Photo Story -- Oregon State Robotics

Wednesday November 22nd 2017. Mitchell Holmes goes over the blueprint for his Rover, which took 8 months to complete. All the work for this project was done at Oregon State University Robotics Center located in Graf Hall.

Mitchell, along with his partner Randall Didion pictured in the grey sweatshirt work on their project on the solid works online program. This program is where they did all of their electronic outlining in order to create the real project.

Working late at night, the two parters discuss how they plan to take down the rover for the first time. They were both very exited and anxious to test drive their project. All of the hard work and late nights finally starting to pay off for the two.

 University Robotics Center lab. This is where all materials and resources for the students is located.

Partners Mitchell and Randall pose with their finished product. They hope bring home the first place prize back to Corvallis in the University Rover Challenge. This competition is the biggest robotics competition in the Northwest. They understand what it takes to compete at a high level which is why they work very hard every day.

week 10 blog forum

TOPIC 1: YOUR BEST PHOTOJOURNALISM -- Consider the photos you posted on your blog this term:

1. The best photo I took this term I think is this photo from week 5 of the coffee with a cop event
   
   
   
2. What I like best about this photo is how it captures a moment and true reaction. I like the angle in which I shot it at, and even though you cannot see the lady in red who they are looking at you get a sense what type of emotion she is carrying
3. This photo shows how I learned to capture images at different angles which is important, and to capture emotion
4. My photo skills have increased a lot over the course of 10 weeks. I have become more comfortable with the camera and shooting people who were complete strangers. The biggest thing I think is that I was able to adapt and not be shy like I was at the beginning of the term. I learned to take an excess amount of photos from different angles and perspectives. This has helped me in at least finding a few good photos which I could use for my blog.
   
   

TOPIC 2: YOUR GOALS -- Go back to the Forum for Week 1 and you'll find your response to this prompt:

GOALS --

My 3 goals for this class would be, getting at least 3 photos posted to the commuter, get some practice working with a high resolution camera, and being able to go to different sporting events and getting some good action shots

I think I did a pretty good job in achieving my goals this term. I was able to switch over from taking photos with an iPhone to using a high resolution camera. I was able to get a lot of practice shooting sports, which is something I really love doing. I also was able to get a few of my photos published in the commuter, although I would have loved to have some more. Overall I really enjoyed this course, and I am proud of my progression over time.

photographer of week writeup

The photographer I choose to research was Bob Martin. Bob Martin is a sports photographer specializing in action shots. Bob was born in England and first got his photos published in 1988. He claims that he wasn't interested in sports but his talent with sports photography brought him to fame as he appeared in prestigious publictions such as Sports Illustrated, TIME, Life, Newsweek, New York Times, Stern, Paris Match, Bunte, and many more. During his 30 year career Bob shot every major sporting event from the last 15 summer and winter olympics, and during the london olympics his was selected as the Photo Chief. What stands out to me most about Bob is how he captures his images in such incredible angles. This is what I would say his claim to fame. Bob said himself he trys to be different and separate himself from other photographers, which is what makes him so successful.
“Sports photography became less about capturing the moment –because that was relatively easy now—and more about being a ‘proper’ photographer. And that’s when I blossomed. Suddenly I had time to think about the picture, the background, the context, the colors—and I began to plan everything in minute detail to get in the best positions for shooting interesting and unique pictures.”

Bob is very well prepared, and always places himself in positions where he can capture the best shots. He study's his subjects and even when the events aren't going on, he is still working and thinking about the best places he needs to be while actually shooting.

Here is a prime example of him doing this. This is actually my favorite photo Bob has shot. In this photo you can see how Bob made the effect of the shadows being in the place where you normally would see the runners photographed, and I just love this perspective. Bob in his book the 1/1000 actually talked about how in order to capture this photo he was at the track the day before looking at the shadows, and he figured out exactly where he needed to be to get this photo.

http://www.bobmartin.com
https://www.adorama.com/alc/meet-a-pro-elite-sports-photographer-bob-martin

book report

The most compelling thing I have learned in this book was Lyndsey's character. I believe Lynsey has the will that is really head and shoulders above the average person. Personally, I can not relate to Lynsey on the lever of dedication and will she shows. Lynsey who in this book made the ultimate sacrifice, putting herself in a extremely dangerous environment for a greater and bigger purpose. Lynsey was very aware of the power she had and how she could document what without people like her, the average citizen wouldn't be able to see. Lynsey captured powerful moments of war, famine, displacement, violence, corruption, and struggle. This is why I believe Lynsey character, and will is on another level. She is doing the work which the average person wouldn't even imagine doing. In a sense, she's on the level of actually soldiers fighting in war. Both of them experience extreme danger, and enter knowing so, but their dedication outweighs their fear.

