As a newspaper photographer, I rarely feel comfortable when I click the shutter to take a photo. Usually my knees are burning from kneeling to get the perfect angle or my neck and shoulders are straining under the 10 pounds of camera equipment I regularly carry. Sometimes the discomfort is internal, like when I feel panicked after I arrive at an assignment and only have 10 minutes to make print-worthy images. Being uncomfortable is simply part of the job.
When I traveled to Laconia, N.H., to photograph a dog sledding race in February, I knew I would be uncomfortable. As I stepped out of my warm car, my cheeks burned as the wind whipped snow onto my face. As I trudged through several feet of snow to set up along the racecourse, my toes and fingers went numb. I later learned that temperatures in Laconia were around 2 degrees and with the wind chill it felt like -20 degrees.
I was painfully cold. I was uncomfortable. But as the teams of dogs sprinted past me, with their tongues hanging out of their mouths and snow flying around them, I forgot about my discomfort. All I thought about was capturing what was unfolding before me.
Neale Donald Walsch once said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” It may simply sound like a cliche, but during my seven months in the Upper Valley, I learned that only when I am uncomfortable will I make images that mean something.
Sarah Shaw interned at the Valley News from January until July. She is a senior at the University of North Carolina.
The Valley News’ three staff photographers and two interns are sharing the stories behind their favorite photographs of the year. More of their favorites can be seen in the Photo Galleries section of this website.