Moore, OK

[fluffybunny]

I know Moore, OK is a ways off for you CISS, but here’s hoping you and yours are doing all right.

Horrible.

[CauseISaidSo]

Thanks much for your concern, fluffy. We’ve got several bands heading this way and family & friends all around the area so it’s going to be a watchful night. Our oldest lives in Shawnee and last night’s tornado there came within 2 miles of him but he and his belongings made it through unscathed. The “upside” to it is that I think it finally convinced him to stop procrastinating and get himself some renter’s insurance!

[Barracuda]

Looks like you and I both are in for another round of interesting spring weather today CISS. Stay safe up that way amigo.

[CauseISaidSo]

And you as well, ‘Cuda.

[orionid]

Would it be in poor taste to say after making sure you and yours are okay, to go out and take awesome photos of the carnage?

[CauseISaidSo]

No, I definitely had the same thought. It didn’t feel right thinking it, but one thought was even “man, that’d make for a great set of entries for a man vs nature theme!”

The problems, though, are time (isn’t it always?), and access. If it just skirted the outside of the town or was fairly localized, that’d be one thing, but with it impacting an entire town and with so much destruction and injury and so many people wanting to come in and help, the authorities are really restricting access. Maybe after they’ve had a chance to clean up a bit. I don’t know; I think I’d still feel uneasy being a “looky-loo” or tourist in the middle of so much real suffering and heartache. I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a photojournalist.

[fluffybunny]

Would it be in poor taste to say after making sure you and yours are okay, to go out and take awesome photos of the carnage?

I have seen people’s reaction to this (disaster tourists),.. it’s not pretty and I can certainly understand. They have nothing left and may have lost family and friends. It’s walking that line between journalism and voyeurism. I think on balance I would opt out as well. I know the stories of these people are important, and maybe if I could approach them with a common understanding of a specific goal I could do it, but to just wander around with a camera would make me feel dirty.

I drove through Joplin several weeks afterwards and I felt bad just doing that. I guess since journalism’s not my gig I find it hard to justify.

[orionid]

I was thinking less “weeks” and more “minutes.” I had a serious sit down with myself after the Boston Marathon, as I was out shooting the DC Marathon just a few weeks earlier. I decided that even though I’m qualified and certified in most types of first aid, up to and including manual defibrillation, and have extensive training in disaster response, that it would be better off if I let the local first responders respond while I continued to document, using my knowledge and training to stay out of their way (and lend a brief hand when absolutely necessary). In a rural or rustic setting, however, where professional first responders are a ways away, I’d be more likely to respond first, document second.

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