Environmental Portrait

Alex Hays is a former LBCC student and current martial arts instructor at Rise Martial Arts in South Town in Corvallis

Hays has been training in martial arts ever since he could walk and has dedicated his life to perfecting his craft. He performs American boxing, tak-tek, jiujitsu, panantukan, judo, aikido, jeet kune do, systema, and more.

Week 4 - Blog Forum

Code of Ethics
Number four really stood out to me. "Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see."
That last part seemed odd to me. When would the public ever be entitled to someone's personal grief? I suppose it would make sense to photograph someone's grief over, say, their loved one being killed or injured in a drunk driving accident to raise awareness against driving under the influence.

Ideally, photojournalists should...

"Strive for total and unrestricted access to subjects, recommend alternatives to shallow or rushed opportunities, seek a diversity of viewpoints, and work to show unpopular or unnoticed points of view."
I think this is very important. Sometimes, a newsworthy event may not be one that everyone agrees with. For example, covering a Black Lives Matter protest would be important to show those not affected by police violence what can sometimes happen when there is an abuse of power. Maybe not everyone will agree with it but for the betterment of our society, we must see things like this to raise awareness and to begin social change.

Favorite photos

I really liked this picture because of the angles and distance. It would have been easier to shoot their photo while next to them in the aisle, but instead the photographer, James, chose to get something different. The angle through the book shelf gives this photo drama and personality. 

I feel as though this picture has a great design. The photographer, Leta, did a great job capturing a shot without disturbing the subject, because looks as though the woman doesn't even notice the camera. There are many details to notice in this photo.

News/Feature Photos

A close-up view of a telescope at Astronomy Open House on OSU campus, October 13th.

OSU students Atul and Mitchell show off the Astronomy lab's equipment at the Astronomy Open House, October 13th.

A professor teaches a group of high school students about astronomy 

Week 3 Blog Forum

Portraits

First portrait:

I know a girl named Kristi from high school who is a barista and partner at Starbucks. Coffee is her life. I could get shots of her working behind the counter at Starbucks, steaming milk, using the espresso machine, refilling coffee grounds, or even a shot of her holding a cup of coffee that she's prepared. I have her on my Facebook friends list and could contact her that way.

Second portrait:

I know a guy named Jasper from high school who plays in a band. I remember watching his shows in middle school and now he's traveling all around the pacific northwest with gigs every week. I could check out his next show and take photos of him in his element, on stage performing. His microphone and guitar are of course the first props that come to mind for me to use with him. After the show could also be a good time to take photos, as then he could be more focused on the camera. I still have his number and get invited to his shows on Facebook quite frequently so that would probably be the fastest way to reach him.

Self-Critique

The best photo I've taken for class so far has been my close up of Cat Reegs at the Farmers' Market. I'm most proud of this one because of my editing and the fact that I was able to get a somewhat clear shot even when she was moving very quickly.

The worst photo I've taken in this class would probably be the shot of the menu in the Commons Cafeteria at LBCC. I say worst because it's boring. Sure, we get to read what's on the board, but that's not what's important to anyone looking at it. To make this photo better, I could have used a more exciting angle and edited the colors slightly brighter.

A skill that I need to improve on is taking risks with my pictures. I tend to not move out of my comfort zone when shooting pictures. In order to get better, I need to not be afraid of people staring at me or feeling silly when I do strange things like lay on the ground for a shot. Once I can get past that, I definitely think my photos will improve drastically.

Farmers' Market

Cat Reegs helps some customers at the Mushroomery

Cat Reegs, a former LBCC student, works at the Farmers' Market every Saturday

Reegs bags some items for a customer

Week 2 Photo Assignment: Popular campus hangouts

Bombs Away, a popular cafe on OSU campus for students to hang out

  

Interzone Cafe, a hip vegetarian joint on OSU campus

Watching live shows is a popular way for students to unwind and appreciate their local music scene

In progress, will re-shoot soon!

Photographer of the Week

Diane Arbus

My Photographer is Diane Arbus.
Arbus grew up and worked in New York City, where she gained most her inspiration from. Her work was comprised of mainly portraits of people on the fringe of society: nudists, giants, dwarfs, cross-dressing men, and circus performers. Unfortunately, she tragically took her own life when she was only forty-eight years old ("Diane Arbus: In the Beginning"). A year after she died in 1972, she became the first photographer ever to represent the United States of America at the Venice Biennale ("Diane Arbus").

Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967

Arbus's photos stand out because of the subjects she chose. In the 60s and 70s it was unusual for a photographer, especially a woman, to be so bold as to take such provocative photos. She grew up very rich as her family owned a building on fifth avenue, but she didn't want her life of nannies, maids, and professional chefs. She wanted to go out and explore the world like a true artist. After the separation from her husband in 1959 she relished in her independence and got very serious about her work ("The Cost of Diane Arbus's Life on the Edge", 2016). Something that set her apart from other photographers was that she wasn't afraid to put herself into the experience. If her subject was a nudist, Arbus herself would strip down to integrate herself and get a feel for what she was shooting. This is what truly got her mainstream attention: nothing was too extreme for her to get the perfect shot. If she had to put herself in harms way to get a picture, so be it.


"Diane Arbus." Fine Art, Decorative Art, and Design. Artnet, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

"Diane Arbus: In the Beginning." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I.e. The Met Museum. The                       Metropolitan Museum of Art, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.

"The Cost of Diane Arbus's Life on the Edge." The Cut. New York Magazine, 2016. Web. 07 Oct.                     2016.