Photojournalism

Often the biggest part of being a reporter and photographer is having to be on your feet. Last-minute after a photographer for the event was unable to attend, I stepped up to cover the national championship parade. I was able to photograph some well-known figures such as Kirby Smart and Stetson Bennett. I also has to control my environment while shooting this event because it was very crowded, with people and police wandering all over the streets of Athens.

In the fall of 2021, I covered an anti-vaccine and anti-mask mandate at the University of Georgia. My adviser informed me of the event when I arrived at school and promptly sent me over to UGA to help cover the event. There, I was able to capture the emotions of the protestors as well as the reactions of the students witnessing the protest.

I photographed the class of 2021 graduation for my school. While the gallery was challenging to shoot due to the direct sunlight, this has been my favorite gallery to date. I was able to crouch by the stage to capture the excitement of the graduates, in a well-composed picture. The colors created throughout the gallery are also some of my favorites due to their vibrance. I was able to really play with depth of field throughout this gallery as well.

Photographing this gallery was a special moment because it was the first time the class of 2021 had all been together since March of 2019. The event was enjoyable to cover, capturing the excitement on joy on seniors’ faces. While it was a challenging gallery to shoot due to the harsh overhead sunlight, I enjoyed being able to capture an uplifting moment for the graduating class and played with depth of field throughout the gallery as well.

During the runoff elections in Georgia, Rev. Dr. Raphael Warncok came to Athens for a campaign rally. I had the opportunity to photograph his walk around the town. There, I was surrounded by reports from professional news organizations in the area. I also was able to speak to his Publicist during my time covering the event. The opportunity to shoot an important figure alongside real-world journalists was very exciting but challenging due to the fast-paced nature of the event.

Although I had a year of experience under my belt, photographing this football game was the first time I had returned to shooting in almost six months due to distributions from COVID-19. While nerve-wracking, I was able to control my environment and capture several exciting moments within the game. In the end, I compiled a versatile and technically well-done gallery.

As a photographer, I shot the game when we won against the number one team in our region and were crowned region champions. The game was a nail-bitter, creating a lot of emotion and action on the sideline and in the stands. While the environment and excitement made the gallery challenging to shoot, I was happy to be able to document such an exciting moment for our football team.

While shooting this 9/11 memorial, I had a lot of control over my shots. I was able to play with framing and the lighting as well since it was an early morning event. I enjoyed the slow-paced nature of this event due to my ability to take creative control. I also was grateful to be able to document this memorial, which is an emotional event for many.