Welcome to Halftime.
There’s no clock and no scoreboard, nor is there a marching band about to take the field — but it’s halftime.
The first half is over — the stats are in the book and the first half of my career is complete.
As I leave the Seattle Times after nearly two decades, I’m excited to embark on the next phase of my professional life.
I will miss much about my former job — the history I was fortunate enough to witness with my camera, the colorful characters I met along the way, and the friends and mentors who helped me get better — both as a photographer and and as a person.
Actually, my first published photo in the Seattle Times occurred when I was a freshman in college.
Fittingly enough, it was as a member of the University of Washington Marching Band.
Yes, that’s me on the right, the little dude with the trumpet. I’d like to think I look the same, but I know better. Today I have more bags under my eyes and a lot less hair.
Like the second half of most sporting contests, this blog will continue with many of the themes introduced over the past few years in the aptly named “Best Seat In the House” blog that I kept at while at the Times.
I will share with you my photographs — the successes and the failures. We’ll talk about my thought-processes and how particular pictures are created. We’ll talk about barbeque and hamburgers. And because I won’t be working full-time at the paper and also blogging, I’ll have more time to respond to comments and carry on conversations with you.
And in the way that games change after halftime, I’ll also take you along as I forge a new career. It’s a tough economy out there, and competition among photographers is as tough as ever.
I have no job in hand. There is no concrete game plan. I do know that the future will involve photography and writing. And I plan to stay in the sports arena.
It’s an exciting time for me and I can’t wait to get started.
My immediate future will hopefully include touchdowns, dunks and home runs. But I have no doubt I’ll get sacked, stuffed and taken deep every once in a while as well.
Thanks for coming along — it’s time for the second half to begin.
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The best of luck to you!
Let the 2nd half begin Rod! I can’t wait!
Good luck Rod, looking forward to your future work.
welcome to the wonderful world of freelance
if you’re good (and you are!) you’ll make it
if you’re not…well……
but there’s a rainbow of opportunites out there — enjoy
Rod,
I love the fact that you named your new blog (at least in part) beyond the best seat in the house. It is very fitting. I’m sorry to see that you got bought out, it is not always the easiest way to go but with the state the economy is in and the way that papers are taking a hit from other news sources, it isn’t all that suprising. Hopefully the second half finds you with the wind at your back and the sun in your opponents eyes so that all success can be yours.
Patiently looking forward to your next great work.
Good luck Rod! Looking forward to what you have in store for the future.
Good luck to you Rod! It’ll be fun to keep reading about the pictures you take and the stories behind them.
Best of luck in the 2nd half, Rod!
On the personal side, I’m glad you will continue the blog! It’s one that I’ve checked each day to see if there’s anything new, and go ‘Yea!’ when there is. I think you’ve downplayed your ability to write, so perhaps the sucess you’ll no doubt find from here on will be a good indication.
I understand a little about how this buyout stuff works, as the person who got me started at the Dayton Daily News as a freelance photographer took a buyout a couple of years ago this month. (Wow, talk about time flying…)
I’m sure you’re a little nervous about this (who wouldn’t be?) but with your skill at not only taking pictures, but more importantly capturing moments that tell a story, I’m sure you’ll have a great second half.
Thanks,
Rod:
I’ve enjoyed reading your posts, thanks for sharing. It’s always interesting to get the first-person side of the story, more interesting in some ways than the “official” report.
As someone at the start of the fourth quarter, I can say that there will be many opportunities that might not have been possible before.
Hope you got Ichiro to autograph that lens hood
Regards,
Daniel Sofer
Hermosawave Photography
http://www.hermosawave.net
Best of luck. I enjoy your insights and humor. Keep up the great work in the 2nd half.
Wow, Rod! What a loss for the Seattle Time! All the best in whatever comes next.
Sooner than later, Scott
Wow! What a great loss for the Seattle Times! All the best in your future endeavors.
Sooner than later, Scott
Best of luck, I just recently found your previous blog and have been following it for about two months and enjoying it very much. I will definitely continue to follow you here as well. As a student and a hopeful sports photographer, it makes me realize just how much harder I will have to work.
Rod,
Thanks for all the blogging you did, it was really a joy for us to experience the NFL seasons, Olympics and your other assignments through your eyes, words and camera…looking forward to the things to come!
Alan
I’ve been recently following your blog and saw you in Atlanta. Best of luck on the second half of your career. I will continue reading and learning from your blog and can’t wait to see your next post.
There is a season….turn….turn….turn. Now it is your turn! I expect nothing but the best for you. If you need a refuge in the Dallas Fort Worth area let us know. Keep the blogs coming. steve
There is a season….turn….turn….turn. Now it is your turn! I expect nothing but the best for you. If you need a refuge in the Dallas Fort Worth area let us know. Keep the blogs coming. steve
Best of luck in the next pursuit. I’ll be ready you here so keep the content coming.
Best of luck in the next pursuit. I’ll be ready you here so keep the content coming.
Rod, best of luck to you, it’s sad that this is becoming a daily event for a lot of great photographers.
regards, chuck
Hi Rod,
I will keep checking out this new blog for your future work. If you ever need an assistant let me know — I know lights and how to hold a lens
Daniel Berman
The best of luck to you Rod. I have always loved your football shots over the years.
Rod,
I’ve kept up with BSITH since becoming an SS member and was very excited to meet you at the Olympic slideshow in LA this Nov. I’ve enjoyed your images and I am sure everything you point your camera at will turn to gold. I look forward to seeing what you’ll be up to next. FYI: I was in marching band! Played the clarinet and loved field show competition.
