PHOTOJOURNALISM
I used to be apprehensive about taking photos since I started out as writer, but after a little bit of practice, I've found a love for it. I now jump at the chance to take photos of anything around my school. I love snapping photos and being in the moment and then perfecting them as I crop and color-correct in Photoshop after.
Note: To view captions for most of the photos, you'll have to click on the photo, and the page may take a few minutes to load to allow you to do so.
PINK-OUT PEP RALLY
The photos I took at this pep rally remain some of my favorite photos I've ever taken. It was the second pep rally I'd ever shot and I had improved exponentially since the first one. My photos were much higher quality and I captured some amazing moments. It was a great experience all around.
Click on the photos below to see them in full screen with full captions and cutlines.
Click here to view the full pep rally slideshow on our website.
MAKAYLA NOBLE
Makayla Noble is a senior varsity cheerleader at my school who suffered a severe spinal cord injury in September. She was paralyzed, and currently is in physical therapy to regain control of her hands.
The whole community showed an amazing amount of support for her, and they still do, even now, months later.
The day before winter break, the town surprised her by naming the day "Makayla Noble Day." I wasn't able to make it into the event room due to space, but I was still able to get great photos of Noble being surprised before the event.
The photos went with an article another staff member and I wrote, and the whole package got a Best of SNO. You can read it here.
Click on the photos to view full captions and cutlines.
HOMECOMING PEP RALLY
This was the very first pep rally I took photos at, as well as my first time shooting in my school's arena. I've definitely improved since this event, but it taught me a lot and allowed me to do even better at future pep rallies.
Click here to view the full slideshow on our website.
Dance It Out
Showing her spirit, Talonettes drill team director Ashley Sharp dances before the pep rally. Sharp leads the team in her first year as director. "This year's Homecoming pep rally had the school's arena packed with students, teachers and community members excited for more Homecoming fun," senior Conner Frey said. "With school spirit and in support for Makayla's fight, students in the seats and on the floor were decked out in green and purple. It was a blast to see everyone there having fun, and, as a senior, it was a great last homecoming pep rally."
High Above
In the air, senior varsity cheerleader Meri-Kate Edmundson looks out to the crowd. The cheerleaders performed a dance and stunt routine at the pep rally. "I think the Homecoming pep rally was the best pep rally we have had in a while," cheer coach Emily Allen said. "Students had more spirit and crowd was responsive and that always makes it more fun."
HOMECOMING MUMS
As my friend and I took photos at the Homecoming pep rally, we realized we were getting a ton of fun photos of mums and decided to create a mum slideshow with them. I love doing close-up still life photography, so I adored taking these photos. The slideshow was fun to make, and I'm glad I did it.
At the 2021 TAJE Fall Fiesta, Jeanne Acton put many student articles and slideshows in a PowerPoint complimenting them, including this mum slideshow. Needless to say, my friend and I were ecstatic that she seemed to love the slideshow.
Click on the photos to see them in full screen with full captions and cutlines.
Click here to view the slideshow on our site.
BLACK-OUT PEP RALLY
I was apprehensive to take blacklight photos for the first time, but I had a blast doing it and the photos ended up looking ewesomr. It was a great way to spend my last pep rally.
Click here to view the full slideshow.
WRESTLING PHOTOS
I wanted to shoot my very first athletic event, and since I did a wrestling feature earlier in the year and our paper had no other wrestling coverage, I decided to take photos at a wrestling tournament. I was nervous to do it, but I had fun and I was shocked by how well the photos turned out. While the wrestlers moved fast, they didn't move all over a field or court like other sports. It was not stressful at all, and I was able to catch some great moments.
I'm really proud of how these photos turned out, and it has definitely encouraged me to try shooting other sports. It's hard with my work schedule (I usually work Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays which is when many competitions are), but I plan to when I get the chance next.
Click here to view the full slideshow.
