In the fall of 1986, I returned to the photojournalism lab at Northern Illinois University. I was two years out of college and supporting myself by delivering pizzas while struggling to establish a foothold in the journalism profession. There had been other jobs. I caught on with Young Athlete Magazine right out of college. Young […]
Tag: Mentorship
How I Knew What Was in Store for Alex
In my last post, I said I knew the challenges awaiting Alex in Florida. Here’s how. In the summer of 1987, I was working for the Shoe Service Institute of America in Chicago’s Western suburbs. I edited their magazine, Shoe Service, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My boss had just announced his retirement. At their summer […]
Forward, Together Forward
“Forward, together forward” “There’s victory in view” “Come on you Huskies, fight on you Huskies” “And win for NIU” Huskie Fight Song, Northern Illinois University The last time I saw Rus Elder in person was Homecoming of 1992. I lived in Maryland, but was excited about returning to DeKalb for the festivities. I was excited […]
Fourth and Lincoln
My first assignment in my 1983 photojournalism class was to photograph the intersection of Fourth Street and Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, IL. I didn’t understand the assignment. Why are we photographing an intersection? What’s the point? Still, I headed out with my camera and took some pictures that I thought were pretty good. I handed […]
Rus’ First Lesson
People sometimes ask what settings I used to take a certain photo. I’m always happy to answer. But when I start talking about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, I can see it in their faces—I might as well be speaking a foreign language. What they’re really asking is: “Which icon do I turn the dial […]
Breeding Success
When Dakota was a puppy, I got a message from Kathy Salvucci. “Dakota looks like she is going down in pastern. If she is on puppy food, get her off and put her on adult food.” I didn’t understand her concern. “The pastern is between the knee and foot on the front leg. It should […]
Happy Birthday, Robert
Almost 40 years ago, during an exhausting day, I was taking a break when a man I’d never met came over, put a bottle down in front of me and said, “You look like you could use a beer.” Before the bottle was empty, Robert DiRinaldo and I were no longer strangers. That conversation marked […]