“Make a photograph in which the nature of the subject or the mood of the scene is enhanced by color. Color should reinforce the ideas suggested by your subject, setting and the actions depicted.” These phrases are what has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks. They are description for our pictorial assignment for J4556. This is one of those assignments where I think it is more difficult to seek out photographing color and letting the assignment come to you. Last weekend, as I was taking photos Cherokee-Lemp Historic District, I noticed how color was such an important part of the area.

For those who haven’t been, the Cherokee District is an vibrant area of South City flourishing with a multiculturalism, unique architecture and creative influences that are making it one of the more booming areas of the city. With more electric street car lines built during the 1890s the Cherokee District became a hub for retail stores. Eventually street cars were discontinued in the 1950s and the area tried to adjust to car and bus traffic. In addition more of the population moved out of the city to the county and as a result the Cherokee businesses suffered. Like most of the decaying areas of St. Louis, what merely remains today are the aged buildings and reminiscences of a better time. As crime and the migration to the county increased, the aspects of what made the city of St. Louis unique became ignored and isolated. While many of original buildings still stood, new incoming proprietors and the immigrant population whom stayed made the Cherokee District their own.

As I walked up and down Cherokee Street it became apparent to me how important color is to the newly evolved renaissance of the Cherokee District in connection to a city that aged, decayed and losing support from it’s own. While I would like to go back and try and photograph this better, I tried show this in photos I took that day. The one I have pictured is a mexican restaurant called Neveria La Vallesana. It’s a favorite among many in the area, as well as residents outside of city lines. It’s vibrant colors and popularity of many peoples’ favorite restuarant in the area in contrast with the non refurbished buildings in the area is one reason why I wanted to photograph it. I would like to go back and try to include decayed buildings in a photo, but for right now this is what I got. This could even be a project I would like to further work on as the Cherokee District, and South City in general, is one of my favorite areas of St. Louis.

Soulard - 2010

Ahhhh, Spring Break. Finally, here. Not quite though for me. Due to low income and a heavy workload for school I decided to not go anywhere in terms of a road trip. However, for this weekend I did go back to St. Louis. I had to shoot the hip hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony for the RFT last Friday so I decided to stay in the Lou for at least the weekend. While I was in town I spent Saturday and Monday taking photos around Soulard and the Cherokee/Benton Park area; South City is probably my favorite area of St. Louis. While on my journey through the streets and alleyways I was mainly shooting for an on-going project of mine covering windows in St. Louis. I first began the project in my Photo 3 class at Meramec, in 2008. After the critique and comments from my professor I was inspired to turn the assignment into an a project I could keep adding work to. The meaning, thesis or what-have-you, to the project is how windows are a device for people to see into an out of an environment. Some are open, inciting a voyeuristic mentality; many are closed-off (whether by blinds or shades;) possibly reflecting the a hostility what’s behind the window and those looking inside. Often times the conditions and accents of windows in addition to the reflection environment surrounding it, depict a story of the area. Through the collection of various, yet similar windows of an area I think is an abstract way of learning about a city or neighborhood. Part of my fascination with windows I think has to do with St. Louis architecture (brick has a lot to do with it.) The rest I think is that windows are something that are easily accessible to photograph. By photographing a lot of them you can then discover that the variation among them becomes that much more obvious and interesting.

In addition to photographing windows I also took the time to try and interact with some of the people in the area. I came upon some kids playing around along Cherokee Street and talked with them, before taking there photo. I also stopped to talk to a man sitting in front of his house.

When it comes to talking with people in the field that you want to pursue, to me, it is more about the content behind the work than the work itself. That’s why I called photographer Alex Welsh. I first saw his work when it won the 2009 College Photographer of the Year in the documentary category. Having never felt so emotionally attached to the way a community is covered, I had to know more about how Welsh did it, as well as his philosophy towards journalism and his current job status.

A 2009 graduate of San Francisco State University, Welsh graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and minors in History and Middle Eastern Studies. Welsh said it was the close-nit relationships he found with other photographers that was the most important aspect he got from college experience.  This in large part is due to the way journalism attracts passionate people, he said.

During his studies Welsh said his program delegated students to job opportunities in the Bay area, such as with the local paper. As well as doing work for the Oakland Tribune, Welsh said it was attending the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Mexico City in 2008 that landed him a gig with The Wall Street Journal.

