Week 10 Forum

Best Photojournalism-

One of my favorite photos from this term was the environmental portrait I took of Andrea Mitev.  I thought my composition worked really well and I  was able to show a nice depth of field between my subject and the background.  This project helped me solidify my knowledge of how to make the background and environment work well with the photo.  Even though this assignment was a set-up, posed picture, it allowed me to create a "perfect" back drop which I would then use as a reference to look for good backgrounds in my future candid photos.  This was a good assignment to allow the photo to be composed exactly how you wanted and then take what you find to be "good photos" and look for that in other situations.  It also showed a very different view of what photojournalism could be rather than just breaking news.  It allowed for a more in-depth caption and a story telling aspect.

My Goals-
My goals in this class is to get more agile with my camera skills.  I want to be able to know how to take a photo that will turn out well almost every time regarding light, blurriness and saturation.

This goal took longer to accomplish than I would have originally thought.  At the start of the term, I thought I was getting really good at working with my camera, however, most of my subjects and environments just so happened to be in perfect conditions for taking photos.  Not to try and discredit myself totally, but most of the scenarios were lucky situations where the lighting was perfect and I didn't have to compromise my focus.  It wasn't until later in the term when I started taking pictures in difficult environments with very bad lighting and lots of motion shots that I realized I wasn't as good as navigating the settings as I thought.  I had to do a lot of trial and error tester shots to figure out the balance of ISO and Shutter speed to salvage a good picture when working indoors with lots of weird shadows.

I also want to learn about what kinds of photos draw people in.  What content will do well in the public and what will not.  

This knowledge was learned with the help of my classmates and studying The Commuter each week. I looked at other people's photos and chose the photos that drew me in the most and began to analyze why? I then tried to use these techniques on my own photos and to be a little harsher on my editing.  I had to learn the difference between artistic photography and photojournalism, as well as how to determine a good photo rather than just my favorite photo.  When working with the intent of journalism, I learned how important it is to have people be your subject.  People like to see and read about people, connecting with their eyes and their bodies in a picture is what makes it relatable and interesting.


I intend to become more open about taking photos in public because at this time, for me, it is very uncomfortable to get into people's faces with a camera which contradicts my want to have people seeing my art.

To be completely honest, I don't know if I have truly achieved this goal.  I have certainly gotten better, but I am still by no means comfortable about getting close up shots of subjects who are strangers to me.  Most of the time I just had to keep reminding myself that I had to get the shot because I needed to complete the assignment.  My grades were my only motivation to get the pictures I needed.  I liked having photographers come in to talk because they expressed the same feelings that I had.  Mark Ylen said that sometimes there is really nothing that can be done about that feeling except to ignore and remind yourself that this it is just and job and it needs to get done.

Lynsey Addario: "It's What I Do"

It's What I Do by Lynsey Addario

Kahido, 20, at home with her two children born of rape, in eastern Congo, 2008

"Journalist.  It is who I am.  It's what I do."  These are the last words to Lynsey Addario's It's What I Do.  This is also the answer to any problem, any conflict, any doubt about why she puts herself in tough situations to get a story.  Apart from her excellent skill and technique as a camera worker, her integrity as a story reporter and a truth teller allows her to stand far from the crowd of other journalists.  She chooses to tell a story from the point of view of the citizens during the complexity of active war periods.  She does her best to expose the cost of war by emphasizing the effects on human life rather than the actions of soldiers.

Addario's memoir travels through her life at a heightened speed over the evolution of her Photojournalism career.  She reflects on many experiences that have helped her grow.  She intentionally goes after dangerous and violent situations in order to report on the very real fear that is created in the civilians that are effected.  I can relate to the author's sense of duty in pursuing photojournalism in war zones.  I feel even more motivated to do work that is being appreciated and making a difference.  Photojournalism is a career unlike others that can give visual validation for the work you put in.  That assurance of reward for your time and commitment.

One of the most memorable quotes from her story is a thought she had while in a Libyan prison after getting kidnapped.  One of her colleagues had voiced that he couldn't do it anymore, could not continue to put himself in danger for a story.  Addario shared her personal thoughts on the matter.  Her beliefs: "That fact is that trauma and risk taking hadn't become scarier over the years; it had become more normal... The acceptance of that was a natural defense mechanism against questioning ourselves too much.  Maybe the three of us didn't want to admit how sick it was that we would even contemplate continuing to cover war while we were sitting in a glorified prison cell, kidnapped in Libya."

I feel that this snippet of her thoughts during one of the most intense moments of her career accurately relayed the passion she feels for her job and how she overcome obstacles by sheer will and desire for a story.  She is a journalist.  It is who she is.  It is what she does.

