I have gotten into photojournalism a lot lately, and after taking a series of shots from the Winter Festival in Lowell, Massachusetts, a very inspiring event happened.

I talked to the photo editor at the Lowell Sun (local newspaper) before I actually took the Winter Festival shots. He said he'd like to review them, and that he likes seeing new faces and new shots. Come the minute I got home from the festival, I gave him a call and no answer. The next day, no answer. That following Monday, I gave him a call and he picked up and said, "Well you see, Winterfest is history now." Which I kind of figured would happen, but he still wanted to review the shots. So I burned them to a CD and he went over them, and gave me a few tips and analyzed each shot. I was intrigued and then determined to follow out exactly what he had given me tips on.

He recognized I was a student, a junior in high school, and offered me an internship when I began my senior year ("late spring, early summer," he said). He told me not to be discouraged, and to keep taking shots because news is always happening and sometimes they might not have a crew of photographers out there - but they may have a reporter. So I will be going all out photojournalist for the next few months, possibly years because I like the fact that there is a career in that. I love journalism, I love writing, taking photographs, and being educated. It seems as though the perfect job.

So please, expect a new style from me. Thank you all for everything you have given me, from helping me out as a beginner to teaching me the fine points in amatuer photography.

dA has become my family. I'm glad to be a part of it.

Thank you again,
Andrew Bechtol.