Fond farewell to talented photographer

It was a sad week here in Daily Pilot land.

Saturday marked the last day of employment for Sean Hiller, one of

our ace photographers who has taken a job with the Daily Breeze in

Torrance.

Hiller has been a great fit at the Pilot.

I can’t think of single person in the newsroom who doesn’t

consider him a friend as well as a colleague and for some, a surfing

buddy.

Hiller is probably best known for a penchant for police scanners.

Police officers, firefighters and lifeguards throughout Newport-Mesa

know him well and many carried his cellphone number around for

emergency calls.

That has paid off many times for Hiller, who has been at more

crime scenes, fires or accidents that anyone in recent Pilot memory.

The crowning achievement of course came last March when he snapped

a shot of a man dangling from a freeway overpass. That shot has won

Hiller numerous accolades and awards.

To send Hiller off, we had our traditional going-away lunch at El

Ranchito on Friday.

To top it off, I asked him if I could interview him for this

column to give readers a little insight into the life of this

talented photographer.

Here’s what he had to say:

How long have you been at the Daily Pilot?

“Well this is my fifth tour at the O.C. Fair, I have four Toshiba

golf tournaments under my belt and I have been to almost every

restaurant and church in Newport-Mesa. So I think that adds up to

four years and three months.”

What’s your favorite part of working at the paper?

“The community. Every day, regardless of the assignments, I get to

meet new people. Working for the paper is like having a license to go

where and whenever you want. It’s just a great opportunity to be a

witness to life and to enjoy the people of our community.”

How much are you going to miss Newport-Mesa?

“Well I still live in the area, so it’s not like I’m leaving the

area. But I will be working in the South Bay, which has the same type

of geography. I’ll still be working in a beach town, which has to be

the best part of working in the Newport-Mesa area. It’s a good day

when the biggest news story of the day is the surf.”

What has been your best assignment at the Daily Pilot?

“The best assignments were the ones I found on my own. Looking for

pictures is the best part of my job. It’s like an Easter egg hunt

everyday. Either I’m looking for stand-alone pictures or chasing

breaking news stories. So I guess the best assignment would have to

be the CHP rescue attempt of a man trying to commit suicide on the

San Diego Freeway. At least that is the assignment that provided me

with the opportunity to take the best picture of my career so far.”

Your most memorable moment?

“I think it would have to be when Hillary Clinton brought her

campaign fund-raising efforts to Lido Isle and the Secret Service

told me that I wouldn’t get a picture of her, and for me to just

forget about it. Their attitude just motivated me more. I knocked on

almost every door in the neighborhood until one lady let me in, and

onto her roof top. There I staked out the scene and waited more than

two hours for Mrs. Clinton to exit the fund-raiser tea. Then she

appeared, surrounded by agents. To my surprise she looked up at me

and waved to the camera, giving me what all those shady characters in

black said I couldn’t have, her picture.”

What are you going to take away from this job to the next one?

“Memories. I’ve made a lot of friends here. I’m especially going

to miss the photographers. Through everything we have gone through

over the years, our friendships just kept getting stronger. We’ve

become brothers. But as far as the Pilot goes this is where I first

got my feet wet as a photojournalist. Being hired right out of school

I didn’t have a whole lot of experience. So pretty much the

photographer I am today is a result of the experiences I have gained

here at the Pilot.”

Good luck, Sean.

For a glimpse of more of his work, readers can go to his Web site

at www.seanhiller.com.