Rebecca Crawford Photojournalist

Sights from The St. P

2010-10-20T11:29:00.001-07:00

JRN 521 pt. 1 FOR THE LOVE OF THE FIGHT

2010-04-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

http://rebeccacrawfordphoto.com/

"It's something that I was good at and I just fell into. It started off with me just defending my friends, now its my calling," says Christos Piliafas. A cage fighter for only about a year, Piliafas has been training in the martial arts for over 20 years.

Christos Piliafas helps a student put on a pair of gloves before MMA training at the Great Lakes MMA Center. Piliafas is an instructor at the center in Traverse City and at his own gym in Flint. Certified in Russian Sambo, a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and an all-state wrestler, Piliafas is well rounded in all aspects of MMA.

"I work out with fellow fighters like York Ash and Rhyan Glezman. All of use have pro-debut fights coming up. We teach student's moves but also learn from each other," says Piliafas. During a typical work out with each other they practice holds, sparring, kicking, and blocking techniques.

"I've dislocated a knee, hyper-extended an arm and elbow, pinched nerves, and had tendinitis. My biggest dislike is cardio, but it is necessary, otherwise in the ring you feel like your hands are 35lbs weights," says Piliafas. With Piliafas's pro-debut on April 17th, he has been going full-force at training.

Christos Piliafas circles a 45lb weight around his shoulders during a station workout. Stations included crunches with a medicine ball, lifting weights, hitting a tire, kickboxing, punching, and grappling. Piliafas works out Monday through Friday, 4pm til 10pm and Saturday 9am til 1pm.

"I've got around 6 or 7 seven layers on right now, with a sweatshirt, some t-shirts and thermals, so that my body will feel cooler and lighter during my match," says Piliafas. The extra layers proved difficult Piliafas's sparring partner to get ahold of, and provided a good source of laughs at the end of the round.

"There is nothing greater to me than watching one of my students win a fight using a move that I taught them," says Piliafas. Christos teaches both men and women, and from teenagers to adults. All students go through the same stations and lessons in technique. After showing how to use the move, Piliafas watches each student to make sure they perform it correctly.

"So far as an amateur, I'm 8 and 0. I'm lucky to train with the people I do. We all watch each other and give good advice on what to improve," says Piliafas as he receives instruction on his pivot kicking, the week before his King of the Cage pro-fight.

"People call me The Mad Greek, or the Crazy Greek. They fan get into calling me that," Piliafas says. Fans cheered out Christos's name and nickname and he faced off against Jason Fish in his pro-debut fight at the Leelanau Sands Casino.
Piliafas led the fight the first two rounds, but after the third round officials called the match in Fish's favor.

"You know tomorrow could be my last fight, but as long as I live MMA through my students I'll be happy," Piliafas says. Ties to his students and to his fans keep Christos fighting and loving what he does.

For the Love of the Fight: Christos Piliafas from Rebecca Crawford on Vimeo.

For the Love of the Fight: Christos Piliafas (Stills of KOTC Debut) from Rebecca Crawford on Vimeo.

JRN 521 pt. 2 FOR THE LOVE OF ADVENTURE

2010-04-25T17:23:00.001-07:00

"When I started snowboarding, pretty much nobody was doing it where I was from. My friends and I just got a couple of crappy board together and tried to figure it out for ourselves," says Joshua Kodis. Kodis, 28, of Mt. Pleasant started off a skier in Alaska but has been snowboarding now for 15 years.
In love with the outdoors, Kodis is always trying new things.

"Here we go Norah!" Joshua Kodis tells his two year-old daughter, Norah, as he helps her skimboard across a puddle outside their Mt. Pleasant apartment. Kodis decided to bring skimboard fun to his backyard after a giant snow hill melted. Norah likes to watch what and try what her dad does, and Kodis hopes she will take on after him.

"I really wanted a kayak and it was on sale, so I had to get it," Kodis says as he carries it on his back toward the Deerfield Park river. Kodis's wife, Patty, and daughter, Norah, hike and play along the trail before meeting him back at their Jeep.

"I just bought this bike a year ago, but I've been riding motorcycles for 9 years," Kodis says while taking a sunny afternoon cruise. His first bike was a Honda CBR 600, his second a Yamaha TW 200, and now he enjoys his Harley Davidson.

Joshua Kodis practices doing kickflips and ollies on a longboard just outside of Mt. Pleasant. Having started off as skateboarder, Kodis is a skilled longboarder, able to not only carve hills but incorporate tricks easier done on a shorter board. After recently purchasing a new skateboard, Kodis looks forward to testing it out at skateparks.

"I've been going boarding just about every weekend this year. It's a pretty big part of my life, and a lot of what I do revolves around it," Kodis says. As a rider of around seven resorts in Michigan and more out West, Kodis says boarding's appeal for him is "just getting away from everything."

Joshua Kodis walks back from a Caberfae Peaks helicopter after shooting aerial photos of the resort. Kodis has been shooting since he was 14, and started his own company, Venture Pictures, four years ago. Kodis has geared its focus toward capturing adventure and nature photography all over the U.S.

For the Love of Adventure: Joshua Kodis from Rebecca Crawford on Vimeo.

JRN 521 Working With Layers

2010-03-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun with this assignment, and started noticing how just one extra bit of information (whether an item, person, or background) can tell the story better. I shot one of my final subjects as he made a day of skimboarding. I tried to include key bit of information beyond him and the board, such as the apartments to show that it wasn't a lake or pond, and his daughter's interest and disinterest in what he was doing.

Rebecca Crawford, Layers, Shutter 400, Aperture 6.3, and ISO 100.

Joshua Kodis, 28, lets out a tired sigh and a few censored remarks as he attempts to do a running jump onto his skimboard. As someone who loves to be doing adventurous things, Kodis finds ways to practice his hobbies wherever he is at and encourages his 2 year-old daughter Norah to try. The pair spent most of Tuesday evening outside their Mt. Pleasant apartment, deciding to only go in when it became too cold.

