Our 2021 Senior Exhibition

With COVID and all that jazz, we recently realized that we overlooked posting the 2021 Senior Class work so we thought before THIS year’s seniors graduate, we want to make sure we recognized the class of 2021 and all of their achievements.

At the end of each school year, we ask our capstone PJ436 students to select one photo that means the most to them from their time here at WKUPJ and to tell us something about the image. We also have linked their capstone projects and portfolios. We hope you spend some time with the work of these talented alumni, it is no easy feat to earn a degree from WKUPJ.


Autumn Alexander

Atlanta, Georgia | Photojournalism major, Entrepreneurship minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Tennessee National Democratic Party

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This image is about humor and not taking life too seriously. The day I took this photo I was really stressed out and I wanted my lighting to look perfect. Being that I was stressed out, my subject, Broadway the Clown, could probably sense that and decided to put on the pink clown wig for my portraits. This was a really fun shoot for me. I got to take pictures of Broadway in the wig and I also got a chance to present my project in the same wig as well. Photojournalism and college, in general, has taught me that there is a time and a place for everything. Sometimes it is okay to just let loose.

ABOUT AUTUMN’S TIME AT WKU

WKU has made me a better me. Prior to attending WKU I was a shy, timid person that may or may not have been scared of her own shadow. Now I am coming into my own, the young woman I always knew I could be. I am proud of what I have accomplished as a Hilltopper, but a little sad that I have to move on to the real world. However, I know I can always come back and see my WKU family.

AUTUMN’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

Unfiltered Love

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

A family recounts on their mother and grandmother having renal failure, a disease that takes lives in the black community all too often. They tell their story in hopes that their loss will inspire others to tell their story and take charge of their health. If their story can save one life then it would have all been worth it.

 

Visit Autumn’s capstone project

Visit Autumn’s portfolio

 


Grace Armes

Hodgenville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Entrepreneurship minor

Annie and Abby Burd are 19-year-old identical twins from Bowling Green, Ky. They have grown up together and left their hometown together to attend the University of Alabama Huntsville on soccer scholarships. They are spending their last weekend together before Abby moves back home to Bowling Green, and Annie stays at school in pursuit of her soccer career and degree. This will be the first time in their lives that they will be living apart.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This 2018 image was taken from my final portrait series in PJ 333, Intro to Lighting. For my final project in this class I decided to do a portrait series on twins because I was a twin myself. I wanted to collect twins of all different types to photograph. Boy twins, boy girl twins, girl and girl twins, I even found a mother of twins that was also a twin for this story! I always had the idea of doing this story before I had even come to college because it represented a part of who I was. Having a girl twin sister is a huge part of my life and I wanted to share that.This is a photo of Annie and Abby Burd. At the time, they both attended The University of Alabama Huntsville on Soccer scholarships. This was taken the spring of their sophomore year in college and Abby had made the decision to move back home and Annie wanted to stay in Alabama. This was the first time in their lives that they would live in different places. Today, Abby is in Cosmetology school here in Bowling Green, Ky. and Annie is in her senior year at the University of Alabama Huntsville. 

ABOUT GRACE’S TIME AT WKU

WKUPJ has meant so much to me! As a senior, I am so glad that I gave every single project, even if I only had to turn in one single photo, my all. This led me to asking my peers for help, gaining friendships. It led me to use the gear checkout, learning with classmates on what gear would make the project its best. It led me to spending long nights in Jody Richards Hall franticly editing videos the night before the project was due. (whoops) But as a senior, I have realized that this is what makes up the college experience. Living and learning and using your experiences to become a better photographer at the end of it.

GRACE’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

Learning Curve: A Kindergartner’s perception of public school effected by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

How does no-contact learning effect a 6-year-old and her family? Kindergartner Marjorie Young navigates what it is like to be a student and learn virtually while being a sociable little kid amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Visit Grace’s capstone project

Visit Grace’s portfolio

 


Ivelliem “Ivy” Ceballo

Tampa, Florida | Photojournalism major (Second degree)

INTERNSHIPS

  • Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay, Fla.

AWARDS

  • NABJ Visual Task Force scholarship recipient, 2020
  • Mountain Workshops scholarship recipient, 2019

 

Burmese refugees Thang Khup, Niang Lun and their two children Samuel Lian, 3, and six-months-old Mercy Vaan, play in their home while waiting for their case worker to arrive on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The young family began building a new life in the United States on Nov. 9. “I don’t work, have any income, but the government, people around here providing me with food, a place to stay that is a blessing beyond anything I can imagine,” Khup said.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
The International Center of Kentucky introduced me to two families, whom I’ll always remember fondly, because connecting with them taught me how much fun this profession could be. I felt really nervous while working on sharing Khup and Lun’s story because there was a language barrier between us. I had to communicate with them via a translator, who wasn’t present the days I went to photograph them, so Google Translate and hand gestures were our friends.

All they brought from their native home was a few clothes, a photo album with 4×6 pictures to remember the life they had to leave behind, and a medium poster from their wedding day on display in their living room, on the wall opposite of the pictured couch they were donated. They had each other and that was enough. Hiding in their shower with a camera while we all played hide-and-seek with Samuel brought me so much joy. This image hangs in their living room now too.

ABOUT IVY’S TIME AT WKU
Do you ever find yourself somewhere with a camera and think, how did I get here?…In this person’s space to get to see this moment? That was my WKUPJ experience, and I am so grateful for it. I enjoyed learning about the people and places a camera could help me discover and I look forward to continuing developing this craft.

Although I picked up a camera my first go at college, I never really thought it could become a career. I started out pursuing a career in the military (I know, right? Me. My life was split between leadership involvement in yearbook and JROTC in high school), then life happened and after a hiatus in Brazil, where I served as a missionary, I returned home to finish my first bachelor’s degree knowing I wanted to work in journalism. After a web news internship and eventual job I found myself falling head over heels for the work by a talented team of photojournalists at Deseret News, and I wanted to get out of the newsroom and be in the community so badly that I quit my job to try to do it solo.

I made the decision to attend Western after stopping by for a tour on my move back across the country to start only a few months after I visited, and it’s been the craziest road trip since. I wouldn’t trade the experience and the continued education I gained from Western’s photojournalism program at the cost of stealing my heart with the love and support of so many kind humans connected to the Hill.

IVY’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

God Bless My Journey: Laboring in the field while surviving the pandemic.

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

A community of essential field workers bonds together amid the coronavirus pandemic. The diaspora of immigrants from Central America already struggle to survive to pay their bills and put food on their tables. When the health crisis struck, the community responded.

 

Visit Ivy’s capstone project

 


Joeleen Hubbard

Knoxville, Tennessee | Photojournalism major, Arts Administration minor

INTERNSHIP

  • Zoo Knoxville, Knoxville, Tenn.

AWARDS

  • 2nd Place, CSP Gold Circle Awards, 2020
  • 3rd Place Feature Photo, Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Awards, 2020
  • George & Francis Tames Scholarship, 2020-2021
  • David B. Whitaker Scholarship, 2020-2021

Incoming freshmen participate in a glow zone party on Wednesday, Aug. 21st, 2019 during WKU Master Plan, an orientation program for incoming freshmen to adjust to college life.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
I chose this image because I was able to capture pure joy during a transitional period for all college students. College has been such an important part of my life where I was truly able to grow into the person I have always strived to become, and I loved getting to document that same experience for other college students. Along with that, this photoshoot was one of the first that built my confidence and reassured me that I am able to do this and eventually enter this career field. I left the photoshoot feeling confident and secure in my ability to become a photojournalist and continue my passion.

ABOUT JOELEEN’S TIME AT WKU
There isn’t enough time and there aren’t enough words for me to express exactly what WKU PJ has meant to me. When I first began my WKU PJ experience, I would’ve never seen myself being confident enough to photograph a complete stranger and getting to capture the most intimate moments throughout their daily life.

I’ve been able to open myself up to some of the best relationships because of photojournalism and have created some of the best memories, all because of the professors and mentors that have pushed me and helped me grow throughout my time at WKU.

Thanks to WKU PJ, I was able to form relationships with peers who have become some of my best friends, meet and photograph some of my favorite musicians, meet and photograph politicians, and even work as an intern to document some adorable animals! That’s the magic of WKU PJ- you never know where the heck your time and experiences here will take you.

JOELEEN’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

A Second Chance: A couple shares how traumatic events have strengthened their relationship.

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Justin Weatherbee was introduced to drugs when he was merely 12 years old. Since then, he has been battling with drug and alcohol addiction while cheating death multiple times. When he met Christina Scott in 2014, he opened up about his journey to recovery; but Scott was unaware of the hardships that the process would bring. The couple soon learns about the struggles that come with addiction recovery but would also find strength and a newfound perspective on their relationship.

 

Visit Joeleen’s capstone project

Visit Joeleen’s portfolio

 


Chris Kohley

Naperville, Illinois | Photojournalism major, Sales minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, Wisc.
  • Appleton Post Crescent, Apppleton, Wisc.
  • St. Louis Post Dispatch, St. Louis, Mo.

AWARDS

  • Bob Adams Journalism Scholarship, WKU Student Publications, 2018
  • David Cooper Scholarship, WKU Photojournalism, 2018
  • 3rd place, Multimedia Sports, The Associated Collegiate Press, 2018
  • 1st place, Sports Picture Essay, Kentucky Press Association, 2018
  • 1st place, Sports feature photo, Pinnacle College Media Awards, 2019
  • Honorable mention, Magazine cover of the year, Associated Collegiate Press, 2019
  • Mike Morse Scholarship, WKU Photojournalism. 2019
  • George Tames Scholarship, WKU Photojournalism, 2020
  • 3rd place, Hearst Journalism Awards, Photojournalism I Competition, 2020
  • 4th place, Hearst Journalism Awards, Multimedia Innovative Storytelling & Audience Engagement Competition, 2020

Keaton McCarty, 19, learned the ways of farming as a child on his family owned farm. Today, he is the owner of his own farm and has aspirations for its future. He says his goal is to give farmers a better reputation in America.

