You want: Beautiful, memorable photos.  Images that will grab the viewer’s attention, and hold it. A new head shot. A creative Christmas card.

You need: A photojournalist with daily newspaper experience.

Here’s why:

1. Photojournalists don’t make excuses — Things do go wrong, but a photojournalist who has worked for a daily newspaper is trained to do superior work, and quickly. She cannot come back to the office with no photo. The paper is coming out tomorrow, a photo is needed. She is used to operating under pressure.

2. Versatility — What I love about newspaper photographers is that they can do anything. My P-I colleagues often found themselves shooting a natural disaster one day (they all own rubber boots), a concert for the arts section the next day, and then a cake  for the food section the next.

3. Consider your moment captured — How much would you pay to make sure that THE moment of your event is captured forever? This is what photojournalists are trained to do every day. At my own wedding, I knew that I didn’t have to worry about making sure our photographer (and friend) was capturing crucial moments. He was everywhere. When I saw the photos, I was delighted and saw new aspects of my own wedding that I had missed.

4. Photo journalists are problem solvers – Tell me, how do you make a photo of a technology company interesting? As a business reporter for nearly five years, I got to profile some really cool companies — but a lot of times, these companies performed a service that just wasn’t visually interesting. But I rarely worried about this — I knew we’d have a publishable photo for the newspaper because the photographer would think of something I never could have.

5. They’re the best of the best — Newspaper journalism is cutthroat. Thousands of people want to shoot photos for newspapers, particularly in a big city like Seattle. However, just a dozen actually get to do it.  In short, they’ve been vetted.

Following are links to three Seattle-based photojournalists and companies whose work I can vouch for, and that I respect:

1. Stuart Isett — New York Times photographer, freelancer. He also shot my wedding. (Link to his Web page.)

2. Red Box Pictures — Seattle photography studio business started by former Seattle P-I photographers. (Link to company Web page.)

3. Marcus Donner — Newspaper photographer formerly with the King County Journal. He also teaches an excellent class for amateurs — to really help you get the most out of your point-and-shoot, or higher end camera. (Link to his Web site.)

Why did I write this post?

Newspaper photojournalists are best-kept secrets in terms of professionals-for-hire. They often let their photos speak for themselves, but I wanted to give some other concrete reasons beyond pointing out that they take good photos.

I did not get any money or anything from listing the above photographers. Stuart shot my wedding in 2008 and we paid full price, as any professional deserves.

Also, I’d recently read this story about a U.K. couple whose wedding photos were abysmal, and they sued the photographer. It occurred to me while reading it that I never had any such worries. Because I hired a photojournalist.

And finally, all three photos at the top of my home page index were shot by photojournalists. Their names are at the bottom of the page.

Obama drew a crowd of 17,000 who stood in the heat for more than two hours to see him speak. His supporters turned out in full force on just a few days notice, sacrificing one of the last few sunny Saturdays left before the Minnesota winter blows in. The Target Center was filled near capacity, despite the fact that Obama’s visit competed for attention with a Twins game at the Metrodome and the University of Minnesota Gophers first game in their new stadium.

The rally was set up to mimic Obama’s 2008 campaign, surrounding the president with thousands of adoring supporters.

What surprised me most, especially after a summer of passionate town hall meetings, was that virtually no protestors entered the arena, preferring to tout their opinions with signs outside.  I did notice one scuffle where someone stood up to protest, but people around him booed him, and he left pretty quietly.

So, while the probamas seemed to arrive in droves, most of the nobamas stayed home (or maybe they were at the 9/12 march on our capital?)

Here are photos followed by a recapture of my live tweets.

I apologize for my low-quality photos. I intend to get a better camera one of these days.

Better photos can be found at Minnesota Independent.

Following are my tweets, which I posted live over the course of five hours. They are in reverse order of when I tweeted them. Think of this as a bullet-point list of observations. (Thanks to those of you who followed along online!)

Everyone outside stadium chanting ‘fired up ready to go!’ nonstop.
39 minutes ago

Guy just got kicked out. Caused a stir in side section.
about 1 hour ago

Obama: mentions starbucks, says take discussion to water cooler, Sbux.
about 1 hour ago

Lady in crowd yells we gotta do something. Obama points at her…repeats it.
about 1 hour ago

Biggest obama fan in the world…he’s so tall!!
about 2 hours ago

Obama speaking…giving love to minn senators.
about 2 hours ago

crowd is chanting ‘yes we can’
about 2 hours ago

Hhs sec kath sebelius is speaking. Warm welcome for her.
about 2 hours ago

Pledge of allegience and anthem. Mics not working!!!!!!!!
about 2 hours ago

A female pastor opens w prayer to god, ”however u imagine him or her to be.”
about 2 hours ago

Someone called it patriotism on a stick. Minnesotans know lot bout stuff on stick.
about 2 hours ago

Got my free american flag and im waving it!
about 2 hours ago

Girl next to me is crying, she’s so excited to see him, she says.
about 2 hours ago

Showing on jumbotrons, president arrives in minneapolis. Crowd going nuts.
about 2 hours ago

I am in section behind podium! People chanting o-ba-ma!
about 2 hours ago

Everyone did the wave like 10 times around the stadium.
about 3 hours ago

Sitting next 2 @si_damonhack at rally. Covers nfl and pga tour for sports illus.
about 3 hours ago

I am in this popstand!!!
about 4 hours ago

Minneapolis police also keeping an eye on things. Love the mounted police!
about 4 hours ago

Looks like the local chapt of the Teamsters are volunteering on full force!
about 4 hours ago

Number of protestors v.Small, under 100 id say. Also some ppl broght books to read in line.
about 4 hours ago

Scene: thousands in line and in arena. Protestors w,signs,horns. Peaceful. Overcast. About 70F humid.
about 4 hours ago

Some socialists promoting single payer, right next to ’stop obamacare.’
about 4 hours ago

Some of the probamas forgot deodorant, i must say.
about 4 hours ago

Was really easy to forget over the summer obamas ability to draw a crowd. Reminded now.
about 4 hours ago

Reminds me of two-hour mob ‘line’ to get into inaugural parade.
about 4 hours ago

Now i’m in huge mass of ppl waiting to go thru security.
about 4 hours ago

Im two blocks away now! Line moving fast!
about 4 hours ago

Ok my lingo’s gonna be: probamas versus nobamas.
about 5 hours ago

Guy saying ‘obama doubled debt!’ probama yells back hey lets start another war!
about 5 hours ago

One lady yells, i want health care for everybody. Protestor yells, dont want 2 pay for urs!
about 5 hours ago

This line is crrrrrrazy!!! I’m so far from entrance!
about 5 hours ago

Wow both sides have come out. Some ppl yelling at each other, but not too meanly.
about 5 hours ago

Line is already five blocks long to get into Target Center! …People started lining up last night at 8 p.m. Wow!
about 5 hours ago from web

Heading out to Obama health care rally in Minneapolis! I’ll Tweet what’s going on, but I can’t see your tweets from my (cheap) cellphone.
about 5 hours ago from web