The connections seem to be endless.

Photojournalism is a distinctively psychological pursuit. Not unlike journalists, most photojournalists have an extraordinary understanding of human nature and behavior. Photojournalists are naturally inquisitive sorts. A key part of photojournalistic storytelling is a reasonably correct understanding of human motivation. One has to understand what is driving the behavior that you are documenting to accurately depict it. As a photojournalist, one also needs to predict and anticipate behavior to continue to document it.

Photojournalists possess an innate drive to develop a full understanding of what’s going on out there in the real world. It begins with questions and unquenchable curiosity. Following that, comes the observation and exhaustive documentation – after which the work is examined, discussed, edited, published, and evaluated. Then, the process begins anew. Photojournalists call that The Work. As a psychologist, I call that The Scientific Method.

I began this blog as an opportunity to capture my day-to-day thoughts, and daily work in photojournalism and/or psychology. If you know me or found other parts of my website, you know that I’m a veteran photojournalist at a modest-sized daily newspaper in Southeastern Virginia, mostly as a photojournalist, shooting daily assignments for newspaper publication, with the last nine years as a photo editor and team leader.

In my early 20’s, I “went pro” early and didn’t finish my degree. Three markets later, and in my late-30’s, I decided to return to school and complete the degree, which I did in 2003. I genuinely enjoyed the return to school and – for all the reasons stated above – discovered I had a great interest in behavioral science. Ultimately, I found myself in the Applied Experimental Psychology program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and developed an interest in (among other things) Media Psychology.

I went back to earn my doctorate in hopes that my career would become more dynamic after I finished, perhaps spending a few more years in photo leadership, continuing to be recognized as a photo leader who also is a credentialed psychologist. Well just a few months after I got the degree, my career DID become more dynamic in June 2014 - just not the way I had planned. My management job was eliminated in a random restructuring at my newspaper. I accepted an offer to stay on as a staff photographer. As far as I know, I’m the only psychologist working as an on-the-street photojournalist (if you, the reader, know of others, please email me and let me know!).

The creative act of photojournalism was always my original passion, and a 9-year hiatus on the photo desk has given me a significant re-learning curve. If I continue to teach and mentor and grow, this is a useful – if not necessary  – evolution. It’s a good life.

And forgive the cliché to follow, but “change is a constant.” Both psychology and philosophy inform us that we, as humans would do a little better is we embraced change – or at least, ceased to run away from it – a little more than we do. The stoics had it right: Change is the way of the universe. And since we live within the universe, the act of avoiding change is, well, manifestly illogical.

I’ll use this blog to post my recent work, and discuss these quirky ideas I get from time to time. Today, I just wanted to introduce myself and post some of the fun still images I’ve shot since returning to daily shooting.

The initial motivations of this blog were entirely obligatory. For many practical reasons, I needed an online forum for my own photojournalistic work. However, as the weeks and months go on, I see great opportunities in a metacognitive exploration of my own work as a photojournalist and as a psychologist. It seems to be a necessary part of my own evolution. In addition, this may be great fun.

Thanks for reading – and let’s keep talking.