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Mark J Terrill - Shooting Sports in the NBA Bubble
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FORTY-FIVE GAMES IN FORTY-FIVE DAYS
By Mark J. Terrill
“What was it like inside the NBA bubble?” That is what several people have asked me so I thought that I would share some of my experiences there while on assignment for the Associated Press. First, allow me to explain what “the bubble” is. After the 2020 NBA season was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus outbreak, the NBA came up with a plan to restart play safely in late July by playing the remaining games with 22 out of 30 teams with the best records in one place and quarantining all of the players, coaches, support staff and even some media in an isolated compound of hotels. BTW, it cost the media that were staying there between $500 and $750 per night. That’s a pretty penny to essentially be in prison for three months. That compound was part of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida which they had sectioned off from the tourists that were visiting the park during this time. The venues that they chose to hold all of these games were at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex which offered three arenas that they could play four to seven games a day in. The WWS complex was also part of Disney World and a very short bus ride from the player hotels to the venues. These two locations were considered “The Bubble” and reportedly cost the NBA $150 million to finish the season there. Pretty much a perfect plan to finish the season and avoid an outbreak. The season only ended up being shortened by about 10 games or less for the remaining teams. The players who were stuck there for three months away from their families and the outside world weren’t too thrilled about the plan, though.
This was a trip that almost ended for me before it started. At one point there was a possibility of the whole thing being cancelled. As I was in the air on my way to Orlando, the players were talking about calling the whole thing off because of the two people that were shot to death during a BLM protest in Wisconsin. Fortunately, they decided to keep playing following a three day strike.
It is important to note that there were two zones at the WWS complex and people from the two were not allowed to mix. It consisted of a “Green Zone” where the players and coaches, NBA photographers, a few media writers and broadcasters could go which was the floor level at the venues as well as the compound where the players were staying. If you had watched any games, I am sure you noticed that even the NBA photographers weren’t on the court. No one was. They were shooting from corners off the court. Normally you would have at least ten photographers and videographers from various organizations sitting on the court for a typical game but there was nothing normal about this situation. We would also normally have remote cameras in various places on the court and in the catwalk for different and interesting angles. There was none of that here. The only people photographing on the floor level and putting remotes around the court were working for the NBA.
There was also a “Yellow Zone” where other media writers, photographers, NBA staff and VIP’s were positioned which was one level up from the floor. This is where I was. This meant shooting from from a single position from above which is definitely not something that I am accustomed to. We were all basically even with the basket at TV right. Even though the stands at the other end of the court were unused, hat was the only position for 45 games straight. Anyone that has ever shot basketball from an overhead position knows that it is challenging to make a clean and interesting picture from there, much less shooting from the same spot night after night. You really feel disconnected from the game up there. On the bright side, shooting from above meant that I was not locked into the bubble and was allowed to roam beautiful Orlando in my off-time. Also, there was a media hotel for people working in the yellow zone that cost about $150 per night.
That being said, there was no off-time for the first two weeks that I was there. It was mostly two games a day until the conference. You would shoot the first game in one venue and then run about 200 yards (often in a downpour) with all of your gear to the next venue where the second game had usually already started for some reason. There was at least one game where I missed the entire first quarter before I was able to get in there. Once the conference finals started, though, it was a game just about every day and then trailed off to game every two or three days once the finals started.
Regardless of what zone you were in, everyone had to get COVID tested every 72 hours and prove that you were clear before covering any games. The testing increased to every 48 hours once the finals started. They would scan your credential before you entered each venue and here were also temperature checks at each venue They also made us wear a contact tracing/tracking device that would beep at you if you get within four feet of anyone else which was sort of hard to do since there weren’t many people there to begin with. The essentially knew where you were and who you were with at all times while at WWS. With the exception of all of the security, bomb sniffing dogs and a few Disney staff, all of which had the usual “Happiest Place on Earth” attitude, walking the normally bustling Disney Wide World of Sports campus reminded me of a Walking Dead episode. It was mostly desolate and very surreal as was the feeling inside the venues.
What really made the situation livable and even down right enjoyable was that the AP rented a house for the three months that we were there. Our newest L.A. staffer Ashley Landis was there for us for the first month and a half and then I came in and took over for the rest. Anyone that has ever been on a long travel assignment knows that living out of a hotel and a suitcase can be tiresome and you tend to get homesick for some of the simple things that you take for granted like cooking a meal for yourself or not hearing doors get slammed all night. Getting a rented house solved most of the “home sick” problems and it was cheaper than the media hotel that the NBA was offering to us. Most of the time that I was there, I didn’t feel like I was on a travel assignment and it was a short 8 minute commute to the WWS complex.
Most of my meals were either made at home after work or take-out from somewhere. One of the joys of being on a travel assignment is eating with friends (aka your competition). Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for that although I was able to meet up with them at the media hotel to have lunch outside a few times because everyone had to go there every few days to get tested.
