Where's my clone?

Medical and scientific ethics be damned. I need a clone!

Yeah, everyone wishes they could clone themselves, at times. Too many roles. Too many activities. The past week-and-a-half, I wish there was more of me just to do my job. There's been an unusual amount of local activity and breaking news: the convergence of sports seasons - basketball playoffs and the start of baseball. Numerous awards banquets recognizing deserving citizens. A blanket of snow in South Georgia, a serious residential fire with injuries and a tragic fatal auto accident, all within a few days. All on top of weekly business stories and shooting covers for a series of annual special community newspaper sections. It's been busy for everyone on our tiny news staff.

It's not that there's been too many assignments - it's just been uncanny how events have all been concurrent.  Leaving one assignment early and arriving late to the next one has been the norm. Seems like I've always been at the right place at the wrong time.

Some photographers get a rush working at a breakneck pace and thrive at it. Personally, I prefer a more deliberate approach. Some events, like award ceremonies, require time to find moments that connect with readers and summarize the story visually without resorting to cliches and trite photographs. It's difficult to do that when you only have time to grab a few frames before driving across town for the next assignment.

Success has been hit or miss. I guess that's the nature of the beast, sometimes, when you're a one-man photo department at a small newspaper.

On the bright side, it won't always be like this. Right?