The Trouble with Promises

I was assigned to shoot the rally in support of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm's visit to CMU's campus early last Thursday morning for CM-Life. I got there around 8, but it didn't feel horribly early because I'd been up all night studying for a math exam anyway. There were both supporters and protesters of Granholm and her cause lined up on opposite sides of the library doors. I decided to cover both ends.

Clinton Township senior Teri Cosgrove rallies with fellow Michigan Promise supporters Thursday in front of Charles V. Park Library on Preston Street.

Alma freshman Anna Dvorak voices her opinion regarding the Michigan Promise possibilities to television reporters a few minutes prior to Governor Granholm's speech Thursday in front of Charles V. Park Library.

Governor Jennifer Granholm visited CMU Nov. 20 to speak in support of the Michigan Promise Scholarship, which would guarantee all Michigan students an allotted amount of financial aid if reinstated. The Promise was suspended this year due to financial issues with Michigan's budget.

I was pretty amped about this shot, because I'd been hoping to make a picture of Granholm's profile, just for something different outside the general 'speaker shot,' and then ended up grabbing a few of these frames. I really like it because she was addressing the press in the Beber Room in the Library, while students were walled off by glass doors, which you can see outside the depth of field range. I feel it gives a sense of the gap between citizens and their politicians.

Diwali

Many thanks to Jake May, who helped me with all the configurations etc.

Sean got called away to shoot soccer in Indiana, so I picked up his Diwali Night assignment - and I was so glad I did.
Diwali was all about bumpin' tunage, gorgeous colors, incredible food, and laughing people. Unfortunately, I did get pretty overwhelmed trying to find cutline information, but I decided not to give myself too much of a heart attack and soak up some beautiful culture. For me it's easy to ruin the experience of making pictures by stressing to hard about it.

Took me forever to edit this, but I am really happy with some of the images, and the texture of the opening music. Sherri Keaton did a nice job on the print article.

I think Diwali, the Festival of Lights, just might be my new favorite holiday...someday I'm going to go to India and shoot it at its heart.

Eat Yr Face Out.

Literally. Sort of. Photographically, eat your face out.
Wednesday I made a stop-motion video for my ART 44o class - here are some pieces. Conceptually as well as visually, I'm kind of stoked about the stills, but the video itself could use work. I'd like to rework it, and add audio.







I'm just as guilty of cross-processing as Sean Proctor...also, I love making art things. It's such a release.

The Best Thing

Slideshow of my poverty assignment for class.



To read the [working] copy block, check out the flickr set.

Shooting in the sky

Yesterday's aerial workshop was postponed till today, which ended up being more than fine with me! I was sort of nervous getting into the plane, but the pilot was really nice and before I knew it we were airborne anyway. There's an incredible amount of force pushing on the lens when you shoot out the window...I haven't been that exhilarated since white water rafting a few months ago.

On Jake's suggestion, I asked Kent if it'd be possible to fly me over the mobile home park...and we actually went over when the McDonald boys were playing outside! I was beside myself amped up. Guess I don't have to stress about a scenesetter for my story assignment tomorrow now.

The little boy in red is my JRN 422 poverty assignment subject, Dallas McDonald.

To see some seriously sweet images, check out Sean's, Jake's, Jeff's, and Nate's aerial experiences. More of my take can be found in a flickr set.

a profile

Quick frame of my friend Jooj today when she and Dooley and I met for coffee today. I want to play with this sort of thing more often again - I can't forget my love for art in my race to be a better photojournalist.

Less art in my life makes me feel dull.

Getting Ready

"Beth McDonald, 29, messes up hair for her son, Dallas McDonald, 9, on Oct. 30 at their home in the Mount Pleasant Mobile Home Park. Dallas dressed up as Chuckie from the horror movie "Child's Play" and attended a Halloween party later that night in full costume. Beth and Dallas chose Chuckie because Dallas' red hair and small size made him a great reinvention of the character."

I'm so excited this is actually running in the paper today!

Halloween Characters

E.J., 5, enjoys a candy cigarette as his cousins play wall ball behind him on a street in the mobile home park in Mount Pleasant Saturday, October 31, 2009.

Dallas McDonald, 9, of Mount Pleasant is trick or treating as "Chuckie," the doll from the horror movie 'Child's Play' Saturday, October 31, 2009. Dallas and his mother, Beth, chose the character because Dallas' red hair seemed fitting, along with his small size.

Dallas' whole outfit cost three dollars, according to Beth, who spent hours coloring in the stripes of a white shirt to replicate the rainbow-striped shirt Chuckie wears in the movie.


My new photo story for the JRN 422 poverty assignment is on a family living in the mobile home park in Mount Pleasant and dealing with the current economic crisis happening in Michigan.

The McDonalds, the family I'm focusing on, are wonderful people and I am so excited to be allowed access to their lives. Beth McDonald, mother of three, has been really great about letting me in.
There is such an amazing community in the park that I want to keep going with the project and dig deep into the way they live their lives; there is a character in these people greatly to be admired.

I want to continue with it and do a photo essay on the whole community. This is the kind of story I live for as a photographer. I've already learned so much from the McDonalds, especially Beth. She's a strong lady.

Volleyball - CMU struggles against Eastern

Shot Central girls battling it out with Eastern Michigan girls this past Thursday night. It was a close game, but Eastern bested our team. I was doubly bummed because most of my cool shots were of celebration moments after a point and didn't really sum up the end results very well.