For the last semester at Langara, you are required to undertake 2 practicums. My first is currently on Tuesdays with Sam Kaczur, which I will get into more detail when we tackle more projects, but the second is with Carmine Marinelli, a photojournalist who has worked for the Sun Media Corporation in Canada and abroad. You can see his work here in the link below.

http://www.carminemarinelli.com/

Photojournalism in itself is a dying art that I personally think that I too contribute to. With the advancement of photoshop and the blending of photography and digital art, the integrity of news photos has been questioned. The only adjustments generally allowed in ethical news photos are cropping and basic adjustments like contrast boosts and exposure bumps, as nothing in the scene itself is being altered directly. This on top of the fact that many media outlets are dropping their staff photographers (i.e. Getty Images, Reuters...) has brought the art to a decline.

I have the utmost respect for photojournalists as they were the ones to bring visuals to illustrate the wonders and horrors that happen in the world we live in. It was one thing to hear news back in the day, but to see it with our own eyes opened our perspective on global issues and in turn, how we approach and tackle foreign affairs. The pictures we see of modern conflicts, the images that portray the agony of disease, the illustrations of disastrous aftermath was brought to you by photojournalists that have risked their lives to keep you in the know. Today, it is so easy for anyone to pick up a camera phone and upload "news" before the media gets there - what I see as a blessing and a curse.

Anyway, we've been tackling street photography over the last few Thursdays and I thought I'd share some of my images here. Being outside of my regular comfort zone, it's fun looking for moments instead of making them.

Gear:

Nikon D610 with 35mm 1.8 or 50mm 1.4 lens
Nikon J1 with 10-30mm 3.5-5.6
Samsung Galaxy S5