That brings up the best part about having a rented house in that situation. Once the NBA Finals started, the NBA decided, without warning, to completely lock down the media hotel that, up until that point, had been in the yellow zone where people were free to come and go. That meant that no one could leave except to go to the venues for games. Los Angeles Times photographer Wally Skalij arrived just as this lock-down began and wasn’t even allowed to leave his room until he got a negative COVID test the next day. We believe that this was because team owners, executives and NBA family members were staying there. Meanwhile, I was free to roam and therefore would often bring lunch to my friends who were stuck there for the two weeks that the finals went on for.
As far as I know, no one actually got sick while I was there but there was a scare. The photographer that I had been sitting closest to the entire time and socializing with tested positive during the conference finals. Obviously, this was pretty unnerving for me and him. He was quarantined to his hotel room for several days while they retested him multiple times and I was concerned that, since the contact tracing devices would have told them that were were near each other, I would be quarantined as well. As it turned out, it was a false positive which was a relief but the idea that a false positive could leave the Associated Press without coverage for two or three playoff games was just as unnerving as actually testing positive.
Because of the distance that they had us at, I shot most of the games with a 600 f4, a 400 2.8 and a 200-600. In normal times and with a normal game, I would almost always do my own editing, captioning and transmitting during a break in the game or at halftime but these were not normal times so I had fantastic remote editors in various parts of the country to whom I would push about 600 select pictures per game from the camera via FTP via Wi-Fi and Ethernet. This was a huge help as it allowed me to concentrate on shooting the game and nothing else. Most of the editors were actually photographers that had nothing to shoot that particular day and volunteered to assist me. They would in turn pick 100 or so to crop, caption and send out to the wire. This method allowed us to get a picture on the wire within just a few minutes of the game starting to make early deadlines for all of the newspapers and websites that were waiting. You might be wondering why I would send the editors so many to only have one sixth sent out. This is mostly to give them options on any given play and the extra frames help them identify players when my voice tag recording that gets attached to the pictures wasn’t enough. I was also allowed to have a remote camera near my shooting position for a little wider view of the court which was helpful as a backup since a 600mm is extremely tight. That camera was tethered to my computer which allowed me to control it, download the pictures remotely and then drop them to my remote editor.
There were a few little hiccups along the way with the exception of the very limited access and the lockdown problem at the media hotel. All-in-all the NBA put together a pretty good plan. The food that the NBA provided wasn’t bad either. They split off an ESPN Zone restaurant (half for the green zone and half for the yellow zone) for meals and Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream sandwiches.
All-in-all, it was one of the better experiences that I have had on a travel assignment and, because of the unusual circumstances, one that I will remember for a lifetime.
Mark J. Terrill has been a staff photographer with the Associated Press since 1997.
Francine Orr discussing her work
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Please see our amazing member Francine Orr discussing her work tonight! Register here:
https://www.latimes.com/about/events/story/2020-10-13/we-can-teach-you-that
When: Starts at 6 p.m. on Feb. 23.
Pete Noyes
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Pete Noyes Obituary
Died Feb. 1, 2021
(Story in part from City News Service)
Pete Noyes, named an Honorary PPAGLA member in November, 2016, died February 1, 2021 at age 90 according to his son Jack, a long-time assignment editor at NBC4.
Pete was a Los Angeles television news pioneer who became an award-
winning news producer and investigative journalist. He was also a mentor to many colleagues and students who took his broadcast newswriting classes at USC and Cal State Northridge.
Noyes began his journalism career at Stars and Stripes, the American military newspaper, while serving in the Army during the Korean War. During his decades-long career, he worked at KFMB in San Diego, KOVR in Sacramento, and in Los Angeles at City News Service, KNXT/KCBS, KNBC, KABC-TV, KTTB and KCOP, along with the Fox network newsmagazine “Front Page.” He mentioned that he might have been fired from more stations than any other journalist!
Along the way, Noyes was honored with TV’s highest award, the Peabody, 10 Emmys, two Edward R. Murrow awards and many Golden Mike Awards. He taught his craft at the USC and Cal State Northridge journalism schools and penned several books, including “Legacy of Doubt,” which linked organized crime to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
After retiring from the news business in 2008, he published several other books, including “The Real L.A. confidential,” in which he wrote about some of L.A.’s most notorious crimes, including the Manson family and O.J. Simpson murder cases.
His 2015 book “Who Killed the Big News?” tells the story of KNXT’s introduction in 1961 – and ultimate death of – “The Big News,” which was billed as the first 45-minute newscast in the nation and launched the careers of the late Jerry Dunphy and Ralph Story, among others.
Noyes notched many scoops as the show’s city editor and was named the producer of the newscast in 1963 as it expanded to an hour as the lead-in to a 30-minute edition of ”The CBS Evening News,” featuring a new anchorman named Walter Cronkite.
Videographer and PPAGLA member George Zanuzoski, who worked for several years with Pete at KNBC said Pete was a great producer, a good boss, and a dear friend. They covered a political convention in New York in 1980 as well as many stories in California. George said that regardless of his title, Pete did everything. He was the go-to man – the glue that held the organization together. He would raise his voice, but always with respect, and George remembers a time when, after a long lunch, Pete threw a typewriter across a room. Pete led newsrooms that could be rowdy, but fun. It was quiet, and dull when Pete left the room.
