have pro experience and pro awards on their resume.

When I was in college, the Internet was new. It didn't have the information or capacity it has now. This availability of information is both good and bad. Now (the good), students can use it as a learning tool to get an edge over their competition. However (the bad), your competition is using it too.

Don't waste your time. Use your time wisely to learn everything you can about your craft and the world around you. Then, help your peers learn.

If you give your peers all your knowledge, you must continue to learn and grow to become better. When you need info, ask your peers. This process forces innovation and creativity to remain competitive and valid in today's marketplace.

Become a professional now. As soon as you have mastered focus, exposure and timing, you should start earning money with your images. Otherwise, the learning curve is steep and dangerous. It's easy to starve to death. It's hard to learn this business and avoid starvation.

Reinvest your profits into your equipment to get higher paying gigs and be more marketable. Get the gigs, and buy a decent camera, lenses and laptop. This makes you mobile, agile and marketable.

With the current market trends, learn as much as you can about video and sound. It's very likely most daily newspapers won't be using still cameras within five years. However, get the skills now with the still camera because it can still put food in the fridge.

Shoot, compete and select your internships wisely. Aim high and don't look down. If you're completely comfortable with the level of work you're accomplishing, you're not pushing yourself hard enough.

Take the ethical high ground. You may get beaten by a cheater, but I'd rather lose to a cheater than win through deception.

Above all, be flexible and look for opportunities. There are no "normal" days.

There are a lot of set-backs in this profession. Each time something goes wrong, look for "the best" in it. Understand and try to live the "pony parable." If you look for the ponies, you'll find them. Good luck with your search.

Enough for now,

Texas' long-time prisoner

Harvey Stewart talks about his life and prison in the C.T. Terrell Unit of the Texas State Prison System in Rosharon on Thursday, May 10, 2007. Of all convicts, Stewart has spent the most years in the Texas State Prison System. He was originally convicted for killing his robbery partner and dumping the body in Jefferson County.

Stewart claimed many interesting things. Among these, he claims it was his case that started the James Commission investigation into Jefferson County corruption. The Commission forced the Jefferson County sheriff and several police officials to step down.

He also claims his original jury included three police officers (one of whom he had punched in a brothel he was robbing) as well as a mayor.

Most interesting was his unusual candor. He didn't claim innocence. He admits he robbed bordellos. He admits he killed his robbery partner. He admits he planned to rob a bank when he was finally released on probation.

Please read, "Inmate's claim to infamy..." by Sarah Moore.

This is a continuation of the Geriatric prisoners series.
 

Congrats to the boys

I have two nephews. They're magnet students at Richardson High School Arts, Law and Science Magnet. I attended the same high school, but they did a much better job with their education than their uncle.

The oldest, William, graduates this week. He did a fine job throughout his studies. He was a varsity football player, a Legal Eagles law team member and is already a successful businessman in the auto industry. He's got a pretty good eye too.

The youngest, Jonathan, is a junior and varsity football player. He's also on the school's Battle Bots robotic team. They recently won the large robot national championship in Miami, Fla. by (literally) destroying every competitor with "The Blender," a squatty robot with a knobbed titanium external ring that moves at 1200 RPM.

The undefeated team was on Good Morning Texas this morning with two of their robots. Y'all can see the segment and their robots (it doesn't stream too well though).

The family is very proud of both of them.

Enough for now,

Countdown to a win

PhotoJournalism officially hit 750K today. This makes it 3/4ths of a million hits according to the hit counter that's been on the site the longest. I never expected to get 5K visitors, so this milestone is remarkable.

Let's make the rest of the trip to a million interesting. I'm offering two custom-framed, museum-quality, matted, signed prints as prizes for two individuals. One goes to the millionth visitor according to the sidebar counter. The other goes to the highest referrer when the sidebar counter passes one million.

What's the prize?
As stated, the prizes are one museum-quality, custom-framed print for each of the two winners. The print size will be somewhere between 8x12 and 11x16 depending on the actual dimensions of the image chosen by the winner. It will be matted and signed (I normally don't sign prints).

The winner gets an image of choice from this blog that I have authority to reproduce, but excludes photo mosaics. In other words, y'all can pick any other image I've posted with a © next to my name, NewsEagles or The Beaumont Enterprise.

For example, this image isn't included, but this image is. They were both shot for DMN, but the first is as staff and the second is freelance. Simply look at the copyright symbol location and pick your favorite.