Rebecca Crawford, Layers, Shutter 320, Aperture 6.3, and ISO 100.

"Here we go Norah!" Joshua Kodis tells his two year-old daughter, Norah, as he helps her skimboard across a puddle outside their Mt. Pleasant apartment. Kodis, who is always doing adventurous sports and trying new things, decided to bring his skimboard fun to his backyard after a giant snow hill melted. Kodis and his daughter spent the afternoon boarding until it became too cold.

Copy Block:

Extreme sports and adventurous past-times are hobbies for some, but for Joshua Kodis they are a way of life. Kodis, 28, snowboards, rockclimbs, surfs, skimboards, rides motorcycles, and is up for just about anything. With the recent purchase of a skimboard, Kodis admits he is still new to it but is learning quickly and tries to practice with it as much as possible. Living in Mt. Pleasant, without a lake or sandy pond, Kodis decided to improvise as he normally does, by modifying his activity to fit where he is at.
“There was all the snow but it created this big pond when it melted, and so I’ve been skimboarding. Norah and all the kids in the complex were going crazy wanting to try,” Kodis said. As the apartment supervisor of the complex, Kodis has made friends with all the kids living there and his love for adventure and sports is proving to be contagious. The kids are always interested in what he is doing, and even Kodis’ two year-old daughter, Norah, wanted to give skimboarding a try.
“The other day Norah wanted to, but today she isn’t so sure. She’ll probably change her mind in a little bit,” Kodis said. His daughter usually wants to do what he does, and Kodis is working on teaching her how to skimboard and eventually snowboard when she is older.
Kodis spent the afternoon skimming across the puddle, watching the other kids, and convincing his daughter to give it one more try. He says her willingness and choice depends on if he or any of the other kids fall, or if they make it looks easy. The two decided to go back inside only after the sun began to set and it became too cold out to enjoy any longer.

Which One???? Layers

2010-03-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Having trouble narrowing these down- I'd love any advice. Thanks!!!

JRN 521 Capturing Moments Assignment #2

2010-02-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

For this assignment I wanted to practice my shooting both outdoors in bright light and snowy conditions and indoor fluorescent/dim lighting.I had a lot of fun with this assignment. I decided to shoot a snow shoe/cross country ski competition and a high school hockey game at the arena. Here is a favorite:

Moment of Concern:

Rebecca Crawford, Moment, Aperture 5.6, Shutter 80, and ISO 640.

Manistee Chippewa defense player Charlie Foley, of Ludington, gasps as his teammate Matt Rutkowski gets audibly slammed into the glass. Foley has been playing hockey on the team since freshman year, and now as a junior is a key asset to the team.
Despite Foley's efforts, his undermanned team lost to the visiting North Conference Cadillac Vikings 4-1.

Copy Block:

Charlie Foley has been playing hockey for years and is a key defense player for the Manistee Chippewa varsity team. Foley’s team is fairly independent, without a top division or conference spot, is composed of players from a handful of others schools within Mason County, and is undermanned by over half a dozen players. During a normal game Foley usually plays for all three periods, with the majority of his time in the first two, in order to keep the game stable. Pressure was riding high with the last game of the season at home versus the North Conference Cadillac Vikings. A win would possibly keep the Vikings from entering the playoffs next week.
In the first two periods, the Chippewas held their ground and scored a goal, playing good defense, with Foley making key plays. Then the Vikings struck back with hard checks into the boards and glass, and three goals. The Chippewa's head coach Jon Raatz began yelling, moving his players in and out quickly each time he felt they made an error. Foley was brought to the bench a few times but after talking with Raatz, the issue was minor and Foley took the ice again shortly to aide his team’s comeback.
The Chippewa’s fans cheered and set a high momentum for the last period, but the Chippewas did not recover and lost to Cadillac 4-1. Although Foley and the rest of his teammates were highly disappointed, after coach Raatz described their mistakes, he congratulated them on the game overall. Now the Cadillac Vikings will continue on to the D3 playoffs were they will challenge the winner of the Mt. Pleasant vs. Big Rapids game on Wednesday night at FSU. The Manistee Chippewas will return next fall, with Foley in a senior position to once again lead his team.

Longterm JRN 521 Project Proposal

2010-02-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

In life I believe that you are not truly experiencing living, unless you love what you do and pursue the things that make you feel alive. My project, Extreme Limits, will show this through the experiences of three individuals who put their health, relationships, and lives in danger each time they take part in what they love. Ultimately, I want the audience to feel the passion and rush that each person gets from their sports, and to understand that when you are so involved in what you do it becomes who you are. What you do with your day, what you do with your friends, what you talk about, and your career are all intertwined with what you love, train, and sacrifice for.

The project is formatted into parts based on each of three individuals’ lives and is centered around the central theme of extreme sports. The first subject I will be focusing on is Luther Kurtz, who is a main tandem instructor for Skydive Harbor Springs in northern Michigan. I plan to show that a lot of work and planning goes into skydiving and that the instructors and pilots are like a family. They do everything together. I plan to show the planning until the jump season, and the preparation that goes on with the gear and making sure the equipment is ready and safe. I plan to show what Luther’s role is in the business, how he got into it, what he felt like the first time jumping, and why he decided to make it his career. I will show how he uses his love for skydiving to calm nervous first time jumpers, how he takes on the pressure of training other people, how he calm’s the jumper’s families, and the worry and joy he has during preparation and after landing. I plan to show how even outside of work, he still is involved in skydiving by talking about the jumps, going jumping with friends, and spending time with fellow employees after work. I want to show how jumping affects his relationships, and how his girlfriend and parents feel about it. I plan to interview him about his experiences, film him with his friends, interviews his family, cover his preparation and training, and get in the plane with him for the jump to capture the rush.

