It is time start another weekly, possibly some what daily blog about an Independent Learning Contract at the Evergreen State College. This quarter I will be doing a contract called Multimedia Web Journalism with Reaz Mahmood and Seth Vincent. I will be learning about how to supplement text stories created by other with multimedia elements, learn how to create an in-depth report as a backpack journalist, along with an analysis of journalism in society and learn about building websites with HTML, CSS, Java Script and other open source materials.
I've been looking forward to this contract for some time now. I have been trying to put together this contract since the previous quarter. It encompasses everything I want to do, multimedia, journalism and web design. All these things apply to what I want to pursue as a career in life.
Picking journalism or a variant of journalism is a nerve racking choice. Some have and will call me crazy because of the down fall of journalism. I see it as an opportunity to be apart of the rise of new journalism and the flow of information. They only call me crazy because this new journalism lacks trust and funding, "if there's a will, there's a way" is what I say to that and now I will be building those blocks to hopefully make some sort of change or at least be apart of it.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Say its not over!
My internship has come to a close. The overall experience was fantastic, I am super appreciative of Tony and his cooperation and knowledge. I have learned so much. I feel its only the tip of the iceberg for the life experience I need to gain. In the last days of my internship I covered cancer walkers, a pastor who got the surprise of a life time and football. Oh lovely football, I didn't know what to expect of this as I despised the high school football players when I was of age. But it was fun. I also enjoy a challenge and I have never covered football to this extent. These weren't games either just practices. Dealing with the coaches and getting the names again was really hard because it is easy to lose track of those. Tony's wisdom was infallible when it came to this part. I feel I could have done better. Been a little more intrusive for the names. The delicate balance between intrusive and being a wallflower in order to get a truly natural moment is incredibly hard to do even in sports. But especially in high school sports. You get these kids full of themselves on the high school sports hero high and just plain dumb ass stunts some of them pull. Also you get these coaches who are either awesome guys or real pricks. Just a taste of really the people. Anyhow it was fun and worthwhile.
Now I am on to furthering my skills in my chosen career. First things first is knowledge, after that is equipment. I know this profession is expensive but all the while worth it. This brings to mind the quandary the modern photojournalists and journalists, for that matter, of monetizing their work. In this internet age monetizing your photos is the big problem. Everyone is trying to come up with something. To those who survive the riches will come. Its sad to hear things like Black Star selling a good portion of their archive. The golden age of photojournalism will come again I can promise that. Enough of that though.
I have learned so much from my experiences with The Olympian. I can't thank everyone their enough. Hopefully, I did well, well enough for them to come to me if they need some extra help. I look forward to the future and to working hard to make my dreams a reality.
Now I am on to furthering my skills in my chosen career. First things first is knowledge, after that is equipment. I know this profession is expensive but all the while worth it. This brings to mind the quandary the modern photojournalists and journalists, for that matter, of monetizing their work. In this internet age monetizing your photos is the big problem. Everyone is trying to come up with something. To those who survive the riches will come. Its sad to hear things like Black Star selling a good portion of their archive. The golden age of photojournalism will come again I can promise that. Enough of that though.
I have learned so much from my experiences with The Olympian. I can't thank everyone their enough. Hopefully, I did well, well enough for them to come to me if they need some extra help. I look forward to the future and to working hard to make my dreams a reality.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
July 29th - 31st
Busy, busy, the last few days. But not a bad kind of busy, was definitely fun and relaxing.
Thursday I shot an army family looking to purchase a new home. The story was about how the economy has been affecting so many people but the people in business i.e. the government and army is chugging along. The soldier age 24 and his wife 23 have one kid and one on the way and they are looking at finding a permanent home. So while others are struggling soldiers are pursuing a life. While I do like this because these people deserve it, I am a little angry or even in angst if I can apply that term to this situation. I chose my life and I am fine with that but this may hit closer to home with others.
Friday, I got to ride on the Sandman tug boat for a little historical tour. That was a lot of fun and very relaxing. The shooting went fine I felt there was something I missed in the shots but I don't know its a small boat so I got what I could. It was nice talking to the people and the reporter on site there, the reporter was definitely a good guy, good writer to. Those photos made the Sunday front page, which was very exciting.
Saturday was an interesting day, kind of stressful, especially the first event Tony and I covered that day. I was shooting stills and Tony was shooting video of Wienerfest. I was stressed because the lighting sucked I don't think a flash would've helped but I pry should have used one. Never the less the shots I feel came out well. The place where it was held was stuffy, smelly and overall noisy; didn't bug me but I've been feeling ill so it didn't help. The worst part was my camera that I own failing me and not working so I have to send it in to get fixed now. Good thing I have a 2 year warranty on it.
