A child delights in a hug from Santa at Wolfchase Galleria . It was the two-year-olds first ever visit with Santa and one she will remember. (Karen Pulfer Focht 2002©)

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

When I am long gone, this is one of the images that I will be remembered by.

Most photographers and artists have a few images like that.

But here is The Rest of The Story~

As a photojournalist, I have always loved to photograph Santa and the children each holiday. As a matter of fact, I love photographing children in general, children have always been one of my niches. Over the years, I often shot Santa on a slow day in the days leading up to Christmas.

 To be honest, my enthusiasm was usually met with grumbles from grumpy old newsmen who had little tolerance for “cute.” But I had a special relationship with my readers. They loved my slice of life photographs of children, animals, and the elderly. I regularly fought to get them in the newspaper. I considered my human interest features the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine (harsh news of the day) go down.

 We need to be reminded of goodness, kindness, and the beauty in the world.

 Almost 20 years ago, I was working the early morning shift at the Commercial Appeal, which at the time was a major regional daily newspaper owned by Scripps Howard. I was listening to the police scanner and heard a robbery in progress of a Brink’s armored truck, at the Wolfchase Mall. It was Dec. 23rd.

 I went to the mall to cover the story.  

 I shot the scene. While waiting for the inevitable press conference, I called the newspaper and said I’d like to shoot photos of Santa while I was at the mall. They assured me there was no room for Santa and we had had enough of Santa Claus this year. (Picture the Grinch face here)

 I could not resist. I think as a photographer, especially a photojournalist, we need to continue to shoot the photographs that make us happy, even if they will not be used in the newspaper or ever seen by a client. Sometimes we lose that desire to shoot for ourselves. It becomes all about work.

 So, while I waited, I went over to shoot Santa, for myself.

 The thought of missing all the magnificent fleeting moments that are all around us every day haunts me. It always has. The kind of photography I do is authentic and real. I often wait hours in anticipation that a special moment may unfold. Sometimes I wait for months. There is a lot that goes into great photography. It takes patience, planning, anticipation, and intuition.

 So, I waited, watched, and had fun shooting the children with Santa that day.

 When I realized that I had captured a magnificent fleeting moment of this little child with Santa, I was so happy. I hoped they would make room for this special image.

 Once they saw the image, the discussion began. Can we make room for Santa? Where should it go? Should it be on Page One or inside?

 The way I best remember it, our Managing Editor Otis Sanford loved this image and helped fight to get it in. He made a point of telling me how much he liked it and my work that day. He saw the specialness of this photo.

 This is a typical newsroom story.

 There have been times in my career that photos have made readers cry, photos that inspired them to action, photos that touched them in intangible ways. I have always strived to take those kinds of photographs. At a certain point, it becomes about the relationship I have with my readers, my community, my city, and my calling as a photojournalist.

 Often, they are photographs that are difficult to get into the paper for one reason or another. They may even touch people in a way that makes them uncomfortable. That is when I know I have hit a home run. Do people feel something when they look at my images? Do the images make them think? Does my photo garner some kind of response?

 When this photograph ran, I got calls and letters for days. People loved it, an elderly man told me it made him cry, many people said I captured the spirit of Christmas, it brought them joy.

 I always appreciated hearing from readers.

 For almost 20 years, people have told me they kept the clip and bring it out each Christmas, they post it, I post it. We share it repeatedly.

 I don’t take all the credit. I was listening to my heart, but some pictures I take are bigger than me. I am just the instrument. Something special came through me that day. A much-needed gift for our community.

By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2021