Freelancing with C&G News

For three months, before my big move to GR, I freelanced back home (metro-Detroit area) with a local newspaper organization, C&G Newspapers. They manage approximately 19 local city papers in the area, including mine the West Bloomfield Beacon. This was an amazing chance for me to work professionally as a photojournalist and I was really excited. For those who don’t know freelancing isn’t a full-time job, it is all subject to if you can take an assignment and if you get offered an assignment, very sporadic. Sometimes I had 5 assignments in one week and then nothing for two weeks, it was stressful but this taught me so much. It taught me how to be patient and how to make time in your life to be able to drop everything for an assignment because it is work and that important. I also got the chance to expand my abilities (which were lacking) in sports/action photography (it’s harder then it looks); I shied away from these assignments in school because I was nervous and didn’t feel comfortable with my ability to capture the perfect action and reaction shots. I am still not perfect, but I have gained a bit more confidence to shoot sporting events. I loved working with C&G and if this internship in GR doesn’t pan out into something long-term, I would be happy to go back to freelancing with them.

 

Below are some of my favorite photos taken during the few months I worked with them:

Notre Dame Preparatory Girls Varsity Basketball sophomore, Elena Schwegman (no. 34), dribbles the ball across the court during the Notre Dame Prep vs. Croswell-Lexington Girls Basketball Regional at Detroit Country Day on March 11, 2019.
Andy Elder photographs Michelle Elder (center) with her daughter Lily Elder (far right), Mason Collins (green hat) and Maddie Collins (blue hat) before Michelle Elder’s swearing-in ceremony as the new city commissioner for Huntington Woods at the City Center on Tuesday, January 23, 2019.
Michelle Elder swearing in as the new city commissioner for Huntington Woods at the City Center on Tuesday, January 23, 2019.
Huntington Woods newest City Commissioner, Michelle Elder, listens during the city commission meeting Huntington Woods at the City Center on Tuesday, January 23, 2019.
Storyteller, Rosie Chapman, portraying Coretta Scott King, performs during her one-woman edutainment show “Martin Luther King Jr. Through the Eyes of Coretta Scott King,” at the Lathrup Village City Hall community room, on Sunday, February 17, 2019.
Storyteller, Rosie Chapman, portraying Coretta Scott King, performs during her one-woman edutainment show “Martin Luther King Jr. Through the Eyes of Coretta Scott King,” at the Lathrup Village City Hall community room, on Sunday, February 17, 2019. Chapman brings up Detroit audience member, Sidney Harris, to help portray Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the scene of the two’s first date.
A detail of the props on stage during an edutainment show “Martin Luther King Jr. Through the Eyes of Coretta Scott King,” at the Lathrup Village City Hall community room, on Sunday, February 17, 2019.
Storyteller, Rosie Chapman, portraying Coretta Scott King and volunteer audience members perform a scene of Rosa Parks on the bus during the edutainment show “Martin Luther King Jr. Through the Eyes of Coretta Scott King,” at the Lathrup Village City Hall community room, on Sunday, February 17, 2019.
Storyteller, Rosie Chapman, portraying Coretta Scott King, performs during her one-woman edutainment show “Martin Luther King Jr. Through the Eyes of Coretta Scott King,” at the Lathrup Village City Hall community room, on Sunday, February 17, 2019.
First-grade students and parent volunteers from Peace Lutheran in Shelby Township learn about the Tyrannosaurus Rex during an educational tour on through the new, “Doom of the Dinosaur” exhibit at the Cranbrook Institute of Science on Friday, February 22, 2019.
The girls of the Lamphere High School Varsity Cheerleading team practice their 3rd round routine before the Mac Blue 2019 Competition at Lamphere High School on Thursday, February 7, 2019.
The girls of the Lamphere High School Varsity Cheerleading team perform during the Mac Blue 2019 Competition at Lamphere High School on Thursday, February 7, 2019.
The girls of the Warren Mott High School Junior Varsity Cheerleading team perform during the Mac Blue 2019 Competition at Lamphere High School on Thursday, February 7, 2019.
The girls of the Fraser High School Varsity Cheerleading team perform during the Mac Blue 2019 Competition at Lamphere High School on Thursday, February 7, 2019.
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Taking Risks

This time last year I was graduating Central Michigan University and accepted an opportunity to intern in Israel for the summer through Onward Israel: Arts and Culture. This organization paired me with Bar Kayma for Culture, Art, Music, and Peace as a multimedia intern. Bar Kayma is a nonprofit (NGO) that “fosters a creative community and encourages utilization of technology, humor, and crowdsourcing to form independent and innovative artistic and cultural enterprises. By connecting artists, cultural institutions and the public, we work to create a diverse, accessible cultural playground open to all residents and visitors of Jerusalem,” quoted from their website. With them, under the guidance of my advisors Noam and Lidia, I primarily worked in photography and videography. Noam was actually an editor for TV news and taught me a lot in post-production editing. This experience also taught me how to go and look for assignments on my own and speak up when I want to do something. So I moved, across the world, to Jerusalem, Israel and I took a huge risk with this internship experience. Did it pay off, I don’t know yet, but I won’t regret doing it and I cherish what I learned.

