| Ohio News Photographer |
| September 1998 |
We will all miss George Smallsreed and his unique enthusiasm for living life. George was a bit intimidating to people who first met or saw him. He was always dressed in his full Western regalia and was always the loudest and most confident voice in a room full of photojournalists.
I certainly didn't know what to make of him when I first came across him at an ONPA convention. He was a bit scary and I never could figure out all those harness racing pictures. But as I got to know George it became obvious that he was a very gentle caring man whose passion for photography was second to none.
That, I think, is what George would want all of us to remember him for. Taking the best pictures, no matter what the subject matter, is what counts.
I once read that the best job is one that you would do for free. I'm convinced George felt the same way about being a photojournalist and that will be a lesson I will always be thankful he helped me understand.
Goodbye, but also congratulations to Doug Oster, former photo editor at The Medina Gazette, who is now the night picture editor at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Doug is one of Ohioıs hidden gems of a photographer that never seemed to get a break and land a staff position on a bigger newspaper that he deserved.
Doug, in my opinion, was the epitome of being the friendly competitor. I looked forward to shooting an event with Doug because I know I would have to really be on my toes to get a good shot because I knew he'd get one. He always had time to look at your work and had a knack for editing that helped the pictures tell the story and look good on the page. He certainly will be missed.
Doug's replacement as still vice president is Lisa Dutton from The Blade. Lisa's is back at work and getting back into the swing of things.
I'll be the first one to eat crow without mustard if the NPPA problems get resolved quickly and without too much damage. I've not been happy with the organization for some time, feeling that they have lost touch with the everyday photojournalist as well as some runaway egos. So somehow I wasnıt surprised when this news broke. There is a famous line in the movie "All the President's Men" that said "Follow the money. The money IS the story."
I hope this isnıt the tip of the iceberg. Besides, itıs just another reason why joining the ONPA is such a bargain. Only half your dues go towards paying for the officer's vacation homes in Florida.
Plans for the Dayton convention are moving ahead and the board has met once and will again in the fall to fine tune not only the convention but the contest as well. If you have any suggestions feel free to send one of us a note.
Contrary to what they may have heard, Ohio University students ARE allowed to join the ONPA. It might be an advantage to a university that is trying to build the premiere photojournalism program in the country to have more of its students be members of the state organization than high school students across Ohio who now out number OU students as members of ONPA.
Finally, please stop asking me about the hospitality room photos from the Cincinnati convention. I'm not at liberty to discuss them but believe me youıre better off forgetting they ever existed. There are some things that even photojournalist's werenıt meant to know.
Ed Suba Jr. - ONPA President
The first stop on the NPPA annual Flying Short Course seminar this year is the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Flying Short Course is by far the most popular of all the educational programs sponsored by NPPA. The traveling seminar visits 5 cities over seven days bringing with it a top flite faculty of speakers for both still and television photographers and editors.
Kim Fatica with WOIO/WUAB-TV, Cleveland is the chairman for the local event. Heıs still in need of sponsors so if your publication or station would be interested in lending financial support donıt hesitate to contact Fatica. He can be reached at 1-800-929-4343.
This year the FSC will feature the current NPPA Television Photographer of the Year, John Malat of KSTP-TV in Minneapolis. He will share his work and thrill you with his ability to combine images and sound for powerful storytelling.
The award winning husband and wife team of Regional POY Tim Griffis and reporter Kim Reimland of KOMO-TV in Seattle will show what teamwork is all about.
Included in the list of presenters is Heinz Kluetmeir whose work on the staff of Sports Illustrated has virtually defined great sports photography. He is the senior staff photographer at SI and has served twice as director of photography for the publication.
College Photographer of the Year, Penny Delos Santos, who is a recent Masters graduate of Ohio Universityıs School of Visual Communications will also be a presenter.
Mary Ann Golon, Director of Photography for U.S. News & World Report, is a member of the faculty. She has also worked at Time Magazine as a deputy picture editor. She served the on-site photographic efforts of Time and Life Magazine during the Gulf War, and has coordinated coverage of the Olympics from 1984 to 1996.
