When I was a young boy, I went to Northwest Basketball camp, a Christian-based basketball camp where they teach you about hoops and pump you full of religion for a week so that mom and dad could get a break from me and enjoy a little bit of their summer vacation all to themselves. While at the camp, I wrote a letter home to my folks. Reading it now, that experience was obviously far more about religion than basketball. By the end of camp, God was my Savior and, like Jessica Simpson says, Jesus was my Homeboy. Wait, maybe it was Jesus was my Savior and God was my Homeboy. Okay, I didn't listen to everything that was said. Point is, at one time in my life, I was pretty jazzed up about religion.
When it comes to religion, I've always tried to do unto others as they would have done unto me, but the whole church on Sundays thing never really worked for me. Like many sports fans, there was just too much great football to watch. But every now and then I'll have an issue in my life and wonder, "what does the bible have to say about that." I mean, it's a good book and 95 percent of Americans stand by it, so there must be some good lessons in there. That's when I usually call my dad. He might not be able to quote every bible verse, but in his long life, I'm sure he's probably read them all. Turns out I've asked him so many times, he actually bought me my very own bible. I looked at it a couple times, and really liked the feel of its thin pages, then I shut it and put it in a drawer. It might be a great book and all, but as it turns out, I'd rather just call Dad for answers.
Anyway, back to this camp. There was the basketball part. I think there was a lake ... oh, and there was this guy who would give speeches while shooting free throws. He was amazing!!! Apparently he could make like 100 in a row. I watched him shoot away, talking about religion and the fundamentals of a perfect free throw shot. I was in awe. He drained basket after basket and I was mesmerized. Life can put you in a trance sometimes and fill you with great knowledge if you let it. I definitely soaked it all in. I mean, he made like 95 out of 100. God was definitely on his side.
Life can also feel like that movie Ground Hog Day sometimes. You know, the famous movie starring Bill Murray. In the movie, he wakes up and lives the same day over and over again. For the last 15 years my life has kind of been like that too. I'm self employed, so every Monday, I go shopping for inventory that I flip on eBay throughout the week. I also photograph prep sports in the evenings. Each morning I sit alone in my office editing those photos and listing items on eBay. Nobody really bothers me. I'm my own boss and I like it that way. One bad thing about it is that I rarely get feedback. I mean, every now and then someone won't like the color of a shirt and they'll tell me "this shirt isn't green, it's olive," but on social media, my photography usually only receives praise.
Many of you know by now that last season I made a comment on one of my photos that was posted to Facebook and the athletic directors didn't like what was written. Ultimately, that comment, was what caused me to lose my credential to shoot for the WPA Network and ended my prep sports coverage. Some of you have asked, what exactly did you say? I'm not going to get into all that here, and actually it doesn't really matter at this point. Point is, according to Facebook analytics, more than 500 people viewed it before I took it down, and my mom was the only one who commented. Nobody said squat about it being inappropriate until I get a call from the AD. When I make a comment, or post a photo. I hope that it can make someone feel special. I post my photos for free to Facebook because my art is, and always will be, about more than the money. I appreciate the photos I sell, but it was always about sharing the moments I capture with my audience. I realize now I should just let the art speak for itself. Lesson learned.
My mistakes as a prep sports photographer are simply an opportunity for the system to become better. A system only becomes better if it can learn and grow. And I really hope the WPA Network can grow into something greater. Something that can pay freelancers a wage to photograph high school athletics instead of leaving it up to chance. A place where the community can go to celebrate the accomplishments of the student-athletes that work so hard each season at their sports. I've heard that some ADs don't want to see it become that, and have never really been keen on the idea of freelancers in their schools. With technology advancing in the way it is, everyone should realize that every student walking the schools with a cell phone is capturing life as it happens and posting it online. It's a way of life now. Instead of choosing to be a cog in the wheel of progress, administration needs to streamline their regulations for such content and communicate it in detail to the communities they represent.
I photographed 37 events last winter. Throughout that time, I saw athletic directors and principals and parents, and nobody ever said anything negative to me about the content and commentary I presented to them on social media. In retrospect, sure, I toed the line about what would be considered appropriate. I made comments to bring more attention to my art. I even wrote a vlog or two purposely slanted in favor of the school I cover. That was all within my first amendment rights. With the increase in platforms to express ideas growing every day, the first amendment's freedom of press component is more important than ever right now. Just because you can end someone's voice within a community doesn't mean you should. My advice for the NWC ADs would be for all athletic directors to work at improving their communication with freelancers. Don't just talk about their photos in special meetings or e-mails they know nothing about. Make them part of the process.
My situation has been an eye opening realization to the power of the 1 percent. In every system, there's usually a collection of the 1 percent who decides what is right and wrong, what is allowed and not allowed. The power of the 1 percent is real. They can change government. They can change process for good and bad. And, believe you me, they can definitely put an end to a freelance photographer editing sports photos for a quorum of fans on Facebook. The 1 percent can change my environment, but they're not going to stop me from taking photos. I'm going to find new adventure in life and document it for all to see. I'm going to be more careful about what I say and reconsider the messages I'm putting out to the world, but they're not going to stop me from capturing photos and making comments that make people feel special. Creating art that makes people feel special is too important to me just give up on.
Like Bill Murray's character in Ground Hog Day, sometimes someone comes along and slaps you awake. That person can change your way of thinking and behaving. I remain grateful. Right now, I'm grateful the most for that person. The strife they've caused me has been painful, but I have already learned and grown from the experience. Life lessons are everywhere if you take the time to open your eyes to them.
