Each day is a lesson learned and it is hard to say goodbye

Owens photojournalism class at Bittersweet Farms (Photo by Lori King)

  I cannot believe that the semester is already over.  It seems like yesterday I was walking into class wondering what the semester was going to hold for me. 
  All of the students in the class were apart of the Outlook.  It was great to go from a staff of five to having a staff of more than ten.
  Being the Editor in Chief of the Owens Outlook, I felt that I was under more pressure to succeed in the photojournalism class.  It felt weird to me to think that Lori King was the advisor of the Outlook and my teacher at the same time. 
  There was so much information in one semester.  I do not know where to begin.  Understanding the rights to the media was a very importing lesson.  I know how to protect myself if something would arise.
  The class really makes you step out of your comfort zone.  I have always been a very outgoing person but there were times that I was hesitant to interview people for my assignments.   
  I wish that we would have been able to learn a little more about the writing aspect of photojournalism.  I understand that it was more about the pictures but most journalist do it all.  I wish that Owens had a journalist class that I could take to improve my writing skills more.
  At first, it was very challenging to blog.  I have never had a blog before.  We also had to be more social media savvy.  I only had a Facebook page so adding a blog, Twitter and Instagram account was a social media overloud.         
  Know, I feel more confident in my writing skills.  I have learned to reread over my articles multiple times.  Even though I did not like the idea of having a blog, I have grown to love it.  I like to be able to express myself and let others see my pictures.  I hope to keep up with the blog even though I am done with the class.  
  So much happened this semester.  Owens sent some of the staff to Philadelphia to attend a national convention were information was flowing everywhere.  I met great new people that if it was not for this class or the Outlook, I would never have had that chance.  The Outlook website looks fabulous.  The school is starting to see what we are all about.  I am very proud of everyone that a part of the staff of the Owens Outlook this semester.  We are one big happy family!  
  Lori and I work well as a team.  She is one of the greatest people that I have met in my life along with Diane Larson!  In the end I am happy that I took the class! 

Meeting new people and learning down on the farm

Matt Pierson (left) and Anne Foltz walking Cheyene for exercise. (Photo by Katie Buzdor)

Beth Meyers cutting the main pieces of glass for

the ornaments. (Photo by Katie Buzdor)

  The Owens photojournalism class received a great opportunity to do a service project.
  We piled into an Owens van and traveled to Whitehouse were Bittersweet Farms is located.  Bittersweet Farms is a small community that helps adults with Autism.
  Right now Bittersweet Farms is having issues with funding for their Medicade services that there residents receive. 
  When the class arrived, we interviewed one of the day residents Jamie Cummins.  She has been coming to the community for over seven years.  She helps in the kitchen and is a co-secretary for the farm.  She told us how much Bittersweet Farms means to her. 
  When we walked out of the main building after our interview and noticed multiple buildings.  We decided to break up into teams so that we could cover the whole community.
  There is a barn where they care for animals.  Bittersweet Farms also has a woodshop where the residents make different types of furniture and other crafts.  They even have a green house where they grow their own plants and make items such as pesto.  The community has an arts and crafts center where they make many types of items and sell them in their located in the community.  
  I stopped into the arts and crafts building, there were three people working on glass sun catchers for gift baskets for Huntington Bank.  This is where I met Beth Meyers. She is the longest resident of Bittersweet Farms.  According to some of the helpers in the arts and crafts center Meyer is the best cutter for the glass sun catchers. 

Dan Everett conditions Cheyene's hoof. (Photo

by Katie Buzdor)

  The barn was my next stop and a very interesting stop at that.  They had two horses, two sheep and a goat.  Dan Everett was one of the main helpers in the barn.  At one point the goat ended up eating a magazine that was sitting on a chair and Dan wrestled it to the ground to get it out of his mouth.       
  I really enjoyed my trip to the farm.  It was a bittersweet day for me.  I did not want to say goodbye.  It was great to get to meet so many different people and I am looking forward to going back and volunteering to help with anything that they need.       
Check out our story from the Owens Outlook 
http://owensoutlook.com/3019/whats-new/down-on-the-farm-ornery-bittersweet-farm-participants-remain-strong-despite-threats-in-funding/



Barn that houses the animals at Bittersweet Farms. (Photo by Katie Buzdor)





What's cookin' at Owens? A new Executive Chef!

