This week I've had a decent mix of assignments. I photographed two portraits, an event, and a sporting event.
The next assignment in my photojournalism class is environmental portraiture. Last year, I sang at a beautiful church in Athens with the a cappella group New Chords on the Block. For my environmental portrait assignment, I decided to return to the church and photograph the pastor.
Lynn Miller, pastor of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, poses for a portrait in her church located at 69 Mill Street in Athens, Ohio, on Tuesday, October 29, 2013. The church has been a part of the Athens community for 50 years and offers many monthly special events as well as The Bridge, a Lutheran Campus Ministry open to all students.
This week I also covered an event in the Baker University Center called BBQ, Boots, and Bobcats. The event was country themed and featured a few activities such as cowboy hat decorating and a mechanical bull. Since the lighting conditions in the Baker Center were quite poor, I decided to use a strobe to create a more dynamic, cleaner light. Other than portraiture, I don't have a lot of experience with using flash for typical photojournalism assignments. Generally I've worked with the natural lighting to the best of my abilities, but I'm now trying to use flash more frequently to make it another tool I can use comfortably when on general assignments. Flash proved more difficult than I had anticipated in this assignment–especially in controlling the harsh shadows and color balance, but I look forward to refining my strobe abilities in future endeavors.
Skylar Emmert, a Hocking College student, is thrown from the mechanical bull at BBQ, Boots, and Bobcats held at the Baker University Center on Friday, November 1, 2013.
Anna Bekavac (right) works on decorating her cowboy hat with her friends Kelsey Loree (center) and Annie Chester (left) at BBQ, Boots, and Bobcats.
Sarah Kahler laughs and gives a thumbs up to her friends as she rides the mechanical bull at BBQ, Boots, and Bobcats.
I also did a portrait of two Ohio University football players on Thursday, October 31, 2013, for a story in The Post about the successes of the team's offensive line.
Ohio University offensive linemen Mike Lucas (left) and Mike McQueen (right) have bolstered the offensive line for the Bobcats this year.
This weekend I also covered the Ohio University field hockey team's season closer against Kent State University. This game was extremely engaging; the Bobcats tied up the game with a goal from red shirt junior Lauryl Desch just as regulation time ended in the last half of play, pushing the game into overtime. In double overtime, the Bobcats clinched the victory with a goal from senior Jessica Jue to end their season on a win. This astonishing victory earned the Bobcats a spot in the 2013 MAC Tournament. I had never shot field hockey before, and this was an amazing game to get my feet wet with.
Ohio University junior Kristine Gegas chases the ball upfield. Ohio University clinched the victory against Kent State University 3-2 in double overtime on Saturday, November 2, 2013.
Ohio University field hockey players celebrate red shirt junior Lauryl Desch's (center) goal that sent the Bobcats into overtime as the clock ran out in the last half of regulation play.
Ohio University senior Luli Gomez Teruel passes the ball while tightly guarded by Kent State University junior Jenna McHale.
Ohio University junior Caelyn Hartley drives upfield while contested by Kent State University senior Sabrina Binder.
Ohio University senior Jessica Jue drives towards the goal while guarded by Kent State University players.
The Ohio University field hockey team celebrates senior Jessica Jue's game winning goal in double overtime at the Bobcats' last game of the season.
A field hockey stick and glove lie on the field after Ohio University's game against Kent State University. The Bobcats clinched their season closer against the Flashesin double overtime on Saturday, November 2, 2013, earning them a spot in the 2013 MAC Tournament.