After wienerfest I loaded up the photos I took, edited them and sent to the layout editors. Then I relaxed a little bit and afterwards headed to Bon Odori, the most rushed event of the day. I made the mistake of taking too many shots of the Taiko Drummers and not the dancers but I only had 20 minutes to shoot the dancers and that really didn't give much but enough. After that I loaded, edited and sent the ones I liked best, only a few I pry should have sent more. After all that I headed off to Tacoma for concert. On the way there I get a phone call and apparently they can't find my photos. So I was freaking as I was already in Tacoma but I sat on the phone for a second and the layout editor found them after he pushed the REFRESH BUTTON!!! I mean come on seriously, you would think they would do that on a regular basis. I was furious because I had called Tony to let him know because my phone was dying and I called him too late and felt really bad to bug him like that. Don't know what was a I was thinking. Ugh it was infuriating. They didn't even use any of the photos pry because I should have sent more, its what ever I guess they ended up using 2 of the wiener dog shots.
Heres a shot I slapped together from the senior games same as the other post but better looking.
Thursday I shot an army family looking to purchase a new home. The story was about how the economy has been affecting so many people but the people in business i.e. the government and army is chugging along. The soldier age 24 and his wife 23 have one kid and one on the way and they are looking at finding a permanent home. So while others are struggling soldiers are pursuing a life. While I do like this because these people deserve it, I am a little angry or even in angst if I can apply that term to this situation. I chose my life and I am fine with that but this may hit closer to home with others.
Friday, I got to ride on the Sandman tug boat for a little historical tour. That was a lot of fun and very relaxing. The shooting went fine I felt there was something I missed in the shots but I don't know its a small boat so I got what I could. It was nice talking to the people and the reporter on site there, the reporter was definitely a good guy, good writer to. Those photos made the Sunday front page, which was very exciting.
Saturday was an interesting day, kind of stressful, especially the first event Tony and I covered that day. I was shooting stills and Tony was shooting video of Wienerfest. I was stressed because the lighting sucked I don't think a flash would've helped but I pry should have used one. Never the less the shots I feel came out well. The place where it was held was stuffy, smelly and overall noisy; didn't bug me but I've been feeling ill so it didn't help. The worst part was my camera that I own failing me and not working so I have to send it in to get fixed now. Good thing I have a 2 year warranty on it.
After wienerfest I loaded up the photos I took, edited them and sent to the layout editors. Then I relaxed a little bit and afterwards headed to Bon Odori, the most rushed event of the day. I made the mistake of taking too many shots of the Taiko Drummers and not the dancers but I only had 20 minutes to shoot the dancers and that really didn't give much but enough. After that I loaded, edited and sent the ones I liked best, only a few I pry should have sent more. After all that I headed off to Tacoma for concert. On the way there I get a phone call and apparently they can't find my photos. So I was freaking as I was already in Tacoma but I sat on the phone for a second and the layout editor found them after he pushed the REFRESH BUTTON!!! I mean come on seriously, you would think they would do that on a regular basis. I was furious because I had called Tony to let him know because my phone was dying and I called him too late and felt really bad to bug him like that. Don't know what was a I was thinking. Ugh it was infuriating. They didn't even use any of the photos pry because I should have sent more, its what ever I guess they ended up using 2 of the wiener dog shots.
Heres a shot I slapped together from the senior games same as the other post but better looking.
Monday, July 26, 2010
July 22nd - 24th 2010
LEFT is a little girl giving one of the princess' at the queens coronation of lakefair her support; every time I'm down I think of this kid. Wish I would've had the time to talk to her.
What a sports filled week it was. Mostly baseball and a little bit of track and field. Thursday I shot a 12 year old kid who's brother died in a terrible car accident and it discouraged him from playing baseball. The kid then decided that he wanted to play in memory of his brother. The whole team had his initials on the side of their helmets, the kid carried a picture of his brother to every game and he seemed to just be a good kid and was also really good at baseball. The goal for this shoot was to get a portrait of him playing baseball and having a good time with his team after this tragic incident. It was a little weird as well that my girlfriends cousin was the driver of the automobile that was in the wreck. Anyhow that was fun and inspiring as well.
Friday I shot a local 13 year old baseball championship. Which was fun, still interesting to see what the editors pick out of the photos I send because I like to not just get the sports but the crowd enjoying it. There wasn't too much special going on there just a few enthusiastic parents.
