Photo Story

Morganne and Aubrie Morales (right) fell in love in December of 2013 and tied the knot September 25th 2016. Meeting through mutual friends, just before Aubrie joined the military, their sparks would have to be put on hold. After five years, two deployments, and having her son Dylann, Aubrie's contract was over and she was happy to settle down. Morganne and Aubrie picked up where they left off shortly after Aubrie's return, with Morganne stepping in as 'step-mama'. Through the years together, Aubrie has another child, a daughter named Keilani on June 8, 2015.

 Dr. Heather Diaz finding baby Rhyatt's heartbeat, while Aubrie and Keilani listen with excitement, during a routine sixth month appointment at the Lancaster Family Heath Center in Salem. The couple, conceiving through IUI, ultimately had success after a couple years and many tears. This time it's Morganne with the morning sickness and swelling feet. A talented hairstylist and colorist, Morganne works a few days a week at Glamour Salon in Salem to stay busy before baby three comes. 

While Aubrie takes night classes Morganne takes care of the kids, Dylan and Keilani, and holds down the fort. Living in a quiet new housing edition the kids are safe to ride their scooters along the street and sidewalks. Morganne, an active mom, plays outside with them daily. "We are a very active family. We hike, camp, take bike rides, and do yard work together. We are a busy family, having kids doesn't mean we have to slow down" -Morganne

Nothing out of the norm here, Keilani wanting to help wash dishes, Dylann needing help, an the aches of pregnancy after a long day. When Morganne came into Dylann and Aubrie's life, as another mom, "it was difficult for us to adjust because he was so use to having just Aubrie for so long... at this point he doesn't remember life without me." As far as Keilani, Morganne was there from conception to delivery, "I have always been her mama... even though she isn't biologically mine, being her mom came very natural to me. 

After a winning game of little league baseball at the Crossler Middle School fields on the evening of June 6th this family is all grins. Aubrie (mommy), Morganne (mama), Keilani, and Dylann are excited to welcome Rhyatt Hayes Morales, expected to arrive September 25th 2018. 

Blog Forum X

This photo stands out as my 'best photo' because of the low angle, the vibrant colors, and the great 'model' Michelle Gilles. It reflects what I have learned in PhotoJournalism by use of a different angle, the low angle, which was a challenge i put on myself to understand and somewhat 'master'. This photo shows a bit of comfort/confidence I had with the subjects at the event and the event itself, where at the start of the semester I was nervous to even walk around with a camera; to be comfortable and confident in the area your shooting, will definitely result in better photos, as this photo shows.

My photo skills at the beginning of this semester were almost non-exisitant aside from quick shots off my iPhone, where I saw the aesthetics of a photo make the photo, but what this class has taught me is that an aesthetic background doesn't make the photo better, the angle, the lighting, the intimacy, the subject is what makes a good photo.

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I hope by the end of this term I hope to have some knowledge of the qualities it takes to make a successful documentary photo. I want to have the ability to use a camera to create a good image/photo, not a filter on an app. Lastly, at the end of this term I hope to understand the contribution of photojournalism. 

Now that the semester is coming to an end, I have more of an understanding of what qualities go into getting a great photo. Along with getting good lighting, variety of angles, correct camera settings, the dedication, time, and effort it takes to getting a good shot was not completely aware to me before this class. I assumed taking a great photo comes natural to people, and to some it may. However, I have learned that most photographers have had to learn, just as I, their way of photographing through practice. At the beginning of this semester, I barely knew how to work my camera or even the basic terms such as ISO, depth of field, and aperture. Now, I have a basic understanding of adjusting those levels for the type of scenery I'm shooting, and why I need to adjust them, in order to get a good photo without having to edit it with a filter on VSCO. I can see some improvement in myself with a camera, which makes me eager to learn more. Lastly, I hoped to know the contribution photojournalism meant to the world, and exactly what photojournalism is. After taking Rob's Intro to Photojournalism course and reading Lynsey Addario's autobiography and memoirs I have the desire to learn more, to follow photojournalists. I look at National Geographic and cover story pictures differently, for the knowledge I have of editing and the Code of Ethics. I appreciate and applaud photojournalist; for their dedication and devote work, for their beautiful images and strong stories, for going out into the field, to tell a story of 'whats right in the world' or whats is terribly wrong, just writing a story to have it shared to open people's eyes. 
Without photojournalists the world would be naive.     

