Gersh Photo Post | Max Gersh | Multimedia Photojournalist

I’m not one to hold too much weight in journalism contests. Especially photography. Everything is subjective. But don’t get me wrong. I love to pad my resume as much as the next guy.

At the end of June or beginning of July (it was so long ago I can’t remember), the newsroom at The Courier-Times went into a bit of a frenzy trying to get stories and photos ready for the Hoosier State Press Association contest. Anything from July 2009 through June 2010 could be entered. We filled out our forms and sent in our clips.

And then we waited.

I think it was some time in October that we found out which members of our newsroom won awards. Many of us did. However, they don’t tell you what you won. They don’t even tell you how many award you won. They just tease you and try to get you to come to the awards banquet in December. That’s right. You have to wait until December to find out what you won.

At first, I tried to guess what photo(s) won awards. A week out, I’d forgotten about the whole thing.

Then came December. I was unable to attend the banquet but got updates via text message hearing how well our newspaper was doing.

This year, The Courier-Times won 18 awards and finished second in our division. Good job team!

Much to my surprise, I racked up seven awards of my own.

I got third place in the multiple picture group for my series on the Titan 500 tricycle race.

I won second and third place in best picture story (with audio soundtrack) for my pieces on Memorial Day and St. Anne’s church, respectively.

I won first place and third place in best video story for my trick shot video and cooks contest video, respectively.

Lastly, I won first place in best spot news photo with my picture of officers transferring custody of someone who was involved in an armed robbery of a store.

John Michael Evans places his hands on his head as Henry County Sheriff's deputies and Indiana State Troopers transfer him into the custody of the Randolph County Sheriff's Department. Evans was caught at his residence after allegedly committing armed robbery in Losantville. (C-T photo Max Gersh) ©2010

To round out my seventh award, the photo above won the recognition of being the best in my division and was one of six finalists (one for each of the six divisions) for photo of the year. Pretty cool.

Like I said, I don’t hold too much weight in these contest. But that won’t stop me from entering.

For me, film represents everything I love about photography. Don’t get me wrong. Digital sensors have completely revolutionized photography - especially photojournalism.

But where would we be today without digital? Film photography is more that an art form. It is a science. It takes knowledge to be a professional. Today, anyone with a load of cash can buy the latest and greatest gear. There is no need to worry about messing up. If a picture turns out poorly, it can be erased. All you need to do is check your local CraigsList postings to see how many “professionals” there are now.

Generally speaking, it takes an antiquated professional to know what I am talking about when I say “reciprocity failure” or if I mention the Scheimpflug principle. Many folks don’t know the difference between a zoom lens and a telephoto lens. Thought and creativity has vastly left photography for many shooters.

After getting my Hasselblad recently, I decided to go through some of my film from the past. I scanned a few 4×5 positives that I shot a few years ago on a Sinar large format camera.

A Lego man shot super macro to fill a sheet of 4x5 film. ©2010 Max Gersh

I remember the challenge I had to make this photo. On a large format camera, to focus, you extend the bellows between the lens and the film. To achieve this close of a focus, my bellows were over four feet long and the entire camera rig was supported by three tripods. Remember, this image filled a 4×5 inch sheet of film. This is MANY times greater than life size.

Once I acquired focus, the lighting was another challenge. I had to fire off my strobes about 15 times to build up enough light.

Misc. China things shot on a Sinar 4x5 camera representing the Scheimpflug principle. ©2010 Max Gersh

This picture may seem somewhat bland on its face, but it showcases the Scheimpflug principle - a way of focusing on a plane rather than by distance.

This picture also is gearing me up for one of my hopes of 2010 - to visit Shanghai, China for the World Expo. I’d love to be sent there on assignment but I might settle for a personal visit. Shanghai is truly one of the greatest cities I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting.

So, in summary, my goals for 2010 are:

1. Visit China again
2. Shoot more film

Two things. I should be able to handle that.

My challenge to the rest of the world - take time taking pictures. Think about what you’re doing. Try something different. Slow down and make nice images. The rest of the world will appreciate it.