| Sign in: |
| Members log in here with your user name and password to access the your admin page and other special features. |
|
|
|
|
|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Joplin in Ruins- A Retrospective
Mike Simons, Photographer
 |
Tulsa | Ok | | Posted: 6:53 PM on 05.31.11 |
->> http://bcove.me/59pi1nmv
I produced this video with photos by Tulsa World Photographers Adam Wisneski , Jeff Lautenberger and me. |
|
Caleb Raney, Photographer, Assistant
|
Shawnee | OK | USA | Posted: 10:03 PM on 05.31.11 |
| ->> Nice work! |
|
Randy Tobias, Photographer
|
Wichita | KS | USA | Posted: 10:09 PM on 05.31.11 |
| ->> Fantastic piece of work Mike! Just got back from Joplin myself and have to say it was overwhelming even with all the tornadoes we experience in this part of the country. |
|
Mike Simons, Photographer
|
Tulsa | Ok | | Posted: 11:09 PM on 05.31.11 |
| ->> Thanks! Randy yes overwhelming is the right word. I cannot believe what I saw there. The people were incredible. I don't think one person told me no or minded me taking photos. Please post some of the Eagle's work here. |
|
David Welker, Photographer, Student/Intern
|
Springfield | MO | USA | Posted: 11:23 PM on 05.31.11 |
->> Mike, I can not agree with you more on the people. It was almost like a state of shock except they knew that our presence was important.
Nice work on the video. |
|
David Eulitt, Photographer
|
Kansas City | MO | USA | Posted: 1:18 AM on 06.01.11 |
| ->> I echo the amazing grace of the people of Joplin...a lot of situations like that, I can feel kind of scummy crawling over the remains of people's earthly possessions, but in Joplin, with every single person I approached, telling their tale of survival reinforced that while their stuff was gone, they were very much alive. |
|
Jeff Lautenberger, Student/Intern
|
Tulsa | OK | United States | Posted: 7:37 PM on 06.04.11 |
->> Just wanted to chime in and give some more insight into what it was like for me to cover this disaster, which coincidentally fell on the first day of my summer internship at the Tulsa World. I have never covered any kind of natural disaster, or really any spot news situation for that matter. I had no idea what to expect, and could never have been prepared for the scene on arrival in Joplin Monday morning the day after the storm.
There were times I almost cried talking to people, listening to them tell their stories. I was again brought to tears while photographing a church service the Sunday after held in the parking lot of a destroyed church.
I did my best to be a journalist, to document, to let things be as they were. You know, all the things they teach us in school. But after a while, I found that almost in conflict with being human. I found myself putting down my camera on several occasions. I just could not, did not feel it was right to take photographs at some times, even when I had been given full encouragement and approval to do so. This was one of those rare occasions where I honestly felt there was nothing wrong about engaging myself with subjects, asking if there was ANYTHING at all I could do to help, on an assignment.
As others have already said, the people of Joplin were (and continue to be) amazingly strong throughout this endeavor. It's hard to even comprehend or put in words the scene on the ground up there. Even now, almost two weeks later, not much has changed. I'm looking forward to following this story during my time in Tulsa. I know the people of Joplin will make it through, I just sure hope things to start to look better soon. I thank them all for their openness, and wish them the best.
I also just updated my member page with some more of my images that didn't make it into Simons' video. |
|
Patrick Fallon, Student/Intern, Photographer
|
Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 9:44 PM on 06.04.11 |
->> I was back in Joplin last night briefly (the city has a long way to go) and I know I'm going to be returning to this powerful city soon.
These people are some of the most caring and brave souls I have ever met. In one instance, I met Mrs. Johnson - she was picking up what was left of her belongings from her house, but she was more concerned about my safety as another bad storm was approaching, she was happy to offer up her shelter to me, food, water, whatever I needed. That was a common trait among many I met, more worried about everyone else around them, selfless and generous, than their own needs.
Here are some of the pictures I made during my five days in Joplin for The New York Times:
http://www.patrickfallonphoto.com/stories/joplin-missouri-emerging-from-the.../
If you have a way to help, please do. |
|
Tom Ewart, Photographer
|
Bentonville | AR | USA | Posted: 12:19 AM on 06.05.11 |
->> I appreciate those of you have given your time to cover this even in Joplin. I live about an hour south and spent Thursday helping a friend's in-law's dig though what remained of their home. It will be a very long time before those in this region that can recover will even begin to really recover. The day I spent with the family on Thursday after the Tornado was still an over whelming sense of shock, but you have to do what you can to move forward. There is so much to do and where do you start.
I also contend no mater what we have seen visually you don't really understand or truly comprehend until you stand in the middle of 100's of acre's of land where people's lives were forever changed. Until you dig though the rubble of a home looking for any remains of their lives. And when they come across what may be left of the family photos, the memories of their lives, their only remaining physical representation of their memories and see the emotional reaction to them--it's only then when you realize how important photography really is... |
|
Return to --> Message Board Main Index
|