For my non-linear story, I want my trunk to be an introductory to my beat, which discusses about different photographers in Maryland and their insights on becoming photographers and photojournalists. For my two new short stories, I hope to get in contact with Monica Loppossay, who teaches the photojournalism classes here at Towson University. Also, I hope to get in touch with Richard Perrine, a retired high school math teacher who has been taking pictures for a long time. His photographs are breathtaking. He does photography as a hobby. He travels extensively and has some beautiful images from all around the country. It would be interesting to hear from him on what makes a good image and what are some of the techniques and skills a photographer needs to acquire to make good images. I have talked to him before and some of his insights and tips on getting good images have been really helpful in my own work.
I also hope to add an image slideshow of some of my own work taken in Garrett County where I am originally from.
For a FAQ page, I hope to have tips for photographers taken from all the interviews and reporting I have done for this class.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Photographer Profile
For my personality profile, I plan to talk to Bernie Henaghan of Frostburg, MD. He has been in the photography business for fourteen years. I interviewed him for my feature story. It was obvious that he loves his job as a photographer. Even though it is his passion, he is full of practical advice for beggining photographers and is always able to answer questions that they might have. What is most interesting about him is his desire to create perfect images. He is sincere with his critiques about his and other's images. He told me that he is a perfectionist when it comes to photography, and has in the past been honest about the many things I need to improve on with my images.
What I also enjoyed listening to was his honesty when it comes to turning his photography into a full-time business. For instance, he admits that sometimes he was located in a more populated area. He told me that it's good that I was in the Baltimore area, as it is easier if you have a talent for photography to be located in an area such as this.
Above all, his sincerity about photography is what is most impressive. This is why his story would make a good story for photographers to hear. He makes it clear that it takes more than talent to make it as a photographer. And even though he is honest about this, he remains positive about his career, and it is obvious he has a passion for what he does.
What I also enjoyed listening to was his honesty when it comes to turning his photography into a full-time business. For instance, he admits that sometimes he was located in a more populated area. He told me that it's good that I was in the Baltimore area, as it is easier if you have a talent for photography to be located in an area such as this.
Above all, his sincerity about photography is what is most impressive. This is why his story would make a good story for photographers to hear. He makes it clear that it takes more than talent to make it as a photographer. And even though he is honest about this, he remains positive about his career, and it is obvious he has a passion for what he does.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Photography: Let the picture tell the story of the people!
Blueeyes Magazine, an online photography magazine, tells storys. Rather than ranting on about the latest Canon SLR or praising the latest digital storage technology, this fully online magazine focuses on what is the most important in photography: the images themselves. The contributors aren't journalists, they are photojournalists, and they let their images tell the story for them.
One photo essay that is, on a personal note, meaningful is "Titusville Steel" by Chris Crisman. There are 14 images of retired steel miners still living in the small town in Pennsylvania. Each photo gives a caption of who they are and how many years they worked for the mines.
Each of Crisman's images offers the viewer an insights to that person. What is amazing is that the images show the individuality of each man. Yet colllectively, they show the similarities and bonds each former steel worker has with each other. The collection of images, without sacrificing the unique quality of each individual subject, shows the shared customs, beliefs, and style of life the people living in Titusville, PA.
This story captures the essence images in telling people's stories. This photo essay proves that great stories need not come from the rich, the famous, the influential, or those damn politicians. Stories of working-class Americans are those that we can relate to. Coming from a family of farmers and miners, I know I can.
The story told in this is of a rugged, strong, and upright steel town. Unfortunately, these stories do not get told enough in the mainstream media, and it's good to see that the simple life is still strong in America. Coming from a small town surrounded by farms with coal mines not far away, this photo essay meant something to me, something that is hard to put in words. I am glad that the pictures are allowed to tell the story when words fall short.
One photo essay that is, on a personal note, meaningful is "Titusville Steel" by Chris Crisman. There are 14 images of retired steel miners still living in the small town in Pennsylvania. Each photo gives a caption of who they are and how many years they worked for the mines.
