CONFESSIONS OF A PRO... YOU DECIDE

I have always felt that photojournalism is a lifestyle. Everyone I know who is in the business keeps strange hours, long hours, hours that are never accounted for. In this business you work until your photos are edited, prepressed and the paper is "put to bed."
I had a day off today, and as always, I never expected anything exciting to happen. I was having fun with my new toy (my Holga) and thinking that I really didn't want to do anything else.

I went to the car wash, Handy J's on Ventura Blvd. Right next to my friend David's favorite pastrami sandwich place, "The Dip." My car was finished and I was just about ready to leave when BAM! A brand new Audie hit the fire hydrant on the corner, shearing it off and sending who knows how much water into the sky. Immediately, my photog mind set lights up and I'm thinking, I'm thinking of how I'm going to shoot this damn thing when I realize I have no media cards in my camera, or anywhere else... they were at home on the dresser, because remember, I was having fun with my Holga today.

When news becomes Art, is when shooting the news is no longer technical, but beautiful, because that's all your going to get.. I shot a total of five pictures of this accident, each one has it's own beauty, and each one is different. If I would have had my flash card, I would have put down the Holga and taken about 200 or so images. Images of the fireman, the crowd, the gushing fire hydrant, the car wash, the poor girl and her car, and The Dip, getting it's very own wash today too, everything. But I was forced to work with what I had. I'm happy I did. But next time I'll have my equipment in proper order. Wash I lucky? Maybe, Maybe not.... but these are very pleasing.