The portrait always matters.

Organizer of Making lemonade out of lemons speaking to young girls about abuse. 

The headshot has been around for a longtime and isn't going anywhere. So, knowing how to shoot one or capture a talking head is something good to know.

A photo story about a man who collects cans.

I was excited to hear on the first day of class that we were required to do a photo story with sound. That has been my aspiration for a long time since I learned how to do Sound slides two years ago.

Shooting my personal assignment was a delight because I had already envisioned the direction I wanted it to go. It was cool hearing how the audio just rolled out in conversation. I thought it would be much harder to get the audio to go in a direction to where it tells the story how I knew the images would have the best effect.

The worst part was when I was shooting at the gas station and these guys were yelling out why is she taking pictures. I actually thought I would be shot. But, I high tailed out of there and continued my shots somewhere else.

            The images were just amazing as to how they went with the sound. I never could have imagined that sound could go with images so good. I enjoyed the assignment, and it actually prompted me to purchase sound slides. I absolutely can’t wait to shoot another one.

Man handing Can Man an empty can after seeing him digging for them.(PHO-245 Shalisha Russell)

Can Man walking away from one can to another at the Valero gas station on Monroe and Auburn in Toledo, Ohio. 

Sunshine group project.

Resident of Sunshine Homes painting in the activities center shot as a group project. (PHO-245 Shalisha Russell)


Shooting the group project was very nice because the staff was incredible and the residents were so excited to see us. This assignment meant a lot to me because these people can find happiness in such a situation, when there are so many that do not count their blessings.
This wasn't hard for me to shoot with other photographers around because it wasn't like a competition. It was more like we all helped each other as a group. I enjoyed myself, I still have the notes the residents wrote for me in my wallet. The notes say thank you.
I was happy to be a part of such an assignment where the end result was helping an organization show their culture. the culture of taking care of residents and keeping the founders vision alive. I loved every moment of that group assignment.

Resident coloring in the activities center shot as a group project.

resident working his job folding clothes stops to smile.

Resident holding the clothes he has folded close to his chest.

Resident in a rocking chair in the activities center. 

Update

Bonnie burnside was given her 5,000 dollars back from Toledo Auto Finance. She called me the next day and confirmed the information.So, happy to help her.

Woman accuses car lot of selling her a lemon.

Shooting the portrait assignment was easier than the other assignments for several reasons. The lighting was better to work with because it was  outside. Secondly, I had a great subject who had a great story to tell.                                                                                                                                          
Toledoan Bonnie Burnside purchased a vehicle at Toledo Auto Finance. After having the vehicle for only five days, the transmission went out. She claims the dealership is being uncooperative and refuses to fix the vehicle. The only offer the dealership made to Burnside was finding a transmission and a mechanic.

She is protesting the auto dealer’s actions by showing up everyday with her signs to inform the public about her bad deal, and to show the dealership she’s serious. Burnside says she'll be out there everyday "come rain, sleet, or snow."  

Burnside made this assignment easier to complete because she was so open to being photographed.
 I am grateful that I saw her. I couldn’t have chosen a better subject to be a part of my assignment.

Bonnie Burnside protests Toledo Auto Finance after purchasing a vehicle. Toledo,Ohio. (photos by PHO 245 Shalisha Russell)                                                                                                                                                       

McNeese meets and beats Rockets

McNeese player  Rudy Turner goes to the basket while playing the Toledo Rockets March 13. (PHO245 photos by 

Shalisha Russell)

University of Toledo dance squad at halftime during
McNeese vs. Rockets game on March 13, 2012. 

      Shooting sports takes a lot of anticipation. You have to follow the ball and know what will make a good shot. 
      The anticipation of waiting for what will happen is exciting. But knowing what is typically going to happen isn’t close to what actually happens. You may think you know there will be a layup, but a player could fall or miss the shot. Following the ball was hard with the lenses and camera I had. I used a 70-210mm lens. Although it's decent gear, it wasn’t quick enough for me.
     The school spirit was also fun to capture. The dancers, cheerleaders and the blue crew made for good images. They were very excited about each shot the teams made.
     The experience was one to remember. It wasn’t as bad as the previous assignments in this class. There wasn’t really any contact with people and asking them questions. With that said it was much easier to shoot. Talking to people I don't know doesn't bother me, it's when I have to stop shooting to do so. So, I sports turned out to be one I cant wait to shoot again. Although University of Toledo lost the game, I got some great shots.