Longtime USC journalism professor Joe Salzman met Noyes in 1964 when both worked for Channel 2.
“He was a tough, hard-bitten newspaper reporter who, like the rest of us didn’t know what to make of this new concept: television news,” Saltzman recalled in a Facebook post. “He had come from City News Service and took no prisoners. I can still remember him shouting out my name when he was reading a piece of my copy and yelling, ‘What the hell is this?’
“He’d sit me down and show me what I should have done with the news story, and I learned more from him than five years of undergraduate and graduate journalism school about how to tell a story in a minute and a half.”
Saltzman added: “You always knew when Pete was working on deadline because his white shirt was always half out of his pants as he scrambled about the newsroom barking orders. He was every journalist I had ever seen in the movies and on television, and the rumor that he was the model for Lou Grant in ‘The Mary Tyler Moor Show’ was, at least for me, as true as it could be. And Pete said it was so.
In addition to his wife, Grace, son Jack, daughter-in-law Linda and two granddaughters, survivors include his sister, Liz Gorsich, and brothers Frank and David.
Funeral services will be private, but his sister hopes to hold a “celebration of life” via Zoom.
In lieu of flowers, Gorsich suggested that contributions be made in Noyes’ name to the 8-Ball Emergency Fund for Journalists, formerly known as the 8-Ball Welfare Foundation. Noyes was a long time board member of the Foundation, which provided emergency financial grants to journalists in need and promising journalism students.
https://www.8ballfoundation.com
Dave LaBelle- The Feature Photograph Webinar
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THE FEATURE PHOTOGRAPH: THE SUBTLE SIDE OF LIFE WITH DAVE LABELLE
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
Saturday, February 6, 2021. 11:00 AM 12:30 PM
In this webinar, Dave LaBelle, author of The Great Picture Hunt (The Art and Ethics of Feature Picture Hunting) will discuss what feature photographs are, why they are so important, and how to increase your odds of capturing compelling moments.
Throughout his 50-year career, Dave LaBelle has been a photographer, editor, teacher, author and lecturer.
LaBelle has worked for 20 newspapers and magazines in nine states, including the Anchorage Times, San Bernardino Sun-Telegram, Ventura County Star-Free Press, The Chanute Tribune, Ogden Standard-Examiner, The Sacramento Bee and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where he was assistant managing editor for photography.
His work has won numerous awards including National Press Photographers Association Region 10 Photographer of the Year three times, runner-up to W. Eugene Smith for the first Nikon World Understanding award in 1974 and runner-up for the NPPA National Photographer of the Year award in 1979. He was awarded the International Understanding Through Photography award by the Photographic Society of America in 2002.
LaBelle is also a master teacher whose students have gone on to win more than 10 Pulitzer Prizes. Shortly after his time as Photographer at the Sacramento Bee, he turned his sights towards teaching as a compassionate storyteller and was a key member of the legendary team who built Western Kentucky University’s renowned Photojournalism program. NPPA honored him with the Robin F. Garland Award for photojournalism education in 1991. He also taught at University of Kentucky and was director of Kent State University’s Photojournalism program for many years.
He is the author of 5 books including The Great Picture Hunt which is widely regarded by many as the cornerstone book for shooting features. Lessons in Death and Life is a sensitive, in-depth discussion about photographing grief and delicate issues. His most recent book Bridges and Angels: The Story of Ruth is his first novel based on the disappearance of his mother in the 1969 Ventura County Floods.
LaBelle has served as judge for Pictures of the Year International, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Photo Contest among many others.
To learn more about Dave please visit DavidLaBelle.com
Pete Garrow
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Pete Garrow covering a Reagan protest in Century Plaza in 1982. Photo: ©Rick Meyer
Written by Conan Nolan, KNBC political reporter
If there is joy in work, it often comes less from the effort than in those who labor by our side.
Pete Garrow was that joy.
If you were in the KNBC newsroom or field shop, or if you saw him at a news conference or posted up next to him at a city hall meeting, you knew that you were in for a good day.
For one thing you’d laugh more. A lot more. There was a much greater chance of adventure. There might be a ghost story or a mention of Area 51. If you were in his truck you might even get lost (thus the moniker “Pathfinder”). His reporters also knew they were destined to tell a much better story simply through his lens.
He was less a photographer than he was a storyteller with an Ikegami on a tripod
No pans, no zooms. At least they were rare. It was all composition. Attention to detail. Anticipating a moment of human connection.
Often it was art.
Pete wasn’t big on entering competitions, but he was awarded a Peabody anyway. That was for his searing and heart-breaking images of a young man’s slow death from the ravages of AIDS.
I remember first arriving from KSBW-Salinas to the Riverside Bureau in June ‘86. I was plenty unsure as to how this was going to work out.
“Don’t worry” came the counsel from desk manager Bill Windsor. “Pete Garrow is pretty much all we need anyway. Just follow his lead and have a good time.”