My Hometown

Oregon's capital building, located in the heart of Salem on Court street, houses the state legislature,
and the offices of the governor, secretary and treasurer. Built in 1938, this is the third house to Oregon's state government; the two former capital buildings were destroyed by fire in 1855, the other in 1935.

Salem's Saturday Market April 7- October 27 9am-3pm.
Over half the community gathers downtown Salem to wander and shop local booths of
agriculture, handmade goods, and delicious grub. 

Raquel Trevino is a full time student at Willamette University,
a private liberal arts college, located on State street.
Raquel and approximately 2,800 other students attend Willamette,
the oldest University in the western United States.

Action- Roller Derby

Skaters of all ages meet twice a week for practice, at The Madhouse in Salem. Once reaching level C new skaters are able to join a team and compete in their first bout.

New skaters learning the basics like skate control, single footed plow stops, and proper bracing techniques. The result of mastering basic skills is advancement to the next level, where skaters are challenged and taught new skate techniques. 

Cherry City Derby Girls, a group of experienced and talented skaters, lace up their skates excited to take over the floor.

Blog Forum V

Lyndsey Addario's investment in her work reflects in her approach to each assignment. Addario looks at each assignment as an opportunity to learn and show the rest of the world the truth behind the image, maybe not necessarily what story has been previously told. An example is the Afghan women and their burqas.   Addario takes her time getting to know the subject, respecting cultural differences, and pours her heart into her work. 

Two things that have made an impression on me is her compassion and level headed personality. Asking herself questions like "were Westerners imposing their own set of values on a Muslim country? Showing that although everything she had previously read about the strict rule of Sharia, Islamic Law, she could see another perspective.

Personal sacrifices she makes are vast. From relationships, to general safety, putting herself in the line of fire, and the struggle with societal norms of becoming a wife, mom, and being a woman in a career dominated mostly by men. Not seeing family, her up and down relationship with Uxval, adjustment cultural norms, and the fact she is a 'working woman' are some examples of the sacrifices she has made to pursue her career.

My favorite quote from the book so far, would be in Chapter 4, page 84 "The truth was, the difference between a studio photographer and a photojournalist was the same as the difference between a political cartoonist and an abstract painter; the only thing the two had in common was the blank page." Some of my favorite photos are her "Transgender prostitutes in the Meatpacking District in New York. I learned a good value from this story. How she built a relationship with them before taking out her camera and how humbling she was all granted her access to the life of these women, shooting some powerful images.

Blog Forum IV

In the Code of Ethics, the section I find most compelling is number six; 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.

I find this code to be the most broken in the social media world of Facebook and Instagram, which is trying to aesthetically please the viewer. "This code is intended to promote the highest quality in all forms of visual journalism and to strengthen public confidence in the profession" (NPPA, 2018) I like to know that those photojournalists who practice and appreciate photojournalism are not altering, staging, or manipulating an image to tell the story, and codes are there to help regulate that

On the list under "Ideally, photojournalists should... number three; Strive for total and unrestricted access to subjects, recommended alternatives to shallow or rushed opportunities, seek a diversity of viewpoints, and work to show unpopular or unnoticed points of view. This code to me says to seek and preserve the raw 'image', to get intimate and fluent with your subject, take your time, and capture what YOU see not what image has already been told.

Looking for other angles is what I strive to do. I seek out others work as inspiration and a way of learning how to photograph, then apply that understanding to my shots, with keeping the integrity of the subject.

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Jeremy's Humans of LBCC with Justin Walters is just great. The angle is nice, lighting is great. Justin playing his guitar is a wonderful 'prop' and the fact that he is singing but the expression on his face seems to be almost a smile really captures the setting and the positive energy that was spewing out of him while playing. killme.jpg

Cam's recent sport shoot shows his photography skills. The access he got during the game to get these great shots shows that access means better photos. The 'dugout' photo of the two players is such great photo, the use too depth and the framing of the two baseball players is wonderful, you can feel their excitement through the frame. Gang2.jpg

Blog Forum VII

I really enjoyed Scobel Wiggins coming to class and giving us some of her photography knowledge, wisdom, and pointers. Two things that stood out to me are her angles, she likes the low angle- as it gives a more heroic view of the subject. She emphasized importance of getting to the spot you need to be, set up, and wait for the moment to happen. Knowing where you want to be for the perfect photo is everything. When she shoots sports, Scobel knows where the action is going to be good, posts up there and waits. When she shot the wedding on the trail, knowing the trail in advance, where she wanted to take photos, very detail oriented and well planned. Being well planned, organized, and knowing my scene is how I'm going to tackle my sport photo shoot. Watching a bit of the game, to see who is best at what or where the best action takes place, I'll be able to set up at a good spot and hopefully catch some good shots.
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Kids baseball or T-ball is the sport I am hoping shoot this week. At an evening practice, shooting an overall of everyone in the dugout, or lined up for a drill. A good medium shot of a play at first base, or a celebratory catch or run. A close up of the team name, or a kiddos hand and the ball or griped around the bat. Sports will be the most challenging shoot yet, but I'm excited.

