Final Photography Story

 LBCC prepares to host its annual "Tate of the Harvest," festival put on by students involved in the co-curricular culinary arts program. After meeting each Tuesday over the course of the term, Athena Petterson (left) and Soren Skinner (right) carve poached pears and shape bread in preparation hours before the banquet begins.

Some of the staff members help the students transform LBCC's Commons into an elegant banquet scene with the chosen designs by the students that complement their "fall" theme. From name specific placement cards to the live violin music, the students coordinated, designed, and tested every detail for LBCC's Taste of the Harvest.

After guests arrive, the students in the back kitchen snap into action by plating several of each of the three courses so that servers my quickly and efficiently transfer them to their carefully counted guests. They use a pre-planned guide to help them plate the selected dish with options of a gluten-free course as well.

 With three carefully selected courses chosen by the students involved in the cocurricular culinary arts program, a beer pairing compliments the main course of pork roulade with wild Oregon foraged mushrooms, and pumpkin spice bread pudding. Beers are pre-poured during the banquet for the servers to bring to the dining hall as requested by each guest.

Before the dinner, the guest patiently waits after being guided to their assigned seat in the tastefully decorated commons area on LBCC campus. Many of the guests include friends, family, donors, and regulars from the Santiam Resturant.

After ten weeks of planning, the servers and the cooks serve their guest's the last of the three freshly prepared dishes made from ingredients from local farmers' markets picked out by the students. The guests enjoy the final dessert which includes poached pears gram crust with gan du jor with ice cream topped with a candy cane cap.

Week 10 Favorite PJ Photo

The photo I have pictured here has to be one of my favorite photojournalism photos that I took this year of Miriam Edell working in The Veterans Gardening Club. The contrast between Edell's monotoned gray coloring allows the colorful flowery background to stand out even though it is not the focal point of the photo. Another reason I believe this is my best photos is it is clear that she is in and working at a garden. Also, the expression on her face as she looks down at the plants appears to be concentrated and focused. I took other great photos thought this course, however, they don't capture the emotion and answer the five W's as well as this photo does. Photojournalism is real, untouched photo that describes a genuine story with authentic emotions. In addition to revealing true events, photojournalism differs from paparazzi and other forms of photography by using a camera without sugar-coating or shape-shifting a story to appease an audience by giving people or places a biased persona.

At the start of the term, the nicest camera I've ever used was a one-hundred and twenty dollars 2001 cannon digital camera. I had little to no idea how to even turn it on this new Nikon D3400. After the tenth week of taking this class, I am considering pursuing photography further by purchasing my own Nikon. I now know what to look for while I'm shooting, and have learned several techniques on how to make your subjects comfortable before sitting down to take a photoshoot with them which then pushes for a more authentic photoshoot. I am now more comfortable getting in the scene and taking close up shots of my subject rather than standing ten feet away from them or the event. More times than not I've found that people who are working on something such as gardening, a dance for a dance club, or a local that sells handmade hats for a living, are MORE than willing to talk about the work they're doing and to show off the pride they have in their work, so there's no reason to miss a good shoot by being shy or uncomfortable.

The three goals I wrote down in week one for this photojournalism was to understand the basic functions of the camera, to be able to shoot fast pace action, and to develop the ability to shoot different environments.

I now realize that my first and second goal goes hand-in-hand. By learning the different functions of the camera I developed the knowledge of how to shoot in different environments from outside shooting pure farmland to a fast-paced game of table tennis under florescent lighting. I learned where to stand when my lighting is limited, as well as techniques I can use to have the ability to use the lighting to my advantage. I've also discovered how to use the lighting to capture the mood I want for the event I'm shooting.

The "sports event" assignment pushed me to discover other features such as the "sports" function on my camera in addition to shutter speed. By capturing over 200 photos of a 45-minute shoot I also learned that not every photo you take will be a "winner." More often than not, you have to dig through your shots to get a quality photo.

Lynsey Addario Book Report

The first world country that we immerse ourselves in is used as a blinder to what other tragedies are happening in other parts of the world. We are so comfortable with this plush lifestyle that when we are exposed to other peoples suffering through magazine covers, facebook articles, or Snapchat stories, it causes discomfort and we then have the habit of sinking back into our luxurious life with five-dollar coffees and Ubers. 

