Today I worked on a story about the taking down of a fence that has seen better days. It will be refurbished and put up at a historic location. The fence was made in the 1850's. My great friend Jim Stefanucci photographed this fence many times over the years looking for feature photos for page one of The Meadville Tribune. I thought about him a lot today as I made pictures of the fence's dismantling. I was concentrating as much as I could on the story at hand, but I also had a job shadow so I was trying to show how I go about making pictures for a story and also explaining what I was doing too. This is a picture that I liked very much even though it wasn't one I expected to use in the newspaper. I think this is an important lesson to teach all up-coming photographers. You need to shoot for yourself because it makes you a better photographer and story teller overall. What I like about this picture is that it shows a little of the fence and the rusting through the paint deterioration. But mostly i like how it leaves you thinking and more questions arise at least if you're one that looks at pictures as anything more than just something that accompanies words.) The picture we'll use tomorrow is similar in many ways but showcases one of the principle folks in the story (see below). Sometimes I wish we were a society a little more open to the lyrical. I too am at fault often looking at someone's artwork or design and being overly critical and not taking the time to understand what is going on. I was like this with artists like Rothko and Pollock until it hit me somehow what they were getting at. Now I love to look at their works. The Grateful Dead was also like this to me, I didn't get it and dismissed them until one day I heard what it was they were doing and now I am enthralled listening to the depths of sound and meaning in their music. The picture above, though not to be compared with Pollock or Rothko or even the Dead, is more lyrical than in your face informative. It leads to more questions than answers. It leads to more speculation than knowing. At least I hope this is so. Below are a few others from this seemingly simple assignment. Meadville Tribune photographs by Richard Sayer