Week 10 Blog Forum

Topic 1:

I consider this my best photo because it kind of blends everything I learned about the class together. It's well focused, the cropping is good, the lighting is interesting, I'm stopping the action of his free throw, and it acts as a pretty good candid portrait. It's also one of those photos I consider lucky to have gotten because shooting at night is near impossible and this one turned out pretty good. I think I have improved greatly in photo journalism. I'm less timid about getting closer to the subject or asking for names, than the nervous blob I was beforehand. I feel like all phases of my photography has improved, because if you look at my first few assignments you can tell I wasn't doing that great, compare that to some of my most recent assignments and I feel there is obvious improvement, though there is always room for more. 

Topic 2

1. I want to have 5-10 photos featured in the Commuter.
2. I want to have a better understanding of photography terminology and how to apply them to my photography.
3. I want to get a cover photo for the Commuter

1. I'd have to go through and check but I think I came pretty damn close to 10 photos published and easily eclipsed 5 photos. That mainly came from the fact that I work at the Commuter and I would shoot photos to accompany my writing pieces.
2. I feel like through the classes and working with my camera I better developed my understanding of depth of field and doing most of the editing in the camera. I still have much more to learn though and I'm excited to keep shooting for the Commuter. 
3. I was not able to get a cover photo for the commuter but I came close when I was shooting for the play "The Actor's Nightmare." I'm convinced that if I had a telephoto lens when I was shooting for that story, instead of a wide angle lens, I would've been able to capture a much more effective photo that would've been featured on the cover. Although Angela Scott's photo that made the cover was incredible so, maybe not. 

Book Report: Lynsey Addario

Specialist Carl Vandeberge, center, and Sargeant Kevin Rice, behind, are assisted as
they walk to a medevac helicopter minutes after they were both shot in the stomach
during a Taliban ambush, which killed one soldier, and wounded both of them.
Spc. Carl Vandeberge and Sgt. Kevin Rice, were flown out immediately for surgery.
October 23, 2007.
(Photo by Lynsey Addario)
Photo Courtesy of: lynseyaddario.com

After finishing "It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War" by Lynsey Addario I was once again reinforced with inspiration for the commitment Addario has put into her coverage of conflict zones. Every chapter gives you another story that illustrates just how admirable and just how crazy she is to continue her passion. Yet, as the book's title says "It's What I Do," this field is Addario's calling, she feels bound to it and as a result couldn't see herself doing anything else. I found this to be incredibly inspiring and while I myself may not relate to this sense of duty in this capacity, it does show a different perspective and also reinforces just how important journalism, specifically photo journalism, is.

 In an excerpt towards the end of the book on pages 340 and 341, Addario talks about her return to the Syrian border and reminisces about how she has changed through the book.

"As we raced toward the Syrian border, my mind slipped back to 2003, to who I was then: a young woman who wanted nothing more than to travel the world and to document the stories of people and their hardships. I was insatiable to my quest to document the truth with my photographs and threw myself into the midst of any situation without regard for consequences, believing that if my intentions were pure and I focused on my work, I would be OK. Though I still work with the same dedication, I have grown more cautious with every brush with death, with every friend lost. Somewhere along the way my mortality began to matter."

This quote resonates with me the most because it encapsulates the overall journey she has talked about throughout the book. The line "Somewhere along the way my mortality began to matter," is absolutely crazy to me. It implies that her mortality and own life didn't matter beforehand. That she was so committed to her craft that everything else, including her own life, was secondary.

Addario's ability to capture the human experience in some of the most high conflict areas around the globe provides some of the most moving photographs I've seen. Pages 4 & 5, page 62, and page 189 have some of my favorite examples of this.

My favorite photos, however, come from the chapter 9 section of the book in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan on pages 233-235. For me, living in a country that can sometimes like to glorify war through media like movies and video games, these photos are raw depictions of what war really is. Addario's ability to capture the action is crazy to me because if I put myself in that situation I don't know how I could do that. It showcases her courage in the face of danger and the photos are examples of what good photojournalism is.

The main lesson that I learned from this book is to be fearless when you're doing photo journalism. Addario was shot at for god's sake why shouldn't I be able to get a little closer to my subject when I'm covering a clothing drive or a debate.

I think this is a good book for anyone who is passionate about something, not just journalism. It's inspiring to read about just how intense Addario is about photojournalism and it shows exactly what someone can accomplish when they love what they do.

Week 8 Blog Forum

Topic: Addario

Choosing only two chapters from the last two parts of the book was incredibly difficult. All of them showcase the hardships that a photojournalist has to deal with in conflict zones. Since I have to choose I think that chapter nine is the most compelling with chapter 12 coming in second.

 Chapter nine puts addario in the center of an ambush in Korengal Valley. There she's forced to scramble and take photos of the active combat and capture some truly horrifying photos including the photo that most intrigued me in this chapter of the two soldiers carrying away their bloody ally. Along with the quote in chapter nine that states: "As we neared the medevac point, I saw Captain Kearny running at top speed down the mountain toward us from his overwatch position. His gun was lung over his shoulder, and tears ran down his face. 'Rice!' Kearney wrapped his arms around him, and they all stood there and wept, soaking up the incredibleness of the ambush."

Both the image and the quote are incredibly powerful and they show just how horrifying war is, and as a result how important it is to document it.

Week 5 Blog Forum

Topic: Lynsey Addario Book

At the end of chapters 6 and 7 I can say with certainty that Lynsey Addario has to be one of the most crazy people I have ever read about. Chapter 6 sees Addario get kidnapped in the Sunny Triangle. After the traumatic experience she realizes that what she does as a photographer impacts the ones she loves back home as well. This does not deter her though as she hops right back into the line of duty as a photographer. This commitment and dedication to her craft, the central theme of the book, is incredibly inspiring and the lengths in which she is willing to go to document these situations is a great read. The quote "I needed to branch out beyond the daily demands of breaking-news photography... "I wanted to see what else I could do, and for that I needed to try a different region. It was time to move on from Iraq and from the destructive love affairs of my youth." The reason I find this so interesting is because while she does move on from Iraq she goes immediately into covering another high tension region in Africa. For Addario, that was considered a less stressful situation and that is just completely insane to me that that is her idea of a breather. My favorite photo is in chapter seven, with the skeleton rotting with a low angle and Addario capturing the soldiers above it. The lesson that Addario continually teaches me is to be unafraid to be tenacious and willing to risk everything for the sake of good journalism. 

Photographer of the Week: Neil Leifer

Muhammed Ali after knocking out Sonny Liston
Photo by Neil Leifer
Photo Courtesy of neilleifer.com

Neil Leifer's photographs are some of the most iconic in sports history. He took off in the golden era of sports when sports were really starting to stand out as a huge entertainment industry and as a result Leifer has photos of some of the most iconic figures in sports. From Muhammed Ali, to Pele, to Secretariat, if you've seen a sports picture from this era, it's a good chance it's one of Leifer's. His ability to really capture the moment, include the environment, and let the subject sit as the focal point of the picture is truly awe inspiring. His countless photos of iconic athletes almost put together a tapestry of the world of sports throughout his tenure.

Leifer was first introduced to photography when he was 13-years-old when he took classes at the Henry Street Settlement House. Since he loved sports, he began taking sports photos and as a result, Leifer started his his career as a freelance photographer. As a teen, he worked at New York Giant's games and would push wheelchairs for handicapped patrons for free admission to the games. He took photos of the games that he was allowed into and on his 16th birthday he took photo's of the NFL title game between the Giants and the Colts, a game that would later be known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played." Leifer sold his photos for Sports Illustrated and they brought him aboard, he would go on to be a prodigy for the magazine and Leifer earned his first cover photo at the age of 19. Leifer would go on to have over 200 cover stories for the magazine throughout his life and was well known for his photographs of Boxing legend Muhammad Ali. One might argue that the photo of Ali knocking out Sonny Liston is the most iconic sports photo of all time and because of that and countless other examples of phenomenal photographs, Neil Leifer is also talked about as one of the greatest sports photographers of all time. 

Photo J Assignment #8: Action Photos

Jack Cotterman returns serve during a recreational Pickle Ball
match on Wednesday Nov. 15. Pickle Ball is held every weekday
from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. through the Albany Parks and Recreation Sports
Department.

Pam Harris (Right) prepares to volley off of a return
 as Mal Bellafronto winds up to serve. 

Cotterman sneaks in a point on Bellafronto as Harris and Grant
Steinbrink (Left) look on. 

Photo J Assignment #7: My Hometown

Jackson Heaton, 20, (left) and Dylan Justesen, 21, are LDS Missionaries
from Utah and Idaho. They meet at Grand Prairie Park in Albany
every Sunday after church for Bible study.

CJ Daniels, 21, a former guard at South Medford High School
practices his free throws on the court at Grand Prairie Park on Nov. 11.
Daniels says he goes to the park about five times a week so that he can
 keep his shooting touch.