The second subject I am focusing on is Christos G. Piliafas, who is an undefeated Ammy Cage Fighter. He is the owner of Great Lakes MMA in Traverse City and is opening his own training camp in Waterford in a few weeks. He also has a pro debut at the Leelanau Sand Casino in April. I plan to focus on why he got into the sport, how hard he trains and how often, why he loves the sport, how his girlfriend and family react to him fighting, how he is a mentor for younger fighters, past injuries, and the stress he faces fighting as he gets older. I plan to go to his camp, the opening of his new facility, his fights, and his hanging out with friends and family. I want to show the emotion, anger, and joy of being a coach, and his reaction to his and their victories or defeats. I want to focus on the physical and mental exhausted and the strain/bonding between fighters and family.

The third is Josh Golden who is an avid snowboarder and an employee at Caberfae Peaks Ski Resort who is very involved in trick riding and occasionally competes. I plan to cover any competitions, his teaching of other boarders, the tricks and jumps he does, injuries he has sustained, and show how hard he works at improving his boarding. With making his passion also his job, he also gets to be out on the courses, and so I plan to cover how often he actually rides, the relationship between friends, the competition between other boarders, future plans, and the good and bad of doing extreme snowboarding (including crashes, trash talk, and the strive to feel the rush but to realize how far to push it without getting hurt).

As for the action and how these things will emerge in the story, I have it scheduled that I will be covering Christos Piliafas every weekend from now until the end of the semester, Josh Golden, at least 1 time a week, and Luther from Harbor Springs starting in March every other weekend, spending the most time at the end of March and April when then begin the jumping season with the public. Each subject will be covered in similar ways but I am planning my schedule accordingly so I can attend things that come up that are unplanned. For each subject I plan on covering how long they have been involved in their sports, what got them interested in it/what other things they wanted to do first, how they got involved, what their friends and family had to say/how they reacted and still feel, the training and preparation, the losses/defeats, the joys, the time spent outside of what they do (that still involves their sports), how they mentor others, how they inspire others, injuries, and where they see their future. As with any project, any other categories to cover and show develop and change with where the person and story take you, but this will be the framework.

For the interviews I plan to interview each subject about their sport, process, training, preparation, facts, emotions, reactions to past experiences, goals, worries, fears, reasons for the sport, why it is their career, and their reaction to the pos/negs. of their sports, and how their comments on what people say about what they do. I also want to include interviews with those they mentor, the people they work with, best friends, parents, and their significant others to dig deeper into the roles they play. I want to cover their reactions and worries about what each subject does, their initial reaction, how it has changed their life, and the pos/negs. that have come out of being around someone who does an extreme activity.

I want to start off each piece with an opening action shot capturing the action and rush, cutting to a still or video shot of the expression on the subject’s face, followed by an interview about who they are, what they do, and for how long. Then an interview with family about their fears and worries, a section on accidents and injuries, the possible risks, and then take it from there. I want it to follow a logical flow of time, starting with the preparation for the activity, worries, fears, with the middle involving the actual sports and its risks (with the family and significant others views), and the ending being the outcome and how they react with their friends (support) and where they see themselves going (plans for the future/what next).

I plan for this piece to impact my viewers by showing the rush, the dangers, the relationships, the fears, the effect they have on those around them, their passion, and their drive. I want the viewer to understand that loving a sport is like loving anything or anyone: you take risks. Despite the risks, you still are willing to do anything to continue doing what you love.

Photography Inspirations

2010-01-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

When I first started taking photos I had the idea in my head that I wanted to take beautiful portraits or maybe shoot fashion. I’ve found lately that my true passion lies with telling peoples’ stories and showing the stunning complexity in nature. As my world of photography has been expanded through my years at CMU, my constant travel, and viewing exhibits, I have come to admire many photographers. Though many photos make me think and keep me on the creative path, there are a few photographers whose body of work and talent I wish I had.

One of my main inspirations is Art Wolfe, who is an international photographer and instructor. He and his work give me the desire to travel and explore everything around me as opposed to just stagnating. Wolfe photographs people, buildings, animals, landscape, and anything that catches his eye. He has a good sense of composition, lighting, moment, and detail. Perhaps his best work involves animals and nature as opposed to people and their environment. Like Wolfe, I want to refine my work so that I can specialize in a certain type of photography, but still be skilled and versatile enough to do all kinds of work. I admire his ability to wait for certain situations to arise in nature and his knowing of when to click the shutter. Wolfe inspires me to explore my camera settings, be patient for good moments, and be quick to capture them. His website is http://www.artwolfe.com/index.html. And clips of his show Travels to the Edge is on Youtube.

Another of my main inspirations is Unembedded. It is a book and national touring exhibit by four independent journalists who spent years photographing the Iraq war. The group was made up of two woman and two men who work outside of the U.S military embedding program in order to get closer to their subjects and shoot the war from the view point of the Iraqi people. This collection of photographs gave me the ambition to be a war photographer. The summer before my junior year at college I did not have enough money to return to CMU to finish my degree. My loans had been denied and although I was working two jobs I wasn’t getting anywhere. I met with NAVY recruiters who told me about Combat Camera and that the program only accepts 1,000 people. My chances at that point of getting trained in that field were slim so I decided to wait to join. However, the work of Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Kael Alford, Throne Anderson, and Rita Leistner still makes me want to travel and show the world people’s stories behind the conflict. I want my photographs to have the power to give the world a wake up call.

The website for Unembedded is http://www.unembedded.net. Each photographer's gallery is listed under index. Their work inspires me to get more involved with the subjects to the point that there are no longer just subjects but are human beings. I want to learn that fine line of becoming too involved but to be able to let my passion show through. All of the photos are dynamic, make you think, and want to stare and look away at the same time. This inspires me to have my work make people want to gaze at it for a long time and contemplate the stories of the people. The access in unbelievable and inspires me to stop being shy and push my limits. And all of the photos of people show emotion. This is what I really want to be able to do. I want to be able to convey that happiness, anger, sadness, and shock as well as these photographers.