In addition to how she has grown as a person, she also includes a lot of times she has developed skills as a journalist.  These skills can be transferred to many aspiring journalists and photojournalists, possibly her targeted audience.  I was able to take her quality of fearlessness and apply it to my own journalism reporting.  She is an exceptional example of a journalist on the extreme side of the spectrum, which gives me prospective in my own work.  If she can run towards the aftermath of a bomb explosion, then I can approach a woman on the street for a name in a caption because she is in one of my photos.

Throughout her adventures, she includes excerpts of her work.  They are great representations of the life stories she has reported on.  My personal favorite of her works appear on Pg. 189 and Pg. 192.  Addario was working on documenting the lives of women effected by the conflict in Darfur.  I like how these do not show violence but rather the result of it.  A symptom of a diseased world.  It also shows possibilities when we are exposed to reports of post combat situations.  War photographs  from Afghanistan often work to keep us informed but for average citizens, there seems to be little I can do.  It's one government against another and I'm just one person.  But the lives she portrayed in other countries have opportunities where we can help.  Aid workers and relief funds are available that can help directly.  And I see more hope in these photos than others.

That is what war/conflict photojournalism can do.  Give back a voice and, even more, give back hope to those who have been denied it by the force of others.  I read this book under the context of a textbook but more than that, it is a story like no other.  I would recommend this book to everyone because there is a lot to be learned from her experiences, not just about journalism, but about the world and its people.


Photo:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/11480087/War-photographer-Lynsey-Addario-on-tragedy-pregnancy-in-warzones-and-being-played-by-Jennifer-Lawrence.html

Lynsey Addario Website:  http://www.lynseyaddario.com

Week 8 Forum

As I get further and further into "It's What I Do," so Lynsey seems to get deeper and deeper into the sacrifices necessary for this career.  She stretches her self over more strenuous situations in order to show her true skills for telling a story through the lens of a camera.  Two chapters seem to really stand out throughout her journey.  My favorite was Ch. 9 with a close second of Ch. 13.

Chapter 9 brings to life a real and accurate reflection of what daily life can look like for a war/conflict photographer.  When she was in the Korengal Valley during active combat, they were just as much a part of the war as soldiers and were in no less danger.  During the first half of the book, most of her passion allowed her to overlook the serious consequences that her job can have.  She consistently had the attitude of "I have to BE THERE," "I have to GET that shot, NO MATTER WHAT."  The chapter, along with the brief ch. 12, where she receives news of Tim Hetherington's death, proves to the readers and to herself that she is not invincible, and the constant conflict and violence can be quite dangerous and scarring.

One of my favorite quotes was from an email she wrote, after a set of pictures was rejected due to an integrity issue.  Addario says, "We represent the New York Times.  We have a responsibility to put out material we get, not cower and question ourselves and worry about military scrutiny... We owe it to the Afghans, the soldiers, everyone we spent time with and promised to show the TRUTH.  Our readers deserve to see what's happening over here"(246).  I thought this was a true show of self defense against the censorship of something that might make the US look bad.  She felt to the fullest extent, what she had experienced in the Korengal Valley and she would not have it be for nothing.

As follows, my favorite photo from this section was the picture of Khalid, who was never included in the published New York Times, in print or online, because of too much uncertainty regarding the accuracy of the information in the caption.  I completely agree with Addario.  I believe that journalists are there to give voices to those who would be able to have one.  If we take that away with concerns that Americans won't be seen in the best light, then we are also causing the oppression that we claim to fight against.

This chapter taught me to stay true to the journalist intent.  To tell the story in raw detail, to show from all angles, good, bad, ugly, to relay events in their honest form without filtering to sell an image.

Ch. 13 was my second favorite because it also but a realistic spin on a seemingly unimaginable life of a photojournalist.  Lynsey became pregnant and was brutally honest in sharing that she did not feel overwhelmed by joy as most mothers do.  She was worried how it would effect her work and what it would mean for the future.  However, she also went on to share that after becoming pregnant, she had experienced the heart wrenching prospective of her documentation as a mother.  She felt more empathy for each subject she encountered and believed her work was better because of it.

Action/Sports Photos

Corvallis Spartans get ready for the first match on day two of OSAA State Championships.  

Sat. Nov. 4th.

Players brace in preparation for a 4th match as team brings the game to a close, 25-22.

Hannah McAtee saves ball in game against Lebanon Warriors.