Lynsey is an excellent photographer. The purpose of why she does what she does is to share with the world the events going on. I view her as a story teller. She's really great at giving the viewer a direct sense of whats going on in her shots, even without knowing any context. She captures a lot of raw emotion, which often time are in moments of fear and sorrow. Most times you can see a direct connect between the background, and whats going on in the photos, to just how the people are reaction. She has many examples of this in her book, whether it be young children in tears in the midst of a war torn city, to people scrammed around looking for food. Heres a photo from her website  http://www.lynseyaddario.com which really shows her strength as a photographer.

While like I stated earlier that Lynsey was on a different level as far as dedication, I was actually able to learn a lot from her in this book. Lynsey had me looking at life in a different perspective when shooting. Often I would think of Lynsey and the episodes she went through as a photojournalists. Just when I thought I was scared or intimidated to get into action and shoot I would think of Lynsey. This truly pushed me because I knew that I would be alright and that my fears were so minimal. Even through her photos I was able to see just how fortunate I was as a person in this world. Even the most basic things in life such as freedom, and food which I see guaranteed for me aren't for many people in this world. Looking back on this book I learned lessons not only as for being a photojournalist and what it takes to be successful, but it taught me gratefulness which I was able to discover through her images.

Here are some of Lynseys photos I like best

                                    

All of these photos show Lynseys skill as a photographer, as well as some of the different places she's shot.

This last photo is definitely my favorite shot by Lynsey. While obviously this is an a catastrophic environment, what stands out to me are the people pictured. What I found crazy was how there was no real sense of urgency shown by these people. The girl who is up close in the photo seems to still have time to hold her doll. I could imagine that she has seen it all and as a product of the environment has grown accustom to whats going on. You can definitely see this with the men in the background as well. They seem to be just so casually strolling the streets as if nothings going on.

“Photography has shaped the way I look at the world; it has taught me to look beyond myself and capture the world outside.” 

“The truth is that few of us are born into this work. It is something we discover accidentally, something that happens gradually. We get a glimpse of this unusual life and this extraordinary profession, and we want to keep doing it, no matter how exhausting, stressful, or dangerous it becomes. It is the way we make a living, but it feels more like a responsibility, or a calling. It makes us happy, because it gives us a sense of purpose. We bear witness to history, and influence policy.”

These are 2 important quotes from the book. In the first quote was very powerful because it showed me what Lynsey finds important in life. Lots of people live their life only to do what pleases them and ignoring whats going on around. Lynsey however is able to look past herself and face whats going on in the world. This shows a lot about her character to me. I think one of the biggest problems today, especially I find this relevant in the U.S is that far too many people only make decisions which are good, and benefit them, instead of looking for whats great for the community. In this second quote it kind of shows how Lynsey has gotten into the position she's in. This goes along with what I said earlier on how I believe photographers like her are on a different level because like she said, no matter how exhausting, stressful, or dangerous the work is they find a way to continue, and that is all from her will and dedication. 

There is no doubt that I would recommend this book to other people. For people interested in photography or journalism, this book is a must read. There is a lot to learn in this book which goes beyond just technical skills. I think thats very important to photojournalists. Theres another side to learning how to be successful and great at what you do, which can't really be found in many other places. Even for people who have no instrest in photojournalism this is still a book I would recommend. There was a lot I could take away from this book from political to social problems. One reoccurring theme in this book which I was able to take away was gender equality and the fight for that which is much more of a struggle than I had thought. As a woman photographer Lynsey was constantly looking to prove herself in a male dominant field. This book also does not lack action and drama, so for those who like even filled readings, this book is the one for you.

