Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/11/09

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Subject: Re: One day's work
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 14:17:47 -0600

At 11:09 AM 11/9/97 -0600, you wrote:

>a working photojournalist has.=A0 Perhaps there are some working
>photojournalists on the LUG who can relate to this, being enviable of the
>amateur photographer, who just goes out and photographs for the love of it
>without having to worry about their reputations every time they bring back
>a few rolls of exposed film.

As a working photojournalist, I can tell you that you have hit a very sore
point with many photojournalists. There are times when this job is more
drudge than pleasure, but then the times come when we can do it right. My
employer frees me up to shoot photo stories and is flexible enough to let
me pick the times when to shoot many things. So I can often pick the right
time, and light.=20

Not the daily stuff, but we have at least one or two photo essays to shoot
each month. Much better than any other paper in Missouri. On top of that,
we have the best reproduction in the State.=20

Put that together, and it's a wonderful job in the main. But what you say
is true. The true amateur does it for the love of it. I envy that quite
often when I'm shooting some stupid assignment. But in the overall picture,
I'll take the junk to get the good stuff.=20

I've photographed three presidents, some of the most famous and powerful
figures in sports, politics, religion, science, philosophy and
entertainment. I got to have a personal conversation for 45 minutes with
Edward Teller, inventor of the H-Bomb (and one of the developers of the
first nuclear bombs). Little old ladies in nursing homes at age 107,
numberless high school sports activities, plays, floods, and numerous other
disasters.=20

A bomb scare (turned out real) last night.=20

I get to go inside places regular members of the public never see
(something amateurs normally can't do). Get free hot-air balloon rides.
Climb mountains, ride in boats, eat exotic food (gotta know it's good
before we can put it in the paper, you know!), photograph fashion
models...I could go on and on. It's a rich life, and I'd hate to leave it.
So don't feel too sorry for us.

And one of the best parts is that when my new lens or body comes it, I
don't have to wait until the end of the work day to try it out. And it
helps pay the bills, so I don't have to work as hard as some of you to
justify such an expense (to myself, or hopefully, some day, to a wife).
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO
http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse.