The Absolute Magic of Photojournalism

Journalism is a lot of things. It is stressful, urgent, raw, demanding, exciting, dangerous, exhausting, engaging, rewarding.

My particular slice of journalism is slanted toward photojournalism, storytelling with images. I love it. I absolutely love it.

These thoughts came together as I was being courted by a potential employer. I saw a job on Indeed.com and thought it might be worth exploring. The job was in the area of corporate social media, and it was tempting; more money and better benefits. But as I was considering it, this happened…

A magnificent bright double rainbow appeared in the eastern sky just prior to the start of Ada High School's football game against Blanchard Friday, Oct. 1. The game was also Ada's Pink Out Night for breast cancer awareness.
A magnificent bright double rainbow appeared in the eastern sky just prior to the start of Ada High School’s football game against Blanchard Friday, Oct. 1. The game was also Ada’s Pink Out Night for breast cancer awareness.

I am part of a scene, part of a community, part of events like these, beautiful and fun and intimate. I am Richard R. Barron, who has been at The Ada News for 33 years.

Photographer Jim Beckel told me a story about me once: he was covering a high school state golf tournament in Oklahoma City a few years ago, and photographed a girl from Latta. Knowing Latta is in our coverage area, he asked the golfer, “Do you know Richard Barron?” She answered, “You mean ‘Richard R. Barron’?”

So sure, it would be nice to make more money and have better job security and benefits, but what could ever take the place of being Richard R. Barron, photographing double rainbows on the sideline at an Ada Cougar football game?

Pink Out Night under the rainbow: how does photojournalism seem to get better every year?
Pink Out Night under the rainbow: how does photojournalism seem to get better every year?