Blog Guy, I just heard that a pilot on a Continental Airlines flight from Brussels to Newark died in mid-flight today!

That’s true. But the plane was landed safely by two co-pilots.

Yikes! That raises so many questions!

Like what?

Like, when the plane landed, what did the arrival sign look like?

I’m very glad you asked that, complete stranger. It gives me the opportunity to use our actual photograph of the sign, which otherwise nobody might ever see. It looked a lot like this.

Amazing! were you alone with that shot?

Um, something tells me others managed to get it, too.

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Above: A message board shows the arrival of flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, June 18, 2009. The pilot of Continental Airlines flight 61 died in mid-flight and the plane landed safely under the control of two co-pilots.

Right: cameramen shoot the arrival boards.

REUTERS photos by Eric Thayer

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Blog Guy, you write a lot about photojournalism. Is that a good career?

The very best, except for blogging.

High praise indeed! What’s the single best thing about the job?

That’s easy. The cheerleaders! All news photographers have pro cheerleaders who stand behind them at events and do supportive cheers while the shooters snap away. Here, look at this photo from a Lakers game.

I don’t believe that for an instant.

It’s true! Just watch the next presidential news conference or NATO Summit or hurricane or whatever, and watch for the pompoms and skimpy outfits.

Wait. What if a photographer can’t afford a cheerleader?

Now you’re just being silly. That’s what expense accounts are for.

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Los Angeles Laker Girls perform behind photographers on the sidelines during Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic in Los Angeles June 7, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Blake

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It’s me, Blog Guy, that aspiring photojournalist. I think it’s time I try some tougher shots. You know, the ones that only the pros can do. Like say you have some world leaders together and you want to show action?

Sure. The great shooters will do this by showing them buttoning their jackets. If you can get two of them to do it simultaneously, that’s solid gold.

Awesome! Is there lanything better than a double?

Well, there is… oh, never mind, it won’t happen again in your lifetime.

No! Tell me what it is! I can handle it!

Look, in theory there’s the trifecta - three jacket buttonings at once -  but that’s a shot we only dreamed of, until it really happened yesterday. We’ll be talking about it for years and years to come, so save a copy for your grandchildren.

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Above: President George W. Bush and Indonesian President President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono button jackets in 2007 file photo. REUTERS/ Jason Reed

Below: Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper and France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy at a D-Day commemoration at the U.S. military cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 2009. REUTERS/ Chris Helgren

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Blog Guy, I’m CEO of a struggling U.S. company. I need to reduce my Information Technology costs. My employees act like computers grow on trees, abusing equipment and stuff. Our geeky tech staff is too timid to crack the whip. Help!

Maybe you’re hiring your techies in the wrong place, sir. Send your recruiters to the Information Technology college, in Baghdad.

As you can see here, their grads won’t put up with crap from your whiny workers.

They’re pretty impressive, I must say.

Exactly. Imagine one of your employees shows up hung-over in the morning, spills coffee in his keyboard and calls Tech Support. Now imagine two or three of these guys answering his call. What sort of workers do you employ, if I may ask?

Um, journalists.

Oh. Then I’d hire several hundred of these dudes.

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Students of the Information Technology college dress in costumes during a celebration of their graduation ceremony in al-Nahrain University in Baghdad May 5, 2009. REUTERS/ Thaier al-Sudani

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Blog Guy, It’s me - the aspiring photojournalist you’ve been advising. know these are hard times in journalism, and I’m wondering if news organizations are cutting costs in the area of photography.

I’m afraid so. Many media outlets have shifted to hiring nuns for photo assignments. You see whole herds of nuns at all the big news events these days.

Nuns? Why nuns?

Do the math. They’re practically everywhere, they work cheap, they don’t cheat on their expenses, and they can carry tons of equipment in those outfits.

Their habits?

Good point. They do have better habits than most photographers.

Are they any good? How do they even judge the distance to their subject?

Many of them seem to have easy access to rulers and yardsticks. I don’t know why.

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Nuns take pictures as they attend the traditional Greek Orthodox Washing of the Feet ceremony outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City April 16, 2009, ahead of Orthodox Easter. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

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Blog Guy, it’s me again. The guy you’re tutoring to be a photojournalist. Recently you told me about shooting auto shows, and how all people want to see are the chick models. But I presume motorcycle shows are different - surely readers want to see new motorcycles?

