The photographer behind Great South Bay Images and the journalist who started community news websites greaterpatchogue.com and greaterbayshore.com are collaborating on a joint venture launching this summer.
Greaterfireisland.com will be a photo- and video-driven account of what’s happening on — and around — Fire Island and the shorelines of the Great South Bay.
An exact launch date has yet to be determined; click here to follow along on Facebook.
Mike Busch of Brookhaven Hamlet started Great South Bay Images not long after gaining notoriety for photos he took in and around the breach at Old Inlet after Sandy.
A prolific photographer, Busch has since built up a huge following online, engaging hundreds of thousands of people each month on social media, especially through Facebook and Instagram.
“I’ve built up a really nice community of like-minded people, but always knew I wanted to find the right partner to take things to the next level,” Busch said. “People don’t just want traditional news anymore; they want information with a visual component that can be viewed on a variety of devices.”
White, who lives in Bellport, is an equally prolific writer.
In his last full year at the Daily News in 2008, he compiled the second-most number of bylines of any reporter at the paper.
He works every day — along with a great team of freelancers — to populate the two websites with fresh, local and relevant content for readers.
“As far as combining great stories and great photography, the possibilities to inform and entertain virtually anyone with an interest in Fire Island and our local waterways are endless,” said White, whose master’s project at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism was about the demise of the bay’s clamming industry.
Busch was also recently featured in an 11-part documentary series that was funded by the Nature Conservancy on Long Island, focusing on island-wide quality issues.
“We’re hoping to touch on pretty much anything,” White said, “from fishing, nature and wildlife, to shopping, restaurants, and special events coverage. All while sprinkling in the type of journalistic photos and news stories — both shorter stories and long-form — my current readers come to expect.
“We’ll be combining Mike’s news gathering and writing capabilities with my video and photography skills,” Busch said. “Together, through Greaterfireisland.com, we can provide a visual and informational hub for all things Fire Island — from inlet to inlet”
