Through My Eyes

Picture Stories Week 3: Volunteer

2012-02-16T08:07:00.001-08:00

Anthropology major, Rachel Wyatt, passes out extra work sheets she found on an ESL website. "We're just given a sheet with sounds and words," said Wyatt, "I'm doing it my way, I hope it's right I just want to make sure they all get it."

One of the students in Wyatt's class looks up at the board to see how to spell a word. "Some of them pick it up faster than others, but you've gotta pay attention to those who don't speak up," said Wyatt.

A student connects the words she learned in class with the sentences they are completing.

Wyatt stands at the front of the tiny classroom and sounds out the word glasses. "I was so nervous and intimidated at first," said Wyatt, "they're depending on me." Wyatt has been teaching english for the past four weeks every Tuesday and Thursday.

After taking a seat to rest her back, Wyatt watches her partner Elizabeth Hackworth, another anthropology student, teach the class.

Wyatt and Hackworth stand at the front of the classroom spelling and sounding out words. Wyatt shows the gesture for rage, "I'll stand up there and be goofy and they'll laugh at me," said Wyatt, "but if it helps them to learn I'm gonna do it."

The attendance sheet for the day signed by everyone including their birth year.

Wyatt laughs with a student after helping them spell a word correctly. "It's humbling to work here, we take for granted what we have everyday," said Wyatt, "we have people right here in this city who've lost everything but their families. They've definitely impacted me, I'll probably take away more from them than they will from me."

Picture Stories Week 2: Coach

2012-02-10T10:42:00.001-08:00

After her team finishes warm up laps, Dawn Van Ryckeghem, explains to her swimmers what types of strokes they will be doing throughout practice. "We only did 25's today," Van Ryckeghem said, "we're working on speed."

Van Ryckeghem speaks with one of her swimmers individually about how to do a correct overhead stroke. "I tell them that with any sport comes discipline and goal setting," Van Ryckeghem said, "they need to figure out what is required to accomplish those goals."

"He could be a good swimmer, but doesn't listen," said Van Ryckeghem, "he's more worried about beating the guy in the lane next to him instead of doing the proper strokes." Van Ryckeghem had to talk with swimmer after her assistant coach noticed he wasn't doing the stroke's properly.

Van Ryckeghem speaks with another coach about an issue with a swimmer while on the way to meet her daughter. Other than coaching for the Middle Tennessee Home Education Association (MTHEA) Van Ryckeghem is also the head coach for the home school division with Excel Aquatics which competes year round with swimmers ranging from k-12.

Van Ryckeghem smiles while helping her daugther, Rose Van Ryckeghem, pick out a wedding cake for her upcoming wedding. Rose is the oldest of Van Ryckeghem's six children.

Van Ryckeghem spends time with her daugthers, Faith, Hope, and Rose before cooking dinner. All of Van Ryckeghem's children were home schooled at least until high school when they were given the option to attend a public school. "I got into coaching in 2001 when all of my kids started swimming, I didn't know anything about coaching at the time," Van Ryckeghem said,"but they said my kids could swim for free so I said yes."

While checking on dinner Van Ryckeghem asks her daugther, Faith, to set the table for them.

Faith, Hope, Joy and Rose join Van Ryckeghem and her husband, Pat, for dinner. "We've tried to have family dinner's with them since they were young," said Van Ryckegham.

Picture Stories Week 1: Event

2012-02-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Finally made it to picture stories. For our first assignment we had to shoot 72 frames of an event. After searching and searching I came across a rollar hockey team about to practice. I had no idea Bowling Green even had a rollar hockey team let alone the rink for it. The pictures are out of order, but let me know what you think. Thanks for taking a look.

Occupy Nashville Santa & The Governor

2011-12-03T14:26:00.001-08:00

I liked this one better in color

Occupy protestors pose for Jason Steen, 32, Nashville, while inside the capital building for the lighting of the Christmas tree in front of the Capital. Steen works with the occupy media team doing live streams of events. "Its important to get our message out."

Tennessee Governor, Bill Haslam, and his wife, Crissy, read "The Night Before Christmas" to children after the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Capital.

Caught a train down to Nashville

2011-09-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Caught a train down to Nashville, did some adventuring beforehand and explored parts of Nashville in the early morning.

Open box car, had to play hide & seek from the light.

