Reflection

I have thoroughly enjoyed my course during summer session as it has provided me with opportunities to meet people and build my confidence and knowledge about the photographic medium.

I've learnt that photography can be incredibly powerful, and although a picture is usually seen by many as a much more accurate way of documentation than the written word, images can easily be a product of a long and manipulative process, often leaving an image as a subjecive document.

As I learnt in my convergent journalism subject of last year, images can be powerful and evoke a number of different emotions. In order for an image to be successful, technique is of upmost importance. The balance, contrast, light, space and placement of the subject/s within the frame are much more important than one first thought.

Due to the manipulative process of the image, of course the image also becomes more and more of a cretive work than a factual one and having witnessed the power of editing programs like Adobe Photoshop, the course has made me question every image I see in the paper and the amount of authenticity it holds.

Having studied photojournalism I've discovered how much fun photogrpahy can be and my camera has now become an accesory at any celebratory occasion and I hope to take some fantastic photos when I visit Egypt next week!

With regards to ethics, all journalists who use the printed or displayed image to help reinforce a story need to follow a hard line on ethics and honesty. The editor or photographer should avoid anything that will change the actual event or scene as it was captured by the camera. Additionally they should never enhance or distract from the quality or desirability of a subject, or the aesthetics of a place.

I've taken many different photos of so many different subjects and ethical issues have popped out from all directions. Firstly my photo essay topic which was taken at a Children's Centre in the local area following a young woman around the centre who will soon be embarking on a travel exchange to work with children in Brazil.

The children had permission for publicity from the Director of the service as well as forms which stated they are able to feature in photographs for the organisations publicity but as an employee of the organisation, I was not able to display this part of my assignment as an open blog (which is regarded as personal use) without parental permission. By the time I knew this, it was too late to gather contact details - a big learning curve for next time.

I have concluded my posts with other photographs I've taken over the time of the course and will continue the blog for all to see - without the photo essay! Hopefully I'll have many interesting photos to come. Thank you to Aaron for an inspirational classes and for sparking in me an interest in photography I never knew existed.

Photo essay

In May, a team of six people will travel to Brazil with the objective of making dreams real for children everywhere and Liz Depers was one of those who has accepted the challenge.

Team members will be encouraging Rotary Clubs in Brazil to develop service projects and programs that assist youth at risk. This includes providing opportunities for young people working in areas related to the education and protection of youth.

"The language barrier is definitely a concern, although our team are having Portuguese language lessons which should help us a bit. Also, four weeks is a long time to be away from your family and support network - but its going to be worth it."

Liz has worked in child care for ten years and is now a Children’s Services Coordinator, supporting 26 long day care centres, preschools and outside school hours care services throughout the Illawarra.

"I am on the only team member with qualifications in early childhood and it is an opportunity of a lifetime for me, I would never have thought I would have the opportunity to gain experience in another country. It is going to be a great opportunity for me to develop professionally and personally."

For four to six weeks, Liz and her team members study Brazil’s institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships and exchange ideas.

"I really don’t know what I expect, other than its going to be a huge cultural shift. I’m just trying to not expect too much so I can get the most out of it."

This photo essay would be appropriate for a local newspaper like the Mercury due to the fact it features a local person and her achievements and high quality care of local children at Stewart Street Children's House. The story is inspirational and is important for the Mercury due to it's locality and 'feel-good' nature.

Photo set #two: Chinese new year

China's ancient traditions contrasted with vibrant contemporary culture welcomed the Year of the Ox at Hyde Park in late January.

Lions and dragons come to life and red firecrackers scare away the previous year's misfortune. All this, combined with the sights, sounds and flavours of the Chinese New Year Markets make the Launch Celebration a unique experience.

Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays celebrated by Chinese all over the world. The Chinese New Year period starts with the new moon on the first day of the lunar year and ends with the full moon 15 days later.

During this festive period there are many traditions, customs, rituals and superstitions.

These include paying off debts, house cleaning, decorating doors and windows with paper cuts and couplets, paying respect to the ancestors, family dinners, banquets with special foods, lucky money in red packets for children and the exchange of gifts.

Photo set #one: Australia day

Australia day at Belmore Basin is always a treat. Being woken up at 6am by the fire of a cap gun signalling the start of a triathlon, followed by the music of the merry go round and techno of the dodgem cars, not to mention the screaming of a supportive crowd.

This year, the sun beamed down on the tarmac of the cordoned cliff road which featured a row of multi-coloured holden cars contrasting perfectly with the cobalt blue sky and flapping union jacks.

The sand castles looked very professional, most had been taken over by parents after bored and sweaty children lots interest and moved to play in the water. Dads were getting their hands, feet and faces dirty lying in the sand and sculpting their way toward a prize of a few McDonalds vouchers - or maybe they were just having a lot of fun. Things got very serious down this end of the beach.

Into the night he rain started to pour. Ten minutes before the first sight of fireworks, flag-printed beach ubrellas became a shelter for hundreds of anxious children and an equal number of drunken aussie blokes and sheilas wore flags tied as capes, and with a great cheer, the show began.

Real life photo assignment

A fire on the track between Stanwell park and Otford stations caused panic last Wednesday for the hundreds of commuters wanting to get home in time for dinner.