ABOUT THE PHOTO
This image is from the 2018 Mountain Workshops in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. It’s of 19-year-old Keaton McCarty sitting the cab of a semi-truck waiting to drop off a supply of grain. There is something magical and infectious about Mountain, I feel like everyone who goes gets a lasting image from it. I have great memories of my story especially because my subject was the same age as me, but we had very different paths in life. Keaton graduated high school and immediately wanted to become a farmer because it is in his bloodline and there aren’t many people who wish to be local farmers anymore.

Keaton and I got along so well because we could have been buddies in college, we were the same age and just understood each other. That allowed some vulnerability out of Keaton which allowed me to make this image. I remember sitting in the passenger seat of the cab making conversation with him and snapping some frames here and there. In this moment he happened to look over his shoulder as a friend approached his vehicle, and that made the picture which ended up in the final story and is ultimately what comes to mind when I think of my most memorable WKUPJ image.

ABOUT CHRIS’ TIME AT WKU
As a freshman, the standard of work being done by those ahead of me was so astonishing and inspiring. Nobody did the same kind of work, and I appreciated the freedom WKUPJ offered you to become the kind of photographer you want to be. I used this freedom to immerse myself in everything WKU had to offer from student publications, the Mountain Workshops, and WKU Athletics. I’m leaving this program having accomplished more than I could have ever imagined as an 18-year-old coming in. WKUPJ has meant lasting friends and connections, a place for me to spread my wings, and given me confidence in my own work and abilities.

CHRIS’ AND LILY’S TEAM CAPSTONE PROJECT

Love After Loss: A couple prepares and deals with the loss of their newborn daughter to Potter’s Syndrome

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Kylee and Wyatt Weeks were expecting their first child, Naomi, in November 2020. Weeks before delivery, the couple discovered the baby would be born without kidney’s due to the development of Potter’s Syndrome. Kylee and Wyatt then prepared to deliver a child they knew would not survive.

 

Visit Chris’ and Lily’s capstone project

Visit Chris’ portfolio

 


Reed Mattison

Bowling Green, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Outdoor Leadership

INTERNSHIPS

  • Outdoor Leadership, 2018
  • Explore Kentucky Initiative, 2017

David Kramer, 85, sits beside his custom-built machine designed to bend wood. Kramer makes Shaker boxes and sells them in Shakertown, a defunct religious community in central Kentucky. David has been making boxes for almost 30 years. “I enjoy it,” David says. “It keeps an old man off the streets.”

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This picture is important to me because I felt like I was beginning to hit my stride as a photojournalist. During my time photographing Mr. Kramer at the Mountain Workshops, I had no other distractions or obligations. It was the most feedback I’d gotten on a story, it was the most time I’d spent with a subject consecutively, it was just the most in all aspects. Mr. Kramer ate me alive though, he asked me tough questions, made me work hard to find his story, and gave me nuggets of wisdom I’ll always think about.

ABOUT REED’S TIME AT WKU
I definitely didn’t know what I wanted to do in school. After finding WKUPJ, I wouldn’t want to do anything else. My time here has been so formative and has been hard at times. A word to newcomers: it will get hard, but that’s what makes the trip so beautiful. Hold onto your friends and persevere together. To all my classmates: I love you and thank you. I’m not dying, I’m just graduating.
 

REED’S TEAM CAPSTONE PROJECT

Green is Easy on the Eyes

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Max Farrar and Davida Flowers are two of the 321,000 Millennial farmers. As a generation becomes more concerned about the climate crisis and sustainable food sources, Millennials are finding their way back to the dirt.Max and Davida find gardening while living in Houston, however the constraints of the city, a surprise pregnancy, and the drive to pursue something bigger than themselves lands them in Bowling Green on Max’s grandfather’s old farm.

 

Visit Reed’s and Mads’ capstone project

Visit Reed’s portfolio

 


Alex Maxwell

Salt Lake City, Utah | Photojournalism major, Music minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • WKYU – PBS, Bowling Green, Ky.

AWARDS

  • 9th place, Hearst Multimedia Category II, 2021

Master carpenter Mark Whitley aligns pieces for a table at his workshop in Smith’s Grove, Ky.

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This image of master woodworker Mark Whitley in his shop is one of my favorite shots of a character, and this project represents to me one of the first times I felt like a true photojournalist capturing unique moments.

ABOUT ALEX’S TIME AT WKU
Being a part of the PJ program has led me to so many unique experiences, behind the camera and otherwise. I’ve made lifelong friendships, and become a better journalist thanks to the great people and professors at WKU PJ.

ALEX’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

Recovering Hope: How the community is fighting the growing hunger crisis.

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Recovering Hope is a look into how hunger in Bowling Green has been made worse by the Pandemic. It shows how people in the community have sought to fight back against growing food insecurity, and how food pantries and new forms of hunger relief have coped with the rise in demand.

 

Visit Alex’s capstone project

Visit Alex’s portfolio

 


Rhyne Newton

Shepardsville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Fashion Merchandising minor

Cowles and Leann Crawley, a VA nurse for Hotel Inc. tend to Jeff’s wounds after a fall to the concrete at the Inn. Often times medicines are lost or stolen and never able to found again, without the help of Cowles as the street medicine coordinator. “It’s real and it’s raw and you leave exhausted but you keep going and you get used to it cause this all matters to keep them going,” said Cowles.

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This image represents one of those moments where I walked into a high-pressure situation with a subject for my picture stories class. There was going to be a lot of vulnerable situations going on, most of which usually weren’t captured with a camera. But the PJ syndrome kicked in as soon as I walked through the door that night, and I felt like I knew exactly what I was doing. I was able to capture this image, which was able to represent the determination and tenacity my subject had, and I was extremely proud as well as my professor, Mr. Kenney, thank God!

ABOUT RHYNE’S TIME AT WKU
I think the best part of PJ is how you gradually develop your own visual style. Over these four years you go from shooting everything, a frantic mess to catching yourself planning shots in your head before you’re even there. Everything you shoot is blurry, there’s always no good light and don’t even think about captions. But then there’s a switch! One day, you have a killer story, clear ideas of the visuals you want, you are sharp (mostly), and you feel kind of badass and maybe…might be good at this? Nah, that’s going too far. Anyway, it’s been four years and I’ve loved every minute, WKUPJ.

RHYNE’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

Mix of All Three: Nana, Mom and Dad. At 64 years old, Karen Teyib has to be all three.

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

A closer view into the realities of single-parent Kinship Care as a grandparent in Kentucky. The state remains at number one for the highest number of kinship cases in the nation, leading thousands of children to be re-homed each year.

 

Visit Rhyne’s capstone project

Visit Rhyne’s portfolio

 


Caroline Prichard

Delray Beach, Florida | Photojournalism major, Marketing minor

INTERNSHIP

  • Organization for International Investment

Chad Hayes works on a lure he hand makes in his garage workshop for his small online business in rural Kentucky. Chad started his small business as a passion project that could also help him make ends meet, he works as a full-time electrician the other 14 hours of the day, then returns home to make and pack orders.

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This photograph means a lot to me because this was one of the most labor-intensive stories I had done. I was told my freshman year that I would not make it through the program without a car. Four years later, many Ubers, Lyfts, and borrowed cars later, I am here to say it is possible. For this story I had to drive an hour and half into rural Kentucky in one of my friend’s very old and dilapidated cars. I had never driven this far out into a rural area before, alone, with spotty cell service. This shoot pushed me put of comfort zone and l taught me a lot about myself and my commitment to my photography.

ABOUT CAROLINE’S TIME AT WKU
WKUPJ has been some of the most challenging yet rewarding years of my life. I absolutely love my WKUPJ family and all the amazing friends and lasting connections that I have made within the program. My classmates are some of the most supportive and helpful people, I couldn’t have made it this far without them.

CAROLINE’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

Getting Out and Trying Again: A  single mother struggling to get her life back on track

 

 

ABOUT CAROLINE’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

Carlandus (Cece) Elis is a 30-year-old single mother, currently living at a non-profit provided housing organization. Cece went through a multitude of trying living situations in her childhood from being abandoned by her mother who was addicted to drugs, being sexually assaulted by her grandfather, and physically abused by her biological father. All resulting with her being in and out of foster care, group homes, and inevitably jail.Cece represents a large demographic of children in America who grew up in single parent households riddled with abuse and how it both negatively impacts them for the rest of their lives.

 


Chloe Skeese

Berea, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Creative Writing minor

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This image was the first photo that I truly felt confident in. I could finally look at my work and see progress and potential, which became my constant encouragement to keep going.

ABOUT CHLOE’S TIME AT WKU

I am immensely grateful for WKUPJ and all that it has taught me. Being encouraged to constantly step out of my comfort zone to try new things has provided me so many great adventures. I have created new friendships and connections in places I never would have dreamed. The constant support from everyone has allowed me to become more confident in the work I produce and has taught me to never give up on both small and large goals. It may have been the most challenging for years of my life, but in the end, it was worth it.

CHLOE’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

From Number to Name

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Creating a name for yourself seems impossible. Creating a name after enduring years of trauma, pain, starvation, and neglect can be even more difficult. Tyler Hunter-Boards spent the majority of his childhood in different homes. Homes that should have been trusting and loving family members turned to homes that he would never go back to. Now, Hunter-Boards helps create a new legislature for the Kentucky foster care system in an effort to prevent others from going through what happened to him. He has his eyes set on one goal and one goal only, but this was not always the case.

 

Visit Chloe’s capstone project

Visit Chloe’s portfolio

 


Emma Steele

Louisville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Sales minor

INTERNSHIP

  • Loudoun Now, Leesburg, Va.

