Gersh Photo Post | Max Gersh | Multimedia Photojournalist

When I got the assignment to go make some pictures at a library in a nearby town of patrons, workers and the building itself, I thought that it would be a quick in-and-out assignment. Boy was I wrong.

When I got to the library in Pecatonica, Ill., the only people there were workers. I got to shooting right away, following around a reluctant employee. And then another reluctant employee.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Library aide Edie Matheson returns a book to a shelf Tuesday, March 1, 2011, in the children's section of the Pecatonica Library. ©2011

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Library clerk Kay Kluth scans in a DVD Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the front counter of the Pecatonica Library. ©2011

I was getting useable images. But if I settle for useable, I never make “WOW” images. While I was waiting for a customer, I kept thinking of how I could make a wonderful picture at a library.

That’s when I saw a man come in and get on one of the computers. Pardon the expression but I was on him like white on rice. I talked to him for a bit to get his story about why he was there. I mean, it is a library. There isn’t really any way to be discreet about taking photos in a building known for being quiet.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Luke Nevdal uses the internet Tuesday, March 1, 2011, on a computer at the Pecatonica Library. Nevdal's laptop is in for repair and he has been using the library's computers to access his e-mail. ©2011

Alright. Now I had some variety. I thought about calling it quits and heading back to the office but I still wasn’t overly satisfied with the pictures I had made.

This brings up one of the most important lessons I ever learned while I was an intern at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If you have the time, be patient with an assignment. You never know what you miss when you leave a place quickly.

So I stayed. I chatted with the employees. I poked around. I kept an eye on the front door.

That’s about when one of the library employees picked up a sheet of paper and went to the stacks looking for books. She was pulling books that were requested by other regional libraries. She was fulfilling the “pick list.” So I followed her.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Library clerk Kay Kluth searches for a book requested by another regional library Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the Pecatonica Library. ©2011

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Library clerk Kay Kluth searches for a book requested by another regional library Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the Pecatonica Library. ©2011

These aren’t likely to win me a Pulitzer but they are a heck of a lot more visually appealing than the earlier shots.

My patience also paid off and allowed for another customer to come in.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Richard Lindquist looks for a book Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the Pecatonica Library. ©2011

It’s not the best image but I like having variety to bring back to my editor.

The lesson is one I’ve told before and I’ll probably tell over and over again. If time allows, be patient. Don’t force images. Find the scene and wait for something to interact with it. It’s not always possible but when it happens, you’ll have no doubt that all of that time was well spent and not wasted.

Now that it is starting to warm up outside (a little bit), I decided it would be the perfect time to post photos from last month’s blizzard. After some banter back and forth between meteorologists, I think the storm total snowfall was 15.1″ making it the third largest snowfall total in Rockford’s recorded history. That’s a lot of snow.

I started my great snow hunt before the storm started. I went to the Rockford City Yard hoping to find snow plow preparation. However, the only action there was a maintenance man making repairs to the salt dome elevator - a lift that carries salt to the very top of the salt dome.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Randy Dimmel, a property maintenance repair man for the City of Rockford, makes repairs to a salt dome elevator Monday, Jan. 31, 2011,at the Rockford City Yard. ©2011

As the first flakes started to roll in, I went out to get some shots. I went up on a parking garage that is next to the river. I was hoping to get evening commuters coming across a snow-dusted bridge.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Evening commuters make their way west over the Jefferson Street Bridge Monday, Jan. 31, 2011, before the forecasted blizzard reaches Rockford. ©2011

Yes, that is a frozen over, mostly snow-covered river.

We had light snow for the next 24 hours or so. Slow accumulations. The heavy stuff kicked in the next night. I was off work that day so I didn’t have to fight the evening traffic in blinding snow.

The following day, by the time I went in to work, the snow had mostly stopped. However, the cleanup was just beginning.  I walked through what had to be two-to-three feet of snow on my driveway to get to my car in the garage. Ordinarily, I would have shoveled the snow to make a path for my car. But the snow shovels my landlord left in our garage were missing. So, I backed the Subaru as far back in the garage as I could and just went for it. I literally made it about an inch from getting to a snow-blown section of the driveway. I decided to shoot a little cellphone video of my attempt.

Once I finally made it out, I hit the street to look for others digging out. I started close to my house and found plenty in my neighborhood.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Ice clings to Jaxon Oshita's facial hair Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, while he uses a snow blower to clear his Camp Avenue sidewalk in Rockford. Oshita said this blizzard is one of the worst snow storms he has ever seen. ©2011

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Buried cars line Guard Street Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in Rockford. ©2011

As I ventured a little farther out, the scene was the same. Everyone was digging out from the Snowpocolype/Snowmageddon/SnowMG/Blizzaster… I could go on.

I accidentally turned down a road that arguably has the steepest hill in all of Rockford. I could turn this post into an ad for Subaru but I’ll just say that I made it up and over. That is where I found a guy snowblowing his driveway.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Andrew Lippert uses a snow blower to clear his driveway Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, on Garrison Avenue in Rockford. ©2011

I decided to head farther north into more rural neighborhoods. I found a couple of kids building a snow fort with help from their mom. I decided to hang out with them for a while.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Max Caltagerone, 8, uses a shovel to widen a snow fort Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in front of his family's home on Ann's Acres in Rockford. ©2011

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Mason Caltagerone, 4, places a flag on top of a snow fort Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in front of his family's home on Ann's Acres in Rockford. ©2011

The next day, the cleanup continued around town. I found a landscaping company using end loaders to clear out driveways in a townhouse complex.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Dave Stracka of the Cherry Valley Landscape Center uses a loader to clear out residential driveways Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, on Trowbridge Lane in Rockford. ©2011

I’ve never seen so much snow in my life. I can honestly say that I got my fair share of the white stuff this season.