"My Hometown"

Powell's Book Store.  As the largest independent retail book store in the world located in Portland, OR, it covers an  entire block of the uptown Pearl District.  It regularly hosts author meet and greets and other local events as well as hundreds of daily customers. Saturday Nov. 4th

(From left) Jiggity Kim, Jessie Alvarez, Matt Beattie, Brent Traut, and Sam Liu, Corporate Board Members of Pinterest, wait in line for the infamous Local Voodoo Doughnuts, serving customers since 2003.  The team traveled up from the San Francisco bay area to  set up a work site in Oregon.  They decided to take a break and bring back a pink box filled with Portland-originated treats.

Michael Dorland poses while preparing food for customers at one of Portland's Oldest originating food trucks.  Steaks Fifth Avenue, owned by Chris Schenk(not picured), has been resident of the same block since 1997.  Dorland believes the business will continue to thrive in the metropolitan area that has a reputation for mass amounts of foot traffic.

Week 7 Forum

Shooting Sports:
Karl Maasdam gave a lot of great tips while explaining how he approaches shooting high action activities such as football, baseball, and other sports.  One tip that I found to really useful was to try and get the eyes in the shot.  Trying to get good shots of high motion moments can seem really daunting, and maybe getting a shot that's in focus at all could be considered a good shot.  But a great shot has the face and eyes in the frame.  It puts a personal aspect to the photo and reminds the audience that it is still just a person catching the ball and not some looming figure.  That makes shooting sports seem easier because it's a good start to make sure you get what you're looking for.  Start by being in front of the players, making sure that their faces and eyes are turned towards you.

Karl also talked about how that background is very important but can also be very tricky to manage.  Sports are very publicized events and lots of fans show up to support.  It creates a great environment but it can also cause the background to appear very cluttered and can cause the subject get lost among the mass of bystanders.  He advised us to keep a very low aperture in order to create a nice depth of field that differentiates between the subject and the background more so the person in the foreground stands out more.  This is also a good tip that will forces me to learn more about my camera.  With the action happening so fast in sports, you need to know how to adjust with the lighting and the motion as fast because the moment will only last a second.

Action/Sports Photos:
I plan on going down to the skate park and trying to get some action shots of the skateboarders and bikers.  I wanted to try something different in order to get some photos that are new and exciting for people.  I will most likely go out on the weekends because that will probably be when it is most busy and I'll have more opportunities to get people in my photos.  For my overall, I would like to get people waiting on the side of the ditch, watching the others.  As a medium shot, I want to try and get to people in the same shot while they are both skating.  I would love to get a closeup of someone doing a trick, hopefully in the air shot from down below.

Week 6 Forum

Hometown Photos:
I have the idea shooting for Corvallis as my hometown.  However, I also have ideas for shooting Portland.  I've been going up to Portland quite frequently since I was little.  Weekend Soccer tournaments, Saturday Markets, last minute vacations and many other events have connected me with the city.  For my Portrait, I hope to get a shot of a coffee shop or diner type barista/waitress.  Usually among the vegan bistros, there is a plethora of young tattoo'd, dyed haired, hipsters that scream stereotypical Portland.  I also want to try and get a portrait of a Food Truck owner maybe.  It has a large culture around the downtown area and carries a lot of history for the city.  As for a Landmark, I was thinking about a shot of the infamous Powell's sign.  It will be a challenge for me to try and incorporate people in this photo that are slightly more prominent than the passerby down under because I would have to be a bit far in order to get the whole sign in frame.  Lastly, my news feature would be of park walkers near the river front.  There is usually a large amount of people spending time there which will give me lots of opportunities to get a good photo.

Photo Story Ideas:
My first story idea, I have already set in motion.  I have decided to document the set up of the Pastega Light Displays- historically known by locals as "The Pepsi Lights."  I have gotten in touch with the head organizer, Kathleen Hutchinson about getting access to volunteer events for the set ups of the displays.  The process ranges from November 3rd- the first volunteer meeting, where families are assigned a display to refurbish- until November 24th- the opening night for the light display hosted at the Benton County Fairgrounds.  I plan on attending sessions and photographing the process from the organizing, the preparation, the set up, and finally opening night, where the public will be allowed to in for viewing.

If for some reason, my idea doesn't work out, I also have the idea of shooting a behind the scenes story of the owner of Benny's Doughnuts.  The owner, a corvallis local, just recently opened up an independent business.  I would like to see how he is handling his new role as an entrepreneur and how the business has progressed since opening.

Free Shoot

Annie Mitev, a senior in OSU's graphic design program, works on portfolio drawings in the MU lounge Mon. Nov. 20.

Annie has been working on her art skills since she was a kid.  When she began college, she dedicated herself to a concentration of drawing and painting and hopes to use her skills to become a graphic designer.

Annie specializes in portraits of women but likes to capture anything that is beautiful and interesting in her eyes.

Annie's work can be found posted around town in various business.  Her work is on display at the Beanery in downtown Corvallis and well as the Majestic Theatre.