AWARDS

  • 14th place, Hearst picture stories category, 2019
  • 3rd place, Kentucky Press Association, Picture Essay, 2019

Randall Davidson brings roses to his wife Megan’s grave every Sunday. “Roses symbolize love,” Davidson said.

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This image is the cover photo from my picture story “We can do Hard Things”. This story was one of the most emotional pieces I’ve ever worked on and changed my entire perception as a person and a journalist. I knew that I was doing something right if my subject, Randy, allowed me to enter in on his most vulnerable moments after losing his wife just months before.

ABOUT EMMA’S TIME AT WKU
WKUPJ has taught me way more than how to be a photojournalist. I have learned how to step out of comfort zones, be bold, communicate better, and challenge myself. It has contributed to a major part of who I am fundamentally. Learning how to overcome challenges throughout the program has been the most rewarding. It has given me confidence that if I can make it through one of the toughest Photojournalism programs, I can achieve great things in the future.
 

EMMA’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

My Family Portrait: Digging into my family’s past to discover the root of my passion for photography.

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Knowing that my Great Grandfather had made a huge impact in my life, it was time for me to find out why. Through the stories of his wife, my grandmother, and my mother; I was able to piece together parts of who he was. A story in which the decisions of one man completely changed the fate of generations who came after.

 

Visit Emma’s capstone project

Visit Emma’s portfolio

 


Lily Estella Thompson

Paoli, Indiana | Photojournalism major, Political Science and Journalism minor

INTERNSHIP

  • Center for Gifted Studies, Bowling Green, Ky.

AWARDS

  • Reinke Grant for Visual Storytelling, 2020
  • Second place, Hearst Journalism Awards Photojournalism II competition, 2020
  • Hearst championship runner-up and best single image, 2020
  • Third place and honorable mention, spots feature, Associated Press Photo of the Year, 2020
  • Award of excellence, general news, College Photographer of the Year, 2020

Tracey Moore is a certified professional midwife who has been performing home births for nearly two decades. Moore is one of few who practices home births in the Commonwealth, forcing her to travel all around the western and south central regions of Kentucky. She is based in Summer Shade, Kentucky, in rural Metcalfe country. Moore delivers June Hunt on Nov. 8, 2019. Moore’s days are always different. In the last few years, midwifery has taken a much larger role in her life since her midwifery partner, who was more like a member of the family, abruptly had to leave their practice in early 2017. This left Moore to take care of nearly twice as many patients as she felt comfortable with. Shortly afterwards, Tracey suffered a miscarriage of her own at 52-years-old, she believes partly from the stress of losing her best friend and business partner and having to stretch herself thin to take care of all her clients. However, Moore persists. “I always had the heart for it, and then I saw the need for it,” Moore said. “Too many women are run through the birthing machine.”

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This photo was quite literally the first time I documented life coming into the world. My midwifery story was a turning point for me— it was one of the first times I really felt like I could do this and that photojournalism life is for me. There are many moments and photos that I cherish, but this story is special to me. Thanks to Tracey for letting me be there, and thanks to all the other subjects who have let me into their lives over the years. The people I have met, whether subject, classmate, professor or coworker, have taught me so much more than a textbook ever could. That’s the magic of WKUPJ.

ABOUT LILY’S TIME AT WKU
WKUPJ has meant the world to me. It’s one of the few groups of people where I have ever felt accepted. I may not know every PJ super well, but I know I have a group of people who want to help me and see me succeed and I, the same for them. I am proud of everyone who I’ve met through this program and I am so happy that our paths crossed. The people really are the best part of this program. I learned so much, which is incredible, but it’s the people who I really cherish.
 

LILY’S AND CHRIS’ CAPSTONE PROJECT

Love After Loss: A couple prepares and deals with the loss of their newborn daughter to Potter’s Syndrome

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECTKylee and Wyatt Weeks were expecting their first child, Naomi, in November 2020. Weeks before delivery, the couple discovered the baby would be born without kidney’s due to the development of Potter’s Syndrome. Kylee and Wyatt then prepared to deliver a child they knew would not survive.

Visit Chris’ and Lily’s capstone project

Visit Lily’s portfolio

 


Hannah Vanover

Covington, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Public Relations minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Beech Tree News
  • Ment Cowork
  • Ohio County Times

 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This image was taken as part of a final portrait series in PJ lighting class on invisible illnesses. This project was very close to my heart and it meant the world to me to have so many individuals open up about their struggles and allow me to visually portray their pain. I became very close with my photo subject, Kaytlin Morgan, and enjoyed being able to photograph and get to know her before and after this shoot. Kaytlin, later that summer, died unexpectedly and it was the first time that I had to experience the loss of not only a photo subject, but someone that I called a friend. The memories and photos that I have of her will forever live on and I am so thankful that life brought me to her.

ABOUT HANNAH’S TIME AT WKU

I have come out of my comfort zone and done things I never thought I would have. This program has truly become a second family to me and I’ve enjoyed being around so many other people that share the same passion as me. I’m grateful to have been able to build my portfolio and receive so many opportunities. Thank you WKUPJ 

HANNAH’S CAPSTONE PROJECT

Invisible: Uncovering the reality of hidden illnesses

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Invisible. Stigmatized. Misunderstood. Many are fighting a health battle seemingly unknown to those around them. Invisible illness takes many forms and they look and feel different for each individual. What do these people have in common? The need to feel seen, heard and understood. The chronic illness community will be shown in a different light – one that allows those with invisible struggles and feelings to become visible.

 

Visit Hannah’s capstone project

Visit Hannah’s portfolio

 


ALL IMAGES AND VIDEOS COURTESY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE 2021 SENIOR CLASS
Photo and video materials belong to their owners and are used for exhibition purposes only. Please do not use them without written permission.

Looking Inwards

LOOKING INWARDS

As the global pandemic transitioned from novelty to reality, Western Kentucky University college students realized their lives would be altered forever

When students of the School of Media at Western Kentucky University beelined from their cramped dorm rooms and fluorescent lit classrooms in Jody Richards Hall to enjoy a week respite on March 6, 2020, they were blissfully ignorant of the storm that was about to shatter their perception of what college education would become, how their world would change and what their future may become.

The COVID-19 pandemic at first felt like this bump in the road that was merely an inconvenience but as WKU President Timothy Caboni, like other schools across the country and around the globe, announced classes were to move online for the rest of the semester, college life as it used to be quickly became a distant, hazy dream. Dimly lit basements or child-hood bedrooms became the new classroom as increasingly un-kept students clung to their red solo cups which were filled with a liquid of ambiguous content (at least to the professor) as they swayed to whatever heavy bass they could feel in their mind as they pretended to maintain attention in the new Zoom world. Instantly gone from their grasps the sensations of college life freedom.

View the complete project online at: http://lookinginwards.tilda.ws

Produced by Gabi Broekema

Content by Fatimah Alhamdin, Grace Bailey, Raaj Banga, Morgan Bass, Gabi Broekema, Alex Driehaus, Kennedy Gott, Morgan Hornsby, Missy Johnson, Cassady Lamb, Sam Mallon, Vonn Pillman, Rachel Taylor, Lily Estella Thompson

Photo and Journal entry by Sam Mallon

SELF PORTRAIT
MARCH, 2020
I find myself exhausted though my quarantine days are filled with very little movement. I long for places to go and people to see; I am grieving the could-have, would-have, should-have-beens. I am grateful that I am safe and it is my responsibility to keep others safe, so I have been staying inside and learning to spend time with myself. I have found solace in the fact that the trees are turning green — they remind me that we are all still growing —I am eager to see how much stronger we are on the other side of the current pandemic.


Video and Journal by Lily Estella Thompson

MAKING IT THROUGH
SUMMER, 2020
“Upon reflection of our relationship throughout the pandemic, Brandon and I try to make sense about what went wrong, and what went right during this time of isolation. In a video and thru images I took, we are both made to talk about what it has been like living together through one of the most historic times in our lives.”

 

Photo and Journal by Morgan Bass
SELF PORTRAIT
MAY, 2020
I used to be an extrovert, someone who would strike up conversations with strangers for fun. After half a year in social isolation, the mere thought of putting myself out there like that is suffocating. Since March of 2020, I have been on a downward spiral into a pit of panic attacks and depressive episodes. I have been trying to act like the person I was before, but there is a piece that is now missing from that person that I used to be, and I am not sure how to pretend that it isn’t.

 

Photo of her family by Rachel Taylor
FAMILY CHURCH SERVICE
APRIL, 2020
“The first thing I’m doing when quarantine is over is going to church,” Catherine Taylor said on Sunday. Much like her husband, she has missed very few Sundays and longs to be back in the church building she grew up in, rather than praying virtually on her front porch. “I know that church isn’t just a building, but I can’t wait to be worshiping with my church family again.” she added.

Our 2020 Senior Single Photo Exhibition

At the end of each school year, we ask our capstone PJ436 students to select one photo that means the most to them from their time here at WKUPJ and to tell us something about the image. Obviously, it is a powerful thing to graduate from our program, even in this era of social distancing and COVID-19 – we could not be more proud of this year’s seniors.


Madihah Abri

Louisville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major; Spanish minor

Shante Parker & LA Rogers

ABOUT THESE PHOTOS
Both of these images were taken a few weeks apart from each other, and looking back on them I realize how important they are to me. This was the moment everything “clicked” after going through various obstacles, including having to leave WKU and then finding a way to come back. I felt my confidence starting to fade.

I have always had a passion for storytelling and was in my opinion becoming a decent editorial photographer prior to having to leave WKU. When I came back I felt lost and “not good enough.” That is until I was able to take PJ 439, Advanced Studio Lighting.

While taking these images, I not only realized my self-worth as a photographer but also my hidden desire to own my own studio. I stepped out of the world of editorial photography and into a world of fashion and portraiture. I developed a love for blending colors and shaping the light around different skin tones to make the desired feature pop.