I figured out what he meant during my first visit from ABC. .. when Bob Banfield came by to introduce himself. A lamp fell as Pete and Martin Orozco started wrestling on the bureau floor. Dave Busse helped himself to coffee.
Yes, we had fun.
Pete had battled lung cancer the last few years of his life. Things appeared to be improving when the end came suddenly. His family believes it was cardiac arrest.
Pathfinder’s greatest pride was his son Greg. Speaking with him felt like talking with his father. Grace, wit and strength. I suspect he can take some pretty good pictures too. We offer him our support and love.
It is unlikely that due to safety concerns there will be any in-person memorial. I’ll let you know if that changes. Perhaps we can put together our own at some point.
It was too soon. Way too soon. But there is comfort in knowing we spent time with the very best.
Thanks Pete. We are all the better for it
Tom LaBonge
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By Past PPAGLA President
John McCoy
Press photographers in Los Angeles lost a true friend with the passing of former Los Angeles City Councilman and PPAGLA honorary member, Tom LaBonge at the age of 67.
One of the driest photo assignments a shooter ever pulls is having to cover a press conference. But when LaBonge was on the press release, you knew that he would exhibit some kind of over the top showmanship that would surely make an interesting frame.
One afternoon on the south Lawn of City Hall, Tom looked out the window of his office and saw a horse that was part of a fellow councilmembers plans for a press conference. Never missing the opportunity for a photo opportunity, Tom reached up onto the wall of his office that was festooned with hundreds of hats, and pulled down a white Stetson Cowboy hat and made his way to the south lawn. Upon reaching the grass, Tom climbed up on the horse for a photo opportunity that and surpassed any potential ideas held by his late arriving, and outwitted colleague.
Tom always enjoyed the creativity of photography, and could be found in the early 1970’s roaming the sidelines of the Los Angeles Coliseum at Rams games as a camera assistant for NFL films. As a City Councilman, Tom traveled his district with a camera and would publish his best work in a calendar.
To begin his career in politics, Tom became a council aide for Peggy Stevenson, Councilwoman of the 13th Council District in 1976. After 15 years as a council aide, a field deputy and as the chief of field operations for Richard Riordan, he finally seized a chance to take a seat as a councilman after winning a special election to replace the deceased John Ferarro in 2001. He held that post until retirement in 2014.
Tom loved public service, and made friends wherever he went. He knew the school mascot for every high school in the southland, and looked for ways that he could be of assistance in the city he loved. He viewed his job as being a kind of customer service, and would stop to clean clogged street drain on a rainy day, or pull off to the side of the road to direct traffic at the scene of an accident. If your car wouldn’t start, Tom was always ready with jumper cables that he kept in the trunk of his city issued Crown Victoria.
From Koreatown to the San Fernando Valley and the trails of Griffith Park, Tom was usually somewhere making his presence known. Feeling that he wanted to continue doing civic good works in retirement, he founded The LaBonge Consulting Group, which he described on his LinkedIn page as an extension of "my ability to create relationships and connect people with the common goal of fortifying the cultural ties of this great city."
The former politician and lensman leaves behind his wife Brigid and two children, Mary-Cate LaBonge and son Charles.
Tommy Lasorda
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Honorary Member Tommy Lasorda died from a heart attack at age 93. Lasorda, led the Dodgers to two World Series Championships and four National League pennants during his 20-year career as manager.
Former Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser said that Lasorda hoped to live to 100. Lasorda suffered a cardio-pulmonary arrest on January 8th at his home in Fullerton. He died at the hospital.
Jayne Kamin Oncea, one of the pioneering women covering the Dodgers, took a fair amount of ribbing from Lasorda. It also got her access. Oncea had these remembrances:
While covering spring training, Oncea was photographing pitcher Bert Hooton swimming to rehab his shoulder. Lasorda drives up in a golf cart, goes to the pool, strips down to his boxers and starts swimming. Oneca’s photo the next day in the Los Angeles Times shows Lasorda squirting water out of his mouth. The clipping of the photo made it to the Dodger bulletin board. Attached to the clipping was a Western Union telegram from Don Rickles. It said something like, “Hey Lasorda, I opened the sports section of the LA Times and thought I was looking at a photo of Shamu”.
Keith Birmingham had these memories:
“Tommy was real character. He had, well let's just say a real colorful way of talking, most of which you could never quote, but he loved the Dodgers and the fans. I don't think I ever saw him blow off a fan or refuse to sign an autograph and I can't tell you how many times I saw him at spring training ask to hold a baby and pose for a picture.”
“Lasorda would yell at you one day for shooting pictures into the dugout (which he hated) and then the next spend time around the dugout talking baseball, the old days, old timers.”
“Away from the ballpark he would occasionally join Dodger photographer, Jon SooHoo, myself and a few others for lunch (of course we paid), but it was so worth it just to hear the stories about a few players, baseball and Italian food. In his later years I would always see young players wanting to spend time talking to him, learning about baseball about what it was like managing Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Fernando Valenzuela and to be part of a World Championship team. I hope he gets his wish of being buried under the pitcher’s mound. For the past 70 plus years he has truly bled Dodger Blue. He will be missed. I hope he is up there with PeeWee Reese, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, Bill Delury and others sitting around talking baseball and enjoying good food.”