Each of Crisman's images offers the viewer an insights to that person. What is amazing is that the images show the individuality of each man. Yet colllectively, they show the similarities and bonds each former steel worker has with each other. The collection of images, without sacrificing the unique quality of each individual subject, shows the shared customs, beliefs, and style of life the people living in Titusville, PA.
As a photojournalist, I would take the inspiration from this story and begin to focus on the people of my own home town. For instance, the farmers that have long been working in the fields in my home of Garrett County, would be a great subject for a photo essay such as this one.
This story captures the essence images in telling people's stories. This photo essay proves that great stories need not come from the rich, the famous, the influential, or those damn politicians. Stories of working-class Americans are those that we can relate to. Coming from a family of farmers and miners, I know I can.
The story told in this is of a rugged, strong, and upright steel town. Unfortunately, these stories do not get told enough in the mainstream media, and it's good to see that the simple life is still strong in America. Coming from a small town surrounded by farms with coal mines not far away, this photo essay meant something to me, something that is hard to put in words. I am glad that the pictures are allowed to tell the story when words fall short.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
And Now Your Feature Presentation...in a day or two...hopefully....if Dreamweaver works out...the story is done...
For my latest feature story, I had the opportunity to talk to three different photographers in the state of Maryland. The first interview I did was Karlo Gesner of Deep Creek Lake, MD. He actually has an engineering degree from Virginia Tech. It's was inspiring to listen to his story on how he became a photographer and to listen to how he took what he loved to do and turned it into a career and above all a passion.
The next photographer i sat down with is Patrick Smith, a 2009 graduate here at Towson University. What was most impressive about Smith was his confidence as a photographer. This was great for me to hear because on a personal note I sometimes lack confidence as a photographer. To listen to his story about how he has already set career goals for himself and achieved them was an inspiration as well.
Bernie Hennaghan has been a photographer in Frostburg, MD for 14 years now, and offered some advice from the perspective of somebody who has been in business for a while. His advice was practical, and stems from his own personal experiences as he has developed his own business.
All three of these photographers are amazing in their craft, and their websites and blogs are filled with evidence of this.
The final story, titled "Picturing a Passion - Independent Photographers Shoot On" is now completed and will be up for the reading hopefully tommorow. Dreamweaver was being its old self again last week but hopefully it will come around.
For photographers and readers in general, this story will offer a glimpse of how inspirational being able to talk to these three photographers really was.
The next photographer i sat down with is Patrick Smith, a 2009 graduate here at Towson University. What was most impressive about Smith was his confidence as a photographer. This was great for me to hear because on a personal note I sometimes lack confidence as a photographer. To listen to his story about how he has already set career goals for himself and achieved them was an inspiration as well.
Bernie Hennaghan has been a photographer in Frostburg, MD for 14 years now, and offered some advice from the perspective of somebody who has been in business for a while. His advice was practical, and stems from his own personal experiences as he has developed his own business.
All three of these photographers are amazing in their craft, and their websites and blogs are filled with evidence of this.
The final story, titled "Picturing a Passion - Independent Photographers Shoot On" is now completed and will be up for the reading hopefully tommorow. Dreamweaver was being its old self again last week but hopefully it will come around.
For photographers and readers in general, this story will offer a glimpse of how inspirational being able to talk to these three photographers really was.
What makes a great image?
This is one of the simplest questions I could come up with to ask photographers that elicits the most unique answers from them. Each photographer, with his or her own unique style and beliefs, will a unique response to what a great image is and what it means for the viewer. This advice can be a motivation for those who are out there trying to capture such images. Listen to this story: "What makes a great image?" to see how some photographers respond to this simple question that is the basis for their profession.