This year, 2019, I took a risk AGAIN. Instead of across the world, it is a smaller distance from home, but I moved to the other side of the state for…wait for it….AN INTERNSHIP (unpaid). I currently am in Grand Rapids, Mich. and have no idea what to expect for the next 6-months. I am NOT doing this for college credit but instead in hopes of BETTERING myself and my skill set, to network and HOPEFULLY to find a full-time job. I accepted an internship with the Grand Rapids Sport and Social Club (GRSSC) as their digital communications coordinator. Do I fully know what I will be doing with this position, honestly not a clue, but I do know that this is another chance for growth (personally and professionally).

Taking risks in life is scary, believe me, I know. I also know that taking risks, going through an open door of opportunity unsure where it will lead you is also one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Whether that risk is as simple as talking to a stranger at a bar or as scary as moving to a new city, on your own, not knowing anyone, they impact you for the better. I hope that this internship with GRSCC brings me networking opportunities (that are actually beneficial, networking in another country is hard) and leads me to the big J-O-B that all post-grads look for. Life is about taking risks and I will post more on my journey here in Grand Rapids (well technically I live in Kentwood), so follow along and let’s see where this leads.

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Israeli Internship – Second Half

Photos and videos from the second half of my internship with Bar-Kayma are below 🙂

Machol Shalem Dance House

 

 

La Piratas Piratas

 

HaMiffal Community Mosaic Project

Cherie and Renno

 

Jerusalem Pride

 

 

Barbur BnB Residency Program

 

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Isreali Internship – First Half

On June 11th, I boarded a plane and headed to an internship experience of a lifetime. This summer from June 13th to August 7th (8 weeks), I am working in Jerusalem as a Multimedia Intern with an NGO, Bar-Kayma for Culture, Art, Music, and Peace through Onward Israel.

Bar-Kayma works from a building called, The Bureau: Studio for Art and Bureaucracy in the Downtown Triangle of Jerusalem, Israel. They work to “fosters a creative community and encourages utilization of technology, humor, and crowdsourcing to form independent and innovative artistic and cultural enterprises. By connecting artists, cultural institutions, and the public, we work to create a diverse, accessible cultural playground open to all residents and visitors of Jerusalem,” (barkayma.org). The projects and organizations/artists Bar-Kayma works with include the Barbur Gallery, the Mazkeka ( a music venue), the HaMiffal, Las Piratas Piratas, Pandora, Sigal Armoza Dance Group, Dounia and more. During my time with Bar-Kayma and I photographing/documenting the work their affiliates do to help showcase the arts and culture of Jerusalem.

In addition, being apart of a program, Onward Israel: Arts and Culture, I gain opportunities to work and live with other American students from around the country all here with similar reasons and passions. We have seminars and weekend trips we get to attend to grow in our knowledge of Israel and to build bonds and networks for a lifetime.

Here are some photos from some of the amazing events and organizations I got to photograph for my internship:

Jerusalem Creator Awards hosted by WeWork-

 

Monolingua at the Mazkeka-

 

The Jerusalem 2018 Light Show –

 

Barbur Gallery Exhibition “Hedpes in Space” – 

 

Dounia –

 

Thanks for bearing with me through this long post! There will be a second post soon with more photos and videos from my internship and also some photos from my experiences through the Onward Israel program, along with the amazing sites I have gotten to see here in Israel the past two months.

 

**CAPTIONS FOR PHOTOS TO COME, CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS – THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED SHORTLY**

 

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“Life with a Mental Health Diagnosis” – JRN 445 Capstone Project

Depression and Anxiety are the most common and well-known diagnosis of clinical mental health disorders.

Psychology Today reported from a 2013 survey of college students at University of California Berkley, “57% of women and 40% of men reported experiencing episodes of “overwhelming anxiety” in the past year, and 33% of women and 27% of men reported a period in the last year of feeling so depressed it was difficult to function. Studies suggest that between a quarter and a third of students meet criteria for an anxiety or depressive illness during their college experience.”

This is a statistic that can be found in a majority, if not all, college campuses. Students struggle daily with overwhelming coursework, after-school jobs, and more, the addition of a mental health disorder can add a lot to someone’s plate.

