by Peggy Bair
Note: for concise resume: skip to the bottom of this article. Thank you.
2021
Hello, my dear friends and readers!
I’m proud to have been born and raised in this beautiful area of the Midwest, home of the champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. I have lived here long enough to see two championships of both teams. What a thrill!
My birth was in Kansas City, MO, I was raised in Liberty, MO so dad could be close to where he worked at the Claycomo Ford plant, then Gladstone, MO where we had graduated to the suburbs. My “folks” are from Richmond and Orrick and the Kansas City Northeast side. We are, for the most part, Scotch-Irish but my great grandmother was Jewish.
I have an English degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City in Creative Writing and Journalism. I also have second bachelor degree coursework in Nutrition Communications from Arizona State University. So, some of my interests include food, nutrition, food sources and healthy nutrition and world foods along with how we view food as an aspect of our cultures. Writing and photography always came naturally to me, though.
I have been married to the most awesome husband a gal could ever have: Terry Bair. This year, God willing, we will celebrate our 31th wedding anniversary in September 2021. We have lived in Leavenworth, KS for 31 years, the same house for 27 years. Terry is a graduate of Leavenworth High School and I am a graduate of North Kansas City High School. Terry is retired military 35th Division National Guard and former Leavenworth Police Officer. We have four rascally little terriers that enjoy their life on our quiet little acre atop Pilot Knob.
I landed my first photography course at North Kansas City High School where I spent most of any of my free time during all of those three years, photographing on every format available from 4X5 studio cameras to 2 1/4 square cameras to 35mm film. My basement bedroom doubled as a darkroom. It wasn’t unheard of for me to be up much of the night making fiber-based prints. I had job during high school to pay for my photography habit – which involved supplying myself with film, paper and chemicals. What I was doing at the time was a bit unusual for a girl. Photography was largely a male endeavor and occupation still.
Photographically, I’ve received training and coursework from instructors as far ranging as instructors from The Kansas City Art Institute to seminars with Australia’s David Williams and Yervant. I have photographed throughout the Midwest and Colorado as well as in Europe. I have also been a member of the National Press Photographer’s Association and attendee of esteemed storytelling boot camp: The Missouri Photo Workshop. In other words, I’ve had my work bashed and shredded by some of the greatest photographers in the world.
I still have the unrelenting handwritten critiques from the venerable writer and journalist, Charlie Hammer, my mentor and instructor at UMKC. Charlie sustained death threats during the 1960s as a reporter who covered the race riots for The Kansas City Star. He was called a n-lover for reporting the news about black protests.
“Black people in fact had been amazingly patient,” said Charles Hammer, a former Kansas City Star reporter. “How they kept it under control in that era is hard to figure out.” (1)
So Professor Charles Hammer, from whom I learned the greatest lessons of integrity in storytelling and journalism still fights the good fights today: https://www.kansascity.com/article238630278.html
My work has been published worldwide and nationwide as a staff writer and photojournalist for six different daily newspapers: The Leavenworth Times, The St. Joseph News-Press, The Boulder Daily Camera, The Pueblo Chieftain and The Kansas City Star and Times. Additionally, I’ve had photos appear in USA Today, People Magazine as well as being distributed worldwide via the Associated Press. That was, as I have found myself realizing, the Golden Era of Photojournalism. Most of those papers no longer have photographers on their staffs and The Kansas City Star, which formerly had over 22 at least, is down to only three now.
My speciality is human interest stories. For one of the publications where I worked, I also wrote a weekly humor column. That said, I also did what any good photojournalist does – and that is put my heart and soul soul into whatever assignment I was given. This included photo stories, sports, studio and illustration. During these times – up until the final transition year 2000 – everything was shot on film.
You could say that I “came up the pike” – which means that I was photographing for newspapers when they were still publishing photos only in black and white via black and white film and darkroom printing. Color was something that came along when USA Today was a start up in the late 80s, along with the quickie stories – what we referred to as 6-inchers – because that’s about how much space they took up in a newspaper column. The idea sprouted that the general public was too busy to read anything longer than a 6 inch story. Print journalism really changed at that time – then even greater in the digital age in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
As a photojournalist, the general rule of thumb at that time was that a reporter would either be assigned or would pitch a story and a photographer would later be assigned to “illustrate the story” – which sort of made photojournalists the red-headed stepchildren of the journalism world. The reporter always took the lead when it came to generating stories.