While I wanted to know what work he was currently doing after graduation, I mainly wanted to know about his photo story that won COPY. The photo story focused on the problems plaguing Hunters Point, the last predominately African-American area of San Francisco. Knowing the information he put into his story I felt was crucial to be able to apply the same philosophy and work methods in work I want to do.

Welsh first heard about the issues in Hunters Point from previous stories as well as from a friend who was a Sociology major. When finding subjects Welsh said there was a sense of fear and distrust in him from some members of the community he was trying to cover. While frustrating at first, he said it was his passion and commitment to be involved with the community that lead to gaining access. Nearly three times a week for six months said he would go to immerse himself in the region. “You have to be let a community know that you’re not there to tell a story and cut out,” he said. These passionate involvements lead him to being asked by a family to photograph the funeral of victim who killed in an ambush.

Overall, it was easy to get lost in the story as long as he was. “You get extremely invested and you can’t change people,” Welsh said. To elaborate Welsh emphasized that a photographer needs to understand that the issues he covered are long standing and that ultimately it is up to the public to decide how to react. “If war photographers were into war thinking they could change the war they’d go crazy,” he said.

As of right now, Welsh is a freelance photographer based in New York City. His clients include The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The FADER and FLYP Media. He also assists a fashion photographer. Shortly after graduating last June Welsh moved to New York City. There he has gotten some work with the New York Times, but like with any recent graduate work consistent work is hard to get. While some photographers believe taking low-paying jobs is undercutting the industry, it’s hard not to accept $200 for a day. Due to work being sparse, Welsh is considering taking up a bike messenger in Brooklyn. While it’s not a photo job, Welsh says that a part time job is a good way to get away from just being down on yourself about work.  Reciting the words of award-winning photojournalist Chris Anderson, Welsh said “don’t be in a rush to make money through photography.” He then went on to say some of the best assignments you do are for yourself.

From Feb. 22 – March 5 in my Fundamentals of Photojournalism course we worked on photo story about one of our fellow classmates. It wasn’t so much a day in life as it was a condensed photographic essay about who the person was. So, we were expected not to just depict a chronological series of images. Before the project began we each picked a classmate’s name out of our T.A.’s beanie for whom we would be doing our assignment on. I selected Esther Banales, an exhange student from Spain. I only knew a few people in my class so I was certain I would get someone I didn’t know. Going into the assignment I was excited to begin work on an assignment that took into account our ability to tell a story. Previously, we had only submitted one-photo assignments. Once me and Esther began to talk it was then my job to try and illustrate who she was and her story. As a photographer and classmate it seemed like the assignment would be easy, but like any assignment it was up to the photographer to question the subject, to immerse ones self into their subject’s world. During an initial interview with Esther and one of her friends I found I had to look at her story a different way. While one might try and discover their subject’s struggles or triumphs, Esther was really just a laid back individual. No there was no heart wrenching story about her struggle to fit in in another country and anything like that. I realized that presumptions of a person shouldn’t be our initial idea about them, or try to force a specific story unwillingly. Esther was busy with school, but that wasn’t her life. She didn’t have a job here nor did she have some sort of passion that was right out in the open that anyone could notice. So, for my story all I did was just listen. As we talked in our interview I went in without any ideas in my head. But as we talked and her friend added in the conversation I began to figure out that Esther was merely someone who lived life with a genuine enthusiasm towards life, who yet timid under first impressions bloomed into a talkative up-beat personality as she becomes surrounded by people she knows. This was the story I wanted to tell. As I followed her around, hanging out with her and her friends, I tried to capture this type of essence of Esther throughout various situations. After three different days of shooting and 1,500 photos later I then had to do the job of editing, which I tend to be extremely slow at. However, for the first time I think I was able to look at my images with a photojournalist mindset. Prior to Mizzou I was a fine arts major in photography. With this mindset I tended to look at photos with a which image looks best editing process. But, as I learned from POYi photographers who choose stylish images tend to be fogged by what the real story is. As I edited my photos down, I tried to take this concept to heart. When I neared my final edit I finally realized what I had to do. I asked myself: “Does each image tell something different about Esther?” and “Could each image stand alone?” As our  T.A. Vivian said in our Fundamentals class, we sometimes have to drown puppies, i.e. sometimes we have to reject images that we love in order to tell our story truthfully. And so, with these questions answered I was done with my photos. While some I took a risk in choosing I truly feel that each one can say something about who Esther is.

