This from Richard Walker . . .
Thanks for stopping by the Photo Lounge - a place where I’ll be writing about my life and times as a Honolulu Star-Bulletin photographer.
I’ve been working here for more than six years now, and really enjoy what I do. I feel pretty lucky to be able to work on the road, meet new people and learn new things almost every day.
I plan to share stories behind some of the photos that I’ve taken for the paper, technical details on what was involved and what I was thinking about when approaching the shoot.
I’ll be posting stories a couple of times a week, so feel free to swing by often.
Cheers!
August 5th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
nice! will we get to hear about the story behind the beard too?!
August 6th, 2007 at 2:19 am
Ahhh… we’ll see about that… don’t want to ruin the power of the beard too soon….
August 6th, 2007 at 8:39 am
This will truly be epic. Can’t wait.
August 6th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Can’t wait to hear and see the details behind each photograph!! Rich is truly a master of seeing.
August 6th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
You’ll only ruin the power of the beard when you cut it, Samson …
Congrats on the new blog, dude! You rock!
In fact, ALL the SB photogs rock. I’ve been telling people that for years.
August 6th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Now I don’t feel so lonely…
Will we get to hear the story behind Saturday’s X-1 shots?
Welcome to the madness!!!
August 6th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
There’s almost always a rich story behind every photo. And now there will be Rich’s story behind the photos.
Looking forward to it!
August 6th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
Despite what Erika E and most so-called “sponsors” of this blog…. the SB photo staff lacks creativity, balance initiative. And it shows everyday as most of the photos that end up in print can be shot on a point and shoot camera by a 3rd grader. Time to shake up the so-called “experienced” LOCAL staff with sme new blood from the MAINLAND.
August 7th, 2007 at 3:00 am
Dino B–
Thanks for the comments and opinion. Not sure what the “LOCAL” versus “MAINLAND” thing is all about, though.
August 7th, 2007 at 6:14 am
dino b. -
if you feel like you can do better than the SB staff, then perhaps you should apply for a job at the SB. contact the photo editor and send him your portfolio.
while i will agree that many times the photos in print aren’t the most creative, i also understand that the SB is a newspaper, not a magazine. photographers don’t have days or even hours to spend on an assignment. often times photographers have multiple assignments in a day and may only have 30 minutes or less to shoot before they have to go to their next assignment. they have a tough job and don’t always have the most glamorous or aesthetically pleasing subjects to work with.
i hope that what mr. walker has to say about his photos will enlighten everyone as to what a day in his life is like. i think it will be interesting to hear the circumstances he had to work under and the thought process he went through as he went about shooting the assignment. perhaps then you will gain a little more respect for the work that they do.
i am willing to bet that the photos mr. walker can take with a point and shoot camera would blow away what any 3rd grader could take…and any adult for that matter.
August 7th, 2007 at 6:56 am
LOCAL means you have been working at the SB too long with a lack of objective and creative perspective on photography. The photos are plain, boring and lack initiative.
MAINLAND means that someone else from the mainland… even a 3rd grade student would do a better job with the previously mentioned point and shoot camera.
August 7th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Mmmmm … photos!
August 7th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Yo Rich,
Thanks for your great shots from practice yesterday. The UH football fans love the SB photos … and just like it doesn’t matter if the players are from here or the mainland as long as they perform, same with our shooters, as well as the rest of the diverse SB staff.
Looking forward to the stories behind the photos.
August 7th, 2007 at 9:21 am
YAY!!!
::waiting patiently:::
August 7th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Dino B —
It’s cool if you want to think the S-B photo department lacks creativity or whatever. You’re entitled to your opinion. But I don’t think that just because one is from the “mainland” they would automatically do “a better job.”
August 7th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
To Darrell…well said by a fellow photographer… however using $5000+ cameras and lenses capable of shooting up to 6 FRAMES per second… 30 minutes is an eternity for a news photographer…so maybe there really is a thought process behind taking photos…
To Richard… enough opinion…I say good luck with your blog ‘brah.