Javier Manzano

  

Javier Manzano

Javier Manzano's career started in the newspaper industry as a photo and video journalist, and later expanded into television and electronic media. After The Rocky Mountain News closed their doors on February of 2009, Javier has since worked as a freelance photographer for the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Foreign Policy and other news outlets.

Manzano's Pulitzer Prize winning photo of Two Rebel Soldiers Photo was taken October 2012 in the Karm-al jabal district of Aleppo Syria- during the siege of Aleppo. Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, presented the 2013 Feature Photography prize to Manzano. Other awards he has taken home are, the 2013 World Press Photo- International News Story, Pictures of the Year International- News Story, 2011 World Press Photo- News Single, another award that year, and 10 other awards before it.

Specializing in video production and documentary photography-

Manzano has reported in Syria, Afghanistan, Mexico and the United States.

Known and prized mostly for his coverage on drug and civil wars, although a large extent his work is focused on the many cross-border issues. 

Also photographs commercially- fashionista, lifestyle, portraits, eclectic, and still life.

Manzano’s work is published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME Magazine, along with many others.

http://www.javiermanzano.com/index3.html

https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2013/spot-news/javier-manzano

Blog Forum VI

The city I want to photograph for my "hometown" is our state capital Salem.
A news/feature photo I hope to capture is the Saturday Market, where a good part of the community  spends their morning in search of fresh veggies and fruits, plants, woodworking, jewelry, baked goods, art/craft goodies and many more.
Salem has a wonderful park, The Riverfront, a large park with a playground, a carousel and gift shop, and a great bike/walk path. This park hosts a lot of outdoor concerts and events, along with outdoor evening summer movies. A great new addition to the park is a pedestrian bridge over the willamette river- what I hope to capture in an evening sunset.
An environmental photo will be the most challenging for me, as I'd like to capture something that speaks 'Salem', also this involves shooting a person, which is still a challenge I have yet to feel comfortable and confident in just yet. Something that would be absolutely amazing to capture would be someone in their office at the state capital, maybe even them on the steps heading up work; with the 'gold man' the background would be even better.

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A couple ideas of a photo story I have in mind are
A woman in her third trimester of pregnancy. I could photograph her at appointments, at home, her daily errands. If she has other children I hope to show how it is to take care of her children and herself/unborn baby; what it's like to cook dinner with kids running around, what its like to relax in a nice hot bath after the kiddos are asleep. I'm involved in many local mom groups in my community and I'm sure writing a Facebook post about myself and my assignment I will get a few people willing.
If I don't have anyone reach out-
Salem's homeless community is large and always a topic of conversation. Taking photographs of women and men who don't have a stable place to rest their head- where they spend their time, what they do doing during the day and the struggles of pan-handling. Downtown homes the majority of the homeless in Salem. The bus station, UGM of Salem homeless shelter, and street corners is where I can find people to talk to and photograph. A good time to catch these images would be int he evening, when the line starts to form at the shelter door for the 'first come first serve' evening beds. It's unfortunate how many men and women have makeshift beds and huts on the sidewalks and alleys downtown to spend their day and night, no time is a wrong time to get pictures of them.
Working around my family life and school will be the only arrangements I will really need to make for an extended assignment like this.

Mother's Day Plant Sale (Free Shoot)

Linn-Benton's Horticulture Club hosts a Mother's Day plant sale on Wednesday, May 9th.
Students and community members gather in the greenhouse looking for plants for the garden or a good Mother's Day gift.

Michelle Giles, in search for a great green, explores high and low amongst the vast selection of plants for something to take home with her. The plant sale has much to choose from, including veggies, hanging baskets, flowers, and succulents.

 The student volunteer workers are very friendly and have a vast knowledge in plants,
helping answer any questions shoppers have.

News/Feature Event: Ag Fest

Ag Fest, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, teaches the public about the importance of agriculture.
No one misses a ride around the fair from these strong steeds.

