strolling through a cemetary

So if you haven’t already noticed, pretty much every week we have a new assignment at the DMJX. This week the students from the Photo 2 program joined us in our assignment. With Photo 1 and 2 combined, we were then split into groups of three to four, each group then having to shoot a story based around a different theme. Ours was “working.” I had a couple of ideas in mind, one being a neighborhood watch team and a car mechanic. I passed on the watch team due to access and went for the car mechanic. Met up with him and scheduled to shoot the two days we had to shoot, Monday and Tuesday. Both times I didn’t get a response that he was at work. Luckily, on Tuesday, I woke up early and went out to find my backup idea: someone who maintains cemetery grounds. This is where I met Linda Møller. She work in a couple of cemeteries in Aarhus and is essentially a gardener — a gardener that also digs holes for urns. While her work wasn’t the most exciting in terms of pictures —not to mention the god-awful neon yellow uniform I had to work with — but I think I feel good about the images I managed to get in such mundane work environment. While there were other cemetery workers who worked with actual machines, Linda primary stuck with her hands and her tools, which I liked.

On Tuesday after shooting our group met up and we went through our takes to come up with a final five images to turn in for our assignment. The assignment being how to make a good selection of images. Here is the five images my classmates and I chose:

After choosing these images I went home feeling like this selection just quite didn’t work for me. I feel like a lot of the times when choosing images we get caught up in trying to choose all the images that fit either the typical and expected storyform (opener, portrait, action, closer, etc) or ones that match a process (this one being how she digs and plants). First, I didn’t think that my images under either these two types worked or that the images themselves were really that great. Some I really liked, but for example the portrait I have (second to left) I think is pretty obnoxious with the yellow and isn’t that great of a portrait in the first place. After looking through more of my take I began to see more of a theme between colors and details, less so in action and moments. While I want to aim for better moments as a photographer sometimes you have to do what’s best for what you shot. In my case I felt the action/moments shots didn’t convey what it was like to be there or the feeling you’d get from working in a cemetery. So I made a few adjustments and chose this final selection:

Of course I wouldn’t say these ARE the five and ONLY images I need to talk about Linda and her work, but for what I shot I like this selection of images best. The only thing I wish I got was a better photo of her face that match the tonality and feeling from the images in my selection, but she wore that damn hat and looked down pretty much the entire time so whatever. Anyway…ENJOY!

trying out new photography techniques: ghostly appearance.

Ever since I’ve started school here at the Danish School of Media and Journalism, I’ve tried to let myself experiment and see things in new ways. As of recently we’ve studied portraiture. The other day during class we went out into the hallways to shoot portraits of each other with our external flashes. I didn’t have mine on me so I starting messing around with a technique I first tried out while at the Missouri Photo Workshop. As you can see from the image below I essentially — in a high key area — over expose the image a good 3-4 stops, so most of the mid-tones are burnt out leaving the lines of the shadows to become the only value other than white. Really gives it an eery, ghostly effect (especially in black and white). I still have yet to find a practical use for this technique in photojournalistic context, but maybe there’s a good chance I can let it inspire me in my shooting at the very least. Aside from the technique aspect, I don’t know why I asked, but I asked some of my class mates to shake their heads in these portraits, while I shot on burst mode. Didn’t realize until I looked at the images on my computer that the sequence of images made for a pretty cool animation. And so, here it is my first animated GIF. (*Click on the photo to see it animated).

on assignment in Aarhus

On our syllabus, today is listed as, “Info later.” Yesterday Mads Greve, one of our professors, told us for Tuesday to bring our camera, bus pass and that we would be given an assignment we would have to complete by the end of the day.

Walked into class today at 9 a.m. and we were told right away that we were no longer students at DMJX, but staff photojournalists at Utopia Times (pretend newspaper). We were handed a piece of paper with three assignments to  photographed, edited and turned in by deadline (18:00/6:00 p.m.). First, half of my class — including myself — had to get two environmental portraits of artist Birthe Reinau at her studio. Second, were to get two feature photos of children’s activities related to the Danish weekly winter holiday by shooting at the Steno Museet. Lastly, we needed to get one photo or trains or busses, shot in a creative way.

