Bumper Hunting

"A deer head hangs out of the John Deere #265 car, driven by Shawn Bagnall of Millersville, Pa., during the Memorial Day Spring Crash At The Buck at Buck Motorsports Park on May 24, 2014 in Quarryville, Pennsylvania."

One of the best things I ever learned to do when I was first starting out was to find feature pictures.

No matter where I was working at the time, I was continually sent out to find something interesting in the community. Some days I only drove for a couple minutes before finding a compelling subject. Other days I stressed and feared of not finding anything before eventually stumbling across something.

Whether it was an easy hunt or not, it has been one of the most rewarding skills I ever developed - being able to find and make something of nothing.

To those that aren't in the business, it might sound easy, unless you're doing it multiple times a week. Ideas run out quickly and you're forced to be creative, talk to strangers and know what's happening in your town and surrounding communities - all in order to return with a candid, eye-catching moment.

Recently, driving through Pennsylvania, I stumbled across a demolition derby. Curious, and with time to spare, I introduced myself to the owners, who graciously allowed me to photograph the event.

I spent less than two hours playing around, including: talking to the drivers, working on my skills, and trying to find a interesting picture. It reminded me of past feature hunts and I left there refreshed remembering that even the small events can present interesting pictures.