Category Archives: Through Our Eyes

Every month, the Western Kentucky University NPPA Chapter produces a “Student Spotlight” segment that focuses on recent work from a student. Photo stories, videos, personal projects, or even successful shoots are eligible for the Student Spotlight. If you have a current project you’d like to share, please email wkunppa@gmail.com.

Liam plays the piano while Valentina dances with Spicy.  ‘There’s a certain satisfaction [our] way of life brings,’ Liam says.

Until recently, Liam and Valentina Wilson lived a quiet life in their small country home.  They are ardent pacifists and their beliefs include existing in peace with all living things and with nature. For the Wilsons, this means not consuming fossil fuels or electricity, growing most of their own food and maintaining a vegan diet.

A recent fire destroyed the home they rented 6 miles outside Berea, Ky. Their future is uncertain, but for now they live in what remains of their home as they prepare for it’s demolition at the end of November.  They hope that in the spring they will be able to find a piece of land on which to build a new home.

Valentina washes a pot in the stream running through their land. Because they have no running water in their house, they rely on the stream to wash and on rain and spring water to drink.

NPPA: When you first drew the Wilson’s name out of the hat, what were your initial thoughts?

Mike: The slip of paper with the assignment on it just said that they were artisan breadmakers and nothing else. That left me with a lot of questions and blanks to fill in, but I had a lot of faith in the faculty at the workshop to assign us stories that would challenge us and help us grow.  I went in with the idea that even if my story were to fail for whatever reason, and the previous year my story did fail, I’d still be able to learn a lot from the experience.

The Wilsons are avid readers. Liam reads in his native English and Valentina reads in her native Russian or Italian.  Some of their favorite authors are Leo Tolstoy and Mahatma Gandhi, who have influenced their pacifist beliefs.

NPPA: You can see in the photos that they live a beautifully simple life with their cat, Spicy. Can you tell us about the way they live?

Mike: Well the main thing about how they live is they are ardent pacifists and this really affects everything they do.  Not only are they pacifists in the nonviolent sense of the word but they try to live peacefully with nature and even in the way that they speak to others they just come from a very peaceful, understanding and loving place.

Liam and Valentina share a quiet moment in the garden behind their house.  ‘For me it’s a very direct way of living,’ Liam says. ‘We try to be as intimately connected to every aspect of our life as possible.’

Valentina kneads a ball of dough to make bread.  The Wilson’s sole source of income is the sale of the bread they make which Liam estimates brings in about $4,000-$5,000 a year. They have never needed more than that, Liam says.

NPPA: When you heard the news of the fire, what did you do?

Mike: When Liam called me I was sitting with my coach Jahi Chikwendiu going over the final edit of my story which was focused around their way of life and their connection to nature and their house was a central part of that story.  So to hear that their house was on fire and especially before I arrived there and didn’t quite know the extent of the damage I was just in shock.  I asked Jahi what I should do but I knew he’d tell me to go out there and document what they are going through, so that’s what I did.  On the drive out there, I was really quite nervous because I’ve only covered spot news like this a couple times and it was never involving anyone I’d previously met.  I was worried about Liam, Valentina and Spicy.  I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to handle the situation and not be able to do their story justice.

Liam holds Valentina as they wait for the Berea Fire Department to clear their house.  The Wilsons were at the Berea Farmers Market when the fire started, which is one of the few times a week they leave their property.  If they hadn’t been away, Liam thinks he could have lessened the damage.

Liam and Valentina survey the damage from the fire with firefighters from the Berea Fire Department.  Initial findings suggest it was an electrical fire originating in their basement.  The Wilsons leave the electricity turned on to charge their one electronic item, a cell phone. 

Liam hands the body of Spicy to Valentina. Members of the Berea Fire Department found Spicy at the bottom of the basement stairs but were unable to revive him.

NPPA: It’s tragic that the Wilson’s lost their only pet. How else did the fire affect their lives?

Mike: It now seems like they will lose their home as well.  I spoke with Liam today and according to him, the company that insured the house determined it was a total loss. So the house is going to be demolished at the end of the month and the property will be sold by the owner.

  

 

NPPA: What was it like to photograph someone going through such a terrible event in their lives?

