Slow week...

I didn't have too many assignments last week but I'm not complaining it's been nice. I see people posting about their first days of work, I guess some jobs are starting with June, and I'm thinking look at me already a MONTH into this job. A whole month of two jobs, one class, and not enough hours in the day.

Although I didn't have a ton of assignments I realized the real reasons I love this job. (Reminder: I'm a photographer for the Durham Herald Sun & the Foreign Language department at UNC) Last Thursday I shot one assignment, a BP gas station closing because of relocation. Coincidental? Anyways, I got a few mug shots but the business was slow so I was hanging around with the workers until something happened I could take photos of. We talked for almost an hour before someone came in to get their oil changed and it was just so easy. We talked about travel, about what we hope to do this summer, our families, and it was just nice to meet someone new and chat. Check out the link to the story and the 5 photo sideshow included with my new friend Eddie!

Another assignment from last week was to shoot the construction on a fire station cupola. For those of you who don't know what that is, as I did not, it's a small dome-like structure on the top of mostly historic buildings. There are renovations going on at the Ninth St. Fire Station in Durham, and the fire fighters were all too willing to help me out offering to take me up in the basket of the truck. Unfortunately, the truck was out and I didn't have time for it come back so instead I got to climb up 4 levels of scaffolding and take photos from the roof which was just as cool!

I also shot my first hard news scene this week! On my way back to the office from a Golf Tournament assignment I passed the scene of a car accident where the car had flipped on the side of the Durham Freeway. Following my journalistic instincts I did pull over, grabbed 2 large lenses, asked the cop how close I could get to the scene and took some photos. I didn't realize the victims had already been removed, and luckily no one was hurt, but it was a good learning experience. The policeman thanked me for asking permission and asked my name, saying he would tell other policemen that I was allowed on scenes because I was polite!

I get to climb on stuff, stand on roofs, explore downtown Durham, and meet really unique people from every walk of life, that I would never get the chance to outside this job and that is why I am loving it so much. Why did you take your internship? The experience? The convenience? Do you have the "fire in the belly" as J-school teacher Jock Lauterer refers to it?