Click! WW, the Press & Sentinel

Stephen
Woody

We had a fare-thee-well lunch Wednesday for William Woody, our photojournalist/page designer/sports writer. He’s taking a photojournalism/video position with the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. I talked with the Sentinel’s publisher last week regarding another matter; Jay Seaton told me that they were delighted to have him coming on staff, that they would “turn him loose,” a harbinger of support.

Photojournalism makes a newspaper sing. On a good day, it’s akin to having, let’s say, a good, dynamic jazz group, managed but improvisational, just nailing the melody and rhythm. Then, the photojournalist steps out, like a vocalist, and gives the group its “pop,” the “wow” moment. A good number of people over the years have noticed as well, and have sent notes of similar sentiment.

William, 29, been shooting professionally for about 15 years. He caught on early, shooting middle school sports, then on the sidelines shooting his first NFL game when he was 15. Last January, he covered the Obama inauguration. There were only two newspapers in all of Colorado with presidential press credentials that day: the Denver Post, and the Daily Press. He was tenacious with the U.S. Senate Press Corps., badgering them almost daily until we got a credential. We published an inauguration EXTRA!, the only paper in Colorado to do. Regardless of party affiliation or ideology, covering, or attending a presidential inauguration is a pretty big deal. It’s one of life’s better moments, particularly if you’re an American. (I’ve been at two: Johnson in ’65; Bush in ’89.)

In between his first NFL game and first presidential inauguration, he’s covered county fairs, little league baseball, a U.S. Open, NACSAR racing, major league baseball, the NBA, the Avalanche, local shootouts �” the whole Magilla from grip-and-grin photos of club officers, to the ‘Holy Cow! Martha’ photo, and all the stuff in between.

A couple of quick, come-to-mind images: a few years ago, in a local police drug raid, he caught a young woman, shackled in handcuffs on the curb, while her infant child struggled to keep a bottle. The infant is looking directly into the camera, an illustration of her young innocence is an unfortunate moment. Last fall, he caught an MHS football player putting a hard, but fair hit on an opposing player. Boom!, we called the photo. Both photos were provocative and I received calls about them. That’s what photojournalism is supposed to do: affect the viewer.

His work has won numerous awards from state and national press associations. His work has appeared in national magazines and in national newspapers like The Washington Post, and The New York Times. He has been a regular free-lancer for the Denver Post. When he was 19, he had the center spread in Sports Illustrated, a perfectly timed shot of Rod Smith scoring a touchdown in Denver.

Often, his routine work is something to stand back and appreciate. In my office, there’s a photo taken last year of a Montrose High School wrestler winning a match. The referee is raising the MHS wrestler’s hand in victory; the loser is walking away dignified. The light is perfect. It was a photo that wasn’t published because he didn’t deem it special. It’s a personal favorite because of all the interpretative qualities. There’s also a photo of Montrose native Dirk Johnson, when he was punting for the Eagles taken in Denver. It’s the most tightly composed sports photo I’ve ever seen. Dirk’s punting from the end zone, the Broncos are coming at him. The ball’s in the air, and it’s all on the JumboTron above. Another is an ice climber in Ouray, which appears multi-dimensional and was featured on the cover of the Colorado Press Association magazine/directory two years ago. His ability to work with light and understand light is special. Composition can be taught, but getting it right with the light is instinctual. For example, there’s a photo of people attending the county fair whose background is illuminated by a setting sun, along the top rail of the fairgrounds. You can’t see their faces, but the hagiographic light is spot on. They’re all on display at our office, in our gallery, along with the work of other Daily Press photographers.

Will’s not leaving town, rather he and Jeana and our grandson, Wilson Stephen, are staying put. It’ll be a commute. Jeana’s continuing her education in nursing at Mesa State and they’re settling into their first home. He’s excited about the change of scenery, a fresh commitment. As his father and publisher, I’m conflicted. I’m proud, excited for him; yet we’re losing a top staffer to a competitor. His talent is a marvel. Like that vocalist.