Lasorda was also known for running afoul around microphones. His love of food earned him the nickname Tommy Lasagna.
Lasorda was quoted as saying “If you don’t love the Dodgers, there is a good chance you may not get into heaven.”
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Jo.
PPAGLA New Year's Day Party on Zoom!
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When: January 1, 2021 5-7pm
What/Where: Social Happy Hour Potluck & BYOB in our own homes!
Join PPAGLA friends to say goodbye to 2020 and inject 2021 with some great spirits!
Portrait Lighting with Terry Pierson- Zoom Webinar
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The Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles presents: Portrait Lighting with Terry Pierson
Zoom webinar
Saturday Dec 5 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Advance Registration Required: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tvrYSiGjSI60zi4Xa8vnfQ
PPAGLA Photographer of the Year Terry Pierson will discuss how he makes incredible portraits that stand out. Pierson will describe basic portrait lighting techniques and how he quickly establishes rapport with his subjects.
Pierson has been staff photographer with The Riverside Press-Enterprise for 18 years and an award winning professional photojournalist for over 30 years. He covers the Inland Empire, Riverside County, San Bernardino County and some Los Angeles sporting events. He has been PPAGLA Photographer of the Year eight times and NPPA West Region monthly clip contest POY winner six times. He enjoys meeting and documenting the people of the Inland Empire and sharing the art of photojournalism.
Marsha Traeger-Gorman
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Marsha Traeger-Gorman September 14, 1959 ~ October 29, 2020
Longtime PPAGLA member and former Los Angeles Times staff photographer and picture editor, Marsha Traeger-Gorman died on Thursday Oct 29th, 2020 from complications of kidney cancer. She was 61. Marsha served on the Board of Directors in 1993 and 1994. She was one of the trendsetting women hired by the Times in the early ‘80s, including Cassy Cohen Muronaka, Jayne Kamin-Oncea and Kari Rene Hall.
“In the downtown office, Marsha shot the full range of assignments. From food in the studio to the presidential “traveling pool”, to crash and burn assignments. Marsha could handle them all with a smile on her face and a professional demeanor.” said friend Rick Meyer.
“Marsha was a gentle soul with a wicked sense of humor. We literally had running jokes going for years,” said Meyer. “Marsha and I shared many laughs....we got on the hot seat together for playing wicked practical jokes in the Photo Department.” said Pat Downs, former LA Times colleague.
Another Times veteran, Ken Lubas said, “She always had that infectious smile and can do attitude.”
In 1993, Marsha transferred to the LAT Ventura Edition to be closer to her home in Camarillo. At the Ventura Edition she acted as an assignment and picture editor. In 1997, her career ended on a rocky slope on Anancapa Island when she slipped and blew-out her knee. She was on assignment for the paper. Larry Bessel, the photo editor of the Ventura Edition, said “She was loved by all who worked with her, the photo staff, the editors and the reporters. She was always the bright spot in the Ventura Edition.”
Marsha had a host of friends who were not in the media profession. Many of them had colorful names like Big Diane, Reno and Babe (who may or may not have been in the mob according to Meyer).
Marsha is survived by her husband, Brian, who is a professional baseball umpire. Marsha was fondly nicknamed “Mush” by Joe Kennedy, another Times photog. Marsha was a much loved and admired member of the newspaper staff.
She embraced her life as a MLB umpire’s wife. She would frequently travel to out-of-town games worked by Brian. She became a baseball insider and knew all the stadiums’ staff at the gates, dugouts and dressing rooms. She was generous handing out MLB swag. If she came to your house, you would end up with a baseball cap or a World Series baseball.
Marsha was totally devoted to Brian, whose MLB umpire number is 9. She arranged the home phone number to consist of mostly 9s. The number 9 was also incorporated in their home in many creative ways.
A lifelong Cubs fan, Marsha’s memorial will be held Thursday, Nov.5th at 1:20PM, Chicago Cubs usual day game start time, naturally. Memorial information listed below.
Rick Meyer best put into words the sentiment that all of Marsha’s legion of friends feel today: “You will be missed Marsha. Wish you could have gone extra innings.”
Graveside services are Thursday November 5th at 1:20PM (Chicago Cubs usual day game start time) at Conejo Mountain Cemetery in Camarillo. Their website is www.ConejoMountain.com
Frank Potter Cowan
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Long-time PPAGLA member and Honorary Member Frank Potter Cowan passed away peacefully from cancer on August 17th.
Friend Karen Terrill said “Frank created the Crisis Communications training at California Specialized Training Institute and through those classes he taught hundreds, probably thousands of communicators how to keep the public informed during a crisis. He could be tough, but that was because he was so passionate about teaching us how to get it right. And he always included humor in his workshops. Training seemed to come naturally to him. But I knew how hard he worked at it. I heard many people over the years say that Frank was the best trainer they ever had.”