Rockets player Julius Brown struggles to keep the ball as Mcneese player Patrick Richards runs to catch it March 13, 2012.

Mind blowing weather, Mind blowing show.

 Entertainer Christian speaks to an audience about his road trips. (PHO-245) Shalisha Russell.

Shooting a feature was very stressful. Deciding what to shoot was the hardest decision. I worried if the event would not turn out to be as I envisioned.

So, I walked in and the atmosphere was exciting everyone was happy and laughed wholeheartedly. I was glad that I was in attendance, but then I saw another photographer and wondered how on earth will we get different viewpoints. I had to put all my skills into effect.

The performance of Christian and Katalina was a pleasant surprise, they travel the U.S. doing shows that entertain audiences in a show called Mind Tripping. It was fascinating to see them pull members out of the audience and have them participate in the show.

            The guest that attended the show did not know each other no one was chosen because they knew the right answers. Christian and Katalina were able to tell if the members were not truthful in their answers.           

I was even called up to participate in a sketch. I got up to the stage and was handed a knife. I didn’t know what to expect. It was shocking, and it left me speechless as to what was about to happen. I can say the show is based on the honesty of other people and the expertise of Christian and Katalina.

A college officer was totally baffled after Christian had done a few mind tricks. It was fun to watch everything unfold. She had genuine surprise, and all this fun is based on the reactions of others. It is a must see performance.

            Then there was the weather shot, and I chose to utilize the space around me. So, I went to Ottawa Park, and saw some golfers enjoying the 40 degree weather. I thought the perfect shot for weather s people doing leisure activities.

Overall, it was a fun experience, and it was enjoyable. I overcame any fears about speaking to people I don’t know.

 Don Mickels of Toledo, Ohio enjoys weather while there was a 45 degree day in Febuary 2012(PHO-245) Shalisha Russell.

A photo caption makes or breaks the reader's attention

       Captions are not as easy to write as the average person thinks. I came into this class thinking caption writing would be fairly easy, but there is a lot to know. For example writing time and dates are not the same as we would do while texting or writing an English essay, it takes knowledge and thought.
      Once I learned the material it made me wonder why I was so reluctant about writing captions. It helped me become a better candidate for the photojournalism world. Caption writing is going to be a struggle at first, but when you learn the basics, it's a lot easier to writing the industry standard.

Law, ethics, and what not to do in photojournalism

            The First Amendment allows us, as Americans, to report and receive news without retribution from our government.  Without it we would be in the dark about life. The First Amendment was ratified by our lawmakers in 1791 to keep the public informed.

I was shocked that the freedom of press allows photographers to shoot in public places, as long as we don’t invade someone’s privacy.

Of course the paparazzi has given photojournalism a bad wrap. There is a difference. Photojournalists shoot to inform the public, and most paparazzi shoot to get paid for the shot.

Our rights of freedom of speech and to protest are what make us different from other countries. The First Amendment means I can speak as long as I do not damage one’s career with false, libelous information.

            Another interesting fact I’ve learned during the ethics and law lecture is that it’s unethical to recreate a moment or change an image in any way. Photojournalism must be accurate and truthful.

What I learned about the history of news

        While learning about the history of photography, I learned that capturing action and night images was very hard to do prior to the use of modern lenses and flashes. It took a lot of work to get an image to the press, as opposed to now, when all it takes is a push of a button.

        Photographers had to take the images, contact print them, and draw replicas to be reproduced for an engraver to make the images for the paper. There has been a lot of new inventions since then that enables modern-day photojournalists to send news across the country instantly. In fact, that part of technology was a glimpse into what we are able to do now.

Getting to know me!

I am a first-time blogger. At first, opening this blog account for the Intro to Photojournalism course seemed intimidating, but with the help of our instructor, Lori King, it has been a breeze.

            As a new blogger, I would like to share with the world the information I learn about photojournalism, and enlighten my readers with the interesting information I learn this semester.