As y'all hunt for a favorite, the counter goes up and each click is one closer to a million. A sure-fire way not to bump into "off limits" images is to simply look through the images tagged with labels. The labels are listed here. Although some won't be available, most are. Some suggestions for "wall art" might be Texana, wildlife, or my top picks from '05, '06 or '07.

I suppose I should note that older images may look out of focus on the blog, but it's a image compression problem from way back when. They're as sharp and clear as any of the newer images.

What's the catch?
There's really no catch. Whomever wins each of the two categories gets the prize.

I suppose I still need to be alive and semi-healthy at the time. If I'm dead or comatose (always a possibility with this job), I don't think I'll care too much about the contest.

There's one semi-catch though. I'm only going to pay shipping inside the U.S. If the winner is outside the U.S., we can work out some arrangement to get the framed print to you.

How to claim?
Millionth viewer
The millionth viewer has to do a little work because there might be two or three people looking at the same time in about 20 years when this finally happens.

Here's how to claim:
Post a time-dated comment on this blog stating "I'm the millionth viewer" or something similar. Then, immediately e-mail your name and location (city, state, country) to me at the address on the sidebar. Then, I can check the IP address against the comment. If they match, you're a winner. :-)

The winner must do both of these tasks to win. If I only get an e-mail or only a comment, it's not a winner. I'll post a note with the winner's name and general location (city, state, country) once there is a confirmed winner.

To pull this off without a hitch, y'all need to register with Blogger before this happens. It's simple and free to open an account. It should take less than five minutes. However, make the password easy enough to remember when it's time to claim a prize.

If you want to test the ID, you're welcome to do it in the comment section of this post.

Top referrer
Whichever individually-owned blog or Web site refers the most visitors to this blog before the sidebar counter hits a million wins. I'll post the results when the site hits a million. The winner needs to e-mail a shipping address and image choice ASAP. I'll send a congratulations e-mail if I can find an e-mail address on the blog. If no e-mail is received from the winner within two weeks, the next-highest referrer will be notified.

Referrers can watch their numbers here (offer excludes Fay, search engines, forums and other businesses). As of this post, here are the top five referrers to date.

1823   bhgrave.blogspot.com
899   inactionphotography.blogspot.com
714   missneworleans.blogspot.com/2006/02/sugas.html
580   blueridgeblog.blogs.com
430   majikthise.typepad.com

Note: To make this fair, all references need to come from one location. As in the case above, Laurie (Miss New Orleans) sent 714 visitors this way from her Suga's post. Bryon has sent 1823 visitors from his main blog. Although Laurie may send more visitors cumulatively from her main blog and various posts, only the top line matters.

Please don't cheat
I know it's fun to win and at least one reader of this blog is very competitive, please don't cheat. If a referrer comes to this site once or twice a day, cool. Welcome. However, don't click 50 times to drive up the numbers.

However, if a blogger wants to promote PhotoJournalism on their site and the referrer's visitors come here, that's fine and appreciated. :-)

Good luck to all.

Enough for now,

RiverFest ready

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


(Above) Devin Corbit of Richmond, Texas cleans his tunnel boat on a boat ramp during the Port Neches RiverFest in Port Neches on Friday, May 11, 2007.

(Right) Bert Hoffpauir performs with the band Lost Cause from Winnie during the Port Neches RiverFest in Port Neches.



Adventurers scream on carnival rides during the Port Neches RiverFest in Port Neches. The festival and boat races continue through the weekend.

Flamingo grooms

© Mark M. Hancock / NewsEagles

A flamingo grooms itself inside a sanctuary at Moody Gardens in Galveston on Monday, April 9, 2007.
 

Golfin' with gators

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

An alligator relaxes near a fairway at The Palms at Pleasure Island Golf Course in Port Arthur on Wenesday, May 9, 2007. During this time of the year, gators are more active as they look to mate. Consequently, they are more likely to be in unpredictable locations.


(Left) Golfers continue their game as an alligator relaxes in a water hazard at The Palms golf course on Pleasure Island.

(Below) An alligator chills in a water hazard at The Palms at Pleasure Island Golf Course.




Please read "...Watch your step" by Christine Rappleye.

Consider PJ's future

During April and early May each year I typically get a barrage of research paper requests. Most students want answers to the same 20 questions all teachers require. Occasionally, I'll get thought-provoking questions. I thought others might also benefit from the answers.

