My Last Week as an Intern

(Again, a post never posted, written on Aug. 24, 2007)

My last week as an intern at the Deseret Morning News was filled with excitement and emotion.

The last day at the paper, I photographed the homecoming of the National Guard. Here are three images from that shoot. The first is my interpretation and the second and third, I thought, a normal image that would come out of that assignment. The paper ended up running the first large on A1 and the other two inside. I was happy with that decision thanks to the photo editor.

Days before leaving Utah, I was sent down to Huntington, Utah, to photograph the Crandall Canyon mine disaster. My last day in Huntington, I photographed the funeral of Dale Black, one of the rescue miners killed in the second accident at the mine searching for the six miners that were trapped. This was my first experience as a pool photographer and I have to admit, I was scared and nervous going into it.

But after the family showed up, I was reminded that it wasn’t about me. I walked over to Dale’s wife and thanked her for allowing me in and told her that if at any time you want me to walk away just give me a signal. Hundreds of friends and family, and while I am bad with numbers maybe around 500, were there to celebrate and mourn. And while, I felt a little more pressure to get a good image because I was the only photographer, I tried to remain just as sensitive and somewhere in the middle, hearing the story of this man’s life, made me cry. I have learned and now I bring tissues to all my assignments.