And last but not least of my inspirations in National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg. I admire him because he started off not even going to school for journalism or photography and eventually started working for a few papers. After less than a year he submitted photos to National Geographic and started working as freelancer. Awhile later they accepted him as a contract photographer and he has done that now for around 30 years while also having work published in magazines like Life and Newsweek. He inspires me to just stop doubting and waiting for the right moment but to get out there and just take risks and do all I want to do. Brandenburg also has good control of light and a good eye for composition. He works at many angles to get his shots and takes photos at all depths of field. What I take from his work into my own style is that I want to experiment with my angles, heights, focal lengths, and settings to achieve the best photo. Brandenburg’s photos have a style to them so that they look very skilled and technical but at the same time like an un-posed piece of life. I want to keep in mind all the elements in my photos and control my settings but not be too busy to just shoot. He also has mastered taking pictures in all kinds of weather. I admire this and would like to perfect the shots I take on cloudy, rainy, snowy, foggy, and any other less than perfect days. Brandenburg’s website is: http://www.jimbrandenburg.com/flash/index_flash.html.

JRN 420 Additional Portrait

2009-12-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

I had planned to shoot a studio portrait, but I ended up shooting one on location.
I have always loved horses, but I have come to realize that animals are picky about who they like and listen to- and Dani's horse, Lite, is no exception. Although a show horse and well trained...he only takes orders from her.
I tried to capture a sense of the bond they share.

Rebecca Crawford, Portrait, F 5, Shutter 1/200, ISO 1100.
Dani Crawford has been riding horses since she was 10, and now that she is married and pursuing her new marketing career, she finds that riding is even more relaxing. Her stallion, Lite, has a mind of his own but follows Dani's directions and has come to form a special bond with her.

I shot this white a strobe fired into an umbrella to the left and a strobe bounced off a reflector slightly right on low power.

JRN 420 Fashion: For Final Portfolio

2009-12-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

FARM GIRLS CAN ROCK LITTLE BLACK DRESSES.

Rebecca Crawford, Fashion Portfolio Image, F 3.5, Shutter 1/25, and ISO 100.
Arabian horseback rider, Danielle Jones, of Custer, and Morgan rider, Leslie Paxton of Ludington show that farm girls can have a classy look and sexy style. Jones and Paxton say that just because they can haul hay and get dirty that doesn't mean that they can't be fashionable outside of the stables.

I shot this with a strobe bounced into a large silver lined umbrella off to the right up above the tractor and a gold large reflector to the left, just a bit in front of both models to help fill shadows.

JRN 420 In- Class Bounce Flash

2009-11-29T14:35:00.000-08:00

Spending the class experimenting with bounce flash was fun and I learned a bunch of things. First of all, you can bounce off of just about anything: ceiling, walls, posters, tile, and...the inside of an elevator. I learned that the subject should not be able to see the flash of the strobe, otherwise it ends in flat light. Bounce flash works best where it is needed: i.e. use bounce flash where there is not a ton of ambient or natural light. Bouncing off of colored objects will act as a gel for your strobe. Also, be sure your strobe is on the correct ISO, that it is at a wide aperture, and that it is zoomed in all the way.

JRN 420 Editorial Illustration

2009-11-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

I realized that coming up with good ideas wasn't the problem, it was seeing how to visualize it and make it so everyone else could understand what the message was.
I shot both at home and in the studio; studio as always with the technical problem of the hot shoe adapter no being in room or either cabinet, and the rim light refusing to work 68% of the time. Hahha, bad luck.

I am not sure which I like better. I think the first one.

NO TIME BUT COFFEE TIME.

Rebecca Crawford, Editorial Illustration, F 9, Shutter 1/200, ISO 100.
NO TIME LEFT BUT COFFEE TIME.
With long hours and crazy schedules, people feel like there is no time between morning and midnight. It is almost like the days just flow one into the other and we have too many things on our lap to handle. To stretch the day out and sleep for less, people drink excessive amounts of coffee around the clock, leaving no time left but coffee time.

This illustration was shot with an umbrella front left of the subject and a white reflector left of his left arm, into which a strobe was bounced to aid soft fill light. In Photoshop, the clock's numbers were erased, smudged, and the number 12 was added and blended in to give the feel that the clock measures tiny days not hours.

Rebecca Crawford, Photo Illustration, F 25, Shutter 1/200, ISO 1600.
NO TIME LEFT BUT COFFE TIME.
With faced paced lives it come sometimes feel like there isn't any time in a day. Coffee and caffeine are used in excess to stretch out the hours, but when you crash, all you've done is had coffee time.
This illustration was created with a main light to right, a rim to the back, and a fill back left. The clock's numbers were Photoshopped out and the the faint image of a coffee cup was placed on the clock.

Lighting

JRN 420 Fashion Assignment

2009-11-02T04:15:00.000-08:00

Going into this project I wasn't the most excited about shooting fashion, since... I have no sense of what is fashionable. It was amusing to be photography people in dressy, flashy clothes while I was in my usual flats n sweatshirt. Once I started shooting I had a lot of fun!

Rebecca Crawford, Fashion, F 4.5, Shutter 1/160, ISO 100.
Brooke Blanchard, 23, of Petoskey shows off her favorite style for Fall before going for a walk with her poodle. Blanchard believes that style is not only about what looks good, but what is also comfortable and allows her to be on the move.

For this shot I used a dome diffuser on a strobe set just right of the model, close to her, a little above eye level with an umbrella for the main light, and a strobe fired above eye level from the left side to fill in shadows.

