Camera: NIKON D2Hs

Shutter: 1/250

Aperture: f/6.3

Exposure Setting: Manual (Spot Metering)

ISO: 400

Strobe Flash: Did Not Fire

Lens Focal Length: 25mm

White Balance: Auto

Shooter's Comments: On Tuesday, I covered the Tools For School Program at the Salvation Army. I was thinking of showing a big pile of backpacks with some people picking them up for their children. I was completely taken back by all the people who showed up for the first of three days to pick up the school supplies. People came as early as 4:30 a.m. to make sure that they got what their children needed for school.

My photo showed a lot of people waiting, but it was difficult to show that there were even more than you can see in the picture. If I had stepped back, the view would have been blocked by parked cars. I stood next to a parked car and held the camera over my head to give myself a bit more height. I guessed the angle and then shot. It is a lot easier to make these type of shots when the subject isn't going anywhere. Plus now that I am shooting digital, I can view the photos on the LCD display. Back in the days of film you didn't know what you had until you processed the film.

-- Cathie Rowand, photojournalist

Editor's Note: Photojournalists used to call a shot, taken over your head, a "hail Mary." I think it was because you couldn't see what you shot, so you had to pray that the photo came out. The term is probably also related to the "hail Mary pass" in football. As Cathie notes, now that you can check on the back of your digital camera, it's much less nerve-wracking to take those kinds of pictures.

-- Lara Neel, visual editor