Photojournalism
For someone who started out taking videos, switching to photos was not easy. There was a lot more importance on taking a picture at the right time as compared to filming something at the right time. You can always crop the length of a video, but in photography, the shot you take is what you are stuck with. Junior year, I had many opportunities to strengthen my photography skills, and I made sure to go to as many events as I could.
*Make sure to click on the image to view the captions.*
"Show, Don't Tell"
That’s what photojournalism is. Making sure a picture expresses a thousand words. Although the caption exists, the intent is to convey a feeling or a thought in one frame.
That’s what my goal is. When I am taking pictures or am going through what I have taken, I pick the images that tell a story. For example, in my critiques, the judge who looked at the soccer image above told me how she loved how the player in the background looks like he
has given up, and it is a great storytelling image. That is what I am going for when I capture a moment. I want the image to embody the feeling and intensity that someone might feel if they were standing there watching the moment play out.
This is something that, initially, I struggled with. Since I was trained in videography, I was used to knowing I had a buffer. I can take a 20-second clip and know that at least 10 seconds of it can be used for b-roll. Photography wasn’t the same. I had to learn to make sure that the moment I was capturing was impactful. This was especially important for sports photography. For example, many people tend to take shots of tennis players serving. This is the easiest and most repetitive shot since it is an easy way to get the ball in the shot while still having some action. I tried my best to stray away from those easy shots and instead focus on the ones that were hard to get.
Fall Dance Showcase
I was always the first person to volunteer to go cover something, especially if it was a last minute request. This fall showcase was one of those moments. I ended up having a lot of fun seeing the performances and even got to see my friend's dance. I also enjoyed when I took a picture at exactly the right moment and ended up with a picture that showcased the enjoyment of the performances.
Fall Choir Concert
I used to be in choir, so it was definitely an interesting experience being on the other side of the camera. It was a lot harder to photograph this, simply because their mouths were always wide open. This proved to produce slightly awkward photos.
Monday Moments
We had started something called "Monday Moments at the Grove" where we would take pictures in classes around campus each Monday and post them during our study hall period. It gave a little insight to the everyday lives of students as compared to major events.
Tennis
I was assigned the Tennis page for the yearbook and remember being super scared because it was one of the first things I had to take pictures of. I had to ask the players what was going on and who would be good people to take pictures of or get quotes from. I also learned later that when being evaluated for contests, it is preferred that the image have the ball in it. Even if it is a great shot, if it doesn't have the ball in it, it somewhat loses its worth, so I made sure to focus on that.
Soccer
I had taken videos for soccer before, so I thought taking pictures wouldn't be too bad. But I was running into similar issues with choir of some images looking awkward. I was able to get the hang of it later and am proud of the way I was able to adapt and grow in taking pictures.
AWARD WINNERS
2025 TAJE FALL FIESTA - SPORTS ACTION
Speeding to the ball, Junior Caden Schumacher makes his way down the field. “I just try staying locked the whole time and trying my hardest when I’m going in and keeping a clear mind,” Caden said.
Excellent