Shooting for yourself and putting it in the paper

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but the act of taking a risk goes a long way in the learning process. If it doesn't work, I still think it's better than the typical 'newspaper' photo.

My assignment was to set up a background, lights, and shoot the teams participating in a benefit race here in Concord. Needless to say, it was a little uncomfortable being thrown into such a situation without having any input. Mid-way through, I realized this wasn't going to lend itself to anything that could run as a package, or at least how I was shooting it. It looked like those photos you get when you're on a soccer team when you're 5 years-old. It was hard to get creative and get anything unique besides just team photos. I shot until the race began, then we broke down the lighting setup and brought it to a spot just after the finish line. Something different. In hindsight I wish I brought a black backdrop too, so the runners would be completely isolated and illuminated only by the flash. It was a spur-the-moment idea but I think it works as a series. Alone, the photos don't necessarily work, but there's often power in numbers. I worked with a night editor and this collection of 8 images is running in Friday's paper.