2012: a whirlwind year

December 29, 2012

I’m at a bit of a loss as to where to start in reviewing 2012. It has been an awesome blessing of a year for me and so, so much has happened. Pinpointing just one place to highlight would be impossible, but it has all been awesome.

Joanna Reuter finds the right tool to take out to the garden to start weeding at Chert Hollow Farm. Joanna and her husband, Eric, run the farm by themselves. The two live off the food they produce and never take trips to the supermarket, as they have almost everything they need on their farm. The shelter Joanna is standing in was built from timber from the farm, which is now being converted for farm usage.

In 2012, I have travelled through seventeen different states. I started out the year with my final semester of college in Columbia, Missouri — one of my favorite places in the world. I graduated with a Bachelors of Journalism (a BJ, as I like to call it) after taking one of my favorite courses from school — A Picture Story with Rita Reed. In that class, I learned and laughed and stressed so much, and Rita’s words still echo through my head today.

A girl waits in a convertible as a part of the St. Patrick’s Parade in Kansas City. This was the 40th year of the parade.

I produced some of my favorite stories of my career in that Picture Story class, most notably my Off The Gridstory about a group of people who live without electricity for a more meaningful life. Not only was it a blessing to photograph people without electricity (hello awesome window light!), but being around them was inspiring and relaxing and very enjoyable. I had a wonderful experience with them and am grateful for the time they shared with me.

Etta Wilcox-Hughes sweeps the floor as Ariel Shapiro leaves the pantry during “beautification day,” a day of cleaning. Before her baby sister, Isla, was born two weeks ago, Etta was the only child in the house and therefore spends a lot of time with many of the different members of the community.

And of course, graduation was a blast and a curse — a bittersweet moment, as to be expected. But I had the world open before me, and an internship at The Oregonian in Portland, Oregon — a summer that I now refer to as one of the best summers, ever.

Susan Eagleston of St. Helens and Mike Diamond of Portland dance along to ‘Footloose” during the set for cover band Radical Revolution at Harefest. Diamond comes to Radical Revolution’s shows often. Katie Currid/The Oregonian

South football players, including defensive tackle Sagell Banta of Sprague, celebrate their victory after the Les Schwab Bowl. The South defeated the North 21-0, the first shut-out for the high school all-star football game since 1988. Katie Currid/The Oregonian

Summer in Portland is a magical experience, and between craft beers and VooDoo donuts with the other interns, I took pictures and loved every minute of it. I struggled a bit with questioning my career path, however — things were a bit bleak with The O’s publisher, Advance, and I felt a bit disillustioned after the comfy setting of J-School. It was a lesson in the role of business and publishing in journalism, and a valuable, though shocking, experience I don’t know if I could’ve found anywhere else.

The Tualatin Hills Synchro team practices at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center. The synchronized swimming program offers competitive training for all ages, or just-for-fun classes for those who want to learn the sport with no competitive pressure. Katie Currid/The Oregonian

Though I was unsure of my future at the time, I was especially grateful to have a slew of helpful ears and eyes to mentor me through the summer. Beth Nakamura, Thomas Boyd, Randy Cox, Lynne Terry and others were endlessly there for me in my magical intern journey, and I am lucky to have had their help.

Gregory Fisher shines his clients’ shoes in the Broadway Cigar shop in Northeast Portland. Fisher holds shoeshine “office hours” at the shop daily, and also uses it as a pickup and drop-off site for the used leather goods he restores, dyes and finishes for clients from his Southeast Portland garage. Katie Currid/The Oregonian

A woman tends to a child at the top of Multnomah Falls in Oregon.

Leaving Portland, I took a beautiful journey through Yellowstone and The West with Tyler, with a short pitstop in Kansas City. And then it was on to Dallas for a fall internship at The Dallas Morning News, thanks to the wonderful Chris Wilkins.

Gov. Rick Perry will speak on making higher education more accessible and affordable for Texans at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas. (Katie Currid/The Dallas Morning News)

Fans cheer as Red Hot Chili Peppers performs on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012 at the American Airlines Center. The show was part of their tour promoting their most recent album, “I’m With You.” (Katie Currid/The Dallas Morning News)

My time there was quite intermittent and because of the lack of an oven at Michael Ainsworth’s house, where I stayed, I couldn’t make my traditional “intern who fattens everyone up with cupcakes and cookies” introduction. Though my time in Dallas was short, due to an exciting early and unexpected job offer in Virginia, I feel like I took more pictures there that I am proud of than anywhere else. It just goes to show how important an amazing editing staff is, and The DMN’s got it.

Monika Thomas and Sterling Hudson of Carrollton watch the band Staind as they perform during the Uproar Festival on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012 at the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas. (Katie Currid/The Dallas Morning News)

Gymnast Abigail Moriearty, 9, is is tossed in the air by partner Raquel Mejia-Trujillo, 12, during practice for their acrobatic gymnastic routine at WOGA on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012 in Plano. Moriearty sprained her wrist during a fall in practice but is back to training now. (Katie Currid/The Dallas Morning News)

Of course, when I was in Dallas, I also hopped over back to Missouri for the magical week of the Missouri Photo Workshop. I met some fantastic people, both photographers and residents of Troy, Missouri, and the idea of community journalism was revitalized within me. It was perfect, because my next step was about to become a position that would herald just that — a job at a small town newspaper in Staunton, Virginia. My first job!

Jeffrey Coyle spends his mornings volunteering at various places through Community Opportunity, an organization in Troy that helps individuals with disabilities. Coyle fills up the water jugs of residents at the Silex Nursing Home.

So here I am now — a degree, a workshop and two internships later — in Virginia. I’ve had a lot of firsts this year. Of course, I got my first job, though I also spent my first holiday away from my family. But I’m so glad I’m here — this area is gorgeous and it seems appropriate to end it here, with what was a New Year’s Resolution from the beginning (employment).

Jasmine Beldin, 8, shares a secret with friend Bryn Johns, 8, in front of the balloon pop during the Fall Festival on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 at C.F. Richards Junior Academy.

Nathan Showalter pauses after a turkey culling at Heartland Harvest on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, in Mt. Solon. Nathan, who is 20, has been involved in his family’s farm all of his life, and though his job culling the turkeys is a messy business, he said he’s never imagined doing any other job.

Throughout this year, I’ve made so many friends, and met so many inspiring people that have pushed me to become a better person and helped me achieve my goals. I think it would be impossible to name them all, but I end this year with a wonderful taste of both amazing strangers and cherished loved ones who are the reason I am where I am now. My journey to whatever I’m going to become is not even close to being over, but I’m at a great jumping off place for the future here in Staunton. Here’s to 2013, and whatever it brings!

W. McComas, a firefighter with Staunton Fire and Rescue, watches the fire burn down at a vacant home in downtown Staunton. The fire started in a vacant house, so for safety reasons the firefighters contained the flames and let the house burn.

Capture the turkey: Farm manager Jeff Rohde does a behind-the-back motion to catch a tom turkey in a trailer where he kept the birds overnight on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012, at Charis Eco-Farm in Staunton. Because he is the main farm hand, Rohde culls most of the birds by himself and typically one-by-one. He spends two full days butchering all of the turkeys to fill their orders.

Tags: 2013 resolutions, a year in review, first journalism job, photojournalism internship

Posted in Picture Story Class, The Dallas Morning News, The News Leader, The Oregonian | 1 Comment »

One Response to “2012: a whirlwind year”

Lynne Terry says:

December 29, 2012 at 3:47 pm

They are wonderful!

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