Rebecca Crawford, Fashion, F 22, Shutter 1/200, ISO 1600.
Kristen Williams, 21, and Mike Stefonik, 25, show off their sexy relaxed style. Both Williams and Stefonik are involved in theater and are use to having to feel confident in whatever they wear. Unlike Williams, Stefonik usually is shirtless with animal print under garments of some sort.

For this shot I had the dome diffuser firing full power into an umbrella set behind them to the right and a strobe as a fill light aimed at them from a few few away in front of them on the left. My camera for some reason I still don't know changes back to Iso 1600, even though it says its manually set at 100

I also liked this one but couldn't really decide it is was fashion.

Lighting Setups

Studio Practice JRN 420 Models

2009-10-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today we had a group of models come into the studio so we could practice and learn how to do the setup and how to make our models feel at ease. I am an extremely shy person, but its strange that when I'm behind a camera I am at ease and excited to see what will happen. This is what I do- I love working with people and making a photo that will make them smile and have them walk away from the shoot going "wow, I'd like to do that again. I had fun." My model's name was Alicia (I hope the spelling is right), and though my camera decided to have a few issues, I got a few shots to work out. In these, I am just trying to get her to relax and have fun- the last one I needed to fix my focus.
All shot at ISO 100, F 11, Shutter 200.

JRN 420 Location Lighting Assignment

2009-10-19T06:53:00.001-07:00

This project was extremely difficult, and the most problematic so far. I learned, like I heard most people in the class say, that we all need to own the lights we use. I am taking this to heart. I do not own a strobe or any lights. When I went to the Dept. early Friday morning, there were no pockets wizards, no strobes, and no reflectors. Andi was nice enough to let me use the SB-800 she was going to check out, so I had one strobe. I waited around the dept and checked back but there still wasn't anything to check out. I borrowed a lighting kit from a friend that had a few strobe flashes, stands, and an umbrella. I worked with it and think overall I made it work.

Rebecca Crawford, Location Lighting, F 4, Shutter 1/25, ISO 1600.
Dustin Kunkel, 23, takes a break from reorganizing old memorabilia and staring at dust covered panels and outlets to go for a ride. Kunkel, who is a construction worker, checked out the renovations above Coffee Talks 505 in Clare, and finished up his morning observations with some coffee and a cruise in the sunshine.

For this shot I used a light fired from a stand behind the railing at the top of the stairs to the top right, without a snoot or diffuser. I had the light back about 5 feet to let the shadows be a little more harsh from the bike. To light the face I stood above the stairs on the right of the subject and used my left hand to hold the strobe off to the right at 1/16 power.

Rebecca Crawford, Location Lighting, F 5, Shutter 1/50, ISO 1600.
Samantha Taylor, 21, shows off one of her new character looks, just outside of the Broadway Theater in Mount Pleasant. Taylor, who is an acting student at Central Michigan University, is preparing for her upcoming roles on campus by mentally and physically becoming the women she portrays.

For this shot I used a light fired just above eye level on a stand located to the left, with an umbrella to spread the light. To fill the face I used a strobe a few feet from the subject to fill in the shadows on the right and light up the background just a bit.

Setup 1

Setup 2

Location Lighting Practice JRN 420

2009-10-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of fun with this, and I hope the shoot for class will be as much fun :)
Here are few shots from location lighting practice.
The first was with
Lens (mm): 78
ISO: 1600
Aperture: 9
Shutter: 1/160
And a strobed umbrella above camera right.

The second was with
Lens (mm): 55
ISO: 1600
Aperture: 9
Shutter: 1/125
And a strobed umbrella slightly camera right, about a few inches above where I was sitting.

The third was with
Lens (mm): 112
ISO: 1600
Aperture: 9
Shutter: 1/160
This was taken under a tree by Wightman with a strobed umbrella just a bit to the left of Martha, fired at 1/8 power.
I need to watch my ISO which my camera tries to adjust automatically between shots.

JRN 420 Still Life Assignment 3

2009-10-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

This was my first time ever shooting still life, and I found that once I started shooting I had a ton of ideas. It was difficult to sort through and find just two photos, but here are the ones I liked the best. I went with the theme that "Lessons Can Always Be Learned From The Past."

Crawford Still Life #1

Rebecca Crawford, Still Life, F 13, Shutter 1/13, ISO 100.
As photography ventures more into the digital realm, memories and lessons learned with film are still worth holding onto. Even though film cameras might start to collect dust, what they've taught us will remain clear.

For this shot I used the smaller softbox set off to the left side, slightly behind the camera and gloves, pointing down towards them. The softbox was turned so that it would be horizontal and there was a fill light coming just a little bit from the side on the right. This was shot both on the studio light table and on a piece of white matting board to reduce the glare. This one was on the matt so the glare was not as bad. I also shot this on the white backdrop but it didn't turn out like I'd hoped. I also used 1/8 power on an SB-800 strobe pointing up towards the ceiling.

Crawford Still Life #2

Rebecca Crawford, Still Life, F 6.3, Shutter 1/25, ISO 100.
Time is often a major stressor in life, and there is constant worry that the next moment will pass us by. When looking too far forward, we can sometimes overlook that the key to life's lessons is in the past.

For this shot I used a big softbox set vertically off to the left and placed the clock gears on their side. The gears were set on black velvet curtain laid over a box and were set to the right side of the box, where they were backlit with a rim light. The rim light was set up on the right hand side of the box, pointed just slightly behind the gears. I knelt down next the right side of the box and zoomed in on the key, using a SB-800 bounced off the ceiling to try and light up the darker sides of the gears.

Lighting set up photo. For 1st photo, changed to white board and took away black backdrop-

JRN 420 Painting with Light Assignment # 2

2009-09-20T21:01:00.001-07:00

Dreams and Reality

Rebecca Crawford, Painting with Light, F 5.6, Shutter 73, ISO 100.

