Photojournalism
Although “photographer” was not part of my formal title, photography was an integral part of my role as Social Media Coordinator. I captured the majority of photos used in the scenes I created, which gave me the opportunity to experiment with a camera and develop foundational photojournalism skills. Through this hands-on experience, I discovered a strong interest in visual storytelling and continue to challenge myself to improve.
What I focus on:
- Lighting
- Framing
- Faces​
Scenes
Although more informal, I’ve used my phone to take 100s of photos while social media coordinator. Many of these shots were for student life scenes or student spotlights for social media accounts. Looking back on early photos compared to now, I see a lot of growth. Composition, lighting, and added value to the scene–these have all improved. Some key go-to places: the library and school courtyard. These offer the best lighting and the best way to encounter students casually rather than posed.
Camera
Work
Throughout the course of the 2024-25 school year I’ve worked a bit with cameras: taking basic stills of people, photos for our Black History Month package and even one for issue 3 of our newsmagazine. Through these experiences I’ve learned the fundamentals of photography such as composition and how to work a camera in a real life setting.
After attending NSPA I paired with another teammate to deliver a presentation about photography. Things we discussed were ISO, white balance, and exposure. We also discussed how these skills transfer to phone photography–useful because most people don’t have cameras.
While at NSPA, I attended a few sessions about photography. One was a pre-convention class: a four hour immersive experience to learn about cameras and take photos. Some photos I took were published on our Flickr. This was the first time I ever put my hands on an actual camera and experimented with the tool.