Every photojournalist has gone through a period where they think they are too good for a story. They think nothing photogenic will happen or even if it does, it wont be a great moment.
It only takes one good editor to set you straight.
Luckily I learned early that a great picture can be made in unexpected situations. I do my best to take every assignment with a positive attitude and capture the peak moment.
Here are a few recent examples.
I was headed to a high school to photograph inside of their greenhouse. The soft lighting, lines and color made for a nice picture package.
Tri High School senior Kirk Black pulls back the flowers to reveal a budding eggplant growing in Tri's greenhouse. (C-T photo Max Gersh)
Zach Henderson, junior at Tri High, ties up a tomato plant in Tri's greenhouse Wednesday afternoon during Dan Webb's horticulture class. Henderson says tying up the plants gives them more room to flower out. (C-T photo Max Gersh)
Aaron Cummings, senior at Tri High School, hangs plants in the Tri greenhouse Wednesday afternoon. (C-T photo Max Gersh)
Zach Henderson, junior at Tri High, waters various plants in Tri's greenhouse Wednesday afternoon during Dan Webb's horticulture class. (C-T photo Max Gersh)
Another example was when I had to photograph story time at the library. Many photographers would think this would be an ideal assignment. However, I find it hard to be the “fly on the wall” among a group of toddlers. It seems like they have a magnetic attraction to my camera.
Even in this environment, patience does indeed prove to be a virtue. If you have time, wait for the right moment to happen. And so I did.
Jennifer Hood, left, holds Ezra, one of her 2-year-old twins, while the other, Eli, sits in the lap of Hood's mother, Jan Masengale, center. Also pictured is Gerald Darling holding his 2-year-old grandson, Jacob Specht. The children were attending a toddler story time session on April 8, at the New Castle-Henry County Public Library. (C-T photo Max Gersh)
My last recent example is from a little league baseball game. I love shooting sports but sometimes the little guys just aren’t exciting to photograph. Their peak action isn’t always very…peak. On the other hand, their reactions can sometimes be over the top.
The Giants celebrate around Titen Bennett in the third inning after he hit a home run bringing in two runs for the team. (C-T photo Max Gersh)
Every photojournalist will look at assignments differently. Some may look down on sports while others may dislike feature shooting. For me, I thought that these stories might produce lackluster photos. I stayed the course and worked the scene until I found something interesting.