Kelsey Breitmer, 26, is a cashier for Albany Fred Meyer. She closes
five times a week and says she has never missed a shift since she started
working there.

Week 4 Blog Forum

Topic 1:

1. I chose "Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects," as the part of the code of ethics that I found most compelling. The reason for this is because it acts as the foundation for several other parts of the code of ethics. The photo journalist's goal is to capture a real moment in time, so if we aim to be accurate and comprehensive when representing our subject then we will fulfill other parts of the code like "resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities," or "Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images' content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects. Accuracy is key when covering any type of news story when writing, so why should photography be any different? 
2. I chose "Strive by example and influence to maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code. When confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the highest standards of the profession. Visual journalists should continuously study their craft and the ethics that guide it." this one because it gives instruction to live by this code in general and that a good journalist isn't one who simply memorizes it, but continues to learn from it and live by it. 
3. I guess the main thing from 1 on the code of ethics is just to not fabricate anything in your photos. The goal is to share the truth so know use of photoshop to adjust someone or something to make the photo to look better. An honest photo is better than a beautiful one.  

Topic 2:

It was tough to choose between all the great photos that Casey has taken so far this term. I think my favorite is this photo of the subject playing chess in the book store. It has a fantastic angle, pretty good expression, and the lighting is very cool. Overall it's a very interesting photograph and she has plenty more on her blog.

Another instance of trying to narrow it down to just one great photo. I chose this photo of Alex's from when he shot the Farmer's Market booth. The lighting and depth of field in this photo are simply incredible. Very good work from Alex Gaub and there's a lot of other great photos on his blog as well.

Week 6 Blog Forum

Topic 1

1. I'm going to photograph Albany Oregon because it's where I live and it has a lot of variety as far as landmarks and places to shoot.

2. For my portrait I was thinking about shooting someone at the local Fred Meyer like this well known cashier I know. For the landmark maybe something like the Hasty Freez servers or Pix theater ticket people. For my activity I was thinking I'd photograph some people at one of the parks in Albany like Timberland or Grand Prairie.

3. The portrait and landmark because they involve me working around someone's work schedule and I really feel nervous about being a distraction.

Topic 2

1. For the photo story I was planning on to continue shooting "The Actor's Nightmare." Only this time I would get more backstage footage before and after dress rehearsals of the actors and the director. My hope is to document the camaraderie, fun and stressful work that is involved as opening night approaches.

2. The other thing I was thinking was documenting the daily life of a firefighter when not out putting out fires. Essentially photographing the inside of a fire station, what conditions they live in and what they do to keep busy as they wait to fight fires.

Week 7 Blog Forum

Topic 1:

1. The first tip that I thought was applicable to all forms of photography was "stay in your camera." Meaning keep taking photos don't get distracted by the ones you've already taken. In sports photography its important to do this because shooting a celebration is almost just as good as getting a shot of the action, and if you chimp your action shot you will miss out on good photos.
2. The second tip was that you have to be somewhere different then everyone else. You want unique photos and grouping around the other photographers at a sports event will not give you an opportunity to do that.

Topic 2:

1. I will Albany Parks and Rec Department (APRD) Sports, Senior Pickleball.
2. They play mornings at around 8:30 in the APRD Sports activities center. I will stop by there next wednesday.
3. Action Photo Ideas

• Overall: I will get a shot of the overall court, with both teams and get a shot of the athletes swinging at the wiffle ball.
• Medium: I think I'll shoot one side of the court or one of the teams and maybe shoot a celebration, reaction, or action if I can get it.
• Close: I'm thinking that it would be cool to get a close up of one of the athletes before a volley to kind of capture their emotion and focus. Otherwise I would try to capture a reaction after a play.

Photo J Assignment #6: Free Shoot

The Black Curtain Society performed their first dress rehearsal for
"The Actor's Nightmare" on Nov. 2. The play centers around an accountant
named George Spelvin who is mistaken for an actor and forced
to perform in a play that he doesn't know any of the lines for.
The Show will be coming to the Russell Tripp Performance Center
on Nov. 16-18.

Jake Tudor (Left) and Matthew Shelton rehearse one of their
scenes in "The Actor's Nightmare." 

The cast and director engaging in a warm-up exercise before the
dress rehearsal. (From Left) Hannah Costa, Jake Tudor, Breonna North,
Sophia Brown, Matt Shelton, and Isaac Newton.