 


Owens Chef Gretchen Fayerweather in the Owens Kitchen

Can you smell what is cooking in the kitchen?  Owens associate professor Chef Gretchen Fayerweather can taste victory.
  Fayerweather graduated from Johnson & Wales University where she received a master's in teaching along with a bachelor's in Food Service Management and an associate's in Culinary Arts.   She has a number of awards along with being named the Maumee Valley Chefs Association's Chef of the Year in 2012. Fayerweather has been an associate professor at Owens since 2008.
  The American Culinary Federation (ACF) offers 14 different certification designations.  Chef Gretchen received Certified Executive Chef (CEC) on November 8.
  To receive this certificate, certain requirements must be met.  A chef must have a high school diploma with at least an associate's degree in culinary arts and at least three years of experience as a chef de cuisine, executive sous chef or pastry chef.  The Certified Executive Chef is one of the hardest certificates to obtain before the ten day test to become a Certified Master Chef.
  The written exam is comprised of 100 questions along with a practical exam.  For the practical exam, the chef must provide his or her own ingredients and make three different courses from a list of ingredients.  The three courses include an appetizer course that includes seafood, a salad course and a main course.
  Fayerweather said, “I prepared my menu a month before the exam.”
  ACF suggests that candidates practice the dishes ten different times.  Fayerweather said, "You must be very organized and each time I practiced, my food got different."


Chef Gretchen Fayerweather

  The chefs are given three hours to prepare and plate the food.  Fayerweather came up with her own timeline for the preparation of her food to make sure that she was staying within the given amount of time.  “Each time I practiced, I got faster and the last practice before the exam, I was 30 seconds under the time.”  After the three hour mark, chefs are given an extra 15 minutes to present the courses to the evaluators.  The meal must include six to seven ounces of protein, four different classic vegetable cuts, four different cooking methods, two different sauces and pairing the appropriate vegetable and starch with the main course.  Fayerweather said, "You are not supposed to look at recipes when taking your practice exam."
  Four plates are made: one for the evaluators to photograph and the rest are to eat.
  After the evaluators taste the food, the chefs have 30 minutes to clean up and go into another room.  Each chef is then individually evaluated and the chefs can tell the evaluators what they thought as well.
  The evaluators look at organization, the way chefs are dressed and how composed and professional they are.  Sanitation is pass or fail.  If a chef touches raw chicken and does not wash his or her hands before touching raw vegetables,  the evaluators wait until the end of the exam to issue the failing mark on sanitation. Evaluators also look at the craftsmanship of the dishes and how they are presented on the plate.
  This particular certification has a 65 percent pass rate for the written and practice exam.  “I am so excited that I passed. I freaking love it!” exclaimed Fayerweather
  She took the exam in Columbus but testing sites are all over the United States and given all year long.
  “Part of the reason why I wanted this certificate was because Owens is now a certified facility," she said.  "The other part is a personal accomplishment and I foresee us being able to do that type of testing at our amazing site.”
  "I am glad that I accomplished what I did but I would much rather be with the students."
 

Sports photography is harder than it looks

 

Owens girls basketball team lines up during the singing of the national anthem. 

During a break away, Demy Whitaker tries to score a basket against

Wayne County Community College’s Carmisha Legion.

  I have always loved watching sports.  Running up and down the court, hitting the ball back and forth across the net, players running down the field was a great site to see. 
  I played sports in high school so of course I thought that I new everything when it came to sports.  Than I tried taking pictures at sporting events and I realized that I did not know as much as I thought.
  Timing is key to catch the fast pace of a sporting event.  Predicting the action will help make great pictures possible. 
  There are different types of techniques that you can use while shooting sports.  Freezing action is a great way to make the reader feel that they are at the sporting event.  Photographers have to use a very fast shutter speed to freeze the action.  Depending on your lighting your camera should be set at 1/1000 of a second or higher.
  Panning is another tool that photojournalist use to make their pictures more interesting.  In a panned picture the subject is very clear and still while the background is streaked or blurred.  Panning is one of the hardest techniques to master as a sports photographer. 


Head Coach Michael Llanas yells at his players.