International Festival & Cage the Elephant

2011-09-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Every year Bowling Green holds the International Festival in Circus Square Park. It's pretty cool seeing so many different cultures together in one place.

Cage the Elephant played a free show last week on campus to promote Starry Nights Festival 2012.

Midnight Release

2011-09-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Shot the midnight release of an Xbox game, Gears of War 3 at the game stop in Bowling Green. I can't say I'm the happiest with what I got out of this, but I'm happy I'm starting to shoot more. As always let me know what you think.

Personal Update

2011-07-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile. This is a personal update obviously, I shot my nephew's 8th birthday party this past weekend. As always let me know what you think.

A Day without Shoes

2011-04-05T21:42:00.001-07:00

Today was One Day Without Shoes, in order to raise awareness around the world for children who are unable to afford shoes and even attend school because of their lack of shoes, people all around the globe went barefoot for one day. I had hoped to see more people around campus going barefoot, but was sadly let down.

Up in the sky

2011-03-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Homeschool Portraits

2011-02-08T00:06:00.000-08:00

I had to shoot portraits of three students at Western who had been home schooled their whole life before coming to college. Each one participated in an extracurricular activity that they still engage in.

Been Awhile

2011-01-24T15:24:00.000-08:00

I feel lame saying 1st post of the new year, but it is true so we can go with that too. I didn't shoot much over the holiday break, and thats my fault, but that isn't something I want to get into the habit of this semester. I went out and shot some snow features the day after all the snowfall, just for myself. Despite how cold I was, it felt really great to pick up my camera again. As always let me know what you think.

Christmas

2010-12-25T13:00:00.001-08:00

Lighting Portfolio

2010-12-14T22:51:00.001-08:00

Fashion and Work

2010-12-02T23:24:00.001-08:00

I shot fashion for the first time for our in class assignment, after a lot of playing around with lights and poses I was pretty happy with what came out, especially for my first time shooting fashion. The portrait of a WKU worker was impromptu and on the spot, I didn't have much time to shoot it but I'm content with what came from it. As always let me know what you think.

Chris Radus, Pittsburgh, Pa., moved to Barren County in 1987 and worked a number of odd jobs mainly in construction. Radus began working for WKU in 2001 doing construction. In 2009 Radus began working for the Recycling department at Western. In the one year of operation the Recycling department has gone through a lot of trial and error to figure out what the best way to gather all recyclable materials on campus are. “I would just like to see it [the department] keep growing, I look around and see things I want to change,” said Radus, “We got a good firm, we just need to keep growing.”

1st Spot News

2010-11-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

This was my first attempt at shooting spot news, I ended up getting there late and not shooting the actual fire. Even though it wasn't as successful as I had hoped, I still learned a lot. Let me know what you think.

On Tuesday night Brandon Johnson's mobile home burned down on Russellville Road. Johnson moved to Bowling Green nine months ago, and has lived in the mobile home for three months. "I just smelled smoke and woke and told my wife to get out," said Johnson. Munique Scott, Johnson's wife was taken to the hospital, neither sustained serious injuries.

Azerbaijan

2010-11-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

Elnur Sadigov, 18, Azerbaijan, smokes hookah at the Prince Hookah Lounge Cafe. Sadigov came to the U.S. at 15.

Musician

2010-11-11T19:46:00.001-08:00

Above: Brandon Bailey, 22, Louisville, Ky., has been singing since he was 9 years-old. Bailey is a broadcast major and has never taken a music class. "When you're good at something already, sometimes it hurts you when you try to learn from a book," said Bailey. He is currently working on a musical project hoping to be completed in December. On stage Bailey takes the name Lemaj. "I'm not the best piano player, but when I get up on stage people don't want me to leave," said Bailey.

Top: Developing a musical interest at a young age, Brianne Atnip, 20, Dallas, Tx., learned to play the piano by 1st grade and has been singing for as long as she can remember. Atnip came to Bowling Green with her family at 15 and began performing in musicals with the Fountain Square Community Theatre. "Ideally I want to get involved with one other person who plays piano or guitar and just perform in coffee shops or join a praise band," said Atnip. Faith is a major key behind her musical passion, "God gave me the gifts I have, so I want to use them to his glory," said Atnip.

Autumn Dance Project

2010-11-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

Had the opportunity to shoot the Autumn Dance Project performed by Western's Theatre and Dance Department. Let me know what you think.