Every year the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) presents the Frank Potter Cowan Crisis Communications Leader Award to POS’s providing critical information to communities in trouble. Whether it is fires, floods, earthquakes, storms or civil unrest, there are PIOs in the trenches telling the public what they need to know. And in California, many of those PIOs learned how to get it done from Frank. Those PIOs are part of Frank’s legacy.
Frank had a long and varied professional career. He worked as a broadcast news reporter, a print photographer, a sworn police officer, an emergency response manager, and a PIO. But his friends and family knew that he was a trainer first and foremost.
Bob Riha Jr described Frank as “A mountain of a man that saved many, many lives through his training of PIOs and his belief to inform the public in times of crisis. My heart hurts like everyone he has touched, and I’m honored to call him a friend.”
Frank was also an advisor to PPAGLA’s Media Access Committee Media Guidebook which was published in 1992. He was a true friend and true supporter of the news media and the PPAGLA.
Rick Meyer said “As an Honorary Member, Frank didn’t have to pay dues, but he insisted and paid his dues every year. He loved the PPAGLA and was proud to be a news photographer.”
He leaves his wife Becki, son Brian, daughter Erin and four grandchildren, plus countless friends and fans.
George R. Fry
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We are sorry to report that our friend and colleague George R. Fry passed away peacefully at home Thursday, July 16 with his kind and caring wife Ruth at his side. George was a wonderful friend to PPAGLA, served as our president in 1969, and was a member for more than 50 years. George worked as a photographer at the Los Angeles Times for over 30 years from the end of the 1950’s to the early 1990’s. His career spanned an ever-changing environment in journalism. He started out as a hard-news photographer on the Westside of Los Angeles, covering homicides, fires, accidents and later, court cases involving the rich, famous and infamous. Near the end of his career he enjoyed success photographing the Space Shuttle as it landed at night at Edwards Airforce Base. His good friend Bob Chamberlin remembers especially George’s hard work ethic and integrity and told us about a recent comment from Bob that shows his passion for our field: “Bob, we had such a great job,” he exulted during the celebration of his 92nd birthday last March. We will miss you George.
The photo shows George with a chocolate replica camera he got for his birthday.
LEARN ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY, A WEBINAR WITH RAUL ROA
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WEDNESDAY, AUG 26, 2020
11AM-12:30PM
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!
Raul Roa is a photographer with Times Community News, a division of the Los Angeles Times. He is also an avid nature and travel photographer and is an expert in the challenging world of astrophotography.
In this webinar, Roa will explore Wide-Field Astrophotography and will show some of his work in this genre. Participants will learn how to create images of the night sky to create star trails and time-lapse movies, all with one setting and one camera! Equipment, times, locations, composition, and technical aspects will be discussed. Roa will also review helpful apps and programs for creating these stunning images.
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity! Sign up today
New Quarterly Contest
Khai Le
Hello Members!
We are excited to announce that our stills contest is now a Quarterly Clips Contest. Please see our website at https://www.ppagla.org/quarterly-stills-contest for the new rules, categories, and to enter.
We have added a category “Pictorial”. You will see the definition on our website.
Please enter! Your work may run in our Just One More, Jr. newsletter and in our yearbook!
Our hope is that these changes will encourage participation across our membership. Send in your best images today!
QUARTERLY Clips Contest deadlines for 2020 are as follows:
Quarter 1 (Q1): Jan - March - Deadline is 11:59pm, June 20 (one time catch up deadline for 2020)
Quarter 2 (Q2): April - June - Deadline is 11:59pm, July 15, 2020
Quarter 3 (Q3): July - Sept - Deadline is 11:59pm, Oct. 15, 2020
Quarter 4 (Q4): Oct - Dec - Deadline is 11:59pm, Jan 10, 2021
Stay tuned for changes to our Annual Contest: The Photographer of the Year will be determined by annual entry submission with requirements to be announced in the coming months. We will also have a Clips Contest winner!
Questions? Please email contests@ppagla.org
jetBlue Tickets "Silent Auction"
Khai Le
We are happy to announce we have a pair of JetBlue Flight Certificates for advance blind Auction as a fundraiser for PPAGLA. Thank you to our generous sponsor JetBlue airlines!
We will start the bidding at $350.
Here is how it will work:
Please email our marvelous Secretary Bonnie Burrow at: bonburrow@aol.com with your bid this week.
Bonnie will keep track. All bids must be in to Bonnie by 11:59 PM THIS Friday night prior to Saturday’s online Awards Ceremony.
If you haven't already registered for the Award Ceremony (FREE), pre-registration for Saturday is required: https://www.ppagla.org/banquet
We will announce the high bidder during Awards Ceremony Saturday.
Thanks everyone! Bid early and often!!
The fine print: Blackout dates 2020: July 2-July 6 Sep. 3-7 Oct. 8-12 Nov. 4-9 Nov. 20-30 Dec. 18-31, Jan 1-5 etc. Expiration date is 4/1/2021.
President's Letter
Khai Le
Dear Friends,
2020 has been one of the most challenging times in our lives. PPAGLA started off the year with a bang. We welcomed new board members, formed new committees, and began working to bring new things to our members.