 The hope with the kind of photojournalism that Lynsey Addario achieves is the awareness that more than just your personal problems are happening in the world. Tragedies and injustice are happening regardless of our attention, and this issue needs to be recognized and addressed. To educate the reader with the concepts that there is always more than one side to a story as well as that there is a state of trauma whole countries constantly live in is what needs to be exposed to the rest of the willing nieve world. Hoping that the audience will feel some sort of compassion or empathy will inspire people to realize that “out of sight out of mind” doesn't just mean that the problems go away if you disregard them. By exposing readers to the true poverty of other peoples living conditions, the culture of other religions, and the understanding of opposing viewpoints opens a door of knowledge. The entitlement that we feel living in a first world country is developed with a willing blindness and can only be shifted with knowledge compassion. 

 In saying all this, Addario put herself in war zones, places of poverty, and situations where she felt in danger due to the country's strong biases, political, and religious beliefs to expose the different lifestyles for the comfortably sheltered population. You have to be a little bit crazy to knowing put yourself in a life-threatening situation purely to get the "award-winning" shot.

   As someone who is going to graduate with a journalism degree, I can relate to her passion for her job, but I don't know if I’m mentally and emotionally strong enough to enter as dangerous environments as she went. While I respect her intentions, my issue would be taking photographs of starving children then hopping on a flight back to my cozy lifestyle after looking at true suffrage in the eye. I’m not sure if that is a skill a person naturally inherited or if you have to learn to become numb to that. While I respect Addario's work I have my own suspicions if her true intentions honestly lye on making a true impact on the world exposing genuine human lifestyles, or if she was focused on the fame, caught up in the bliss of her work. If Addaro placed herself in the scene of chaos just for her work and the recognition instead of doing it for the people that are truly suffering, that would be insanity. 

  Techniques that I’ve tried to adopt into my own photography this term is to always have your camera so you never miss an unexpected opportunity. Anything can happen at any time and as a photojournalist, you need to be ready to capture authenticity, news, and genuine emotions. I also admire Addarios courage and willingness to step into the center of any situation and photograph it. I have found that often times, throughout this term, that asserting myself in unexpected situations and talking to people I had not expected to interview had been my most memorable and favorite shoots. I have been pushing myself to, like Addario, put myself in the center of the situation and to not be afraid to get in the middle of an event. Because I know later I’d regret not capturing the full story or event. 

  Lynsey Addario’s book It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War, addresses many personal concerns I have about being a journalist. Which not only validates my past and present concerns, but highlights the severity of them. The first being having the ability to maintain relationships while also being devoted to your work. This is obviously a concern within any major career, but in this case and many other cases, Addario often spends months away from her family, friends, and significant other. Not only is the distance difficult to deal with, but the fact that the people that love you live every day knowing that the spotty 30 minute phone call they had with you last week could potentially be the last time they ever spoke to you. The fact that at any second of the day my life could be taken by putting myself in a potentially dangerous situation for the work of my job. The heart ace of knowing I would cause my family constant grief pains me to the point of considering a different career. "I felt his love thought and the absence of words." (pg 130) Addario quoted as she had just gotten in contact with her father after a life-altering experience while on the job. She explains the distance between her and her father, and continues to explain why she was nervous to call him after months of minimal communication. The undying love her family has for her despite how little they bond, I relate to myself and the relationship I have with my mother. 

  One other concern I have is the prejudice of being a woman in this line of work. Knowing that men are considered the dominant sex in other countries with strictly gendered stereotypes I fear will be an obstacle in this line of work. While sometimes Addario felt her gender gave her an advantage, a woman's purpose as seen by 3rd world countries is typical to bear children and raise a family. Oftentimes a woman who is working is seen as uncommon and is off-putting by people who believe in these traditions. This can then lead to altering the authentic emotions of the situation. A woman in a third world country should also be aware of being viewed as sexual objects and are seen as free for sexual abuse, especially if she is not accompanied by another man. What id considered sexual abuse, harassment, or rape in America is seen as common behavior and socially acceptable in other countries. Ironically enough one of the most memorable scenes from Addario's book for me occurs when she is on a plane flown by Ariana Afghan Airlines after being released from a hostage situation where she and her coworkers almost lost their lives several times. The flight attendant then asked her to move to a seat that wasn't in front of the emergency exit. The flight attendant feared Addario would not be strong enough to open the emergency exit and wished for someone stronger to sit in her spot in the case of an emergency. Annoyed, she moved while a frail old man sat in her previous seat. This was ironic to be because she had just survived several traumatic events. Strong enough mentally, emotionally, and physically escape death several times Addario was replaced purely because of her gender. 

