Should we run the photo or not? That is the question many a photo editor
has asked, and the answer is never really the same. Some people believe, no
matter what, you run a great photo – no matter the content. In bigger markets
covering professional sports, this may be true.
But now, take a look at the decision Cecil Scene had last night. The
North East Lady Indians had clawed their way back into contention against the
Rising Sun Tigers from a 12-point deficit. The Lady Indians fought hard in
overtime as well, but ultimately the Lady Tigers prevailed.
The teams shook hands at half court, the referees packed up and left,
the fans filed out of the gymnasium and in a moment of “this is last call” that
you might see at a bar, the lights went out. There were a couple dozen people
still in the gym.
Then I noticed a North East High School player sitting there alone. She
was obviously in the middle of packing up to leave when the emotion of the
hard-fought loss hit her. Her basketball shoes were sitting there beneath her
as she held her head in her hands and cried.
In what was pretty much darkness, I scrambled to get my camera up,
winged it on setting what might get me a frame of the moment and made one photo
before it was all over. The player got up, shoes in hand and walked off the
court.
Now, what to do with this image.
I knew it was of North East guard Heniyah Cannady. But, this wasn’t a
pro athlete I had photographed, it was a high school student who had just laid
her heart and soul out on the basketball court for 36 minutes. Do I run this
photo as part of out coverage or not. Will she like the photo or hate it. You
just never know. If she hated the photo, to me, it just didn't feel right to run the image. And, of course, there was just no way to know.
There was also a bigger question for Cecil Scene. We are still getting
going. This is a website for the community, about the community and run by
someone who lives in the community. Is this the statement we wanted to make
about Cecil Scene?
We held the photo after much conversation and decided to err on the side of caution.
Heading into tonight’s boy’s game at North East I ran into Varsity Girls
basketball Coach Alan Foskey and told him about the image. As luck would have
it, the first person he ran into going into the gym was Ms. Cannady. Moments
later she ran up to me in the stands as I was setting up. She wanted to see the photo. I
pulled it up on my cell phone and showed it to her.
She loved it, and here it is. But, more thought went into making this
photo live on the web then just hitting Publish.
Facebook friends, as many of you know, I coach High School basketball and baseball, and I have two basketball players who could sure use your thoughts and prayers. Heniyah Cannady has been suffering from an as yet unknown malady, and she is experiencing loss of sight from the medications. Hopefully, it is temporary, but there is a possibility it may not be. Please lift her up. Lexie Stevens was in an auto accident Wednesday night and suffered a broken vertebrae in her neck and has diminished vision from glass in her eye. By all accounts, she should be dead or paralyzed, but God has shown an abundance of miracles in her case so far. Both girls are Juniors- I so appreciate all the prayers I know you will send their way!