Dreams provide us with visions of ourselves in roles and places we never imagined. Sometimes the choices are similar to situations we are as facing in reality. The key is discovering if our dreams give us clues or helpful hints to what we should do, or if they are just bizarre thoughts.

To create this photo balloons were strung from the beam in the studio on both sides of the frame. I knelt first on the right of the frame and a strobe was fired. Then I switched positions to the other side, and another strobe went off. The balloons were hit with a little bit of light from a flash light with a little bit of blue tone. The background is a police flasher, moved around as fast as possible.

Rebecca Crawford, Painting with Light, F 5.6, Shutter 84, ISO 100.

Fear grabs hold over everyone. Awake or dreaming, the things we push away come back to haunt us. Although the situation may seem impossible to get out of, many times the answer is to face it and fight back no matter how afraid we may be.

On this photo a muted strobe was fired to freeze me and a blue filtered flashlight was swirled around me from top to bottom, around legs and back up. Then a red filter was put on the flashlight add starting from bottom went up again.

This assignment was a lot of fun, hard, but I learned a lot. Mainly keep out ambient light, it is difficult to stay in a position for too long, have something heavy enough to hold the shutter button down, and keep trying until it comes out right.

JRN 420 Portrait 1

2009-09-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

A saxophone player from the age of 10, Dustin Kunkel always was the "band kid". He played throughout high school, tried to learn piano, but found it wasn't for him. Around his 18th birthday his best friend bought a guitar which sparked Kunkel's interest. Now at the age of 23, he practices on his Washburn electric four times a day for up to one hour sessions. He says he likes music because "it is a universal language that everyone knows."
Kunkel can be very outgoing, crazy, and even a bit dramatic at times. He does almost anything to get people to laugh or smile, especially while playing. It seems he is always happy. When he is away from playing shows and is by himself or a few people, he is nervous and shy. Having a crowd seems to make him feel comfortable.

I had a few issues in the studio, but for the first time using all the lights and setting up, I think it went ok. To shoot I used a Nikon D80, rim light, main, side, and small back light. Lens ranged from 50mm to 200, and shot at about F16, 200 shutter and ISO .

FIRST STUDIO PHOTOS

2009-09-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Always preferring to be outdoors than in, I have never shot much more than a snapshot inside...and I have never shot in a studio. I had not set up a soft box, used a strobe, known what a pocket wizard was, or a white lightening. Needless to say, up until mid-last year/ this semester, I was feeling a little behind.
But though I love the outdoors I am not one to shoot landscape. Instead I love working with people, being crazy, and just having a good time.
The photo above is my first attempt... on the the Nikon D80 with an 85mm and F16...white balance set on auto...wasn't working so hot....little blown out.
The second photo was same, except I set the F stop to 22. The last few takes are my favorites. I learned that it is important to keep the rim ligt from bouncing back into the camera, as it will mess up your exposure or leave you with some glare. Keeping distance from the subject is important, or you will cut of body parts, or have to jump back to catch the action and will miss the moment. So stay back, use the zoom and that why you are prepared for what they do. Keep the subject close to the light, but keep in mind reflective objects they may be wearing. Like the chain and the glasses above. Keep relaxed. Remember to not "chimp" and stare at your LCD, once you have a good idea roll with it. Otherwise you waste time and your subject looses interest too. Keep your ISO at about 200 (because those lights are indeed plenty bright). And action and reaction and 98% always better than a straight pose for showing character. It is more than what I know or can see, but there has to be show emotion or moment to tell everyone else who they are. Lastly, stop freaking out, breathe, and just have fun. Learn as you go. The first time might not be the best but everyone learns and gets better.
PS.-- I noticed that despite trying to get these in order they start off at the very top with last frame, then scroll down to first take. :)

Journalism 423 Final Project (Leaving Life for the NAVY)

2009-05-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

With a slew of setbacks, I had to change my final project idea, and ventured in the direction of a young man leaving his wife and 10 month old son for the NAVY. Having almost joined this past June, I want to continue follow this story when he leaves for boot camp and comes home on leave----

CHAPTER 1

Leaving Life For The Navy from rebecca crawford on Vimeo.

CHAPTER 2

Leaving Life For The Navy (Part 2- Preparation For Change) from Rebecca Crawford on Vimeo.

CHAPTER 3

Leaving Life For The Navy (Part 3- Sacrifices) from Rebecca Crawford on Vimeo.

Leaving Life for the Navy”

