Interview by Marketing Chair: Karen Floyd with member, Thom Vollenweider.
Thom was the PPSDC General Meeting Speaker sharing his enormous career on August 5, 2024.
This is a Q & A style interview.
Karen
The first question, what do you believe is the most important skill that a photojournalist should possess?
Thom: I think knowing what I want as a finished print before shooting the picture, being able to pre-visualize a photograph it’s taken. It's the difference between just taking a picture and making a picture.
Before the digital age, it started for me once I entered in my first darkroom, developing and printing my own work. If you look at the print quality of legendary photographer Ansel Adams’ photographs, you’ll have a better understanding why collectors are willing to spend $100,000 for his prints. Shooting with an 8x10 camera, using a film holders that held only two sheets of film, he made each shot count, sometimes taking days to find the right moment to shoot each image. The iconic “Moonrise” over New Mexico is a great example of pre-visualization and knowing exactly with he wanted as a final print, before taking it.
Karen: So just to follow up on that a little. When you arrive on a scene and you're not really sure it's not something that you pre planned, because you really don't know exactly where you're being assigned or what the circumstances will will be. So you get there and immediately evaluate and kind of set up in your mind on how to best work the shots?
Thom: As a photojournalist, I’m there to capture the moment as it happens. I don’t stage my shots, my approach is to capture the “decisive moment”. Quite often, problem solving becomes an important skill that is learned with years of experience.
The key is to be a few steps ahead of the other photographers without stepping on feet.
For example, while working for United Press International in Europe, I would go country to country covering news events-the European Soccer Championships, Belgium Grand Prix, NATO/Common Market Meetings.
One of my assignments was to photograph Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia’s visit to Luxembourg. The Queen of Luxembourg and the Spanish Queen were visiting a maternity ward at local hospital. The room was packed with photographers and writers from both countries. Standing about 3 rows deep, there was no way I was going to get the shot. Trying to move forward was met with the cameramen giving me the evil eye.
Not letting them intimidate me, I quickly decided to take a different approach.
Reading the room, there was a nurse at the back of room, waiting to take the queens to the next room.
I asked if she could show me where the next room was and she offered to take me there. This room had an incubator in the center of it. Finding a prime spot that was about 8 feet away, I asked if it was ok if stayed there. She agreed but asked me not to move any closer. She went back to bring the queens and journalists into the room that I was waiting in.
As the cameramen entered the room, they made sure that I knew that they weren’t happy seeing that I found my spot to shoot. Once the royal guests came in, the news crew were on their best behavior.
Traveling on assignments, besides my cameras, the clothes on my back, I would have to carry a portable darkroom and a transmitter to send the photographs by taking the phone mouthpiece apart to connect it to the transmitter, using alligator clips. Once the 8x10 print was sent, I would have to disconnect the transmitter, put the phone back together and call the country (Spain) to confirm that they received it. They would often ask for
more pictures and the process would start all over again. If that wasn’t challenging enough, I had to develop the film, print the pictures without running water.
Karen: How do you handle the emotional impact of photographing like difficult or traumatic scenes? How do you separate and handle the upset and sadness?
Thom: Not exactly my favorite genre, I’ve done a few spot news events, like the McDonald’s massacre in San Ysidro. In 1979, I also covered Brenda Spencer, a 16-year-old shooter who killed the principal and custodian as they were trying to help the students. The elementary school was right across the street from her house. Eight students and a policeman, who was first to arrive were also injured. Not wanting to get in the way, I decided to photograph Spencer as she was brought into the downtown courthouse. The courthouse doorway was packed with news reporters, there to cover one of the first mass shootings. Not willing to get lost in the sea of reporters, I overheard one of the sheriffs saying, "we're not going be able to bring her to the courthouse through the front. We’ll have to bring her in the back way".
I asked the sheriff, if she would mind if I followed her out to get a shot of Spencer getting out of the car? She said, yeah, as long as you keep your distance. So I just followed them out. I was the only photographer there to capture her arrival. Handcuffed, she walked about 10 feet from where I was standing.
Shooting these news events definitely had an emotional impact on me. Seeing the printed images with their names, along with the story that has been piece together. has the biggest affect.
Karen : Okay, my final question, can you offer a technique or two that you use to connect with your subjects, to tell their story like authentically or make them be at ease while shooting?
Thom: Before I even pick up the camera, especially with celebrity like Tom Petty, I tend to take my time setting up equipment and talking about things that their interested in. Like when I worked for the Chargers, with Junior Seau , instead of talking football I would just I talk about his kids, his family, things like that, once they show signs of being ready, I slowly pick up the camera.
I remember photographing Tom Sefton, President of San Diego Trust and Savings. His staff told me that I only had five minutes to photograph him a front page magazine article. There's no way I could do it in five minutes. So once again, I came in and started looking at his bookshelf. Finding things that he was interested in, I would start off mentioning trains that he had in his book as I'm setting up equipment.
It took at least 10 minutes to set up these studio lights in his office. Talking about things that were his favorite memories, the trains were his childhood toys. Selfton really enjoyed talking about his trains! Apparently, I found the right subject. Instead of feeling rushed, Sefton invited me to have lunch on his train that was parked at the train depot downtown.
It's the same thing with Ted Geisel, Dr. Seuss. I was working for Time Magazine. I was setting up the studio lights with an assistant, took about 10 minutes. Before photographing Geisel, I met his wife who brought out cookies and a cup of coffee for me. Once we had been talking and Geisel was ready, I picked up the camera.
You can find more of Thom's work at: www.studiovportraits.com
