The other day I packed my gear in the car and headed out for a newspaper assignment. As I made the turn toward my destination I started getting an old familiar tickle in my belly. The butterflies that I used to get back when I worked for the newspaper fulltime.
It’s not a feeling of nervousness really, it’s just excitement. A building anticipation of what might happen next. No matter how many big events you’ve photographed or how prepared you are, something always seems to pop up that you haven’t anticipated. That’s the excitement of photojournalism. Anyone who’s ever worked for a publication or on a tight deadline knows that feeling.
For me it feels like the character Beth in the Queen’s Gambit as she quickly runs through the possible plays in her mind, attempting to anticipate the outcome of the match. As I look out over what’s happening in front of me my mind runs though possible photos. The angle, the composition, the subject matter.
It’s exhilarating and exciting in that moment to know that I’m capturing something special. That I’m telling a story that’s important for the community. To be witness to life in a special way that allows me access to something I would’ve never been a part of. That’s why I love photojournalism.
2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, and I’m so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to return to the journalism world, even if it’s only temporarily.
Here are some of my favorite moments that I captured this year.
