Uncle Ted for President

Famous people doing practically anything is newsworthy and can get you published.

John Jr. and Caroline, children of the late President John F. Kennedy, applaud as their uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, addresses supporters after winning the 1980 Ma. Democratic presidential primary over President Jimmy Carter (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
No matter where they went or what they did, the family of the late President John F. Kennedy, was news. As a result, his two children avoided the public eye when they could, making their every public appearance even more newsworthy. For their uncle’s primary victory party, their presence was not announced in advance, but most members of the press were hopeful and readying themselves to photograph JFK’s kids. Sure enough, on this evening they appeared on stage with the most of the Kennedy family to celebrate Ted’s win. Even a simple photo of them looking on and applauding was newsworthy because of their celebrity. Unfortunately, it was one of the few bright spots of Ted Kennedy’s presidential campaign as he lost his 1980 bid for the Democratic Party presidential nomination to incumbent Jimmy Carter.

3 Tips:
1) Practically any photo of famous people is newsworthy, especially people who are normally secluded from public view.
2) Expect security or a mass of media trying to follow and photograph famous people, which may restrict your photo opportunities.
3) Photograph the famous people doing something interesting or reacting to the event, along with tight head shots and facial expressions.

Jungle Gym Silhouette

An ordinary photo can become far more impactful if you make it a silhouette.

Young climber is silhouetted among Jungle Gym shapes in Lowell, Ma. (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
While searching for an interesting photo late one afternoon, I was nervous I might not find anything before the sun went down, when it would be too dark to shoot outside. Luckily, I found a kid playing atop a Jungle Gym, but still had to turn this into an interesting photo. The setting sun provided the answer, as the sky was still brightly lit while the sun was out of sight. This meant I could easily shoot a silhouette of the kid and the bars on the Jungle Gym, because neither had direct light shining on them, leaving them dark, while the sky above provided a perfect bright background. I got low to the ground and shot the shapes of the Jungle Gym bar, with the boy perched on top, and the combination of the boy’s shape and lines of the equipment made a great silhouette picture.

3 Tips:
1) Common play activity can be made into a strong photo, through different angles and lighting.
2) If the subject is not well lit, shooting at a low angle against a bright sky can create an interesting and unusual silhouette effect.
3) Include repetition of angles and lines, with a person’s shape breaking up the repetition, to make your photos more compelling.

You Can’t Have It

While hockey action around the goal is photographed most often, a player carrying the puck with an opponent in close pursuit provides a more unusual shot.

Boston Bruins’ defenseman Ray Bourque (7) rounds his net with the puck, but falls to one knee as he is pursued by Hartford Whalers’ forward Bernie Johnston (24) as Bruin goalie Gerry Cheevers (30) watches (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:

Ray Bourque was the Boston Bruins' best player for many years, and the defensive end of the ice was his responsibility.  He was one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League at moving the puck out of his end, so I was trying to photograph Bourque to convey his role and contribution to the Bruins’ success. At one point in this game, the Hartford Whalers were putting constant pressure on the Boston goal, and most of the Bruins kept throwing the puck out of their end off the side boards.  None of the checking along the boards had been great pictures, but on this play, Bourque took charge and tried to carry the puck out himself as the Hartford forwards bumped him, but even as he fell to one knee, he managed to pass the puck up ice to a Bruin teammate.  Bourque carrying the puck on one knee was a far superior shot than him merely being checked against the boards.

3 Tips:

1) Players fighting for puck possession make very strong hockey photos.

2) Puck possession photos are frequently collisions and skirmishes along the side boards.

3) Look also for players carrying the puck as they are being pursued or checked.

Male or Mail Stop?

Using signs creatively can convey a contradictory or funny meaning for your picture.

Driver of U. S. Mail truck seems to read the sign wrong as he stops in front of a “Male Stop” sign in Lowell, Ma. (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:

Signs help explain your photo further or add humor by communicating a different meaning from what is typically intended.  I had passed the Male Stop clothing store in Lowell, Ma. many times and repeatedly noticed the big sign, but when a mail truck stopped in front of the store, it momentarily provided me with a chance for an amusing shot.  Fortunately, I was walking along in the right location, had all my camera gear handy and the truck was stopped momentarily for a red light in just the right place.  After I shot two frames, the light changed, the truck moved, and the photo was gone, but I was able to capture a humorous picture.  Had I missed getting the shot, I at least had the great idea, and would have tried capturing this photo another time.