Howard Bingham is a Los Angeles freelancer who spent his career capturing the moments of Muhammad Ali's personal and public life. He has contracted work with Life Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Look, Newsweek and other periodicals.
The final faculty member is Vice President Al Goreıs personal photographer, Callie Shell. Previously, Callie has worked as a staff photographer at USA Today, The Pittsburgh Press and The Nashville Tennessean.
The panel's wide range of expertise each year is what makes this program as is popular as it is.
Registration forms should be in the mail soon. Cost for NPPA members is $40, non-members $50 and students $20.
Hotel rooms at the Sheraton are $79 per night for a single or double. The cutoff date for the convention rate is September 23.
The program's popularity over the years has turned each stop into a two day affair with local committees arranging a second day of educational programs as well. Plans are under way to offer a bonus program for those registered for the Flying Short Course. The bonus program will be held Friday, October 16th.
ONPA member Al Detrich with the Block News Alliance has committed to speak on Fridayıs program.
Detrichıs story the Children of the Underground was a Pulitzer finalist last year as well as winning the ONPA Ohio Understanding Award.
Since the story was published last year Detrich has continued to follow the story and recently traveled to Europe to continue his work documenting the plight of these children on the run.
Other speakers are being finalized for the bonus program so stayed tuned.
The program wonıt be complete unless youıre there in a seat so make sure you get registered.
Remember if you can lend a hand or financial aid to the program contact Kim Fatica who will be all to willing to accept your offer of help in whatever form.
The Pulitzer Prize Photography Exhibition in Tokyo brought all of the Pulitzer Prize photo winners from the last 55 years together for the first time. The exhibit, titled, "Eyes of History: 55 Years of Pulitzer Photographs", opened Feb. 12th at the Bunkamura Museum of Art. More than 4,000 people viewed the show each day in the first week. After one month the show then continued to travel through Japan for the rest of the year.
Plain Dealer photographer Scott Shaw and eight other past winners attended the event, as well as Michael Pulitzer, administrator of the prize.
Shaw's photo won the 1988 spot news photography award. It pictured rescue workers with Baby Jessica McClure after she was trapped in an abandoned water well for 58 and a half hours in Midland, TX. He was with The Odessa American at the time and worked 62 hours in a 66 hour period while covering the rescue.
A symposium and forum were held as well as a book signing for the Japanese only photography book that showed the exhibit's 230 photos taken by the 88 Pulitzer Prize winners. Also on exhibit were cameras, clothing, newspaper clippings and other personal articles from the photo shoots and announcements of the awards.
A photo of Shaw being doused by champagne upon news of his winning and the front page of The Odessa American were a part of the display. The front page showed his winning photo which all of the rescue workers in the photo had signed.
Shaw went with his wife, Brynne, a former Plain Dealer staffer, who is currently directing her energy toward their two-year-old daughter, Carson, as well as freelancing.
The summer Board Meeting of the Ohio News Photographers Association was held in the upstairs of Ed Subaıs Theatre. Members attending were Bob DeMay, Suba, Doug Oster, Kimberly Barth and Dave Andersen.
The main topic of discussion was the 1999 Annual Convention. A conference call was conducted with Convention Co-Chairman Marshall Gorby. The fun will take place at Fairborn/Dayton Holiday Inn on April 9th & 10th. The weekend will lift-off like a rocket with an opening reception at the Air Force Museum.
Gorby's biggest news was that Cox Newspapers will contribute $2,000 for the weekend and also provide free postage for mailing concerning the convention. Cox also wants to give a tour of their new printing plant in Dayton on Saturday morning.
Because it would take well over two hours from the morning education seminar, the board felt that was not good use of our time. The board is very thankful to Cox, but wants instead to invite them to present their plant with a program at the education seminar.
