Down South.

Remote Area Medical Expedition in Wise, VA.  The largest free health clinic in the nation.

This is Stephen Wright, who waited over 20 years to remove a cyst from his head.

Anthony Suau photographing in Wise, VA.

So here I am, finally back at Remote Area Medical, a three day clinic that offers free health care to those uninsured and in need in Wise, VA. This is the tenth year and my fourth year attending. In the last two, I’ve noticed an explosion of national media covering the event. Last year I tried to arrive by 6a.m. on Friday, the first day, but totally missed the opportunity to photograph those waiting in line for the  gates to open and arriving the night before. So this year I was determined to do it right!

This year I finally made it and couldn’t help but realize I wouldn’t be alone in my endeavor. I signed my name in at the media tent Thursday evening, and already saw two others: NPR, Agence France-Presse (AFP). 

Anyway, it was an interesting experience this year to say the least. On Friday I met a freelance writer from the Netherlands, who I spoke not long with until he mentioned that Anthony Suau, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, who recently won World Press Photo of the year in 2008, was also lurking around photographing the event. Then, I realized, I think I took his picture earlier!  So here I was earlier in the parking lot Thursday evening, photographing a family that arrived to sleep over in order to receive one of the first numbers in line. A photographer appears out of nowhere and does not say much during the encounter. He does not waste time chit chatting but clicks away quietly, quickly and carefully around the scene. So, I decided to take a photo of him and the scene, instinctly just to capture how many more photographers will be on this same journey as I am. I was close to talking to him but he left as quickly as he came, so, I re-focused and went back to work. Little did I know!

It was pretty interesting to watch/hear him work, not knowing at first who he was at the time and later realizing after the fact. Overall, an interesting experience to feel like the world stage was coming on my local turf and to feel a range of emotions almost as a local (!?)  feeling outside strangers around you. Weird to feel like I was on the other side of things. I’m curious how this event will be portrayed in the light of the healthcare platform that seems to be forming at the nation’s center stage.