 I’m not sure why specifically this section of the book resonated with me out of everything Addario writes about, but it is a feeling I can relate to. I think that is why I can picture so clearly. Since I was a child, I have been addressed differently because of my gender. As the only female in my family’s generation of children, I was encouraged to stay and help cook or watch the younger children while I saw my brother and all my male cousins leave to go ride quads in the Arizona dunes. From being excluded from “masculine” activities to obtaining a different job title because I was assumed to not have the same skills as a man in the workplace, I have been treated differently because of my gender. Oftentimes I will be talked down to, underestimated, or given the assumed work position I desired just because of my gender. Because of these actions I personally experienced, I was more upset about Addario’s Ariana Afghan Airlines flying experience. 

  For someone who is looking to become a photojournalist like Lynsey Addario, is it a good book to read watching her transition from a humble start of not knowing how to change a lens to being awarded the MacArthur Fellowship Award. It is an easy book to relate too as well as being a compelling read that addresses the true physical, mental, and emotional risks of choosing this specific line of work. 

  I would say Addario's “Women at War” series has to be my favorite album. This photo specifically captures the emotions and joys this modern female soldier is spreading to native children. The contrast between the two lives is beyond different, but genuine compassion belongs to everyone's culture. This also exposes that soldiers are not always here to cause a war. It highlights the softer emotions and proves relationships can be built despite strong beliefs.  

My City

 Corvallis Farmers Market shows off it's colors on NW 1st St each week for the community to shuffle through products made by Corvallis locals. Every Saturday from 9am to 1pm local farmers and artists will set up personal booths to advertise their unique products.

Within the Riverfront Commemorative Park located in Corvallis stands Louise McDowell’s “The River of Life,” which statue includes a girl interacting with wild salmon, beavers, and geese. The statue is placed in the Monroe Plaza in 2002 next to a unique jungle-gym specifically known in Corvallis. People are welcomed to come and walk through the sculpture and see each side of the eloquently sculpted artwork.

Just on the outskirts of Corvallis lays rolling green hills of green lush farmland. The everlasting road pushes through the grass and draws a divide of pure earth on NW Highland Dr. Despite the busy "college life," Corvallis offers more than just the crowded antique shops of downtown or the natural chaotic life of OSU life. Just a twenty-minute drive and you will meet a horizon of rolling fields with total contrast of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Rows of young vegetation blankets acres of land off of NW Highland Dr. in Corvallis prooving that there is more to the city than the colors orange and black. 

Table Top Club

 Table Tennis Club at LBCC meets weekly in the Activites Center for a little friendly competition while rotating between each player. With a casual and welcoming atmosphere, the Table Tennis Club offers coaching for anyone who wishes to enhance their table tennis skills while keeping the competitive spirit alive. 

My Hometown Topics

After living in Corvallis for six months, I've decided I'd like to capture the contrast of different parts of the city. Despite it being considered a rural a smaller city, Corvallis has a vast variety of contrast between rural and urban life. While downtown is flooded with neon lights and active nightlife, if you travel just 20 minutes to the border of Corvallis you will find people co-living with sheep and goats just outside their modern apartments. For this "my hometown" project, I hope to capture the different lives people live within the small city of Corvallis. For the environment, I intend to shoot a small barn with horses, goats, and sheep on Moss Rock dr. as well as downtown with the busy life of college students and family. I am trying to stay away from the expected landmark of Corvallis everyone knows: Oregon State University. I would like to capture a part of Corvallis people are less expecting. My considerations were the Donica House, Riverfront Commemorative Park, or the downtown carousel. As for the activity of Corvallis, I know that each week Corvallis holds a Saturday market. My vision for the Saturday market would be to capture people casually walking and browsing through the produce and local products.

For my final project, I am planning on following LBCCs Space Exploration Club and their participation in the Lunabotics Mining Competition. Unfortunately, the competition will not be complete until May, 2020. The club intends on designing a robotic lunar rover to "traverse across a stimulated 'lunar surface'" as well as collect "lunar ice". If I am unable to follow their project I aim to focus my attention on a women's shelter in Corvallis. My concern with the women's shelter is the suspicion that the women in the shelter might not want the publicity. If that is the case, I will focus my story more on the shelter and the people working there.

