Photos are the soul of a newspaper, our windows into the communities we cover and the stories we tell. What might take a writer several sentences or paragraphs to tell, a photo has to capture in a mere glance. And getting to that storytelling moment isn’t just a matter of holding up the camera and saying, “OK, now it’s time to take a photo.” A good photo isn’t “taken.” It’s made. Good photography can seem effortless. But into each photo goes a multitude of decisions, all of which must inform how the push of the shutter button will serve the story, whether it’s on our website or in our weekly print edition. At a time when pretty much everyone can take a photo by reaching into their pocket and pulling out their smart phone, news photos have to be something more than just a record that somebody showed up and did just that. Here, then, is our retrospective of some of the photos we made in 2019, along with a bit of information about the thought processes and technical considerations that went into them.
JANUARY
BARTEL: ""Back in the day when newspapers actually employed staff photographers who spent their whole shift doing just that, we'd often use downtime between assignments to check out things we'd spot in our travels that might make a good photo. Sometimes those photos — we called them "wild art" or "tour shots” — would end up on the front page, and sometimes they'd help an editor plug a quarter-page hole deep in the paper. I made note of these magnificent beams being lifted into place at the new Port Coquitlam Community Centre, then did something about it when we needed a photo for a construction update story."
BARTEL: "Ron Bradbeer has been running the weekly roller skating sessions at the Poirier Forum for the past 2.5 years, but he's really carrying on a legacy from his mother, Doris, who conducted similar sessions at the old Poirier Arena across the street in the 1980s. For this story on a weekly roller skating program for seniors, I wanted to create a bit of a nostalgic feeling, trying to capture that first moment when the wheels hit concrete. So I set up a light to create a bit of a silhouette and waited for Ron Bradbeer to head out onto the floor."
BARTEL: "They're selling the shop to move their family to Spain. Generally, I'm dismayed by mirrors. But I love the challenge of integrating them into my photos. You just have to be careful with your positioning so you don't end up in the photo, and then think about everything else — like lighting and composition — backwards."
BARTEL: "It's been more than 30 years since I had the opportunity to photograph a horse racing story, so I relished the chance to soak in the atmosphere and characters at Fraser Downs while spending a morning with local trainer and racer, Chris Lancaster."
BARTEL: "Doing something to help get the word out about KidSport's bi-annual used equipment sales is a highlight of every spring and fall. So when Chris Wilson pulled out this bright red kite from the storage room, I knew what I had to do. The rest was up to the backlighting from the late-afternoon sun."
MARCH
BARTEL: "It's March and it's snowing, just when everybody is thinking about spring. The key to capturing good snowfall photos is a dark background."
BARTEL: "While I'm not afraid of heights, there are other places I'd rather be. So when I get to cover people doing things in high places, I'm always fascinated by that moment they release themselves to gravity, such as this student descending from the tower at Coquitlam's main fire hall during a junior firefighter camp."
BARTEL: "Suburban living rooms usually don't make for the best photo studios. So that's when you simplify by setting up a single light and zooming in."
APRIL
BARTEL: "The chair of the city's arts and culture committee is hoping to animate the space with outdoor furniture, kids games and programming to make it a gathering place in the summertime. A local councillor’s attempt to animate a barren plaza to create a lively community space needed to be illustrated with a photo that expressed just how dull and lifeless it currently is."
BARTEL: "Every once in a while a story comes along that makes even the most grizzled journalist go "wow, that's so cool." Cosimo Geracitano's dedication and talent to recreate paintings by master artists was one of those stories. Walking into his Coquitlam home was like entering a hall at the Louvre."
BARTEL: "The key to finding a good photo of spring blossoms or fall leaves is a bit of backlight and a dark background in the distance."
MAY
BARTEL: "MMA fighters do their thing in a caged arena, so of course that chainlink cage has to feature prominently in telling their story. Budd would go on to win her fourth straight title victory in July, winning by TKO. She hasn't lost in more than seven years."
BARTEL: "I'd been trying to figure out what to do with the art banners affixed to fencing near the Moody Centre SkyTrain station for several days, then just decided to stake it out one afternoon for about 30 minutes. The similarity between the passerby and the painting behind him was just a serendipitous accident."
BARTEL: "Popping light through bottles is a fun way to bring a shot to life."
BARTEL: "The enclosure allows for quick and thorough cleaning of the juicer between pressings. Making juice from a large, industrial squeezer is not the most photogenic activity. But when that juicer is positioned in a huge shower stall and the subject is willing to play along with your suggestion to juggle, the result is a fun photo."
BARTEL: "As a background for a photo, the interior of the new Port Moody Legion is rather uninspiring. Except for the giant mural of a poppy field."
BARTEL: "Shots of the finish line at a sprint race are pretty standard. Less common is catching all three top finishers in mid-air."
BARTEL: "Finding a quiet, clean moment that wasn't packed with kids running about was a challenge at this robotics event, but I like this contemplative competitor and the symmetry of the posters on the wall behind her."
