The Worst Photojournalist

I would love to be a photojournalist. I would travel the world, taking photographs, meeting and interviewing people, writing their stories. Aaah, if only...

Now, don't think for a minute that having six kids is what stops me. Not at all.

What's stopping me is that I am the worlds worst photojournalist.  AND I don't learn!

Last year, when I was taking photojournalism as a class, I carried my camera everywhere because I was working on assignments. But, then, the one day that I didn't have my camera, I pulled into the parking lot at IPFW, only to see, directly in front of me, a car in the river. Now, that is a photojournalism moment if ever there was. I'd show you a picture to prove it, but, there I sat without a camera.

A year later, I usually have a camera in the car, but I'm still a bad photojournalist.

This morning, barely awake, stumbling in the dark to find the coffee maker, I look out the window and see two baby deer playing together in the street. I grab my camera and try to take a shot through the window. Nope. Then, I try to sneak out the front door - that was totally LOUD. Then, I take another couple of shots. They're terrible. Then, I realize that my camera is still set from yesterdays AIR SHOW. I change the setting and then I tiptoe behind a big tree, hoping to get a closer look.

For a moment, I realized that I was standing in front of the church in my pajamas...

but, it was 6am... no one's looking, right? And, besides, I'm committed to this photojournalism thing.

Anyway, just when I have the settings right, and I've lined up my shot, the battery goes dead. Of course, the spare battery is in the camera bag, back inside the house.

By the time I got back to the house and replaced my battery, I had caused enough of a disturbance for the momma deer to shoo her babies off.

May this photo long be a reality check when I think I could be making my fortune as a photojournalist.

Now, I did manage to get a shot the next day: There must be something really yummy on the road. BTW, the reason I find this so amazing is that we don't live in the country, we live in town, on a city street, with plenty of neighbors.

When cars go by, the don't even move. They just look around.