LBCC Spanish Circle

The Spanish Learning Conversation Group gathers for the first time on Thursday, Nov. 7, at noon in Forum 220. The group involves all skill levels, and focuses on expanding their knowledge though conversing with other people who are learning the language as well.

Heather Morijah the program manager of the Institutional Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for six years, shows off some off her favorite books written in Spanish. She mentions it's a great way to comprehend Spanish and allows the reader to recognize stories they already know, which makes it easier to absorb. Actively still learning Spanish,  Morijah helps hold the Spanish Language Conversation Group in Forum 220.

With notecards of topic starters in Spanish, Morijah engages in conversation with other members of the open group. With staff members, students, and community members welcome to the Spanish Learning Conversation Group, the group will meet each Thursday to continue practicing and expanding their skills while recognizing the importance of diversity and culture.

Dance Shoot

I plan to attend an LBCC Dance Club rehearsal in the activities center for this weeks sports shoot. My subject will specifically be Zenobia Rogers, the president of the dance club. I hope to get action shots of her as well as shots of her interacting with the other members of the group. In order to get those action shots, I will adjust the shutter speed and hope to get at least one good photo in a sea of shots. Because I'm not going to be outdoors or in an environment that will not require me to use a stronger lens, I will use my use the default one to zoom in in order to get closer shots. I know they will not be in constant movement the whole rehearsal, so I will take those pauses to explore the space and frame that is around me to get closer to my subjects. I hope to get a different view than the "window view" bystanders normally view when they see a performance. My overall will be the whole group in motion or listening to Rogers while is she interacting with the rest of the club. I intend on my medium shot to have a lower angle in order to see my subjects footwork which will highlight the action and the common of dancing throughout the club. My mediums will be more personal, while I hope to get more intimate with my close up. I hope to capture the focus of my subject in her own actions for a close up. While she distracted with her own teachings I will again use the shutter speed and focus to freeze a moment from time. 

Week Five Profiles

 Kim Schulte displays her booth of hand made hats and shirts for all sizes on the corner of Highway 20 and 53rd St. in Corvallis, OR four days a week. 

Kim and her husband Davis Schulte have been producing and designing knitted decorative hats and shirts for over nine years all over the city of Corvallis. Starting out with just creative hats for their daughter, Schulte has turned a fortune into creative thinking. With hats made from acrylic to wool, they embrace their full
time job by setting out a booth year-round with seasonal treats as well.

Week Five Weekly Posting: Lynsey Adario

I've made many conclusions and inferences from this book. Some make me question the line of work I wish to pursue and if I'm suited for it. Other parts of the book are relatable and situations I know are unavoidable for any kind of journalist.

Throughout the book, Lynsey Addario clearly paints herself as a dedicated patron to her work. Sacrificing many relationships both romantically and platonically while also sacrificing her comfort and safety. Those are the situations I see every person who pursues a career in media should expect to experience. However, the contrast from who she was at the start of the book in regards to photography and who she has developed into thought chapter seven are two vastly different people.

I don't ever want to let my work change me. I look for growth through my career, but I refuse to let it alter my fundamentals of human compassion. The first mention of Addario witnessing death in her book was early on in her journey. I believe she was in Afghanistan and her driver was shot. She briefly mentioned it and seemed hardly affected by it. As time went on and she traveled to other countries, she started to put other people's life before her work. I got the sense that she was exploiting other peoples suffering for a better feature. That's where I wonder if I'm capable of witnessing the famine, the rape, the suppression of these people, and not step into the frame to help. I don't know if I'm mentally strong enough to witness those traumas and walk away only to then enter my own world to click and drag my photos to my editor. The ability to be so aware of the tragedy in the world, and then consciously choosing to put blinders on to the suffering people is a skill I do not have, nor will I ever have. It is one of the most selfish traits to have as a human. Valuing success and money over people's dignity and lives is a fundamental I refuse to work for.

Addario address this concern of mine in chapter seven. She claims that by publishing these authentic photos of human suffering to the New York Times will cause awareness to poverty in first world countries where we know no such struggle. I understand that concept, and I recognize press and media is the main word of mouth, but just for me personally, I wouldn't be able to get any rest in the environment she's in. Maybe that's something a photographer or a journalist has to learn, to humble yourself in order to comprehend others' quality of life and traditions. But I cannot simply hop on a plane after being among suppressed women seen as objects or as "a casualty" to society, starving children, or suffering families.

