How else could you tie my head to the sky?
“”
Big post coming at you. I’ve been busy since that Cubs vs Sox game! I must say, one of my favorite parts of this job is getting to watching some people’s anticts. Quite amusing.
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Terrie and Ken Zehnder sit in the ticket booths during the Elgin BrewFest on Friday night at Elgin’s Festival Park. The park was closed early in the night because of a strong weather front moving into the area. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption></figure> 
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Juan Hernandez from Mad Maggie’s fills a final order during the Elgin BrewFest on Friday night at Elgin’s Festival Park. The park was closed early in the night because of a strong weather front moving into the area. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Robert Grant, 2, of Elgin eats rib tips during the Juneteenth Festival in Downtown Elgin on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Bridgett Sowers, left, and James Moore of Elgin prepare food during the Juneteenth Festival in Downtown Elgin on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Lakisha, from left, Isis, Alera, Betty and Pamela Brown of Elgin buy ice cream during the Juneteenth Festival in Downtown Elgin on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The top five contestants for the Miss Illinois 2009 pageant, from the left, Jamie Johnson, Rachel Brock, Corina Harwood, Chelsea Fahey and Erin O’Connor wait for the winner to be announced on Saturday night at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Erin O’Connor, Miss Macomb, is crowned by Miss Illinois 2008 Katie Lorenz as the winner of the 2009 Miss Illinois pageant at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles on Saturday night. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Miss Illinois 2009 pageant winner Erin O’Connor stands on the stage after being crowned at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles on Saturday night. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Miss Illinois 2009 pageant winner Erin O’Connor stands on the stage after being crowned at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles on Saturday night. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Bruce and Sue Colwell sit with their 1956 Bel Air at the Old Gold Cruisers Father’s Day Car show in Batavia on Sunday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Skip Bannon of Morris checks the oil in his 1939 Hudson during the Old Gold Cruisers Father’s Day Car show in Batavia on Sunday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">The cast of “42nd Street” warms up with the band during a dress rehearsal at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on Monday night. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Miranda Orlando and Crystal Skipworth, both from Geneva, get ready for a dress rehearsal of the musical “42nd Street” at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on Monday night. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Steven Sledzinski and Kelly Barabasz, both of Geneva practice together during a dress rehearsal of the musical “42nd Street” at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on Monday night. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Grant Legan from Batavia and Emma Olson of Geneva practice together during a dress rehearsal of the musical “42nd Street” at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles on Monday night. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Joe Camaioni of Maple Park makes fried cheese curds during Geneva’s Midsommar Swedish Days Festival on Thursday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Marisa Lewis of Geneva paints a rainbow on Isabella Madlnia of Springfield during Geneva’s Midsommar Swedish Days Festival on Thursday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">People from all over come to Downtown Geneva for the third day of the Midsommar Swedish Days Festival on Thursday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">People from all over come to Downtown Geneva for the third day of the Midsommar Swedish Days Festival on Thursday afternoon. Kevin Sherman/ksherman@dailyherald.com/©Daily Herald</figcaption>
Whew! That was a lot of work. Do I have anything witty or interesting to add as a post-post anecdote? I think I can reach for something.
I have made two interesting observations over the last two weeks, with regards to this photojournalism-world I am visiting for a brief moment in time. The first, not many people in this industry have heard of Amazon’s Kindle, or e-ink readers in general. Maybe its just that not many people are technology heads like me, which is a fair point. But at the same time, these kinds of devices have the potential to do for the print/news/newpaper/etc. industry what the iPod did for a stagnating music industry. What’s that? The option to survive. Of course, much like the first iterations of the iPod and other MP3 players, these devices are not fully ready to trnasform the industry; price is still a significant draw back. Mark my words, once these devices become cheaper and have color screens, its game-on! There are even prototype screens that are flexible and an be rolled up! This technology is quite exciting, amazing and not only game-chaning, but really game-saving devices. Good on ya Amazon. (note: I have an Amazon Kindle 2, and its amazing)
The second observation is that there are an awful lot of pessimists in this industry. Its not unjustified; eveyday papers are making cut backs, trying to find any way they can to survive. This is a tough time for this industry. But not all tough-times gaurantee total failure. Its not like people don’t need news any more, or pictures or what ever. There are changes happening, thats for sure. But once the newspapers can hit their stride and find out what they need to do to continue the important work they do, there will be a future. I don’t know what that looks like quite yet, (HINT: LOOK AT THE AMAZON KINDLE AND OTHER SIMILAR DEVICES!!!!!!!) but I’m excited to see how it looks on the other end. In the meantime, all you photojournalists out there, have hope for the future! Except you Scott, you know which ways up ;-).
Okay, I was thinking of some other things to say, but this is probably the limits of what you are willing to read at this point. Actually, that is a bonus third point, and why newspaper websites are the only future. It sucks reading a lot on a computer screen. And I don’t have a dozen flashy flash ads surrounding my content with far-too-small pictures. Websites are only an intermediate medium until somthing better comes along (HINT: LOOK AT THE AMAZON KINDLE AND OTHER SIMILAR DEVICES!!!!!!!).
That is all, for real this time.
Peace,
KS