Yeah, and surely Bernie Madoff is looking forward to meeting his new roommate, too.

Cripes, kid. No matter what somebody is trying to sell, you want to get the female models instead, because that’s real news. If you have to include a muffler or wheel, sometimes that can’t be helped.

And here’s another tip. Compare the combo below, from the Tokyo Motorcycle Show today, with the photo on the right, from a 2008 show. If you can get the model ON the motorcycle, you’re on your way to a Pulitzer Prize!

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Model poses on a motorcycle at the Autocar Performance Show in Mumbai, November 13, 2008. REUTERS/Arko Datta

Models pose with motorcycles at Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2009, in Tokyo, March 27, 2009. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

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Blog Guy, as a journalist I imagine you’re happy to be in a country with a free press, unlike some other places.

Amen to that! Like Canada, for instance.

Um, I believe they have a free press in Canada, don’t they?

Yeah? Tell that to the reporters who went to a local official’s news conference yesterday, where he waved a big snake at them every time they asked a question!

Did you read that someplace?

Nah, I just saw a picture.

I’m sure you know that didn’t really happen. Why did you make it up?

So I could show our actual photo caption below, which carefully identifies the guy as (C) for center, so that easily-confused readers won’t mistake him for the snake.

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British Columbia Environment Minister Barry Penner (C) holds onto Pisco the boa constrictor following an announcement on new restrictions with regards to controlling the owning and breeding of exotic animals, at the aquarium in Vancouver, British Columbia March 17, 2009. REUTERS/Andy Clark

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Blog Guy, I’m ready! I’ve been studying all of your tips for aspiring photojournalists, and here is my portfolio for your critique. What do you think?

Bravo! Perfect, both of them!

Oh, come on, I need a LITTLE criticism. Surely there’s SOMETHING!

Okay. On the shot of the soccer team captain… Does he actually have a mouth?

I think so. Should that have been in the picture?

Well, very strictly speaking, some folks consider that to be part of the face.

Damn! I should have caught that! Is there anything wrong with my Hollywood-style celeb shot?

Oh, there are probably some old fuddy-duddies who think the subjects should face the camera.

Now I’m totally demoralized! So these shots would never make the Reuters file?

Hey, I didn’t say that!

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Above: England’s national soccer team captain John Terry at news conference in Seville, Spain, February 10. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo

Below: Actors Woody Harrelson (L) Ben Foster (R) and director Oren Moverman pose at Berlin photocall, February 9, 2009. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz

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Keep it coming, Blog Guy - the more photojournalism advice I can get, the sooner I’ll get my dream job.

What do you want to know today, Grasshopper?

I’m wondering about ethics and privacy. Are photojournalists expected to violate basic standards of dignity and decency? How far should we go to get THE news shot?

That’s a decision every shooter has to make on his own. You take this week, when rumors spread that Paris Hilton was in a Port-a-john. For once, paparazzi showed some class.

They did? How?

Instead of pushing the thing over, or setting it on fire, or kicking in the door, they discreetly just shot in through the open roof.

I’m guessing that didn’t really happen.

Nah, but it’s more fun than the real photo caption.

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Above: Paris Hilton in Park City, Utah, January 17, 2009. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Below: Photographers take pictures of a mirror room created by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci during the opening ceremony of an exhibition titled “Da Vinci - The Genius” in Budapest February 5, 2009 . REUTERS/Karoly Arvai

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Blog Guy, I’m ready for more of your sage advice for aspiring photojournalists. if I want to reach the hearts and minds of the public, what should I be shooting? What’s most important to the people?

Scarlett Johansson’s hairstyle.

What? Who gives a flying… about that?

She changes it quite often, so it’s important to be the first one to shoot the latest. Here you can see seven versions, from this week back to 2003.

I must say, that seems like WAY too many pictures to have on this one thing.

Then you’d LOVE the 24-shot slideshow we did on her hairstyles yesterday.

So why are you holding back on the other shots?

I still have a little of my integrity left.

Um, I don’t get the headline on this post.

That’s okay, a lot of readers will.

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Cast member Scarlett Johansson attends the premiere of the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You” at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California, February 2, 2009. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

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