Monday, December 21, 2009

Seattle Times Pictures of the Year 2009

Sept. 6: Working on a Pacific Northwest magazine story about the jobless, I learned that Marcy Maki, who'd lost her job as an education specialist, had an upcoming interview. I wanted to photograph her moments before she left her home for the appointment. With a son and their home to protect, a lot was riding on the meeting. I predicted she wouldn't agree to the timing, and at first, that's exactly what happened. But I proposed how the image would be more powerful if it contained some of the tension involved in preparing for an interview. "OK then, John, that's what we'll do," she said. I was shocked (and grateful) at how fast she reconsidered. Maki explained she thought her anxious energy would be better spent on the photo shoot than on worrying about the interview.