“You can’t really be patriotic until you’ve done something for your country,” Carl Copenhaver, 23 of Ludington says, about why he has decided to join the military even with the current war. Copenhaver says that plenty of people say that they support the U.S a hundred percent, but he feels that actions speak louder than words. Married just last year to his soul mate, Jackie, with whom he has a ten-month-old son, Copenhaver decided to sign a six-year contract with the NAVY and will leave for boot camp this October.
Fueled by the drive to be patriotic and gain a new experience in life, Copenhaver acknowledges that financial security for his family is also a deciding factor with the way the economy and job marketing have been. He takes comfort in the fact that the U.S government isn’t just going to lay off their personnel after they sign a contract with them. Having worked an assortment of various jobs, and having been laid-off since winter, Copenhaver is looking for something he can rely on, and to have a job that he can have fun at and enjoy doing.
Support of his decision to join was slow to come from some, but for the most part, Copenhaver’s family and friends are behind him every step. Two of his best friends are currently in the Marines, his father and mother were both in the NAVY, and his stepfather was in the Army. Jackie, realizing that joining was something that her husband was serious about and wanted to do, has put her effort and love into being there for him and helping him prepare. “Everybody was just kind of like, whatever you need, just let us know,” Copenhaver says.
Having scored unusually high, with a 95, on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), Copenhaver has a good chance of getting into the program for which he signed up for. Without any studying, or preparation, he scored a 92 on the pre-ASVAB given to him by his recruiter, and is now focusing on the physical requirements to enable him to successfully make it through boot camp, and pass the PST (physical strength test) for NAVY diver. “It’s a lot of them breaking you down. That’s all boot camp is. When they say jump, you say how high. Any hesitation can cost people’s lives.”
Every day Copenhaver works out at the gym in his apartment complex, or outdoors. To pass the PST for diver he must be able to swim 500 yards non-stop, do 50 sit-ups, 42 pushups, 6 pull-ups, and then run 1.5 miles, all within a timed period. To make it more fun and spend as much time with friends before he leaves, he just tries to play basketball, go disc golfing, and rollerblade whenever he can.
“The hardest part for me is going to be him not being able to see Brendan grow up everyday. Everyday he does a new noise, or moves more, just advancing everyday,” Jackie says. “I am nervous. Part of me just selfishly doesn’t want him to get into the dive program just so he’ll get home sooner.” For Jackie, as well as her husband, it is a mix of emotions. She is proud and supportive of him, but knows its going to hard to watch him go and to worry about the possibility of him going overseas with the war going on. To not be totally alone and to save money to use to enjoy little things together before he leaves, Copenhaver, Jackie, and their son have decided to move in with Jackie’s parents.
“Whenever I’m away…it’s going to be nothing. I’m going to have nothing. All the comforts I’m use to and have, I won’t,” Copenhaver says. He feels the burden and worry of going away for so long, and knows he will miss his wife, son, and friends, but he feels the NAVY will be a good change and will benefit his life and his family’s.

JRN 423 Video Story 2 (In Love With Freedom)

2009-04-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Rebecca Crawford on Vimeo.

For Journalism 423, this is my second video, focusing on the subculture and obsession of motorcycle riding.

"In Love With Freedom"

For Bryan Sanders, 24, riding motorcycles has been a family tradition, beginning with his uncle, moving on to his father and mother, and is now something not only he but his wife enjoy. After looking for a motorcycle for a few years, Sander’s mother sold him her month old Yamaha vStar 650, the very day he and his wife had been out looking for a bike. “I’ve always wanted one. The thing I like about being on a motorcycle in one word is just freedom,” Sanders says. He tries to go out for a ride whenever the weather is nice, and often rides his Yamaha to work. Although he enjoys riding, he admits that long rides, such as a 6-hour trip he and his wife went on to attend his cousin’s wedding, are not something he’d like to do all the time. This is especially true now that his wife is near the end of her pregnancy. Sanders fears her going into labor while he is out riding and can not hear his cell phone. “I just enjoy riding. I could care less about what people think,” Sanders says of the stereotypes that people have about bikers. Biking is just something he loves doing, not something he does to gain attention. He looks forward to when his wife can be on the bike with him again, and taking his son riding when he is old enough to go.

JRN 423 Video Story 1 (Battling Bulimia)

2009-04-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Untitled from rebecca crawford on Vimeo.

For the first video for Journalism 423 I wanted to focus on an illness or struggle. I wanted to show how it affected someone's life, and how they confronted and stood up to the issue.

Battling Bulimia

Brigid, 31, of Ludington has been struggling with Bulimia for the past 14 years, and admits that she has overcome many obstacles but is yet to wins some battles. Having grown up with overly busy parents, a shy personality, and Bipolar Depression, Brigid started to develop an eating disorder in junior high. “It was never a physical thing, it was much deeper than that,” Brigid says, combating the stereotype that people with Bulimia binge and purge solely because of appearance issues. While in treatment for Bipolar Depression, Brigid’s nurses suspected that she had problems with Bulimia, but Brigid denied it and was released. Two years later, during a time in her life where she consumed less than 600 calories per day, she passed out hitting her head on the bathroom tub. It was then it became clear to her that she needed help. “No one knew. My family didn’t and I just kept it secret. It allowed me to keep going,” Brigid says. After finding out that Brigid was fighting with Bulimia, many people in her family blamed themselves, especially her mother. She found it difficult to tell friends and roommates, but became friends with many of those in treatment with her, with whom she could confide in. Now, lucky to have narrowly avoided the worst of health complications from Bulimia, Brigid speaks to a counselor, make meals plans, tries to avoid the scale, and is excited to attend graduate school in Pennsylvania in the fall. Although she realizes that she is a long way from her view of being “cured,” she is just trying to take things slow. “You have some good days and you have some bad days. It’s just better to focus on one at a time,” Brigid says.

JRN 423 Final Video Proposal Treatment (Pretty Addictive)

2009-02-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

Pretty Addictive

For the final months of Journalism 423, I plan to make a segmented video focusing both on subculture and drug addiction. The video will be about ten minutes long, splitting into three chapters. The focus is on a twenty year old man named Clifton, who’s currently in-between modeling contracts. He has no plans of attending college and has never held a long-term job. After being homeless the past few months, he has just moved back into the basement of his mother and stepfather’s house. Since a young age Clifton has struggled with alcoholism, and on frequent occasions drinks a bottle a day. He also battles bipolar depression and has tried more than once to end his life through overdose and cutting. To escape from his faltering self-image and to feel at ease around peers, Clifton experiments with marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy. He has not modeled for a company in over a year and is on the outs with his manager. His attempts at normal job have ended after only a few months from lack of motivation. He has not yet begun looking for a new job or a new manager to get his career back on track.

