No photos in this blog
Since last November, which is apparently the last time I updated, I've done a fair amount of growing-up as a photographer. In the process of taking two steps forward in my career, I've had to take one imaginary step back at the expense of my ego.
Since I've begun to work at the morning news, I've shot two assignments in about two months. One was a story on ping-pong, and one was a story about a band that I'm writing a follow-'round on to be published in a weekly daughter publication. The actual requirements of my job are to take everyone else's creative work, and make it tonally printable by way of lightening, adjusting contrast, or resizing into a specific column width. I also sit at another station and update the website as stories are submitted either from staff writers or when they are pulled by the editors from newswire services. It is not a job that requires much, if any, creativity.
But anyone who knows me knows that I cannot let a sleeping dog lie. In other words, I am compelled to make my mark somehow, even as a lowly web updater or photo tech.
I was disappointed to find out that even if a creative position were to open up, I have to remain at my post for at least 6 months before eligible for a transfer of any kind.
But there are ways around this. I can still work for the FFW, and I've noticed that their website is, well, lacking. HawgsIllustrated.com on the other hand, appears to the viewer like a Wal-Mart Supercenter of sports stories--- narrow isles, crammed stories, thumbnailed action photos. It is sports on a rail system. For the male viewer, it's fine, since typically, males prefer to have as much available as possible, with as little navigational action required.
By contrast, the FreeWeekly.com is a sparse quasi-blog of headlines. It possesses no practical archiving and the layout is like a baby(FFW) wearing his daddy's(TMN) big-time shoes. For a publication that has no more than 20 headlines, a static site is definitely what the FFW should be doing. At the ArkansasTraveler, which boasted as many as 50 headlines throughout individual editions, a static site was still more than enough.
But wait, you say, I thought you were trying to be a photographer. I am! But I can't do anything about it for four more months, and it's doubtful there will even be something for me at that point. So, I'm going to make my mark on the web. (I hope).
Anyway, wish me luck. I'll try to get some photos up soon.
Since I've begun to work at the morning news, I've shot two assignments in about two months. One was a story on ping-pong, and one was a story about a band that I'm writing a follow-'round on to be published in a weekly daughter publication. The actual requirements of my job are to take everyone else's creative work, and make it tonally printable by way of lightening, adjusting contrast, or resizing into a specific column width. I also sit at another station and update the website as stories are submitted either from staff writers or when they are pulled by the editors from newswire services. It is not a job that requires much, if any, creativity.
But anyone who knows me knows that I cannot let a sleeping dog lie. In other words, I am compelled to make my mark somehow, even as a lowly web updater or photo tech.
I was disappointed to find out that even if a creative position were to open up, I have to remain at my post for at least 6 months before eligible for a transfer of any kind.
But there are ways around this. I can still work for the FFW, and I've noticed that their website is, well, lacking. HawgsIllustrated.com on the other hand, appears to the viewer like a Wal-Mart Supercenter of sports stories--- narrow isles, crammed stories, thumbnailed action photos. It is sports on a rail system. For the male viewer, it's fine, since typically, males prefer to have as much available as possible, with as little navigational action required.
By contrast, the FreeWeekly.com is a sparse quasi-blog of headlines. It possesses no practical archiving and the layout is like a baby(FFW) wearing his daddy's(TMN) big-time shoes. For a publication that has no more than 20 headlines, a static site is definitely what the FFW should be doing. At the ArkansasTraveler, which boasted as many as 50 headlines throughout individual editions, a static site was still more than enough.
But wait, you say, I thought you were trying to be a photographer. I am! But I can't do anything about it for four more months, and it's doubtful there will even be something for me at that point. So, I'm going to make my mark on the web. (I hope).
Anyway, wish me luck. I'll try to get some photos up soon.
Labels: Job Security
posted by Wes Putt at 8:32 AM
3 comments
