Picture Perfect

Day in the Life

Amy Paterson / photo editor Holly Marcus graduated from JMU in 2003, but she didn't leave her love of photography on campus. Now, Marcus is a photographer for The Daily News Record.

For one 2003 JMU graduate, an elective class has turned into a career.

Visiting a watercolor class at a retirement home may not sound like an ordinary Tuesday morning activity, but for Holly Marcus, it’s just part of her job as a photojournalist for The Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg.

"I kind of fell into it," Marcus said. In the spring of her junior year as a media arts and design major, she was looking for an elective to fill a space in her schedule. After a friend suggested photojournalism, Marcus borrowed a camera and took the class.

The professor, Tommy Thompson, asked if she was looking for a summer job and suggested she apply for an internship at The Daily News-Record.

"You know, if I had not taken Tommy’s class, I probably wouldn’t be here," Marcus said.

Thompson suggested Marcus take the internship because he was impressed with her classwork.

"She stood out as a photographer," Thompson said. "I knew she would fit right in."

She landed the internship, which turned into a part-time job until last May, when she got a full-time position laying out pages and toning photos. Now she works only for the photo department taking pictures and editing photos.

Between photographing for The Daily News-Record that is published six times per week, three weekly journals and a monthly business journal, Marcus seems to be "running all over the county," she said.

"There are always sports, like every night," sometimes two games, Marcus said. Sports are favorites for her because you "always get these great shots with great expressions" and are challenged to capture "that peak moment."

A typical day for Marcus starts with a trip to the photo board to check out the assignments. The workload varies daily, between one and six assignments, and could be anything from shooting a burned building to a JMU basketball game.

Upon returning from an assignment, Marcus chooses about four of her favorite photos to tone with Photoshop, to print and give to the editors. Marcus said she always tries to put her very favorites on top, but the editors don’t always choose them.

In-depth feature assignments "where you can see that you’re really helping people through the photography and through the story" are some of the most rewarding, she said. Because some feature assignments involve several visits, she really is able to develop relationships with the people in her photos.

On one assignment, she and a reporter followed a child’s struggle with a deadly disease. They documented his life — from when he gets ready for school to when he plays video games to when his mom drops him off at school and to when he plays little league football. At the time, he couldn’t play football any longer for health reasons, but was still a part of the team. He died about six months later but Marcus hopes the story and photographs helped to celebrate his life and encourage anyone else who might be going through a similar situation.

In another story, Marcus formed a bond with a woman in need of a liver transplant. She photographed the woman with her family and accompanied her to an appointment at UVA Hospital.

Though most of Marcus’ job involves shooting, it also includes creating photo illustrations. "You get to take your pictures, bring them back and piece them together," Marcus said. For a story on food at this year’s Super Bowl she worked on an illustration where hot dogs and subs faced off on the football field with chips as the crowd.

Like every job, there are aspects of Marcus’ that are less exciting. "I really don’t like when they send you to someone’s office to take a picture of them at their desk," Marcus said.

Though she does have a definite date in mind, Marcus someday would like to go to a bigger paper where she would have more opportunities to travel.