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Week 8 blog forum

Now that I have almost completed "Its what I do" by Lynsey Addario I am able to really grasp the message conveyed in the novel and give a accurate reflection. As the book goes on Lynsey continues to face many roadblocks, and challenges but she continues to push through no matter the circumstance. She is able to go outside of her comfort zone and continue to document events going on in such chaotic places. So far through part 3 and 4 the 2 most compelling chapters in my opinion are chapter 12 and chapter 9. Chapter 12, a chapter I really enjoyed reading, also stood out to me the most. This chapter really illustrates the hardship Lynsey goes through and the true danger she is involved in. In this chapter Lynsey discovers that a fellow photographer and  friend of hers Tim Hetherington was killed by an air strike. This was very eye opening to me because it made me realize just how routine death was in these circumstances and while Tim was Killed it very easily could have been Lynsey in that exact situation. This chapter showed me once again just how brave Lynsey was, and how even in circumstances like these which are unimaginable she continues to push forward. In chapter 9 Lynsey talks about what might have been her deadliest assignment. Lynsey along with  photojournalist Elizabeth Rubin stopped at camp blessing in the tech river valley, where they saw first hand taliban fighters under attack being burned to death. This chapter just like chapter 12 shows the brutality of the environment. In this book Lynsey has taught me to tackle tall tasks. This is something that is pivotal as a photojournalist. 

One quote that was interesting to me in chapter 12 was
 "For the first time I felt the weight of the years of accumulated trauma. Perhaps it was because I realized how precarious life was and how arbitrary death was" pg 245
In this quote Lynsey is able to stop and take a look at life through her experiences and see really how inevitable death was and that nothing should be taken for granted. 

My favorite photo was from the tacloban series. The photo was of a large group of people mainly who were young kids all gathered around to get some food. There was a lot of raw emotion captured in this photo from a young boy crying to another smiling. What was most shocking to me about this is in one of the bowls there was only a few grains of rice

sports photos

 

"Sasquatch and friends" pictured in white takes on team "Defense" in a b5 league on Thursday November 17th at Timberhill Athletic club located in Northwest Corvallis. Team defense won the game 76-68 to extend their record to 7-0.

Shane Denning aggressively guards Jordan Bamber during the 1st half of their matchup. 

Trenton Linden dribbles the ball as he waits for his game to start.

My hometown photos

Benton County Courthouse, Corvallis Or. The Benton County Courthouse sited is a major landmark in downtown Corvallis. This courthouse was built in 1888 and later remodeled in 1954.

Nathan Schmidt wholesale employee works full time at Winco Foods. Nathan graduated from Crescent Valley high school in 2015, still lives in his hometown working as an important grocery stocker at the leading grocery store in Corvallis, OR.

Student at Oregon State University gather for a casual weekend game of sand volleyball outside of Dixon Recreation. Oregon State University is a significant part of Corvallis, and half of the cities population are in fact students.

week 7 forum questions

TOPIC 1: SHOOTING SPORTS --

1. A couple tips that stood out to me from Karl's presentation was first, knowing your subject. He talked about how he was familiar with the Oregon State football team from their personnel to their playbook. This helped Karl in capturing such great photos because he was able to position himself in a spot where he was most likely to get a good action shot instead of just having to guess what was going to happen and where. Another thing that I was able to take away was to stay away from looking at your photos while there is still action going on. One thing that Karl said was able to separate him from some of the other photographers was being patient, and continuing to shoot instead of checking your camera to see how your other shots look. It is very easy to look down and check your photos but this is how you miss sometimes even the best shots like players celebrating and all the aftermath of what just took place.
2. I can use both of these things I learned from Karl in my upcoming sports/action assignment. The first tip is knowing my subject.I will be able to pretty easily implement this for my project. Since I am shooting my basketball team, which plays in the timberhill athletic club league, I am already familiar with all the players and what they like to do on the court. Ill know which players drive, which players are likely to be shooting 3s, going for rebounds etc. For the second tip, its just a matter of discipline and remembering. Ill be able to look at my photos either after the game or at halftime, so I got to just remind myself that there is no real benefit at looking through my photos right away.

TOPIC 2: ACTION/SPORTS PHOTOS -- Now that you've got some tips on how to shoot action ...

