In an age where the bulk of today’s news is boiled down to sound bites and social media, a pair of local journalists are working hard to bring back a long lost friend: The in-depth feature story perfectly captured through the written word and award-winning photography.
The creative team behind the appropriately named Buffalo Tales website consists of best-selling author Jeff Schober and professional photographer Steve Desmond, two local pros who cut their teeth in Western New York media circles.
Schober, who earned a journalism degree from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in English and history from the University at Buffalo, has authored 10 books including the true crime book Bike Path Rapist with Detective Dennis Delano of the Buffalo Police Department, Growing Up Gronk featuring the NFL’s Gronkowski family, and a Buffalo crime fiction quartet. His latest book, Justin Time: A Memoir of Faith and the Fight for Life, was released in 2019.
In addition to writing hundreds of news articles for diverse publications, he also teaches English at Frontier High School in Hamburg.
Desmond, a graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, earned an Associated Press Award and five New York State Press Association honors during his Western New York photojournalism career. His photos have also appeared in memoirs by Hillary Clinton and Maynard Ferguson. With his son Francis Desmond, he co-authored A Life of Purpose, which raises funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.
In addition to his photography career, Desmond is president of the nearly 100-year-old Heintz & Weber Company in South Buffalo, makers of the famous Weber’s Mustard brand. He also serves as treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda.
Updated with a new feature story and photos at least monthly, Buffalo Tales celebrates the return of quality local journalism and uses the tagline “Stories from the 716.” Recent topics on the website have ranged from the ongoing pandemic to unique takes on local events and interviews with well-known personalities and locals making an impact in a variety of interesting ways.
“Buffalo Tales began with a simple idea: tell interesting stories happening around Western New York,” said Schober. “Steve Desmond, one of the region’s premier photographers, agreed to add images to my words. When we first published in September 2018, it was anyone’s guess whether we would find an audience.”
But they did! And with a big story release coming in September, the duo of Schober and Desmond hope to see their page views skyrocket in the very near future.
Buffalo Tales: Stories from the 716, can be enjoyed at buffalotales.net. To reach the creative team, email je*********@ho*****.com.
