His name is Gregory Palo, but you might want to put an "M" before Palo, because his dad's name is Gregory too, he says.
"This
is about good enough for a good snack ... so, that's my catch for
today," Gregory said matter-of-factly Tuesday afternoon as he slung three fish over his
shoulder and walked away from his lucky fishing spot at Idle Isle Park,
Muskego. Gregory's parents told him to either walk home or call as soon
as he caught enough fish for a snack.
A snack, I thought?
This boy is actually going to EAT these not-so-tiny fish once he gets home?
Whatever happened to Fruit Roll-Ups and popsicles? After a few minutes
of talking with the little pro, all of my doubts subsided. He was
hardcore into this. He was telling me the truth. He was ... no joke.
This
afternoon turned out to be one of those days where I couldn't possibly
imagine a more satisfying profession. I'm not dillusional — I realize
that hardly anyone (in the big scheme of things) will see the photos I
made, and I'm fine with that. Even less people will read this blog. But
Gregory absolutely made my day, and I hope he makes your's. He's the slice of life we try and
capture every time the camera clicks. The only thing that set him apart
from Andy Griffith's son, Opie, was when he pulled a cell phone out of his
pocket to check the time. I was so in awe of this little fisherman — I
honestly wouldn't have blinked if Aunt Bee popped out of the bushes
told him it was almost dinner time.
So
why do we take pictures like this, you ask. It's a good question, and
I'd love to hear your input. Personally, I take photos like this
because I think readers can relate. Maybe you used to be an Opie, or
maybe your son or grandson is. The pictures we take are snapshots of
what happens within our communities in any given week. The photos we take
should tell the stories of all of our residents, no matter how young or
old they may be. The pictures in our paper should make you feel ... something. If you react, we've done our job.
Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/6400, Manual
Nikon D2H, 35 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/6400, Manual
Nikon D2H, 35 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/6400, Manual
Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/4000, Manual
Nikon D2H, 17 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/4000, Manual
Nikon D2H, 35 mm, 400 ISO, f2.8, 1/3200, Manual