One other thing I took note of was her family's reaction to when she called. Specifically when she called her fathers work and she mentioned that the receptionist responded in a "squeaky" and eager voice. Addario thought the receptionist might not even know who she is. The receptionist clearly did based on the reaction over the phone. Her father must have been boasting about her to everyone at work. He must have not stopped talking about her work and his worries for her safety. "I felt his love thought and the absence of words." (pg 130) I know my mother does the exact same thing. It struck a personal chord of sympathy. This is another personal sacrifice any traveling journalist has to make. A sacrifice of loved one's concerns.  However, I know while my own mother will worry about me regardless, nothing beats the feeling of pride she feels for me. But the thought of her hurting for her children, due to my own intentional action, hurts me. The face Addario's father couldn't even talk to her due to an overwhelming sense of emotion concerned me for my own family. Even though she expected her father to not pick up, or his receptionist to not recognize her, her father had clearly been bragging on her while she was always the first thing on his mind.

This book has helped me to (on a much minor scale) take the opportunity whenever it presents itself.  I'll rarely go anywhere on campus without my camera, despite the inconvenience of adding another five to ten pounds on my shoulder. The other day I captured (not very well) a herd of wild elk as I was driving back from the countryside.  My camera was sitting passenger seat, and I knew I'd regret missing this opportunity if I kept driving. I pulled to the side of the road, put my hazards on, and tried to adjust the settings to accommodate the post dusk lighting. I switched out lenses to shoot the wild herd of no less than 100 elk settling into the rolling acres of farm territory. Needless to say, I had little to no idea what I was doing. 

That's not the point though!

My favorite series of photos Addario has on her website is the "Women at War". Wow. The whole series captures the underestimated strength and empathy women experience when it comes to "masculine" stereotypes. This is just one of the many photos that I stopped to admire throughout this series. Women have always had to fight. They've had to fight to vote, they've had to fight for equal rights, they've had to fight against discrimination. It would make sense that women can fight in war. Women are not a casualty, women are not a burden, and women refuse to be subjected to their gender.

Week 4 Event Assignment

 With sugar skulls neatly organized onto a wax sheet for the upcoming Day of the Dead festival at Linn Benton Community College Korina Rayburn prepares by creating another sugar skull mold.

 Korina Rayburn (left) and Catherine Stevens (right) team up to create more sugar skulls using granulated sugar, meringue powder, and water in order to prepare for the Day of the Dead festival in building F220 from October 1st to November 1st

Rayburn displays the sugar skull mold after pressing the mixture down with a piece of cardboard to obtain the shape of a skull often found in Mexican traditions relating to Day of the Dead. 

WEEK 4 MEDIA BLOG FORUM

I have chosen to challenge my abilities with the camera by selecting an LBCC athlete. I am in the process of gettin in contact with Hayley Harlan or Gabriella Chedster. They are both members of  LBCC's Equestrian Team. Their practices are Monday for western riding and Thursday and Friday for hunt seat. My plan is go get then in the arena or in front of the arena with their horse at their prop, maybe a bale of hay, some feed buckets, ect. As for the lighting, I know the inside of the arena is too dark. The Western practices are in the morning at 8 am so the lighting will be easier then than the lightning at 3:30 for the hunt seat practice. I will want them standing in front of the arenas walls to draw attention to the subject in the mug shot.

My second subject for this assignment would be Catherine Stevens who is helping set up the Day of the Dead event in the first week of November. She emailed The Commuter with the events that are taking place and I intend to shoot her ( or other willing subjects) with whatever they're using to set up the day of the dead festival. I will interview them as well with the intention of also using this as an article for The Commuter in the next two weeks.

I intend to get to the scene early to decide where the best lighting is as well where the best place is to draw the mugshot forward. I also want to get my subject comfortable by chatting with them before the shoot (or interview) so the shoot ends up being more authentic which are both things I learned from the "Shooting Star" video we watched in class.

WEEK 3 BLOG FORUM QUESTIONS

For this event, I had the opportunity to talk and shoot Miriam Edell and M'Liss Runyon who are both active members in the Veteran's Gardening Club. I found the meetup information off the bulletin board right outside of this exact photojournalism class as I was running into, late once again. While caught up in college life, I thought it'd be refreshing to visit one of my old hobbies I used to pass the time as a child. To revisit my roots of playing in the dirt, digging up the innocent earthworms, and admiring my mother's delicate flowers while also seeing a whole imaginary and unexplored jungle. 

