by Ellen Leahy, Skaneateles Press Vol. 172, October 2, 2002
Forty-five students of photojournalism
with 15 alumni photo editors spent three days capturing Skaneateles
Sept. 27, 28 and 29. The entourage totaled 75 including faculty and
support staff - all of whom ill help prepare a four-color glossy book
titled, “A weekend in Skaneateles,” through a grant secured by the
college.
This once-a-year course is the
brainchild of two Neuhouse School of Public communications professors,
David Sutherland and Mark Dugan. Skaneateles is their third town
following Dewitt and Baldwinsville.
Command Central was set up in the
Skaneateles fire station with a state-of-the-art digital dark room
taking center stage in the firehouse meeting room. Most of the
pictures were shot on film and then scanned into several computers for
processing and editing.
The students worked in teams of six to
eight with two photo editors overseeing their work. They were given
assignments by their professors ahead of time, but there was room for
improvisation if the shot presented itself. The photo editors were
mainly alumnae who volunteered their time and efforts and ventured
back from all over for the weekend.
On Saturday, alumnus Joe McNally, a
freelance photographer whose best customer is National Geographic,
held an impromptu portraiture seminar outside the firehouse. McNally
recruited two of Skaneateles’ finest for the shoot. Volunteers
Gerard “Jersey” Rath and Mark “Doc” Stebbins suited up into
their firemen’s gear for the many students to scrutinize.
McNally is the photographer responsible
for the larger-than-life Polaroid-type portraits of the heroes from
Sept. 11 that opened in Grand Central Station last January.
Another visiting editor was David
Grunfeld, who shot Hurricane Isadore in New Orleans Thursday morning,
then hopped a plane to Syracuse that same day.
Caroline Cowig came in from the San
Jose Mercury News in California.
“Skaneateles has given these
photographers an opportunity to come into their homes and their lives,”
she said.
Her team was following the new minister
at St. James, Bunt Osborne from Borodino, and the Sherwood
Inn. The photographers would shoot some pictures, and then come back
into the firehouse for quick processing and a critique. They would
then go back out to the subject to refine their work.
Some of the other subjects included a
horse farm, Doug’s Fish Fry, Doc Nichols, the schools, Welch Allyn,
a bait shop and a Saturday morning at the Mottville Post
Office/furniture store.
Scott Ash, who has been a photographer
with the Air Force for 13 years, is one of several military students
in SU’s school of photojournalism. He was stationed at the Pentagon
before starting this graduate level training.
Ash covered Tom and Nancy Shaver and
their final construction to their Arbor House Inn’s new addition on
Fennel Street. Ash documented the Shavers making their deadline with a
last shot or Nancy fluffing a comforter over the new bed.
Carrie Niland, granddaughter of Coach
Tom Niland from Lemoyne College, was in town from Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, as an alumnae editor. Her team covered the Krebs and the
football team, a well as following one high school senior, Kate
Delmonico through homecoming weekend. This included the pre-game
bonfire, the game and a trip to the mall for dress and the dance.
“Students are learning a lot, they
are putting our suggestions into practice and the images keep getting
better and better,” said Niland.
Also on hand was SU alum Harry Diorio
from the Post-Standard and Ann Cahill from Nikon Professional
Services. Cahill brought a variety of gear for experimentation.
At Saturday night’s slide show
review, Sutherland introduced local photographer John Francis McCarthy
and his wife, Linda, who is an art teacher at Waterman Elementary.
Sutherland said, “Every one we talked to about Skaneateles said we
had to meet McCarthy.”
“Light is one of the ways to make an
ordinary picture awesome,” said’ Sutherland as they clicked
through the still images.
“The backgrounds are killing us,”
said Sutherland, “Take your time, you can still get a great picture
look all the way to the back of your frame every time and you’ll be
amazed how easy it is to clean up."
Professor Dugan said, “Work the job
until you really got it before you move on.” He added, “Don’t
take what you get, get what you want.”
Editor’s note: Photos from the
students’ portfolio will be In the Press Observer next week.
Reprinted with permission