In the studio I’m still able to be a storyteller and give representation to those who do not have that power; but now I can do it in a more creative and “Me” style. The portraits of Shante and LA allowed me to grow as a person and a photographer by guiding my way back to what I lost – my personal drive.


Phoebe Alcala

Sacramento, California | Photojournalism major, Sociology minor

The advanced dancers of the San Diego Academy of Ballet prepare backstage for their yearly performance of The Nutcracker on Nov. 23, 2018.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
Reflecting back on my years at Western, I can’t think of a shoot that was more physically and mentally exhausting than this one. I was on my feet for hours on end making sure that I captured every moment possible, foregoing water breaks in favor of shooting the countless tutus and elaborate stretching routines that seemed to be around every corner. Here, I discovered that there is something magical about being behind the scenes of a ballet performance. Elegance and chaos collide as dancers hurry to apply makeup and search for costumes while surrounded by blur of tulle, glitter and dance moms. All goes quiet as soon as the curtain rises, and the dancers look perfectly polished. The audience members know nothing of the mayhem that’s going on behind the scenes; all eyes are on the seemingly effortless movements of the dancers.

To me, the fine line between elegance and chaos reflected in this image mirrors the job of a photojournalist so perfectly. Blood, sweat and a whole lot of tears serve as the foundation for success. This was one of the most challenging and rewarding shoots of my PJ career thus far. Nothing is effortless, whether it be ballet or photography – you must be pushed to your limits to be able to see what you can truly accomplish.


Michelle Hanks

Chattanooga, Tennessee | Photojournalism major, Sociology minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.
  • Louisville Public Media, Louisville, Ky.
  • Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, Mich.

Natasha, 24, frantically gets ready to leave her home to see her daughter for her weekly foster care visit in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She arrived with only minutes to spare before the visitation would have been canceled. She had missed the last three visits.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This image is part of a photo story that documents Natasha as she attempts to gain custody of her infant child due to a drug charge. Despite her good intentions, Natasha continued to use meth while she waited for her court sentencing.

This was the most ethically challenging and sensitive story I’ve worked on during my time in the program. Natasha gave me a lot of trust to let me photograph her while she was in a very vulnerable state of her life. I felt a huge weight of responsibility to tell her story with empathy, yet also with accuracy and fairness. I’ve lost touch with Natasha, but I still often think about how she is doing since we last saw each other.

Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Greyhound bus station has stayed the same for the last 29 years, yet new people come and go every day.

ABOUT THIS VIDEO
I made this video during the fall semester of my senior year. At the time I lacked a lot of confidence in myself to tell a compelling story about this bus station, a place that looked so mundane from the surface level. But with the guidance and encouragement of my professor, Tim Broekema, I surprised myself and made one of my most cherished short docs to date.

I took away two lessons from making this short doc. I learned how important it is to share your work with others while it’s in the “in progress” phase. I am one who tends to avoid sharing work when it’s still messy and unpolished, but if I had not come to my professor before the short doc deadline the video would not have turned out as strong as it did. The second lesson I learned is that it’s possible as a filmmaker to create something interesting without having the most interesting footage. As visual journalist Eric Maierson once wisely said, it’s not about the cards you are dealt with but how you play them.


Morgan Hornsby

McKee, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, History minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • The Gallup Independent, Gallup, N.M.
  • Tulsa World, Tulsa, Okla.
  • Naples Daily News, Naples, Fla.
  • The Marshall Project, New York, N.Y.

Carolyn Williams and her great-granddaughter, Adalynn, stand in an embrace at Carolyn’s home in Claremore, Okla. on August 10, 2018. Twenty-one years after her daughter, Angelina, was removed from her care, Shaunte Gordon received a Facebook message from her daughter asking to meet again. When they were reunited, Shaunte brought her mother, Carolyn, and Angelina brought her daughter, Adalynn. For the first time, Carolyn saw her granddaughter and great-granddaughter. “Four generations restored,” Carolyn said.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
I made this photo of Carolyn and Adalynn while we were taking photos of them with the rest of their family. When I noted the similarity of their hairstyles, the two of them happily excused the others from the frame to get one by themselves. Their bond was special — deeply ingrained and apparent despite not knowing each other for much of their lives.

When I received the internship at the Tulsa World, I did not know I would spend most of my free time that summer working on a story about incarceration. Before that, criminal justice wasn’t something I thought about very often. My first assignment was to photograph a prison graduation ceremony. After that, I wanted to learn more about the criminal justice system and its impact, so I started working on a project about the effect of incarceration on families in Oklahoma.

The people who let me into their lives and shared their stories with me that summer changed my life forever. When my subjects put photos in frames, or when the stories ran in the paper, I felt more purposeful than I had in my life. Since then, telling stories of incarceration has been my primary focus as a photographer. Working on these stories, I feel a greater purpose for all the skills I’ve learned over my time at Western.


Nic Huey

Atlanta, Georgia | Photojournalism major, Folklore minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Beam Imagination, Atlanta, Ga. (two summers)

Mason Ashby, 9, and his great uncle, Earl Ashby, spend time together at Cedar Ridge Speedway in Morgantown, Ky. The Ashby family has operated the half-mile dirt racetrack for decades, but they do more than sell tickets. The Ashby’s are one of the fastest families in Kentucky, with Mason regularly beating drivers twice his age.

ABOUT THESE PHOTOS
Cameras have always given me an excuse to visit unfamiliar places. For these images, I brought out a large format camera and set up a white seamless to make portraits of characters at the track. It is pretty special to have a total stranger sit for a portrait; it gives you a reason to be curious, ask questions and learn about their life.

This is one of the many instances that solidified my love for the intersection of journalism and photography. The idea of creating images that can live on and become a part of visual history is a constant source of inspiration for me, and days like this day out at the racetrack constantly remind me of the joy of documentary photography.

Larry Duncan leaves the house every night after sundown and doesn’t return until the early morning. His goal? Getting students home safe.

ABOUT THIS VIDEO
Ever since the first ride-share companies started popping up, I was fascinated with idea of two strangers coming together in a car for a trip. It is a temporary and random intersection of two lives, one that ends as quick as it begins. What conversations take place? What ideas are shared? When I came across Larry’s Instagram page, I knew it was my chance to find out. For several nights I rode along with Larry and his passengers documenting the strange reality of ride-share.

With documentary video, I love to be a fly on the wall. This project allowed me to do just that, even getting in-car footage from Larry’s dash cam. It was awesome to document the seemingly innocuous occurrences of Larry’s ride-share routine through the early hours of each morning, and to see the bonds he forms with his passengers as their lives temporarily cross paths.


BreAnna Luker

Fenton, Missouri | Photojournalism major, Marketing minor

Amanda Young, 30, hugs her niece during the “baby” ballet class at Dance Images in Bowling Green, Ky. Young has been dancing since she was 5 and teaches kids and adults of all ages in dance and fitness. The girls got to play dress up with the ‘”big girl” costumes at the end of practice.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
After 18 years of spending my days and nights in a dance studio, I walked in with a camera bag on my shoulder instead of my dance bag. I picked up my camera and found myself lost in combining my two passions – dance and photography.

For me, this image is more than just a young girl hugging her dance teacher. This image embodies everything that dance means to me. When I captured this moment, I saw myself in each of the young girls. The little girl in the red dress is admiring the beautiful tutu she hopes to wear one day. The little girl in purple watches herself dance, not caring what anyone else thinks. The little girl in yellow just soaks in every moment around her. The little girl in green hugs her teacher, someone who she admires and looks up to. Dance taught me so many incredible qualities, and I find myself integrating them in my photographic work; looking to future possibilities; not getting wrapped up in what others think of my work; soaking in every moment that I carry my camera; and continuing to be inspired by my peers.

I think that’s why I love this image so much. It took me me back to so many unforgettable memories of mine. This image showed me that as photojournalists, that’s what we do. We capture moments. We capture memories.


Emily Moses

Nolensville, Tennessee | Photojournalism major, Geography minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, Mich.
  • Friends of Acadia, Bar Harbor, Maine

Avery Rolett, 5, waits to be buckled up in the passenger seat of his dad’s pickup truck outside their farm in Scottsville, Ky. His parents, Jackson and Jordan Rolett, are first- generation farmers who started StoneHouse Market Farm less than a year ago. Jackson helped start the Double Dollars program at the Bowling Green Community Farmers Market, an initiative to make local food an affordable option for the entire community. The Rolett’s receive SNAP benefits to feed their children because the farm does not provide them with a living wage.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
I took this photo right before leaving my subject’s house in the fall of my junior year. That semester, I was enrolled in PJ 334, Picture Stories, a class that gave me clarity that photojournalism was far more than a hobby for me. The class gave me the opportunity to get to know families that I might not have met otherwise.

During this class, I pursued many environmental stories that involve farming and food insecurity, an interest that is rooted in me from being raised on a farm. The Rolett family not only allowed me into their home, they shared their passion for farming sustainably to create a better world for their children to grow up in. The images I created in this story of the Rolett boys running around barefoot on their farm made me nostalgic for stomping in the creek on my family farm with my little brother. Although I was telling the story of the Rolett family, I found glimpses of my own story in theirs.


Grace Pritchett

Evansville, Indiana | Photojournalism major, Advertising minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, Mich.

Left to right, Daeanna Kidd, Lanae Matthews and Takoryah Green play at the Parker Bennett Community Center, which offers free after-school care to children in Bowling Green, Ky. Located in the housing authority district, most of the children who attend come from low-income families. Jkeyah Patterson, a recreation assistant for the community center, says, “Over here, it’s low income, so they are going to appreciate more.”

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
As a photojournalism student, I eventually realized that despite my shy nature I could talk to anyone as long as I had my camera in hand. It was like my super power, and I loved it. Not only did I get to meet new people on a daily basis for my assignments, but I also got to capture the raw emotion of moments in their lives.

