MAYA CLEMENT
PHOTOJOURNALISM
For the past three years, I have been a low-key photographer. Every opportunity I have, I will grab a camera from a photographer or bring my own to shoot events. I love being able to capture fun moments in ODYSSEY through photos because it reminds everyone of the great moments we have had together. During events, I try to find the excitement and what photo would be convey the atmosphere. While photojournalism is not my expertise, I value the photos I have taken and hope to develop this skill even more in the future.
Plant sale
For my story on the FFA plant sale, I took photos of the plant and the FFA adviser. These were some of my first photos published online and I enjoyed getting to take them. I tried to get a variety of photos, but not all of them turned out very well. I really like the framing of these and they were easy to take because I used my phone.
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Raider Competition Photo Essay
These photos were the first photos I took for an actual story. I went to a Raider competition that was being held at Clarke Central High School and took photos throughout the competition. I took a photo while they were doing each event and I think that it went well. I was a bit nervous to assert myself and take photos, but other than a few lighting and framing issues, I think that they turned out well and tell a story.
Photos of SIPA
These are photos that I took when the ODYSSEY Media Group attended the Southern Interscholastic Press Association in 2021. I was watching a session that ODYSSEY members were presenting and one of the photographers, who was presenting, gave me her camera. I took these photos for fun, but I think that they turned out pretty well framing and focus wise. Next time, I could definitely improve on lighting.
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Photos of 2022 NHSJC
These are photos that I took when the ODYSSEY Media Group attended the National High School Journalism Convention in St. Louis in 2022. I loved taking these photos because they captured the subject's personality and the memories that are associated with the trip. I think that these are some of the best photos I have taken because I really focused on the framing and focus. While I still need to work on my lighting in the future, I did a better job of trying to fix the lighting when I was taking the photos in manual mode.
Photos of 2023 NHSJC
These are photos that I took when the ODYSSEY Media Group attended the National High School Journalism Convention in Boston in 2023. Just like the last convention, I had a lot of fun taking photos of the things we did and the team building experiences that our editorial board went through. I particularly enjoyed these photos because they captured my last NHSJC and I could compare their quality to the previous year. I have really worked on my lighting and finding unique ways to frame the photos. The top right photo is one of my favorites that I have ever taken because of the unique lighting.
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Special Olympics
This was one of the first real events that I took photos for. I was thrilled for the experience, but also really nervous. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I had two photographers with me to guide me. I struggled a lot with the outdoor lighting in the middle of the day. I quickly learned what settings I needed to have my camera on and what directions I could not take photos from. This made it difficult when the events were short, so I had to think on my feet to get the best shot. At the end, I was proud that I had successful photos, but I was even more proud that I got to witness an event that not many people get to and share it with the world.
Summer Workshops
Every year at the end of our Summer Workshop, we have a potluck to get to know each other and celebrate our successes throughout the week. Every year, I take this event as an opportunity to practice my photography skills. The lighting in the location is very dark, so I do a lot of tests to find what ISO and shutter speed would best suit the environment. Shooting this event helps establish me as a photojournalism resources even if I don't hold a photographer position. Over the past few years, I can look back at these photos as see a noticeable difference in their quality. The top left photo was the most recent Summer Workshop and the top right photo was the first Summer Workshop I attended.
Funny Photos
One of my favorite parts of photography is capturing moments that everybody can laugh about later. I am notorious in the program for taking photos of people at the exact wrong moment. But, some of these photos are staff favorites because of this. I love bringing people together with my photos and giving them a platform to be silly and show their personality.
TOP Photo Essay
During the 2022 ODYSSEY Summer Workshop we did a photo essay competition where we were in groups and we had to go around the school and get photos. Because we had a very short amount of time to get the photos and compile them, my group didn't completely finish our presentation. I think that some of the photos we got were decent, but the purpose of the project was to learn and focus on what we needed to improve throughout the school year.
Photojournalism Sessions
At every convention I go to, I attend at least one session discussing photojournalism because I love getting to hear the different things that each photographer values. It is interesting to see the photos they feel are outstanding examples and what pieces of advice the speakers have to offer. I have worked to combine information from all of the sessions and apply what works for me to my own photography.