Good Editing Means a Good Story...At Least This Time
The story on cbsnews.com titled "A Deadly Forecast" is a report on the report about global warming that says that global warming, mostly because of us human beings, is causing large and swift climate changes. Rising temperatures (and they will contintue to rise according to this report) will cause rising water levels, devastating hurricanes, and tornadoes in the midwest. The story breaks the United States up into regions and goes in depth about the dangers in each region. However, there are of course various reactions to the report, from those who think that it gives us the harsh truth about global warning, to those who think that this report is not based on scientific fact.
Even though global warming is not the most refreshing subject in the news today, this story swiftly engages the viewer to watching, thanks in large to the great editing by the people at CBS. For one, natural sound helps the reporter's story more engaging. Through a wide spectrum of video, from a closeup of a brown field, to an iceberg crashing into the water, the viewer is kept watching. To add emphasis to the consequences of global warming, natural sound is used in the form of sirens wailing through downtown Chicago. To stress the point that humans are to cause for this, the story allows the viewer to hear the cars idling along a scorching and crowded highway.
The sounds and the video of the story tell the story of "global warming" just as much as the reporter does. This is what makes this story on a cliche subject such as global warming interesting and worth the two minutes and 20 seconds.
Even though global warming is not the most refreshing subject in the news today, this story swiftly engages the viewer to watching, thanks in large to the great editing by the people at CBS. For one, natural sound helps the reporter's story more engaging. Through a wide spectrum of video, from a closeup of a brown field, to an iceberg crashing into the water, the viewer is kept watching. To add emphasis to the consequences of global warming, natural sound is used in the form of sirens wailing through downtown Chicago. To stress the point that humans are to cause for this, the story allows the viewer to hear the cars idling along a scorching and crowded highway.
The sounds and the video of the story tell the story of "global warming" just as much as the reporter does. This is what makes this story on a cliche subject such as global warming interesting and worth the two minutes and 20 seconds.
Monday, June 8, 2009
An article on PopPhoto's website by Lindsay Sakraida, titled "Shooting Still Lifes: A Photographer on Set," documents the unique photography career of Kimberly French, who is responsible for shooting still lifes on the set of big-name films for promotional material such as movie posters and DVD covers.
French, who got her big break while shooting Brokeback Mountain, discusses in the article the unique relationship that photographers must develop with the actors and actresses in order to gain their trust. This leads to how she can get great shots. The article explains that after trust has been established with the actors, they can then begin to appreciate her as a fellow professional. The article says that "Aaron Eckhart, Brad Pitt, and the late Heath Ledger are known for their interest in photography (American Photo even featured Eckhart's photos in its March/April 2008 issue), and their admiration led to intimate photos with French - and bonds that a stills photographer doesn't always make."
French, who got her big break while shooting Brokeback Mountain, discusses in the article the unique relationship that photographers must develop with the actors and actresses in order to gain their trust. This leads to how she can get great shots. The article explains that after trust has been established with the actors, they can then begin to appreciate her as a fellow professional. The article says that "Aaron Eckhart, Brad Pitt, and the late Heath Ledger are known for their interest in photography (American Photo even featured Eckhart's photos in its March/April 2008 issue), and their admiration led to intimate photos with French - and bonds that a stills photographer doesn't always make."
What is intriguing about this article is that it gives an inside views of the late Heath Ledger from a photographers point of view. French is quoted in the article, saying "He would let me get so close to his eyeline. Getting in an actor's eyeline - between them and the camera or another actor, or whatever they think they are looking at - is a big deal. He also later allowed me to shoot him while he was concentrating on his lines."
Sakraida also talks to Aaron Eckhart, who gives his view on how his personal interest in art has led to his friendship with French that goes beyond the professional realm. The article says that "In fact, French often went on early morning photography and when possible she would explain her process and technique while working on the set."
The story concludes by saying that although French pursues fine art photography in her spare time, she is at this time content with doing stills for films and getting her work noticed through big-name movies.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Storming My Brain: Audio Story Ideas
One of my earliest ideas for this audio news story was to find out from various photographers "What makes a great image?" This was the one question that I wanted answers to. Each photographer will without a doubt have his or her own unique perspective as to what it is that makes a great image. It is a simple question that goes to the depths of what photography is all about: the images. I'm still playing with this idea, and may want to put it on the back burner for now...I'm not sure.
