30 Day-Photo-A-Day Challenge

Some fellow Photo Journalism major students and myself just recently started the Penn State Chapter of the National Press Photographers Association and together we've decided to attempt the 30 day Photo challenge where we take one photo a day. The more photo journalistic the photo, the more personally rewarding the challenge.

 

So day one was the first picture of the monster truck competition and day 2 is my class ring I photographed on my windowsill that just finally came in the mail and I've been anxiously awaiting. Tomorrow I'll try to get out in the world (it's Sunday, I've pretty much slept all day and only left my dorm to get food).

 

Welcome to the Island

Last week for Spring Break, my family and I went to a tiny island in the Caribbean off St. Kitts known as Nevis Island. I was told by a man on the ferry I took from St. Kitts to Nevis that "Nevis" is Spanish for Our Lady of the Snows and is called such because snowy white clouds can always be seen hovering above its dormant volcano peak. The pace of the island was a lot different from State College (go figure). I passed one bar on my trip downtown and most of the people disappeared when the sun went down. Nevertheless, it was a great place to try my hand at some more scenic photography than I'm used to. Hooray for low ISOs and cloud white balances!

 

 

 

I got 99 problems but the snitch ain't one

This afternoon I covered the Quidditch tournament held by the Penn State Harry Potter club, the Three Broomsticks. The event featured teams from four universities, Penn State, NYU, Michigan State, and Youngstown. Being a Harry Potter fan myself, I thoroughly enjoyed covering this because I've never witnessed a Quidditch game without magic involved. Families came out to lie on the lawn with their children and pets and tailgaters cheered on the teams while supporting signs and makeshift wands. I was surprised by how much of a legitimate sport it played out to be, I ended up treating it like I would if I were shooting soccer, basketball or football. I used my 200 lens and mostly kept low to the ground for the greater depth of field. The reporter got some audio to go with my photos so hopefully I can post a link to the slide show she makes when she's finished.

Edit: March 25, 2011 Oh look here it is http://www.collegian.psu.edu/asset.aspx?id=2889

 

Here's a link to the Daily Collegian articleTri-Wizard coverage

Valentine's Day "KissOut"

 Today, instead of being angry or depressed because I didn't have my own valentine, I decided to focus on the love that other people have for each other. The LGBTA students held their 7th annual "KissOut" in the HUB this afternoon. At noon, couples huddled together by the stair entrance (the most congested part of the HUB), yelled "Happy Valentine's Day!" and began kissing for a full minute.

Link to Collegian article

For only using my own Nikon D40 I'm really pleased with the quality of these photos. The HUB was decently lit and for using an ISO of 1600 they're not terribly dark or grainy. I do really need to upgrade to a better camera, hopefully within the next few months.

Well Happy Valentine's Day

Winter Break, Destination: London

My room mate last year was an international student from London and over the year we got to be such close friends that she invited me to stay with her during my winter break. I spent the majority of my time over there catching up with her and being a tourist but I didn't miss the opportunity to get  few good shots.

Sun setting outside our plane in Philadelphia before the plane was deiced for takeoff. Deicing the plane took about an extra half hour, making us miss our connecting flight and therefore resulting in my sister and myself sleeping in Charlotte, North Carolina for a night (after sleeping on the floor of the airport for three hours trying to get another flight out).

Tower Bridge, London
Our first real day in London was a dreary one spent at the Tower of London. Afterwords we walked across the Tower Bridge and ventured into London on the other side of the Thames.  

 On New Years Eve we traveled to Brighton, a city off the coast about an hour south of London. My friend Sophie goes to Sussex University so we spent the night at her house.

Big Ben....obviously :). First thing we noticed getting off the tube, though not as impressive as we were hoping.

I believe this was taken in Piccadilly Circus. I really liked the Underground signs and I caught a red bus in the background so I thought this might count for something. 

London was an extremely different experience. Although I did enjoy dipping HobNobs into my tea and driving on the left side of the road, by the end of the week I discovered my real priorities in life: coming back to my own home and being surrounded by my friends and family, I'd never been so happy to hear American accents again :).

No Refund Theater tells dark Irish comedy

Daily Collegian Article

Collegian Photo By: Christine Reckner
Members of No Refund Theatre perform The Lieutenant of Inishmore in Forum Building on Thursday night.

Students strut, model for mag

I was really impressed with the talent and attitude these girls possessed. Everything modeled was either handmade or came straight from their own closets. 

Daily Collegian Article

Collegian Photo By: Christine Reckner
A model poses during Fly Magazine's Fashion Show on Wednesday night in the Hub Heritage Hall.