 Parents and their children gather for a lesson about life on the farm.
Activities at the festival demonstrate agriculture practices and logistics.

Lilly the calf (above) is educating visitors where the food we eat comes from.
The barn holds many animals, all available to feed, pet, and learn about their economic impact.

Environmental Portrait: Holly Pitalo

Holly Pitalo, stylist by day barista by night, brews and creates latte art with coffee at Si Como No,
a Salem coffee shop. Holly's love for coffee reflects in the drinks she makes. Between clients and shifts at the coffee shop Holly enjoys her days outside with her dog Tulip.

Holly Pitalo

Blog Forum III

Two portrait subjects I have in mind are Holly Pitalo and Heather Diaz

Holly is passionate about hair and coffee; living as a stylist by day and a barista by night. She is best known for her hair coloring skills, beautifully transforming any head of hair. Anyone can see this talent of hers will take her far in life. She doesn't stop there, working as a barista at a local coffee shop, her love for coffee reflects in the drinks she serves. Her confident and positive attitude makes her easily likable and her down to earth personality makes her relatable. A great place to capture her would be in her salon, possibly in her hair chair, or at the color mixing station. Good props would be a hair color brush and bowl, or sheers. Holly has colored my hair, I have her number, and I'm sure she would be more than happy to.

Heather Diaz MD is a family medicine specialist. Running a clinic, caring for sick patients, healthy patients, pregnant moms, delivering babies, a mom of 3, a wife, and a feminist, this lady is nothing short of a hero. The best environment to get her in would be an exam room or her office. An obviously good prop would be her stethoscope. Having her sitting in front of a piece of medical equipment would work as a great prop as well. Dr. Diaz is my OBGYN and our family care doctor, thankfully I have her personal email, I'm hoping if she isn't too booked I will be able to get some time with her.

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Now that I have committed to photojournalism for a few weeks, the best photo I have taken so far, in my opinion, is this photo of Kelly Skaer. It's the best so far, because, the angle was nice, her smile was natural, the lighting was great, somehow not getting a shadow on her face, under her hood.

Photography is fairly new to me, Ive never used a camera other than the one on the back of my iPhone before this class. With that being said, I feel as though my worst photo, unfortunately is, this one of the lovely ladies at the LBCC Earth Month Event. The lighting is not great, I could have tried a few different angles to find the right lighting. I was nervous trying so many angles, running around them, that I would distract them and then they wouldn't be as invested in this conversation.

Confidence, photography basics, and camera knowledge is my weakness. The more photos I take the more comfortable I feel behind the camera, the less awkward I feel asking to take someone's photo. I'm not familiar with how to 'read light', or what the best angles are. My framing skills are an aesthetically pleasing Instagram photo, which tends to be slightly staged more often than not. Because I'm not familiar with camera setting and basic photography knowledge, but I am surfing the internet for information on camera functions and purpose to help. Any improvement with these dilemmas will improve my photography skills.

News/Feature Event: Earth Month at LBCC

Unusual Recycling is what all the buzz was about at this booth during 

the LBCC Earth Day Celebration on Thursday, April 19. 

Melinda Sorte (far left) collects preloved shoes and gifts them to those in need. 

Students learn about the vast benefits of an eco friendly Telsa.

Owner, Brian Reed displays his car in the courtyard of the Albany campus.

Students gather around this booth to get their hands dirty.

Every dollar donated to pot flowers goes towards scholarships for Linn-Benton students. 

Blog Forum II

The photographer I have chosen for Photographer of the Week is Pulitzer Prize winner Javier Manzano. Born in Mexico, he moved to the United States when he was 18. He worked for Rocky Mountain News as a photojournalist until they closed in 2009, sense then he has been freelancing. Specializing in documentary film and still photography, he is currently based in the Middle East. The images he captures are strong, and give this overwhelming rush of emotions. You are instantly transported to that time, and given a closer look to situations of war and conflict that we, as U.S. citizens, are mostly shielded from. Manzano is well known for his coverage of the country's drug wars in the Afghanistan and Syria. However, a large focus of his work focused on border crossing issues.