I was also considering turning my focus to the technology side of photography and to report on what technology skills and knowledge is necassary for photographers today. As my interview with Karlo Gesner brought to my attention, photography, although it's more about skill and technique, there is an underlying acceptance that the field requires knowledge in technology, computers, software, and how to utilize the Internet to further your career.
Of these two storms of my brain, the latter seems the most significant for my beat. The former is more of a personal curiosity, but could surface in a project down the line.
"Well it's all right, everyday is just one day."
- The Traveling Wilburys
I was also considering turning my focus to the technology side of photography and to report on what technology skills and knowledge is necassary for photographers today. As my interview with Karlo Gesner brought to my attention, photography, although it's more about skill and technique, there is an underlying acceptance that the field requires knowledge in technology, computers, software, and how to utilize the Internet to further your career.
Of these two storms of my brain, the latter seems the most significant for my beat. The former is more of a personal curiosity, but could surface in a project down the line.
"Well it's all right, everyday is just one day."
- The Traveling Wilburys
Print Leads to Broadcast Leads
This first hard news story was found on baltimoresun.com. It is titled "Pregnant Arundel woman found slain in Ore."
"An Anne Arundel County woman who had recently moved out west to have her first baby was found dead Friday in the Oregon home of a woman she might have met through Craigslist, police said. The baby also died."
Source:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-pregnant0607,0,7224215.story
If I were to rewrite this lead for broadcast, it would go like this:
"An Arundel County woman and her unborn child were killed on Friday in the home of an Oregan. Police said the victim and the accused may have met trhough Craigslist."
This next hard news story lead comes from The New York Times website, and the article is titled "Groundbreaking Set for New Jersey Transit Tunnel Under Hudson."
"New Jersey officials have been planning the next train tunnel under the Hudson River for so long that it is already on its third name. This month, work is scheduled to begin on the Mass Transit Tunnel — formerly known as the Trans-Hudson Express and, before that, Access to the Region’s Core — more than 15 years after it was conceived."
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/nyregion/08tunnel.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion
Rewritten as a broadcast lead, it should read as follows:
"After fifteen years of planning and three name changes, construction is finally underway for the Mass Transit Tunnel to run under the Hudson River."
This final hard news lead was also found on The New York Times's website, titled "More Bodies Recovered Near Site of Plane Crash."
"As searchers pulled 15 more bodies from the Atlantic on Sunday near the site of last weekend’s crash of an Air France plane, a mystery that riveted the world — what happened to a 200-ton jetliner — became a fight against time and currents to salvage rapidly disappearing evidence."
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/americas/08plane.html?hp
There are two important facts in this lead. One is that there were 15 more bodies found, and that rescue crews are working against the clock to uncover evidence that would show what happened to the plane. To rewrite this lead as a more conversational broadcast lead, it would read like this:
"After 15 more bodies were found in the Atlantic on Sunday, rescuers are now working against the clock to uncover dissapearing evidence that would give clues as to why the 200-ton plane went down."
"An Anne Arundel County woman who had recently moved out west to have her first baby was found dead Friday in the Oregon home of a woman she might have met through Craigslist, police said. The baby also died."
Source:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-pregnant0607,0,7224215.story
If I were to rewrite this lead for broadcast, it would go like this:
"An Arundel County woman and her unborn child were killed on Friday in the home of an Oregan. Police said the victim and the accused may have met trhough Craigslist."
This next hard news story lead comes from The New York Times website, and the article is titled "Groundbreaking Set for New Jersey Transit Tunnel Under Hudson."
"New Jersey officials have been planning the next train tunnel under the Hudson River for so long that it is already on its third name. This month, work is scheduled to begin on the Mass Transit Tunnel — formerly known as the Trans-Hudson Express and, before that, Access to the Region’s Core — more than 15 years after it was conceived."