Mike: I was on the verge of tears for a lot of it, especially when I saw Valentina’s reaction when they found Spicy. It was hard staying composed while witnessing someone in such grief. I had to take breaks every few frames just to keep myself from losing it. So I would take a couple frames and then just sit quietly for a short time to compose myself. It was difficult.

 

Liam and Valentina bury Spicy in their garden. “Property isn’t very important to us,” Liam says, “but losing Spicy weighs heavily on us.”

NPPA: What are the Wilson’s plans now?

Mike: For now they are staying at their house through the end of the month, despite the damage, but their future is uncertain.  For the Winter, they need to find a place to live but come Spring they would like to find a piece of land near Berea where they could build a structure themselves and one of their friends has started a FundMe for them to help finance that.

Valentina takes a break from sorting through the debris outside her house. The Wilson’s house will be demolished at the end of November. “Now we rebuild,” Valentina says.

NPPA: What have you learned from this experience? How did it affect you?

Mike: From the whole Mountain Workshop experience I learned way too much to really describe succinctly, but from Liam and Valentina specifically, I learned to approach the people I meet with an open mind and an open heart. I also learned that it is incredibly difficult and taxing to photograph people I really care for during such a dark moment.  If I’d kept a bit more emotional distance I would have been more calm and my photographs may have been a bit better composed but would it have been better for Liam and Valentina?  Would I have been comfortable or even able to document such a personal moment if I was more detached?  I don’t really know how to find the right balance yet but it is something I know to be conscious of if I find myself in a similar situation.

Our hearts go out to the Wilson family.

_____

Bio: Mike Clark is a photojournalist from Washington, DC.  He is currently in his second year in the photojournalism program at Western Kentucky University.  He currently works for the College Heights Herald and the Talisman yearbook and has previously interned at the Santa Barbara Independent and worked at The Channels, the Santa Barbara City College student newspaper.

Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-3 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 7:00pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7:30pm in Lab 127.

Alpacas are turned loose in the front yard sometimes to “mow” the grass. Alvina Maynard herds them back into their field when the job is finished. ERICA LASFER

Wanpen Cline, owner of Wanpen Thai & Chinese Restaurant in Berea, KY, prays multiple times throughout the day – before going to work, before opening the restaurant and after close. Wanpen has practiced both Buddhism and Christianity since moving to the United States in 1977. “You pray first,” she says. “You pray so they can protect you.” LAUREN NOLAN

 

Madison Southern High School freshman, Zach Howard, prays in the locker room with the rest of the “Mad South Eagles” football team before their 2014 playoff qualifying game. ALYSE YOUNG

Pearl Hicks, 2, explores Robie Books in Berea while her mother Jill reads and brother Reuben browses the Young Adult Mystery section of the store. The Hicks, who live in the Red River Gorge area, make it a point to visit the bookstore during their weekly visit to Berea for Reuben’s fiddle lessons. LEANORA BENKATO

WKU second year graduate Alena Cieszko poses in front of the Felts Log House off of College Heights Blvd on October 28, 2014. Cieszko said she got her clothing from a theatre whole sale in Louisville, Ky. She said the style of her clothing matches her personality. TYLER ESSARY

Wrapped tightly in a warm bath towel with head burrowed in his father’s arms Stellan Gonzales, 1, stares on with sleepy eyes as his father Fred Gonzales Jr. carries him to his room to prepare for bed. LUKE FRANKE

Guillermo Hernandez Martinez of Austin, Texas walks around a pond in the early morning at the Battlefield Park near Berea, Ky. ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

Holden Berry, 12, of Berea, Ky. stands in the doorway of  Lucifer’s Lair in Berea, Ky. on October 23, 2014 while waiting for the haunted house to go live. The haunted house is open yearly from the last weekend in September for the Halloween season. Donnie Lamb, an employee at Lucifer’s Lair says he thinks it is great what the haunted house does for the youth in the community. “If they are here, it means they aren’t on the street,” Lamb says. DOROTHY EDWARDS

Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-3 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 7:00pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7:30pm in Lab 127.

