Photo Story - Final Project

After a rainy night on Tuesday Nov. 27, 2018, the sun comes out in Lynden, Wash. Floods formed by Riverhaven Farm, but Richard Kauffman, owner of Riverhaven Farm, said that it didn’t flood as much as he expected it to.

 

Richard Kauffman, 56, owner of Riverhaven Farm in Lynden, Wash. prepares for the upcoming winter by organizing and cleaning things up. “There’s always something to do on the farm,” Kauffman said. “There’s lots of cleaning up to do for the winter.”   

Richard Kauffman, 56, from Lynden, Wash. puts the buckets back away into the shed on Tuesday Nov. 27, 2018 after feeding the chickens. 

Richard Kauffman, 56, from Lynden, Wash., starts his mornings off by feeding the chickens. “The ducks also come to eat the food,” Kauffman said. “Then the chickens and the ducks have to fight over their food.”

The chickens feast on food after Richard Kauffman fed them on Tuesday Nov. 27, 2018 at Riverhaven Farm in Lynden,      Wash. “It doesn’t take long for the chickens to notice that they’re being fed,” Kauffman said.                                                                    

Richard Kauffman, 56, owner of Riverhaven Farm in Lynden, Wash., fills up the wall he dug on Tuesday Nov. 27, 2018, after he inserted a pipe for better water flow during flood season. Kauffman said when he first moved to the farm, he wasn’t prepared for the floods. But over the years, he’s learned how to manage it.

Richard Kauffman, 56, from Lynden, Wash. takes the netting off the cabbage on Tuesday Nov. 27, 2018. Kauffman said he put netting over the cabbage to prevent birds and other animals from eating it. 

The sheep come running on Wednesday Nov. 14, 2018, after Richard Kauffman, owner of Riverhaven Farm in Lynden, Wash. called to them. “They love to be petted,” Kauffman said.

Richard Kauffman, 56, owner of Riverhaven Farm in Lynden, Wash., pets his sheep on Wednesday Nov 14, 2018. “It’s breeding season,” Kauffman said. “So never turn your back to a ram.”

            

           What I was really happy with about this project was that my subject, Richard, was so open to answering my questions and he was able to talk about anything. He was also very willing for me to take pictures of as many things as I wanted after I asked for permission. That made it easy and more comfortable. The second time I visited the farm, there were a lot of things Richard had to do, so I was able to get some good action shots. I was also able to take pictures of the animals up close for detailed shots. While I was taking photos, I was also able to adjust my camera settings quickly according to the lighting. I thought my photos turned out pretty good, besides a couple that turned out slightly blurry.

            A challenge with this project was that I never had a sit-down interview. At the farm, Richard and I walked around showing me the place. Along the way, I snapped some photos. Richard also gave me a lot of information and I didn’t get to record anything either. Afterwards, I immediately wrote down all the information I remembered clearly from our talk. This was a challenge because I wanted to make sure I had all the correct information for my written story. I didn’t want any doubts. Later though, I was able to ask some follow-up questions to clear things up and polish my story.

            From this assignment, what I learned is to not be afraid to get the shot I really want. It’s okay to ask your subject to pause and just smile at the camera, or ask them to do something so you can get a good action shot. You’re documenting somebody’s story. To break out of your comfort zone and letting your creativity be free is really rewarding in the end. 

             In the future, I want to take on my creativity even more and think how I can photograph my subject in ways that’s different from a basic, journalistic shot. Whether that’s playing with angles or the lighting, it would be fun to take more time with this and work with my subject more.