It's been a week since hurricane Irene hit the area. That is about the amount of time needed for most people to overcome the initial shock of the event and begin to cope with the reality of the situation. For those of us who suffered inconveniences rather than tragic devastation at the hands of the hurricane we will probably never be able to fully understand the scope of how it affected others.

I think helping us to understand the emotional affects of the storm as well as the material loss is the job of an artist. It is the artist who looks beyond the immediate and the obvious to show us all aspects of a tragedy. We know about the pain of loss, it is the artist that makes us feel that pain through the experience of others.

For the most part, the electronic media did a good job of keeping the public informed on the impact of Irene. However, in my mind, it was the print photo-journalists who combined their art with their job of reporting.

I am especially proud of the photographers at the Record as day-after-day with a single dramatic photo they showed not only the devastation caused by the storm but with a well-framed thoughtful photo they also captured the inner pain of the people who suffered such terrible losses. Sometimes we take for granted the images that accompany a story. This week the images were as important - if not more important than the story.

Well done guys.