Teaching, thanking, talking, and training

This week was pretty slow. The assignments I did get in though turned out pretty well. Tuesday I went to Edwins Elementary School next to FWB High and took pictures of kids creating splatter art. This art, which was created by Jackson Pollock, consisted of coloring a sheet of paper in blocks of different colors excluding black.



Once that part is completed, the students went outside and splattered the black paint onto the page. Although the assignment sounded like it had some great photo opportunities, my range of options were limited. It was hard to get close to the kids because the paint could land on my lens, which currently does not have a filter on it. The teacher did not get close enough to the kids for me to get a great interaction shot either.



But that is part of a photojournalist's job, to shoot what you can and work with what you have. The first two images were published.



Friday was the next time I went shooting, and I had two assignments this time. My first assignment was to take a picture of a sign that was being hung in remembrance of a guy who was killed by a drunk driver. The sign was being hung at one of the places he went very frequently: Emerald Coast Dirt & Vert. His mom made a foundation in his name for BMX and skateboarders that do not have the means to pay for time at the park, and the foundation allows these needy bikers to go there for free. The photo does not say much, but the story behind it was really good.



After that assignment I went to Mary Esther Elementary School for a “Super Bowl with Dad” lunch. There were several kids with their dads in the cafeteria, but for those children without parents present, some of the Fort Walton Beach High School football players were there to talk with them.



Today I went with Nick to a cat show on Okaloosa Island. Nick was amused, but I was not quite sure what to think about the whole event. The show was definitely interesting because of all of the different types of cats, but I wish I could have seen some really cool cat tricks. I did get some good shots though. I especially love the cat's tongue in the second photo.





I am not sure how much of an update I will have next week because I will be out of town for a few days, but I hope to have some great images to share next week. Until next time: www.nwfdailynews.com.

It's his-tory

This past week’s assignments all had something in common: history being made & President Obama. On Monday I covered the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade near downtown Fort Walton Beach. This was my first solo assignment at the paper and was my first video assignment ever. Shooting stills at the parade was very similar to shooting stills at the Homecoming parade in Gainesville last year. The parade and crowd here were smaller, but the search for great photo opportunities was not any less challenging. The video was a little harder, especially since it was hard to hold the camera steady, but I tried to shoot more for quality since I knew I could improve on shakiness in practice. Here are two images from the parade, both published:





VIDEO:



On Tuesday I went to Pryor Middle School to photograph students watching the inauguration. This kid was very enthusiastic and I was hoping to capture more images of him:



On Friday I went to another school, Mary Esther Elementary, to photograph a substitute teacher who was present at the inauguration on Tuesday. I was able to capture one great snapshot of the kids listening attentively to him. His story was pretty interesting, but I found the children’s questions the most humorous since he had already answered all their questions during his speech. Both images were published:





That is it for this update. Check back in later for more images. Don’t forget to check the Web site as well: www.nwfdailynews.com.

IN with the "Old" and IN with the "New"

Yesterday I was in a public library in Crestview when I heard a librarian tell a woman, “Your book is due back in two weeks – January 31st.” It hit me – January is half over already? The days and months seem to be flying by faster each year and each time period of my life. That is how this past week felt. Last Wednesday I started my first day as a photo intern for the Northwest Florida Daily News, which is in my hometown of Fort Walton Beach. I grew up reading the paper and looking at the pictures, so taking pictures for it is truly surreal. It will definitely take time to get used to, but I am not worried since I already feel comfortable around the people and the environment. It is a great experience, and I am blessed to be able to continue my passion while here at home.

Recapping my first week:
I went with Nick, one of the staff photographers, to a barber shop in downtown Fort Walton Beach on Wednesday. He was shooting video and stills as I tagged along to learn a bit. I have never been to that barber shop before – not a shocker – but it was a nifty little business. I especially like the photos of many famous people with their autographs written on them. There were also several mirrors in the shop, so I used that to my advantage to come up with this:



I didn’t expect the shot to turn out the way it did, but I was happy with the result. The image ran in the paper the next day in the local section. My mom was very happy about that one.

The next day I revisited my past – in a sense. I went with Nick to NWF State College (which used to be Okaloosa-Walton College when I went there) to shoot the baseball team’s first practice. After what happened at UF during baseball season last year, I was a little cautious while there. I tend to be afraid of baseballs traveling at high speeds, so I stayed back a bit while taking these shots. However, I believe that each time I go on an assignment I will become closer to conquering a small fear that I’ve held onto – and one day I will overcome them. I did take advantage of the huddle with the coach where I saw how reflective his glasses were:



Nick and I then headed over to women’s weightlifting in another old school of mine – Choctawhatchee High. The last time I was there – to my recollection – was graduation in 2004. I think I sounded like an old Hallmark card because Nick laughed at me when I mentioned how weird it was to be going back into this school after almost 5 years of being away from it. After photographing the girl’s weightlifting, I remember thinking how young everyone looked – basically like kids! I remembering saying, “High schoolers didn’t look like kids four years ago,” but of course they didn’t because that was me four years ago!



On Saturday I went to Crestview with Nick to photograph high school wrestling for the Panhandle Championships. I have never covered wrestling before, so this was a new experience for me. It was a little confusing, but I captured two matches that ended well. Both images were published in the paper:





I plan to update this blog once a week unless I have an outstanding day – and then I will update that day. Check back for more updates and also check the website because you never know what you will see!

http://www.nwfdailynews.com