CONTRASTING ASSIGNMENTS

One unfortunate thing about the magazine business here in Jordan is that event photography is a part of any job. In the back of every magazine each month are several pages of local happenings. The most successful magazine, called Layalina, is made up entirely of event photography. These events are usually painful to attend and even more painful to photograph. But every once in a while an event is fun, like the opening of O Beach, an opulent pleasure den of recreation and booze located on the Dead Sea. The event, shown in the top photo, had open bars, live music, and tons of food. Only the elite of Jordan were invited to attend, and a couple of freeloading photographers. The next day I had to cover the Jordan Auto Show. It was held on the outskirts of town in a small field. About 30 people who thought they had nice cars showed them off for the hundred or so people in attendance. Walking around the event were a couple of people dressed in filthy Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse costumes. It was a light-brown trash affair. The irony is that Julie and I walked right in to O Beach, and it took the guys at the door of the auto show about twenty minutes of radio communication before they could confirm I was eligible for free entry.