Sometimes we all get lucky....

I hear it all the time. Usually after I come back to the station with some "great" shots or some "amazing" video. It usually goes something like this...

"You're the best!"

"The shows look so much better when you're working."

"I wish I had two of you."

"You're really kicking a$$ out here."

I appreciate the compliments, I really do. Sometimes I just think that people go overboard with them. At my last place of employment, compliments were few and far between. It also seemed the people that really deserved them didn't get any at all, but who am I to judge?

After leaving that place and starting anew here, I've become used to hearing those statements above. That leaves me with three thoughts. Either that a) I'm really good at my job, b) People tend to overreact, or c) I'm one of the luckiest people on the face of the planet.

I was watching the PBS Documentary "The War" after work tonight and a quote from one of the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima stuck in my head. He was talking about how after the war was over, everyone back home regarded him as a hero. He said "I'm not a hero, and neither were the men fighting alongside me. We were just sent there to do a job, and we did what we were told."

Now looking back today, some people might disagree with him, and they are not wrong for doing so. I believe that, much like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is self-admiration. Personally I think those that fought in the war are heroes, but I wouldn't be upset if they didn't look at themselves that way. Sometimes it's hard for someone to realize the impact they have on those around them.

Do I think I'm the greatest photographer around, by all means no. I wouldn't even put myself in the top 5 at my station. Do others think that I am in the top 5, yes. Do the pictures of raging house fires that I gather have anything to do with my skill? Not in my mind.

See to get those great pictures isn't a matter of skill, knowledge, or general "greatness" in photography. It all revolves around luck. Does the guy who chases down the purse snatcher credit his great foot speed or keen eyes to helping nab the bad guy? No, it comes down to four words, "Right place, Right Time."

I've been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time several times, but no one ever seems to remember those.

Here's to hoping I'm as lucky in other aspects of life as I have been with capturing those "great" pictures. So far, so good.

Shelter From The Storm

While out cruising for a story I came across these old Silos just east of downtown. They are really out of place if you can see what else is around them. Obviously they have been vacant for some time, and the graffiti artist have taken over.

This shot reminds me of some kind of last guard tower to the east. It looks like it's the one place you could go to seek shelter from whatever might be coming in the future.


"In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation an' she give me a lethal dose.
I offered up my innocence and got repaid with scorn.
"Come in," she said,
"I'll give you shelter from the storm."
-Bob Dylan, "Shelter From The Storm"

Fly on the wall

Ever hear someone say they are just a "fly on the window of life?" I guess it's a way to say that you're just one small person, and that you can't change everything, even though you might really want to.

I've felt that way sometimes. I'm guess most of the readers of this blog have. Whether it's a personal event that makes you feel unimportant, work, financial stress, we all have these moments.

I have a different outlook on life than post people, or at least, I like to think I do. I have, at least since a certain event in my life, lived my live like I have a chip on my shoulder. I feel as though I have to prove my worthiness to those around me.

This may seem a little dramatic. I'll put it like this. I work my hardest at almost everything I do. Whether or not there is a reward directly given to me. I was brought up the son of a factory worker, grandson of a farmer, and I guess that hard work just runs in the family. I treat people with the respect that I would want from them. I laugh and joke with people the same way I would want them to laugh and joke with me.

Anyways, I guess I've gotten a bit off topic. You're probably wondering where the fly picture came from. I was testing out my new Nikon D40 digital SLR camera I recently purchased. I found this fly while outside enjoying the sun on the wall of my patio. I'm guessing he or she was doing the same. I was impressed with the detail in the picture, and the overall quality, so I figured I would share it with you.

Afterall, even if you are just a fly on the window of life, you should still take the time to admire your surroundings.