There are quite a few reoccurring stories in San Diego that I’m asked to illustrate over and over again. Indeed, with our prolific environmental reporter Rob Davis constantly churning out stories about our region’s water supply, thinking about how to tell that story visually is an evolving challenge.
There are only so many times you can photograph a sprinkler or a water fountain. So, oftentimes, I’ve tried to get unconventional, featuring photos such as this one, of three-year-old Ocean Beach resident Johnny Darkness Stolper (seriously) pouring water from his front yard swimming pool all over the sidewalk.
I’ve run more photos than I wish to admit of Mayor Jerry Sanders, who has often been at the center of the debate over how to allocate our resources. My favorite to date came at a press conference where Sanders discussed water conservation at a nursery, surrounded by flowers. His press team was right on the money with that photo-op.
And, of course, there’s always photos of water itself in all its glory, be it a sprinkler head spouting fresh H2O, a fountain like the one used in Davis’ story today or just a nice clean image of one of our reservoirs, like this one of Lake Murray.
But, like San Diego’s water supply, I often find the well of ideas drying up. So I’m asking for your suggestions, readers. How do you think the region’s water crisis is best illustrated? Shoot me your ideas at sam.hodgson@voiceofsandiego.org or head over to Credentialed (if you’re not there already) and leave a comment. Then, keep your eye out for the best ideas to be manifested in an upcoming story. Send me some of your own photos, too.