1. My subject for this assignment is going to be a Timberhill rec league basketball game, which my team plays for
2. This is going to take place at Timberhill Athletic Club in Corvallis, Or on Wednesday November 15th
3. Ideas for:
1. OVERALL -- A wide scene of the basketball court where you can see most of the players. Ill try and shoot this at a time of high action where every player is doing something like after a shot goes up
2. MEDIUM -- I can make one player the main focus while still having a good portion of the half-court set still pictured. So an example would be a player shooting a jump shot with defensive pressure
3. CLOSEUP/DETAIL -- Players on the bench resting. Could be celebrating, hydrating, communicating with teammates.

week 6 forum

As you embark on this quest, answer these three questions:

1. I am going to photograph Corvallis, because its where I was born and raised and where I'm most familiar with.
2. For my portrait subject I could shoot on Oregon State Campus. There are many events and different types of people where I could find a good portrait. Oregon state also really represents the city of corvallis so i think that would be fitting. One landmark I could shoot would be the corvallis courthouse downtown. Finally for my activity I could shoot a high school sporting event. Since Corvallis is a small city one thing that is important is the high school sports, particularly football.
   
   
3. The biggest challenge to me would probably be the courthouse. It would be a little difficult in my opinion to incorporate people in my shots.
   
   

Outline TWO photo stories that you could do for your final assignment.

• Mitchell Holmes
• Robotics Competition 
• Over month of November 
• Oregon State University

To document thus subject I would try and get much of the preparation that goes on with this club, which would be practicing, meeting and creating, in order to ready for their big upcoming competition with other robotics programs

week 6 photos

Students gather for a fun face painting event on Wednesday November 1st in the Diversity Achievement Center on the Albany Linn Benton Campus. 

  

Vanessa Sizneros and Llibeth Villanueva focused on their paint jobs; on a busy day in the Diversity Achievement Center.

Lizabeth Villanueva works on painting one of many students.

Week 5 blog forum

So far in this book Lynsey Addario has taken on many challenges and showed a lot of heart. Lynsey is very passionate about her work. As a woman photojournalist she is also determined to make lasting impression on herself in a male dominated field. Two things that have made an impression on me is that she is able to go outside of her comfort zone in order to do the things she would like to do in photojournalism, and how brave she is to take on such a tall task and challenge. There are many things which I have learned from Lynsey that I can apply to Photojournalism. A lot of time I am a little timid when shooting, but the bravery and willingness that Lynsey portrays inspires me to go in and be aggressive rather than passive as a photographer. I can do this by asserting myself into the scene early, instead of waiting on the outsides waiting for something to happen. Lynsey makes many personal sacrifices and she is so invested, that she risks her life in order to make a name for herself and do what she loves to do. My favorite quote thus far would probably be "Friendships form fast in war zones" (pg119). I never really thought of it this way but this makes a lot sense. In such a crisis its crazy that this violence in a way also comes peace. This goes for both journalists which Lynsey was talking about, as well as soldiers. My favorite photo is the image on pg 129 of the U.S. Marines who are collectively shaving in from of Saddam's Presidential palace. I like this image because it shows a different side that you may not always see. It shows the men all together with all their gear and belongings but they seem rather relaxed and shaving as a unit. This also goes along with and further proves the quote I used above.

week 5 photos

Marci Johnson, and Barb Horn the Students Activities Coordinator enjoy a quick word with a local Albany Police Officer on Thursday October 26th at the hot shot cafe during the "coffee with a cop" event on Linn Benton Campus

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A good turn out, as Linn Benton faculty and students enjoy their morning coffee and socialize with members of the Albany Police department 

Local Police officer smiles as he pours himself a nice cup of coffee. 

Week 4 media blog forum

TOPIC 1: NPPA CODE OF ETHICS --

1. The item that stands out the most for me is,
   "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."
   This stood out to me because it teaches that while getting good shots and sharing images with the world is important, it should always be in our best interest to think about the person first and give them utmost respect.
2. The item under what under what journalists should do that stood out to be the most was,
   Strive to be unobtrusive and humble in dealing with subjects. I liked this one because it shows that as a journalist you should try to keep low key respectful and humble with your subjects which always goes a long ways, even outside of journalism
3. A way I could apply these things I learned from the code of ethics would be if I maybe caught a subject in a bad moment, ethically I should not expose them especially if there is no great benefit coming from it.

TOPIC 2: FAVORITE PHOTOS -- 

So far in the term these 2 photos are my favorite


I really like the volleyball photo shot by Julia. This is a great photo because it shows all the players on the team and it was captured in an especially compelling moment after the team scored a point. All the girls are coming together for a high five with a clear happy expression on their face.

