Blog

Welcome to the new & improved website! It’s been a long time coming, but I am finally ready to debut it!

Now to tell you what has been going on recently.

This summer I have been working A LOT, but I have met some really great people and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Sad to see that summer is quickly drawing to a close, but it’s been eventful to say the least.

I began my summer working two internships and serving tables. During my time with Shawn Poynter Photography, I started work on this website, edited my portfolio and created a logo for my photography.

My other internship was with Turkey Creek Public Market. In June, I was out and about meeting the vendors, taking pictures and preparing for a huge event season. Now at the end of July, the Market is shutting the doors for good. It’s certainly a shame that my time there has been so short, but I am not bitter about it.

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know some of these vendors and workers, and I have always believed that there’s a purpose for everything. As cliche as it might seem, everything does happen for a reason.

I know that I shouldn’t look at this as an obstacle, but rather a minor speed bump in life. Things happen beyond our control, and it is up to us to be optimistic and ready for what’s next.

That’s where I stand. I’m ready to see where I’ll go from here.

 

Photography has been a passion of mine for quite some time now. It wasn’t until college, however, that I began to hone my skills as a photographer. During my time at UTK, I took two photojournalism courses, one course in media graphics, and one course in video production. Photojournalism quickly caught my eye, and I fell in love with it.

I learned a lot in photojournalism, but what I took away from it was that you need a detailed eye and the ability to wait for the “moment.”

For a couple of months now, I have been trying to put my media graphic skills to use. I wanted to design a logo for my photography that captured my personality. I’m a bit out of the ordinary, and I wanted a logo that reflected that. What better combination than a girly hot pink font and a mint green background to complement?

Here lies the fruits of my labor:

A month ago, I wouldn’t be able to tell you what I had planned this summer. After several interviews (including a few not-so-good ones), I came across two wonderful opportunities that I couldn’t pass up. One internship with a free lance photojournalist, and another media internship that I will disclose in due time. All in all, it will be a fun, busy and educational summer. I’m excited to learn and meet new people, and I’m just thankful that they saw it fit to allow me to work with them.

Suddenly, the thought of being a graduate is not so bad anymore. I’m ready and open to see what the future holds. I have always believed in the saying “Everything happens for a reason,” and it’s true. I know that doors are opening, and I’m able to see what the real world has to offer me. I realize now that the opportunities that didn’t work out were because I had better ones waiting for me.

I also know that I am willing to try new things. I have accepted that I’m not always going to be in my comfort zone, and I have to challenge myself and put myself out there because I know that if I don’t try it, I will regret it. I am learning that I may love something I never imagined myself doing.

Once a shy person, I have cracked that shell because I realize that life is too short to sit back and watch the world pass by. I want to make a difference in people’s lives, hear people’s stories and continue to learn each new day.

In short, I want to challenge myself to be the best I can be. I am looking forward to accepting that challenge this summer. For I know that in the end, it will all be worth it.

Only two weeks until my undergraduate classes are finished, I excitedly say to myself. What now? I ask.

I am anxiously anticipating being forever done with college and moving into the “real world,” but at the same time I am realizing that transitioning into the real world is quite nerve-wracking. I’m currently on the search for a practicum that begins the end of this month and lasts through August 7th.

This has not been an easy task. I have several interviews lined up, and I am waiting to see what comes next. With all the nervousness, I am also genuinely excited. I know I am a capable human being worthy of the job. I can handle it, but the getting to that point is what scares me. I am contacting several people at a time in hopes that they like what they see. I have several different skills to offer and writing is part of it. I am dedicated and hard-working, and I have a detailed eye.

I have done everything from blogging to online newspapers to video production to photography. With my writing skills, comes a knack for visual communications. My next project is to design my own website and market myself through social media. I am ready for this new adventure to begin. Bring it on, real world!

This past weekend, I joined 18 advanced photojournalism students in a project known as “Eyes on LaFollette.” My professor has been working on this project with the LaFollette Press, the local newspaper, since 1993. The goal of the project is to capture life in the day of people of LaFollette. We set out early Friday morning to spend the day taking pictures and learning about people in the town.

To be honest, I was a little discouraged at first because I roamed around by myself for awhile trying to find interesting people that would let me photograph them. It wasn’t all that easy. I got a  few “no’s” before  I stumbled upon Rainbow Restaurant. I met a lady who worked as a cook and take-out cashier. She wasn’t exactly eager to participate, but she let me take a few pictures. From there, the day got easier.

My next adventure was to the barber shop then I visited a farm, where I was served lunch by a precious couple who had been married for 50 years. Their son took me to his farm, and it was there I captured some great moments with his cattle.

I could go on and on about the people I met and the stories they shared, but because a picture is worth a 1,000 words, I will share the rest of this post with pictures of my weekend in LaFollette.

