Photos by Glenn Fawcett

Glenn "Flash" Fawcett dives right in and does it right Wednesday during an education protest at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. To paraphrase Robert Capa, if your pictures are not good then you need to get closer. (TIGHT is RIGHT!) One of the most difficult things to do as a photojournalist, photographer in general, is to break "the barrier" that we subconsciously surround others as well as ourselves. That is why most photographs are made 6 to 8 feet away.

That same "barrier" surrounds activity, which to the mind seems to be so close, so compartmentalized -- yet it is only a fraction of the field of view. With a camera between the photographer and the action, sometimes it is difficult to get closer. It can be uncomfortable, to say the least. 

Another thing to remember is to vary the shooting distance. Nothing gets duller than a bad hair dye than a bunch of photographs made at the same distance. There needs to be some sort of assortment of either distance from which the photographs are made, or at least the focal lengths used. Different viewpoints should also be considered.

Continue reading "Getting in the protest groove" »

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Bay Bridge by Jed Kirschbam
(Nikon D2Xs, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 240mm, 15 seconds @ f/32, ISO 200)

The Bay Bridge has been photographed -- a lot -- over the years. Everyone who has worked at The Sun in some capacity probably had it as the subject, an element or in the background in some sort. But this picture is, in a word, beautiful. Made March 20, 2007, by long-time Sun staff photographer Jed Kirschbaum, a senior staffer who joined the Sunpapers on July 24, 1978.

Asked to photograph the bridge for a resurfacing story while returning from the Eastern Shore, Jed waited in Stevensonville nearly two hours for the light to change, the sun to set and disappear, and do justice to the architectural triumph. His previsualization bore fruit, and the time-exposure image was made.

Last week I was pushing him -- and some others -- to enter the Best of Photojournalism contest, in particular this image. Though this National Press Photographers Association contest wrongly has no pictorial category -- though there is a vexing one for "Field of Play," whatever that is -- and may not see the light of day outside the judging room, there is always a chance. Might as well put it in play.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

This is a delightful photograph taken last winter by fellow staff photographer Kim Hairston. The weather had turned the countryside into an icy cover not safe for the horses to go on the hunt. However, the dogs still needed to be exercised. The huntsman leads the hounds on frenetic 1-mile jaunts through streams and over dale.

Running ahead of the pack, Kim had some prior knowledge of the slipperiness on the other side of the fence; she fell herself as she went over the gate. Her photographic intuition -- and prayers to the gods of photo -- made her think the same might happen to those following her.

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The photojournalism contest sponsored by The White House News Photographers Association is one The Sun could not enter until three years ago. We were not accepted as members into the group. Dudley Brooks, former Assistant Managing Editor/News Photography and a member, worked diligently to make it so we could be part of the gang.

The Eyes of History contest is held in very high esteem. Nearly all entrants involved are heavy hitters. Photographers from Getty Images, Associated Press, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, Agence-France Presse, and Washington Times are some of the entities involved, just to name a few. Photographs from around the country and the world are entered, along with those in the Washington arena of red velvet ropes and politics.

It is a nice contest in which to be involved and be recognized. The Sun had a strong showing, winning five awards in five categories. Staff photographer Monica Lopossay led the pack with three, Chiaki Kawajiri came in with one and yours truly nabbed one also.

Monica Lopossay, First Place, Pictorial

Monica Lopossay, Second Place, International News

Monica Lopossay, Award of Excellence, Domestic News

Chiaki Kawajiri, Award of Excellence, Portrait

Christopher T. Assaf, First Place, Feature

Awards are not everything and cannot be taken all too seriously. Many things can influence the judges, who carry their biases and experiences into the judging room. It is all subjective. However, it is really nice feeling to be recognized by your peers in the industry and at the office. It helps make the ordeals and frustrations melt away, ever so briefly, and helps one remember what is important: To make great photographs that tell stories and offer a distinctive insight into the world and its surroundings.

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What if a city had an election and no one voted? That is what appears to have happened on Sept. 11, 2007, as the city of Baltimore held a primary election and turnout was low. Very low. More people came to Mayor Sheila Dixon's inaugural then came to most of the polls.

