PHOTO OF THE WEEK

-- Don Leach

We always try to match a photo with a story for our front page

packages. This time it was a story about a new city ordinance aimed at

restricting skateboarders. The intention of the story was to show

opposing arguments the issue would likely raise at the Newport Beach City

Council meeting.

Getting a photo to illustrate this put me in tough spot. To find

skateboarders in general is one thing, but once I found them, I had to

show them abiding by the law and I had to explain how I was going to use

them in the photo.

I was having a lucky week. I started at Newport Pier and saw nothing.

I then walked south to try my luck. From a distance I saw a guy on a

board goofing off, minding his own business. I moved into position.

Using a 400 mm lens, I crouched and took some shots, purposely making

it a silhouette. When Pierre Andre noticed me, he didn’t seem to mind. I

kept shooting and he kept doing tricks. I was getting the perfect photo

for the story, while getting an artsy shot at same time.

I approached Andre, talked with him, told him about the story. He was

a former pro skateboarder and was pleased I “chose” him for a picture.

One of the most satisfying parts photojournalism is having an idea and

finding it in the field when you need it most, under deadline.