There’s a lot of “don’t”s in life. Don’t cross the street before you look. Don’t stick your finger in a light socket. Don’t wash colors with whites. Don’t wear white before Memorial Day. Don’t forget Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, wedding anniversaries or the birthday of your significant other.
An important “don’t” in daily photojournalism is “Don’t jump to conclusions” or “don’t judge a book by its cover.” It’s easy to do either when given what appears to be a less-than-exciting or less-than-visual photo request or one that you’ve done a hundred times before. Do so at your own peril. You may miss out on a good (and perhaps) great photo.
The request came in a forwarded e-mail from one of the sports guys. A long-time athletic trainer at a local high school, now suffering from cancer and no longer able to work, was being honored at an assembly in the school gym. He would be given a plaque for all his years of service.
I’d never actually met Gary Hirst. Though we had shared plenty of sidelines over the years I only knew he was, umm…, taciturn. Never saw him really crack a smile. So I figured there wouldn’t be lots of emotion at the assembly and emotion is what we strive to capture in photos. But we needed a photo for our Local section so off I went to the school.
As people gathered for the assembly I sensed I had been wrong about this. Way wrong. This was more than a plaque-passing ceremony. There was to be a tribute video, other gifts and most significant, past co-workers coming to pay tribute to Gary. A former football coach flew up from Las Vegas just to speak at the assembly.
The assembly was a surprise to Gary (he’d been tricked into coming to the school on the pretense of discussing medical benefits) and from the time he was wheeled into the gym I knew I had been wrong and there were good photos to be had.
Gary Hirst gets a hug from Eisenhower High School cheerleader Tori Fisher as he's wheeled into an assembly at the school by his wife Becky Robins Jan. 29, 2010. Hirst, a long-time trainer at the school was honored at the assembly. He is suffering from cancer.
Gary was his usual self, showing little emotion, but the feelings were there as speaker after speaker paid homage to Gary. Hopefully my photos did justice to the event and the genuine emotion expressed by the speakers and felt by Gary.
Gary Hirst, a long-time athetic trainer at Eisenhower High School, was honored at an assembly at the school Jan. 29, 2010. Hirst is suffering from cancer.
Eisenhower High School student and standout athlete James Lopez visits with Gary Hirst, a long-time athletic trainer at the school, following an assembly Jan. 29, 2010. Hirst, who's suffering from cancer, was honored at the assembly in the school gym. Other students wait to greet Hirst as well.
Read the story and see the photo gallery.
So, I’ll admit was wrong about the request. And I’ll try, in the future, to not judge a book by its cover.
And Gary, to you, please get well soon. I look forward to sharing a sideline with you again in the future.
–Gordon King
