Pidu" ::..oditonore photogro­ plMnoft .. ","', go bock ~""picIu" isn" pttftd, "",Wdiamno discuuing . phaI.dory with -'<shop student Shawn O'Maley. arty years ago, newspaper ph~ Security Administration photographs Ftographers practiced what Cliff taken during the Depression under Edom, 8J '46, calls "stand 'em the direction of Roy Stryker, Edom, up, shoot 'em down" photography. along with his wife, Vi, set up the first But these stimy posed shots that relied Missouri Photo Workshop in 1949. on plenty of flash were not bow The project, at first funded out of the Edom, the father of photojournalism Edams' own pockets, is now part of and University professor, thought the School of Jouma1ism's eminence Sto,,' b,' JOAI'" M. MCKEE newspapers should present the world. program and is supported in part by PholM b,. JEfF ADAMS Inspired by the realism of Fann $21,500 in money and equipment 22 I ISS OURI Al UMNUS SPiING 1919 Leh, wotluhop IouncieBCliff and Vi Edom look at 1988 wotluhop photogropln ot a public showing. Below, Min", _hrll11 Sco" . nd Kothleen Bur.. process film in a bathtub­ ofttn 30 roIk ot a time. from Eastman Kodak Co. Edom, 82, retired in 1986 as direc­ tor, but he and Vi continue as staff members. A former assistant manager of the Missouri Press Association, Vi Edom has been the historian and keeper of the workshop records since it began. "I founded the workshop," Edom says, "but Vidid all the work." Since that first workshop in Colum­ bia, professional and student photog­ raphers have descended upon 38 Mis­ souri towns following Edom's direc­ ti ve to "show truth with a camera" through unposed., documentary photo essays. These photographers have cap­ tured the lives of small-town Missour­ ians of all ages and professions. ontinuing with tradition, Oct. C19, a total of 48 students and professional photographers from 24 states and fi ve countries went to Jefferson City for the 40th Missouri Photo Workshop. Rounding out the team were 17 top photo editors and 13 Mizzou students who served as the darkroom crew. Co-directors Duane Dailey, Uni­ versity extension information special­ ist in photography, and Bill Kuyken­ dall, director of the University's photojournalism sequence, selected the participants on the basis of a included Sam Abell and Robert E. when you know that someone is portfolio, recommendations and a Gilka of Nallonal Geographic Maga­ going to look at each frame," says Piet desire to learn. The cost of the work­ zine, Carolyn Lee of The New York van Lier, a graduate student at MU shop is $350. Times and Alan Berner of The Sealtle and a workshop participant. The week of long days and short Times. Evening critiques of the best and nights began Sunday as photographers Each frame was important since worst photographs helped shooters scouted the town for a story. Told to the photographers had only three see their successes and failures. leave their egos at the door, the partici­ days to shoot and were limited to 10 "When I was a student at the work­ pants had to sell their stories to a panel rolls of 36-<:xp05ure black-and-white shop, I made about as many mistakes of professional photojournalists, who film. "You are careful with your film as you could make," says William sr. INC 1919 II SSOUI I AlU,.,.iUS 23 Eppridge. BJ '60, a staff member and together. To do that, they must get to and professor emeritus of photojour­ a contraa photographer with Sports know their subjects but remain de­ nalism at Mizzou, suggested van Lief RlustraJeil. "My career started off tached enough to capture natural, add • book to his camera bag. " He fasler because J made mistakes earlier unposed shots. told me to sit in another room and at this workshop." Van Lier, when photographing his read, then go in and take a few Since the workshop concept is to story of a nun, had trouble getting pictures," van tier says. "It worked." teach photographers how to do a natural poses. "She was camera con­ photo story, the photographers aren't scious and often included me in the hile the photographers were looking for just one good picture; they conversation," be says. Angus Mc­ Wgetting their story ideas. the are looking for many shots that work Dougall, a workshop staff member Mizzou photojournalism stu­ dents were busy converting two rooms at the Ramada Inn into dark­ rooms. A bathroom became a process. ing room. Another section was turned - -~ 1- ./ into the printing room, which was called the red-light district became of I~ '"-~ the safety lights that woo't expose .... ..... phOlO paper. B1ack plastic proICc1ed the carpeting, and aJl the doors were taped to keep out the light Window -.