To Mr. Reardon.. I remember reading your work from your days in Chicago… good luck with your blog… you’re gonna need it covering UH this fall.
August 7th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
who the hell is this Dino and these comments on mainland vs local, his critiques, and comments? if you knew any better, you’d know that 99% of photography is taking crappying boring pictures. its not all about football catches, girls on the beach, or great breath taking portraits. you can only do so much before its just plain boring. and those 1% of photos that are amazing never get seen due to lack of creative oversight from editors, bosses, and bean counters.
The SB and HA do fine jobs. They do the best they can when they have to do day in and day out jobs like this. Maybe you hobbists with your shiny prosumer cameras from Ritz or guys who do the ocassional wedding might be able to outshoot Ricard Walker or the others on the staff, but think about having to fill a newspaper with images every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year you will be hard pressed to make your pulitzer prizes of pretty sun sets, local wanna be models, and sunburnt mainland tourists.
August 7th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Dino…
I worked alongside some of these guys for almost half of my life and I can say that the entire crew of the Star-Bulletin rates right alongside some of the best in the Mainland. Their long list of awards, both local and national, prove it.
It’s easy to be an armchair quarterback. But the truth is that it’s not easy to be 100 percent creative 100 percent of the time. Most of the assignments are mundane. But despite that, these photographers often pull rabbits out of hats to get good art whether the situation was boring, the subject unwilling, or the event was being covered for the 20th time.
And then there are those days that became increasingly difficult to face: covering tragic scenes where families have lost homes or loved ones. Hostages with guns pointed at their heads. People threatening you with bodily harm. A nice guy getting crushed to death right before your very eyes and there’s nothing you can do to help. No kidding. Try dealing with that for a couple of decades and you’ll either develop a skin thicker than an elephant’s hide or start to question why you’re even in the business.
The Star-Bulletin accepts freelance submissions. No limit to how many you can send in. Give it a try. Record the triumphs and tragedies of everyday life in Honolulu and do it in a way that makes people say “wow” at every frame. It might give you some insight about what it takes to this job.
As for me: been there, done that. Lots of times. I know what it takes, and fully appreciate all the hard work these guys do.
August 8th, 2007 at 12:45 am
Don’t feed the trolls.
Is all press photography digital these days? I see you took advantage of Canon’s CMOS sensor’s abilities at high EIs for the MMA shoot.
August 8th, 2007 at 2:36 am
Asa -
For the most part, pretty much everyone shoots digital now (for daily work). Actually, the Star-Bulletin was one of the first papers in the country to use digital cameras. The technology has come a long way from that early Nikon/Kodak affair…
August 8th, 2007 at 7:21 am
Aloha, Rich!
Good Luck on your new blog!
Have been enjoying it!
August 8th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Do you do your own post-processing, or are there other staffers responsible for that?
I’m glad the SB thought highly enough of its photographers to have provided this blog.
‘Best…
August 8th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
Asa -
We have a pre-press staffer, Christina Chun, who does a great job prepping the photos in the evening for the next day’s paper.
August 10th, 2007 at 7:50 am
Congratulations Richard!
Write On!!!
Auntie Pupule
August 10th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Looking forward to the blog entries to come! Thank you for starting this blog!
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:45 am
Altho’ this is a photog blog, I’d like to hear more about the post prepping part of the photos. I know you have to start with a decent shot, but how much is done on the computer? What tools besides PS do you use?
October 26th, 2007 at 9:39 am
I can’t believe I’m only finding out about this blog now 3 months later. I love it. I look on Starbulletin.com almost everyday and I’ve never seen it anywhere until yeterday when they put a little section on the main page about the blogs that they have. Its good to see that the photographers have a blog now. It’s already been bookmarked! Love the photos!
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Hope to see you Jan 26 at the Blaisdell X-1 World Events presents Champions!