To the ‘togs who were afraid to talk to us when they first joined staff and now won’t shut up, this one’s for you.
As photographers, we can all remember the first time one of our photos made it into Tate’s elite slideshows. We’ve all felt our stomachs drop when we forgot a memory card and had to frantically text in the group chat to see if anyone brought an extra. And none of us can forget the first time we were genuinely proud of that 30 yard touchdown shot. We’ve all shared these firsts, among many others that only us photogs understand.
Some days it’s been tough to keep you focused, or taken a while to mop up sophomore Reilly Moreland’s tears. But it’s memories like “‘Togsgiving” and sophomore Ty Browning shotgunning a LaCroix at deadline that will stick with us after we’ve graduated from our Harbie days.
We’re infamous around the school for being nosy and ever-present, and we might just crack the next time we hear “Hey, can you send me the pictures you got of me at the game?” But, throughout all this, we admire the dedication and love you bring to this family.
The time you take out of your weekends and after school to shoot while you could be studying for your Calc test or going to Chipotle with your friends shows us how much you care. From volleyball tryouts to color runs to art shows, you’ve proved your place in the family. In between additions to the “Hot Guys” folder on JDATA and nicknaming Diana “Jesus,” all 21 of you have gone above and beyond what is expected every cycle.
There’s no doubt in our mind that next year, this legacy is in good hands. There will be deadlines where you cry out of frustration because your captions won’t fit in the photo story layout. There will be times you want to lock yourself in the video room to avoid CMYK checks. There will be shoots where you sit in your car beforehand, wishing you were doing anything else.
But through it all, there’s a support system behind you: the ‘togs. They will be there to encourage you to write one more caption, edit one more photo and shoot for 20 more minutes. We know you’ll be there for each other because you’ve been there for us—giving us hugs, cookies and endless love.
Thank you for memorizing our QuikTrip orders and bringing them to us every deadline. Thank you for patiently listening to us rant about “Production” and “Photos of the Week” during our daily stairwell meetings. Thank you for the endless hours you’ve spent on the phone interviewing your classmates for captions.
But most importantly, thank you for getting to know us, and turning our staff of photographers into one big ‘tog family.
Roast club for life.