I once worked at a station where the dickhead GM once decreed photogs couldn't wear
jeans. It was of his many whimsical mandates that, thankfully, died on the vine. In retrospect I don't even think photog apparel was his biggest concern; the smarmy bastard just enjoyed sucking the lifeblood out of his staff whenever he got the chance. But that's a subject for another thread.
As for dress codes in general, I reluctantly agree they are sometimes needed. Too often, some of our lens-bearing brethren look like homeless people on impromptu camping trips. Couple that with their power-suited reporter partners and you have a very downtrodden perception of those of us behind the glass. Thus,
some kind of sartorial threshold is usually a good idea.
But does it have to be a
uniform? I find that almost insulting, as if we photogs don't have the common sense to even dress ourselves within a limit of standards. Like I sometimes have to remind my wife, I'M GROWN! (She frequently begs to differ of course.)
At my shop, our GM graciously supplies us with a plethora of logowear, and during the colder months it's not uncommon to see a variety of stylish jackets, windbreakers, golf and denim shirts - all sporting the ubiquitous Fox 8 logo. It's like a freakin' catalog shoot sometimes!
Next on the photog runway, young Jeffery sports the latest in white-balance fashion - faded jean shorts and yellow Chuck Connor tennies topped off with a delightful chartreuse logo smock. Why, he'll be the envy of ALL the fellows down by the crime-tape in THAT ensemble...
Thankfully, however, there is no official policy demanding we wear any of the stuff (though it would stupid to affront the GM's generosity by not donning at least the occasional branded item). I personally don't wear
alot of it, but that has more to do with my desire to remain incognito than any high fashion sense. Others fall somewhere along the lines, and it works out nicely. As far as I know, no one's been pulled aside and quizzed about their personal clothing choices. Yet.
It seems the more questionable garb surfaces during the summer months. Here in the rolling hills of central North Carolina, it gets hot during the summer. Wicked HOT. By late May a choking cloud of smothering humidity drifts in and doesn't dissipate 'til late September. It's not uncommon to hear a faint splash when one walks outside, and I for one sweat like a runaway convict dodging guard tower spotlights. Ask any reporter I've ever worked with.
To not be able to wear shorts during these insufferable months would be akin to slow torture. Mercifully, there is no such rule here. Shorts abound, and though logoed golf shirts are readily available, bright tropical shirts and even t-shirts are far more common. In the worst of the dog days, I average two ugly Hawaiian shirts a day (and half a can of deodorant!). My fellow photogs cloak themselves in whatever floats their boat - and we are a happier crew of shooters for it. We may not win any grand fashion trophies, but neither are we an embarrasment to our better-dressed lens puppets - especially when we're kicking the competition's ass where it counts, through the viewfinder.
So count me as one who prefers to dress however I may choose, knowing that I have to live with the consequences. I'm not an accountant, a car salesman, or a plumber. I'm a TV news photog, one who's awful glad my management team trusts me to come to work looking like the hard-working
creative professional they hired me to be.
Now where did I put that Hoobastank t-shirt?
[ October 08, 2004, 07:49 AM: Message edited by: Lenslinger ]