Three students at Central Michigan University (CMU) came forward to share their stories battling mental health disorders that are not as common as Depression and Anxiety. All students are registered with CMU’s Student Disability Services (SDS) to help with courses and more.

Below are three videos documenting their stories:

  1. CMU senior Christopher Overby has been struggling with Schizophrenia since high school, an unusually young age for this mental health disorder. Schizophrenia is a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading people to battle auditory and/or visual hallucinations.

2. CMU freshman Sam Sturt was diagnosed with a Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), which is one of four disorders on the Autistic spectrum (as stated in the DSM-5 diagnostic manual of 2013), when she was at a young age. In high school, Sturt also developed ADD/ADHD, Major Depressive Disorder, and General Anxiety Disorder.

 

3. Lastly, CMU junior Shelby Miller was diagnosed with Narcolepsy in her junior year of high school. Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that causes an overwhelming amount daytime drowsiness.

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JRN 521 – Your Choice #4

I worked on 4 different assignments for this final project!

First, was a fashion shoot working with beauty headshots. I wanted to do something unique and gained inspiration from the color wheel, having models represent the 6 colors; Primaries: Red, Yellow, and Blue, along with Secondaries: Green, Purple, and Yellow. This was my first time in a long while doing fashion and also my first time using gels. If these were to be in a magazine, in my mind they would be to sell the lipstick color that the girls are wearing.

(top to bottom) Junior, Marni Lornez, freshman, Marriea Bratke, and sophomore, Quinn Kirby pose for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Junior, Marni Lornez poses for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Senior, Michelle McElroy poses for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Junior, Briana Traver poses for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
(top to bottom) Junior, Marni Lornez, senior, Michelle McElroy, and junior Briana Traver pose for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Junior, Marni Lornez poses for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Sophomore, Quinn Kirby poses for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Freshman, Marriea Bratke poses for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.
(top to bottom) Junior, Briana Traver, junior, Marni Lornez, and sophomore, Quinn Kirby pose for a fashion shoot based on the color wheel in Wightman 153, Sunday, April 22, 2018.

 

My next 3 assignments were event coverage photography.

  1. Maroonzie:
Wixom senior Philip Mitchell bungee jumps during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Brighton sophomore, Hayley Baerwalde hangs from the velcro wall during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Warren senior Cameron Kniffen jumps across the big red balls during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Olivett grad student Danielle Mcilrath paints a piggy bank during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Pinapple Psychology performs during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Pinapple Psychology performs during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Pinapple Psychology performs during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
From left, Macomb senior, Marrissa Lesch, Grosse Ile senior, Rhys Scadden, and Leslie senior, Ty Bugbee lay in the lawn listening to Pinapple Psychology play during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Student Activies and Involvement Assistant Director, Jordan Borchert, gets pied in the face during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.
Director of Residence Life, Kathleen Gardner gets pied in the face during Central Michigan University’s annual Maroonzie outside Wariner Hall, Friday, April 27, 2018.

 

2. 4th Annual Rampage Dance Team Showcase:

 

3. Fast and Furriest 5K:

Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Dogs run with owners during the Fast and Furriest 5k Run/Walk in Midland City Forest, Midland Mich. on Saturday, April 28, 2018.

Additional Material –

  1. UPDATED PORTFOLIO
  2. RESUME:

 

3. COVER LETTER (Example): 

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JRN 521 – Your Choice #3

I took a break from shooting music photography for my capstone course to work on photography of other art (like dance and plays) and covering events on campus or for the campus. Working on the Arts and Culture beat for a newspaper and covering music, dance performances, plays/musicals, festivals, and other events in the community would be an amazing opportunity to be part of and something I want to gain experience in.I learned I liked shooting events like this when I worked as an Intern with University Communications and could enjoy shooting professionally.

I wish I photographed more than two events for this assignment but even with these two, I learned more about shooting in dark/low lighting situations and shooting action while also capturing pure moments.

Below are my edited finals pictures:

CMU Dance Team Nationals Showcase

On Sunday, April 8, 2018, the Central Michigan University Dance Team performed their annual showcase for friends and families in McGuirk Arena before heading to nationals in Las Vegas later that week. The dance focuses on the concept of the need for a life source (the chair) and survival.

