Where is he now? Starting from humble beginnings in Decatur, Texas at the Wise County Messenger, Cody Duty has traveled all over the United States shooting for various newspapers before settling in Houston at the Houston Chronicle.  His words today…….

“I must first say, that I am very honored to share my experiences and be featured on my father’s blog, thanks for having me”.

Like many father-son relationships, my dad and I share a common interest. We don’t fish or hunt, nor do we ride bikes or race cars, however, we do share a mutual love for visual communication.

As I returned home this past weekend, like always, Pops and I shared our new thoughts about the industry, as well as our opinions on the matter.  I am currently at the Houston Chronicle, a daily newspaper with an average audience of 500,000 readers, while my dad is at the Wise County Messenger, a semi-weekly newspaper with an average audience of 8,000 readers.  Despite these differences, we always seem to come to the same conclusion, the work and dedication, is the same no matter where you are, no matter the population of the city and no matter the amount of your readers.  There’s always spot news to cover, whether a wreck with inuries/fatalities, various crimes with differing outcomes or other newsworthy reporting, the list could go on and on.  One thing remains the same for all situations, you always have to be willing to fight for a great story.

No matter the subject that I photograph, it’s always nice to trade opinions with Dad.  He may ask “why didn’t you do this”? or say “hey that’s great.”  Other times, it may be “what the hell were you thinking, did you not see that pole coming out of his head”? But, I always remember that I am a mirror that reflects the same thoughts when needed as I look at his work.

Truthfully, that’s probably why my father and I have such a great relationship, our honesty that we share for each other’s work often transcends into all aspects of our lives. We can always be honest with each other no matter the topic.

Here’s a link to my most recent work. 

Cody Duty
Houston Chronicle
(832) 291-5252

A few days after i asked Cody for his words, the Chronicle chose him to head north and cover one of our nations most horrific events of all time.  I was so happy and honored that they had enough faith in this 24 year old photojournalist to send him to Connecticut.  But at the same time, I knew it would have a huge impact on his heart and soul.  This is the same young man that grew up with a camera in his hand and use to tell me,” Dad, I just want to make a difference.”  I would say, he’s doing just that.