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I also like being a photojournalist (and a student) because a press badge will often times get me places other people can’t go. Sitting on the baseline at a basketball game, riding shotgun in a police cruiser, walking around in the haunted ceiling of a large music hall, sitting on the grass of a California high school’s football field in the middle of their graduation. All of these are places that some people may never go in their entire lives, but I did it all just last year. I have the chance to show people something they may have never seen otherwise.

Think about that.

Someone once said, “they are powerful tools and should be used as such.” I have no idea what that person was referring to, but I like to imagine that they are talking about my ability to be a documenter. Taking pictures, writing stories, interacting with people, chasing leads, formulating ideas–these are my tools. It is my responsibility to hone them and acknowledge that these tools have power. A picture I take will someday change the course of someone’s life. It may have already happened. It may have been a shift toward the better, or a shift for the worse. But I shouldn’t focus on changing the lives of individuals– that goal is far too narrow-minded. I must use these tools for the betterment of society and never forget what limitless power a single frame carries.

I can make something known to the world that would have never been noticed. What’s to stop me?

What’s to stop you?

…

Sorry, I got off on a tangent there. Going back to access, I really just waned to show you this:

Photo by David Coyle

Going down to Georgia

I did not cross the Macon County line.

I did shoot lots of sunset silhouettes, though.

And some basketball.

I shot this one for Brad.

28.57% of these photos are property of the Kentucky Kernel.

On the hunt

On paper, today was a nightmare. “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” star Carson Kressley (the blond one) was coming to campus to talk, and since the news desk was sending a writer I figured we could send a photographer and make a nice centerpiece package out of it. The problem was that the event started at 8pm, so the photos would be coming in pretty late. I sent Britney, since I knew she could pull something off in the horribly-lit venue, but I thought I’d cover all my bases and go feature hunting just in case.

For some reason I always go to the engineering courtyard when I need a CP photo. I think it’s the lines, or maybe the fact that people stand out better among all the brick, or maybe it’s because tons of people walk through there. Today there were very few people, and all the ones who came by seemed to stay too far away from my camera for me to get them in the frame. This was total and complete luck.

I also came up with a new idea. I don’t really like the photo above (especially since the light bleeds off to the left), so I’m going to keep trying it. Not really in this same place, though. I think once it gets warmer (and the sky gets bluer (more blue?)) I’m just going to take my camera all over campus and lay it on the ground facing straight up, then go hide somewhere and fire it with some pocketwizards. I think it could yield some pretty interesting stuff.

We’ll see.