The smell of the freshly watered dirt was exactly the same and dragged me through a wormhole back to my childhood of vivid memories before meeting up with Edell and Runyon on LBCC campus in the community garden. I made a single phone call confirming the interview and the club dates. Edell was ecstatic to have me out there in hopes of spreading the word of the unfortunately withering club. I had gone out intending to discuss the club itself, who participates, and what happens within the club. I later come to find out the heartbreaking news that the club is on the line to be cut along with the horticulture program and the on-campus greenhouse. These cuttings have been in movement for a year now and is still a threat. I shifted the focus of my interview to why the club is being shut down, the efforts that should be made in order to keep it open, and the benefits of having the club. I hope to draw attention to the club through my upcoming article and spread the word about the unknown gardening club. 

I knew the shots I was going for walking into the interview for The Commuter, and I knew the shots I wanted for my photojournalism class. Unfortunately, there were only two people that were out gardening until two more volunteers showed up just as I had wrapped up the interview. I shot a few photos of the director of the club working with those volunteers, but I wish I had gotten more. I told Edell and Runyon to do what they normally do and pretend I'm not even here. Those photos turned out how I wanted them. The green vegetation with a mix of the vibrant colors of the flowers and blue skies causes for a beautiful set-up. I do wish that I had gotten more photos of Edell's eyes as in most the photos she is, in fact, looking down at her garden "pretending I'm not even there." Other than my two regrets of not capturing a full face photo of my subjects, and getting more photos of the club leaders working with the volunteers, I think this has been my favorite and most successful photoshoot. 

My favorite photo that I've shot has to be one of the few close-ups I took of Maruim Edell working in the garden. I am drawn to the detail in Edells features and the lighting of her hair that the black and white bring forward. I also admire her genuine emotion in the image as she looks down at her garden. I took this image to photoshop and played around with the coloring and the black and white features. To my surprise, the photo developed into a shot I'm very proud of. My worst photo, on the other hand, you could probably shuffle randomly in my camera roll, pause on a photo, and there's a high probability that it is my worst photo. I have taken over 300 photos at this point and have only touched and expanded my interest in about 20 of them. Out of focus, out of frame, too much blank space, irrelevant, too busy, not enough, bad lighting, awkward faces, horrible angles are all things I found through trial and error though each of my photoshoots. I have gotten over my discomfort with the camera and am more comfortable getting in there for the shots I want, but I need to get more action shots and should consider my surroundings in the frame. I also need to pay attention to the subject more rather than how the photo will look. I have to remind myself that I am taking these photos for a photoJOURNALISM class, not for a photography class. While I like the aesthetic of many of my photos, they won't suffice for the weekly assignment. 

Event Assignment

Miriam Edell and M'Liss Runyon welcome a few regular volunteers at the front of the garden at the open acres of LBCC  as they show off the new and fresh harvests through the Veteran's Gardening Club. "It promotes mental health." Runyon quotes while discussing the importance of the garden. 

 "The goal is for mental health. For the people to work outside, to grow healthy food, get exercise, and fresh air" Edell offers while she stops to inspect her crops. While the garden is open to everyone at any time, Edell and Runyon both encourage anyone to come outside of club hours which are Tuesday from 12:00-12:50, and experience getting a little dirt under their nails.

After three years of the Veteran's Gardening Club growing produce for its members and donating to the Parenting Program though LBCC,  Edell hand waters each plant to assure healthy vegetation and a successful harvest.  

Photographer of the Week

“I have been poor and I wanted to photograph poverty; I had lost a child and I was obsessed with birth; I was interested in politics and I wanted to know how it affected our lives; I am a woman and I wanted to know about women." -Eve Arnolds 

Eve Arnold, a pioneer photographer who captures the moments before the beauty, candid photos of models before they put on their wigs, and political influencers in the flame of pure fury. 

Born in Philadelphia in 1913, Arnold was just one of 9 children descending from her Russian and Jewish immigrant parents. Dropping her ambitions to become a doctor, Arnold starting photographing after she received a camera from her boyfriend who, at the time, worked in film processing in 1946 (Montano). She then continued to study photography at New School for Social Research (Sparks). She then quickly ran up the ranks and became the first woman ever to work at the Magnum cooperation as a photographer. Arnold's claim to fame began after she started shooting with Marilyn Monroe as they both were just starting out their careers in the late 1940's.“At photo sessions, she was in total control, she manipulated everything-me, the camera and I never met anyone who could make them respond the way she did” Monroe comments after a shoot with Arnolds. 