On the day I took this photo outside the Parker Bennett Community Center, I had been tasked with finding a story for my Picture Stories class. I was photographing these kids all hanging out on the jungle gym, not feeling like I was making much progress, and then all of a sudden they turned. A sea of faces glanced in unison at something happening behind me. I am still not sure what they were looking at because I was jumping into action. I started pressing down on the shutter and adjusting the composition as much as I could before the moment was over.

Although it did not turn out to be a perfect picture by any means, this photo represents a turning point in my relationship with photojournalism. I realized that not every moment had to be “loud” to have impact. The little in-between moments could be just as engaging, just as storytelling. More important, this photo reminded me that I could give people a voice by telling their story; that is what matters most.


Dalton Puckett

Buffalo, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Citizenship and Social Justice minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Philmont Scout Ranch, Cimarron, N.M.

Terry Key, right, is the founder of the Edgehill Bike Club in Nashville, Tennessee. After being forced to move to Edgehill by the East Nashville Flood of 2010, he quickly realized that the community needed change.

“When I first moved here, I took a kid a mile away to a park (he’d never been there before). He was 13 years old. I was like ‘Man! You ain’t never been out the neighborhood?'” Key knew what the kid was talking about though. “I was that kid that could never get out of that damn neighborhood. Until I got me a bicycle.”

Key wants to do more than just give kids bikes. He wants to give them something to feel good about. “If you can make a kid smile, you can make a kid to be a friend,” Key said. He is making the kind of difference in the community that he knew he could.


ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This image was a part of my very first story in my PJ 334 Picture Stories class. Our first assignment was particularly challenging because we only had a week to complete it. This image is important to me not only because I was able to spend time with Terry and Abde, but it also showed me that I could rally under an unexpected crunch for time and capture a story that was meaningful.


Lydia Schweickart

Louisville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Sociology minor

Rachael practices her pole dancing routine at home in preparation for an upcoming competition in Myrtle Beach, Fla. On Rachael’s nights off from work, she stays home and takes care of her son Gabriel. Her shifts at Tattle Tale’s Gentleman’s Club start at 6:00 p.m. and end at 2:00 a.m. Rachael’s fiancee has expressed his disapproval of Rachael working at a club, and he is expecting her to quit soon after her pole dancing competition. Rachael explained that even though she will be quitting at the club, she will never stop pole dancing because she enjoys it too much.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This photo was made up of a lot of firsts for me. It was part of my first ever photo story. It was the first time I went to a subject’s house. And it was the first time I had a subject truly allow me in to her life and trust me. It was this photo story that made me realize I never wanted to take that trust for granted. It was this photo story that helped shape my outlook on photojournalism for my next three years at WKU.

Having Rachael be so open with me made me realize the importance of being a human being first and a photographer second. All of my successes at WKU have been because of the people around me: my subjects, my professors and my peers. The most important thing I’ve learned in the photojournalism program is that talent in this profession means nothing If you aren’t a good person, a compassionate person and an empathetic person.


Chase Sheehan

Lexington, South Carolina | Photojournalism major, Communication Studies minor

Jimmy Thomas watches as his cousin and caretaker, Dana Thomas, scoops rocks into a small sinkhole on his farm. Jimmy Thomas has cerebral palsy and needs help doing daily maintenance on his property, where he has about 40-head of cattle.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This image represents the moment that journalism came together for me. I met the Thomas’s before my last semester of college and was drawn to their story. After spending several weeks with them, I started to understand what it meant to dig deeper.

The moment seen in this photo made me realize that I was capable of showing the magnitude of relationships between people. When I saw the image on my computer later that day, I felt like I had really captured the essence of their story, a family that was willing to do anything for each other.


Megan Strassweg

Louisville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Entrepreneurship minor

John Raleigh, 37, has been a bartender for 15 years. He found his home at Mo’s House in Evansville, Ind., after 12 years at the same college dive bar. He needed a change and has been at Mo’s since its opening in 2017.

“The older I got, the more I learned about the creativity and craftsmanship,” Raleigh said. “I’m able to use my college degree in art behind the bar, not only in the preparation of cocktails but by having a direct effect on an entire experience. Music, lighting and presentation are all important to me.”

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
After a few semesters of going through the Photojournalism program, I was having trouble finding my niche. Then I started PJ 333, our studio lighting class, and within a few weeks I figured out what I really wanted to do with my photography. Portraits came easy to me, and I loved working with different subjects and being able to show them the finished product.

The way John spoke about his bartending career and how he felt about it inspired me to continue my ventures in photography. I had multiple moments where I didn’t feel like I was succeeding and wanted to quit, but thinking back on the conversation I had with John gave me the confidence to keep going.

Looking back on that 2:00 a.m. shoot with John at Mo’s House, I’m happy that I continued in my studies and stuck with it no matter how many times I wanted to give up. Every portrait I’ve made represents a moment that I was able to capture with my camera and share with the people around me. Without those moments, I would be a different person.


Katie Stratman

Covington, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Digital Advertising minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • National Senior Games, Albuquerque, N.M

Taveion Hollingsworth celebrates after taking the lead over Arkansas in overtime. Western Kentucky University triumphed over the previously undefeated Arkansas team 86-79 on December 7, 2019, in E.A. Diddle Arena.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
I started working with the WKU Athletic Department my sophomore year of college. Basketball season at Western is definitely one of my favorites. The atmosphere in Diddle Arena is special, especially when playing an SEC opponent like Arkansas, which was undefeated until the team came to Bowling Green.

I remember walking into the stadium that night a little nervous but very much excited to see how the game was going to unfold. This picture was taken in overtime and it enabled Western to take and keep the lead. I was sitting the furthest away from the basket, trying to capture the emotion on Hollingsworth’s face over everybody in front of me. My heart and mind were racing a mile a minute throughout the entire game.

I love to capture the reaction shots in any game, as any expression can tell a story.


Silas Walker

Portland, Oregon | Photojournalism major, Digital Advertising minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Lexington Herald-News, Lexington, Ky.
  • Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah

Malik Staples of the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers sprays water while celebrating a victory against the University of Alabama Birmingham Blazers on September 28, 2019, at Houchens L. T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hilltoppers and Blazers went back and forth, tying the game in the third quarter, but the Hilltoppers were able to stop the Blazers and add a touchdown in the fourth quarter to win the game. The Hilltoppers went on to have an 8-4 season and win the 2019 First Responder Bowl game against the Western Michigan Broncos.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
I was working the WKU vs. UAB football game for Getty Images. It had been a long night, with both teams scoring back and forth. When WKU finally took the lead in the fourth quarter, I could tell the team was going to go crazy, so I rushed to put myself in front of the student section where I knew they would run to celebrate. The team did rush over and celebrate. I saw some players grabbing the opposing team’s water bottles and start spraying water everywhere, so I just started making pictures.

When I looked at this image while running back to the workroom, I was so happy one image worked out from the celebration. This image really helped my confidence because I had known where the right place was, when the right time was and I was prepared to document the moment.


Hayley Watson

Louisville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major, Digital Advertising minor

Alexis Watkins, a Western Kentucky University student from Louisville, Ky., is a student leader for the university’s Intercultural Student Engagement Center (ISEC) Academy. ISEC is a Western Kentucky University initiative/program to assist students who identify as students of color, and/or who are first-generation college students, Pell Grant eligible and have some need for assistance with their transition, persistence and graduation from Western Kentucky University. Watkins credited the academy for playing such a huge role in her college experience thus far.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO
This photo was the first time that I learned that you can make studio-quality photos outside of the studio. It was the first time that the power of a quiet moment and nice lighting really clicked for me.

Due to the nature of the lighting assignment we were given – show up at DSU and there will be a 5-10-minute time limit with each student who comes to you – I wasn’t really able to “research” my character or the idea before we began shooting, so I showed up knowing that I was going to have to be personable and likable if I wanted to take a photo that shared the essence of who Alexis was.

During our photo session, I asked her if she had brought anything that was special to her, and that’s when she pulled out her rosary beads and we started talking about faith and belief systems. I went in thinking this was an assignment only teaching me how to use camera lighting equipment, but in actuality I left feeling more confident as a photojournalist.

The Making of “These Days”

The 2020 PJ433 Projects class on the last day as they used Zoom to present their final project “These Days” to our Professional Advisory Board, Justin Fowler, Leslye Davis and Cara Owsley. Photo faculty and staff Jeanie Adams-Smith, Jonathan Adams, James Kenney and Miranda Pederson were also present in on the class.

 

In a socially-distant approved Slack exchange, PJ436 Projects in Photojournalism professor Tim Broekema interviewed These Day’s student project manager Nic Huey about how the idea germinated and how did the class ultimately engage in what became a powerful project where not one member of the photo class actually picked up a camera but yet, used every ounce of their visual training to make this story become a reality.

 

What inspired you and your classmates to pivot to a team project?

Shortly after receiving the news that WKU would be transitioning to online classes, I knew the second half of our last photojournalism class would be a bit different. Emily Moses and I were discussing ideas about how to document people’s experiences as this unfolded.  We knew that the situation was incredibly dynamic; our feelings, as well as everyone else’s, were changing daily, sometimes even hourly. We had considered at first trying to tackle it on our own, but knew that to get a wide scope of voices we would need to enlist the help of others.  I think within 24 hours I had reached out to you to get that ball rolling. 

Did you have a vision in place as you started or did the project change along the way?

That may have been one of the most challenging aspects of the project.  We knew that the most important thing was to start gathering content as soon as possible and to continue to interview the same people as the situation unfolded in order to capture the emotional rollercoaster we were all on.  New interviews came in almost daily, and the target shifted with each update.  I can remember hopping off Zoom calls feeling confident in our direction and plan, only to be derailed within days by new news about the virus or technical limitations with our workflow. Then it was back to the drawing board, shifting our ideas to better present the content that was coming in. The vision was a moving target, but so was the virus, so it felt fitting honestly. 

