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Will B. The Newspaper Man

Just passing my one-year mark working at the Olney Enterprise it made me start to reflect on my first year.

The reasons I started working here have expanded in so many ways where to start. I always dreamed of having a job where I could use my photography I suppose ever since I was a young whipper snapper. As I have told the story of how I use to read my Dads National Geographic’s and daydreamed of traveling the world as a photographer, I won’t bore you with a review of said story. My point is clear though I have always wanted to earn a living as a photographer.

Working at a small-town newspaper is probably the direct opposite of a globe-trotting international man of mystery. In other ways it is the direct opposite. Traveling around to exotic locations staying briefly here or there not really ingraining myself in those distant community’s as opposed to working as a photographer on a small-town newspaper where I am ingraining myself deeply into the community.

From time to time while covering events I would hear a hushed whisper of one person asking who is that? Someone would reply “it’s the newspaper man” at first, I didn’t know how I felt about hearing this from time to time. Now I rather like the moniker.

When I first started out it was awkward covering a photographing event such as a Cubs Football game or a similar event. I would think people must be looking at me like some kind of weirdo or something. Then after sharing some photos I found parents in the community enjoyed having their youngsters’ photos taken and shared. Not all parents have the opportunity to see all of their kids’ events and functions. Although the Enterprise only needs one or two photos at most of any event, I feel a certain obligation to photograph the entire event and share these photographs with the community. I take anywhere from 50 to as many as 800 photos at an event. Which takes many long hours of culling (the act of going through and removing unwanted photos) and editing. Sometimes I have free time at work to do the edits and sometimes I do them at home. I typically work anywhere from 40 to 60 hours a week although I have worked as many as 70 from time to time but usually on rare occasions. We only get paid for 40 hours. I only remark on it because it just shows what a labor of love it is to work at the Enterprise.

I quickly realized that I could fill an important gape here in Olney. Capturing all those moments so that parents who could not be present at events could still have a memory of their youngsters’ event they missed as well as it allows some to set their phones and cameras aside and simply enjoy the moment know someone is here to capture those moments.

As my second year at the Olney Enterprise begins, I take great pride when I hear “he is the newspaper man” I take pride in the Olney Youth when I share their photographs in the newspaper or on Facebook. These kids, parents, teachers, city workers, doctors, nurses, police, coaches and many more, the list could go on for quite a bit deserve to be recognized, bragged about and have their photos and stories shared. Olney is a great community and I am proud to be able to help tell your story.

 This is Will B. The Newspaper Man saying see you in the paper.