- fans dried the prints. "We would get ,\.~ - ~-.\-, • .~fII-.:'~ - . - into an automatic mode," says Cyn­ . ~ thia Youree, a member of the print ... - crew. "One hour after a roll of film • was picked up, the contact sheets ... --. - ~ - were ready." Friday, participantsandstaflmem­ bers discussed layouts. Only. few of the phoIographs rouId be used. Kmny Rogers from The New ZI!:oltutd Herald in Auch1and,says, "BeforcJcamebere, I thought that every pK:ture that looked National Geographic pictures the workshop good should be in the paper. Now I Portraits of a woman phoIographs from cad! workshop in Jeffmoo City know that pictures must be rdevant plowina with a hand tiller in workshop conducted since and asked for help in fiIIinI It's hard. but you have to pick." Hermann, a principal 1949 have been preserved. in gaps. A phoIograpll, DO Fridayaftemooo, the worksbop Old­ laughing at • boy's split on boards and stored at the matter bow old, 1ost.sits cd in a flash of lightbulbs as towns­ pants in Salem, • man with home of the workshop's value without this people c:ame to the Ramada Inn for an his jumping mule in founder, Oiff Edom, in information, Madden says. informal viewing of the prints and to KirksviUe, an elderly couple FOByth, Mo. The displays The magazine sufi a1so take pK:tmts of the photographers who shoeing. horse in Forsyth were shipped last year to WIS helpful in beginning spent the week with them. CliffEdom, and a mail carrier Na/iQnaJ Geographic s preservation of the the advocate of the unposed picture. encountering an un£riend1y headquarters in Washington. p~phs by makinjc politely posed with Viasmag&2lne and dog aJong his roule in Editors looked at more than negatives from the picturet; newspaper photographers directed Chillicotbe are among 28 6,000 images before making But more work DCCds to be them to hold up a workshop T-shirt photographs from Missouri their selection. "The choices done, says Bill Kuykendoll, with his picture 00 it Photo Workshops that are were hard because many of co-<IiR<lO< of the worbhop Saturday, tired workshop staff and featured. in the February us had atlended the and di=Io< of the photographers joined previous work­ issue of the NaJioNli workshops," says Rohen W. photojournalism scsqucoa: shop participants for a tribute to the Geograpltic Magazine. The Madden, Grad '67, senior at MU. Became of. Edoms at the University's School of pictures, taken between assistant editor and director sIIor1qe of spoce and W:k of JoumaJism. Many of the workshop 1950 and 1985, poruay the of layout funds, he says, the piawcs alumni like Chris Wilkins, Chicago day-to-day lives of Finding caption that represent 40 years of bureau chief of Agence F ranee Press., Missourians from 18 towns. information also was Missouri small-town history attnbuted his success to the work­ The pictures provide "a difficult. Until1ast year, are koow kept in an unLlSCd shop. Wilkins, who covered the Jran­ charming contrast to the workshop participants were darkroom at the School of Contra trial, often had to tell the story impersonal world of not required to provide this Journalism. "We would like in one picture. "I tried to catch the skyscraper living." says data. Often the name of the to set up • center of moments between the posed times," editor Wilbur E. Garren, BJ photographer was lost To photojouma1istic dudy at the Wilkins says. "'The workshop exper­ '54. help uack these f_the University where we could ience helped. Other photographers Choosing the pictures was National Geographic sent a <tisplay these petu", only shot between the gavels. I found a monumental task. Between rough layout of the permanently," Kuykendall that the story was usually before and 150 and 200 of the best magazine article to the says.-Joon M. McKee after." 0 24 MISSOUII ALUMN US SP lINt I'" .