BVJC 2008 @ Western Washington University, Part II, realtime

Renee Byer, photojournalist with The Sacramento Bee and 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner

   Editor's note: This was produced in real time with quick edit following. NPPA is live streaming Noon "Three Dimensional Thinking: Telling Stories in Multiple Media" as this is being edited. So be aware of limitations, opportunities and blemishes that follow. Final edit and photos to follow.
   Great stills of birds over farm is early work, Bumbershootist behind veil of glass and raindrops. Women who lost all to arson. Castle surrounded by verdant green, that is taken against the wishes of publicist and owners. Funeral with subtle moments during competition. Funeral has police in linear arrangement with nice silhouette in window of hearse. Aerial view of water cannons shooting protesters from above, shooting from parking lot garage in Seattle
   Beyer worked for Seattle P-I
   400 mm shot  of veteran in cemetery with boy leaning on vet’s shoulder. . Other shot. Man with no ID a heroine mom holding little child with scar on forearm  Families with hearing impaired on couch. “I like to do issue reporting mostly,” Shows an inmate in cell taken from behind a translucent pane of glass and women inmate lying down.
   Image of boy laying guitar into casket of sister. Renee got permission of family to run it. Casket photo was taken with Leica.
   WHAT is the shot of the migrant worker at dusk with silhouette in car! It’s brilliant.
   Great feature photos of girl with cat face followed by another with box head, arms, etc.
Mark Twain Award winner is large nude woman (seen only from lower thighs down) and wonderful student sculptor focusing in on her in some type of carving.
   Renee thanks her husband Paul for his support “because I’m kind of a workaholic.” She and husband Paul, also of Sac Bee, both went to get Ichiro Suzuki winning the record as rookie of the year. Gang story she shot Friday July 18 that shows knife blade held by officer with gang member getting into law enforcement car.
   “Katrina Evacuees” She saw a “weak channel” to get into Astrodome and NPR guy mentioned prayer service. She asked and she got in and wasn’t technically supposed to be inside. She sat in high bleachers trying to figue out how to shoot inside with 2 cameras without getting kicked out. She covered camera with blanket and shot.
   “Women at War” two years after U.S. Invasion of Iraq. America’s military machine depends on …Three woman being signed up for military. “They were practically locked up in office until the papers were signed. “ Woman said she would never report abuse, because that person might have to save her life in the war. Compounds of women versus the men at Fort Lewis were a mess. One story was of a woman who had lost custody of children while serving in Iraq. An American Soldier is a touring exhibit that is going with Pulitzers by Seema Reuben (sp?).
   “The Ones She Left Behind” Story of father’s struggle to survive the Iraq War after his left for military service. He has one child. His wife apparently committed suicide. Neighbors are terrifically supportive. He is chef at restaurant hat he owns.
   “Seeds of Doubt” on genetic “therapy of agricultural crops” and potential revolution and Africa.  “Chief of village says: Those who don’t work, don’t eat” GREAT IMAGES, including chief of tribe with stern looking side view and holding a pickaxe over his shoulder.
    Image of mother working in a smoking field is AMAZING. Renee gave them a French lesson since an African teacher was moving between two classrooms of students. Renee broke the boredom barrier of the children by teaching in the official teacher’s absence as she hovered between the two classrooms.
   “Seeds of Doubt” is in Sacramento Bee because she shows the layout and graphics in full .”Seeds of Doub,  Globe-Trotting Genes” Shipped seeds from corn shipped to Mexico. “A Mother’s Journey” Feature Pulitzer Prize , Renee C. Byer
   Video R.B.,  shows Newseum exhibit with people watching her exhibit. It’s Mary Calvert’s (?) image from WA Post who shot that for RB. She was struggling to be cheerful on the outside. Cyndie French. She’s going to break rules to let him drive, because she knows he’s never gong o be able to drive. She jokes about using money from car wash money to buy a Playsation II. And the boy says: “No mom, we have to pay the rent.” She is a single mom with four kids. She talks about her faith carrying her. She pleads with her son about radiation therapy. He says no mom. No more. The movie story with still images is great.
   Renee took time to not take photos., to hang out to get to know him. Derek let Renee take pictures. The pictures mean so much, they document out life and out journey together. “ Cyndie French. When she (RB) wasn’t there. Derek asked (repeatedly) where he was.
   RB said: "Part of emotional rollercoaster is knowing when to take photos and when not to. I missed a lot of photogrs. WE made a pinky swear promise to sweat to let go."
   I was hoping for a lot less painful death.” He thanked me for giving him that space and respect.’ Final image is video of still image . And then credits. Kim Komenichie,  former P-winner of S.F.  CHECK NAMES and SP)The element of mom speaking is partially about mm. RB says in real time. No real Carte BLANCEHE access to anything. So, she had to meet with the whole board of Hospice. So, She had mother’s support but others did and tried to intercede.
RB stepped out of picture repeatedly. CF was cognizant of looking her best for RB and camera.
Q& A about the family argument scenes. "I was in corner looking at magazines, when the (argument) broke out and fingers were pointing fingers at each other. It was just too important a moment to not take a picture," Renee said. ANGER SCENE. B&W question: "I just thought story had more impact in B&W and mother chose to wore colors. I really, really like BW for documentary work. My editors wanted it color for front. It literally ran half B&W and half color so it ran a hodgepodege. But I got to correct it later on."
    Background Q & A: First meeting between Renee and Derek French was when Derek was in early treatment. She didn’t want to intrude on the pain of his treatments and complexity of his emotional ordeal. Yet, she  saw that he was enjoying the attention; he started to play with her: "He was using a mirror and playing with RB. So, I just started to bond with here."
   MultiMedia  has been a godsend for PJs because it lets us control the process.
   Ultimately, it’s content of piece that drives it.
   Readers donated $40 K. And newspaper contributed $5.
   Father was never in picture.