One thing that journalists often can't do is turn off that instinct to view every activity as a potential story. Social situations like parties often trigger that compulsion for me. When I meet new people, I have to make sure I don't sound like I'm trying to interview them. Journalists are good at meeting strangers, it's something we have to do every day, and it can come in handy during crowded social events, but ask one too many questions and you can cross that line from casual conversation into an interview situation, which is not what people usually want to do, especially after a couple of tequilas.
I'm also always armed with a camera, and end up being the go-to person to visually document friends' parties, weddings, etc. With our new digital camera I am also working on my video skills, which I know will be coming in handy soon at work, as the company pushes us to do more video for our Web site.
Here are some photos I took last night of a friend's birthday party. I tried to play with interesting angles and fun, unstaged shots. They turned out pretty well, and it gave me a chance to practice my rusty photography skills, which can come in handy as shrinking newsroom staff means you never know when you'll be called out to write and shoot an assignment.
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2 comments:
Good point. How about the instinct to hear potential stories in casual conversation?
It's gotten me into plenty of heated discussions at home. When do you turn off the news-gathering and just talk to people?
I've had some people, mid-conversation, turn to me and go "This is off the record, right?"
Part of me is offended that they think I'm spying on them during a party, but the other half is thinking "Damn, that would make a great story..."
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