Tonight's answers went to a Harvard University senior.

How has technology changed the industry most significantly in the past 10 years?

The most obvious change is speed of delivery. Ten years ago, speed equated to horsepower in our cars and ability to avoid police. Then, speed was a matter of minutes.

Now, images are delivered via wireless broadband and FM signals at rates unimaginable 15 years ago. We can literally plop down on a mountaintop and deliver images within seconds to any location on the globe. Speed is now measured in fractions of seconds.

This is caused by two marketplace forces:   cable TV news and the Internet.

Previously, newspapers needed an entirely new product each day. Now, we need a partially new product at least each 15 minutes. Ten seconds would be better, but (thankfully) we're not there yet.

The pressure to immediately deliver news came from television and specifically cable networks such as CNN. Because they were able to deliver headline information throughout the day, the audience changed its demands.

This trend initially impacted broadcast TVPJs. Now, still PJs and VJs must deliver "on the fly" as well.

Newspaper readers still depended on newspapers to thoughtfully and methodically examine news and acquire original, authoritative content. Ironically, television outlets also depended on this process for their news. "Breaking news" has to initially come from somewhere.

Traditionally, newspapers broke the information on the wires and TV news broadcasters read the information in a stuffy studio. In the last 25 years, TV outlets have evolved into fast reaction forces to provide information for the 24-hour news broadcast networks. This also allows them to relocate and capture news as it happens.

Advertisers don't particularly care about how thoughtful or meaningful information is. They must get their message to the most people with the least effort and expense. While print media remains the most powerful advertising avenue. Cable television provides a large (semi-captive) audience and relatively low expenses per viewer.

Simultaneously, Internet throughput speeds have soared to amazing rates. The original ability to move a business document across the country at 9,000 bits per second made businesses more agile and reduced costs.

Soon, throughput will be measured in hundreds of gigabytes per second. This allows broadband delivery of high-quality audio and video at faster-than-real-time speeds.

The Internet allowed advertisers to capture a specific audience for little to no expense. This seriously damaged newspaper classified advertising. As time has been compressed from minutes to fractions of a second, classified advertising was reduced from thousands of dollars to fractions of a penny for advertisers.

Essentially, newspapers were forced to speed their delivery cycle by television while having their financial legs removed by online forces such as E-bay, Amazon and thousands of similar Web sites.

Most newspapers have reacted appropriately although slowly. To compete for advertising income against both television and online sources, newspapers have invested in online technologies. Although display advertising has been reluctant to move online, YouTube and other online audio-visual outlets are currently in the process of changing the marketplace again.

Years of financial warfare has taken its toll on the newspaper industry. Many inefficient and overburdened newspapers have failed and fallen in the last 25 years. However, news acquisition as a profession continues to attract some of the brightest and most inquisitive young minds. Intellectual resources have traditionally been the newspaper industry's strongest asset.

Now, newspapers are positioned to deliver high-definition news and advertising via video over the Internet at speeds and quality surpassing real-time television. Meanwhile they remain the primary authoritative voice for local and regional information and analysis.

Organizations with newspaper assets that have vision and tenacity are prepared and possess the technology to take back some of what has been lost over the last 25 years. However, the product itself no longer resembles its original format.

A modern journalist is individually prepared to deliver meaningful audio and video of breaking news in real-time as well as thoughtful analysis on slower-moving issues. The information determines the method of delivery (written, audio or visual).

Predictable income, traditional access and legal protections are persistent problems for individual journalists. This is good for the newspaper industry. They can provide these three assets to qualified journalists who aren't prepared to "go it alone."

Obviously, media organizations must compete for these highly-qualified, multi-media journalists.

Through the Internet, these Renaissance journalists are developing a personal audience beyond the scope of the larger media outlet. If organizations don't equip and reward these specialists appropriately, they'll lose the resources and an individual journalist's audience. Moreover, these journalists have the potential to become powerful competitors in the same market.

If this trend continues, audience share could be measured as an aggregate of the individual Renaissance journalists and their individual audiences within an organization. Fifteen or 20 such Renaissance journalists could join forces to provide legal protection, combined authority (for access), predictable income and insurance for the unit.

They could take with them their core audiences and have the ability to successfully compete directly against the organizations they feel did not support them appropriately in the past. Meanwhile, the business model for such organizations is far more profitable than traditional print media.