It was a pretty fun and busy day. Felt like the Columbia Missourian all over again but this time I felt pretty good, even if I was nervous about making it to the specified locations. I don’t think I got super amazing images, but tried to see things a little differently than by the daily photojournalist rule book. Below are my five photos that I turned in for deadline.

After turning these in, I went back into my take and made a personal selection and did some different toning. These photos can be seen below. Again, don’t know if I’ll put any of these in my portfolio, but I’m definitely happy with what I’ve got.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle. A young boy rides the 6A bus along Aby Ringvej.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle. Birthe Reinau holds up one of her pieces of artwork in her studio.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle. Andres Kallesp, 9, stands behind a mirror as his father Martin and sister Sofie, 6, play around with an interactive instillation at the Steno Museet.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle. Esben Larsen, 10, places his hand on a glass panel while watching a science show performance at the Steno Museet.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle. Esben Larsen, 10, and Hana Elsenoussy, 9, watch a science show performance from the view of the spiral staircase at the Steno Museet.

© 2012 Nick Schnelle. A city bus picks up passengers on Emil Vetts Passage.

one assignment down, but not done

This past Wednesday was our final day to get at least our second day of shooting in for our 8210 Århus V photo story. The next day we went through all of our takes and made a final selection of images. It was another great day of discussion of our images as we are practically given an hour to critique each others’ works during the day. I don’t think I got very great photos the second time around, but I did try to experiment a little from my normal habit of shooting and try some longer exposures, etc. While my photos maybe done for this assignment, I believe they are just a beginning to the story of the family’s dynamic with Bjarke. The family has agreed to let me stick around for a while longer until the story is done, so for now I’m just going to post a selection from my second day of shooting. Who knows how long this story will take me — I plan to photograph the family at least once a week — but I will post a final edit once I think the story has been met.

in a good mood, finding a great story

So, as I mentioned in my last post, last Thursday at DMJX we were given our first assignment, for the international Photo 1 program. Here was the assignment:

“You have to do a 10 photo series with the following theme:  8210 Århus V“

Essentially we assigned to find photograph a story (pretty opened-ended here) starting in this area and given two days of shooting to do so. We had until today to get the first day of shooting done, while the second needs to be done by this Thursday. So I got to searching the background on this area, googling all I could find. I eventually came up with a couple of areas I wanted to explore and did so this past Saturday. I went to a cemetery and right away was given the OK from a couple of guys topping off a grave. The problem was they were done for the day so I moved on to walking around almost the entire area code and taking notes. During my walk I found myself on a road called Klokkervej and noticed people and families skating on some frozen ice. I knew one of the potential story ideas I had — though simply it may have been — was to just photograph a family and determine the visual subtleties I could see with Danish families and the US, so the ice skating I felt was a good spot for that. I marked the location down and moved on to go scout more areas. I then went back to my dorm after walking around for a good four hours (feel like a strained a muscle for sure).

The first place I returned yesterday was the skating rink. Hardly anyone was there but two families. I was careful to make some small talk when I approached a father before introducing myself as a student and my intentions with my assignment. The father said OK and I got to taking photos of him and his children.  I felt a wave a relief that someone said yes and within 10 minutes they were to leave for home before going to swim indoors at a school.

I got their information and was to meet them at the pool later in the day when a hell of a story fell into my lap.

As this family was leaving another family came down. They had to young boys with them when one tried to reach for the soda that I had in my book bag (I could tell that the boy was different). The father approached me and we got to talking and I learned that the boy is autistic and has mental retardation. He is also a twin (as am I). I was discussing with the father what I was doing down at the reservoir with my camera and he then went on to say it was OK if I photograph his son.