We were on track for a wonderful March banquet, and looked forward to honoring your excellent work, our Lifetime Achievement winners, and our Los Angeles Fire Department Captain. We added a new student multi-media category, and had strong entries across many schools.
In early February, PPAGLA board members met with a Nikon delegation of approximately eight from Japan, New York, and Los Angeles, and we enjoyed collaborating with new friends.
We were honored to have Pulitzer Prize winner Don Bartletti as our inaugural speaker at Canon Burbank in late February, and were excited about our rejuvenated relationship with Canon.
Don set the perfect tone for our year. His humanity and deep caring for his subjects was palpable. His talk was full of inspiration and hope.
But something ominous also happened that night which offered an early glimpse of what was to come. As we were eagerly crowding around the demo tables laden with new Canon gear, Canon officials urgently informed us of a new policy. We were suddenly required to use hand sanitizer and sanitizing stations were rolled into the reception area. We stopped handling the gear and dutifully lined up at the stations to comply, chatting amongst ourselves. I silently hoped we were just being “extra careful.” This was February 26, the day the CDC confirmed the first case of COVID-19 transmission via “community spread” in the United States. We had heard about the virus, but I don’t think any of us could have imagined how the world would change just a few short weeks later.
It became clear in March that the safety and health of our members was more important than physically gathering for our awards banquet. Yet information was changing by the day, making it difficult to discern exactly how to proceed. At the time, cancelling or postponing the event seemed a bold move. Not all restrictions were yet in place and the venue wanted business as usual. Our goal was to protect our members, while minimizing any potential financial damage to PPAGLA if we cancelled. Thankfully, we managed to do both.
Personally, I felt blindsided by what was to come next, and I suspect that I am not alone. The pandemic hit Los Angeles full force. Assignments for freelancers evaporated. Clients stopped doing the things that needed photographing, and advertising dollars for news outlets declined at an alarming rate.
For many of us, losing our jobs has been the hardest thing. For others, keeping the staff positions has felt precarious at best. Fear for our safety has been pervasive in ways that are new to us.
At the time of this writing, two of my own family members have passed away in the last several weeks. Not being able to travel to see family and mourn together is harder than I ever imagined it might be. Now, a 30 year old friend is fighting for his life on a ventilator.
Our board has held meetings via Zoom to find ways we can help our members during this time. We put together a resource list on our website, and update it regularly with financial, COVID-19, and mental health resources. The 8-Ball Welfare Foundation has been a special friend to the PPAGLA for many years, and stands ready to help those of us in need of emergency financial assistance. One of our own PPAGLA members independently raised additional funds to help 8-Ball help us.
We are personally calling as many of you as we can to simply see how you are doing. My hope is that small acts of kindness can be the difference between a good day and a bad day.
We are exploring ways to present the programming we planned. Please check our website for updates. The contests are being revised with an eye toward increased participation across genres. We are open to suggestions and welcome your ideas. Please reach out to us and let us know your thoughts and if you would like to lend a hand.
On a lighter note, we have decided to host our Awards Ceremony live and interactively online on Saturday, May 23. Our wonderful sponsors have enthusiastically supported the idea. They will personally present awards and raffle prizes live on camera, including Nikon, Canon, Tamron, ThinkTank, Samy’s Camera and more. Please see ppagla.org/banquet for information and registration.
We are here for you. We will get through this. Together.
Amy
DRONES FOR VISUAL STORYTELLING
Guest User
Zoom Webinar
Thursday May 14, 2020
11AM-12PM
ZOOM REGISTRATION (REQUIRED):
Join us for an informative and inspiring Zoom meeting to learn how Travis Geske & Ann Johansson are using drones to tell visual stories.
Travis Geske http://travisgeske.com
Travis is a veteran drone operator and documentary cinematographer with unparalleled experience capturing imagery from the air, on the ground, and beneath the waves around the world. As one of the United States' first commercially licensed drone pilots, Travis took his passion for creating powerful photography to the sky, creating first-of-its kind content for organizations from ESPN to National Geographic to ABCs Good Morning America. With these skills he continues to pursue compelling stories and collaborations with organizations looking to elevate their visual storytelling.
Ann Johansson annjohansson.com
Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, Ann Inger Johansson is an award-winning photographer with a focus on the causes, effects, impacts and solutions of climate change globally. Scientific data informs what topics and locations she seeks out to photograph. Ann’s ultimate goal is to make all aspects of climate change more relatable on a personal level. Ann has 20 years of experience working with publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel among many others.
Ann was commissioned to travel to six countries to document people living in different climate zones for Klimahaus, a 200,000 sq. Ft. educational space about climates and climate change in Bremerhaven, Germany. Her work can be seen throughout “The Journey” exhibition.
Ann is the winner of the 2019 Climate Outreach Climate Visuals Award. Her photographs are part of The Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, permanent collection and she recently exhibited at Rotterdam Photo Festival and had work in group shows at Photo Nostrum in Barcelona, Spain and at the Houston Center for Photography in Houston, USA.
