Words and Light

There are different types of news photographers. Magazines, agencies, wires, newspapers, NGOs and other outlets have specific needs, and many news photographers dabble in more than one of these fields. Many others remain within only one.

So when people find out that I like newspaper photography and want/hope to be a newspaper staff photographer, they either laugh because newspapers are dying, give me sympathetic looks because newspapers are dying or advise me to pursue other interests because newspapers are dying.

Well, I happen to love newspaper photography. Even when I’m told to go out into the city, wander around and find people who are parking in curbside spots marked with chairs.

Like this:

© 2011 by The York Dispatch. chair marks the spot for a York City resident on the 900th block of East Philadelphia Street on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011. Some York City residents, after shoveling snow out of their street parking spots, will "reserve" their spots with chairs, trash cans and even cans of paint to ensure no one else parks there, even though this is illegal by city ordinance. No monetary fines or citations have ever been issued, but if residents don't remove their items from street parking spots, the city will confiscate those items.

And this:

© 2011 by The York Dispatch. Marina Vazquez, of York City, tends to her child in the front passenger seat while temporarily parking and waiting for her husband to get some paperwork from a resident on the 700th block of West Princess Street on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2011. The red chair on the sidewalk formerly "reserved" the space occupied by the Vazquez' car. At least a dozen street parking spots on West Princess Street were "reserved" by chairs, trash cans or cans of paint.

I love being a newspaper photographer because I can get to know the community. I can tell people I’m from the local paper and they’ll (usually) accept me. I love being a newspaper photographer because every day is different — except when it snows every day.

Being a newspaper photographer can be frustrating on slow news days or, alternately, when you’re still in the newsroom five hours past your shift. It’s not as glamorous as other news photography jobs. The paper may not be flying me (or anyone) out to Egypt or sending me to the Super Bowl — but dammit, I want to stick with newspapers for as long as I can.