A Reflection (2018)

 

So far this year, Arlingtonian has reshaped the way I approach at photojournalism and grown my skills immensely. I started out with a little bit more knowledge than I had before, having taken a photographic technology course which helped me with editing photos. One of the major sparks for this growth was the staff trip to Chicago for the JEA convention in November. Though it may sound cliché, it changed the way I see photojournalism. The keynote speaker Pete Souza and all the other leaders of the photojournalism sessions which I attended provided so much insight and showed me just how powerful photojournalism can be. I learned techniques on how to present photos differently, how Nobel winners told their stories through images and came home with more knowledge of basic things like action shots and photoshop tricks. Not only this, but the excitement and inspiration of the staff coming away from the experience made me want to shoot higher, not just with my lens. This year, the staff has had many struggles and many triumphs, and I can not wait to see how it grows as we continue to produce the newsmagazine. We’ve done so much more with design and layout, reaching our audience close to home, and telling stories with images. Personally, I’ve done way more with video in one semester than at all last year, and in addition, I’ve experimented with double exposures to put a new perspective on images for profiles. It’s not all good, though. I’ve taken some bad photos that weren’t lighted correctly and scrambled to upload mugs on time. Overall, however, I think that the way in which we’re striving to include more visual elements in the publication has really been capturing the attention of the community and showing sides of things people don’t always talk about. I can’t wait to see what happens next and am excited for what lies ahead for the publication.

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A Reflection (2nd semester, 2018)

Next year will be my last year on the Arlingtonian staff. I will be the arts editor instead of merely just a photographer, and I could not be more excited for what is to come. We will have several other photographers bringing their creative eye to the publication which will not only ease the workload but get more people involved with the community and give them an opportunity to expand their interest in photography and photojournalism. The second semester of the 2018/2019 year brought many new challenges and opportunities. I was able to exert a large creative influence on two of the spotlights which included the spotlight on vaping/ alcohol and the senior issue. I feel that we have touched on important topics with these two issues especially, with emphasis on the concerns of teenage drug abuse and reflections of graduating seniors. I'm glad I was able to tell those stories visually and present the community with these visual representations. Even though the editing work in the senior issue was rushed, I think that the layout of the spotlight was a creative idea that the staff put together in celebrating the seniors and their high school experiences which bring positivity into the community. Being the only photographer, it was hard to complete everything, but I was able to work with the staff on their ideas and accommodate the circumstances. It has taught me that so much can still be done in limited circumstances and that teamwork, as well as communication, are extremely important. With an expanded arts staff next year, I can not wait to see how much we can accomplish. 

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A Reflection (2019)

In my final year of high school and my last year on the staff of the Arlingtonian, a lot has changed. It's unbelievable that it's already halfway over. As a staff, I am so proud of all of the changes that were made as a result of our visions from last year. We followed through on our hopes for the publication, fueled by our experiences at JEA and bursts of creative energy directed at transforming the magazine. We have gone past localizing stories to create a more intimate experience for Upper Arlington students and staff, touching on issues they are interested in and going more in-depth into what makes the community what it is. From featuring athletes to residents to exploring heavy subjects and controversies, the staff has outdone themselves. As an arts editor, I have had more say in the look of layouts and the visual aspects of the publication than I had last year. One of my favorite visual implementations this year was the use of polaroids into every issue, whether it be a mug for Molly's letter from the editor or for Sammy's movie reviews, I think they add a nice touch to the otherwise simple but necessary image of the staff member behind the writing. Also, I love how we have done more combinations of photos and graphics, especially on the covers. Last year was dominated by almost all graphics-based covers, and it has been fun to work with the staff and graphics team on creating a vision for the faces of the magazine. In addition to having more creative input, I have been able to guide some of the new staff members acting as photographers. I have loved teaching them how the job operates and collaborating with them on photo ideas. Again, I am so proud of all the work we have put in this year and I especially have had such a fun time being able to contribute more of my creative ideas to the look of the magazine. I am excited to see where next semester takes us and where next year's staff will go. 

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