 

Amanda Haas, 25, poses in front of her oil painting titled “Elizabeth”, a tribute to Elizabeth Taylor. KACEY SLONE

A doe crosses the road at Barren River State Resort Park in Barren County, Kentucky on the morning of Saturday, October 10, 2014. WILLIAM KOLB

Molly Hennessy, 19, studies theater and creative writing, but her thoughts are always on astrology. “I’m a Virgo-obsessive, neurotic, and always on time,” Hennessy said. Shot with a FutureEyes Prism. NICOLE BOLIAUX

Frank and Carol Kersting tack their sailboat for a sharp turn during the Great Minnow Regatta.  The Kerstings first met while in the Peace Corps. They have lived in many places including Korea and Ukraine. Frank, now a retired WKU professor, spends much of his time with his wife and their friends at the Port Oliver Yacht Club. ALYSE YOUNG

WKU associate professor of Environmental Science Emmanuel Iyiegbuniwe peers out the front door of his own store in Bowling Green, Ky., Ka Ce International Store & Fashions. Originally from Africa Emmanuel opened the store in mid-August of this year hoping to help similar immigrants in Bowling Green, Ky. find food, products, and clothes that are relative to their home countries. “You don’t find most of these products at Walmart,” Emmanuel said jokingly. “I know these people and I know their families. I want to help them out and that’s the joy of doing this.” LUKE FRANKE

WKUPJs and other photojournalists from around the country were working hard this week for the 39th Mountain Workshops in Berea, Ky. Check out their work at mountainworkshops.org!

Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-3 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 7:00pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7:30pm in Lab 127.

 

 

Alex Kuhn dances with her father Jim Kuhn during a wedding reception after the marriage between Collin and Kelsie Kuhn in Dravette, Arkansas on October 4, 2014. DOROTHY EDWARDS

Peter Sufresni and Darrel Landru practice basket ball at Venice Beach in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday oct. 5. Peter goes to the beach very weekend, Darrel only just started coming here. DITTE LYSGAARD HOLM

Susan Walker returns a serve from Chuck Kinney on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 in Louisville, Ky. Susan and her husband Jeff Walker have played in a doubles league organized by Chuck and Kathy Kinney for the past four years. Susan and Jeff lost the match. NAOMI DRIESSNACK

St Louis fans celebrates as the St Louis Cardinals win the 1st game of the National League Division Series in the MLB playoffs on Friday Oct. 03, 2014.  St Louis Cardinals won 10-9 against LA Dodgers.  JEFF BROWN

 

 

Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-3 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 7:00pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7:30pm in Lab 127.

Ashama Fahtima, 14, poses for a portrait on the back porch of her families home in Bowling Green, Ky. Ossama’s family, originally from Burma, lived in a Thailand refugee camp until she was six years old. The eldest of three girls Ossama is an integral part of her family as she speaks English the most fluently and translates for her parents and most of the Burmese community here in Bowling Green. LUKE FRANKE

A group of volunteers assist an Owensboro high school student athlete after she collapsed crossing the finish line during the Gator Land cross country  meet Saturday, September 27, 2014. ALYSSA POINTER

Ahzerion Carothers, 4, of Bowling Green restlessly waits for his mother, Latrice, to get her hair done at Shake Rag Salon in Bowling Green, Ky. on Thursday, September 25, 2014. Carothers says that Shake Rag Salon is the only place she ever gets her hair done.  DOROTHY EDWARDS

The young fencer Anotonia Chouinard, 9, stand sin the ready position on a play ground on Hospital Hill in Bowling Green Ky. on September 28 2014. Scouinard and her family moved from Montreal in March of 2013 and she started fencing two months ago. She begged her father, a collegiate fencer back in the day, to let her take fencing lessons and is the youngest in fencer in Bowling Green. NIKKI BOLIAUX

Marta Duffer does her daily morning exercise with her dog, Dakota, at the boat ramp of the Barren River, Bowling Green, KY, on Tuesday, Sept. 30. DITTE LYSGAARD HOLM

Jaquelin Ortiz, 9, of Bowling Green, Ky. swings on a tire swing in her front yard on Sunday, September 28, 2014. Ortiz says she spends every Sunday playing with her neighborhood friends Perla and Ali. MORGAN WALKER

Groomsmen of Cody Averbeck, urinate in a wooded section behind All Saints’ Chapel on the University of Sewanee campus in Sewanee, Tenn. The groomsmen went to the woods to see a tree which Cody used to visit on “wild nights” while attending Sewanee. CONNOR CHOATE

Ryan Miller, 15, stands on the banks of the Barren River after he and his friends took a swim. “It’s freezing in September, but we don’t care,” he said. “There’s still snakes in the water over there.” The boys said they usually ride the mountain bike trails, take a swim in the river, and hang out by the boat ramp. ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

Dr. Larry Caillouet, accompanied by his wife,  guides his Sailboat towards its port at the Barren River Lake Yacht Club. Caillouet has sailed for over 25 years. ALYSE YOUNG

Every month, the Western Kentucky University NPPA Chapter produces a “Student Spotlight” segment that focuses on recent work from a student. Photo stories, videos, personal projects, or even successful shoots are eligible for the Student Spotlight. If you have a current project you’d like to share, please email wkunppa@gmail.com.