The second photo shot by Casey is also really good. I enjoy how it was captured while the student is in mid thought during his chess game. This fits the mood very well because chess is a game of thinking and requires a great deal of concentration which we see. I also think Casey did a really good job with the angle of this photo. You can clearly see she was low under the subject in order to get this shot to look this way

Environmental portrait and mugshot

Oregon State Football walk on Keegan Firth finally gets his shot on the field this season as the starting long snapper

                                                     

                                                    Keegan Firth

week 3 photos

Students in Lambda Chi Alpha play in a recreation A league wheelchair basketball game at Dixon Recreation Center on Sunday October 15th.

A fun game of weekly wheelchair basketball takes place. The orange squad won 28-6.

Collin Shermeyer subs out in the final seconds of his first ever wheelchair game.

Week 3 blog forum

TOPIC 1: TWO PORTRAIT SUBJECTS --  

1. One possible person I can do my environmental portrait on would be Keegan Firth. Another could be Mike Omalley who is one of my friends Dad and a professor at Oregon state
2. Keegan Firths claim to fame is football. He plays football for Oregon state and this is what is he is best known for. In order to play football in a major division 1 conference players must be very dedicated to their craft and this is exactly what Keegan is. Mike Omalley works in the education department at Oregon State and he is best known for that and is very passionate with his work, considering he is the highest rated Professor at Oregon State University.
   
   
3. For Keegan I could shoot in various different athletic spots. Reser stadium, the weight room, or anywhere in the practice facility. For Mike I think it would work best to shoot inside a classroom.
4. I could have Keegan in Oregon State football gear which would obviously show what it is he is passionate about, helmet, pads, football etc. Mike could use a laptop since that is important for teachers, papers, pencils, white board, things of that nature.
5. I could contact Keegan through social media since we are familiar with each other from school, and I could contact Mike through his son which I have contact with.

TOPIC 2: SELF-CRITIQUE --  Now that you've been committing photojournalism for a few weeks ...

1. The best photo I have posted would probably be my close up of the women rugby club. I liked this photo because it shows the subjects face and tells a story of whats happening which is the girl taking a break from practice to hydrate.
   
   
   
   
   
2. My worst picture would probably be my week 2 overall photo. This photo wasn't great because their wasn't much emotion and the lighting was pretty bad.
   
   
   
   
   
3. 2 skills I think I need to improve in would be lighting, as well as angles I am shooting at. I think that with more experience as the term goes along I could really improve on these 2 things and really make a difference in my photos.

its what I do reaction

The book "Its what I do: a photographers life of love and war" by Lynsey Addario is fascinating and can teach many lessons that go beyond photography. I was impressed how Lynsey as a young photographer was able to have such a great impact. Lynsey began the story where photographed the city Ajdabiya in Libya and was able to capture much chaos. One thing I can apply from this to photojournalism is that photos you take can tell a very deep, and important story. A quote from this book that I enjoyed was "While covering war, there were days when I had boundless courage and there were days, like these in Libya, when I was terrified from the moment I woke up." This quote shows the hardship Lynsey faced and how her dedication help her push through it. The photo that caught my eye was the rebel fighters pushing the front line forward on the day of heavy fighting. The smoke coming out from the car as well as in the background from the buildings in the distance is truly telling of the environment. The soldiers were marching with a clear purpose and showed no fear.

Photographer of the week

The photographer I choose to research was Bob Martin. Bob Martin is a sports photographer specializing in action shots. During his 30 year career Bob shot every major sporting event from the last 15 summer and winter olympics, and during the london olympics his was selected as the Photo Chief. What stands out to me most about Bob is how he captures various different people, and cultures while bringing it all together for sports photography. Bob was born in England and first got his photos published in 1988. He claims that he wasn't interested in sports but his talent with sports photography brought him to fame as he appeared in prestigious publictions such as Sports Illustrated, TIME, Life, Newsweek, New York Times, Stern, Paris Match, Bunte, and many more.

Week 2 photos

Students in the Benton Center computer lab take a second from their work to socialize on Thursday October 5th.

Kristable Williams and her fellow classmates await instruction from their writing teacher.

Kristable Williams works on her assignment in peace.