COLUMN | 45 Words: Calling all photographers!

Published 9:33 am Friday, August 1, 2025

When I started my journalism career as a reporter for the Laughlin Gambler, located in Laughlin, Nevada, I was expected to take my own photographs for each of my stories.

We were a small paper with a small newsroom and, consequently, didn’t have a staff photographer. This was back when digital cameras were only a dream and cell phones with cameras were still something in Star Trek, not something that everyone would carry as a part of everyday life. So, whenever I was reporting stories about the latest town council happenings (Laughlin wasn’t an incorporated city), what was going on atthe elementary school, or what band was playing in one of the casinos, I would pack my Minolta Maxxum 7000 along and shoot pictures. When I was done reporting for the week, I’d turn in my film to our darkroom specialist, and he’d develop the black-and-white images. No, we didn’t have color pictures in the newspaper.

In time, I upgraded my camera gear to a Nikon 8008s (still a film camera) with better lenses and flash accessories. While at the Idaho County Free Press, in Grangeville, Idaho, I’m proud to say I took the first color picture ever used in that newspaper. I have taken thousands of photographs and even won a few awards for my work.

I don’t get out and shoot pictures as much as I once did, despite having upgraded yet again.

This time, to a digital camera. Like most people, I rely on the camera in my iPhone to take most of my pictures. It fits easily in my pocket and doesn’t weigh 30 pounds like my DSLR equipment.

Which brings me to my current need.

If you visit the office of The Outlook, you’ll notice that we need a bit of feng shui. Suffice it to say that we’re still getting settled in our digs. However, the thing that jumps out immediately is the big, blank, white wall behind the receptionist’s desk. So, I’d like to challenge you, our readers, to send me a photo that I can enlarge and display on the wall. It will be the first thing that people see when they visit the office of The Outlook, so it should be something that’s representative of the communities we serve. Send them to: opinion@theoutlookonline.com

I’m looking forward to your submissions!

Vance W. Tong is the editor and publisher of The Outlook and has been a journalist for more than 35 years.