Bria is a senior at Western Kentucky University studying photojournalism and sociology. This past Labor Day holiday, she and a diverse group of 20 college students from around the nation traveled to Hollywood, Florida in order to “Work for Food.” Granville spent the three-day weekend at the Coalition of Services and Charity homeless shelter, immersing herself within an unfamiliar culture. There, she used visual journalism, at times paired with collaborative text, to explore the lives of individuals who are dealing with homelessness, drug abuse and mental health issues. The material that the group produced became a newspaper, The Homeless Voice, which is being sold by residents of the shelter, in order to assists with maintaining the building.

While working diligently on little sleep in Florida, Bria was able to plan and conceive a personal portrait series. “Talking with these individuals had the biggest impact,” said Granville.

What happened when you first arrived at the facility?

Since we were only there for two days, it was jammed packed with activities. Saturday, we arrived and we scoped out the place. We ate dinner at the shelter. The dinner was, I think for a lot of people, the initial eye opening experience. This was real. We are in this unfamiliar place; it smells bad, and it’s dirty. It just wasn’t something many of us were used to, coming from such privileged backgrounds. For me, walking in, it was about what I expected so I wasn’t really taken back by it all.

With my personality, I am kind of shy. They just kind of threw us to the wolves and said, “Go find stories, go talk to people,” and I just sat back and looked at everything. The next day we had to get up super early to start working on ideas and finishing the paper. It had to be done by that night.

Reynolds Vincent has lived in the COSAC homeless shelter in Hollywood, FL for seven years. His only surviving family is his son whom he had not seen since he moved to Brooklyn. “I don’t know what I would do if I saw him again.” Vincent said.

What kinds of projects did you work on?

I teamed up with another girl and made a video asking people around Hollywood, Florida there opinions and thoughts on homelessness. We compiled that video to add their words, to contrast with what we saw in the shelter. Since I was working on a lot of other projects, I didn’t have a lot of time to work on the things I really wanted to do. So, I found a couple minutes to walk around and shoot a couple portraits of people. I think just talking to each individual was probably what made the biggest impact.

At 89 Virginia “Ma” Beechem holds the title of the oldest resident of the COSAC homeless shelter. For 10 years Beechem has stayed at COSAC and is cared for by two former caregivers who are also residents.

Tell us about the people in your portrait series.

Everyone in the shelter had stories to tell; a lot of them sad stories. You see people who could have come from anywhere. There were former CEO’s that once made tons of money that were at the shelter. It brings you down to reality.

For example, when I talked to Mr. Vincent, (pictured at top), he was very friendly. He talked about his love for drawing. He was doing doodles and sketches. He told me about his son and how he hadn’t seen him for a really long time. He doesn’t know where he is. He doesn’t have any other family.

The man sitting in the wheelchair (pictured below) went to Florida to treat his alcohol addiction. He thought he had done all the right things. He had gone to college to be an engineer, everything was great until he got a divorce. Everything kind of spiraled down and he started to drink heavily. He said that depression kind of ruined his life.

Richard M. Drewery moved to Florida from Detroit, MI in the hopes of joining the “Faith Farms” recovery program to treat his alcohol addiction. After being turned away for his age Drewery has lived in the COSAC homeless shelter. “There are no AA meetings here, no therapy. It’s a self help program, personally speaking that don’t work.” Drewery said.

How has your work evolved over the years?

I think that after allowing myself time to look at my work and appreciate it, I have definitely grown and changed from where I started. I’m not sure if it is where I want it to be, but that’s okay. I think that I’ve improved at finding stories. I like to think that stories are kind of my thing. I have found over the years that learning to understand people, culture and different things about society will help me with my work.

Paul Vinci has lived in the COSAC homeless shelter since 1999. “I’m just on security, the most I can afford is this place.”