Arnold then reaches outside the Hollywood glamour to photograph political rallies and historical events such as the civil rights movement in 1950 and the Nation of Islam rally where there she captured George Lincon Rockwell, who at the time was the head chair for the American Nazi Party giving a passionately hateful speech. By raising her camera up to snap a blind shot at the "hail mary" angle in the face of the head Nazi sympathizer "I'll make a bar of soap out of you" Rockwell responds to Arnold's fearless ambition.  Arnold was awarded the Order of the British Empire by the British government in 2003, names master photographer by the International center of photography (Montano) after working for Life, Look, and Picture Post.

While also capturing the critical relevance of world events to the people, Arnold also stepped out of the traditional beauty standards by recognizing the natural beauty of overlooked African American women. White women with beehive hairstyles and a petite physique, Arnold's feminist attitude recognized there is more to beauty than just the boxed stereotype of the "elegant housewife" look. Refusing to confide in traditional American beauty standards Arnold captured Cicely Tyson with a bold natural afro which stepped far out of the clean and neat updo most women strived for. She allowed the public to recognize that self-acceptance is true beauty. 

My favorite photo of Eve Arnolds is of a series of photos she shot with Joan Crawford. Crawford was considered a "dame of the 20th century" (Sparks). Other than the impeccable lighting, Arnold once again sees beauty past the stereotype that is portrayed as beautiful. People will always to reluctantly looking to create a certain appearance despite how old they are. An exhausting journey in the relentless world of how others perceive us will never be out of style. From the early Egyptians making the first eyeliner, eye shadow, and lip color, to modern-day Jenner lip kit, beauty will never be saught after. This is shown in these melancholy but slightly empowering photos captured by Arnold. 

Humans of LBCC week 2

Yanci Hernandez is hard at work at her first year here at Linn Benton Community College as a college student. Working towards an education and social services major at LBCC since she was in high school, she sits in the forum building welcoming wide-eyed students, planning events such as the upcoming Dia De Los Muertos event, and offering help to those that ask. Hernandez has big plans for herself and the impact she hopes to bring. Her drive runs in the bloodline as she and her family moved to America from El Salvador when she was just nine years old for a better education and future. However, her ambition doesn't stop there. Hernandez’s confesses that her dream job is to be president of El Salvador despite the county’s law of forbidding women in a president's chair. “We had papers that were an opportunity a lot of people want,” Hernandez explains “kids don't have a dream of ‘What do you want to study when you're older?’ In my country, some people don't have the resources or the money to go to school to be able to afford that dream.” She then further goes on to say that gangs will often target young teens to recruit for a life of drugs, murder, and violence so many children do not have their mind set on education or a future, but rather surviving. A dream or a personal ambition is something that is a privilege many first world countries take for granted. However, it is a personal responsibility to pursue those ambitions and fight for the change you want to see. Hernandez is already taking those steps at LBCC for herself and pushing forward with an inspiring persistence.

Elegantly focusing on the details of her hand made pottery, Robin Evans of 64 years old stands at the edge of the table and glides her hands over the wet clay perfecting her design. Generously volunteering her time as a part-time instructor's assistant for three years after attending Linn Benton Community College for six years. After working in the bookstore at LBCC, Evans would watch the students walk out of the ceramics class with hand made glazed artwork from her bookstore window and thought “that would be fun, Id love to try that,” and she did. Inspiration can come from anywhere, from places or people you may never expect. Nine years later, Evans is still at it in the ceramics open lab designing and creating useful pieces for friends and family. Pushing her artistic abilities Evans claims to have saved a “gauge” of where she came from as a reminder of her progress in her ceramic journey to prove by putting in the hours and overcoming self-doubt, personal skills and knowledge you to success. “Just do it. Just come in, have fun. Don't have big expectations, just enjoy it.” is Evans advise to anyone who is starting a foreign pass time or hobby. No one is going to be a professional when they start out, and people will make mistakes. Progress is not made if you refuse to start. Fear is a waste of time, and discomfort is just an excuse. Take the opportunity you are given and expect to mess up, expect to miss the mark, embrace being out of your comfort zone because that discomfort means personal growth. Evans proves that as she finely crafts her elegantly made artwork.

