My assignment
Welp, I completed my first photo assignment. I have no idea how I did.
The fund raiser was a fairly big to-do, though it wasn't strictly a "black tie" affair. I got there before it started, around 5:45. I found the Chairperson for the event and explained why I was there. At first she asked if I had purchased a "media" ticket. That's when I dropped some names. I explained that my "Editor" was supposed to have spoken with the Athletic Director about sending me over to cover the event. I was going to write that she "backed down," but she never seemed to really care that I didn't have a media ticket. She had nice things to say about the paper I was shooting for.
It was a little awkward because they'd hired a company to photograph the event. It was kinda like a prom where guests could get their photos taken under lights and in front of a backdrop. Odd. One of the photographers also walked around shooting the room. I didn't see them shooting people just in the crowd, though. It took me a while to get my "press" legs (those are like sea legs). Y'all know that I'm not one to sidle up to people and start chatting away. I skulked in the background for quite a while getting the lay of the land. Eventually, I screwed up enough courage to approach a pleasant looking couple to ask if I could shoot their photo for the local paper. Of course, they were happy to oblige. Thankfully, I had my wits about me enough to get their names and ask if they were parents.
After that first encounter, it was much easier to stop people to take photos. I met some interesting people. One group of ladies wanted me to take several photos of them. I did, but then I didn't submit all of those - too redundant. One pair of men were very jovial. They acted like they would pay me off to get their photos in the paper. I told them that I didn't really have control over editorial decisions but that I would try. I submitted their photo. I stopped another man who was wearing a jersey under his coat, but over his shirt and tie. I had to get the story behind that. It was his Lacrosse jersey from college. I asked him to pose so that I could see the jersey in the photo. I hope that photo makes it in.
The main attraction of the evening was the live auction. There were several interesting trips and items up for bid. I was surprised at how my taste in vacations seems to differ from the people who were bidding. There were two swordfish fishing trips, all expenses paid, in Costa Rica that went for dirt cheap because no one was interested in them. I couldn't believe it. They sounded like dream vacations to me. But then houses/condos up for 1 week rental in Florida went for big bucks. Seriously? These rich people would rather go to Florida than to a resort on Costa Rica? I don't get it.
The best auctions were "experiences" with local people. Coaches from several teams offered themselves up to cook for a dinner party of 8 people. Even the mayor of the little town auctioned himself off to cook for a party of 8 (his daughter attends that school and evidently plays sports). I had no idea that Lacrosse was such a big deal in our area. The girls team from this school has been "Champions" for three years in a row. The lowest bid of this type was for the baseball coaches - only $800. Next came the mayor at $2200, then the girls Lacrosse coaches at $2300, followed by the boys Lacrosse coaches at $2500. The highest bid (for anything all evening) was for dinner cooked by the football coaches at $5000. Five grand! And the baseball coaches only pulled in 800 bucks. Isn't baseball America's national past time? How is Lacrosse more popular than baseball? They didn't even offer up the soccer or basketball coaches.
I think the paper has a print deadline of Monday. I tried to get in touch with my editor on Sunday, but he didn't return my call or text. He finally got back to me yesterday. By then I was working and couldn't get the photos to him. I finally got the photos to him this morning. (Or tried to, I got a couple of error messages from email.) I don't know if I was in time to get the photos in this Friday's edition. I don't know if my photos are good enough to print. I don't know if they will use them next week if they were too late for this week. This is now a wait and see game.
If my photos do make it in to the paper, I will email each of you the link. Since the photos will have my real name attached to them, I won't link them from here.
[and now a word from our sponsors...]
The fund raiser was a fairly big to-do, though it wasn't strictly a "black tie" affair. I got there before it started, around 5:45. I found the Chairperson for the event and explained why I was there. At first she asked if I had purchased a "media" ticket. That's when I dropped some names. I explained that my "Editor" was supposed to have spoken with the Athletic Director about sending me over to cover the event. I was going to write that she "backed down," but she never seemed to really care that I didn't have a media ticket. She had nice things to say about the paper I was shooting for.
It was a little awkward because they'd hired a company to photograph the event. It was kinda like a prom where guests could get their photos taken under lights and in front of a backdrop. Odd. One of the photographers also walked around shooting the room. I didn't see them shooting people just in the crowd, though. It took me a while to get my "press" legs (those are like sea legs). Y'all know that I'm not one to sidle up to people and start chatting away. I skulked in the background for quite a while getting the lay of the land. Eventually, I screwed up enough courage to approach a pleasant looking couple to ask if I could shoot their photo for the local paper. Of course, they were happy to oblige. Thankfully, I had my wits about me enough to get their names and ask if they were parents.
After that first encounter, it was much easier to stop people to take photos. I met some interesting people. One group of ladies wanted me to take several photos of them. I did, but then I didn't submit all of those - too redundant. One pair of men were very jovial. They acted like they would pay me off to get their photos in the paper. I told them that I didn't really have control over editorial decisions but that I would try. I submitted their photo. I stopped another man who was wearing a jersey under his coat, but over his shirt and tie. I had to get the story behind that. It was his Lacrosse jersey from college. I asked him to pose so that I could see the jersey in the photo. I hope that photo makes it in.
The main attraction of the evening was the live auction. There were several interesting trips and items up for bid. I was surprised at how my taste in vacations seems to differ from the people who were bidding. There were two swordfish fishing trips, all expenses paid, in Costa Rica that went for dirt cheap because no one was interested in them. I couldn't believe it. They sounded like dream vacations to me. But then houses/condos up for 1 week rental in Florida went for big bucks. Seriously? These rich people would rather go to Florida than to a resort on Costa Rica? I don't get it.
The best auctions were "experiences" with local people. Coaches from several teams offered themselves up to cook for a dinner party of 8 people. Even the mayor of the little town auctioned himself off to cook for a party of 8 (his daughter attends that school and evidently plays sports). I had no idea that Lacrosse was such a big deal in our area. The girls team from this school has been "Champions" for three years in a row. The lowest bid of this type was for the baseball coaches - only $800. Next came the mayor at $2200, then the girls Lacrosse coaches at $2300, followed by the boys Lacrosse coaches at $2500. The highest bid (for anything all evening) was for dinner cooked by the football coaches at $5000. Five grand! And the baseball coaches only pulled in 800 bucks. Isn't baseball America's national past time? How is Lacrosse more popular than baseball? They didn't even offer up the soccer or basketball coaches.
I think the paper has a print deadline of Monday. I tried to get in touch with my editor on Sunday, but he didn't return my call or text. He finally got back to me yesterday. By then I was working and couldn't get the photos to him. I finally got the photos to him this morning. (Or tried to, I got a couple of error messages from email.) I don't know if I was in time to get the photos in this Friday's edition. I don't know if my photos are good enough to print. I don't know if they will use them next week if they were too late for this week. This is now a wait and see game.
If my photos do make it in to the paper, I will email each of you the link. Since the photos will have my real name attached to them, I won't link them from here.
[and now a word from our sponsors...]
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