I plan to approach the story from a documentary standpoint. For the most part I plan to be detached form the subject and to film solely as a silent observer; the film will be broken up with occasional snippets of Clifton commenting about his life, like a self-biography. The story is to simply focus on the struggles of a teen model now approaching adulthood, without a career and no plans for the future, and who has turned to drugs for escape. The first segment of the video will show Clifton in his current state, with just an overview of how things are. For the beginning I want to introduce Clifton talking about his life so far, with shots of his basement residence, and comments from his parents on how they feel about his modeling and lack of aspirations. Shots of his piles of clothes, his unwashed appearance, the marijuana, and him lying around in bed; all to show the viewer an overall jist of the environment he is in. After establishing the atmosphere I want to cut to his outings with friends, and capture the times he actually leaves the house. I plan to film the parties and the persona he adapts to fit in with the crowd; the main focus being on the excess that he takes it to with the drinking and drug use. The first segment will end with shots of his condition after a few nights of partying, his parent’s reaction after he returns, and an interview with how he perceives his life and where he plans to take it.

The second segment will focus not on his current state, but on what he use to do and his attempts to find a new job. This part of the video story will flashback with a glance at his modeling portfolio, and work he use to do. To show this I want to use shots of him glancing through his old portfolio and commenting on where he use to be. I want to establish how he got started as a model and the amount of work he use to do, compared to now. I hope to film a meeting between his manager and him about his old work and what he needs to do to reinvent himself. This segment will close with comparison flashbacks between his old appearance and his current. I’d also like to explore the problems that has come along with modeling and the reason why he came to use drugs. The main issue will be underlying problems with self-confidence and possibly a look into how these views have come to affect his drug use, current employment, and relationships. It will start with a series of shots and interviews about what he use to do, flash to meeting with his manger about how things are, then shift to how he became addicted, and end with problems with relationships that drugs have caused. I plan to film arguments with his mother and stepfather who is also a police officer, his manager, friends, and string of on-off girlfriends. Through this I hope to show the contrast from how smooth things were to the destructive chaos they’ve become.

In the final segment I want to focus on his efforts to improve his life; the actions he is taking now, and his goals and plans for the future. I want to show his working out, speaking with mangers, delivering applications to local employers, and his efforts to start up his career again. Shots will include snippets from his workout routine, his meal preparation, and his interaction with potential employers. The very end will also have brief interviews with his parents as to whether or not they think he has made progress, and Clifton’s take on how things are going. Depending on what happens at then end of a few months, the story will end with either Clifton posing or walking for a fashion show, or staying stagnant in his parent’s basement and turning again to excessive drug use with his friends.

I decided to try to film this specific person and topic because many college age adults can relate to the pressures of everyday jobs, trying to focus on a career path, and the temptation of drugs and alcohol. Before making the decision to attend Central Michigan University, I was in nearly the same scene of life. I had few plans for the future, a complete lack of confidence, problems with relationships, and the crowd I associated with did not focus on reality. The people I knew wanted to be actors, poets, and artists; they took heavy amounts of drugs and modeled their lives after the past. Clifton’s story connects with me on a personal level because he seems to be living in the same mindset; he is stuck on his past career and is trying to ride out his wave of fame without realizing that he needs to open his eyes to his future. I’d like the film to give the audience the overall message of not to live through the past achievements, but to keep pushing for new ones. I’d especially like people who are my age to see that drugs can drag down the beautiful and talented. Falling into unrealistic career paths and using drugs doesn’t help you achieve creativity and fame, they only keep you stationary.

JRN 423 Second Soundslide (Learning To Fly)

2009-02-18T06:05:00.001-08:00

For Journalism 423, this is the second soundslide I put together, focusing on high school sports.

“Learning To Fly”

Ludington High School gymnast, Ariel Tucker, 14, has been training at Flipstar since she was six years old. Her interest began after watching her older cousins perform their routines at the gym. She thought it looked like fun and wanted to try lessons out for herself. Although she admits practices are exhausting, lasting around 12 hours each week, Tucker says that she also finds time for school, family and friends, and cheerleading and track. Tucker is currently training to become a level 9 competitor, and hopes her team will again be able to go to state. As for her goals, Tucker hopes to perform well at the next meet, and wants to take her future career choice as a gymnast as far her ability and motivation will let her go.

423 Soundslide 1 (Joy Ride)

2009-02-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

For Journalism 423, this is the first soundslide I did, with the decision to do it on Winter Sports.

“Joy Ride”

Friends since junior high school, Brian Sanders and Shawn Deweerd, 22, have managed to maintain their friendship throughout the struggles of college, moving, and Sanders’ marriage. At least once a week, Sanders and Deweerd travel to one of the surrounding ski areas of Crystal, Boyne, or Caberfae Peaks. The drive is a little over an hour and a half, but the time passes quickly catching up with each other’s lives and listening to classic rock playing over the radio. Travel is becoming more detailed and planned out, and both admit that their have been winters they have only been able to head to the resorts a handful of times. This winter has been the most difficult so far. Deweerd is going through the delayed entry program to enlist in the NAVY and Sanders just recently started a new construction job after being laid off a week before. Sanders and his wife are also preparing for their first child who will be born sometime in early June. Growing up Sanders had tried skiing but also just found a better connection with snowboarding, that and the fact that snowboards could be bought at Wal-Mart but skis could not. Deweerd started off the opposite, having bought the pair of skis he still uses today from an older cousin. Although Sanders and Deweerd acknowledge the traditional rivalry between skiers and snowboarders, the rivalry is a small one; both recognize each other’s talent and just enjoy hitting the slopes with a good friend.

All Night

2009-02-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

I haven't sleept in about three days, and it will be another all nighter. 423 soundslide will be only the second one I have ever done, and the issue of having a 2003 Gateway Xp isn't making it any easier.

Louisiana Night was my first trial shoot for CM-Life and I am praying to God that I can at least be proud of what I can do compared to some of the brilliant people there (ie, Jessica Scott, Neil Blake, Jake May, John,...etc).

Didn't have a strobe, so this was winged. The first photo was bad, but I liked the couple- even though she was in a wheel chair, her husband wanted to dance and they had a great time.

I am looking forward to this next year--