This week the sports page is dedicated to award winning photographer Horace Langford Jr. At the Pahrump Valley Times this is an end of an era as the newspaper says goodbye to Horace after almost 14 years. This Week in Sports was started because Horace shot so many great photos and the paper wanted a place to put them.
Many people raised in Pahrump have grown up seeing Horace on the sidelines of their high school games taking photos. Times are changing and newspapers around the country believe having a full-time professional photographer on staff is no longer needed. Whatever the reason, Langford’s last day was on Thursday. He was hired when the PVT used film photography and the PVT actually had a darkroom. When he first came to the PVT, the printing press was rolling and the newspaper used all the buildings currently on the property. Those days are gone. There is now only one other employee at the Times who still can make a negative into a photo.
I will miss Horace standing on the sidelines with me. Although he will still take pictures for the PVT, it will not be the same. His “Spock-like demeanor” has kept me calm on many assignments. The only time I really ever saw him get excited, (and even that was not much) was in Death Valley while covering the 2013 Badwater race. I locked my keys in the trunk of my car and for a moment I thought Mount St. Helens was going to erupt. I remember saying, “Horace I can’t find my keys.” and his only response was, “You can’t find them because you locked them in the trunk.” We spent two hours in 120 degree heat waiting for aid on that one. I am sure he won’t miss days like that one.
Horace, the PVT Sports section will never be the same without you. I want to thank you for all the years you taught me about sports photography in general and I hope to see you at a few games. Horace really likes basketball so I am sure we will see him freelancing a few of those games.