I was pretty shocked. I’ve never met a person who was so willing to let me photograph something so personal in such a short time of interaction. So of course I stuck with this family and had to let the earlier family later through email that another story had presented itself. After a few minutes of talking with the father mostly and snapping some photos he offers me to come back to their home for coffee and food.

Again I was shocked. I feel odd to be thinking in such a way — by which I mean happy that I was offered to be able to photograph a child with autism — but I was I think I was just as humble to be able to let into this family’s life with their child, whom I am very interested in learning about. One of my best friends works with children with autism and so I’ve been pretty fond of the types of behaviors she’s encountered. Plus I’m just so very interested in the psychological and sociological aspects of it all as well. Again one of the reasons why I love what I do — the ability to learn things first-hand in sometime intimate moments. I went back to their home and talked with the mother and father over coffee and various foods for a couple of hours. It was amazing and I still am somewhat in a state of bewilderment that they let me into their lives so quickly. I took some more photos at the home and then left.

While we only need to photograph this assignment over the course of a two-day period, I am going to ask the family if it is OK for me to stick around and document. As a twin myself I really want to see how the twins relationships are around one another. For this story I believe it deserves for me to be around enough to understand this relationship and to capture that visually. For letting me into their lives the deserve for me to tell their story accurately. And to do so I believe will take time. I go back to photograph this Wednesday to get more photos but I am going to ask them if it is OK if I come back to shoot this until I feel I have what is necessary to tell the story.

Anyway, I’m just excited that I was able to find a story that I found interesting and compelling for my first assignment at DMJX and I hope that means good fortune for later projects.

moving on up… to Århus, Denmark

© 2012 Sarah Hoffman

Well I guess there’s a lot of catching I must do since my last blog post. Seems like there has been a lot that has gone on in the last month. Since my fall 2011 semester ended at Mizzou I finally had the opportunity to have a winter break — unlike last year when I enrolled in the winter intercession reporting class. I spent most of my time enjoying every moment I could with my best friends in St. Louis, eating plenty of mexican food and seeing a bunch of punk shows in a basement. Though, the care-free fun had to end at some point and that day for me was January 24th — the day I would be flying for a six month exchange program to Aarhus, Denmark.

I’ve been here for a little over a week and it has already been an incredible experience. For one, I have never traveled outside the US. Since I was a kid I had always wanted to visit Europe. Still can’t believe I’m here.

Together with nine other students (including 3 others from MU), I am taking part in the Danish School of Media and Journalism‘s international photo 1 program, the Language of Photojournalism, an intensive semester-long program where we I will only be producing various photojournalism projects. My friends and MU colleagues Eve Edelheit, Katie Currid, and Will Lounsbury have completed the same program in years past and I’m excited to join the club.

It’s been wild, confusing — not to mention cold and cloudy. But this first week so far has also been a fulfilling one. I’m living in a dorm here, Skjoldhøjkollegiet, which is about 5 miles away from the city and I’m still getting used to the bus system here, in addition to trying to pick up on my Danish. Generally the residents here in Aarhus have all been pretty helpful and I can’t say enough of how much I’m already enjoying being around the other international students at DMJX. There are around 15 nationalities represented for this year’s international programs and it’s really quite amazing being around a diverse group like this.

Yesterday, I we all were split into our respective programs — mine being Photo 1 — and we finally got down to business, meeting our professors and getting introduced to what we will be doing for the next five months. The day was pretty incredible. Our professors are pretty serious about us putting out work and I’m really looking forward to working along side the nine other talented photographers. While we thought we would have a free weekend again we instead were given our first assignment. The only guideline we have to follow is we must photograph starting in a certain area code of Aarhus. It is up to us to find a story to photograph one time during this weekend. We must also be able to continue to photograph the same story a second time next Wednesday.

I’m definitely nervous but at the same time excited. Pretty much exactly how I thought it would be and should be.