Homecoming parade

2010-11-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Freshman trumpet player, Jessica Estill, Sommerset, Ky., does warm up exercises before the homecoming parade for Western Kentucky University. Fraternities and sororities partake each year by creating homecoming themed floats to be entered in a 'Best Float' Contest.

Just one feature

2010-10-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

I had the amazing opportunity to go and labbie the Mountain Workshop 2010 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and even though I wasn't a participant this year I still took away so much just from being there and helping out. I did manage to however get away and shoot off this feature, but sadly I forgot to grab the caption info from Cody.

Extreme

2010-10-14T00:32:00.001-07:00

"I've been smoking (weed) since I was 10," said Andrew Rance, 17, Houston, TX., "I like that it gives me the ability to chill." Rance has experimented with a number of different drugs through his teenage years, but smokes marijuana daily.

Rugby Player

2010-09-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

First real portrait, which happened to be an athlete.

"They say that explaining rugby to someone whose never played, is like explaining sex to a virgin." said Emily Snyder, 20, Louisville, Ky. Snyder has been playing rugby for two years, and loves it. This year though sheis playing in secrecy from her parents due to two ankle injuries she sustained last year.

Let me know what you think.

1st Home Game

2010-09-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

Members of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity dance along to the YMCA song during tailgating before the WKU vs. IU football game.

Aaron Wilson, 22, helps to raise the flag of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity during tailgating.

WKU Runningback Bobby Rainey drives forward to score the last touchdown for WKU against Indiana. WKU lost 21-38.

Picked a pack of peppers x2

2010-09-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

Second assignment in lighting was pepper again, but with the exciting use of a strobe. The second one was the one I turned in. Let me know what you think.

Pepper

2010-09-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

First assignment for the new year in Lighting was to shoot a pepper using an ambient light source. Let me know what you think.

Austin

2010-07-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Shot from the hip and this is what came out of it.

Final Story

2010-05-12T07:51:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of images from my final story for multimedia.

50 Years

2010-04-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to tag along with my friend Delayna and play assistant while she shot a 50th wedding anniversary. There were so many moments. Let me know what you think, thanks.

Catching Out

2010-04-19T21:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry these are kind of dark. I wasn't really shooting this to get moments, more to document it and remind myself that I actually did something this incredible.

Spring

2010-04-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

ACP 2010 #2

2010-03-14T17:27:00.001-07:00

These are the last of the photos from ACP 2010, sorry for the major update but i figured it'd be better for all of them at once. Let me know what you think.

Above photo by Morgan Walker

The waterfall adventure

ACP 2010 #1

2010-03-09T09:03:00.001-08:00

check out the website its way better. www.acpworkshop.org

Adventure Seeking & Dinner Time

2010-03-01T06:11:00.000-08:00

These two are a bit older, the top is from an Equal Rights march last semester, after walking down from Cherry Hall students played on South Lawn. The Bottom is Justin and I's dorm garden.

2010-02-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

Just one photo this time. I liked how her eyes looked.

Long overdue

2010-02-15T18:33:00.001-08:00

I like this one a lot, i just wish it was in better focus.

I haven't updated since November and it was starting to seriously kill me. Not all of these are recent, but I have been meaning to post these. I need to start shooting more, hopefully as the semester actually starts I'll begin to shoot more. Let me know what you think, thanks.

International Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T10:26:00.001-08:00

The International Center hosted this Thanksgiving dinner for the families. There were families from every where, Bhutan, Vietnam, Nepal and parts of Africa, a majority were refugees from Burma. It was amazing to see so many different people coming together.

Special Olympics Bowling

2009-11-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

My assignment this week was special olympics, and so i managed to find a Special Olympics Bowling Team here in Bowling Green. Every one that i talked to told me how much they loved bowling and that they always had so much fun. I need to get better at toning, anyways let me know what you think, thanks.

Grayson County High School Band Competition

2009-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

2009-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Alright so i went to Grayson County High school this week with Samm and shot the band, the assignment was moments.

As staged as this photo looks, it really isn't.

First post

2009-10-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Delaina Donaho, 18, of Houston, Texas, has been involved in taekwon-do for the past 11 years. She is now a second degree black belt and is an assistant at her school, "I really like being the teacher's assistant because I get to help the other kids, and I know im helping them do something with their lives."

I shot this for my pattern assignment while I was in nashville, nothing fancy but it was my favorite.