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/nyregion/08tunnel.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion
Rewritten as a broadcast lead, it should read as follows:
"After fifteen years of planning and three name changes, construction is finally underway for the Mass Transit Tunnel to run under the Hudson River."
This final hard news lead was also found on The New York Times's website, titled "More Bodies Recovered Near Site of Plane Crash."
"As searchers pulled 15 more bodies from the Atlantic on Sunday near the site of last weekend’s crash of an Air France plane, a mystery that riveted the world — what happened to a 200-ton jetliner — became a fight against time and currents to salvage rapidly disappearing evidence."
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/world/americas/08plane.html?hp
There are two important facts in this lead. One is that there were 15 more bodies found, and that rescue crews are working against the clock to uncover evidence that would show what happened to the plane. To rewrite this lead as a more conversational broadcast lead, it would read like this:
"After 15 more bodies were found in the Atlantic on Sunday, rescuers are now working against the clock to uncover dissapearing evidence that would give clues as to why the 200-ton plane went down."
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Feature Presentation: Photojournalism in Today's Media Landscape
My aim for this feature story is to go in depth on photojournalism in today's media landscape, and to find out what students who are interested in going into the fields of photojournalism and/or photography need to know about these fields in order to succeed.
I have been in contact with Patrick Smith, a Towson University graduate and freelance photojournalist. I will be talking to him this coming Monday on this subject.
My second source that I have arranged an interview with is Karlo Gesner of Deep Creek Lake, MD. He is an independent photographer, and also does photo assignments for The Republican, the newspaper of the great small town of Oakland, MD. My freind Jeff told me of Gesner when I was interviewing him about his upcoming album. Gesner did the photography for the album. When I first Emailed him yesterday he was actually on his way back from a photo shoot in Annapolis. I really look forward to meeting with him this Saturday.
Both of these photographers, as their websites show, do incredible work. Here are the links to their websites. They are both worth the time.
http://www.karlophoto.com/
http://www.patricksmithphotos.com/
I am also trying to get in contact with Monica Lopossay, the photojournalism professor here at Towson University. She would be a great source given the subject matter of my story.
So that is where I am sitting right now on this feature. If all goes well, this should be a great story. Keeping it 500 - 600 words is going to be the challenge.
Stay tuned for your feature presentation....and following the show stay tuned for an audio story to come out of all of this.
"Train kept a rollin' all night long."
- Aerosmith
I have been in contact with Patrick Smith, a Towson University graduate and freelance photojournalist. I will be talking to him this coming Monday on this subject.
My second source that I have arranged an interview with is Karlo Gesner of Deep Creek Lake, MD. He is an independent photographer, and also does photo assignments for The Republican, the newspaper of the great small town of Oakland, MD. My freind Jeff told me of Gesner when I was interviewing him about his upcoming album. Gesner did the photography for the album. When I first Emailed him yesterday he was actually on his way back from a photo shoot in Annapolis. I really look forward to meeting with him this Saturday.
Both of these photographers, as their websites show, do incredible work. Here are the links to their websites. They are both worth the time.
http://www.karlophoto.com/
http://www.patricksmithphotos.com/
I am also trying to get in contact with Monica Lopossay, the photojournalism professor here at Towson University. She would be a great source given the subject matter of my story.
So that is where I am sitting right now on this feature. If all goes well, this should be a great story. Keeping it 500 - 600 words is going to be the challenge.
Stay tuned for your feature presentation....and following the show stay tuned for an audio story to come out of all of this.
"Train kept a rollin' all night long."
- Aerosmith
The Formula For A Great Feature
A story published June 9, 2009 in The New York Times, titled "Tiananmen Square Scars Soldier Turned Artist," is a story that follows the Wall Street Journal formula that we discussed in class. The beginning of the story offers an attention-grabbing acount of Chen Guang, a 17-year-old Chinese soldier who was given orders by his commanders to, at any means necassary, contain the angry student protesters at Tiananmen Square, including opening fire. A quote from Guang is included in the opening paragraphs.