As PF Bentley recently warned publishers and editors, "The videographers are your future income and the only hope you have to save the "paper." I'd take very good care of them."

Can anyone be a photojournalist given these new technologies?

I won't discourage anyone from trying.

A photojournalist is a degreed professional. We tell accurate, meaningful stories with our vision. This isn't something a 4-year-old with a point-and-shoot can accomplish. Just as a butter knife doesn't make a surgeon, the recording device doesn't make a pro PJ.

It takes years of training to understand the legal, ethical and financial requirements of this job. This also requires the trust and loyalty of our readers/viewers. If anything, it's becoming more difficult to acquire such volumes of information while simultaneously delivering solid news content.

A PJ's week is packed with physically and mentally demanding news assignments, research, professional education as well as the day-to-day business requirements (meetings, paperwork, e-mails and phone calls). Many also shoot freelance assignments while seeking additional advanced degrees.

Endurance, dedication and tenacity are required skills.

If this question is meant to imply "any monkey can do it," I disagree.

Have these changes forced photojournalists to become better business people, more savvy self-promoters?

Luckily, I work for a huge, privately-owned corporation. This means real profit - rather than whimsical share prices - determine how many employees keep jobs.

Otherwise, PJs have no choice but to embrace solid business practices. The luxury of corporate security evaporated decades ago. The greed of some individuals within the publicly-traded side of the industry has lead to an industry where individual workers are seen as variables within a money-generating structure. In other words, many PJs are viewed as expendable.

This has forced PJs to diversify to such a level that we acquire our own audiences independently of any corporate structure. Instead of relaxing and recuperating after a demanding day, we seek additional freelance clients and outlets for our work.

Many PJs work on advanced degrees while exploring alternative routes for our work (editorial, art, commercial, stock, etc.). PJs must have multiple survival and exit strategies because we simply can't trust the marketplace dynamics and those who have little regard for the long-term ramifications of their short-term, greed-motivated actions.

PJs are in this business for our readers and our readers only. We do what it takes to get stories to readers while ensuring our own survival. After being treated as replaceable variables by corporations, many PJs now view these same corporations as variables rather than retirement communities.

As mentioned above. Renaissance journalists are emerging. These journalists must step away from their artistic inclinations and understand the marketplace realities or choose another industry.

Where do you see the industry in 10 years?

Basically, I see individual journalists using multiple means to deliver information to an individual audience and to the larger general audience through media interconnectivity.

Advertisers, needing to get their message to potential clients, will learn to patronize highly-qualified individual Renaissance journalists capable of creating loyal audiences.

Groups of Renaissance journalists will join forces to initially ensure survival, cut bureaucratic expenses and eventually provide a secure environment to deliver meaningful information while nurturing younger journalists capable of achieving this level of discipline and endurance.

A large part of this vision relies on interaction between journalists and their individual audiences as well as their direction of specialization. Audiences will interact directly with journalists. This two-way flow of information gets information and access to these journalists.

This trend should also expand into the larger, traditional media outlets, who will employ those not willing or capable of venturing into these independent ventures. However, these journalists will eventually realize their own value and demand adequate compensation.

The actual delivery method within 10 years is unknown. I personally thought biodegradable CDs would replace print newspapers by now. I didn't expect podcasts to exist. So I certainly didn't expect A/V podcasts 10 years ago. It's a better option than I originally considered because the entire circulation department is eliminated from the news equation while increasing journalist's contact time with viewers.

Circulation and printing departments remain at traditional newspapers as part of the overall business structure, but these departments become less dependent on the newsroom and must create new sources of revenue to survive. This is healthy for the industry.

While the current trend is toward "live" and "it'll do," I think a measured, refined approach is the hallmark of quality journalism. Information overload has increased the value of those who are able to sift through the mud and find the true diamonds. Audiences and advertisers will follow journalists with the ability to consistently deliver a quality product.

Enough for now,

Inflatable attraction

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

A car drives on the Highway 69 service road past an inflatable maze and slides at Parkdale Mall on Tuesday, May 8, 2007. Advanced Inflatables of America brought the attractions to Beaumont.


Kaleb Harvey, 4, of Nederland slides down a Titantic slide at Parkdale Mall. The slide is a one-of-a-kind, double-directional Titantic slide.



