Portraiture

   The portraiture assignment was very fun, but still not as easy as I thought it was going to be. Tim Carroll was a trooper for taking the time to be the subject for the assignment. We decided to shoot the photos in the newsroom and incorporate the books, notepads and print issues he values most as the editor-in-chief. We agreed that him sitting at a computer would be a little boring, so we got creative and arranged his favorite materials in a circle, so they were in an "orbit" around him.
   The room has bright fluorescent lights, which was a relief. There is, however, a large table in the middle of the room that I had to stand on to get a nice wide-angle shot. Overall, shooting portraits is a bit easier than capturing, say, an action shot in a split-second, but they still take some creativity and focus.

Warriors softball wins one, ties one in the rain against Findlay Oilers

Catcher Emily Bryce flies out to left field in the first game. 

   Sports photography was much harder than I expected. For this assignment I took 312 photos at Wayne State’s softball doubleheader against University Finlay Ohio.  The weather made it challenging for me. With my ISO set at 1600 and my aperture normally at f/4.5 or f/5.3, I was able to set the shutter speed from 1/500 sec. to 1/2500 sec, depending on where I was taking the photo from. There was no sunlight whatsoever. And it rained throughout the day. Now I will always bring a plastic bag to wrap around a camera when it’s supposed to rain.

   For the first game I focused on taking action shots of the players. I tried a different angle and location for every inning. My favorite spot was shooting under the bleachers towards the mound. Although the green chain link fence between me and field was a bit of an obstruction, I enjoyed capturing the umpire, catcher, batter, pitcher and fielders all in one shot. I thank the burst mode, because without it I would have missed the ball several times. So, “Keep your eye on the ball” should pertain to the sports photographers as much as it does to the athletes.

Wayne State head coach Gary Bryce looks on as it rains during the second game
of the University of Findlay double-header on April 3. Due to darkness, the second game was
suspended at a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning. 

   For the second game I focused on the coaches and fans. The Wayne State coaches were calm and collected for both games. There was one dispute between the umpire and the first base coach over a runner called out, which I wish I could have been closer to. The coaches didn’t seem to mind the occasional rain cloud anymore than the players. The fans were scarce and not too animated in the rain.

   I enjoyed shooting from every possible place in the bleachers and around the field, and I made due with the green chain link fence right in front of me. Comparing the photos from the first and second game also was interesting because as it became darker outside, it became more difficult to shoot.

A Wayne State fan applauds after the Warriors win the first game 1-0. 

Lindsay Butler (left) throws a pitch to Megan Turner (right). Butler had seven strikeouts in the first game.

Turner hits a line drive to Butler.Turner had one of Findlay's two hits in the first game.

Michigan senator raises awareness of human trafficking at WSU School of Medicine

Sen. Gary Peters pushes for legislation to provide training to better identify
patients who are victims of human trafficking at the Wayne State School of
Medicine on March 30. Peters said human trafficking is currently the fastest
growing crime. (Photos by Alexander Franzen / The South End)

   Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) urged for legislation “to help health care professionals identify patients who are victims of human trafficking” in a press conference at Wayne State’s School of Medicine on March 30.    Peters said the Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act will provide funding to medical schools “to develop the best practices and research,” and hopes WSU will apply for the grant once the bill is passed.    “I think we would have an outstanding shot here at this university to be that leader, given the fact that we have too many folks in our area that are victims, and we have an outstanding school that has the unique capabilities of making that a reality,” Peters said.

   School of Medicine Interim Dean Jack Sobel said Gov. Rick Snyder’s selection of WSU faculty members Herbert Smitherman Jr. and Dena Nazer to serve on the state’s Human Trafficking Commission indicates the university’s commitment and involvement to the issue.

   “We are in a unique position and have a responsibility to participate in identifying and treating (victims of human trafficking),” Sobel said.

   Angela Aufdemberge, president and CEO of Vista Maria organization, and Patrick Lindsey, WSU vice president of government and community affairs, also spoke at the press conference.

Sen. Peters (left), Jack Sobel (center) and Angela Aufdemberge (right) spoke about the
Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act. "We are in a unique position and
have a responsibility to participate in identifying and treating these individuals," Sobel said.