After almost three years as a photographer with The Chronicle, I’ve had the privilege of documenting so many moments. Photography as a whole has taught me so much, but my time in Lewis County has taught me things beyond the technical aspects of capturing moments as a visual journalist.
I remember seeing the job posting for a photographer position at The Chronicle in my tiny Michigan studio apartment knowing nothing about the area the newspaper was based in, which I also had never heard of, much less Washington state.
But of course, as soon as I saw the words “Mount Rainier” in the description, I knew I had to apply.
Little did I know, Mount Rainier, as beautiful and breathtaking as it is, would never compare to the real and raw moments I was able to witness within the local communities.
Capturing the real moments in still photography is what I love to do. And man did you deliver, Lewis County.
I remember my first assignment at The Juice Box covering a Centralia School District levy watch party. I introduced myself to people as I was taking photos and it became clear to me, as I was told a few times that night, that I “had big shoes to fill.”
It also became clear to me that I wasn’t just a journalist in a newsroom. I was integrating myself into a community that knows its people.
From high school state championship tournaments with my favorite sports reporters (shoutout Dylan, Reubs and Zach), Mariners games, Kayak Man (if you know you know), the Southwest Washington Fair, the Morton Loggers Jubilee, all of the candidate forums and city halls, to one of my last assignments, catching frogs for the Toledo Cheese Days frog jumping contest with Grady Fallon, I realized it really is about the people.
I’m so thankful to all of the people I have met along the way, whether for a brief moment at an assignment, seeing the all too familiar faces at a ribbon cutting and the other local photographers who quickly became my friends.
I know The Chronicle will continue to adapt to provide the local news coverage its readers deserve.
In a world where local journalism is struggling, The Chronicle keeps going.
Having a staff full of talented journalists who strive for excellence every day should not be taken for granted, Lewis County.
I’ve seen first hand how hard these people work. Jacob Moore staying at a city council meeting until almost midnight, Jacob Farmer and Emily Fitzgerald covering criminal cases that not every person could stomach reading through, and the sports guys who stay in the office until the sun rises to make sure local sports are getting the coverage they deserve.
And at the helm of it all, Eric Schwartz, our fearless editor-in-chief.
The one who sets the standard for the whole newsroom. The one to show up first and leave last. The one to have your back when you need anything. I couldn’t ask for a better mentor and editor.
As I leave for my next adventure, I want to say thank you to all of the people I’ve met along the way and to the community that let an outsider in to capture the moments.
Thank you to Chad and Coralee Taylor for understanding the importance of local journalism. Local coverage, if any, would look a lot different without them.
I know I’ll look back on my time with The Chronicle with sincere gratitude. I hope that whoever is reading this also understands the importance of good local journalism, because trust me, you don’t want to know a world without it.
Ridley Hudson has been a photographer and photo editor at The Chronicle since 2024. Next week, she departs on a new adventure. She will be missed more than she knows, but The Chronicle is now stronger for having her contributions.
