Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Happy Anniversary


This week marks the eleventh year Gerry has been with the Associated Press. What a trip that has been! He has been to the Olympics, covered Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war, wild fires out west, major sports events, major storms, presidents, politicians, and countless other news events.

He is a hard working man, and my life has been scheduled around those events if I was actually going to spend time with him. The news does not stop for birthdays, holidays, and, dinners, family time. We just work around it.

Happy Anniversary Ger!


Gerry has been able to take Wesley to some of the events he has covered, taught her to see through a camera and yes, she has inherited his eye for a photograph. Too bad the news business has gone to hell, because she would have been working at a newspaper by now. Sadly, newspapers are dying and her dad strongly discouraged her from that path.


I've been cleaning out computer files and hard drives and came across some fun photos this week. Here's Wes and Gerry in the media room at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. People pay so much money for those tickets, and they get to sit on the court. We would take Wesley out of school so she could go work for her dad during the tournament. Her teachers were very envious, haha! I figure she learned more there than she did in school during basketball time in Chapel Hill.


When the monks were here, they were so curious about cameras. Gerry loved this. They took photos and asked him how they were, so funny. They all had their phone cameras, but no one had a real camera.


Just before signing up with the AP, Gerry went to Iraq, embed with a National Guard unit in 2004. The most worrisome thing for me he has ever done in his career. I was scared every time the phone rang. He made some amazing photos and the Charlotte Observer ran full page stories every day on the front page. Back when a newspaper was still thriving.


I think this might have been Wesley's first time at the ACC.

Yellowstone, shooting wildlife and scenics. There is hardly one photo without a camera on them. Peas in a pod, those two.


Badlands in South Dakota.


This is Gerry's old Nikon film camera. It was funny watching Wesley learn to load film in it. I used this camera a long time ago, and putting film in it was just second nature. Back when there were less photographers and photography meant something. Nowadays, everyone is a photographer with instagram and Facebook and smart phones....  there is no filter anymore. Trying to make a good photo with a film camera is what separates the professionals....


Gerry got to shoot the last shuttle launch, one of his career highlights. What a career he has had.  Photojournalism has changed so much and is nearing a sad death. It ain't what it used to be, that's for damn sure. Gerry Broome is the last of a dying breed and I am so glad I was along to experience it all with him. There aren't many like him left!
xo

4 comments:

Lori Buff said...

Happy anniversary Gerry. It looks like it’s been quite a ride.

gz said...

Happy Anniversary..to be doing something you love is just great.
Lucky Wesley too, to be able to go on trips with him...any time out of school here is a fineable offence

Philadelphia Gardener said...

Funny to see so many pictures of the photographers!

Michèle Hastings said...

Congrats to Gerry! Since we are a very visual society, I hope there will continue to be a place in the world for professional photographers despite the death of the newspaper.