The nut graph comes in the fourth paragraph, where it is learned that, for the first time in twenty-five years, Guang is speaking out about what really happened on that day. The "why we should care" moment in the story is that Guang's story is part of a broader picture of the Chinese Government's attempt to supress any discussion of this event in public, and its attempt to control certain artwork, such as Guang's, that tries to express the true feelings on this subject.
The story does a superb job in providing quote from Guang about his artwork and his reflections on the time the event took place. The article offers an in-depth and sincere view of what really happened that day and how the soldiers felt about it.
The story also supplies supporting details on ways the Chinese government is trying to suppress free speech by artists and any others who dare to speak out against it. A reference is made to Zhang Shijun, a former soldier who was arrested for speaking to The Associated Press that he had regrets about detroying pro-democracy protests. Furthermore, the article says that local art galleries refuse to show his work, and that when he posted images of his work online, only to have them removed in a matter of hours.
Still following The Wall Street Journal formula, the article circles around to the opening paragraphs, returning the attention to Chen Guang. The final paragraphs discuss what he is currently working on, such as a series of self-portraits and his paintings that have now become a depiction of history, which is rarely seen in China, according to this article. The article ends on a last thought from him that explains how China can stop an event like the one he went through from happening again.
Link to "Tiananment Square Scars Soldier Turned Artist" :
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/world/asia/04soldier.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=Tiananmen&st=cse&scp=4
The nut graph comes in the fourth paragraph, where it is learned that, for the first time in twenty-five years, Guang is speaking out about what really happened on that day. The "why we should care" moment in the story is that Guang's story is part of a broader picture of the Chinese Government's attempt to supress any discussion of this event in public, and its attempt to control certain artwork, such as Guang's, that tries to express the true feelings on this subject.
The story does a superb job in providing quote from Guang about his artwork and his reflections on the time the event took place. The article offers an in-depth and sincere view of what really happened that day and how the soldiers felt about it.
The story also supplies supporting details on ways the Chinese government is trying to suppress free speech by artists and any others who dare to speak out against it. A reference is made to Zhang Shijun, a former soldier who was arrested for speaking to The Associated Press that he had regrets about detroying pro-democracy protests. Furthermore, the article says that local art galleries refuse to show his work, and that when he posted images of his work online, only to have them removed in a matter of hours.
Still following The Wall Street Journal formula, the article circles around to the opening paragraphs, returning the attention to Chen Guang. The final paragraphs discuss what he is currently working on, such as a series of self-portraits and his paintings that have now become a depiction of history, which is rarely seen in China, according to this article. The article ends on a last thought from him that explains how China can stop an event like the one he went through from happening again.
Link to "Tiananment Square Scars Soldier Turned Artist" :
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/world/asia/04soldier.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&sq=Tiananmen&st=cse&scp=4
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Take the Lead
Summary leads are designed to, as the name suggests, to summarize quickly in few words the most important facts in a story. This type of lead is a direct result of the inverted pyramid format for hard news stories, in which the most important information is delivered to the reader at the top of the story and the least important facts are at the bottom. Summary leads deliver the most significant of the 5 Ws and the H. The oppisite, the feature leads, do not rely on this format.
Feature leads allow the writer to persuade the reader to want to read more and to find out the main points of the story. Furthermore, feature leads do not rely on a lot of facts. Instead, they try to rely on ways to get the reader to want to know more. Unlike the summary lead, the feature lead puts faith that the reader will keep reading to discover the main points in the story.
Summary leads hit the reader with significant facts. If the reader is skimming stories, he or she will know the important information by just reading the lead. Feature leads ease into the stories, foreshadowing what the stories most important facts are.
