Richard Adkins
News Photographer

We don’t work in an office. That’s not what we do. It’s easy to forget, but everyday News Photographers face perils, dangers and troubles in what may seem like the simplest places.

Not only do we have to overcome the elements, dodge the hurdles placed in the way by emergency officials and find the perfect view of the event… we have to overcome the pressure to be first on the air, first on the scene, first with the pictures.

Overnight, WJLA News Photographer Gordon Davis was killed when he tried to cross a road while covering a fire. He apparently didn’t see the car, and stepped right in front of it. He had parked his microwave truck on the opposite side of the road from the fire.

With the camera on your shoulder, all News Photographers are blind on the right side. I don’t know if the camera blocked Gordon’s view, or if he simply just missed the approaching car. But this underscores the dangers we face everyday in the field. The simplest task, performed repeatedly, become routine and we slip-up.

Let’s be careful out there… let’s go home every day.