With fuel prices as “low” as they are, I figured it feasible to pack up this last weekend and head down to Little Rock, AR for the National Press Photographers Association regional photo night. After all, I did want to hear our own legendary J.B. Forbes and Robert Cohen give their lectures. They don’t talk to me enough around the newsroom!

J.B. Forbes, chief photographer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, prepares his presentaion at the NPPA region 7 photo night in Conway, AR.

I now know everything I need to know about photojournalism.

J.B. and Robert had the pleasure of awarding my friend the grand prize of the evening, a Nikon D90 kit. That’s ok. I would have sold it anyways and I don’t hold grudges for too long.

After my utter failure, I followed the rest of the NPPA crew over to The Flying Saucer, a bar in Little Rock. An early last call led to my friend and I heading to what we thought was a pool hall — Midtown Billiards. Last time I checked, three pool tables didn’t qualify an establishment as a pool hall. There I go judging a book by it’s cover again.

This place was … interesting.

I met a guy who said he was in astronaut school. The funny thing was that less than five minutes later, he was a pre-med major. Then he became a biology major. Somewhere along the line, I think the truth came out when he claimed to be a college drop-out.

I was really hoping to shoot a game of pool. I quickly realized that would be nearly impossible with all of the drinks sitting on the pool tables.

That little “pool hall” was probably the dingiest place I have ever been in my 22 years on this planet (Asia and the Middle East included). It was well worth going. I met some interesting people and it capped off my stay in Little Rock.

Another 1,000 miles on my car well spent.