During daylight hours, the Advanced Inflatables of America's lizard is a family-friendly maze and tour of a lizard's internal organs. At night, it becomes a haunted maze.


An heart beats deep inside an inflatable maze at Parkdale Mall. The lizard maze is 150 feet long, 45 feet wide and 25 feet tall. The attraction remains in the mall's parking lot through Sunday.

Accepting abusers

St. Mark's Episcopal Church interim rector Hugh Magers listens to a guest minister during services at the church on Wednesday, May 2, 2007. The Rev. Magers formerly led a congregation in San Antonio. It included a sex offender. He said no parishioners left the church although many were concerned.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise


Please read "What's forgivable?" by Jamie Reid.

Pit bull mauls children

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Darron Turk explains how his pit bull dog snapped its chain and attacked his nieces at his home in Silsbee on Thursday, May 3, 2007. A neighbor killed the dog with a shotgun. The children remain hospitalized.

Several laws are going through the Texas Legislature to punish owners of vicious dogs.

Please read "Pit bull breaks free, injures two young girls" by Paul S. Martinez.

The few, the reactivated

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Dusty Trahan poses for a portrait at Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont on Tuesday, April 17, 2007. The former Marine sergeant served three tours in Iraq before he left the service. Now, he is an inactive reservist enrolled at LIT and was notified that he'll be reactivated.

Please read, "Marine ordered to Iraq for fourth time; he's told to make funeral arrangements" by Beth Gallaspy

Spiderman and PJ ethics

Since most people get their news from talking heads lately, the "big news" about the movie "Spiderman 3" is its box office gross sales. It broke a record. Big deal.

What should be discussed is the PJ ethics in the movie. I'll give director Sam Raimi credit for scratching the surface on this important topic. It's easy to bypass PJ ethics altogether. This time, it worked for the plot. So, it's there for us to create dialog with our readers.

For those who haven't seen the movie, there's a competition for a staff PJ job at The Daily Bugle. The freelance beatdown pits Peter Parker (Spiderman) against new freelancer Eddie Brock, a textbook jerk. This competition ends when Brock scoops Parker and gets the staff job.

Fast forward past love triangles, fight scenes, graphics, impossible plot twists and more obnoxious singing. Now, the "bad" Parker confronts Brock in the newsroom with a secret. It seems Brock digitally manipulated an image to get the job.

This is the point where most casual observers miss an important point. Not only did Brock manipulate the image, but he also committed plagiarism and copyright infringement. He manipulated a copy of Parker's image.

Brock knew he was in deep poop because he says his career will be ruined by this. Parker doesn't say what I would. I'd say, "You wanted this on the day you did it. You obviously never wanted to be a PJ because you don't respect PJ ethics or our readers."

Appropriately, Brock is fired on the spot. Score one for PJ ethics.

Next, Parker gets the staff job. Ummm... he walked into the newsroom, slammed a PJ into a glass photo frame and disturbed the peace in a busy newsroom. For the record, this normally gets PJs fired. Don't try this at home kids.

Since we're talking about PJ ethics and who gets fired, let's look at Parker a little closer. He sets up his photos. Hopefully, they'll figure it out in the next episode. Everywhere I've worked, setting up images is a firing offense. The Daily Bugle should be the same.

In the movie, The Daily Bugle's circulation numbers are crashing. I'll bet a large part of its decline is lack of credibility. J. Jonah Jamison, the newspaper's editor, isn't a storehouse of ethical values. He sends the freelancers to come back with specific images to support his stories - whether true or not. So, I think he turns a blind eye to set-up images - until the paper gets caught.

After the Brock revelation, Jamison is furious about needing to run a retraction for the first time in 20 years. Just wait until he has to remove all of Parker's images from the AP archive, remove images from The Bugle's Web site and internally block access to his images. Sound familiar?

Jimmy Olson doesn't set up his images. I'm sure circulation at The Daily Planet is dipping too, but Olson keeps street cred. Represent.

If Parker was an artist like Cindy Sherman, it's fine to take self portraits and sell them. She sells fictional images of herself. Nobody thinks Sherman's images are real.

However, Parker is trying to keep his crime-fighting identity secret. Meanwhile, he pretends to be catching "real" moments. So, these images are supposedly candid and/or documentary - which they aren't.

As far as I see it, if he sets up an image, it's set up. If he sets up a news image, it's time to get a box and collect personal belongings.

