Photostory: Places in Portland

The Laurelhurst Theater, an iconic theater located in Portland, OR. 

Powell's Bookstore, the largest independently-owned bookstore in Oregon.

A simple 7/11 can be a welcome relief for refreshments after driving for a few hours on the I5.

Overstock at locally owned bookstores can get a little cluttered. 

Blossoming Lotus is a popular vegetarian joint for students to stop and get lunch at in downtown Portland.

Week 10 Blog Forum

TOPIC 1: YOUR BEST PHOTOJOURNALISM

My favorite photo would probably have been this one. I really liked it because of the colors and clarity. I like photos that are taken of lights at night because the colors seem to pop way more than they would have if the photo was taken during the day. I feel as though this photo also reflects a lot of what I learned in photojournalism because of the angle of the shot. It's not taken straight on, instead its shot at an angle. 

I feel as though my ability to take photos has stayed fairly stagnant throughout the term. I still extremely dislike taking pictures of people and prefer to shoot places and things. This made all the assignments shooting people difficult because everything I found interesting enough to shoot was inanimate. I'm thankful that this class taught me that I am not a portrait photographer. As far as editing goes, I've learned its usually best to crop things close. 

TOPIC 2: YOUR GOALS 

1. Publish at least five articles/photos in the Commuter
I don't think I got a single photo published in the Commuter! That's okay, though. I wasn't expecting almost every assignment to be about taking close pictures of people.

2.  Learn how to use Photoshop
I got the hang of some of Photoshop's features but almost never used them. I prefer editing pictures on my phone, actually.

3. Get the hang of using a professional camera
I learned the basics of a professional camera but really didn't like using one. I liked using my phone's camera, although it felt a little silly sticking an iPhone in people's faces and keeping any amount of authority as a photojournalist. A real camera definitely made people take me more seriously and I appreciated that, but I disliked lugging such a large and heavy thing around my neck, taking the time to fiddle with the settings before every shot, and making sure it didn't scrape against things when I turned. 

My Hometown

So-called "vandalism activism" been popping up all over Corvallis all through 2016. "Not Your Mom, Not Your Milk" is a popular vegan slogan which urges others to eliminate their dairy intake through ethical concerns. Other slogans seen have been "My Body, My Choice" accompanied with a pink Venus symbol to protest infringements on women's reproductive rights, and "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" accompanied with a recycling symbol to encourage others to look out for their planet more. It's not clear who's been tagging the town, but they appear to cover a lot of ground. 

Heather is a former LBCC and current OSU student working at the Farmers' Market, in Dennison's Farms' booth. The Corvallis Farmers' Market is set to wrap up later in November but until then, Heather is out every week helping the community buy and eat local and organic produce. Heather helps grow the crops, as well as harvest and sell them. She encourages everyone to go and seek out local produce to help the economy and the environment. 

The Benton County Public Library is an iconic landmark in Corvallis, OR. It's doors are open to the community seven days a week, giving the people access to the information, events, and quiet sanctuary available inside. 

Photographer's Choice

The Whiteside Theater in Corvallis around 7 PM on Friday, November 11th.

The Whiteside Theater opened on November 9th, 1922. 

The Whiteside Theater's iconic "W" turns on at night with a dazzling display of flashing lights.

News/Feature Photos

Peaceful protesters gather at the Benton County Courthouse to remind the community of their shared values of peace, compassion, and empathy

Protesters hold an offering of peace to cars passing by

Protesters hold signs for hours on November 11th in front of the Corvallis Courthouse

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.