The first feature story that I found that had a good example of an anectotal feature lead is from baltimoresun.com, titled "Trucking industry facing long layovers." The story ultimately calls attention to the alarming percentage of truckers who are out of work or on a minimized schedule. The story leads off with the situation of Odell Haggerty, a specific truck driver who is strugling for his job, and then laces his personal story in with the overall story of how truck drivers, both nationally and in Maryland, are struggling for their jobs. (http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-te.md.recession.truckers04may04,0,6069898.story)
The second feature story I found with a superb lead is from The New York Times website, titled "A Town Fights to Save an Oasis of Baguettes." This story gives a narrative lead telling about a French couple moving to Colebrool, N.H. to open up a bakery. The first three paragraphs offer an enticing, heart-warming story of the couple settling into the town and becoming part of the community. It is not until the fourth paragraph that the reader discovers that the main point is that this business was deemed "marginal" by the State Department of the United States, and that the couple were denied a renewal on their E-2 investor visa. The town stood behind the business.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/us/01land.html?_r=1&em)
Feature leads allow the writer to persuade the reader to want to read more and to find out the main points of the story. Furthermore, feature leads do not rely on a lot of facts. Instead, they try to rely on ways to get the reader to want to know more. Unlike the summary lead, the feature lead puts faith that the reader will keep reading to discover the main points in the story.
Summary leads hit the reader with significant facts. If the reader is skimming stories, he or she will know the important information by just reading the lead. Feature leads ease into the stories, foreshadowing what the stories most important facts are.
The first feature story that I found that had a good example of an anectotal feature lead is from baltimoresun.com, titled "Trucking industry facing long layovers." The story ultimately calls attention to the alarming percentage of truckers who are out of work or on a minimized schedule. The story leads off with the situation of Odell Haggerty, a specific truck driver who is strugling for his job, and then laces his personal story in with the overall story of how truck drivers, both nationally and in Maryland, are struggling for their jobs. (http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-te.md.recession.truckers04may04,0,6069898.story)
The second feature story I found with a superb lead is from The New York Times website, titled "A Town Fights to Save an Oasis of Baguettes." This story gives a narrative lead telling about a French couple moving to Colebrool, N.H. to open up a bakery. The first three paragraphs offer an enticing, heart-warming story of the couple settling into the town and becoming part of the community. It is not until the fourth paragraph that the reader discovers that the main point is that this business was deemed "marginal" by the State Department of the United States, and that the couple were denied a renewal on their E-2 investor visa. The town stood behind the business.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/us/01land.html?_r=1&em)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
What does a photo mean?
This is the question I wish to pursue in this blog. It is obvious from the sister blog to this one, simply entitled "Photography," that I have a passion for images and the stories they convey. In this blog, I want to communicate with others who share this passion and report back in my blogs what I learn. I want to know the answers to questions such as what makes a good image, what part does photography play in journalism, and what inspires photographers and what they try to communicate in their images. I suspect that every photographer has varying viewpoints on what photography means. This inhibits the crucial roles of the journalist: to ask questions and to discover varying and diverse viewpoints on the subject.
I look forward to talking to other photographers and writing about them in my blog and in my writings in this course. I hope to have the opportunity to talk to various different professionals in the field, such as those working for local magazines and professionals in the area, as well as amatuers who have a passion for photography.
This April I had the chance to visit the Newsuem in Washington D.C., and got to see the Pultitzer Prize Photographs Gallery. This gallery brings the power of photograph to tell a story is to life.
In this beat blog, I look forward to reporting on the passion for photography on a more local level.
I look forward to talking to other photographers and writing about them in my blog and in my writings in this course. I hope to have the opportunity to talk to various different professionals in the field, such as those working for local magazines and professionals in the area, as well as amatuers who have a passion for photography.
This April I had the chance to visit the Newsuem in Washington D.C., and got to see the Pultitzer Prize Photographs Gallery. This gallery brings the power of photograph to tell a story is to life.
In this beat blog, I look forward to reporting on the passion for photography on a more local level.
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