Do you have any plans for post-graduation?

I would like to work with non-profits. I like working on stories that focus on individuals. Stories that can take a big issue and narrow it. I like getting to know people and understanding them better. If I can make anything that allows others to look at my work and understand an issue or the individuals then, I feel like I have done my job.

Rose Marie Yale found herself at the COSAC homeless shelter after her grandfather passed away leaving her with no place to live. “In the beginning I really liked it, but now I feel like it’s time for me to go so I can get my own place, a pool, a cat… but something keeps me here for some reason.” Yale said. Yale has lived in the shelter for five years.

When viewing you work, it’s obvious that you are great at capturing quiet moments. That is a feat that not everyone can accomplish. How would you describe your work?

If you want to say that people have a certain style, it always comes back to their personality. I am very timid, withdrawn and quiet. I think that I have always been the type of person that hones in on the small and moody things. I enjoy looking for those moments. I don’t like being in loud situations anyways.

Lynn Williams found herself at the COSAC homeless shelter after divorcing her husband. After 14 years she hasn’t lived anywhere else, and has no interest in staying anywhere else, since then. “You have to get used to people and there little changes, but for the most part I like it a lot.”

What advice would you have to beginning students?

If I were talking to anyone beginning their photojournalism journey, I would tell them to give themselves time to find what they are interested in and hone in on that. Don’t try and be like everyone else. Be inspired by other peoples work, but don’t pressure yourself into trying to achieve the same style. Find your own thing. Have confidence and stick to it.​

Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-3 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 7:00pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7:30pm in Lab 127.

Keilana Cargo, 9, gets her hair fixed into a bun by her mother at the Country Cuties State Summer Spectacular in Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 20, 2014. Keilana hair drops down past her waist and has never cut in her 9 years. Her mother said it takes constant brushing to maintain. ADAM WOLFFBRANDT

Hardin Pascal (right) of Bowling Green keeps Mark Hudson of Bowling Green company while he fixes the lights on his motorcycle at Jimmy’s Auto Repair in Bowling Green, Ky. on Monday, September 22, 2014. DOROTHY EDWARDS

Jared Trent is a 31 Bravo Military Police Solider in the National Guard who attends college here at Western Kentucky University as a 19-year-old freshman. He dropped out of high school and has a family that never attended college nor worried about Jared going to college. Therefore Jared woke up one morning and felt inclined to join the National Guard to do something beneficial and active with his life. Because he joined the National Guard has funds that are paying for his college tuition. Since last year he had started as a recruiter in the program and has been through basic training and other military type training that has built his strong and compassionate character even more.  “I want to keep my friends safe in a way that I can. If that means going across the world to fight some crazy war and it somehow, someway helps them to get by in life and makes me happy with it. ANN MARIE DISALVO

The Muhlenberg County High School Color guard warms up at Apollo High School in Owensboro, KY on Sept 20, 2014 before marching there field show “Out of the Blue.” TYLER SANDERS

Alivia Higgins, 7, and her friend Joanna plays with hair accessories as Brayden Gibbs watches, at the Country Cuties beauty pageant in Fern Valley Hotel, Louisville KY, Saturday Sept. 20. Alivia has been in beauty pageants since she was four months old, but she recently got Alopecia, an illness that causes you to lose hair, eyebrows and eyelashes. She still competes. DITTE LYSGAARD HOLM

Local Bowling Green resident Donald James waits for the smoke to clear from the drag races on Saturday September 20th, 2014 at Beech Bend Speedway. MADDIE POWERS

Jai Mason, Quia Coleman, and Christopher Wilson spend some time outside the Tower Food Court. ANDREW LIVESAY

Each month, WKU NPPA features a student who has recently completed an internship. We believe internships are essential to student’s success and encourage everyone to start applying as soon as they can. Whether it’s a success story or a struggle, we love to hear from our students about their experiences. If you have an internship perspective you’d like to share, please email wkunppa@gmail.com.