Haralson-Alford ogranzies the pantry by moving grocery bags from one shelf to the other.

Last week I got presented with photo pitch to photograph a woman who’s currently unemployed. In most cases I would just cover the assignment and pick out the best shot, but because I would be shadowing this person for an extended period of time I felt it would be a great opportunity for me to get some practice in on audio slide shows. I had more than a week to complete the assignment and figured that would give me some much needed time to shoot the assignment and put together the slide show.

Today I met Rita Haralson-Alford, who is unemployed, at the Salvation Army on 1108 W. Ash Street today, where she currently volunteers. I followed her every move as she gathered and handed out groceries for the needy. After she got off, I then got photos of her off time while in her apartment, where I also interviewed her.

I mainly stuck with my 10-22 through out the day. She was working in a pantry area with multiple steel shelves leaving not much walking around room, so using my 50 f/1.4 didn’t work out so well with space. The only other issue was working with the annoying florescent lighting that creates those ugly two toned images of green/blue. While at the Salvation Army I wondered how others inside would take having a photographer in there. I only had one person ask not to have their photo taken, which I explained I was just getting photos of Rita. There was also a little youngster, no older than 3, who was running around that lightened the mood of the waiting room. Little kids always seem to make awkard situations less uncomfertable.

After a long day of work, Haralson-Alford sits on her bed as she fills out a puzzle book. She says she normally goes through nine or 10 a day.

While at Rita’s apartment I asked her some questions that I plan to use her responses for the audio with the slide show, along with other captured while at the Salvation Army. I was hoping to get shorter answers from her but I decided to let her respond in a lengthy manner because of the detail and emotion I could see she put into her responses. I might have to do some more editing in the audio than I may have wanted, but I think it will be worth it. I hope start working on the slide show tomorrow and have it done by next Monday.

UPDATE 10/27/09: Here is the link to the finished audio slide show:

http://www.themaneater.com/slideshows/2009/10/27/43/

And so, that brings me to this past weekend, which was the 2009 MCMA Awards in St. Louis. Although I am currently a student at Mizzou, I was there representing STLCC-Meramec because the work I submitted was from when I was working for The Montage. I was glad to be back with my friends from Meramec, I haven’t seen them since I departed in January.

The MCMA conferences began at 8:30 A.M., which was pretty early for me, but I was excited to go to most of the class sessions. The first couple of sessions me and Brett Lohmeyer went to see Erica Smith who is a multimedia and print journalist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I was excited to see Smith because I read a recent article about her in the American Journalism Review. Most of the sessions were pretty informal, especially since the first one began at 9:00 A.M. Smith mostly showed us her blog/website graphicdesignr.net and went over websites we should know and creating interactive maps and simple mash-ups. At 11:00 A.M. I decided to switch up the track convergence track I was attending and listened in on the design and photography track.

Dan Gill who I was previously interviewed by the night before, for the the Photojournalist Of the Year Award interview, was the speaker for the session. Dan Gill a regional photojournalist and has worked for the The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, Polaris Images, and the Columbia Daily Tribune. Usually with other photography sessions, its mainly about stuff that I already know how to do, composition, styles of shooting, etc. But Gill was different and I enjoyed in immensely. He discussed with us a day in the life basically of him. Gill brought with him a monologue of the his time spent during an assignment on of a breaking story and how photographers need to assist with reporters on the scene. It was very interesting because Gill read to us in utter-detail what he was thinking and doing.

The last session I went to, I knew I had to see. The speaker was Will Sullivan, who is the Interactive Director at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Nerd in Chief of Journerdism. Will pretty much blew most of us away where journalism, technology, and the means of multimedia storytelling are heading. All I have to say is check out tinyurl.com/fishfry and your mind too will be blown away. I suggest watching the first video called Did You Know.

We then had round table discussions in which tables were set up in the ballroom with different areas such as design, photography, online, op-ed, etc. Students were able to sit at tables and meet other students interested in those fields and talk with professionals. Of course I went to the photography table and Dan Gill was there again. I sat at that table talking with Gill for about two hours and it was great to talk to him personally. Myself and others mainly listened to him and his advice and stories.

