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April 23, 1998 Nothin’ Special by Dick Kraus I’ve just realized that I have not contributed anything to this wonderful web site in some time. Now I am wracking my brain for some words of wisdom that would add some depth and insight to the great things that the other contributors have placed before you. And I am at a loss. None of the assignments that I’ve covered recently are worth writing about. If I told you that I have spent a couple of days in our studio photographing employees who have put in 25 years with this paper for a special ceremony honoring them, you would wonder if this was what newspaper photography was all about. Well, it happens and I try to make the best of it. It helps me hone my portraiture skills.
After that, I knew that I had an hour to kill before the mass ended so I left to get coffee. I returned in about 20 minutes, only to find that the services had ended. The casket was already in the hearse. The family back in the limo, and people were returning to their cars in the parking lot. I looked in vain for young people hugging and sharing their grief as they came out of the church. But, it wasn't happening. I missed it. Thank God I had made those early frames. And it taught me a lesson. Even at this late stage in my career. Be alert. The world needs more lerts. Today I had to photograph a real “dog and pony show.” A conservation group was lobbying for a “heritage trail” along a scenic route along the north shore of Long Island. So, they had an actor dressed as George Washington arrive in a horse drawn carriage at the George Washington Manor in Roslyn, to be greeted by the sponsors of this plan and some local politicians. This is an historic inn where the real George actually dined while touring Long Island some 300 years ago.
Then I had to go to another village to shoot a French restaurant for a bard review column. The place was long and narrow and there were no patrons, yet. So I asked the chef to prepare some of his specialties. When they were ready, I had him and the pretty French lady who owned the place, sit in front and display their wares. I used my 15 mm lens and put my Nikon F-5 on a tripod, making sure to keep the lens absolutely level to avoid keystoning. I exposed for the ambient light and threw in a flash fill. I liked the results when I scanned my negatives, later in the day.
Like I said earlier, these days were nothin’ special. Dick Kraus
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Dick
Kraus
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Contributor
since 1998
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Behind
the Viewfinder - A Year in the Life of Photojournalism |
