"...I left a stain of sweat on the asphalt...."

Here you go with some photos from the 5K, as I wrote about in my column....



There’s a section on the N.C. Press Photographer’s Association Web forum about what defines a grunt photographer.
I showed up at the Pro-Fitness 5K benefiting St. Jude Children's Hospital last weekend on less than five hours of sleep. Saturday morning has a nasty relationship with Friday night.
I’d signed up for the race around Shelby a few weeks back. Then the paper said they wanted pictures. So I figured I’d compromise.
This has happened before. I get to the site a little early and scout out where to get a shot. In this case I played around with different angles using a small step ladder at the starting line in front of the historic Cleveland County courthouse, but finally decided on just squatting.
The racers are off, I snap some pictures, walk over to my car, lock up my gear and start running.
I came in eighth.
Coming from behind I passed everyone I could see. For a while I thought I was in the lead. But looking down West Graham Street as I came back to the courthouse I could see a few figures a half mile or so ahead.
Next time I’ll set up trip wire beforehand. Or run faster.
After I crossed the finish line I wobbled back to my car, got out my equipment and went back to work.
Taking pictures at the finish line, lying in Washington Street, I left a stain of sweat on the asphalt.
The rest of my day was spent among Shelby, Kings Mountain, Cherryville, Kings Mountain, Cherryville, Shelby, Cherryville and Shelby.
At one point during the day I had a little down time and was reading in an outdoors magazine about how some of the issue’s photos were taken. The photographer got to spend an entire day working on a project – kayakers.
Producing art commercially is a different game with different goals, methods and rules. He can play around with things in Photoshop that an ethical photojournalist doesn’t get to touch.
And he gets to use models.
As a photojournalist, I’m often trying not so much to create a scene as to capture it happening naturally.
I went out last Monday to the Green River in Polk County to do some fly fishing, some fun driving and try to get some good photos – of kayakers.
I wanted to try for a certain effect. Using a slow shutter speed gives the water a blurred, flowing appearance. But you need to stay centered on the boater to keep him focused.
Having spent some time on the river, I know where folks congregate. I’m a kayaker, so I know what’s going on – how these people move. And as a photographer I’m willing to hop down into the river and across the rocks to put the pieces together. Not posing the kids. Not monkeying around on a computer. Just knowing the subject, the camera and grunting hard enough.
You can see the results in yesterday’s paper and on my blog, jderrickstar.blogspot.com. We sent a shot off to the Associated Press – not bad for 15 minutes of shooting.
Models. Mmmmmm.