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In my 22 years of life, I have learned that a simple gesture can be the kindest way to thank someone. I have always cared about other people and their feelings, and part of my weakness may be that I care too much about others. I’ve always tried to live with the mindset that “treat others the way you would like to be treated.” I enjoy doing kind things like baking, for example.

I’m in no way the best baker, but I like to think I’m pretty good at it (with the exception that I made cookies with two 3/4 cups of flour instead of 2 AND 3/4 cups). Frustrated upon seeing flat, chewy cookies, I was reminded by my mother that these things happen. It happens to the best of us, she said.

I successfully remade these homemade chocolate chip cookies last night.

I wanted to thank Graphic Arts Services for helping me with my project, and I thought, what better way to thank them than to bake homemade chocolate chip cookies? Everybody loves those. In addition, I made four copies of my project for them to keep.

I realized that little things like that make the world of difference.  They were pleasantly surprised when I showed up. It’s the little gestures in life that people are the most grateful for.

I felt pretty good about my presentation of my audio slideshow yesterday afternoon. I was pleased with my work, and I could see the judges were impressed. It was a good feeling.

I’m the type of person who rarely (if ever) wins awards. I just don’t have that luck I guess. I never knew though that a project for one of my classes would ever win an award.

Tonight I attended the awards ceremony for EUReCA (Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement). That sure is a mouthful. I was skeptical, but hopeful that I had a chance of winning. After all, there were only four participants from my class, so the odds were good. Three of us won the awards for our college, and I happened to be one of them.

Hard work really does pay off. I spent a lot of time collaborating with Graphic Arts Services and melding this together into a cohesive piece. I’m proud of it, and I’m thankful my professor pushed me into doing this. They even gave me a certificate! I feel all official now.

 

The day has come. I finished my audio slideshow for my advanced photojournalism class. In all honesty, it was done a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to let my professor look at it before I said I was done.

I didn’t intend on entering Eureca (Exhibit of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement), but I decided it was worth a shot. I could potentially win prize money for it. Today I presented my slideshow, and I find out if I won anything at the awards ceremony tomorrow night.

Now that it has come to a close after two months of hard work, here it is. Print Personalities: UT Graphic Arts Services. Feel free to let me know what you think! 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150626082416196&set=vb.570351195&type=2&theater

Since the beginning of January, I have been collaborating with Graphic Arts Services on campus to produce an audio slideshow for my advanced photojournalism project.

I decided to interview and photograph three employees and delve into their lives about what they do at GAS and what they do outside of work. In short, I wanted to bring out their personalities. I found three very opposite people.

 

 

Stay tuned for the finished product!

For those of you I’ve known the longest, you know I’m more of an introvert rather than an extrovert. I’ve always been quiet around people I don’t know well, but once you get me talking, I’m sarcastic and sassy. I’m goofy, really. I have a caring heart, and I’m thoughtful.

I like to observe people and listen rather than speak, and I would like to think that is one of my better qualities. It’s fitting as a journalism major because listening is a key component to being a good journalist. It’s not everything, but it is certainly important to have good listening skills. I’m reflecting on my journey these past two years in the journalism program. There have been both trying and joyous moments. It’s hard to believe that all of it is about to pay off in a piece of paper in a frame.

I can’t fathom that in less than three months, I will be done with classes altogether. All there is left is my practicum this summer. It’s unnerving not knowing right now what I’ll being doing for my practicum this summer, but I know it will all work out in time.

I’m thankful for the learning experiences that seemed frustrating at the time. Like the time I went to a speech by Dr. Bill Bass and interviewed him one-on-one before his speech thinking my audio recorder was working, when it reality it was still turned off. Then waiting until I was one of the last people at his book signing to record a quote, and I deleted it on the way home listening to it in the car. Not to mention the time I thought I lost my Nikon D60, my baby, for good. This was all in the same semester last spring. You can be sure I thought about quitting.

It’s moments like those that have shaped me into who I am today. I’m not only a better writer, but a better photographer and journalist because of it. I have enjoyed my photo classes the most. My advanced photojournalism class this semester has taught me why I love being a photojournalist.

Currently, I’m working on one of my bigger projects creating an audio slideshow that I will post on here in due time. This past week, I have had the pleasure to interview and photograph two very kind people. I am meeting with the third and final person next week. I’m really looking forward to seeing how it will all come together.

This assignment made me nervous at first because I didn’t know how people would react when I want to follow them around, take pictures and hear their stories. I didn’t know how willing they would be, but I lucked out. Chrissie, the sweet lady I interviewed today, said it best, “I have a 32-year-old daughter, and I like to think of her because I know if she had to do something like this, I would like people to treat her the way I would treat her.”

What a blessing. Because the people I’m interviewing and photographing for my story along with the kind lady, Sharon who is responsible for introducing me to them have been so gracious to me, they will most definitely be receiving baked goods from me once this project is finished. So if you want to take anything away from reading this, remember to pay it forward. If you’re kind to someone, they will likely return the favor.

 

Thanks for reading! Updates on my audio slideshow coming soon.