  Sports photography is not just about the action of the game but about what is going on around the game.  Taking pictures of the reactions of the players makes the story more interesting.  Getting pictures with the fans and coaches expressions can make some very memorable pictures.  Besides trying to anticipate the action, you have to keep in mind what you are focusing on.  When action is happing it is harder to keep your camera focused on one thing.  Some sports photographers use auto focus for that reason.    I attended a home girls basketball game at Owens.  I moved around the sidelines to get the shots that I wanted.  Even though I played basketball for over eight years, it was hard to anticipate where the ball was going to go.  My head was attached to my camera the entire time. 
  I learned a lot from trying to expect what was going to happen next.  I also had to figure out what type of shot that I wanted to take. 
  Taking pictures of the action was fun for me but the best part of the night was trying to find fans to take pictures of.  There was this little boy who was really getting into the game.  In between the periods and at time outs the music would start playing and he would jump up and start dancing.  All of the fans would watch and cheer him on. 

Fan Alan Carlisle cheers for the Owens Express

  

Learning and networking in Philly

  

Landscape of Philadelphia

Philadelphia is known for brotherly love. 

  I had the privilege to attend the ACP/CMA Fall National College Media Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from October 29th until November 2nd.  The convention was held at the Marriott in downtown Philadelphia.  Students from different states attended the convention so that they could better understand the field that they were going to be graduating in. 
  The convention covered all media outlets.  The days were broken down into hour long sessions starting at 9am and running until 5pm with no breaks in between.  There were over 325 different sessions that were available for students along with advisors.  The convention had three keynote speakers along with many different professionals that have been in their field for many years.     
  There was a lot of information that was given at once and it took some time to sink in.  I am now ready to change the way that I run the Owens Outlook. 
   One of the key things that I went home with is making sure that I help every one of my staff members.  Checking in with them as they work on their articles is a great way to help.  Just assigning them an article and letting them run with it and not communicating with them is not a good way to run a paper.  I can give them some tips; like who they can go to if they have to interview someone, or if they are stuck finishing their article. I realized it is important to make sure that I am approachable, and that my co-workers understand that if they have a problem they can ask me.
  Another big concept that I learned was to be more creative.  I always feel that our paper and headlines had to look like a traditional newspaper.  Not anymore!  I am encouraging my staff to be more creative when it comes to writing there articles.  The Outlook staff consists mostly of photographers; so the potential for creativity is there.  I want to try to add some streaming videos to our website as well as some Buzz feed.   


Head staff of the Philadelphia Daily News asking the students questions.

  In one of my sessions I learned different ideas for content to be added to the website.  One of the new goals is to implement a review section.  Students, staff and faculty will be able to submit reviews on movies, books and video games.  I feel that this section will get many different viewers because it is not just hard news.  It can be fun and interesting at the same time.    The Outlook staff had the privilege to tour the Philadelphia Daily News.  We got to talk to many of the staff members along with sitting in on one of their meetings when they were trying to decide what they would put on the front page of the paper.  Afterwards the heads of the paper even asked the students what they could do to make their paper better.  I could not believe that they asked us for ideas when they were the ones that had been in their positions for years.    Since the sessions were during the day, we had time to tour Philly.  We were right in the middle of everything.  There was a fabulous market across the street that housed local venders selling food and other items.  The last day there, we walked the six blocks to visit the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  I was personally excited because I love the movie National Treasure.  I just wanted to stand were Nicholas Cage had years ago.  It was really neat to think that I saw a very important part of history.

The original Liberty Bell. 

  The trip was well worth it and I have Owens Community College to thank for sending me there.  I have confidence that with the information that I learned, I will be better prepared for my future in photojournalism.      






A man portals Independence Hall as they get ready to close.



  

Owens baking & pastry class whips up tiered cakes

Baking & pastry III class working hard on three tiered cakes.

  
   The smell of fondant and gum paste filled the room in Heritage Hall as the baking and pastry III class was in full swing. 
   The seven week class is one of three baking and pastry classes offered to Owens students working to receive their baking and pastry certificate.  Students must take the first two classes before taking the last and final class.  Baking and pastry I is learning the techniques and basics for cakes.  The second class builds on what they had learned the previous seven weeks.  Baking and pastry III is the cream of the crop.  It builds on previous baking techniques and gives the students more advanced techniques in cake decoration, chocolates, truffles, sculptures, blown sugar and pastillage.


A Pastillage sculpture stands in the window
located in Founders Hall in the baking kitchen.