WKU senior Adam Wolffbrandt recently completed an internship with Kertis Creative in Louisville, Ky. To view his work, go to www.adamwolffbrandt.com

Here’s what his summer was like:

I was skeptical when I applied for Kertis Creative. I’d never worked anywhere remotely like it and I didn’t know anyone that had interned there before to tell me what I was getting myself into. I hadn’t really even heard of them before I applied. If you haven’t heard of them either, check them out: www.kertiscreative.com

I’ve been an intern at newspapers or a full time student, plugging away school almost non-stop for the past 6 years. I’ve hopped from place to place trying to build my portfolio and impress the photo editors. But recently I realized that was not actually for my own happiness. I felt pressured by the newspaper-driven school to go intern at a newspaper and fight my way through an industry that is (I refuse to say ‘dying’) cutting its opportunities drastically. I’ve witnessed rounds of layoffs more than once during my string of internships. It’s not easy to watch groups of really amazing people lose their jobs and continue to be the bright-eyed, eager intern ready to dominate the industry despite the struggling times.

Trust me, I’m definitely not complaining about my experiences. Those newspapers made me the person I am today. Those photo editors pushed me to make better photos and they put up with my crap. They gave me the skills to work on a tight deadline. They gave me opportunities to shoot assignments that were real news and that mattered; really mattered to the community and even the nation. I had the opportunity to photograph situations that actually changed people’s lives. That’s the main goal of any photojournalist, right?

But then I really had to step back and take a look at what’s truly making me happy, and what’s not.

I’ve found that I can confidently step into a spot news situation and get storytelling images. Sure, I know I can go feature hunting and return with an acceptable photo. Yes, I enjoy the excitement of a sporting event with a deafening crowd cheering around me. But there was always that voice in the back of my head that kept saying, “This isn’t what you want. This isn’t what you really care about.” No matter how amazing the internship experiences were, I’ve realized that being a newspaper photographer isn’t for me.

There. I said it.

I’ve always been happiest at school (that might be why it’s taking me 7 years to get into the real world). At school I’m surrounded by a community of peers that are generally aiming for the same goals I am. I’m given the time and attention to get critiqued by people whose opinions I value. I’m working on projects that I care about and have more than a couple hours to work on them. I’m connecting with the people I document. I’m not afraid to be as creative as possible with those projects.

Now that I’ve finished up at Kertis Creative and have the opportunity to reflect on my time here. Here’s a Top 7 list, Buzzfeed style, of the reasons Kertis Creative has been so great. (Number 5 will TOTALLY SHOCK YOU!)

1. They gave us a home.

They gave me and the other intern, Justin Philalack a place to live. We were able to live upstairs from the office in amazing apartments. Fully furnished. I think we lucked out on these, so no promises for future interns.

They also gave us a home in the sense that I was never afraid to be myself. I didn’t have to put up an overly-professional facade and watch my every move. The people that work at KC are, in fact, people. We’re able to joke around and talk without fear of saying the wrong thing to our bosses.

2. We weren’t “just the interns.”

Your confidence as a shooter doesn’t grow if the people you work with act like you’re still struggling with puberty. In most cases as an intern, your co-workers are much more experienced. Ideally, that’s a good chance for a supportive environment with a lot of growth. But that’s not always the case.

At Kertis Creative, our opinions were taken seriously. When we had an idea or a thought, the whole team listened and valued our voice. It was apparent that they hired us as interns because we still had a lot to learn, but were capable with our craft. They involved us in important projects with huge clients and trusted us to do our jobs.

3. We were given creative freedom.

With nearly everything. I was able to try some really weird edits with some of the projects I worked on and explore some ideas that I’ve been wanting to try. Most of the time it worked!

4. We were given time to work on projects.

KC realizes that quality work takes time to produce. If I needed more time to work on a project, it was given to me. I never felt like I was pressured to work faster.

5. We worked as a team.

There was not a single project that I had zero help on. Every interview had at least three people on it. School teaches you how to do absolutely everything by yourself, which I think is really, really important. But then if you get 10 people that can do everything themselves and have them working together, you can accomplish really great things. I never felt nervous about going out on a shoot because I had a support team with me. We were able to solve problems together instead of scrambling for a solution by myself. We inspired each other.

6. We told real stories.

I connected with every project I worked on. A lot weren’t even traditionally journalistic, but I was still telling a story and helping the people in them. I never felt like a vulture. That made me feel really connected to the community. I saw the people I documented outside of our scheduled shoots and had real conversations with them. Like, I actually gained friends from the people I documented.