I began to buck that trend. If I found an interesting story idea, I would pitch it on my own. It didn’t always work the other way around for a photographer to get a reporter to go with the photographer’s story idea. If I couldn’t find a reporter who would take the story, I wrote it myself. A lot of fun stories were generated this way.
Another thing about being a photojournalist who is also a writer: it’s probably natural that I felt like people were more likely to respond to stories that were rich with interesting photographs. Too often, words don’t completely convey the emotions of the story all by themselves. As writers, we do hope for that. But as photographers, we know how valuable richly captured moment can be.
Human interest stories are stories that connect people to other people at a level that helps us understand ourselves and others a bit more – and shows us how we might be connected.
In the following photographs, I am sharing something we used to call “tear sheets” which were, as you can guess, are copies of the published pieces. They aren’t all perfect looking but you get the idea of what some of the stories and photographs were that I pursued. I didn’t wait around for someone to assign me to stories, I went out and got them myself. I would loved to have been a rock musician but alas, I was, instead, born to merely be a storyteller.
I believe that we all benefit from seeing each other in ways that we can all relate to. As a kid, didn’t we all have hope and wishes? Can we relate to this little fella hoping to win a contest with crossed fingers?
As a photojournalist, I have found that images often convey information and emotions of a story that words may not convey as quickly or certainly not in the same way. The combination, then, to me, of photographs with writing has always been an important part of weaving a story together. My background as a writer is of equal importance to photography. These two media go hand in hand and, if a story page is properly designed, writing and photographs are complimentary.
As a writer, I was taught to “show, don’t tell” and as a photographer, I was trained to use visual elements to convey mood and emotion. Some of journalism is tragic and dramatic but I also covered stories and photos about what we encounter in everyday life.
Human interest stories show us the fun of life:
In some ways, I feel fortunate to have worked during what I refer to as a Golden Era of Photojournalism. The days of photo rich stories and pages and pages of written stories and dialogue is more a thing of the past. In the late 80s was the birth of USA Today and the six-inch story – which someone concluded was the new American attention span for reading a newspaper.
Little did we realize then that in the near-future, life would become so fast-paced that what people felt they needed to know would be summed up in only a few characters, a meme or a snapshot.
Another trend that came about over the past 20-30 years, was the expansion of opinion pages and pundits – as fact-based information faded into second place.
But, to me and to a huge audience of readers, stories about real people and real life never get old, never fail to bring new perspectives and connect us like nothing else can. These stories are happening in every town, in every home in the places where most of us experience it: in our own communities.
This is why local journalism has always mattered. The downsizing of small community newspapers has left a vast news desert and dustbowl size hole in the storytelling genre. Small town papers like The Leavenworth Times – a Gannett-owned paper – have had their staffs reduced so low that people have turned to each other on social media for information about their communities.
Reporters and photographers at these local outlets brought important information to their communities.
Finding personal stories, to me, is just part of the fascination I have with the variety of people. I can really relate to Anthony Bourdain’s love of people in this ways. His method of relating with people was food. Mine is with photography.
As an example of how I work through storytelling, a photo I captured of three swans floating lazily on a small water feature in front of a funeral home – a scene I’m sure intended to bring a bit of peace to those who visited there. This pit-stop led to another story opportunity. When I asked the funeral home about the swans to get a little more background to write a caption for the photo (which was published by The Kansas City Star), they told me that they got the swans from a particular gentleman who raised exotic animals. He lived in Carrollton, MO.
I contacted this man who raised the exotic swans – and went down to Carrollton to spend the day at his place.
The result was a photo story of a regular guy who lived in a regular little town in the Midwest with his band of lovingly tended exotic animals, including the fennec fox kits. The photo story was a big hit that won multiple awards including from the National Press Photographer’s Association and the Associated Press.
For some years after I left The Kansas City Star the last time – that on and off relationship I both relished and that exhausted me with its unpredictably long hours that comes with the never ending cycle of journalism – I focused more of my work on commercial enterprises.
I was unable to take the storytelling out of the storyteller, though. So my portrait and wedding work was heavily journalistic.
In recent years, though, the journalism that is in my blood gave rise to the pull to write and photograph stories. I began to write about and photograph blues musicians at www.bluesinsight.com In the hearts and souls of musicians, I feel that kindred soul-connection and rebelliousness, that urge to tell the truth about how life really feels, how it really excites – how it really hurts.
More than just my bio about who I am and what I have done, this page is about letting you know the results of work that I hope conveys my love and passion for people and their stories.
In these very tough times of a pandemic, of social struggles, your story is just as important as the stories that are leads in all the big headlines.