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After reading the prelude and chapter 1 of Lyndsey Addario's "It's What I Do" I couldn't stop there. It's the first non-textbook I have read in awhile. The intensity of the prelude sucks you into her beautiful, exciting, adventurous, and dangerous life. A photographer in the middle of war, capturing glimpses of this world unfamiliar to me, and at suck risk that she might not live to tell them. She's brave, ambient, driven, and wonderful. I really like this book. What impresses me about her is, at the start of chapter one she starts with a backstory of her parents and her life as an eight year old, and as the story goes on, and she ages, getting her first camera, studying abroad, she seems so aware of herself and her surroundings. What impresses me most about the book is how the story is told. It paints her story so vividly, as if it's a memory replay and I'm standing along side her.

When Addario talks about photographic the mothers who's children disappeared during the Argentina's Dirty War, she expresses she didn't know what it took to have good composition in a photo or how to read light. Each week she returned, showing that persistence is key. Taking what didn't go so well the first try to adjust and try again. The assignment with the transgender-prostitutes she doesn't use her camera at first, Addario gets to know them, gaining their trust. This shows that warming up and getting to know a bit about who or what your photographing, pays off by being able to get closer, more intimate.

My favorite quote, so far, is "I didn't wring my hands with seemingly enormous decisions. I just saw the door and went through it." It further shows her venturous and 'take life by the bull' personality, which I admire. I can't pick just one of her photos and say its my favorite. I look at a photo of a mother holding her baby, dehydrated, and being offered food from children and it bring tears to my eyes. Then there is another image she has captured, men with guns, rage in their face, open desert and a car burning behind them. The angle at which this photo is taken, the contrast of blue sky and the deep black smoke, all captured so perfectly. Looking at this photo you are told the story of men who are fighting to protect what they have. I can't choose just one of her photos, maybe if I didn't know a little bit of the story behind them I wouldn't register just how impactful this picture is and I could choose a photo based on aesthetics; but I can't. 

Humans of LBCC II

Aubrey Ball

My all time favorite teacher would be my high school teacher. She's always there for her students, making sure that everyone knew that you could go to her for anything. She's younger than most other teachers, who talks about herself, making her more personable and easy to talk to. She became more of a friend instead of a stranger. She is amazing at what she does, I still go to her this day for anything I need help. My favorite memory with her is senior year, we took a field trip, and talked the whole day, and she helped me to see a lot.

Bailey Sprague

My favorite hobby is working on my truck. Ever sense I was really young I've always been obsessed with pretty much anything with wheels and a motor. I remember going to my grandpas and playing on the tractor when I was little and my dad teaching me how to work on his pickup. Now, I've used all that knowledge to work on my truck and thats why I'm going into engineering.

Blog Forum I

Hello, my name is Samantha, I am a mom and a student. After having my son I was fortunate enough to be able quit my job to stay home and be with him. Shortly after my son turned two I decided to enroll in Linn Benton to finish my associates, so I am currently finishing the last bit of courses I need to have an AAOT. I took Intro to PhotoJournalism because I need art credits and the course description caught my interest. I don't have much knowledge or background aside from instagram but I would really love to know what it takes to snap a good picture that tells a good story.

I hope by the end of this term I have knowledge of the qualities that make a successful documentary photo. I want to have the ability to use a camera to create a documentary image/photo. Lastly, at the end of this term I hope to understand the contribution of photojournalism.

Earth Day is coming up- what are LBCC humans doing to better our planet? Photographing and interviewing those who are celebrating at the courtyard lunch and activities on the 19th from 11-1.
Moms on Campus- with Mother's Day approaching, interview moms, inquire and applaud their grit.
Sexual Assault Awareness Month- interview Phi Theta Kappa, Alena Santos. Help advocate for the victims of sexual assault.

Humans of LBCC

Kelly Skaer

"A mom of six kids, my boys are 13,11,10, and 8 any my girls are 4 and 20 months. I married into a a community that doesn't support women going to college or working much outside the home. When the marriage ended, court ordered no contact, mainly because of physical abuse. I knew it was time to do what I had always wanted to, pursue a degree and get myself a little career going to support my family."

Amerika Rojos

"I grew up speaking Spanish, it wasn't until I entered preschool that I was taught English. My parents taught me Spanish because they didn't speak English well and because they wanted me to be able to communicate with the rest of my family, especially my grandparents. Growing up, we were only allowed to speak Spanish at home, with the exception of when our friends came over. Being Bilingual was tough at first, I used to really struggle with reading. At home I was being taught how to read in Spanish while at school it was being taught in English, frequently mixing the two. Now that I am older I really appreciate my parents for forcing Spanish upon my siblings and I because it has been helpful and I think its a cool quality to have"