There were 13 people involved in this project, and the professor – and you all could not meet in person, did you ever have a moment where you felt this was a bad idea – and it stood no chance in getting done?

The work from home approach came with many pros and cons. On the one hand, it was easier to work on our own time, but that came with the consequence of struggling to keep everyone on the same page. We all met together once a week on Zoom, but I would say most of the progress was made on everyone’s own schedules. I felt like our lives pretty much existed between Zoom, Slack, and Frame.IO at times, especially towards the end. I knew it would get done, it was just a matter of how stressful it would be in the final days. 

Did you feel that in some way, the quarantine brought about a new level of opportunity for learning?

Personally I would say this was the greatest learning experience of my college career. We were forced to adapt overnight to new circumstances and develop remote workflows, coordinating an effort between 13 people that involved new tools that many of us had never used. I think it was great preparation for the journalism and production worlds as well, and for any industry for that matter; work from home will be the new normal for millions of people. I can’t say that I’m glad our semester ended this way, but we all learned to overcome new obstacles and are better off for it. 

Did you feel the project was successful?

I think that we achieved our goal. I think there are definitely things that we would approach differently given another opportunity, but that’s how the learning process works. We were able to try new things with this project and experiment with new ways of storytelling which was a lot of fun. I think the stories and experiences of our characters came across in a really authentic way and I feel like we can all see ourselves fitting right into this story in some way or another. At the end of the day, I would say we all walked away with a project that we can be proud of.

VISIT THESE DAYS to see the entire project

Before I go

In her personal project Before I Go, WKU senior Morgan Hornsby examines her relationships with her immediately family as she reckons with her decision to move away. With rural Kentucky as her landscape, Hornsby explores themes such as intimacy, longing, and the desire to create a new life.

My mom and I get ready for my grandmother’s funeral on April 21, 2020 in Albany, KY.

 


ABOUT THIS PROJECT

I am from a place where leaving is betrayal. For all my life, my family has lived in a small town in Eastern Kentucky. This has been true for generations. It is a place of tradition, where families build houses next to each other and gather on Sunday for post-church dinners.

Everybody knows everybody and nobody goes too far from home. In my girlhood, I didn’t dream of marriage or family as much as creating my own interesting life. I grew up happily, but with a map on my wall.

This work was made the year leading up to my graduation from college. It is meant to be an examination of what I’m leaving behind, looking closely at my connection to my family and our connection to the land. This work is also a question mark as I examine the life I have, holding it up to the light of all that I want. To see the entire project, click here.

All In My Head

In her personal project, In My Head, WKU senior Lydia Schweickart, of Louisville, Ky., reflects on her experience recovering from a traumatic brain injury and how it affected her mental wellbeing, the people she loves, and the path of self-discovery that it provoked.

 

ABOUT THIS VIDEO

In March of last year, I was in a car wreck and suffered a severe Traumatic Brain Injury. I received medical attention for 10 weeks: 1 week in the ICU of Skyline Medical Center, 2 weeks at Frazier Rehabilitation Institute, and 7 Weeks attending Frazier Outpatient Therapy. After the wreck I found myself in the hospital, not knowing why, lost and confused. The recovery process involved having to relearn everything that I knew before the wreck; Walking, Eating, Writing, Fine Motor Skills, Communication, Memory, etc. Having a sense of identity is an essential part of the human experience, and the car wreck stripped me of that identity.

Although my brain tissue has recovered, I will still always question whether a trait, a lapse in memory, slow reaction time, etc. are the result of something related to the car wreck. Because my brain has suffered this damage, I’ll never be the same person I was before the TBI, so it’s like I’ll never “fully” recover. When I started my recovery process I was a blank slate, learning and gathering information about who I was before and trying desperately to be that person again. One of the biggest obstacles was coming to terms with the fact that being that person again isn’t an option for me.

Accepting that I will be forever changed helped me to stop mourning the Lydia lost in that intersection. Recovery became a way to learn more about the Lydia I am now. Even though I have changed, the support of my family and loved ones never did. I didn’t have to go through this exploration alone. Having a traumatic brain injury is like rewriting who you are, and my car wreck provoked an identity crisis that forced me to ask myself, “Who Am I?”

One year after the accident, I’m still figuring out who I am and am in no rush to find the answer. To see the entire project, click here.

These Days: A 2020 Senior Class Project

A multimedia enterprise that captures the emotional journey Americans have collectively experienced during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. This project aims to highlight how the universally shared experience of grief deeply connects those who would otherwise be strangers.

THESE DAYS TRAILER

To see the entire project, please click here

 

ABOUT

For the last four years at Western Kentucky University we’ve sat through literally hundreds of photojournalism program lectures about  telling powerful and personal stories through the lenses of our cameras. We’ve been taught that great stories come from talking to people on the street and sharing moments with people in their homes. In the middle of our last semester we were completely stripped of those tools. As a class, each of us were deep into the production of our capstone projects; for many of us they would be the highlights of our careers at WKU.

With the finish line in sight, we were thrown an unprecedented curveball. We’d obviously heard about the virus, but we took for granted the potential it had to disrupt our lives. We left campus excited for spring break, saying “see you later” instead of “goodbye”. Just like that we were locked down and our finish line moved impossibly out of sight. “What now?” Was on everyone’s mind but in no time discussions began on a group project to document the evolving crisis.

This was a learning experience for all of us. We learned how to connect with people through our webcams. How to tell stories about life and humanity through the lens of someone else’s iPhone. Without ever touching our cameras, we collected stories from people across the country. Without ever meeting in person, we collaborated digitally to storyboard, produce, and edit a project with dozens of unique voices. We put into practice perhaps the most essential skill we’ve learned; how to adapt and overcome.

Now we look towards the future. Searching for work in an uncertain job market, moving away from the college town we’ve all called home, no chance to say goodbye to our favorite diners and dive bars. A more bitter than sweet final semester, to say the least. Through all of the ups and downs of these days, there is one thing that helps us get through. When someone asks in 20 years what we did during the COVID-19 pandemic, we can show them how we all overcame our historic circumstances. 

WKUPJ winners 2020 Eyes of History – White House News Photographers Association

Congratulations to WKU Gabriel Scarlett the 2020 Student Still Photographer of the Year for the White House News Photographers Association annual photography and video competition.

Michelle Hanks 2nd place in Feature: Long Term Video Project. A video project  she documented during her semester abroad at the Danish School of Media.  Her story is about Mahmoud Bayragdar,who fled the Syrian civil war and is trying rebuild his life in Denmark.

 

2019 Capstone Senior Projects

Here at WKUPJ, we are excited to present a collection of the 2019 PJ436 Projects course final thesis. Students complete their photojournalism curriculum by enrolling in a semester-long instructional “workshop” that provides individual guidance and hands-on practical experience in producing a story that covers a topic of their choosing.


 

Life After Death

How grief forever changes a life

BY KATHRYN ZIESIG

Death is the one certainty everyone will one day have to face. However, when facing the death of a person you love, the grief can change your life forever. This documentary explores three stories of loss and chronicles the difficulties and years of heartache that come with the death of a loved one.

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For The Love of Jude

After a tragic accident, Katii Bishop searches for a new normal

BY ABIGAIL DOLLINS

Katii Bishop, a mother of four, copes with loss after the tragic death of her daughter from a car accident on December 28, 2018. The accident has left Katii searching for what life looks like without her daughter, Jude. Katii realizes, though, that although time moves on, the grief doesn’t necessarily get easier.

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High Hopes

Two stories of people in Kentucky who devote their lives to help those struggling from addiction in a state hit hard by the opioid crisis

BY KENDALL WARNER

This project brings together two sides of the opioid crisis in Kentucky. A personal story and a story about the epidemic on the frontlines accompanied with data on the epidemic in the state of Kentucky and resources for addicts and their families. The personal story is about Nikki Arnold-Strunck who lives in Richmond, Kentucky. Nikki lost her son, Brendan Strunck, to a heroin overdose when he was 24-years old. Now she travels around Kentucky to places like recovery centers and jails sharing their story and how his overdose effected her in hopes that she can change peoples lives. The story shares how she continues to cope with the loss of her son three years later and uses her story as part of that. The story on the front lines is through the eyes of members of the Louisville Fire Department about the multiple overdose calls they run on a daily basis, in a State hit hard by the opioid crisis.

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Spokes in the Wheel

Finding a balance between being competitive and having fun is something John and Jenny Lachowicz strive for as they raise their three sons Sam, Jacob, and Van, through BMX

BY EVAN MATTINGLY

In Clarksville, TN., the Lachowicz family are finding their roots and planting a plentiful garden. While juggling homeschooling, racing, and social interaction, bicycles bring this family closer in ways that cannot be explained but only witnessed. A wheel cannot spin without each spoke, much like a family cannot function smoothly without each member. Each individual, pulling and pushing at times, but always together in the end. The rambunctious family of 5, hold each other accountable and look at every day as a new day to make it a great one. This journey is far from over and they do not plan on stopping anytime soon.

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Revolving Doors

How a jail in rural Kentucky is working to break the cycle of addiction and recidivism

BY SKYLER BALLARD

In a state with the second highest incarceration growth rate in the country, Butler County Jail is seeing the direct effects of incarceration for addiction. In an effort to break the cycle of recidivism, the local jail is focusing on rehabilitation, offering many programs for inmates who want to start their road to recovery while serving time.

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A Mother’s Choice

Women across Kentucky fight for the legal rights of midwives

BY MHARI SHAW

In the state of Kentucky, midwives are not legally allowed to attend a home birth due to laws that have not been updated since 1975. Practicing midwives are put into a system that does not recognize the work that they are and have been doing for years. On March 13, 2019 senate bill 84 an act relating to Certified Professional Midwives, passed through the House and the Senate.