Please know:
I see you.
I respect you.
I will reflect you.
I am here to tell your stories – to chronicle the heart of our heartland.
References:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: THIS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN ARTICLE IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAWS. NO PART OF THIS ARTICLE CAN BE COPIED OR REPRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION/RENUMERATION OF THE AUTHOR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©2020. REFERENCES, CREDITS AND ATTRIBUTIONS AS NOTED ABOVE. ©2020 Peggy Stevinson Bair
resume:
Peggy Bair
1917 Westwood Drive
Leavenworth, KS 66048
913-944-7005 voice or text
I am a storyteller with over 30 years of experience as a writer and photographer.
My goal in storytelling is to present visually-rich, original researched and written stories.
I can write and photograph a story, or I can work with a separate writer to photograph a story. I am also willing to collaborate as a writer with a separate photographer. Doing both writing and photography allows me to navigate the complexities both writers and photographers encounter, which often involves making visuals harmonize with the story. It is also a bit of a cost-savings that I can be sent singularly to an assignment, if needed.
Resume:
2002 – present Business owner providing commercial photography and journalism services.
Heart KC www.heartkc.com
HeartKC is a digitally published platform for stories I pursue throughout the Midwest.
Blues Insights LLC www.bluesinsight.com
Blues Insights is a publication that publishes stories and photos about musicians and concerts.
HeartKC-PeggyBair is my commercial photography site where I provide commercial photography services to a wide variety of clients.
RESUME 2021
1998-2001, 1985-1989
The Kansas City Star
Staff photographer – Freelance Photographer
I photographed daily news, events, studio, spot news, general news, studio illustrations, fashion, extended stories, travel stories, sports and lifestyle photography and wrote short articles throughout my time at The Kansas City Star. I worked for several different desks at the Kansas City Star including the city desk, national desk and photo desk and interned twice, once as a summer intern and once as a year-long intern. I often traveled throughout the Midwest for stories. I took all kinds of assignments as an intern first out of journalism school at first, even a column we did then called “Man-on-the-Street” which required a cold-call interview process. This was the learning process of story cultivation as I started from the basics when I first arrived at The Star and developed skills over the years. Coupled with a natural curiosity and patience, I created the dual process of storytelling with both still photographs and writing. In the freelance role, I pitched stories to write and photograph. For instance, the 25thAnniversary of the Kansas City Renaissance Festival that appeared as a cover story for The Star Magazine.
Fall/Winter 1997
The Pueblo Chieftain
Staff Photojournalist
I photographed daily news, events, studio illustrations, sports photography and features for assigned stories in the city and surrounding areas of Pueblo, CO.
Summer, 1997
The Boulder Daily Camera
Staff Photojournalist
I photographed daily news, events, studio illustrations, sports photography and features for assigned stories in the city and surrounding areas of Boulder, CO.
1993-1997
The St. Joseph News-Press
Staff Photographer and Writer
Daily news, events, studio and lifestyle photography and storytelling. I was expected in this particular organization to initiate stories as a photographer – not just receive assignments from reporters and only react to that. I often traveled throughout the Midwest for stories. I initiated more extended stories at least twice a month even as a photographer, but I was always alert for more story ideas.
I was fortunate in that my early years as a journalist to create opportunities to both write and photograph stories in tandem. This allowed for a very cohesive flow to the stories with photography taking place simultaneous to observation at events.
1990-1993
The Leavenworth Times
Staff Photographer and Writer
I participated in producing written and photographic stories involving daily news, events, studio and lifestyle photography and features. As a newspaper journalist for a smaller daily, I was responsible for responding to assignments as well as developing my own. It was acceptable to do photographer-initiated stories since it was a fairly small staff of a total of about 20 newsroom employees.
Education:
University Missouri Kansas City B.A. English Journalism/Creative Writing
30 hours coursework in Nutrition Communications with Arizona State University
Several NPPA “Flying Short Course” seminars over the years; Cliff Edom Missouri Photo Workshop, 1995; Women’s NPPA Conferences.
Many awards from NPPA, and WPJA for photojournalism throughout the years.
Professional Memberships:
American Society of Media Photographers
National Press Photographers Association
Professional Photographers of America
Wedding Photojournalist Association
Misc: I am vaccinated. I carry ASMP and NPPA media credentials. I have business liability insurance. I have a military ID for military installation access.
My personal information:
Peggy (Stevinson) Bair
1917 Westwood Drive
Leavenworth, KS 66048
913-944-7005
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