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.
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