Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Go Look at this Project
Some of my former collegues at the Freep just did a great project where they got unprecedented access to children in a local foster home. The Freep writes:Free Press photographer Kathleen Galligan spent three years photographing the children at Christ Child House. The Michigan Department of Human Services, which rarely grants permission to openly photograph children in its custody, gave the Free Press this unusual access to highlight the plight of Michigan's foster children.
"It's an effort to educate the public on the challenges we face," said Bill Johnson, head of the Michigan Children's Institute, the DHS division with legal custody of the kids.
Referring to Christ Child, he said, "They're a small agency, but they do a great job."
The project features stories, video, and great photographs featuring the boys that live at Christ Child and tell you a little about who they are and what they've gone through. The project features things you can do to help, as well. They also did something I thought was really cool --- they did a gallery of kids who still need adoptive homes. It's a small thing, but I just thought it was great.
If nothing else, flip through the pictures in this project. I did that quickly after reading about the project in Al's Morning Meeting. For some reason, seeing these kids just living their lives almost brought me to tears. Maybe I'm just a sap, but that's what journalism is about: giving people a glimpse into someone else's life.
Labels: community journalism, heart, inspiration, photos
continue...Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Photo schmoto
In working on a cover story for our feature section about local tribute bands, all I have come up with in terms of photo assignment are to shoot a few bands at, you guessed it: a concert.How boring is that?
Pretty damn boring.
What's a reporter to do? I admit. I'm not the best visual thinker. I can't use illustration to tell the story. The pictures in the newspaper are usually interesting to me. But that interest doesn't help when I've got a long form feature to bang out, and about six or seven pictures that have to go along with it. I just don't want six pictures of some band at some club on some random day in August. How do I help photo help tell my story?
Do I have a panel at NABJ next year on my hands?
Labels: advice, photos, tips and tricks
continue...