If anyone wants to tell fictional stories, there's a market for it. Fiction actually pays much more than truth. Put on the black suit, tell fiction, call it fiction and put the money in the bank.

If you want to tell the truth, don't wear your black Spiderman suit in the newsroom.

Oh, the movie plot. Brock, who sucked from the beginning, gets even worse and eventually dies. Yippee.

Enough for now,

It's over, baby

Alexander Huff, 7 months, of Beaumont supports the Wildcatters' before an ECHL playoff hockey against Gwinnett game at Ford Arena in Beaumont on Wednesday, April 18, 2007.

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Florida's Everblades declawed the Wildcatters 4-3 in overtime on Friday in Florida. The game ended the Wildcatters' bid for the championship. They'll return to Ford Arena next year to try again.

Final touches

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Lamar University sophomore Jeffrey Wheeler works on his final project for a sculpture class at the university in Beaumont on Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

The video ship is sailing

For the folks who were waiting on the ship to set sail. It just did.

Google is offering to share profits with the top 20+ video content producers. Additionally, new-media advertising agencies, such as 10ton, are jumping into the fray. Here's 10 suggestions from 10ton to create "great online video."

Hat tip to Mark Hamilton at Notes from a Teacher.

Now, this may sound commercial and crazy, but it actually puts profit into the hands of VJs who can create original content. In other words, there's no need to have a massive support structure of modern media companies to sell ads.

Google and others want to sell ads and share profits. There are ad companies ready to place ads onto the video leads. There are brands that can't or won't advertise on traditional (network) TV that are salivating to get their brands in front of YouTube viewers.

Most folks don't understand the significance of all this.

Back in the early 1990s, my brother-in-law started a little hair and fashion site on the Web. He paid for it out of his pocket. I helped provide images, hooked him up with reporters for text and other content for his e-Zine (as we called it then).

Obviously, he was more than a decade ahead of his time because his e-Zine was slick and well received. It was also full of new innovations such as video lessons on how to style and dye hair.

He filmed the lessons on VHS tape, digitally converted them, and edited them with a beefed up PC. The ultra-compressed files were made into bite-sized packets to allow them to be downloaded over standard modem lines ("high-speed" meant hours back then).

His site was popular because there wasn't anything similar on the Web. The 'Zine had high-quality graphics, professionally-written stories and video lessons. The site became so popular that Oprah's production company contacted him for help with a piece they did about Texas-style hair.

But, popularity was a curse back then. If a site got too many hits, the ISP would charge significant throughput overages. This could cost a fortune.

His ISP understood the value of getting their name in front of his readers, so they gave him a discount in exchange for a link to their services. It wasn't an ad, it was forced labor.

He tried to find advertisers to support his project. But nobody would touch e-Zines. Eventually, he shut down the site and bid farewell to his project because it became so popular that he could no longer afford it.

This is why I'm amazed at how quickly the world has changed. Now, anyone with a modem can upload large files - including images and video - to a server. Everyone gets (basically) unlimited server space for free. To top it off, there are companies that sell ads to willing advertisers while taking only a relatively modest cut.

Although this may sound odd, I'd suggest this is the last year for folks to work their way into the pack with reasonably-priced camcorders.

The point of profit-sharing programs is to allow folks to make a living while providing content. The smart content providers should immediately reinvest this money into higher-quality equipment to outpace the competition. Consequently, the entry point in about three years should be steep enough to prevent most folks from trying.

While this creates a staggering amount of information to absorb and process, it also indicates there's a pony somewhere. It's time for the wise folks to find it before it runs away.

Enough for now,

VideoJournalism (VJ)

Sites are listed alphabetically by blog name or PJ's last name. Let me know if a VideoJournalist (VJ) blog is missing, and I'll add it.

