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About Me

My name is Tim Rutherford.
I'm a TV news photographer. I've been doing this over 25 years ...most of which in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1997 I looked around for a website that really focused on the daily plight of local TV photogs and I didn't find one. I did find B-roll.net which is still the BEST site for photogs. But back then, no site addressed the grind of TV news.

So I created Photog's Lounge. A lot of you found the site and the response was really gratifying. I didn't know diddley about web design (I'm still pretty much trial and error) but I continued to try and make Photog's Lounge a relevant and humorous site.

PhotogsLounge.net is all me, Tim Rutherford. No staff, no help, no pay.
Really just a labor of love.

I'm aimimg to keep it fresh and relevant ,to make it a website where TV news folks will enjoy visiting.
Just a place to grab a quick story, a quick headline, or a quick laugh.

I'll offer my opinion. Not that I have any special insight. Hell we all know how hard this job can be. I don't claim to be the best at what I do...but I'm pretty damn good and I've been shooting news for over 25 years so I've learned a lot about people and problems and, what the hell, it's my website so I'm gonna opine a little bit.

TV news photographers all need an edge. Welcome to the edge.
I always tried to let my site reflect your views, your stories,your troubles, with a hint of technology and a couple of giggles thrown in.
I hope it's working.
"Cause I ain't seen a dime on this damn thing."

Tim Rutherford
PhotogsLounge.net




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"Hey Cameraman"
by Tim Rutherford

You're a photojournalist. You're a videographer. You're an arteest! But reality hits when you're walking to the car with the camera on your shoulder and some guy wants to be "on TV"...what does he yell....."HEY CAMERAMAN!" .....Not "hey videographer"...or "hey photojournalist". It's "hey cameraman!" Let's face it...to the general public we are "cameramen". The question I get asked the most is not..."will this be a video essay?'...or "have you won many awards?" Nope. The question I hear is:..."How much does that thing weigh?"...or "I bet your shoulder gets sore huh?" I really enjoy shooting and editing a nice feature or a great spot news story. Most of us have won an award or three. And most of us put in a professional effort on all the stories we shoot.

But the fact is, as much as we would like to be seen as artists or journalists, much of the time we are merely laborers. Driving hundreds of miles through alleys and interstates, fighting the weather, lugging the gear from point A to point B, straining backs, shoulders, necks,wrists and eyeballs. Well this website is here for all the "cameramen" out there. Ladies included of course. The techs, the shooters, the cutters... who get it on in impossible time constraints and physically demanding situations. I'm going on 25 years in television and like most of you, I've learned how to be a survivor. Through labor difficulties, a revolving door of news directors, reporters and producers. Through bad ratings and good. Through newsroom tensions, screaming matches, and sad goodbyes.

This website is for you...the cameraman. Like they say..."without you, it's radio." Here... the cameraman will speak. We'll ask for cameramen to tell us their thoughts, ideas and stories. You want discussion on journalistic ethics...the NPPA is a great place.
But these days... ethics seem to sway in the wind... a nice set of rules that nobody can live up to. Reality pays my bills!

So join me as we get into real TV news. " Hey cameraman! Put me on TV!" Yeah...everybody wants to be on TV.