SEE MORE

 


 

Leaving a Mark

Accepting the spots that make them unique

BY EBONY COX

Spreading awareness about vitiligo in hopes that if someone sees another person who has it and looks different, they will be accepted instead of treated differently. Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes the loss of pigment in blotches. It can affect the skin on any part of the body regardless of age, race, or gender.

SEE MORE

 


 

Bound By Love

Defining the word family may be a hard task for some, but for Ashley Purcell, family is defined by one thing; love

BY KELSEA HOBBS

After having two children of her own and living a comfortable life with her small, but content, family, Ashley felt that something was missing. After talking with Scott and her two children, John and Ava, Ashley and her family collectively decided that what they were missing was an opportunity to share the wonderful life they had built for themselves. After being made aware of the foster care system in their community through their church, the Purcells decided the best way to share their lives with those in need was to become foster parents.

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To Be Like You

International students work to find their place in an American Society

BY TYGER WILLIAMS

Students at Geo International High School work to become more than just seen as an international, but to be someone like you. They seek to be successful in life, language, and learning to develop who they are in this diverse world.

SEE MORE

 


 

Just a Regular Joe

It’s not easy being a man. It’s especially not easy being a transgender man active duty in the US Army

BY JOSEPH BARKOFF

Follow Nic Maloney’s journey through finding himself and finding love. Stepping off the ledge, past the point of no return, transgender people, once certain steps are taken, there is no going back. Maybe he sometimes wishes he was born a man, but he wouldn’t be who he is today, and with who he is today. He has no regrets, and wouldn’t change a thing. “Even though it sucked.” It is not a cookie cutter life, or love. He met his wife when he was a woman. His wife identifies as a lesbian, after spending most of her life believing she was straight. To everyone on the outside, they appear as a straight couple. For her, she struggles with Nic’s identity taking the front, but feels she needs to protect him, so they don’t always tell new people the whole story.

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Within Our Border

The Southern Border creates conflict between two countries, a president, and migrants seeking asylum

BY MICHAEL BLACKSHIRE

The Southern Border has been a hot button issue in American society in recent years. The project is a news piece which focuses on how the southern border affects society in recent years. The project does not focus solely on an individual, but is more of the bigger picture of how society functions between the United States and Mexico. The idea of the southern border between the 2006 Border fence Act and President Trump saying “Build that wall” in front of thousands of supporters shows the growth of the southern border fence; and how many asylum seekers every year wait for their claim. Within our borders, our society creates a conflict between two countries within the same continent.

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Our 2019 Senior Single Photo Exhibition

At the end of the semester, we ask our capstone PJ436 students to select one photo that means the most to them from their time here at WKUPJ and to tell us something about the image. Obviously, it is a powerful thing to graduate from our program – we could not be more proud of this year’s seniors.


 

ABIGAIL DOLLINS

Paducah, Kentucky | Photojournalism major; Political Science minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • The Paducah Sun [Kentucky]
  • The Chautauquan Daily [New York]

Katii and Kyle Bishop inform their daughter Hannah that her younger sister, Jude, had died a few days after a tragic car accident they were in. The three sisters, Hannnah, 9, Norah, 7, and Jude, 5, were in a December 28, 2018 car accident. The tragedy resulted in them being transported to multiple area trauma centers and treated for life threatening injuries. Taking her health into consideration, Katii and Kyle decided it would be best to wait until Hannah made enough progression before telling her the news on Feb. 7, 2019, at the Frazier Rehab Institute.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

On Feb. 7, 2019, I drove to the Frazier Rehabilitation Institute in Louisville, Ky., to meet Hannah for the first time. As Katii paced anxiously and then laid down on the hospital bed, I knew what was about to happen. Katii had discussed with me earlier in the day that it was time to tell Hannah about Jude. The hospital room was quiet and sterile as Katii carefully began to ask Hannah questions like “Do you know about heaven and angels?” I stood there looking through my viewfinder with tears rolling down my cheeks. In that moment, I had to find the balance between knowing I had a story to tell and feeling the pain of what was happening in front of me.

I made this image not long after I began my journey with the Bishop family. It never ceases to amaze me when someone allows me the opportunity to document the most intimate moments of their life. This is the most difficult and meaningful image I have ever made. I have laughed with this family; I have grieved with this family. Over the course of my time spent with the Bishops, I have realized that sometimes being a photojournalist means picking up the camera to document a situation that’s unfolding in front of you, and other times it means sitting with people and being an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on. I will forever be grateful for what the Bishop family taught me about storytelling as well as what they taught me about myself.

 


 

EBONY COX

Gainesville, Florida | Photojournalism major; Criminology minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Gainesville Sun [Florida]
  • Lexington Herald-Leader [Kentucky]
  • Indianapolis Star [Indiana]

Lashay Brooks, 24, of Louisville, Ky, wears her African head wrap on April 22, 2018. “That wrap is an escape from not having to do my hair or my wig. I can dress it up, put make up on and still be confident without my hair being done. I can be me, a black woman,” she said.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This picture means a lot to me, it was taken in my advanced lighting class which helped me come to the decision to own my own portrait studio. Through the process of taking this image, it taught me how to blend background colors in order to highlight different skin types. Taking this photo helped me get out of my comfort zone by experiencing a different aspect of photography, fashion photography. It taught me the ability to be able to tell a story about an object instead of a person. With learning that, there are many more doors and opportunities that could be opened just by knowing a little more.

 


 

KATHRYN ZIESIG

Nashville, Tennessee | Photojournalism major; Entrepreneurship minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • West Brentwood Living [Tennessee]
  • St. Louis Review [Missouri]
  • The Post and Courier [South Carolina]
  • The Flint Journal [Michigan]

Jimmy Gayton stands and applauds as Zandrina finishes singing “Rise Up” during the Emanuel 9 Rally for Unity on Saturday, June 23, 2018 in Marion Square. Gayton’s sister-in-law was Myra Thompson, one of the nine victims in the Emanuel AME shooting in 2015.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

On an extremely hot Charleston, S.C. day I went to this assignment while interning at The Post and Courier. I was sitting in front of the stage making images of the people in the crowd as one of the singers preformed the song “Rise Up.” The entire rally was filled with so much emotion and by the time she started singing I was tearing up while trying to keep taking pictures.

One of my favorite things to capture in images is raw emotion. Whether that is extreme joy or sadness, I always strive to capture those in a picture. One person in particular caught my eye that day, a man standing up front was pouring his heart out while singing along. As he sang, it almost looked like he was screaming to the sky while tears ran down his face.

Sometimes it is hard for me to make these images because it feels like I am intruding on a private moment, but after making this image and talking with the man I found out his sister-in-law was one of the people who died in the Emanuel AME shooting in 2015 and he was more than happy to talk to me about it and give me his name. He even thanked me as I left. After this I realized that while some images might be hard to take, the people in them sometimes just desperately want to tell their story and have people understand what they are feeling. I think that’s why I love this image so much, because I realized I am capable of being the photojournalist I want to be and produce work that can connect people.

 


 

KELSEA HOBBS

Elizabethtown, Kentucky | Photojournalism major; Entrepreneurship minor

Martha Emmons, 63, of Paducah lies back on her bed to put on her shoes while getting ready for work with her husband, Hutch Smith, 67. Martha and Hutch own BikeWorld, a bike shop, which they opened together in Paducah in May 1987. With the shop’s 30th anniversary approaching this coming May, Martha says, “It wasn’t until we were about to have our 20th year that we thought ‘Huh, I think we’re going to be pretty successful in this.'”

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

As photojournalists, there is absolutely nothing like cultivating a meaningful relationship with the subjects that allow you into their lives. Personally, I feel like I have succeeded as a photographer when the relationship with my subjects progresses to the point where I am allowed to be a part of quiet, intimate moments in their lives. In this image, I feel like I achieved that special kind of relationship with the Emmons’. In this moment it was like I wasn’t even there. We were so comfortable with one another that it was nothing for me to be in their bedroom while they got ready in the morning. That is special. Although I might not remember the images that I made during this story, I will always remember the time spent getting to know Martha and Hutch and the connection I made with them. This is why I do what I do, because ultimately it isn’t the images you walk away with, it’s the relationships.

 


 

JOSEPH BARKOFF

Santa Rosa, California | Photojournalism major; Journalism major; Military Science minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • US Army; Fort Knox [Kentucky]
  • 101 Airborne 2 Battalion Combat Team; Fort Campbell [Kentucky]
  • Deb Dawson Equine Photography [California]
  • Discoveries West [California]

WKU Army ROTC Cadet Tom Pelkey, from Rochester, Minnesota, prepares to open the contents of his MRE (meals ready to eat) while taking shelter with his battalion-mates at Training Area 14 on April 14, 2018 in Fort Knox, Ky. A lightning storm descended over the area while Cadets conducted a platoon sized ambush lane. Luckily the Army had tents setup within range of retrograde movement. The tents would house close to 10,000 Cadets as they move through TA14 in the upcoming summer training. WKU Cadets, once a semester, travel to the base Army Cadet Summer Training Advance Camp is taught in Fort Knox, and conduct FTX (field training exercise). All Cadets under contract to be commissioned in the Army as 2nd Lieutenants must first pass Army Advanced Camp, often attended in the summer between junior and senior year.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This was my fourth of a final six FTX’s I was privileged enough to be allowed on while earning my degrees at Western. I was in the Navy when bellbottoms were still issued, and originally had no idea I was going to be a journalist when I went back to school in 2013. One of the three people who set me on the path to become a full package journalist, Thomas De Alba, died 29 days short of his 28 birthday this past week.