Saturday was the best of them all. I shot the senior games at tumwater high school. These were some inspiring ladies and gentlemen. All 50 to 100+ doing amazing sports at their age like pole vaulting, long jump, high jump, 10k run, 100 meter dash. It was cool, lots of really good faces.
Lately I've been looking at contests and stuff to enter in hopes to gain more recognition as a student of photojournalism. Its a little disconcerting to see these guys from around the country at these schools of photojournalism doing this; where I am pry the only student of photojournalism in this town let alone state I feel like I'm going to get out gamed and shot down because I'm at a different college, that really has no affiliation in journalism. I'm doing it all myself really. I just hope it won't hamper me in the future. My mom says its all about the internships and who you work with so I suppose I'm doing that right seeing as I'm working for one of the best. It'd be nice to win a contest and gain some recognition and prestige for what I want to do with myself. Especially some recognition for Evergreen that would be really cool.
After this is over its back to trying to find a job, ugh the thought of it is disconcerting and depressing alone. Not looking forward to it. Can't I just freelance now!???!?! Not like I have the equipment for it but damn it I have the drive. I just don't want to be pushing carts or being a cashier like some corporate pawn. Maybe if I get work study I can get a fun job at evergreen maybe in the photo department. That'd be incredible. Going to try to find that out tomorrow.
All in all doing photography and journalism is all I think about its become number one above all else. I want to travel. I want to learn about different cultures. I want to see world events happen. I want to get to know everyone and be known. Most of all I want to be good. Nothing can stop me now. I'm too determined, too stubborn and too emboldened to let anything or anyone stop me.
Here is a sequence photo from the senior games.
Look at it big its great!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
15 - 17 of July
What a fantastic weekend. New learning experiences indeed.
Thursday I shot the coronation of the Lakefair queen which was quite intense because it was brief and their was not much time for me to make the deadline. In short I was 13 minutes late, the lesson there was that I must call the photo editor and ask for a bit more time. The reason I was late was because I could not send remotely from my car with a tether to my phone that was a fail, so I had to rush to the Olympian to send from there. It was adrenaline pumping because I am a perfectionist and anal retentive about time. Anyhow lesson truly learned from that situation.
A little explanation on Lakefair. Obviously it is a fair, a fair that centers around the Capital Lake in Olympia. Every summer we have the fair and its pretty dreadful and basically a giant school dance for the teenagers and the young at heart. Lame to say the least. Never the less I pushed forward to take photos for the crowning and for a local feature for Friday and Saturday's paper.
On Saturday I was to shoot the Seattle to Portland Bike ride. This in itself was not interesting. My goal here was to learn to hunt down stories and stories in photos with a reporter. I think I did pretty well. When the reporter got there I immediately informed her of a guy in a strange vehicle called a velomobiel (thats how it was spelled on his car). A bullet shaped aerodynamic bicycle with 3 wheels, two in front, one in back. It was a sleek little contraption. Also we found some people with polka dots on haz mat suits and a women wearing a tiara to represent a women she rides with who could not ride whom had breast cancer. It was a lot of fun. I think I could take to reporting as well. I'd like to do that just so I can be more use to an editor and make more money, of course. All I need to do is work on my writing, as you can pry tell is not fantastic.
Anyhow, I think the editors liked my photos or at least I hope they did or else I would've pry heard about it at some point.
Thursday I shot the coronation of the Lakefair queen which was quite intense because it was brief and their was not much time for me to make the deadline. In short I was 13 minutes late, the lesson there was that I must call the photo editor and ask for a bit more time. The reason I was late was because I could not send remotely from my car with a tether to my phone that was a fail, so I had to rush to the Olympian to send from there. It was adrenaline pumping because I am a perfectionist and anal retentive about time. Anyhow lesson truly learned from that situation.
A little explanation on Lakefair. Obviously it is a fair, a fair that centers around the Capital Lake in Olympia. Every summer we have the fair and its pretty dreadful and basically a giant school dance for the teenagers and the young at heart. Lame to say the least. Never the less I pushed forward to take photos for the crowning and for a local feature for Friday and Saturday's paper.
On Saturday I was to shoot the Seattle to Portland Bike ride. This in itself was not interesting. My goal here was to learn to hunt down stories and stories in photos with a reporter. I think I did pretty well. When the reporter got there I immediately informed her of a guy in a strange vehicle called a velomobiel (thats how it was spelled on his car). A bullet shaped aerodynamic bicycle with 3 wheels, two in front, one in back. It was a sleek little contraption. Also we found some people with polka dots on haz mat suits and a women wearing a tiara to represent a women she rides with who could not ride whom had breast cancer. It was a lot of fun. I think I could take to reporting as well. I'd like to do that just so I can be more use to an editor and make more money, of course. All I need to do is work on my writing, as you can pry tell is not fantastic.
