Never Look A Gift Annaconda in the Mouth!!!

Growing up in Montgomery County Maryland, the joke about neighboring Prince George's County Police was that they would "Shoot first, and ask questions later." Not sure if that was 100% true, but there is a lesson in there somewhere.

When a photo opportunity presents itself, JUST SHOOT IT, and ask questions later. Don't over think it, just shoot it and look at it later, like 2 seconds later as soon as it writes to your card!! There is an old saying in sports photography, "If you saw it, you missed it."

That was the case with David Dean and this 10 foot Annaconda. He was letting the snake move freely on his back, arms, and neck and then the snake started for David's head and I started rippin frames. I saw David's eyes get REAL BIG when the Annaconda was on his head. What I did not see was the snake's tongue. Sometimes a motordrive with 11 fps is your best friend.

Excuse the noise in this image, It's 3200 ASA in a very low light museum setting. I did not want to use flash in an art museum nor did I want to tick off any Annacondas. I don't want to be the person that turned a reptile demo into a spot news event or degrade a Norman Rockwell original. The Annaconda attack photos would be intense I am sure, but it is my job to record the news, NOT MAKE THE NEWS.

In the film days you had to be selective with your 36 frames per roll. Now with 4, 8, and 16 gig memory cards ... you SHOOT FIRST, and ask questions later. Lots cheaper than bullets.

Every Picture Tells A Story.

As a photojournalist I try to make images that tell a story, THE story of the event or people I am sent to cover. Sometimes it is easy as pie, and other times ... well it is nothing more than a photo that represents what went on before me. They can't ALL be winners, right?

Trying to make a connection with my subject through photographs is what is all about for me. If I can connect with my subject, the photos will come, their story will be told, and everyone is happy. In this business there are good nights, and then there are nights that get you from one good night to the next. Like fishing, sometimes you go 2 hours with out a bite, and other times the fish, uh photos, are jumping in your boat. ( I LOVE those days!!!!!) Experience teaches and prepares you to a certain degree, being mentally focused ups your odds for success, but instinct usually seals the deal.

Friday night I had three assignments and not much time to spend at my first one, a tree lighting and candle light remembrance walk at Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown. Having shot this before, I knew that the faces in the crowd, people who lost a loved one in the last year, were the story. Not the politician throwing the switch on the tree lighting, no offense Don, but the people with a real loss.

Scanning the crowd of people, two faces stood out. Al Scibilia and his two-year-old daughter Gianna. Al's father John Scibilia, a long time Mack employee and Hagerstown resident, passed away in April of this year at age 80. Al was holding a candle and Gianna and very deep in thought. This image for me sums up the event, and it ran on the front page of Saturday's Herald-Mail. It was one of those images that just jumps in the boat, uh camera, and tells a story.