The picture that didn’t get published
December 29th, 2006
Here’s a picture that’s published today in the newspaper. This picture was assigned, and everything went smoothly.
There was also another picture that didn’t get published. I was assigned to get wild art (a random picture), and since it was really cold I wanted to find someone who wasn’t really afraid of the cold. It’s not that cold in Cali, but most people were bundled up. But I did find one person in his trunks.
I asked him if it was cold at all, and he said, no it’s so nice. He’s off during the day, and he’s an actor by night (he has starred in a few mexican soap operas). But overall, this assignment was more fun than the first because I got to talk to him. It got me thinking about a piece of advice my professor gave, which was to save all pictures.
Afterall, one photographer caught a girl being close to our former president at a dinner party. Three years later the photographer saw monica lewinsky on television and it rang a bit familiar. So he went back into his archives and dug up the picture and it published all over the country.
I don’t think this will be the case, but the best part of this assignment was asking him to act natural. Pretend I’m invisible. So I’m trying to take some pictures of him just sunning at the beach and then he does what any man of his muscular stature would do. Flex (”What a beefcake!” says my publisher). Then he asks me–now it is confirmed, I am not invisible at all–if he can go into the water, because he naturally does so, and I’m thinking, go ahead, he’s so happy and he’s enjoying himself. So I keep on shooting, and now he’s splashing water on himself and looking at the camera. Somewhere along the line I was thinking, so how many married women can say that they’ve done something like this before without getting in trouble? My husband got a good laugh out of it too.
I had a feeling that these pictures wouldn’t be published; it’s too flesh-y and I probably could have done a better job portraying my idea in a different angle, but in taking this picture it illustrates again why I love photography: meeting different people, encouraging them when I can, and just having alot of fun.
Merry Christmas
December 21st, 2006
Merry Christmas everyone, and take lots of pictures. In the end what a picture does is document a memory, so no matter how you take the picture or what kind of camera you’re taking it with, it’s the memory that counts.
Here’s another topic: I really love technology in the sense that cameras are now so small; being able to put a camera into your pocket is great. Of course, my camera is good too, but it’s heavy, and I have to carry it around and when I’m with family and not shooting an assignment a big heavy camera becomes a burden. Besides, with a small camera the potential for catching breaking news is excellent. If you’re in the middle of breaking news your pictures maybe more valuable than if a photojournalist rushes to the scene 10 minutes later, because you’ll be in the middle of when everything happens.
If you’re up for it, try experimenting with the flash on those smaller cameras. Direct flash, especially on those little cameras, are for the most part not flattering at all. It makes pictures look like mug shots or you have people who look like ghosts in your camera. Try using your hand as a shield to block the light from going directly toward your subject and have it bounce off of the ceiling or a side wall. Then the flash will light the subject more natually. Or, try putting a piece of guaze over your flash, or even using a piece of paper to direct the light elsewhere instead of directly on your cameras. If any of you decide to try this tip let me know how it goes.
Santa Monica Daily Press
December 19th, 2006
Today I got hired as an photojournalism intern for the Santa Monica Daily Press. The staff feels like a small family. SMDP isn’t exactly corporate and big like the Los Angeles Times, but this is what I am liking so far; it’s a friendly environment and everyone seems very supportive and it’s that “we’re a small community paper” feeling that’s attracting me there. I met up with the editor and the owner of the paper also, and they both seem like they’ll be fun to work for. It also looks like they’re ready to give me a ton of freedom with regards to covering the news via pictures, so I am really looking forward to this internship. I’m getting the feeling that they really believe in me, and so likewise I believe that I can really make a difference and give my best effort to this newspaper also.
I applied for alot of photojournalism internships, including those as far as Merced and Sacramento. I am still a bit weary about going so far for a longer period of time because I have commitments here, but I thought I’d try anyway. I’m really glad that for now I will be around where I live because it’ll be good exploring my surroundings and besides, Santa Monica has alot of stories that I would like to tell through pictures. It’s a daily paper, which means five weekday editions and a weekend one, so this will give me a taste of working with daily deadlines.
Tips for avoiding jail
December 13th, 2006
(Note: …especially for those of you interested in hiring me as a wedding photographer, no, I’ve never been in jail. My record is clean.)
My semester is finally over, and now I am doing some independent photo stories. Since my photo projects are more long term in nature, I won’t be posting up pictures for a while. But for your entertainment and education, every few days I’ll try to post some tips for taking pictures and also what I have been learning recently.
Since photojournalists often have to photograph spur-of-the-moment news (shootings, accidents, bombings, you name the catastrophe, we try to be there), one good skill to have is avoiding being arrested. For spot news, we almost always have to deal with the police. Though it is legal to take pictures in public places, sometimes we have deal with a police officer who’s at the bottom of the totem pole and when they enjoy messing with photographers, then we have to know our legal rights. But most of the time my experiences with police officers have been good.
I’ve been in situations when people pretty much just stop me; I usually judge the situation and look at it in longer terms. I ask myself who I am affecting, and am I infringing on another person’s privacy? Is this an issue that the public needs to know? Sometimes I just go ahead and shoot, and sometimes I shoot until a person threatens me. And then sometimes I do the “ask another parent thing”, where I’ll keep on asking different people until someone says yes.
Here’s some of the things my textbook says about avoiding incarceration. It’s called “Photojournalism” by Kenneth Kobre, and it’s the best textbook I’ve ever had. If any of you have any further suggestions feel free to comment.
TIPS FOR AVOIDING JAIL
The following suggestions come from Luch A. Dalgish, executive director of the Reporters Committe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting journalists’ First Amendment rights.
-Carry your credentials at all times.
-Do whatever a police officer orders you to do, even if it seems unreasonable or rediculous or interferes with your job, unless you’re willing to live with the consequences of being arrested.
-Do not call the arresting officer names or get into a shoving match
-If covering a demonstration or other event likely to result in arrests, keep $50-$100 cash in your pocket to purchase a bail bond
-Keep a government-issued photo ID (in addition to a press pass) in your pocket at all times. It may speed up your release from custody
-Know the name and phone number of a criminal lawyer, bail bondsmand, and the police department spokesperson.
SMC Fashion Show 2006
December 6th, 2006
Hello
December 1st, 2006
I apologize for not having posted lately. It’s been hectic finishing the semester, and I am currently shooting my final project for my class. I get to cover the fashion show at my school, and it’s a new world for me; every dress that I photograph has to be identified by designer, so this gives me a chance to improve on my fact finding skills.
I’m also looking forward to next semester because I’ll be taking a philosophy course and doing some documentary photojournalism on my own.
Meanwhile, if you want to see what inspires me and also my competition pool in the photojournalism world, check out the recent winners from the College Photographer of the Year Website:
More updating as soon as I finish this fashion show.