Something good has been happening. Actually, it’s great. The “phone has been ringing.” That’s secret code for “I have had some work, and paying jobs.”
2020 hasn’t been the best. But that goes for most of us. I’ve had to relearn how to spell perseverance. Then again, my business slogan has been “Too stupid to be scared. Too stubborn to quit.” Somehow, I’ve made it. I just miss doing what I love to do on a regular basis. Make photos. Making them for others is what pays the bills. After doing this for 37 years, someday I want to be a professional photographer.
There has been a “smattering” of work during these trying times. A “shout out” here, goes to Adkisson Land and Auction LLC for having me make staff portraits for the web site. The Galesburg Community Foundation has had me making a series of portraits, and other jobs. There was a recent gig for the Knox-Galesburg Symphony, where a quartet played a “socially distanced” show at Walnut Grove Barn in Knoxville. I loved shooting that one.
But it was a surprise call from my friend Dan Nolan, the Sports Information Director at Monmouth College, that really reunited me with my cameras. Dan discovered old photos of athletes practicing during one of the flu pandemics. Seeing those, he decided he would not allow the current situation to go undocumented. He put me on board to photograph volleyball, football, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s soccer practices.
How do the student-athletes practice, and practice safely, you ask? They must wear their masks properly. And there is no contact. It’s very limited as to what they can do. It’s also very sobering to an observer. These athletes are dedicated enough to practice this Fall, with no guarantee they will be able to play their sport in the spring as hoped for. A lot may be riding on a vaccine. Division 3 schools do not have the budget of Division 1 schools to spot test for COVID, etc. You have to admire their dedication!
Practice guidelines also required that some practices had to be split into multiple segments to prevent too many people from being in one place at one time. The volleyball team split practice into one group of eight. And one group of seven. One of the photos I made that I hope helps “tell the story,” is the second group, waiting to enter the gym, standing in the doors that separate the gym from a lobby. Normally, that image could be a “throwaway.”
My job was to document the practices, and how they look different than a “normal” practice would. Showing the masks and distancing were the obvious “must gets.” My approach towards how to make photos changed too. Normally, with “sports action,” The photographer shoots with a long lens to isolate the plays of the game. To create impact on the person who views the photo, and show them what they don’t see from the stands. “Tight is right,” a co-worker once commented. Referring to filling the frame of the photo.
Making photos at practices allowed me to move in closer. I can’t be in the middle of a field or court during a game. I can at practice. Almost all of the Monmouth coaches allow me to “do my thing.” To show the social distancing, photos became more about context and less about action. To show the space. The wide angle lens was used as much as the long telephoto for these jobs. WAY more than it would be used for an actual game. With the wide angle, it forced me to “get right in there,” and allowed for angles from the ground, above, etc.
It was great to be back on campus again! Obviously, the idea of working and making a living is to work and make a living. But the downtime this year has forced upon me may have rekindled my spirit and “eye.” It felt like both were fresh when making the practice photos.
Now. If the phone keeps ringing, I might yet become a professional photographer.