LABBÉ: "In the past I've had males separate from the pod to breach off our bow. These transients were set on hunting and kept their heads down. So instead of an acrobatic moment, I pulled back to capture the skyline. When it comes to shooting wildlife, sometimes the best you can do is wait them out and be ready."
JUNE
BARTEL: "It's only fitting that a visit to cover a beer and babies event at a Port Moody brewery, organized on social media, start with an Instagram moment."
BARTEL: "These preview tours of big new construction projects usually follow a similar script: The reporter and I start off together with our tour guides, then I inevitably fall behind as I look for interesting angles, light and features."
BARTEL: "A fun, beloved local shop is getting new owners, so the photo of that transfer should be fun as well."
LABBÉ: "During the short window I had to shoot Mario in action, I tried to stay ahead of him — a challenge because there were few places to safely pull over. When I saw this sign, I knew it would both tell the story of a steep ride and add an element of depth."
LABBÉ: "I knew once I boarded the canoe, I would be left with few options to move around. So I took the seat at the bow where I'd have a wider angle to shoot and waited for a tight, telling moment."
BARTEL: "The bright colours and the similarity of the dancer's motion to the figures painted on the background caught my eye during this performance at National Indigenous Day ceremonies at Port Moody's Rocky Point Park."
JULY
LABBÉ: "The combination of low-light and acrobatics can make shooting these kinds of shows a challenge. Either way, I was more interested in the the troupe's backstage rituals. So I did my best to stay out of the way and find the few shafts of light that would make an telling picture."
LABBÉ: "After we found out the road would be closed, myself and another reporter decided we'd head down and proceed on foot, careful to maintain our distance should we see any bears. This little guy popped out of the bushes right as we were packing up to leave and walked right into the two frames I was looking for."
BARTEL: "This local Ninja gym is chock-a-block with climbing walls and other apparatus that can quickly overwhelm a photographer, let alone create busy backgrounds. That's when it's best to keep things simple."
LABBÉ: "I was looking to capture a candid moment amongst the immensity of garbage that comes to the transfer station every day. The challenge here was navigating heavy machinery, shifting piles of trash and a backlit scene that only worked when Sydney turned her head the right way."
"The heavier the weights, the more intense and fleeting the moment you have to shoot. But it all makes for a more interesting photo."
AUGUST
BARTEL: "Heading into Vancouver to cover the local Little League team at the provincial championships, who knew this would be the start of a magnificent journey to the World Series for these kids."
BARTEL: "It's been years since many newspapers had the ability to monitor fire and police radios, but often the human storytelling shots of a disaster happen after the fact, as people try to understand and deal with their loss."
BARTEL: "Bears in the 'hood was a big, ongoing story in the Tri-Cities this past summer, but rare was the opportunity to be on the scene for just such a hunt."
LABBÉ: "The biggest challenge shooting for hours on the water, in the rain comes down to one thing: keeping your camera and lenses dry."
BARTEL: "This year's RCMP Junior Mounties camp changed the script from the usual obstacle course around the mezzanine at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex, but what's not to love about the animated expression of a volunteer playing a suspected impaired driver."
BARTEL: "It's not often a local library moves into a new facility. And when that move is just a short walk away, the toil of that move can make an interesting photo."
SEPTEMBER
BARTEL: "A controlled pre-season football scrimmage doesn't usually produce dramatic pass receptions."
LABBÉ: "For this series, I tried to capture the semi-wild life of these sea lions — some shots in a cage, others interacting with trainers and still more frolicking in open water. I shot this photo, which ended up as the most dynamic of the day, from the side of the research boat as we headed back to the dock."
OCTOBER
BARTEL: "Election campaign appearances by national leaders are usually tightly-controlled affairs designed to produce exactly the kind of moments and stories their handlers seek — until renowned rabble-rouser and celebrity interviewer, Nardwar, the Human Serviette shows up."
BARTEL: "Shows of emotion are rare at a city council meeting. At least as rare as bringing a camera to cover that meeting."
BARTEL: "For all the buildup to covering election nights, they're usually a visual let-down. The celebration parties are usually in dark, crowded halls, restaurants or pubs with lots of hugging and handshaking. So when Liberal MP Ron McKinnon decided to spend a little more time at his nearby campaign office to monitor the incoming results, I asked if I could tag along."
BARTEL: "When the calendar turns to November, I know it's time to keep my eye out for crews beginning to install the annual Lights at Lafarge Christmas display."
BARTEL: "Bird releases are always a bit of a photographic gamble as to when the bird will actually take off, which direction it will take, and can my finger react on the shutter button quickly enough."
DECEMBER
BARTEL: "As soon as I walked into Heritage Woods secondary to meet Reid Demelo for an interview about his sudden social media celebrity, I spotted the parting wave of well-wishers and high-fiving friends ahead of me and the enthusiasm never let up as we headed for the main office to extend our chat to the school's principal."
LABBÉ: "I saw the pair in the blue snowflake suits earlier as I shot a group of runners down the road. With a handful of characters in my head, I sped to the finish line and waited for a symmetrical moment."
Credits:
STEFAN LABBÉ