Connor Studios Blog

I can’t believe that we are almost through February in 2010!! I wanted to post some of my favorites from 2009.

2009 was a heck of a year. It started off with my third Inauguration to cover – and by far the biggest. Every Inauguration is amazing to cover but this one, with its historical significance and size, was THE Inauguration to beat them all! The best part was that there was probably no better spot to photograph from than the position I was in where you were not only close to the swearing-in but you also got to see the enormity of the crowd.

It was a hell of year to cover politics.  As a photojournalist, I can’t really give my opinion on politics and try to stay neutral but I have to admit that it pains me to see the cynicism and partisanship in politics.

Getting off politics for a bit, it was always enjoyable to get away and cover sports.  The Skins had a pretty bad year (to say the least) but that didn’t mean the photographs were bad.  In fact, some of my best photographs were from when they helped the Lions break their record loosing streak.

Then there is the fun misc. category — portraits and features and life.  I loved working for a newspaper because every day was different.  You just had no idea.  You would go to something thinking it would be dull and boring and it would be amazing (the other way around happened too!).  One day you are shooting flooded streets and the next day you are with the Dalai Lama.

And then one day you are covering the most boring of boring — arrivals at the White House for a State Dinner — and it’s not till later that you realize the lady in the red dress was a gate crasher and is all over the news.  It doesn’t make for an exciting photograph but it’s funny to say you were there.

To save the best for last, I wanted to post my two most memorable photographs.  In 2009 the rules for journalists covering the Dignified Transfer of Americans who died in battle changed.  I believe that since the first Bush administration, photographers had been barred from covering the return.  That changed this year and I was there in the middle of the night to witness the first transfer.  The rules changed to allow the immediate family to decide whether they wanted the media to cover the return or not.  I truly believe that these are very important photographs.  Having family in the military, I believe Americans should not be coddled into thinking the decision to send our young men and women into harms way should be an easy one.  Nor do I think that we should scare ourselves away from tough decisions.  I believe that by telling the story completely — the good, bad and in between, is the only way we can truly become informed to make these decisions.

Can we talk?  There is something that is bothering me and I need to get it off my chest.

Whether we are photographing at the White House or at a Redskins game or even a child’s dance recital, there is a new craze that has to be stopped.  I understand that I am being paid to be there and am carrying over $15,000 in camera equipment.  I’m not asking you to do that.

What I need to ask you is to bring a real camera.  It can be a point and shoot.  It can even shoot film.  I don’t care!  Just don’t trust huge moments in your life to your cell phone camera!!!!  

I can’t tell you how many times we see a dad with his son on the field before the game getting a picture with his favorite football player or someone with the President during their once-in-a-lifetime trip to the White House taking photos with their cell phone.  Only about 1% of cell phones are any good and have a big enough chip.  You can’t make a decent print out of it.

Take it from someone who’s “other woman” is his iPhone.  I absolutely love that phone and take goofy pictures with it every now and then.  But anything I really care about gets a real camera.  Please just do this for me — and you — and your children — and humanity.

Here were a ton of people in the East Room of the White House who came in from around the US and didn’t bring a real camera.  Shame!

It looked like it was going to be a normal day at the White House today.  Not too much on the schedule — no problem.  

Then Pierce Brosnan had to show up to talk about whales and Hillary Clinton had to show up to talk about Pakistan and then Arnold had to show up to talk about Cauleeefornia and then Nancy Pelosi showed up rocking some big shades in the Rose Garden and the President even decided to make a couple of appearances.

I guess Pierce and Arnold called each other up this morning and talked about how to gesture in front of the camera (must be a Hollywood thing).  :-)

It was an absolutely beautiful day out!  Our first photo-op with the President was in the Rose Garden.  We all joked about how it was one of those days that reminded you of trying to talk your teacher or professor into letting you have class outside because it was so nice.  We wanted to ask Obama if we could do the next photo-op outside as well.  He was out talking about raising fuel efficiency standards for cars over the next decade.

Governor Schwarzenegger and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick drew quite the crowd outside the West Wing.

President Obama finished his day with us and Small Business Owners in the East Room.  The President loves his teleprompters.  They can really get in the way when photographing him.  I guess if you can’t beat it, join it!

On top of that was a 30 minute commute home that turned into 2 hours!!  I still don’t have a clue as to what caused it.