   Assistant Chef Amy Morford said, "Pastillage are the big show pieces that you see that is technically edible."  Pastillage is made from powdered sugar and gelatin.  They usually take two days to make their pastillage sculptures.
   Chef Kelly Wolf teaches the baking and pastry classes. "This is the first class that has had more than 4 students in it so we needed an assistant chef.  We are happy about that"
   "I did not know that Owens even had this program and I thought that was perfect.  I was kind of self taught and I have never done sculpting because it was one of those things that you should learn before you dip your hand in it." Student Beth Tolles said.
   Students were working on assembling three tiered cakes in
teams of two.  They brainstormed what they wanted their cake to look like and drew a sketch of their ideas.  After they agreed on the sketch it was onto making the decorations out of gum paste and fondant.  They used Styrofoam dummy cakes because they are faster and they had learned the baking process in the baking and pastry classes prior.  They covered each tier with fondant and then stacked the cakes.  Decorating the tiers was the final touch.  They were graded on level of difficulty, challenge and other components.  
   Meghan Slates, a student in the class said, "the reason why I went into baking as a specialty, is because I do not think that I can handle the stress in a kitchen.  I have had a pretty decent career in retail and I want to open my own bakery that way I can have that control with making my own product because I know how retail works."
   Chef Wolf said, "savory chefs are always asked their specialty, but pastry chef are expected to know everything."  Pastry is a very broad term and sometimes people think that pastry chefs know how to do everything when it comes to baking.  Most pastry chefs have a certain expertise that they stick with.  Some only work on cakes while others only make chocolates.
   Students can receive there baking and pastry certificate in only three semester. 

Fondant leaves being painted by multiple colors to make them look like fall.

Chef Kelly Wolfe (right) helping her student Mary Sankovich roll fondant onto a dummy cake.

Jeff Davidson works on fondant leaves for his cake.  After cutting out the leaves Jeff adds color.

Tina Osment (left) and her partner Mary Sankovich works on assembling their three tiered cake.

Alicia Chamberlain was works on her Halloween cake by herself do to her partner being out sick.

Apricot glaze is used as a glue to keep the fondant in place on the cakes.

Learning compositional elements for better photos

The bird flying to the feeder is an example of stopped action and a shallow 
depth of  field. I also tilted my camera to give  the viewer a different look.

   Putting a camera up to your eye to take a picture is not always easy.  There are a lot of compositional elements most people adhere to so that their picture is pleasing for their audience.    

   Photographs for photojournalists are divided into four categories; informational, graphically appealing, emotional and intimate.       

 A Silver maple tree at Sidecut Metropark looks bigger then it does in person due to 
 the angle and perception of the picture.

   Informational photos are pictures that basically have the facts right in them and have the who, what, when, where, why and how.

   Graphically appealing pictures are pictures that would be boring but are changed to make them look more interesting.  Photojournalists are limited to what they can take pictures of due to what they are assigned.  They have to think of different ways to make their picture standout more.  They can use different angles, perception, et cetera. 

   Emotional photos are used to make the reader feel something for the person that is in the picture.  Photojournalists want there readers to be able to relate to  what the subject is feeling at that time.  Catching someone crying, laughing, yelling or other emotions make a good photo.

   Intimate pictures are the hardest pictures to take because they are more private.  Photojournalists have to get very close to the person and make their reader feel like they are standing right next to the person even if the picture was taken in someone's house. 

 The waterfall at Sidecut Metropark from this angle gives the illusion of leading 
  lines from the water to the green ground.

   Along with the four basic categories that pictures get put into, there are different compositional elements that not just photojournalists follow, but other professionals do as well.

   Rule of thirds, depth of field, action (stopped, blurred or panned), leading lines, shapes, framing a perspective just to name a few.  Photographers try to keep these simple elements in mind every time they take a picture.      

   Images need to be cropped more tightly for a newspaper than if a person was just taking a casual picture of a loved one.  The pictures get cropped tightly because they want to eliminate distracting elements and have a nice up close shot. 

   A photojournalist is only as good as their equipment.  If their camera is poor quality, it might be harder for them to take good pictures. 

   Photojournalists take pictures in multiple different places, so they need to have the right settings on their cameras.  Having a broad aperture and shutter speed setting is crucial.  In one day, most photojournalist take pictures indoors in low light settings as well as outdoors where the sun is shining.

   A variety of lenses are beneficial to photojournalist.  Having different lenses on multiple cameras is easier than trying to switch your lenses and end up missing the shot.

   Each time I take a picture, I try to keep all of these elements in my head.  I learn something new from every picture that I take.  Even when I get a job in my field, I know that each day will be a learning experience.