Slices of life: “Feature hunting” for images in community journalism

Southeast Missourian photography staff

Saturday, March 28, 2020

One of the great joys for a photographer is capturing a random, yet beautiful, moment of everyday life. While photographers always have to produce an image for publication, finding the compelling photo can be a challenge. With that said, the pursuit of the image makes its final successful creation all the more rewarding. In the time of COVID-19, social distancing and staying at home, Southeast Missourian photo editor Jacob Wiegand thought it would be nice to explore some of those recent standalone images not tied to any sort of event, news, features or sports story. In 2019, members of our photo department produced a similarly-themed series titled “Rural Routes” exploring life in the region. Some of those images are included. The images in this gallery are some examples of when the “feature hunt” was most successful.

After spending the morning at vacation Bible school, Nicholas Elfrink, center, leaps into the pool while swimming with John Paul Barinque, right, and Declan Vowels, left, as an afternoon rain shower begins to fall Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Cape Girardeau. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)
Sweethearts embrace by the bank of the Mississippi River in heavy snow as dusk falls Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, in downtown Cape Girardeau. The couple, who later said they came to the riverfront to be alone and enjoy the snow, declined to provide their names for publication. (Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian)
Randy Haley, with shovel, and Kristen Greer, standing, laugh while planting a flower bed with Wendy Farrow, bottom left, and Haley's wife Claudia Haley, all of Cape Girardeau, on Monday, April 15, 2019, at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cape Girardeau. "Maybe one or two years ago or something we had to do some remodeling for issues with drainage," Greer said. "We had laid some sod and then now we're just getting around to planting some flowers." (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)
Allie Cook of Cape Girardeau, 4, attempts to catch the ball while working on her tee-ball skills with her twin sister, Abbie Cook, and grandparents, Steve and Easy Stilson of Cape Girardeau, on Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau. Easy said the twins will have their first tee-ball league practice Wednesday. (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)

LaShanda Daniels of Cape Girardeau and her daughter Jazmyn McDowell-Hill, 5, have a picnic lunch Monday, May 20, 2019, at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau. "She's going to kindergarten this year coming up," Daniels said. "I'm just trying to have a little bit of extra one-on-one time with her cause she's not going to be a baby forever." (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)
Briton Purl, 7, hangs from a tire swing in his front yard while his friend, Kaiden Thompson, 6, climbs above him Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, in Cape Girardeau. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)
Robert Laird, 10, closes his eyes while attempting to maintain his balance in the waters of the Mississippi River on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019, at Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau. Joined by his 6-year-old friend Anthony Benson, Laird and Benson swam in the river during an afternoon rainstorm while his mother watched over the two. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)
Raymond Ziegert adjusts the order of pool balls in a rack before beginning a game Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, at M & J's pool hall and buy-and-sell in Marble Hill, Missouri. The venue has also been rumored to feature karaoke from time to time. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)
A man who asked to remain unidentified mows a lawn at dusk Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019, near Olive Branch, Illinois. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)

Richard Baker leans on the hood of a 66 Ford pickup, one of half-a-dozen antique automobiles he tinkers with in his spare time Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in a barn on his land near Scopus, Missouri. Baker, who has battled cancer for a decade despite an early prognosis of only four or five years, said he now takes it easy, leases his land for farming and occupies his time with a variety of projects, mostly fixing cars or lawn mowers for family members. "I do what I can now; usually take a few hours off for lunch," he said. "Today's been a pretty good day -- I haven't felt so bad today." (Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian)
Marcus Pair, 12, picks up his Real skateboard deck as Elliot Allen, 12, left, catches his balance while skating Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in a parking lot outside of Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau. "You used to be able to see [the brand name]," Pair said with a laugh while describing his worn-in skateboard. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)
Drake McIntyre, 13, practices playing "Eagle Ridge" on his flute outside his home Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, in Marble Hill, Missouri. McIntyre said he practices with the Woodland band every day after school and also puts in at least 15 minutes of practice on his own each afternoon. Now in 8th grade, McIntyre picked up the flute last year, in part because his mother, who also plays the instrument, could help tutor him if he got stuck. (Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian)
Pat Grippo, left, chats with his friend, Ismael Rodriguez, before closing up shop Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, at Pat's Auto Repair in Marble Hill, Missouri. Grippo opened the shop in 1992 when he moved to Marble Hill from upstate New York. "I was raised as a kid in the old country (Italy)," he said. "And upstate New York is country like this here, but taxes, housing, everything was expensive and I wanted to bring my kids; 6, 8 and 10 when I moved them down here." (Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian)
Clockwise from left, Amya Patterson, 5, Justis Howell, 10, and Deandre Abraham, 2, bounce A'shon Howell, 3, below center, on a trampoline Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, in Cape Girardeau. (Ben Matthews ~ Southeast Missourian)
NormaJean Lauck of Apple Creek, Missouri, clears leaves Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019, at a home on Brookwood Drive in Cape Girardeau. Lauck said she clears leaves at the home about once a week this time of year. (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)
Savannah Sloan, 6, of Benton, Missouri, pauses at the top of a climbing attraction Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, at Melaina's Magical Playland at Cape County Park North in Cape Girardeau. (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)
Adam Rister wraps a tree in Christmas lights outside his home Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Chaffee, Missouri. Rister began assembling Christmas light displays when he was about 8; now roughly two-and-a-half decades later, it's a passion. "It's growing every year. Little by little," he said. "I have a passion for doing it." Rister said when he was a kid, his grandparents, Mary and Gail Rister, were older and didn't want to mess with Christmas displays as much. So his grandpa gave him a box of lights and told him he could decorate. As a little kid, he said it was something he always wanted to do. (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)
Barber Steve Wall, originally of Jackson and now Chaffee, Missouri, tends to the hair of Steve Whitaker of Chaffee on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, at Steve's Barber Shop in Chaffee. "I enjoy the people," Wall said of his job. "You don't realize this until after you do it for as long as I have, but one of the most enjoyable things is watching the kids grow up and then you see their families come back. You know they have kids." Wall said he's been barbering in Chaffee since 1993 or 1994. (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)
Jonathan Harris, 13, throws down a reverse-dunk as his older brother, Zacheriah, background, looks on while playing basketball Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, on South Ellis Street in Cape Girardeau. "I had to teach myself [how to play basketball]," Zacheriah said. "And then I had to teach him (Jonathan.)" "That's why I'm so good," Jonathan added. "Better than him!" (Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian)
Danny Menz of Chaffee, Missouri, tends to a burn pile while doing maintenance work for La Croix Church on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, near the church and First General Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. Menz, who was onsite with his wife Kathy Menz, said they regularly do landscaping work together. "She's the one that knows plants," he said. Danny said he's the one who has "the muscle to dig the holes and all that." "I'm just a country boy, raised on the farm," he said. (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)
Student Triston King maintains his balance while slacklining with Sierra Mertz, left, and John Bowdle (not pictured) Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. King said he began slacklining about four years ago, the same time he started rock-climbing. "They're two activities that seem to go well together for hippies," he said. (Tyler Graef ~ Southeast Missourian)
David Dugan of Charleston, Missouri, speaks on the phone with Ashley Freese of St. Louis, Missouri, who was about the join the hammocking group of Southeast Missouri State University students including Harley Allen of Dexter, Missouri, (middle) and Ashton Hopper of Cape Girardeau (in background) on Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau. "It's beautiful out here," Dugan said. "It's really peaceful to come out here and just enjoy nature, enjoy God's creation." (Jacob Wiegand ~ Southeast Missourian)