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| Image © The Arizona Republic || Marco Saldaña, Bassist. |
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| || General Information: |
|| Portfolio: |
Michael McNamara: Sr Photographer: Salt River Project
| Address: |
Phoenix, AZ, USA |
| Phone: |
602-499-3508 |
| Michael McNamara's Message: |
Today is my last day in the news business. After almost five years at The Arizona Republic, today I hand in my gear, eat a piece or two of cake, and say goodbye to my wonderful coworkers.
Here's ten portraits I like that I did for The Republic.
And here's what I wrote on my blog when I submitted my resignation:
This is a love letter. But I should first say why I’m writing it.
The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, but this year it will be my personal Black Friday. It will be my last day working in the news business. It will be my last day at The Arizona Republic. I have accepted a position as a photographer for SRP, or Salt River Project, one of the local utility companies in Arizona.
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First, this is a love letter to newspapers. When I was a kid growing up in Colorado, we got five papers on our driveway every morning, and I always loved the pictures. The Boulder Daily Camera, The Denver Post, The (dearly departed) Rocky Mountain News, USA Today and The New York Times. I’ve always been surrounded by newspapers, and I’ve always loved working at them. I’m not going to say it was always the easiest thing in the world, but the ups far outweigh the downs, and I am glad to have been part of three great newspapers. I believe in journalism and photojournalism, even as too many people take it for granted. I firmly believe that newspapers, or whatever form they take in the future, have always been and will always be a vital part of a community. When newspapers finally start charging for their online content, try to not complain so much…no sustainable business model is built around giving your product away for free.
I will always treasure working with a group of photographers, editors and reporters who were always pushing toward the same goal. I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of incredibly talented people, and the experiences I’ve had with them have helped make me the person and photographer I am today.
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This is also a love letter to the restaurant community in Phoenix and the surrounding valley. I started working in the features department at The Republic about five years ago, and I knew shooting food would be part of the job. When I was in college, my favorite TV show was the original version of Iron Chef, so I assumed I could figure it out. And I did pretty well on my first shoot. But I was the proverbial blind squirrel finding a nut. There were more assignments, but I needed some schooling, which my editors Elizabeth Tompkins and Celine Hacche helped me out with.
I got better, but the chefs I worked with were there with me every step of the way. They made the food look good, and I figured out how to make it look good through a lens. The photos that ran in The Republic had my name under them, but I was never the only person who deserved credit. There are always people who help make pictures. Everybody from chefs to line cooks to bartenders to PR agents. And there are too many of them for me to name…I’ll inevitably leave people out. But I cannot adequately express the gratitude I owe to each and every one of them. I have wanted to work on personal projects in the local food industry, and I hope I can now find the time to start doing some of them.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to Karen Fernau, The Republic’s anchor and go-to person for the Food and Drink department. It is a debt I know I will never be able to repay, but she has been absolutely wonderful to work with, and has never been anything but splendid to me.
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This is especially a love letter to my wife and family, who have supported me through the ups and downs of being a newspaper photographer, the ups and downs of trying to start being a freelancer, and the ups and downs of a job search. I will be the first to admit that I haven’t been the easiest person to get along with, but they have all been incredibly patient, understanding and supportive. Probably more than they needed to be, or should have been. I am blessed to have them in my life.
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| Last Update: |
175 days ago |
| Member Since: |
11.7.2002 (Senior Member) |
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|| Contact Michael McNamara:
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The images below are from the
portfolio of Michael McNamara. They are presented here for your viewing pleasure. These images may not be used elsewhere and are protected by copyright. To see these images, click on the icon and you will see a much larger image.
| 1 |
"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Marco Saldaña, Bassist. |
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| 2 |
"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Chris Williams, Taxidermist. |
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| 3 |
"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Chris Faucett, aquarium curator. |
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"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Bogi Lateiner, master mechanic. |
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"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Brandi Nuttall, salon owner. |
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"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Giovanni Scorzo, chef and restaurant owner. |
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"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Lylah Ledner, urban farmer. |
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| 8 |
"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Greg Peterson, horticulturalist. |
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| 9 |
"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Kent Callaghan, winemaker. |
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| 10 |
"Goodbye, Arizona Republic"
Chris Bianco, pizzaiolo. |
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| You can search for additional images by this photographer by conducting a keyword search on his/her archive. |
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|| Michael McNamara's Work History:
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| || Michael McNamara's Web Links: |
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