Skip Peterson will be handling finding an interesting slate of speakers. The convention staff was interested in bring a techno type speaker in. The board felt that there would be more interest in good talented photographers and picture editors. The board also would like one of the four still speakers to be some from Ohio. Not only would this showcase our own talent, but it would save a bit of money. We hope this becomes an annual part of the meeting. The board put a deadline of October 1st for the speakers to be in place, including TV.
Ron Strah, the TV Vice President had expressed to the board that he didn't think having TV speakers would be enough of a draw in 1999. There are a couple other TV seminars in the final months of this year and he wasn't sure how a third seminar would be received.
The board decided that there would be two TV speakers at the convention. We cannot ask them to be members and not offer them anything, but the contest. We value their membership.
Other items discussed with Gorby was the need for the TV seminar and the vendors to have better locations than they did last year. Each would be better in an area with more foot traffic.
The raffle tickets sold each year have been a major source of income to cover the cost of a convention. Gorby was told that one should take place with enticing prizes put on display to increase sales, as in Cincinnati last year. The board insisted that the annual business meeting take place during the lunch break with lunch provided. Members need to attend to help this be a great organization. The board also felt that a continuous showing tape of the TV winners would be a great way to highlight their talents for everyone.
Kimberly Barth reported that eight new members so far qualify for a free registration to the 1999 Convention. Only new members or those who have not been a member for 5 years are eligible.
This years still contest judging will be held in Columbus at least a month before the convention in Dayton. Greg Peters of The Columbus Dispatch has volunteered to lend a hand if needed and will assist from that end with Contest Chairman, Matt Detrich. Retired Ohio State University professor Tom Hubbard has also offered to be of assistance in acquiring space and he and Peters are currently working together exploring options.
Discussion took place on the possibility of having an open portfolio judging on either Friday or Saturday of the judging. The matter was tabled until the next board meeting.
The hope of the board is to make the contest and judging to sustain itself financially. Andersen will check into making the cost of plaques less expensive, while remaining attractive. Also, itıs the boards hope of finding a major sponsor for the contest whose name or logo would appear on the plaque. The board will ask for $2,000 for this great exposure.
In new business, DeMay talked about the George Smallsreed Estate. He has been in contact with the lawyer handling it. Although Georgeıs family can contest the will for four months after his unfortunate death, once the estate is settled, all proceeds are to go the ONPA. During the first 21 years, the ONPA will receive the interest on the principle. After that, the principle belongs to the ONPA. George will be missed by many.
The board voted unanimously to give the NPPA Television Airborne Stop in Columbus an equal amount as was previously pledged to the Flying Short Course coming to Ohio in October.
The last topic on the agenda was to unfortunately accept the resignation of Still Vice President, Doug Oster, who is now working in Pittsburgh. We wish him well. Lisa Dutton was nominated to replace him for the rest of his term which runs until 2000. The vote was unanimous.
Welcome aboard Lisa!
Lt. John W. "Jack" Montag, a charter member of ONPA and retired Columbus Police photo chief died from complications of a stroke in April at age 79.
Montag was was named Police Photographer of the Year in 1956 by Eastman Kodak Co.
He was the first person to use color pictures in an Ohio courtroom. In 1966 he predicted that mug shots would be taken in color, a practice which became standard 20 years ago.
Montag produced and directed training films used by over 20 agencies including the U.S. Treasury Department.
He retired in 1971 ending a 25 year career with the Columbus Division of Police. Montag had been a Navy photographer in World War II.
During the 1930's and 40's he was a professional saxophone player in several big bands. He founded the Columbus Police Dance Orchestra, organized as a community outreach in 1957.
Montag taught police-press courses at police seminars throughout the state and encouraged officers to cooperate with the press. But he also had a favorite trick.
Seems he would befriend cub reporters at a crime scene and ask for their help to carry equipment.
The wide eyed reporters were always willing to accompany Montag to the threshold of the crime, where uniformed officers were stationed. Montag would proceed.
When the reporter tried to follow the officers would ask just who do you think you are. At that point the reporters would usually say they were with Jack.
Montag would then turn and say, "never saw em before in my life, not with me".