In 8th grade he was allowed to miss school for a whole day in order to take photos of a track meet. He thought, “Hey, this is cool. Not only is it cool, but people get paid to do this.” From that point on, Jesse Skoubo knew he wanted to be a photographer.
Skoubo, 28, is a full-time photojournalist for the Gazette-Times and Democrat-Herald. He works Friday through Tuesday, 20 hours a week for each newspaper. His job is unique because he is the only photographer employed by both newspapers. Skoubo’s coworkers enjoy working with him – there is never a shortage of compliments about him.
“Jesse is very nice, friendly, cooperative, and also an excellent photographer. He will take on assignments that others won’t, plus he is one of those guys who are easy to work with,” said Steve Lundeberg, associate editor of the Democrat-Herald. Skoubo also visits LBCC as a guest speaker and talks to students about photography, and even allows them to “job shadow” him to see what is like to be a newspaper photographer.
His free time is spent with his wife of one year, Erin; visiting his mom who lives two doors down from him; or hand-painting the tiny figurines used in the game Dungeons and Dragons. The figures are so detailed that it takes four to twelve hours to finish one, and it takes a fine-bristled brush to paint the intricate details. Skoubo started playing Dungeons and Dragons in middle school and still continues today, playing once a week with friends. Dungeons and Dragons is an imaginary game that has a one player who takes on the role of storyteller. The other players are characters in the story. These characters embark upon imaginary adventures within a fantasy setting.
When Skoubo talks about the game, his wife rolls her eyes. She does not play. She says, “I would rather be playing board games like Backgammon or Trouble. My husband is a nerd — who does not dress like a nerd— so you wouldn’t know he was one.”
Even though Skoubo works every Sunday, he always takes time to pick up bagels at Noah’s Bagels on SW Madison Ave. in Corvallis, and then stops to get strawberry milk to take home for breakfast that morning. Skoubo admits, “It is our ritual: every Sunday I get Erin her favorite bagels, and then I get my favorite strawberry milk. I don’t think it’s that bad for you, is it?” Skoubo struck me as a person who likes the simple things in life and who is family oriented. His attire of jeans, tennis shoes, and a black microfiber jacket allows him to move unnoticed in any event he is photographing. He is very good at making small talk with the subjects he is going to take photos of. He mingles and blends into the scene of the event, his laid-back nature putting his subjects at ease, allowing him to get the information he needs for his photo captions. One can tell he is comfortable with his work and life in general.
Q &A with Skoubo
Commuter: What did you do before going to college?
Jesse Skoubo: I graduated from high school in 2001 and joined the Navy in September of 2001. I was in boot camp September 16, which was only five days after the September 11 attacks. I was fortunate to have been in boot camp during the months after 9/11, because I didn’t get much media exposure about the events going on and the declaration of the war on terror. It did, however, affect my training, and I was trained as a Technological Cryptology Technician, which is a fancy name for Battle Group Security. When I left, my rank was “Petty Officer 3rd Class.” C: What did you do after coming out of the Navy?
JS: I decided to go to LBCC. In my second year at LBCC, I became the photo editor of the Commuter, partly due to the influence of Karl Maasdam who is a great photographer and journalist and very good mentor. I graduated from LBCC and received a paid internship at the Democrat-Herald for one summer, then got hired part-time as a photographer. I worked part-time and continued in school full-time at OSU. In 2009, when the previous photo editor of The Gazette-Times left, I got rotated into that schedule. So now I work 20 hours a week for both newspapers. C: Seems to me you have a busy schedule. Do you plan on having any children, and if you do, how many?
JS: Yes, my wife wants a certain number and I want a certain number, so we met in the middle and decided on four. His wife chimes in and says she wants seven. Skoubo rolls his eyes. How can I afford seven kids? (She says, laughing, “Easy, just become a famous photographer, like for National Geographic.”)
Okay, name one photographer that is famous that worked for National Geographic. (She is silent.) a laugh from Skoubo... See, easier said than done. C: If you had a legacy to leave, what would it be?
JS: That is a tough question. First, I love being a photographer. It’s hard to imagine doing anything else. I want the people I take pictures of to have great memories to fall back on. The other thing that is important to me is assisting at the Commuter, and hopefully I can help guide the next group of photographers through life. On a personal level, I would like to be remembered as a laid-back individual who was easy to get to know.
At a Glance
Jesse Skoubo
Graduated 2009 from OSU with a degree in Sociology
Staff Photographer for Democrat Herald and Gazette-Times
Business Phone: 541-926-2211
