1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
***
Kristen and I are gearing up for a multimedia piece on demolition derby in and around Columbia, MO. We decided to start with reconnaissance work at the Auxvasse derby this past weekend. It was my first time going to an event like this, and I’m quite excited to say it’s not the last this season. May the photo gods smile upon us as we piece this story together.
(So say we all.)
After long wait, it is finally time. Presenting …
Interfuse 2010 from Erin Schwartz on Vimeo.
Interfuse 2010: Welcome Home.
I have this note everywhere, but please be aware that there is some tastefuly-presented nudity in this project. If this could get you in trouble at work, wait to view it at home. It’s totally worth it.
Notice something funny about this photo?
Yes, you’re right. There are no people.
Last week, I went on a wild story chase to Dubuque, Iowa to see how IBM has affected their community since opening a call service center about 18 months ago. We had grand plans – photos, stories, maybe even multimedia. The reporter, Gikunju, and I were stoked. Six hours in the car later, we found ourselves in this beautiful community. Little did we know there were iron gates ahead.
IBM has very strict PR policies. We knew this going in, and heard our first rumblings of “no” within minutes of starting our search for stories. Carefully crafting our questions to avoid the possibility of breaching their NDA’s, we asked mostly about how they liked living in Dubuque, if they had problems with their housing at first, if they came here without their families, and most importantly (at least for me) if we could take pictures and video.
“I’m sorry, but you need to go through our PR representative.”
We did find a handful of people to talk, and even fewer that agreed to photographs, but overall, we were met with the iron cold shoulder from the IBMers. Visually, I saw almost nothing that would work. Empty apartment rooms, empty streets, empty stores. I still feel defeated.
I know there were visual stories to be told. The access was just not there.
originally posted to my staff class blog.
Okay, he’s my parents’ dog, technically. But I love him the same. Check out this little video of him at a recent Greyhound picnic, bobbing for biscuits.
I took a freelance job on Friday with the Joplin Globe to cover the last legislative session at the state capitol in Jefferson City. Many of the Joplin area representatives came up on their term limits, so they wanted to do a little swan song for their last day of work in the house and senate. Here’s the article written by a super sweet reporter, accompanied with my photos. A scan of the printed page will come soon.
And now, my favorite outtake of the day.
This is Preston, the 5-year old son of Rep. Bryan Stevenson. He was even announced on the floor that he would serve without compensation. It was sweet and hilarious at the same time.
It* is almost done. I can’t wait to share the project with whomever actually reads my blog.
(* It being the multimedia project that my group and I have been working on for our Advanced Techniques final project.)
Scott, Josh Bickel and I drove up to Macon, MO for a Tea Party rally. The president was scheduled to tour a biofuel plant across the street the next day. It was pretty interesting, to say the least. I’m putting together a little slideshow from the event, but this frame doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the day. (Hence the title.) I decided it deserves its own post.
Here, some kids were playing along a cement wall and pile of gravel just as the sun was setting. The three square things in the center are tractors across the parking lot, on a hill. This is straight from the camera – no editing.
There is a delicate balance between theory and reality in chemistry, as a formula that works on paper may not behave in predicted ways when applied to actual experiments. For instance, Depakote, commonly known as valproic acid, is synthesized through several chemical processes, some of which are difficult to produce due to variances in temperatures or pressures or in efficiency of the reactions. “This synthesis works in theory, but the trouble is in getting the conditions right so it works in reality,” said Phil Silverman, the lab coordinator for the University of Missouri’s chemistry department.
***
To me, the image looks too dark for the effect we were going for in the lab. Here’s what I think would look a little better. I’ve moved the white point up so that there’s a bright white in the frame.
I searched and searched and searched for multimedia projects that really stood out to me, and realized that everyone else is going to show work from fantastic photographers well seasoned in the field. While these are great projects, the quality is so stellar it may seem unreachable. So instead, I want to show the class that we can create some really nice work at our level, too.
Here are a few fantastic projects by Missourian photographers from this and last semester.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/multimedia/video/2010/03/29/boone-life-missouri-monk/ (Caitlyn Emmett)
http://www.voxmagazine.com/stories/2010/02/04/job-cleaner/ (John Schreiber)
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/02/15/boone-life-down-barber-shop/ (August Kryger)
http://vimeo.com/10454664 (Mito Habe-Evans)
Monday was the culmination of my independent study covering the mayoral election. I spent the entire day with Darwin Hindman and his lovely wife Axie to document his last day in office as the mayor of Columbia.
Darwin Hindman finishes up the last bits of work left before he retires as the mayor of Columbia, Missouri on Monday, April 12. Hindman held the volunteer position for the last 15 years and will pass on the gavel to mayor-elect Bob McDavid at the evening’s special council meeting. (project365 :: day 086)
It was a story that Josh Bickel (the Missourian Director of Photography) offered to me in January. I called the mayor in February to get an interview and initial permission. The interview happened in March. And on April 12, 2010, I spent fifteen hours working on this story from start to finish – with the help of three great editors (Josh,Valerie Mosely and David Kennedy) and the very awesome Ivy Ashe, who lent me her audio recorder.
This is my project.
Popout
A Day of Transition from Erin Schwartz on Vimeo.
And as a fun post-script, here’s a set of photos from the evening of production on David’s blog.
This was an amazing experience, and I am honored to be the one who captured the moment. Not every project for school will be like this one. ‘A Day of Transition’ will always be have a special place in my heart.