Last Friday we were covering an InMenlo feature when the iPhone announced a new text message: “Fire Chief just called. Check email.” Sure enough, email contained a set of tricky directions to get to Menlo Park FD’s Bayfront drill site where they were demonstrating holiday fire hazards, including everybody’s favorite, the exploding Christmas tree .
It took me back to the old days, when a huge, heavy walkie-talkie in my Domke bag would bark similar information, were I the closest photographer to a breaking news event. Now, as then, I wrapped up the feature shoot expeditiously and headed to the news assignment (though we arrived a few minutes too late, and were scooped by another photog).
For much of my career, I also worked nearly every day in a studio, with one or another big (or bigger) format cameras. Today I needed to do a little production work for the nascent community of Taizé followers at our church. So I converted our kitchen into a studio for the occasion. Where once thousand-dollar Balcar strobes stood, there were two-home made daylight CFL lights, that cost about $20 in fixtures and white spray paint at the local hardware store.
Not a Hasselblad, but a Nikon D-90 (semi-serious) camera topped the (inexpensive) tripod. Nevertheless, by cranking the D90 down to its lowest ISO, and taking care of detail like optimum f-stop, carefully squaring up camera and subject, et al., we wound up with an eminently usable image, low cost notwithstanding.
It really felt like old times… and it’s such a joy to be back behind a camera. God, I love photography… and wondering how many hemiplegic photojournalists there are…
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It’s wonderful to hear you talking about photography this way. Makes me want to grab my camera (D-80) and go shoot. Love your passion.