COVID-19 PPAGLA Resources List
Khai Le
Dear fellow PPAGLA members,
These are trying times. We’ve all found ourselves in new situations and it is difficult.
We have put together some resources of help and hope. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us if we can help. Sometimes simply talking and moral support can get us through tough times.
You will see below some great resources. Please let us know if there are additional resources we should know about.
We will get through this. Together.
The PPAGLA Board
COVID-19 Resources for Photojournalists & Newsrooms (updated: 5/12/20)
Legal:
Under Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-33-20 photojournalists are classified as essential workforce.
Essential Workforce - Communications:
Workers who support radio, television, and media service, including, but not limited to front line news reporters, studio, and technicians for newsgathering and reporting.
Your legal rights: How to respond if police or health officials challenge coronavirus reporting- National Press Club Journalism Institute
Financial Assistance, Grants & Unemployment:
The Employment Development Department (EDD)- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
Small Business Administration (SBA)- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
ABC 7 News California PUA: Self-employed, freelance and gig economy workers can apply for unemployment benefits starting today
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program
The 8-Ball Welfare Foundation- helping Southern California journalists and photojournalists in need
Pfaffinger Foundation- Financial aid for former Los Angeles Times employees and photographers
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce- resources list including information for small businesses
SmugMug- COVID-19 resources, grants, funds, and more to help working photographers
The Los Angeles Press Club- Journalists Emergency Fund
National Geographic- COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting- Coronavirus News Collaboration Challenge
Google News Initiative- Journalism Emergency Relief Fund
Facebook- Small Business Grants Program
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism- $1 million in grants to support coronavirus news reporting
Forbes Magazine- List Of Banks Offering Relief To Customers Affected By Coronavirus
*Reminder: Federal tax return filing has been extended from April 15 to July 15, 2020.
Mental Health for Journalists:
Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
____________________________
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
1-800-273-8255
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
____________________________
Mental Health Help for Photographers (And Everyone Else)- PetaPixel
How journalists can fight stress from covering the coronavirus- Al Tompkins, The Poynter Institute
Meditation and mindfulness: InsightLA
A guide to taking care of yourself and your newsroom in times of coronavirus- Nieman Journalism Lab
Safety:
Committee to Protect Journalists- CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the coronavirus outbreak
How to dress to save your life: L.A. Times photojournalists take on a whole new danger
Columbia University- Earth Institute- Covering the Pandemic: Photographers on the Frontlines
The International Center for Journalists- Ten Tips for Journalists Covering COVID-19 Around the World
NPPA's COVID-19 resource guide
Tips for Reporting on Pandemics- The Dart Center, Columbia University School of Journalism
How to Disinfect Camera Equipment and Spaces- LensRentals
Videos:
Covering Coronavirus – Expert Tips for Journalists and Communicators- National Press Club Journalism Institute
Al & Sidney Tompkins help journalists covering COVID-19 manage newsroom stress
ASMP- Potential Business Ramifications of Coronavirus
NPPA- Coronavirus Town Hall
NETEC: Personal Protective Equipment for COVID-19
Power Shift Project- Covid 19- Taking Care of Journalists and Journalism
This Week in PHOTO- Photographers and COVID-19
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute- COVID-19: Staying safe while in the field
Dart Center- Photojournalism and Covid 19: Ethics, Craft and Safety
How to Use Zoom (VIDEOS):
How to Use Zoom - Basics in Less than 5 Minutes
How to use Zoom- Video Conferencing Tutorial for Beginners
COVID-19 Info & Data:
Johns Hopkins University: COVID-19 Information Hub
The New York Times- Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak
The American Association for Respiratory Care- COVID-19 News & Resources
World Health Organization- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
AP Stylebook- Coronavirus Topical Guide
LA Times- Tracking coronavirus in California
The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute
Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc- Fact-checking coronavirus stories
Reuters Institute- Types, sources, and claims of COVID-19 misinformation
AFP Fact Check- coronavirus verification hub
Hear Member Marcus Yam speak Tuesday
Khai Le
Hear our own PPAGLA member Marcus Yam speak about his experience covering the COVID-19 outbreak recently in Hong Kong THIS Tuesday, April 21 12pm PST! Details below:
Pictures of the Year International presents
Virtual Conversations with 77th POY Winner and the 74th CPOY Winner
POY: Four Photographers of the Year cover COVID-19 in their own community
Tuesday, April 21, 2 PM CST / 12PM PST
As COVID-19 sweeps across the planet, we talk to four Photographers of the Year who are covering the outbreak in their own community as they work and live on different points of the virus timeline. Our panelists are Alon Skuy of the Times in South Africa, Barbara Davidson in Los Angeles, Fabio Bucciarelli in Italy, and Marcus Yam of the Los Angeles Times, who has spent the past several months in Hong Kong. The moderators are Regina Boone, POY judge and staff photographer at the Richmond Free Press, and POY Director Lynden Steele.
REGISTRATION: https://umsystem.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mrpg5fiFSBiY__aT-KMnKQ