BLOG FORUM QUESTIONS

--Tell what you think of the book.

--What has impressed you?

--What do you think of Addario's work?

--What lessons can you apply in Photojournalism?

--What's your favorite quote (copy and paste it!) and why?

--What's your favorite photo, describe it, and explain why?

After hearing that a photojournalism class was assigned to read a book written by a photojournalist, my first expectation was that It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario was going to be a cliche, feel-good, enlightening story on her fame to be a photographer. To an extent, my original suspicions had been proved correct. However, the book goes into detail about the discomfort Adderio puts herself into by the career she chooses. She shares doubtful thoughts and signs of concern that she might be missing out on a part of her life by focusing on her career rather than finding a partner, building a family, and settling down with comfort and stability much like her friends and sisters. Sharing the same ambition and clear vision for my future with little interest in the traditional American lifestyle, I also share the same thoughts of concerns. I, like Addario am worried I might be putting my life on hold to pursue a career. Those thoughts are quickly washed away by remembering I'm ultimately not putting my life on hold for a future, but just pursuing a future that is my own and not the future I am expected to have. My future just looks a little different than other peoples. I don't expect myself to settle down or raise children because thats just not what is pushing me to pursue life further, and thats okay.

Another aspect of the book that I took particular interest in the photo tips she learned from her teacher. How to use the frame, the best kind of sunlight and how to use it to your advantage, wait for your subject to feel comfortable in front of a lense. As someone who is completely aware of how to use a camera, I also took these notes and hope to apply them to my skills.

"I was was fascinated by the science of the camera, the way the light and the shutter could freeze a moment in time." (Addario pg.__) This quote made me physically look up from the chapter and consider it's words. To me, time is an eternal ray of never-ending and an unforgiving forward motion. It never stops, speeds up, slows down, rewinds, or fast forwards. People will be hopelessly stuck in the past they forget how to be in the present, or so focused on the future they forget to enjoy the moments they are given. I believe what makes a person is heartbreak, is trauma, is love, is dedication, is passion, is failure, are relationships. I believe that more than anything people just want to be still in the moments in time that make them feel good inside. It is important to remember the good and the bad. To remember failures and how you pushed through them. It is important to have the ability to look back on something and rethink "Hm. Maybe that wasn't such a good time," or "That was actually a really good time in my life." However, no matter how much we refuse to believe it, the human memory is an incredibly unreliable tool to do so. Memories get fuzzy, and people shape their memories to romanticize (in a positive or negative manner) each significant time in their life. Taking a photo by this man-made object or "freezing a moment in time" cannot stop the inevitable persistence of time, but it can encapsulate a memory, thought, feeling, or expression to share with history. It takes that ONE SECOND in the eternity of time to feed the human thirst for remembrance. That quote shifted my outlook on photography and photojournalism and gave me a new outlook altogether.

My favorite photo of hers that I looked through was the "Indian men bathing on the streets of Calcutta". There is no posing, no false smiles, its all brutally authentic. The people in the photo completely disregard Addario as she is not even there. I also think she flawlessly captured the water and the lighting through the water. It exposes a lifestyle the majority of America is unfamiliar with and hopefully addresses the privilege we do have in our own home.

Humans of LBCC

Alyssa Wood waits patiently between periods in the outside courtyard with a messy sandwich in hand for her fellow classmate to attend the party. After her third year of attending Linn Benton Community College, Wood has got the campus down ready to obtain her degree in psychology. What she can't predict, however, is a nosy and quite peculiar set of rapid “yes or no” questions from a certain nosy journalist. Unable to enjoy her lunch, Wood reveals she in fact does rehearse how she will announce “here” before the teacher calls her name in rollcall, the toilet paper should always go over instead of under, and she has the confidence to take a lie detector test with a loved one on the other end. Good answers Wood! Now go enjoy your sandwich in peace. 

 

Oh, but it doesn't stop there. On the prowl to ruin the lunchtimes for more students, Adam Stantos, transferred from Bend, Oregon to study pre-elementary education for at his first term at LBCC. With what to seemed to be a long one rigorous minute of painful questions, I was shocked to discover that Santos had never played Club Penguin, finished a whole pizza by himself, or has ever lied to his roommate about eating their food. Stantos then left for his afternoon math class but not before tolerating a pesky series of headshots. If Stantos can suffer through this chaotic series of questions, he will shine in a classroom full of young and curious students.