100th Grey Cup Festival - Game Day

Our class spent the day in Toronto on Sunday documenting the 100th Grey Cup Festival events and two lucky classmates got to shoot in the Rogers Centre during the game.

I wanted to show fans from each CFL team in their glory, to find out when they got their tickets and what level they would be watching the game from.

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) -- Father and son Toronto Argonauts fans Darrin and Dallas Ward (l-r) make their way to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed with their own Grey Cup. They got their tickets last month and will be watching the game from the top level.  Photo by Julia McKay

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) – Close friends and Edmonton Eskimos fans Marco Derosa, Max Bentley, Tyler Boykiw and Bryan Bartman (l-r) make their way to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed in their teams colours. They got their tickets last July and will be watching the game from the 600 level.  Photo by Julia McKay

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) -- Father and daughter Calgary Stampeders fans Bruce and Megan Mottle (l-r) make their way to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed in their teams colours. They got their tickets last May and will be watching the game from the 200 level.  Photo by Julia McKay

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) -- Daughter and mother Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans Holly and Brenda McNulty (l-r) make their way to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed with their hand made flags. They got their tickets last year and will be watching the game from the 500 level.  Photo by Julia McKay

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) – Hamilton Tiger-Cats fans Jagg Carr-Locke makes her way, with her husband, to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed with cat ears and team colours. She got their tickets 2 weeks ago and will be watching the game from the 200 level.  Photo by Julia McKay

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) – Long time friends and Saskatchewan Roughriders fans Alan Pugh, Trevor Stodard, Tony Dagenais and Stacey Burden (l-r) make their way to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed with their Kiss inspired makeup. They got their tickets last February and will be watching the game from the 100 level.  Photo by Julia McKay

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) -- Daughter and father BC Lions fans Sandra and Ted Brown-John (l-r) make their way to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed in their teams colours. They got their tickets last June and will be watching the game from the 500 level.  Photo by Julia McKay

TORONTO, Ont. (25/11/2012) – Cousins and Montreal Alouette fans ‘The Family Hervieaux’ make their way to the Rogers Centre for the 100th game armed in their teams colours. They got their tickets last February and will be watching the game from the 100 level.  Photo by Julia McKay

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EVPs

Environmental Portraits
This is a managed portrait of someone that includes their space.  Your environment can sometimes tell more about you than, well, you.

This is a particular segment of photojournalism that doesn't come naturally to me so I feel that I need to constantly be practising and working to improve.

Below are my strongest EVPs to date in order of oldest (at the top) to most recently shot (at the end).

John Hall - Owner of the Canadian Piano Museum in Napanee

Sandra Steinhause, owner of Sea Creations in Bath

Bob Moses, Baseball umpire in Kingston

Cris Phaesant and Hope Alberry, girlfriends in Kingston

Janice Teare, owner and resident artist at the Academy Gallery in Bath

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100th Grey Cup Festival - Day One

For my documentary class we were involved with the 100th Grey Cup Festival and had the chance to shoot at the many events during the 10 day festival.

On the first day of the festival I drove to Toronto with Myriam Lublink and Gail Paquette (fellow classmates) in the school vehicle, and shot at the Rushes Football Film Festival Opening Night at the Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto.

(l-r) Gail Paquette, Myriam Lublink & Julia McKay

After speaking with the festivals reps we, as a group, decided that I'd shoot stills and the other two would shoot video.  This was a great experience and I can't wait to work with these two women again.

Mark Cohon - Commissioner of the Canadian Football League at the Kick off of the 100th Grey Cup Rushes Toronto Football Film Festival.  Photo by Julia McKay

Michael "Pinball" Clemons with some Toronto Argonauts cheerleaders  at the Kick off of the 100th Grey Cup Rushes Toronto Football Film Festival.  Photo by Julia McKay

Chris Rudge, Executive Chair and CEO of the 100th Grey Cup Festival with some Toronto Argonauts cheerleaders drawing tickets for the raffle  at the Kick off of the 100th Grey Cup Rushes Toronto Football Film Festival.  Photo by Julia McKay

Michael "Pinball" Clemons signs a fan's football at the Kick off of the 100th Grey Cup Rushes Toronto Football Film Festival.  Photo by Julia McKay

(l-r) Julia, Myriam Lublink and Gail Paquette having fun on the red carpet

Our final product:

 

VIDEO - Rushes Football Film Festival Opening Night 

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Advisory Board Fall 2012

Twice a year members of our programs advisory board stops by for the day to chat, see our work and share real world experience with us.

This was my 3rd advisory board since starting the program and I was excited.  I'm the 2nd year rep (no one else put their name in the hat) so got to sit in on the morning meeting and share with the advisors how the 2nd years were doing.

The day progress quickly.  Fifteen advisor were able to come this session.  The agenda for the day was broken down into the morning meeting, portfolio with students, lunch, bearpit session, 2nd portfolio with students, then dinner.

Each student signed up to meet with two advisors and by the afternoon things were moving so smoothly some of us got to speak with a fifth advisor.

The day is all about showing our work, getting feedback and being seen by possible employers and mentors. 

I showed my portfolio to:
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Luke Hendry - Belleville Intelligencer
Doug Wiken - Photojournalism professor
Ian MacAlpine - Kingston Whig-Standard
Lesley Sparks - Documentary
Graeme Roy - Canadian Press
Jim Wilkes - retired from 36 years with the Toronto Star

In general, they reinforced my idea that I can do community news and see "the moments" and gave me helpful suggestions on ways to improve my shooting and how I edit.

I'm now looking forward to the spring meeting.

Oh, and dinner at Montanas was fun too :)

Dinner at Montana's with advisors and teachers.  Photo by Alicia Wynter

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Shooting Spot News

Before attending Loyalist College for Photojournalism I'd never heard the term "spot news".

During the first year (in 2nd semester), as part of the News Photography course, I needed to shoot a spot news photo.  The idea was unsettling.  Taking a picture of an accident, breaking news, fire, etc was daunting and I wasn't sure I could do it.  Speaking to the emergency personnel, stopping and shooting while someone is at a low point (or worse) was not something I wanted to do.   I ended up getting a shot of an accident on the 401 from my car (while stopped).  I couldn't even get out the car.  I didn't want to be in the way and felt like I didn't have the right to stop and ask questions.

401 EB near Camden East

A model train show

 This year (semester 3) I've gained confidence as a photojournalist.  I started subscribing to a few local twitter feeds that post alerts for accidents, fires, alarms and medical emergencies in my area.  I bought a reflective safety vest that now lives in the truck of my car.  And I've found myself going towards the accidents, instead of just passing or turning away.  I understand the need for the news to be covered and it can be part of my job.  I've been lucky that everything I've covered so far was just property damage and no lives were lost, but I know that will come.  Don't know how I'll deal with that but I'm going to keep trying to cover my community news, no matter the scene.

HWY38 - First photoj on scene - freelanced image to Kingston Whig Standard

HWY38 - First photoj on scene - freelanced image to Kingston Whig Standard

Small house fire in west end of Kingston - Was the only photoj on scene

First photoj on scene - freelanced image to Kingston Whig Standard

First photoj on scene - freelanced image to Kingston Whig Standard

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