Certainly, journalists will cover the same event numerous times in a career.  Here at the Press Democrat we’ve all covered the Sonoma County Fair dozens of times, The Russian River Jazz Festival, city council meetings etc.   I had a good run at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for many years and shot pro-football for a number of years (I still do on occasion, but I have Sunday’s off ) and I love to shoot baseball.

The one event I enjoy covering is the Cloverdale Old-Time Fiddle Festival.  Even though the mood of the event is relatively the same -upbeat-It’s still a challenge to find photos that tell a story.   There’s always one photo you may miss, or would like to do differently.  I keep these cached away in the photo portion of my lobe, and upload them up as needed.

Backstage at the fiddle festival is quiet.  Contestants sit in fold-up chairs waiting to perform as they listen to their competition on stage.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to make a meaningful picture from backstage.  It’s always so-so in my eyes,  never really capturing a true feeling of repose.  It took a few years, but I finally made a picture that I liked this time around. One that tells a story. It all happened because the contestants were placed closer to the front of the stage and the side curtains were a little more open, creating a new photographic opportunity where none existed before.

Kent Porter / The Press Democrat 2010

To me, every assignment is new.  It may be the same event, but pictures happen differently every time.  Moments, circumstances and people change. Better pictures can be made.