One of the most exciting things about working on Too Shy to Stop is knowing that I have a little corner of the Internet where I can gather and share stories and photographs by like-minded young people. When one of our writers pitches a story idea to me or submits photographs, I’m really thrilled that someone has creative work that will match the Too Shy to Stop mission and vision.
Last week, Too Shy to Stop contributor Erin asked me if she could submit photos that she would take at protests against the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, PA. When she pitched the idea, I really had no idea what to expect, but I agreed. I knew from experience that she is a talented photographer, and I was sure that the photos would be spectacular.
On Thursday night (the night of the protests), at around 9 PM, Erin wrote on my Facebook wall: “ohhhh do i have photos for you.”. At that point, I was so busy with other things that I forgot to expect the pictures! She e-mailed me 10 zip files filled with all the pictures she had taken that day, and I spent the next hour or two reviewing them, editing them, and posting them to Too Shy to Stop for Friday morning publication.
Her enthusiasm was completely contagious, and I was so excited that she had taken all these unique photographs. I was happy that she trusted me with them, and I did everything I could to make sure that many people saw them. Obviously, I can’t make anyone care about pictures of protesters, but I hope that a lot of people looked at and appreciated them.
The little corner of the Internet that Too Shy to Stop occupies may not be comprehensive or far-reaching, but it does have its quirks. The New York Times doesn’t have Erin Goldberger on staff, but we do, and CNN will never get the photos that we have. I think that’s pretty cool.
(Photo by Erin Goldberger)