Tampa Photography Blog

When I read a story about six teenagers drowning in the Red River in Shreveport, La. on Monday, I felt such sadness for the families. None of the parents or children knew how to swim, yet they decided to have a barbeque by the river and wade in the water. It upsets me that parents would plan this outing knowing that if an accident happened, not one person there could help.

This story reminded me of my spot news days working at a paper. I worked as a photojournalist in Shreveport for four years before moving back to my hometown of Tampa, Florida to open my freelance business. One of the reasons I left the newspaper industry was because I wasn’t meant to shoot spot news.

I remember how the “subjects” used to look when I would come on scene with my cameras slung over my shoulders, ready to document the worst day in their lives.

No one really understands what it’s like to do a job until you are asked to do it. I loved my job as a newspaper photojournalist. There were good and bad days (and assignments) like any job but I really felt like some of the work I did made a difference.

Then there were the days like Monday. I know how the photographer might have felt; pulling up to the riverbanks and knowing that there would be intense, raw emotion pouring out of this family.

It’s hard to photograph days like these but it can be helpful. Many great photographs taken under stress and taken of awful situations have led to good things—legislation to prevent the same crime from happening, a fund set up for the victim’s family, awareness of a social issue, etc.

One of the last major events I photographed before leaving the newspaper world was Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, La. It was the hardest assignment I shot. I’d never truly documented the destruction a natural disaster like a Category 5 hurricane leaves behind. I’d covered car accidents, fires, murders, etc. but never something on that scale. So many people were affected and I felt that my personal safety was always in question.

I applaud those photographers who cover wars and disasters and manage to remove themselves from the chaos to photograph what’s happening and do their job. It takes a special person to do this and I hope others understand what sacrifices these journalists make to bring the news to you.

So, next time you see photos of a major tragedy like September 11, 2001, the Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, Iraq war or the Indonesian tsunami, think of the guts and strength it took for someone to snap the shutter. Some news photos are incredibly hard to view; imagine how hard it was to shoot.

*Photo by Jessica Leigh Photography*