Sun photographer Amy Davis made a really telling photo. Her caption reads: "Election judges James Moore and Regina Branche had a lot of down time due to the low voter turnout at Ward 12, Precinct 7, at the Barclay Elementary School. By noon, only 90 voters had come in to vote in the city primary election, though according to officials, this polling place has 1,224 registered voters."

Really nice, and I particularly like the way the floor tiles mimic the well-placed and lonely voting booths.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

(Nikon D2Xs Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 116mm, 1/640 sec. @ f/13, ISO 250)
Photo by Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun staff

This is a beautiful photograph by Sun photographer Lloyd Fox. It is from a very sad, difficult situation. Racheal Wilson, a firefighter recruit, was killed in a live-fire training accident on Feb. 9 that Baltimore city officials say went terribly awry. A three-volley salute was fired in her honor during the Feb. 16 funeral at the Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

The subdued color, only evident in the blue sky and the tint in the white gloves, creates a somber mood very easily conveyed. That mood is even more evident by dark funeral marker, the strategically included in the composition. Lloyd is an amazing photographer, and it is not surprising he made such a bittersweet image.  

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

(Nikon D2x, Nikon 80-200mm @ 120mm, 1/400th sec. @ f/2.8, ISO 800)

I love photographing the Blast. Why? Something to do with the difference in this sport from the others in the usual rotation of things and the ability to freely roam the building. The great light also makes it a distinct positive.

Saturday, on reprieve from the Maryland General Assembly Special Session in Annapolis, the first opportunity of the fall season to photograph indoor soccer arose. Blast against the Orlando Sharks (did not know sharks roamed the extremely shallow waters of central Florida). One of my favorite positions in all sports venues is the upper-level lighting platform positioned above one of the goals. From here I can use the 80-200mm zoom for the near goal, and a 300mm for the far end in front of the stage. A 400mm is better, but I did not feel like lugging it about.

Both players chased and leapt for the ball, the Blast player striking the Shark from behind. It was a real knock, with no need for Socspearean drama, and sent him sprawling to the boards moments after heading the ball. The graceful posture of the slammed player contrasts nicely with the more earnest action of the other. It is also in keeping with the pounding the Blast gave the Sharks that night.

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Baltimore Sun Staff Photos by Kim Hairston

Staff reporter Jonathon Bor and staff photographer Kim Hairston spent a lot of months working on a powerful series of stories exploring the link between HIV, prostitution and addiction. The harrowing photo of 45-year-old Sharon Williams says more quickly and powerfully about the mental and physical erosion of drugs than any photo I have seen in the pages or on baltimoresun.com.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

It is difficult to keep track of everything, let alone my own work, that is going to be going to be published in The Sun or shown onto the Web site. It is a challenge I try to meet so I can let people know what will be coming so it can be looked for on the rack or screen. But in the past few weeks as the Special Session has kept me hammering away in Annapolis a few slipped by me.

Baltimore Sun Staff Photo by Chiaki Kawajiri

Sun staff photojournalist Chiaki Kawajiri has spent an almost unfathomable amount of time working on "Scars of the Heart" about expatriate North Koreans now living in Maryland and their experiences since the Korean War. She made a beautiful series of portraits and a multimedia presentation. Her tenacity and hard work really paid off in this one.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Sun photojournalist Jed Kirschbaum strikes again with a beautiful landscape photo of fog, people and dogs in Herring Run Park.

There have been many times I have tried to make mist and fog photos, but the luck to this point has not been with me. All of the elements are eloquently combined — the stature of each dog perfectly balanced with the posture of the two women — none of them stepping on each other and making a jumbled mass for a center of interest. Simply put, this is a beautiful photograph. 

It could have been published on the front page of any paper in the country, and would have jumped out and vigorously grabbed the attention of any viewer, whether seen on doorstep or news rack.

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

There are two links to Sun photographer Monica Lopossay's USNS Comfort stories. The first is a general overview of the ship and its mission. The second focuses on one girl's difficult and incomplete journey of care on the ship.

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Having been made fun of by one of my peers in the office today, I thought I'd keep things simple. This photo by Sun staff photojournalist Monica Lopossay is really, really nice. She and reporter Candy Thomson spent over a week traveling around to the various Orioles organization baseball teams in the area for a sports series.

They did a lot of work and an excellent job on an interesting enterprise idea. 

Posted by Christopher Assaf at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)