What's been your most memorable photography gig?
Doug McBride from Doug McBride Photocinema shares some thoughts:
I had a bride come to my studio for a consultation. She had contacted quite a few photographers and all the quotes were more money than she could afford. She was nearly in tears as she spoke of how planning a wedding is so expensive and that she was afraid she would not find a professional photographer that would work with her budget. She was a cancer survivor and didn't have much money after her battle with cancer. I asked her, "So how much do you have for a photographer?" She told me an amount that was way low for the amount of time involved. I replied, " That is exactly the amount that I can do the job for". She started crying that God had now Blessed her Twice; I nearly cried myself. I worked just as hard for her as anyone else, and even though it was for about 1/3 my normal charge, it was one of the happiest and most fulfilling jobs I ever shot. I have an ability to help make dreams come true, it can't be just about money, it has to be about how many people can I help in my lifetime.
Answers (1-10)
I shoot voluntarily, 2 or 3 times a year now for Flashes of Hope, an organization that gets professional portrait photographers to do single and family portraits of kids who are battling childhood cancer and their families. It's an awesome organization that helps us all confront a disease that has touched each and every one of us. I do the shooting and processing and then upload those to the main office in Cleveland where they get prints made and sent to the families. As a photojournalist, I have been all over the world and focused my camera on much that has affected me permanently, but nothing comes close to doing these portraits for families that have so much more important worries. Perfect place to use your talents. All photos for Flashes are printed in black and white.
I was a little country Church in the middle of farmland where the Bride and Groom were set for a 5Pm wedding. About 40 people traveled from around the State to attend. The Church was dark and it was about 25 degrees on the parking lot and started to snow. 5PM came and went...no clergy, the church was locked and it was still dark and snowing....and no clergy in sight.
In the early eighty's, there were no cell phones, so someone drove to a nearby town, to a pay phone, to try to call the Preacher....no luck. He came back and we decided that we needed to find a Preacher...somewhere, to Marry them tonight...it was important because the Groom had stood her up on the last wedding try......but he was since forgiven. We found a Preacher in the yellow pages, so we all went to his house about 20 miles across the county line. After we all squeezed into his double-wide trailer, he began the ceremony. Everyone applauded and much happiness was abound. Suddenly, the preacher noticed while he was signing the Marriage licence that he was not authorized to perform the wedding because the couple was from another county's jurisdiction. So he couldn't sign the Certificate for fear of losing his license.
You wonder what else could go wrong? Well we were in a"Dry County" which meant no alcohol allowed....so we toasted with Sprite and water to the Newly-Un-Weds.
We all left driving in a 6" snow drift feeling Happy-ish for them; while wondering about their future.
I'm happy to say that they are still together today, without any more unlucky wedding attempts.
Dr Marv
Working with a family to capture their sweet little boy has been one of my most memorable photo moments. We were supposed to do newborn photos but discovered he has cystic fibrosis and couldn't do them until much later (6mths). I LOVE lifestyle sessions and his was beyond precious! They fed him, took him out to look at the chickens in the yard, bathed him, gave him the bottle, fed him his enzymes (CF treatment) put him to bed.... priceless moments. I was blessed to shoot this couple's wedding and maternity photos too so getting to do this for them was super special for so many reasons.
Dalai Lama in Aspen. (http://www.paulconrad.photography/Portfolio/Photo-...)
The 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. (http://www.paulconrad.photography/Portfolio/Photo-...)
Covering the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Pearlington, Miss. (http://www.paulconrad.photography/Portfolio/Photo-...)
Pretty much a lot of things. (http://www.paulconrad.photography/Portfolio/Featur...)
I just like to shoot. LOL
I have the honor and privilege of being a photographer for Honor Flight. Sharing time with amazing men and women who fought for us in WWII, Korea and Vietnam is an experience I cherish. And having been on 13 flights, 4 more this year, it continues. I can not wait for our next trip to Washington, D.C.
Photographing the US Army Golden Knights parachute team sky dive on to the Statue of Liberty 1976 for the Bi - Centennial
Photographing Presidents Clinton, Bush. Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher.
I would have to say shooting a Charlie Daniels concert. He has always been my music hero. And I grew up listening to him. It was the highlight of my career.
There have been many, but one of the more fun experiences , was when I got to photograph the U.S. Vice President. I met him at the airport when he flew in on airforce 2. I was told to arrive early so that the Secret Service could go through all my equipment. I was then briefed on how to move around the Vice President with as little fast movement as possible. They have buttons that you wear that tell the Secret Service what kind of accessibility around him. I had the highest accessibility to him, which meant I could touch him, that made my job easier. 😎 I drove in his motorcade which drives along at 70 mph and is not supposed to stop until you get to the location, at that speed limit. Not to continue writing a book but I found it to be one of the more memorable photographic events that I have done.