Renay
Best of luck to you Rod. Looking forward to the kick off of the second half.
I’ve always wondered how the Seattle Times managed to afford someone as good as you (when it’s so much cheaper just to buy photos off the wire)… Now that it’s clear they can’t anymore, I look forward to seeing what the future holds. Best of luck.
I came late to your “Best Seat in the House”, about 3 or 4 months ago but not to late to enjoy your pictures and more importantly, to me, you comments about the pictures. I am looking forward to your upcoming pictures and comments.
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog at the Times and will be reading this one now. Your work is excellent! Best of luck in the 2nd half!!
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog at the Times and will be reading this one now. Your work is excellent! Best of luck in the 2nd half!!
Rod,
Its a brutal world out here being self employed, but I have every confidence that you’ll thrive. You do great work and I am sure freelance clients will appreciate it.
I’ll miss seeing your work when flying through SEA. My first stop at every layover there was to a news stand to grab the paper and look for your photos.
-Fish
Rod,
Good luck in finding what you are looking for.
As a person with the same name and same interests, I do have to admit that I am scared. I am about to graduate and all Ive ever wanted to do is be a visual storyteller. Yet im nervous to see that there is no fixed plan out there for me. Ill keep reading, but please figure out what the hell is going on and let me know. Again, goodluck and keep up the amazing work
Rod,
Its a brutal world out here being self employed, but I have every confidence that you’ll thrive. You do great work and I am sure freelance clients will appreciate it.
I’ll miss seeing your work when flying through SEA. My first stop at every layover there was to a news stand to grab the paper and look for your photos.
-Fish
Where ever you are going, Rod, I’m in: You post, I’ll read. I’m relieved to see you continue your blogging; it’s added a real dimension to your photographs… or at least my appreciation of them. Besides, with the Blog to point me to your work, I can keep up with your stuff no matter where you end up. And that’s a good thing.
Best of Wishes, GodSpeed, and keep us up to date!
Mr. Michael
best of luck. i look forward to your future work.
Just bookmarked your new blog!
Good luck from the Holy land
Hadari
I beg to differ…you still look as young as when I left the Times 15 years ago!
Rod, Everything happens for a reason. You will succeed at anything you do. Having known you since our hoop days as kids(bailing you out in the backcourt when big dudes pressed you….lol…j/k), I’ve never questioned you not being successful. You are surrounded by great friends, a loving wife and beautiful kids, and of course awesome parents.
I think alot of us are being challenged at this time of our lives. Last 10 seconds in the game, we’re down by one, you’re at the charity stripe shooting two……the rest is history…you nail both shots and get the win. That’s you Rod, a Winner!!!
(We…yourself, Brad, and Big Rod have to get together in January sometime…catch up on old times)
Take care,
Brian Eng
Rod, good luck with your future endeavors! I like the band pic. My pic is on the back of the NCAA Championship Video in 1994 of the Arkansas Razorbacks winning the title!
Take care and I’ll be bookmarking this page.
Rod,
I first started reading your blog during the Olympics and was very impressed with all the technical knowledge that you threw in for photography enthusiasts (seeing what a D3 and 200-400 VR would produce under Olympic conditions!)
Best of luck!
-Sam P.
Quality will succeed even in this economy. I think you’ll do well. I’m glad you are keeping the blog.
Rod, All the best for the future. Big loss for the Times, but I’m sure you’ll find plenty of new opportunities to showcase your talent.
Rod, I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and will follow you here as well. Jeff Horner and I still joke about how he owes you a pizza from years ago, it may be time to take him up on that. The second half of life is supposed to be the golden years, may that be true in many more ways than one. Best of luck and if you’re ever in need of anything in Walla Walla give us a call.
Best wishes Rod. I’ve learned a lot by reading your coolumns. I always watch your photos to see if you’ve shot Darryl Tapp. I live 30 minutes from Va. Tech (where he played college ball)
I’m going to guess from the vintage of the T-shirt worn by the trumpeter next to you that, like me, you were on the field at Husky stadium in the fall of 1984. I, however, was in the Oregon band. We joined the Husky band to perform a patriotic pregame show. The UW band arrayed in a United States flag display while the Oregon band spelled out a block USA. A GTF of ours had a light bulb go on near the end of the morning rehearsal, and we took about two minutes to devise, at the end of the performance, marching the S off the field, dropping the middle bar of the A to the baseline of the letter, then moving the resulting O next to the U before marching the UO off the field. It went off perfectly. No idea if anyone else noticed, but we were college kids, so we got a big kick out of our sly tactics.
Have long enjoyed your blog, Rod, subscribed via RSS. Great perspectives on Seattle-area sports as well as parenting, officiating, Olympics, etc. Best wishes and keep on truckin’.
Rod, I’ve admired your work for a long time. You’re a dynamite sports photographer and your very informative blog(s) are first class. Good luck in the freelance world. I look forward to seeing your future work & reading about your experiences. -cg.
Rod, your words and photos have always been a pleasure to read and that will continue for as long as you hold that torch. Best of luck…
I feel lame commenting here more than a week after it was posted — my excuse is that I was on vacation and ignoring all technology at the time. In any case, I want to say good luck. I’m sure there are more great things in your future, and I’ll certainly be reading along here.
best of luck Rod I really enjoy reading your stories.