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Sometimes you wonder why....

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:23 pm
by xerubus
Evening...

One of the frustrating parts of being a PJ is that you can take a lot of shots of various incidents and news stories, and they never see the light of day. Whether it be because a more interesting news story arises, or the editor changes their mind about layout and content. If you are going to do PJ work you just need to resign to the fact that your role is to get the shots, and it's the role of the reporters and the editor to fill in the gaps and fill the pages.

Lately I have been a little disillusioned... having thoughts and contemplation such as "whether it's worth it", "why do i bother", and even the odd "I think it might be time for a change".

Just when things were starting to be a little stagnant, I get a phone call of congratulations regarding the latest Department of Emergency Services publication "Emergency". After a bit of a dry spell, I was graced to get front cover (which is an internal battle every day between photogs), a complete one pager, and a dual-page spread. Needless to say.. I'm over the moon and rip raring to go for the next challenge :) Amazing what a little bit of an ego button push can do to your moral. :)

Image

Image

Image

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:26 pm
by Finch
Mark,

I've been fortunate to have had 4 magazine covers so far and I know how you feel :lol: Its a good feeling and some recognition is appreciated, I'm sure.

Well done on a deserving cover and inside shots

Cheers

Michel

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:29 pm
by owen
Congratulations Mark.

On a side note, I hope they were practicing in those shots and they didn't set up a grandstand around a real accident! :)

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:30 pm
by xerubus
thanks Michel....

this is my first cover for this year.. which is why i was becoming a little frustrated. :)

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:31 pm
by xerubus
owen wrote:Congratulations Mark.

On a side note, I hope they were practicing in those shots and they didn't set up a grandstand around a real accident! :)


hahaha... nah... the onlookers usually don't get seating :D

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:34 pm
by Murray1006
Congratulations. It's always nice to get a little recognition for your work. Well done.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:35 pm
by xerubus
thankyou Murray1006 ...

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:37 pm
by Alpha_7
Congratulations Mark, that is great great news! I'm really glad for you that just when you felt like down about it all you've had such a brilliant sucess. Excellent stuff :up:

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:40 pm
by wendellt
hi mark

i know how you feel
when i shoot at events i submit heaps of photos my agency does not tell me what gets published so i often find myself going through a lot of effort without any assurance that my work will be published, which is totally fine but when i pick up a magazine or the social pages in the paper every week i can see my work and it feels good, it's worth the effort.

congratulations on yet another published work

keep up the great work

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:40 pm
by xerubus
cheers craig and wendell.... appreciated....

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:41 pm
by sirhc55
Mark - never give up on something you love - a good profession is as good as a good wife.

Congrats

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:41 pm
by Slider
Congratulations Mark. Well done :D

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:46 pm
by myarhidia
Mark,
have been a fan of yours & recall that slideshow you created reviewing a year of your work which was simply moving.

Congrats on some well earned recognition.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:59 pm
by xerubus
thankyou Chris, Slider, and myarhidia... :)

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:08 pm
by Bob G
Mark - congrats - well deserved

Bob G

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:08 pm
by Manta
Well done Mark on the recognition of your fine work in this area. Knowing how passionate you are about your work, I understand the depth of your frustration if you were thinking of giving it away. Things must have been pretty grim for you. I'm pleased something has happened to pull you back from the brink.

I recall some conversations I had with someone who was thinking of giving away his photography. Not sure whether what I said to him was the reason but it was very gratifying to see him get back into the swing of things and move ahead in leaps and bounds since that time. Sometimes a little nudge in the right direction is all we need.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:18 pm
by petermmc
Great photos. I really like the angles...you are right in there with the action as if you were the other person helping.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:32 pm
by Michael
Top stuff mark!

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:40 pm
by xerubus
thanks Bob, Simon, Peter, and Michael...

Simon... I don't think i'd ever give it away completely... but just sometimes all of the running around and not seeing the end product can be a bit off putting :)

it's funny work... when there's nothing on it's great, because it means that people are safe and okay... but when there's something on it's an absolute battle to get it to the editor's desk before all the other chimps :D

cheers

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:11 pm
by ozczecho
Mate, first of all a great shot and secondly congrats and rightly justified after seeing this and some of your stuff here....

Mike

PostPosted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:50 pm
by daniel_r
Mark, congratulations for making the feature article. It's indicative and deserving of the quality of your work.

Often the work of the emergency services goes unnoticed, and you frequently highlight their efforts. Keep it up.

Re: Sometimes you wonder why....

PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:51 am
by Steffen
xerubus wrote:One of the frustrating parts of being a PJ is that you can take a lot of shots of various incidents and news stories, and they never see the light of day. Whether it be because a more interesting news story arises, or the editor changes their mind about layout and content. If you are going to do PJ work you just need to resign to the fact that your role is to get the shots, and it's the role of the reporters and the editor to fill in the gaps and fill the pages.


Oh dear, you just hit a blank nerve right there... Not so much from a photographer's as from a libertarian's point of view.

I can't tell you how much the murky swamp of politcal correctness, sheer greedy money-making, arse-clicking and brown-nosing, that is our media landscape these day, sickens me. Ah, and throw in a hefty handful of nationalism and irrational fear of anything.

Cheers
Steffen. PS I wanted to add a diatribe about governments, media control and "freedom of speech", but I had hit the "Submit" button already...

PostPosted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:31 am
by JordanP
Well done Mark. That is great to see. I'm looking forward to seeing many more covers from your efforts.

Cheers,