Picture Story #2: Photographer Perceptions.

For this blog post- I am responding to readings for my picture story class. I am truly inspired by the Tao of Photography readings, it provides a breath of fresh insight and a different way to look at methods of shooting and thinking about photography.

I think many photojournalism students at one point or another get mentally lost in their classes; meaning they loose sight of their own expectations and follow what they think is expected of them. These readings are a great way to get back in touch with what you expect from yourself. While this reading covered a handful of topics, a couple of them really stuck out to me. One of these topics was the differences between "little" and "great" understanding. The "little" understanding focuses on the technical aspect of photography and the "great" understanding focuses on the artistry part of photography. To obtain a great understanding there has to be a balance with knowledge from the little understanding. Sometimes people get lost in what makes a good photographer, but this balance of understanding is a great way to explain that it isn't just one component.

I also liked the Bird by Bird readings, regarding failure and overcoming the first attempts of a story. When I begin a story, the fear of failure and not making that first point of contact looms over my head. I liked how she encouraged her students and told them to basically get over it and get tough. After many story failures, I have found that its much easier to get over rejection and move on.

Picture Story #1-The Great Picture Story.

A great picture story isn't just defined by the technique and intimacy that is seen in the image sequence. For a picture story to achieve the next level of visual story telling it has to engage the viewer in a compelling way.

I was standing in awe of Thomas Lekfeldt story, A Star In The Sky, at last years Danish Photographer of the Year exhibit when I noticed something strange and familiar. The man and little girl who were also looking at the images appeared in the photographs; it was Vibe's father and twin sister. As hard as I tried, I couldn't look away for long. The emotions that the father experienced in looking at Lekfeldt's work was a wide spectrum. But, the images spoke to him and told a beautiful story about his daughter's life. He felt something. 

This story is one of my all time favorite visual stories. I remember the chills I felt when I first saw the sequence and I still get them when I see certain images to this day. That's what I want to push in my images is the emotional connection between three parties: the subject, the photographer and the viewer. I am still impressed with the variety of strong images in this story. Every frame has a purpose and adds something different to the story. 

Another strong element in this story is the amount of time he spent with this family. By working with the family for almost a year and a half, he was able to gain access and intimacy, as well as telling a complete story. Often there are parts of photo stories that are missing because the photographer simply didn't have enough time or access, but not in this situation. Lekfeldt was able to photograph every aspect of this story that would likely give other photojournalists road blocks. 

Diana:2nd Roll.

I forgot how exciting it is, dropping off film and waiting to see the results. 

I felt like a kid in a candy store earlier when after waiting a very long 24 hours,

 I was handed my second roll of 120 from my Diana.

 I love this camera. I love this camera. I love this camera.

A double exposure of Mr. Clint Alwahab on a snowy day and shoe prints in the snow.

Ice that wont come off the car window makes for a beautiful filter. 

Photo lunch with David Rees and the photo nerd gang over winter break.

LaNee Graduates.

Shortly after finishing my Boone Life story about LaNee, I quickly realized that I wasn't done documenting her life. A couple weeks ago, LaNee finished her undergraduate career. As it was my first day reporting at the Columbia Missourian, I was able to write a story about the Arts & Science graduation and document her walking across the stage.

As a photographer, there are moments I document that leave me speechless. As I watched LaNee walk across the graduation stage with her son Jai, I was at a loss for words. The grace and poise she presented on the stage was a beautiful way for her to make a statement about her achievement. 

My first rolls of 120!

These are my first attempts from my 1953 Coronet that I got in London over the summer and my Diana. The Black and White film is from London. I couldn't get the film out of the camera until my friend Gorm was here recently and fixed the camera for me. I got the camera at one of the stands selling older cameras at Portobello Road Market, one of my favorite places in London. Not only are the antique finds fantastic, but the people watching is too. With this camera, you have to shoot from the hip, and there is no shutter speed or aperture settings. I'm looking forward to learning how to use this camera better. 

The next frames are from my new Diana camera that I got for my birthday. I love using this camera! I was also given a lomo ringflash for the Diana as my Christmas gift from the Danes. It's been fun to use on my Diana, but it also works on Nikon and Canon! 

I predict a long, beautiful relationship with my Diana.