Lauryn Gray | Oct. 1, 2010
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| Photo by Lauryn Gray |
| Photojournalists Jeri Reichanadter and Dave Weatherwax study entries in the IPA contest Thursday at Ernie Pyle Hall. The two later talked about their own work in an evening session. |
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Reichanadter, photographer and reporter at the Muncie Star Press, and Dave Weatherwax, chief photographer at The Herald in Jasper, Ind., spent Thursday at the School of Journalism, judging the Inland Press Association’s News Picture Contest and later presenting their recent work in a public talk to students and faculty.
“It’s always a privilege, not a right, to photograph people,” Reichanadter said during the evening presentation in EP 214 as she showed a series of photographs she had taken of a pregnant seventh grader. “This may be the only time they’re ever in the paper.”
Reichanadter and Weatherwax presented slideshows of their photographs, including series and single shots. Weatherwax’s series photographs told stories of a Somalian family who had just moved to Lansing, Mich.; a child suffering from an extremely rare disease; an 18-year-old woman celebrating the fifth anniversary of her heart transplant; and men working at a monastery.
Reichanadter’s photographs in a series told the story of the pregnant seventh grade girl, children at vacation Bible school in Mexico City and Haitians seeing cameras for the first time.
Heather Brogden, a senior majoring in journalism, said she enjoyed seeing the professionals’ work and listening to their individual stories about each photo.
“Looking at photographs and hearing critiques is a great way to learn how to shoot better,” Brogden said. Reichanadter and Weatherwax are photojournalists she admires.
But Weatherwax admitted that the job of a photojournalist can be difficult.
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| Photo by Jeri Reichanadter, Muncie Star Press |
| Reichanadter said she tries to remain sensitive to her subjects, whether shooting a sports celebration (above) or a series on a pregnant seventh grader. "It’s always a privilege, not a right, to photograph people," she said. |
“It’s a challenge. Not everyone is willing to open their doors,” Weatherwax told listeners when asked how he gains access to such people. His philosophy: Treat the people you want to photograph well and with dignity.
Reichanadter agreed.
“Approach them humbly,” she said. The photojournalist has even gone as far as staying overnight with a family so she wouldn’t miss a thing.
“It’s more than just being a photographer with a camera,” she said. “We can really help people.”
About the contest:
Weatherwax, and Jeri Reichanadter sifted through photographs from over 40 newspapers as they judged the Inland Press Association’s News Picture Contest in the Ernie Pyle lounge Thursday afternoon.
The entries, all from professional members of the IPA, were divided into seven categories and were judged on these credentials:
- News: Single photographs of people, events or scenes with news value. Usually timely, not “set up” or manipulated to create an image.
- Sports: Players, coaches or fans in action or expressing emotion.
- Feature: Pictures of people, places or activities newspaper readers would like to see.
- Portrait/ Personality: Single photographs of people that capture character, mood, emotion beauty or personality.
- Pictorial: Merges photography with digital graphics to create an image or make a point.
- Illustrative: Photographs that show what text may not. Not including fashion, food, décor.
- Picture Stories and Essays: Two or more photographs on a single subject that help tell a story or present a variety of aspects of one subject.
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