The time for the awards then finally came, after a very good dinner I might add, and everyone was pretty stoked. The Montage ended up with 26 awards, 12 of which I received! I was a little disappointed that my paper didn’t include some of my photos for photo awards I could have won, but I was just happy that I had such a great time during the class sessions and had the time and experience of meeting some great new people.

That’s right people. The past couple years spring break has come and gone, because I decided to do nothing more than just sit on my ass and let the time pass by. Well not this year!

My spring break starts next Friday, the 20. I’m frustrated that none of my friends spring break’s match up with mine, but now it actually gives me the opportunity to not hang out at home and to get out and do something. I initally decided I’m just going to drive; drive in a direction, just to drive. Along my drive I want to take photos literally non stop to get the most out of every day. So if I figure to get the most out of it I better go somewhere, not just in a direction. I thought it over and now I’ve come to a conclusion that I’m going to travel to Chicago for a couple days, then ultimately to Milwaukee for a couple of days. I get excited the more I think about it actually. Probably cause I haven’t done anything adventurous in a looong time. And it’s about time. I need it. A change from the never ending cycle of wake up, go to school, homework, sleep, repeat.

I’m also utilizing a website called couchsurfing.com for the first time. Basically its a social network site to find people’s couches/beds you can stay at while you are traveling somewhere. I’ve already found some vey interesting people and think it will be a great expierence in itself just by doing this.

Things I want to see/take photos of:

Chicago: Wabash Ave. Bridge, both John Hancock and Sears Tower buildings, the “egg”, Navy Pier, Crown Fountain in Millenium Park, Chicago harbor lighthouse,the trains, Chicago cultural center, Field Museum (T.Rex), Art Institute of Chicago, anywhere along the lake, Chicago river, Brach’s abandoned candy factory, and of course just traveling around the city and eating good food. (Not deepdish pizza of course)

Milwaukee: MIAD, the art museum, everywhere in the historic third ward, the milwaukee riverwalk district, the Harley Davidson museum, the Miller Brewery (get myself a fresh Pabst hopefully), and same as Chi-town, just venture around and see cool places and get good food.

Hopefully I can borrow a laptop from someone then maybe I could even post photos while I’m there!

More to come as the 20th approaches.

Mizzou classes start January 20th….

I’m having some real doubts that I will be going there for the spring semester.
My official transcript has STILL not been recieved my Mizzou’s admission’s office and I have basically two weeks to get accepted, sign up for classes (which I don’t even know what would be), move down, and have enough time to figure out where my classes would be.

If my transcript doesn’t get accepted soon, I’m thinking I not going to rush myself into this spring semsester and take this spring off to work and save up money, and start school over the summer….

We’ll see….

This marks a turning point in my life as I will be graduating from Meramec at the end of the semester and transferring to Mizzou in the spring.

I first joined the Meramec newspaper back in the summer of 2007, not really interested in journalism so much as I was having my photos published. Before working for the Montage I could of cared less about the state of world around me, I was just shooting bands and taking photos of my friends, and making some money from it. But, as I kept immersing myself into the newspaper more and more, staying later, taking more assignments, I began to appreciate the news more and more. Shooting a news assignment was so much different than taking photos of my buddy’s band, but it was a difference that intrigued me and interested me. I think what turned me over from doing commercial/portrait work to photojournalism was that it gave me opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Numerous presidential rallies, on the field of Busch Stadium, Body Worlds, the Kirkwood shootings, the spring floods. I got to cover all these events/stories and it makes me more prouder to shoot these than any band.

Even though working for the Montage sometimes pissed me off, annoying, & time consuming, at the end of the production night when I have good photos and/or great looking design, it makes it totally worth it.

Check out my flickr page for images and page designs from the Montage: http://flickr.com/photos/schnelle/collections/72157604675967032/

I still can’t decide if I want to live in a one bedroom or two. On one side, I don’t want to live with people if they are going to party all the time, and on the otherhand it would be nice to not be fucking all by myself in a new place.

I put a ad on craigslist looking for a roommate so I’ll wait a little while to see if I get any reply’s.

I’ll post more on this continuing story once I start making some phone calls….