Photogs Who Blog

As much as I might like to think so, I'm not the only person who squints through a TV lens by day and push-button publish by night. Long before I jumped on the blogwagon, a handful of pioneering camera scribes were hard at work defining the form. Since then, a few others have fallen under my sway and added their own unique voices to the mix. Allow me to introduce you to but a few:

A mysterious figure rides the ridge from Old West to New, capturing the madness of the Mexican American World with a lens long, dusty and Gonzo. He is Border Jumper and the shimmering heat coming off that lonely desert floor never stops him from telling its secrets. His Wild West misadventures make me feel like the pasty suburban gringo I am.

A more familiar face is my old friend Chris Weaver, who goes by the vowel-deprived moniker FTOJRLST. That's him with the coat on, standing beside another shooter who IS NOT HIS BRIDE! Truth is, Chris and I share alot in common: brand new xdcams, the same bosses and a habit of blogging about it in the midnite hour. When Chris isn't winning awards or chasing scanner traffic, he can be found digesting technical manuals and explaining them to me with the patience of a saint. Recently, FTOJRLST and another colleague had a most trying time behind the lens. Look for a link to his account in the coming days.

It's not just a 'boys club'. One of the more prolific photog-bloggers is the definitively female Peggy Phillip (far left), who's been orbiting the blogosphere since 2002. Along with a contingency of other very vocal Memphis photogs, Peggy covers her beat with an exacting wit I'd be afraid to even attempt. Peggy's also done considerable time in Tulsa and Miami and seems to know a thing or three about the world of TV stations. Salut!

Of course, any list of blogging photogs wouldn't be complete without the incomparable Little Lost Robot. Since October 2003, this quixotic, multi-talented lenser has been laying down the blog in only the way he can. In the process, he's entertained a nation of newsgatherers, and made alot of us re-think the value of little toy robots. Recently, LLR decided to follow his heart, and is leaving his beloved Portland for the moonscape-like surface of South Carolina. Oregon's loss is Dixie's gain.

And then there's ME. Since it's far easier to describe others than look in the mirror, I'm not sure how to continue. Let's just say this: I love what I do for a living (in theory anyway). I love the access, the adventure, the idiocy. But what makes an often thankless job incredibly rewarding is the cast of creative miscreants that populate our ranks. Most can be found hanging out in a magical place called b-roll, but I want to make sure others outside that realm meet these fascinatingly dark creatures. Tune in next time, when we visit the imposing Newshutr, a cat who calls himself 'The Left Sleeve' and the ever stalwart Jason Plank. Until then, keep the big end pointed toward the action.