VJs
David Leeson's blog
David Leeson - Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News
The Hot Zone
Kevin Sites - Independent / Yahoo!
News Videographer
Angela Grant - San Antonio, TX - San Antonio Express-News
UB Multimedia
Carlos Virgen - Walla Walla, WA - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
NewspaperVideo
Chuck Fadely - Miami, FL - Miami Herald
Real to Reel
Mike De Sisti - Appleton, WI - The Post-Crescent
CinemaTech
Scott Kirsner - San Francisco, CA
Democracy Internet TV
Nicholas Reville, exec. dir. - Worcester, MA
digicade
Cade White - Abilene, Texas - Abilene Christian University
DV Guru
(Blog was abandoned, but still contains old info)
The Editblog
Scott Simmons
Flippant News
Nectarios Leonidas - New York City, NY
Fresh DV
Matthew Jeppsen and Kendal Miller
HD for Indies
Mike Curtis
The Katie Chronicles
Katie T. Damien - Asheville, NC
Little Frog in High Def
Shane Ross - Los Angeles, Calif.
Mastering Videography
Marc
Newspaper Video
Newspaper Video Links
PrepShootPost
Eric Escobar - San Francisco, Calif.
ProLost
Stu Maschwitz
Self Reliant Film
Paul Harrill - Virginia
Shooting By Numbers
Peter Ralph - Denver, Colo.
Splice Here
Steve Cohen - Los Angeles
SquiggleBooth
Ajit Anthony Prem - North Carolina
Today I Fell Like...
Lawrence Dortch - Washington DC
VideoJournalism
Cyndy Green - Stockton, CA
Video Journalist
Cade White - Abilene, Texas - Abilene Christian University
visual revolution
Brady Lane - Marshfield, WI

Info
Avid2FCP
camcorderinfo.com
Creative Cow forum
Digital Director
Digital Filmmaker
The Digital Journalist
DV info
DVX User
Ken Stone's Final Cut Pro
LA Final Cut Pro Users Group
MediaStorm
MultimediaShooter
Pro App Tips
Videoguys Blog

Multimedia
The X Degree - Melissa Worden - Sarasota, FL - The Herald-Tribune
digital_mojo - M_Fagans - Watertown Daily Times
I Feel Fine - Dan Blank
mathewingram.com/media
Multimedia Journalism : Joe Weiss - Joe Weiss - NC - Soundslides developer
Strange Attractor - Suw Charman - UK -
UB Multimedia - Carlos Virgen - Walla Walla, WA - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

Advertising
10ton

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Lamar beats Texas State

Lamar's Brian Lloyd (No. 2) connects with a Texas State pitch during a baseball game at Vincent-Beck Stadium at Lamar University in Beaumont on Sunday, April 29, 2007.

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise



Lamar's David Moore (No. 18, right) scampers back to first base as Texas State's Mike Hart (No. 11, center) throws to David Wood (No. 22, left) during a baseball game at Vincent-Beck Stadium at Lamar University.


Lamar's Brian Sisk (No. 5) pitches against Texas State during a baseball game at Vincent-Beck Stadium at Lamar University. The Cardinals won the Southland Conference game 3-1.

Catters in trouble

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Wildcatters' Mark Rooneem (No. 11, left) tries to hide the puck in his spray as he shoots at Florida's Craig Kowalski (No. 33, right) during a ECHL hockey playoff game at Ford Arena in Beaumont on Monday, April 30, 2007. The Wildcatters lost the game 4-2 and trail 2-3 in the best-of-seven playoff series. The Catters must win the final two games in Florida to advance.

Barnstorm deadline approaches

Most university students are dealing with finals and portfolio reviews this week, but remember there's less than two weeks until the Barnstorm deadline. It was new when I was in college, so we didn't know about it until it was too late. Now, it's much easier to compete, and it seems to blast young PJs to the next level.

May 15, 2007 (online)
Eddie Adams Workshop (Barnstorm)
E-mail: info@eddieadamsworkshop.com
Web: www.eddieadamsworkshop.com
Admission: The tuition-free workshop is limited to 100 students with the best portfolios. Applications are taken online only.
Barnstorm XX will be held October 5-8, 2007 in Jeffersonville, NY.
Annual.

Enough for now,

Lisa Beaulieu funeral

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Beaumont police officer Crystal Holmes repairs flower wreaths before the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu at Oak Bluff Cemetery in Port Neches on Monday, April 30, 2007. Beaulieu died after she was struck by a vehicle while covering a major wreck.


The badge of Beaumont police Staff Sgt. Tim Ocnaschek is covered during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu. The cover reads, "Nemo me impune lacesit." In Latin it means "No one attacks me with impunity."



Patriot Guard riders escort the body of Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu during the funeral service for at Oak Bluff Cemetery.


Police pall bearers carry the coffin of Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu during funeral service for her at Oak Bluff Cemetery.


A Beaumont Police Department honor guard presents arms during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu.


Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu's mother Gloria Prince (right) and stepfather Gary Prince (left) react as Beaulieu's badge number is retired during her funeral.



Beaumont police officer Rick Boaz (center) and other officers salute during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu.


Sgt. Josey Johnson III with the Texas State Guard plays Taps during the funeral service for Beaumont police officer Lisa Beaulieu at Oak Bluff Cemetery in Port Neches.

The Temptations concert

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

The Temptations perform at the Jefferson Theater in Beaumont on Saturday, April 28, 2007.


Otis Williams, the only original member, performs with The Temptations at the Jefferson Theater. The Motown quintet is known for signature harmony songs such as "My Girl" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)."


Check out these albumsto sample The Temptations' music.

Art links

Art blogs:
Mary Richmond Design

Art info
absolutearts
Art Biz Blog
A Singular Creation
Juried Art Shows
Marketing Photos with Mary Virginia Swanson
The Art List

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May 2007 CD of the month

May's CD is "Transient"by Gaelle. (*****)

1. Falling
2. Parkway
3. Give It Back
4. Fade Away
5. Haiti (Interlude)
6. Love You More
7. Repetition
8. Shape Shifting
9. Transient
10. Rain
11. Separate Rooms
12. Moonsglow

Singles worth buying as singles are noted in bold type.

I freaking love this album. Even the songs not recommended for individual purchase are good. Unfortunately, when placed next to these other songs, they aren't as good.

I got this CD based completely on listening to the tiny iTune samples. I thought I'd like it, but I haven't listened to anything other than this album since I got it. It's an auditory treat.

Each song features a complete tonal range. Each sound is crisp and has a specific spatial location when heard on a quality sound system. Sounds such as rolling waves, crickets and tiny chimes are incorporated with deep bass and mixed flawlessly into the songs.

I told Fayrouz that listening to this album was like the best salad in the world. Each piece has its own distinct, crisp flavor. Combined they create hunger for more. She asked me if I realized I just compared music to food. I said music and food have the same descriptions and mental notations for me.

My example was Texas Blues are like oak-smoked hamburgers. If someone doesn't like oak-smoked hamburgers, they won't like Texas Blues. Smooth jazz songs are like cheesecake and (Riesling) wine, etc. She wasn't convinced.

The next day, I asked Pete his view on music as food. He's a musician and viz dude. He agreed with me completely. He said he explains different songs his band performs as different gumbos. So, I suppose one needs to like gumbo to like their music, but that's not the point. :-)

Cover art
The album's artwork is sufficient. The exposure, focus, dynamic range, depth of field and lighting all work. I also like the limited brown and black color pallet. The actual pose is very complementary to the shape of her face.

However, there are some tangent problems with the wall texture and the placement of her head. Moving down and to the right slightly would have resolved the problem. As much as I like how her right hand keeps the eye in the frame, I dislike how her left hand intrudes the frame edge. This destroys the inevitability of the frame. Again, this could have been a poor crop in post-production.

I'm certain Patryce Bak, the photographer, deliberately placed additional space on the upper left-hand corner for text. However, Joe Lucchese, the album's art director, could have used it better. The red font is lost on the brown background, and it's off balance. Possibly it would look better if the artist's name and album title were placed in opposite locations, but the font would still need to be white rather than red.

Enough for now,

Catters tie it up again

Photos by Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Wildcatters' Ben Thomson (No. 79, left) scores a goal past Florida's Craig Kowalski (No. 33, right) during an ECHL playoff series hockey game at Ford Park in Beaumont on Saturday, April 28, 2007.


Wildcatters' Mark Rooneem (No. 11, bottom) checks Florida's Franklin MacDonald (No. 9, top) into the glass during an ECHL hockey game. The Wildcatters won the game 3-1 and are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven ECHL playoff series.



Wildcatters' goalie Matt Yeats (No. 1) blocks a Florida shot during an ECHL hockey game.

The Catters take to the ice tonight (Monday) at 7 p.m. to determine who goes to Florida with the advantage. Please read "Crucial game 5 on tap tonight for Wildcatters" by Chris Dabe.

Silsbee's softball senior

Mark M. Hancock / © The Beaumont Enterprise

Silsbee High School senior Caroline McClelland fields a softball during practice at the school in Silsbee on Tuesday, April 24, 2007. McClelland is the only senior on the 3A team as the team moves into the playoffs this week.