AP@DNC--Day 2

Tonight's final speaker was Hillary Clinton. Did I get to see her? Nope.

Like I've mentioned before, the traffic management at the DNC is really poor. It was so bad this evening that the fire marshall ordered all portals to the main floor closed, allowing people to exit with no chance of re-entry until after the session was through. When every seat is full, there are still hundreds of people who are milling around in the aisles and walkway. This is further complicated by the endless TV crews that stop and interview people where they find them, thereby efficiently blocking any movement. People stand and gawk at these interchanges, cameras and cell phones flashing, the more "sophisticated" amateur uses digital SLRs, but regardless of equipment, they all stand there hoping to capture some important moment in Democratic history. They are blissfully ignorant and unaware of the problem they create.

I was sent on an errand inside of this human collision to retrieve cards from one of the photographers that had important images that needed to go out on the AP wire. This meant jumping into the foray and leaving my runners to fend for themselves. At this point we didn't know the exits were going to be closed, but with the photographer unable and unwilling to leave his choice location, there simply wasn't a choice. I had to go.

After many close quarter encounters with people of all sizes, shapes, colors and purse sizes and one encounter with a groper, I managed to get to a place that I thought I was home free. I ended up being stranded above the AP platform and out of reach of the photo editors, unable to re-enter due to the restrictions of the fire marshall. So, I watched Hillary Clinton through the curtains of the portal entrance which remind me of being at the Coliseum watching the Stock Show.

I heard from others that her speech was great. She was able to motivate a response from the crowd that was even better than the reaction to NPR's favorite goat candidate, Dennis Kucinich.

Still, no real photographs. Odd how almost everything about this photojournalistic internship has NOT been about shooting and cameras. It's been about time management, crowd management, getting cards straight and working with all types of personalities under difficult, trying circumstances that are aggravated by lack of breaks, food and quiet. The stress is great for everyone from photographers to editors to runners.

It takes something special to do this job on a regular basis, and it isn't about the skills I thought were most important. It's about professionalism,and not being the one that lets down the AP and its successful history of 160 years.

It's a high standard and a lot of hard work.