Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting Interfaith Service

Newtown, MA 121612 People who couldn't get into Newtown High School on December 16, 2012 to an inter-faith religious service in honor of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting victims listen to loudspeakers broadcasting the event outside of the venue. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff) BEHIND THE SCENES: I had already worked a pretty long and tiring day and I knew there was no chance I could get into the service since president Obama had announced he would be there. I had already sent back plenty of photos for the day but I talked to my editor and we agreed I should still check it out. Once it was announced the president would be attending we knew right away it would probably be a pool situation and would likely be given to the local paper or the AP. Yet, we still decided I should try to go ahead and try to get as close as I could to the high school. Traffic was snarled everywhere and the most direct route to the high school had been closed earlier for security reasons. So I drove out several miles and came back thorough rural roads. I still had to park about a mile or so away from the high school but at least I wasn't the only one huffing and puffing it. I'm very glad I went. Even thought the lighting was a bit tough at times the images available were truly beautiful. I also noticed in the last couple of days how diverse the people attending religious services and just walking around town have been. And it was the same at the service.But what made me the happiest was that many fellow members of the media decided to take the night off and apparently those attending decided to be respectful to the public attending the event. Halleluja to that I say. TECH STUFF: D3 and D3s, 24-70mm 2.8, and 17-200mm 2.8. ISO +6,400. WB Auto. I will probably back here in the coming days for some of the funerals... I have mixed feelings about covering these.

Three Days after Sandy Hook Elementary Tragedy

Newtown, CT 121612 Three days after a gunman killed 20 children and several adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT parishioners of Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church attended a service and added to an impromptu memorial outside of the church. They were later evacuated after a phone threat and CT State Troopers SWAT teams as well as local and other town officers responded to the call. After a thorough serach of three building the threat was deemed to be non existent. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff)BEHIND THE SCENES: Church officials learned the media is best kept at a distance after a couple of days of vigils where parishioners and town residents trying to grieve where mobbed by cameras and microphones. However despite the yellow police line many did not abide by these limitations and went as far as getting between the law enforcement officers and possible "hot" targets. Surprisingly no member of the media was put on handcuffs and incarcerated. TECH STUFF: I had my office ship me a 400mm 2.8 so I added a third camera body to my regular two-camera norm. I was glad to have it today.

Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting Day 2

Newtown, CT 121512 One day after a man walked into Sandy Hook Elementary and killed 20 children and several adults, residents and people from near and afar have come to this sleepy town to pay their respects to the fallen victims. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff) BEHIND THE SCENES: I'm still sticking to my guns of respecting my photographic subjects by giving them space. However, this can not be said by the majority of members of the media who have come to Newtown, CT. Today we were allowed at an Episcopal church for a "Healing Prayer" service and there were more media than parishioners. Photographers and video camera operators alike traipse about each other in the middle of the service while getting as close as possible to those trying to grieve. I stayed in one spot along with another photographer from another paper. She too was pretty disgusted with the photographers' behavior. I have decided showing respect for others is far much more important than getting the photo. TECH STUFF: same as always two camera bodies, two lenses, one teleconverter.

Sandy Hook Elementary shooting Connecticut/ USA

Newtown, CT 121412 Aftermath in the town of Newtown, CT after the fatal shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, CT where a 24-year old man opened fire killing 20 children and several other people on December 14, 2012. (Essdras M Suarez/ Globe Staff)/ MET BEHIND THE SCENES: I got the call at 12:40 and I was on the road by 1:20PM arrived at the scene after 4:00PM due to traffic. By the time I arrived police where not allowing media to drive into town so I parked in the outskirts of town and walked in. The school is still a crime-scene area under investigation so it is being kept pretty tight. The church service tonight was the first time the town residents had the opportunity to grieve and to try to process the tragedy as a community. Tonight I was ashamed of being a journalist after seeing how TV cameras and even some still photographers forced those attending the service to walk through a gauntlet of lights and flashes. Some TV camera people backpedaled in front of parents carrying their children barely allowing for space for the parents to be able to walk. Shameful indeed. I consider this a complete lack of respect on the part of journalists... the worst part is because I've covered scenes like this one in the past- Columbine- I know it will get worst for the people in town as the days progress. Today I tried to stay at a respectful distance while hopefully still telling the story with my images. And when I did get close is because things happened right in front of me where I was waiting. TECH STUFF: ISO 6,400+, D3 and D3s, 24-70mm 2.8 and 70-200mm 2.8 + 1.4 WB Auto