I see what now seems to be obvious: journalism gives me the opportunity to combine by passion for photography with my writing skills. Who knows if I would have ever made this personal discovery, were it not for my arts classes that I completed while simultaneously using what I learned to provide visuals for Communiqué stories. As my time at Chatham comes to an end, I can’t help but look back on some of my favorite classes.

Documentary Photography and Photojournalism was one of my favorite classes I took at Chatham. I spent many cold winter days working on a semester-long photo documentary project about the birds of North Park. I’ll never forget the group of Mallards walking right up to me as I crouched in the snow next to a frozen lake. I spent so much time with those ducks, I think they were starting to recognize me.

It feels like a lifetime ago that I took Photography III. Looking back, I must admit my photoshop skills were not at their peak. I’ve learned so much since then that it’s interesting to look back on where I started. It’s a sobering experience to review old work to see how far I’ve come. I recommend that exercise for every creative person from time to time.

P.S. If you spotted the party sign as photoshopped in, good job! But did you notice the signs on the door were added as well?

Adobe Illustrator was a program I had not used much prior to taking FDT210. But I have since used the skills I built in that class to create illustrations for news reporting I did for the Communiqué and my own independent reporting. I have found enjoyment in creating art with a geomentric and graphic style, something quite different than taking photographs. To create this illustration, I used my photos of a double-crested cormorant and flying geese to create the shapes, and then used the cormorant as a clipping mask to create the frame.