Anyhow, I think the editors liked my photos or at least I hope they did or else I would've pry heard about it at some point.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
July 10th and 11th
Wow what a weekend. I could've not gone from two different photography extremes, on two different days, than I did this weekend. Saturday was a relaxed day of shooting at Huntamer Park, in Lacey, for the first 2010 community market. It was fun, I got some great shots, that looked great in the Sunday paper. I made sure I got all the names and where they were from, it was pretty easy.
Sunday, was the day of intensity and new experiences. I shot the NHRA Northwest championship drag races in Kent. This was insane, the noise, the vibrations, the speed, it was absolutely crazy. On top of that one of the drivers died and I had shots of his race, which automatically became incredibly important to the newspaper folks. The idea of course other people had shots but mine were the only newspaper shots because the Seattle times didn't have a shot of him, also I am free work, because I am an intern and the other photographers know the value of such a shot or at least thats what I gathered from the other people there. Anyhow I basically observed the other photographers, talked to them and just watched what how they shot but it really wasn't necessary I had been thinking about how to shoot the races for the past night I feel I can be pretty intuitive about any situation I'm put in for composition.
It was a dramatic day, besides Mark Niver dying, there was tense feelings between the car types, also confusion with the starting lights, or the christmas tree as they call it, overall though I probably don't know the half of what went on outside of all the noise and speed.
(EDIT) HERES MY PHOTO ON NBC SPORTS WEBSITE the associated press is using my photo wow NBC
THE SEATTLE TIMES
Herald Net
Kentucky.com
USA TODAY
goupstate.com
I'm not trying to brag I'm just excited
Overall I'm saddened by this mans death its a little bitter sweet to have my first photo nationally published, and its not even a spectacular photo, under these circumstances. RIP Mark Niver he died doing what he loved.
and here is the tribunes article on the whole thing
TNT
Sunday, was the day of intensity and new experiences. I shot the NHRA Northwest championship drag races in Kent. This was insane, the noise, the vibrations, the speed, it was absolutely crazy. On top of that one of the drivers died and I had shots of his race, which automatically became incredibly important to the newspaper folks. The idea of course other people had shots but mine were the only newspaper shots because the Seattle times didn't have a shot of him, also I am free work, because I am an intern and the other photographers know the value of such a shot or at least thats what I gathered from the other people there. Anyhow I basically observed the other photographers, talked to them and just watched what how they shot but it really wasn't necessary I had been thinking about how to shoot the races for the past night I feel I can be pretty intuitive about any situation I'm put in for composition.
It was a dramatic day, besides Mark Niver dying, there was tense feelings between the car types, also confusion with the starting lights, or the christmas tree as they call it, overall though I probably don't know the half of what went on outside of all the noise and speed.
(EDIT) HERES MY PHOTO ON NBC SPORTS WEBSITE the associated press is using my photo wow NBC
THE SEATTLE TIMES
Herald Net
Kentucky.com
USA TODAY
goupstate.com
I'm not trying to brag I'm just excited
Overall I'm saddened by this mans death its a little bitter sweet to have my first photo nationally published, and its not even a spectacular photo, under these circumstances. RIP Mark Niver he died doing what he loved.
and here is the tribunes article on the whole thing
TNT
Thursday, July 8, 2010
July 8, 2010
Today was a hot day, so naturally it is news. But my first assignment for the day was a call from the photo editor in Tacoma, to go shoot teens at a reading event at the Tumwater library. That was a giant bust. No one showed up so I took pictures of kids reading and other miscellaneous things.
After I left, my next assignment was to get shots of people cooling off in the hot sunny weather. So I headed to to get shots of people playing in the Deschutes river by suggestion of my editor. It was succesful but getting all the names straight was hard, which is my newest lesson, write something identifiable about these people. The problem with that is all guys wearing shorts so they all pretty much look alike. I figured it out. The next frustration was my computer epic failing with multiple blue screens, so I ended up using my touchy laptop. I was furious! But I got the photos in though not as early as I'd like. I want a mac lap top, bad, I'm sick of pc's seriously. Hopefully I can invest in one at some point. Photography is really my life now that's all I want to do so it would be rather important over getting a PC to acquire new equipment. New lenses and a second camera is also on the list. Still a good day but a frightening and stressful with the failures. But my photo and my name is now on the front page and that is what matters to me.
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