A nearly failed first asignment (a study in murpy's law)

I did a good job setting it up at least.

I was sitting at the intern desk my editor at the Flint Journal had set for me, trying to be busy while I waited to get my hands on some new equipment. The writer for the Burton News of the community papers was doing an on-phone interview at the desk net to me with a hunter who was lost for twelve hours in a remote location that I can't remember. He survived by stuffing ferns in his coat.

As the new photo intern for the Community news, I was sitting there listening to the reporter set up a time to pick up photos from a recent hunting trip to be scanned and used for the article, to be run Sunday.

Enterprising reporter I am, I volunteer to take pictures for the article. I set up the time with the subject, Elmer Kuehn, who lives in Burton. I would meet him at 5:45 on Tuesday the 11th.

I made some mistakes right away.

1. I, a person with poor nightvision scheduled the appointment at a place I wasn't familiar with when it would be dark out.

2. I lost the notebook with the directions, a phone number, and all background information, not to mention cutline info for another story. I didn't realize this until I left for the appointment.

3. I get everywhere late, all the time. I didn't give myself time to possibly get lost, which I do all the time when steps one and two have already occured.

4. I didn't trust the writer that told me how to get there. I remembered the basic directions, passed the street the first time and thought she had told me the wrong way. She definitly hadn't.

5. I trusted equipment I didn't know. The strobe they gave me worked fine literally right before I left for the appointment. Apparently this strobe prefers not the company of hunters. In a low light situation, I had no flash.

I almost gave up when I gave driving the right way one last chance, and surpise- i simply missed the street. I also parked infront of the wrong house.

All in all, I think my first assignment went well. The people were incredibly gracious, kind, and enjoyed the shoot. Allison Kuehn offered me cooked elk, which I politely declined because of the ethics thing. That's what they call it at the 'Journal- "The ethics thing."

Because of the equipment failure, Elmer said I could come back wednesday if I needed to.

So, I learned to keep notes handy, leave extra time, and maybe not to drain the batteries of my strobe playing with it needlessly because of how fast it works.

Seen above is Kuehn sitting with a 6x6 elk rack from a recent trip to colorado, that he brought down with a 7mm rifle.

In the backgroung are nephew Craig Alexander [sitting], and spouse Allie Kuehn. When asked about the deer baiting ban, Elmer Kuehn said, "I think it's good. They [deer] need to eat on their own."