Snow Day
January 30, 2008
Here’s a look at Albert Lea Tribune photographer Brie Cohen’s day in the snow.
On Tuesday, January 29, I woke up to go to work at 6 a.m. “What to wear, what to wear. Well, yesterday was so warm and sunny, today I’m going to wear a 3/4 sleeve shirt, I’ll have my winter coat over it anyways,” I said to myself as I was getting ready.
I drove to the Albert Lea Tribune to start work at 7 a.m. in fine weather conditions to help layout the newspaper. After sending the newspaper to the printer, someone mentioned it was snowing. I couldn’t see the snow, because the newsroom doesn’t have any windows. Then the managing editor said we have to change our plans for the front page package tomorrow because of the horrible weather. Not quite convinced of this horrible weather, I walked to the front of the building and saw it. Snow was blowing everywhere in the gray darkness. The word was that schools were going to be closing four hours early. “Well,” I said, “that’s the photo.” And then it hit me, I had taken my boots and raggedy fleece pants out of my car the other day and never put them back. My most important clothes were in my apartment. I drove back to my apartment (good thing I live in Albert Lea and it takes me a grand total of 42 seconds to get there) and suited up and shoved off to the high school.
I arrived at the school, parked, and ran out of my car, as students were already fleeing the building, far earlier than they were scheduled to. A fun little challenge to try to get your camera to focus on a person’s face when it really wants to focus on the flakes and trying to catch the people before they slam their car door in your face, all the while battling a blizzard.
I was taking pictures of Christine Balsley wipe the snow off her car and she looked at me and say “Wow, your job must suck.” And that is when I decided I was cold.
I then noticed a car in the back of the parking lot that was trying to be jump-started by another car. I ran over there as Albert Lea High School homecoming king Liam Moore, the student with the car issues, was being yelled at by a staff member from her minivan because Moore had forgotten to display his parking permit in his car, and then drove off. After taking some pictures, Moore asked if I knew anything about cars, which I don’t. We couldn’t figure out a way for me to help them out and almost all of the students had left the school, so I dashed to my car, realizing how cold I was and saw my reflection in the mirror. Holy cow, I looked cold.
After submitting a few photos to the Associated Press, I found out the next day that my photo made the front page, above the fold of USA Today, inside the Pioneer Press, and the Photos of the Day gallery at StarTribune.com
No, my job does not suck.
-Brie Cohen
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