7. I worked a lot of overtime.

Ok, that doesn’t sound like a great reason to work at KC, but I wanted to work. I was itching to work. There really wasn’t enough time in the day to do all the things I wanted to do. There were so many projects I wanted to be fully involved in and it meant being there more than 9-5. I think it means you’re doing something you love when you want to work overtime.

Kertis Creative is the closest thing I’ve seen to the supportive, creative environment of school. And the beautiful thing is, there are tons of places just like Kertis Creative all around the world.

So for any students questioning their future as a photographer, I think it’s important to realize how many opportunities there are for you out there. It’s obvious we’re all visual people. Now we just have to find where we fit in the visual world. It doesn’t have to be the traditional path. As long as you’re working hard and doing what you really want to do.

Each Thursday, WKU’s Student Chapter of NPPA brings you some of the best images of the past week taken by our very own classmates. To submit for our weekly posts, you must currently be a WKU Photojournalism student and have taken the images or produced the video within the last week (Tuesday to Tuesday). Send your top 1-3 selections to wkunppa@gmail.com by our Tuesday 7:00pm deadline and our officers and attendees will pick the best of the bunch to showcase at our open meetings every Tuesday at 7:30pm in Lab 127.

Biology sophomore Jake Lee says he loves everything that has ever lived on this planet. Jake has memorized the scientific names of many creatures, including dinosaurs. “My favorite of this collection is the giganotosaurus (pictured left) because look at the mouth on that thing!” JUSTIN GILLILAND

Dressed as a zombie, Jake McNett, 6, of Madisonville, Ky. hides in a corn field before runners pass by during the  Kentucky Zombie Mud Run at Skeletons Lair Park on September 13, 2014. DOROTHY EDWARDSBarbara Miller (front) races her family at the Kentucky Action Park in Cave City, Ky on Monday, September 1. KREABLE YOUNGAshley Woods braids her daughter Josslynnes’, 5, hair, multitasking as she gets ready to leave for her own classes at Western Kentucky University. BRIA GRANVILLE
Zeta Phi Beta sorority sisters perform their routine at the annual Yard Show at the Colonnade on Sept. 2, 2014. The event allowed greek organizations to show what they stand for, their services and to give the history of their organizations. JUSTIN GILLILANDNorman Baker, 90, served as an Army Quartermaster for 4 years. Baker participated in the Michigan Honors open house event for veterans hosted by The Ann Arbor News on Sunday, September 14, 2014, in Ann Arbor. KATIE MCLEAN

Jake Franklin, 25, of Bowling Green, takes a drag from his cigarette while his son, Jacob Hunter, 5, and their three-month-old dog, Lucile, wait for the school bus to school, Thursday, September 11, 2014. Jacob attends Parker Bennett elementary school and said his favorite subject is math. ALYSSA POINTERBenjamin Easterday, 15, of Munfordville, Ky. stands on the top of Fort Craig before the Hart County Civil War Days reenactment. The Battle of Munfordville was fought at this location on Sept. 14, 1862 over a dispute for the control of a nearby bridge. ADAM WOLFFBRANDTWKU President Gary Ransdell participates in the ALS ice bucket challenge in front of Guthrie Bell Tower on Friday, Aug. 22. Members of Phi Delta Theta dumped water on President Ransdell, after he was nominated by several WKU students. HARRISON HILL

Rosalino Santiago Garcia, 31, harvests a crop of burley tobacco near Fountain Run, Ky., on September 12, 2014. The migrant worker from Oaxaca, Mexico left his family in March to work in the United States to provide for his wife and two sons. Kentucky is the nation’s largest producer of burley tobacco, which is often used in the production of cigarettes. ​NICK WAGNERAnne Muler carries her bowling ball out of Southern Lanes in Bowling Green, Ky. Wednesday, August 27, 2014. Muler, who is 95 years old, recently tore her rotators cuff and was forced to clean out her locker inside the bowling alley. “Can you believe it? The doctor said I couldn’t play anymore. I mean do I really look that old?” said Muler. CONNOR CHOATEEnjoying time off from work Bowling Green residents Kelcie Poteet, 17, and Jean Burden, 16, (L to R) throw their hands in the air while riding Beech Bend Park’s infamous wooden roller coaster “The Rumbler” Sunday September 14, 2014. “We got off early today so we decided we would start ridin'”, Jean said. “This is definitely the best part about working here.” LUKE FRANKE