What started as just a class in photography, has turned into three collegiate degrees. Everything I have seen and done has prepared me to be a journalist. Because of Thomas, the other co-editor in chief, Nadav Soroker, and Anne Belden our professor, I came to WKU to pursue a degree in photojournalism. When I got to WKU I was told my photo work was “not even good enough to get the job done.” Thanks to WKU PJ, I have improved and hope to be able to cover troops as an embed journalist for a national news source. I would prefer to work as a civilian for a civilian company to better protect my sources, the troops, instead of being a PAO or otherwise government employee.

 


 

KENDALL WARNER

Woodbridge, Virginia | Photojournalism major; political science minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department [Virginia]
  • Victoria Advocate [Texas]

Ellen Estill plays with the youngest cat she has in her home at the time who she calls Wild Man. He was found sick and injured in the road. Ellen took him in, got him veterinarian care, nursed him back to health, and has found a new home for the eight-week-old kitten. “They’re part of my family, I love every one of them,” says Ellen. 

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This photo is from my second time participating in the photojournalism portion of the Mountain Workshops in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky in October of 2018. I was ecstatic when I drew a slip of paper with the keyword “kitty” on it out of the hat and the description said 35 cats. I met Ellen that day and immediately bonded with her over our mutual love for cats, coffee, chocolate, and what she was doing for these cats who may have gone without a home otherwise.

Ellen runs Kitty Lodge Inc., a retirement home for elderly cats. She takes in cats whose owners have passed away or have become too old to care for them. She even sometimes takes in younger cats because she of course would not turn one away.

“It’s just something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Ellen said. “I feel like God put on my heart that it was a service that needed to be done.”

Ellen is 71-years-old and returned to work as a veterinary assistant solely to provide for the cats. Recently Ellen was awarded a grant from the Doris Day Animal Foundation to help with the cost and care of providing for her cats. As part of the application for the grant, my photo story on Ellen was submitted alongside and helped secure the grant for her. While I was in town for the workshops, Ellen and I started off every morning together by sipping coffee and eating Honey Bunches of Oats. I was even in town for her birthday and we had a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant. Stopping to see Ellen on my way back home from school is always the highlight of my journey and I am always sad to say goodbye. Ellen and this story will forever hold a special place in my heart. Ellen and I are very similar in many ways which can be encompassed by this quote, “When I die,” Ellen says, “I want to come back as some crazy nuts cat just like me.”

 


 

EVAN MATTINGLY

Nashville, Tennessee | Photojournalism major; Creative Writing minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Philmont Scout Ranch [New Mexico]
  • The (Owensboro) Messenger Inquirer [Kentucky]
  • WKU Football Videographer [Kentucky]
  • Kertis Creative [Kentucky]

Jockey Jose L. Ortiz rides the number 9 horse Yoshida as he beats out Beach Patrol (10)ridden by Joel Rosario during the 2018 Old Forrester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

The Kentucky Derby has always meant something to my family so when I was asked if I wanted to go and shoot the illustrious event I could not pass up the opportunity. Working for Dan Dry, a derby veteran, was nothing short of unforgettable. The freedom he granted myself and the other classmates that were on the team let me stretch my eye and try new things with my camera. The motion blur that you see in this picture was one of about 40 takes between multiple races.

I enjoy looking at life like I am traveling at light speed and that I am always moving forward. Some days it is not always like that but as long as I have this image, my life keeps moving and changing. In order to grow, I believe you need to take chances and always know that moving forward is the best direction. I have been told I like to take chances with my photography and this is a prime example of when taking a chance, timing, and position, all come together and a frame is filled with something exciting.

 


 

MHARI SHAW

Louisville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major; Digital Advertising minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Waterstep [Kentucky]

Mary Duke, mother of two, comforts her youngest child while cleaning her home in Alvaton, Ky. Duke is a co-president of the Kentucky Home Birth Coalition, which is a social media platform that provides space for women to get involved in the midwife community. Duke owns My Sunshine Birth Services, which helps women in Bowling Green and surrounding areas with multiple services including pre and postpartum visits, lactation consults and labor.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

I feel like everything I had learned in the program brought me to this moment inside Mary Dukes home. I woke up the morning of March 3, 2019 and headed out to the home of a woman I had been longing to meet for 6 months. I had spent countless hours and interviews talking to women in the community, where I was always asked the same question “Have you talked to Mary Duke?” Mary Duke is one of the leaders of the midwife and doula community in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Imagine my frustration, I was working on a project where I had not had contact with the main character of my story. As a freshman, I learned how to find your story. As a sophomore I learned the importance of character, as a junior I learned patience. All of these lessons brought me to Mary Dukes’ door. I was welcomed inside and instantly felt like I had known her and her family for years. This photo of her comforting her child in her kitchen, a small detail of her life, reminds me of my journey through this program, something I will never forget.

 


 

MICHAEL BLACKSHIRE

Louisville, Kentucky  | Photojournalism major; Film major; African-American Studies minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • The Center for Gifted Studies [Kentucky]
  • Las Vegas Review Journal [Nevada]

Patrick McGee Jr. holds his younger brother Arqueil Clark and Mother Aretha McGee as they made a makeshift memorial with a teddy bear and balloons tied to a liquor bottle, and spend the night in tears, remembering the highlights of LeeAndrew’s life before being murdered at the age of 26 at the Dino’s Gas Station in the Westend of Louisville. This day, they commemorate the one-year anniversary since his murder on March 28th, 2017. As nightfall brightens up the gas station lights, the McGee family place a teddy bear and balloons in LeeAndrew’s memory, of someone they lost way to soon. “I don’t even like going by Dino’s anymore. They killed Breezy. Watch the teddy bear we put down in the front of Dino’s be gone by tomorrow,” Patrick McGee Jr. said.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

This picture means the world to me. During my time as a photojournalism student at WKU I have not seen a photo that showed black pain in the inner city like my photo has. That’s what I wanted to accomplish when I started my ‘broken branches’ project. I wanted a person in a different state to see the struggle my hometown of Louisville is going through. The photo almost didn’t happen. I didn’t have a car at the time so I had to catch a Greyhound bus back and forth from Bowling Green to Louisville as I worked on the project. I was originally taking photos of a balloon sendoff commemorating the one-year anniversary of LeeAndrew McGee’s passing at a local park in the Westend of Louisville but my bus was delayed so I had some extra time with the family.

My project up to that point was conversations and portraits. But this was the first time I was actually seeing first-hand the pain a black family in Louisville was going through. There was real pain there.

Upon arriving at the gas station, the family put down a teddy bear and a bunch of balloons tied to a liquor bottle were LeeAndrew was murdered. Two friends smashed two liquor bottles and screamed in anger over his passing. The moment happened so quickly. By the time I decided to take a close up of Patrick McGee Jr., his tears were almost gone and the hugging moment became more somber. Within five seconds of the image being made the mother said “let’s go.” In these five minutes, I experienced more pain and suffering than I have ever seen from any other photo I took before. I went home that night thinking I can’t believe that happened, I can’t believe I experienced that. The photo received an award of excellence in COPY but I was just happy a black student’s photo from his hometown could show black pain in Louisville. I love my black people and I love Louisville and that moment is dedicated to anyone lost by gun violence in the city.

 


 

TYGER WILLIAMS

Louisville, Kentucky | Photojournalism major; Sociology minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Interlochen Center for the Arts [Michigan]
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [Wisconsin]
  • Philadelphia Inquirer [Pennsylvania]

Officer Charles Irvine Jr., 23, lies in the hearse as he is escorted by the Milwaukee police department and saluted by the Milwaukee fire department as he passes beneath the American flag over N. 9th St. on Fri. June 8, 2018. It has been 22 years since an officer died in the line of duty in Milwaukee, Wis. On June 7, 2018, Officer Charles Irvine Jr., died in a car accident while in pursuit of a reckless driver. His partner lost control which caused the squad car to flip 20 times before landing on its roof.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

It was a Thursday night when I received a phone call from the director of photography, Berford Gammon, of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, telling me about a death of a police officer. He needed me and fellow WKU student Chris Kohley, to go down to the medical examiner’s office to capture photos and videos. We showed up and the whole street was filled with police officers waiting to hear of any news. After that night, I was sent to cover a press conference with the Chief of Police.

I was told that the image I’m capturing would be running center A1. It was a nerve-racking feeling, but I felt confident in my ability to create a strong image. I showed up early to scout an area I wanted to set up to capture the image. I knew I needed to get the hearse driving underneath the flag, so I got down onto my stomach and pointed the camera up hoping for the best to get everything in frame. If it weren’t for WKU Photojournalism I wouldn’t have known to show up early, stay late, or how to compose a photo, get close, step back and try new angles. This image is a constant reminder of how far I have come in this program.

 


 

SKYLER BALLARD

Bloomfield, Kentucky | Photojournalism major; Criminology minor

INTERNSHIPS

  • Philmont Scout Ranch [New Mexico]
  • Chesapeake Bay Program [Maryland]
  • The Denver Post [Colorado]
  • The Los Angeles Times [California]

A portrait of my grandfather, Bennie Goff—or Pop to us grandkids—on our family farm in Bloomfield, Kentucky.

ABOUT THIS PHOTO

I was born and raised on my family’s farm in rural Kentucky, where I was fortunate enough to experience all that a kid can on farm—space to run and ride horses, a love of nature, and the type of motivation that can only come from being surrounded by the hard labor it took from my family to keep a farm running. Of course, I took all of that for granted for most of my childhood, until my aunt gave me my first camera. She taught me to take pictures on our farm, where we would practice aperture and shutter speed by photographing chickens and cows. I came to love photography then, the way it made me love where I was from and want to keep it with me in photographs. This photo is of my grandfather, Pop, taken for a project in picture stories class. I credit so much of my creativity to him and to the farm he has kept alive for all of us. Without it, I may never have found my passion for photography and I certainly would not have done so well on my intro to photojournalism class egg picture.