First Photojournalism Assignment (Icebreaker)

Ruby Jones, 27, from Whidbey Island, Wash., works at the Bellingham, Wash. downtown farmer’s market for Birchwood Botanicals on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. When Ruby was a kid, she said she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. 

Richard Kauffman, 56, is a farmer from Lynden, Wash. working at the Bellingham, Wash. farmer’s market selling chicken from his farm, Riverhaven Farm, on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. As a kid, Kauffman wanted to be an airplane pilot, but after pilot school there were no jobs available. After changing jobs to become a public health officer and having some health problems, Kauffman said, “I began to realize that food is medicine.” Kauffman said that his health problems have gotten better after he started eating healthy food which is why he began farming. 

On Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, Kara Van Metre, 46, visits the farmer’s market in Bellingham, Wash. after going on a date with her husband to Camber, a coffee shop located in Bellingham. As a kid growing up Van Metre said she wanted to become an aeronautical engineer.

Cassie Lee (left), 18, and Alena Stock, 18, both from Kirkland, Wash. are walking outside of Buchanan Towers on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018 at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. Lee said as a kid she wanted to be a veterinarian. “But then I learned I would have to put them down,” Lee said, “and I didn’t want to do that.” Stock said she wanted to be a dancer, but she is now attending Western to become a high school teacher. Lee wants to go into the FBI.

            When I imported the portraits on my computer, I realized how great the lighting was in the pictures. As I was walking around in downtown Bellingham, it was a sunny day and I really wanted to make sure that I had good lighting. Or in other words, I didn’t want my subject to be squinting or their face to be washed out. As I was taking pictures, I moved around my subject to try different angles to see how that would change the lighting. I even had one of my subject’s turn around and face a different direction so her face wasn’t in shadows. Moving around to change the lighting worked well for my photos. Also, what worked well for this assignment was how easy it was to engage with my subjects. It was really interesting to hear people’s stories and what brought them out on a beautiful, sunny day in Bellingham. I even got so engaged in a conversation with one of my subject’s that I forgot to get their contact information, so I had to go back out and find another person to photograph.

            Some of the backgrounds of my portraits didn’t quite work out the way I wanted them to. I was so focused on the lighting that I forgot about what’s behind my subject. For example, one of my portraits was in focus and the big, white cooler behind my subject was also in focus. I find it distracting. Next time I would move my subject around. With this particular photo, I would have my subject stand up to see what the background would look like since he was a tall man. However, I use this photo as a learning experience for future assignments.
            Next time I want to pay attention to the backgrounds of my subjects and watch for things that might distract the reader from the main focus of the picture. In other words, be purposeful where I place my subject. From this assignment and for future ones, I learned to not be afraid to move my subject around. In most cases, they want to help out. Also for next time, I will write down a list of the things I absolutely need from my subject so I won’t forget.