3 Tips:

1) Signs can help create humor when they communicate a different meaning in the photo than what it typically intends.

2) Other times signs can be used in a straightforward way to further explain what is going on, such as the location or activity.

3) Because signs are often in place for long periods of time, you’ll have repeated opportunities to create great sign photos.

One Leap, One Hand, One TD

One of the best and most acrobatic football photos you can get is a receiver and defender jumping in the air with the ball visible.

Austin Prep (Andover, Ma.) football player outreaches an opponent to make a one-handed touchdown grab (© Michael Maher).

The Photo:

In this high school football game, it was easy to anticipate the upcoming plays because a passing team was trailing, so almost every play they ran was a deep pass downfield to try and score quickly.  Thus, I stood deep downfield to photograph various receivers trying to make a touchdown catch.  The only challenge was determining which receiver the quarterback would be throwing to.  On this play, I anticipated a long pass to the receiver on the far side of the field, so I followed the receiver and defender in my viewfinder despite other players and officials running in front of me.  The receiver jumped, grabbed the pass with one hand away from the defender, and I snapped the picture.  I had the photo I wanted as he ran into the end zone for a touchdown and celebrated with his teammates.

3 Tips:

1) Successful football photography requires anticipating the upcoming plays and the area on the field where the action will occur.

2) Position yourself to get the best possible photo, with the ability to react quickly to get different shots if the play is different from what you expect.

3) Pictures of passes are often more spectacular, but shoot running plays first because they are usually easier to photograph.

“He’s Taking Our Picture”

Even a simple thing like kids whispering can make a great photo.

Hiding from the camera, a young girl converses with her friend during a St. Louis School public meeting in Lowell, Ma. (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
There’s probably nothing more boring for a photographer than a public town meeting where the only thing happening is not very visual -- people making motions and rendering objections about local government issues. You usually end up with head shots of people speaking or gesturing with their hands. On this occasion, I was lucky that two young girls in attendance were having a great time conversing back and forth while their parents were paying rapt attention to the meeting. The girls didn’t want to make it easy to take their picture, so they covered their faces with their hands. I played a game of cat-and-mouse with them. They saw me point my camera and hid their faces. I put down my camera, and they talked with their faces visible, but when I raised my camera, they hid their faces again. This went on for awhile, but one girl stopped hiding her face as the other, still hiding hers, whispered that I was taking their picture.

3 Tips:
1) Children will express their personalities in the most unlikely situations, so be alert for a great photo opportunity.
2) If children make it difficult to take their pictures at first, be patient and persistent.
3) Watch for powerful children’s smiles or facial expressions that you won’t see on adults.

House In Flames

Fire photos almost guarantee your pictures will be published.


Flames envelop the side of a vacant tenement during a four-alarm fire on Fayette Street in Lowell, Ma. (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
Following up on a nighttime police radio alert about a nearby house fire, I encountered a large plume of smoke billowing from both the front and top of a 3-decker house, with fire engines all around. First I looked for dramatic photos -- either big flames or some human emotion -- but nothing like that was visibly present, and I learned there weren’t any residents at risk because the house was a vacant tenement. It was easy to get a few good photos by using my flash to photograph the firemen spraying water on the smoke clouds pouring from the front. When the smoke got heavier in the front and clouded my view, I moved to the back of the house where some small flames were showing and the Fire Department was congregating with additional hoses. Suddenly the entire rear of the house exploded into bright flames, so I turned off the flash to shoot natural light photos of the burning house brightly contrasted against the black nighttime sky. The flames stopped as the fire was brought under control, so I patiently looked around for photos of the firemen doing strenuous firefighting activities, or reaction shots of people watching. However, there was almost no one around and there was nothing compelling to shoot in the reactions of the fire and police, who were disgusted with having to fight yet another fire at an abandoned building that was likely caused by an arsonist.

3 Tips:
1) The strongest photos of fires contain some element of human interest or drama, such as firefighters strenuously working, residents anxiously watching, or spectators looking on intently.
2) If there is no human perspective, look for bright flames illuminating against a black nighttime sky.
3) Firemen spraying their hoses on the burning building is another very strong photo.