A Practice in Photojournalism

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Checking In – I took this image while spending the day at the Wyoming State Capitol. I stumbled upon this scene while watching how representatives dealt with the dull task of following legislative procedure, in which role call is required of all members every morning. This shot was more difficult to capture due to limited number of places I was allowed in the capitol. I was bound to wait in the viewing deck while the house was in session, which proved to make more detailed shots more difficult to capture as I was so far away. I worked to use a focal point against a textured background which made Lindholm stick out. I also used contrast, as the background was more colorful and Lindholm was dressed in all black.

Lobbying on the Go – This image was from the end of the day at the Wyoming Legislature. I thought this piece reflected the true life of lobbyists. I had seen this woman walking around holding her computer all day and was determined to snag a shot of her. I considered her striking because she was clearly working hard all day while running around the capitol. This was difficult to capture because it was difficult to find her as she had been running all over. I used leading lines and the rule of thirds to capture this image. The architecture and design around her worked to draw attention to her. I also worked to find a position to capture this image in which she would be standing in the far left third of the scene. I thought this device made the image far more interesting due to the fairly blank space in the right two thirds.

Class Rush – I took this image as classes were dismissed in the classroom building, which always proves to be a busy atmosphere. This image was difficult to capture as I was standing in a stairwell which was filled with people pushing past me. I used depth and leading lines in this image which created a complex yet simple photo. The lines of the stairwell framed the rushing students as well as show the movement of those running up the stairs. The depth was created by taking the image straight on from high up. This showed the complexity of the scene presented.

Snow Day – This image shows a high school student walking his dog on the green belt. I found this scene compelling because it represents a lot of my perception of Laramie, as a native. This beloved area is used my many locals for outdoor recreation right in their backyard. The biggest challenge of this image was capturing a picture of a stranger from such close proximity without feeling weird. It was also difficult to capture a running animal in a way that didn’t simply portray a black blur. This image used rule of thirds by placing those captures in the far right third of my camera and the very small detail of the cement plant and its smoke in the far left third. I also see color as an important device in this image. The contrast between sky, grass, and snow created a pleasing image. It also helped those pictured really pop.

Flash Dance – This image was very difficult to capture in that everyone was running which made it difficult to follow with the lens. My camera is extremely slow which created a blur due to the intense movement, but I am happy that it was able to show the extreme nature of this scene. This image used color to make the highlight the focus of the image through the bright yellow. It also used movement to convey what was going on and the flow of the game. Photographing the even proved to be quite stressful, as I had to get quite close to the game in order to capture what was happening on the field. There were multiple times where balls were kicked at me, which was one more reason this assignment put me out of my comfort zone.

This assignment very much surprised me in the difficulty I had taking pictures of strangers. I didn’t realize how anxious something like that would make me. Throughout the week, it luckily became easier, but still proved to get me out of my comfort zone each time. I was lucky to take pictures of individuals who were used to photojournalists the first day of this project, at the Wyoming Legislature, which made them far easier to approach. My biggest wish for this assignment would have been to have a better camera. Taking pictures from far away did not turn out the most beautiful images possible, but I feel proud of what I could capture and a somewhat poor phone camera.