Freshman Nicole Kitsch dances during the Central Michigan University Dance Team’s nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Central Michigan University Dance Team performs their annual nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Central Michigan University Dance Team performs their annual nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Central Michigan University Dance Team performs their annual nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Central Michigan University Dance Team performs their annual nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Junior, Miranda Richards (front) and senior, Imani Roberts (back) hug for the final pose during the Central Michigan University Dance Team’s nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Junior, Miranda Richards dances during the Central Michigan University Dance Team’s nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Junior, Miranda Roberts gets lifted up by fellow dancers, senior, Kendall Diviney, freshman, MacKenzie Clark, and freshman, Macy Arquette the Central Michigan University Dance Team’s nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Central Michigan University Dance Team performs their annual nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Central Michigan University Dance Team performs their annual nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Junior, Miranda Richards gets lifted by (left) freshman, Megan Shively and Freshman Nicole Kitsch during the Central Michigan University Dance Team’s nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Senior, Katie Alsheskie (left) and senior, Kendall Diviney cheer and wave to the crowd while they are introduced to the audience during the Central Michigan University Dance Team’s nationals showcase in MaGuirk Arena, Sunday, April 8, 2018.

 

RPL 430 Event: Skate Back Bash

The Central Michigan University Recreation and Event Planning majors have to take a course RPL 430 and host a philanthropic event for the Mount Pleasant community. One group held a Skate Back Bash, Thursday, April 12, 2018, at Northside Hansen Arena to help raise money for PackYourBack, a nonprofit organization that started at Central Michigan University to help collect funds and school supplies to donate to the children of Flint and beyond.

Central Michigan students and Mount Pleasant residents rollersakte during the RPL 430 event Skate Back Bash at Northside Hansen Arena on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
Central Michigan students and Mount Pleasant residents rollersakte during the RPL 430 event Skate Back Bash at Northside Hansen Arena on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
Central Michigan University professor Tim Otteman plays air hocket during an RPL 430 event, Skate Back Bash, at Northside Hansen Arena on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
Central Michigan students and Mount Pleasant residents rollersakte during the RPL 430 event Skate Back Bash at Northside Hansen Arena on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
Central Michigan students and Mount Pleasant residents rollersakte during the RPL 430 event Skate Back Bash at Northside Hansen Arena on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
Central Michigan University sophomore Nick McClure and sophomore Lynnsey Polish play glow-in-the-dark water pong during an RPL 430 event Skate Back Bash at Northside Hansen Arena on Thursday, April 12, 2018.
Central Michigan students and Mount Pleasant residents rollersakte during the RPL 430 event Skate Back Bash at Northside Hansen Arena on Thursday, April 12, 2018.

Stay tuned, my next and last assignment will include learning more about fashion photography, music photography and a photo story about what it is like for someone to deal with depression, anxiety, and PTSD daily. I have learned so much about what it takes to find your own stories to cover since the start of this semester.

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JRN 521 – Your Choice #2

The following galleries are my work from this months your choice assignment. I worked with three bands during one concert on February 24th at Rubbles in downtown Mount Pleasant and took photos while I was in Israel during spring break.

Israel – City of Nazareth, Market Places, Farms, and the Jordan Border

 

CHIRP Concert and Promos

Opening Acts for CHIRP

  1. Pining

2. Pineapple Psychology

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JRN 521 – Your Choice #1

As part of my “Your Choice Assignment #1,” I did a portrait series on student musicians. Through this part of the assignment, I decided to experiment with lighting on location and doing both unconventional and traditional portraitures. I wanted to showcase unified emotion and a similar theme throughout the entire series. I worked with six different musicians (all with different instruments) and below is my work from the week. (click on the image to enlarge it)

As a whole, I am really pleased with my portraiture series, but I believe I have done some better work with location lighting, yet I understand this is all a learning process; trail and error. I really struggled with trying to do a spotlight using a speedlight and a snoot, which was harder than I expected it to be. In addition, I wanted the work to all have the same feel/emotion with each image, which I feel I achieved while working with various spacial constraints from outdoors to a small personal practice room.

 

For the second part of my assignment, I covered The Swift Brother’s concert at Hunter’s Ale House on Friday, February 9, 2018. I did a set of a stills covering the concert/event and a video including interviews with the brothers to act as an introduction/promo for the music duo. Below is all my work from this section of my “Your Choice #1” assignment.

I am still learning how to do video effectively and professionally since I am still a beginner with Adobe Premiere Pro and shooting video. I am pretty pleased with my end result of this video for The Swift Brothers and I feel like I have learned a lot about shooting different angles, working with space and lighting provided, and making the most of everything you have for a strong end result.

Album of photos from the performance:

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Again, this was also a learning experience because shooting in Hunter’s is really difficult.There isn’t a pit for photographers and it is a bar/restaurant. The lighting isn’t prime and you have to work around the customers as well as the small stage area to not get redundant photos that still strongly showcase the event to its fullest. This is a different experience for shooting a concert because not all concerts are held in stadiums, arenas, festivals or music halls, and you have to work with the space provided.

{Total Hours of Work = 16}

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