2008 Kentucky Mountain Workshop
I spent the first week of October participating in the 2008 Mountain Workshops in Mayfield, Kentucky. A dedicated team of photojournalists, multimedia producers and editors, from publications such as USA Today, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, National Geographic _and _Dallas Morning News, descended on this small town to share their craft with eager students. The Workshop, now in its 32nd season, is held in a different location each year, and for the second time, it was split into photojournalism, picture editing and multimedia tracks.
I joined 12 others in the multimedia program and we each drew our story out of a hat. I selected high school senior and trumpet player Joey Gutierrez, and spent the next four days following him through spirit week at Mayfield High School and at the big rivalry football game. Though most multimedia participants worked in video, I opted to use stills and had a fantastic time using wireless mics and remote cameras to capture and produce this story within a very compressed schedule. All in all it was a stimulating week of shooting, discussions, critiques and very little sleep.