Shylia Fletcher- Spot News

As I approached the Blue Bridge I see a horde of people.

 A family walking "The Bridge Walk" for Autism.

 A closer photo of a family leaving the event.

Some people chat as the event comes to an end. 

Street Photography-Tara Ross

#1 

James Beecher passes by a business woman who averted her eyes as she hurries past him.

#2

This monster-size, engine roaring vehicle spent 5 minutes trying to park.

#3

A few men catch their breath as they run away after pulling a"dine-n-dash"at a nearby restaurant.

#4

As the sun goes down, Grand Rapids Blue Bridge is lit up.

#5

James Beecher roams downtown Grand Rapids after finding out his favorite restaurant is closed.

Benjamin DeYoung Street Photography

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A pedestrian is seen walking across the street early Tuesday evening.

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A skating crew making a video speeds past on their boards in downtown grand rapids kicking flips and hollering.

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A man is focused only on his tablet in a Starbucks late Tuesday night.

 ISO: 100

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Two men cross the street with some groceries in the afternoon of a cloudy day.

ISO: 100

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Mikey is told that he has only one more chance before he is sent off to jail, this was his fourth unknown offence. 

Allison Blair--Street Photography

All photos I chose are from a street photographer named Brandon Stanton. He is better known for his project entiled "Humans of New York", where he takes pictures of random patrons who walk the streets in New York. He will often ask them a question about themselves or their dreams or their struggles and will include their answers along with the caption for each photo. I chose this particular photo because I loved the candidness and their willingness to be crazy and carefree in front of the camera. Each subject in Brandon Stanton's photographs knows full well that they are being photographed. I like how the wild person is in the middle and he sticks out as the focus of the image. I also like how together you see them as a group but can know things about each one of them through their expressions or what they're doing.

I chose this particular photo because of what the subject is doing and the contrast between the skateboard and the cast. I really love how the subject has a blank expression, a kind of "I'm too cool" look. I like how added to this, he is also doing a trick on his skateboard. On top of all this, he is wearing a cast and it is almost crystal clear as to how he got it. I like how there are elements in this photo that tell a story.

Finally I chose this photo because it showcases a person standing or waiting, but her expression makes it interesting. I was inspired by Brand Stanton because he goes out to take photos of people as they are. He takes photos of them in their environment but they know they are being photographed. With that knowledge, they grow comfortable with the camera and are able to act freely as themselves. The fact that Brandon likes to talk with his subjects as he takes his photos, I think, also help this. This is the sort of thing I wanted to do when I went out and took photos on the street.

This is Sarah who currently goes to community college, but wants to transfer for a degree in nonprofit business. She smiles for the camera as she waits for the bus.

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A film crew sets up for the next shot in a music video while on the Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids. They are a bunch of church friends interested in film who came together to make a music video for a friend named Jonah Krull.

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Sam is a current high school senior who plans to come to Cornerstone University next fall for Youth Ministry. He cowrote a song with his friend Jonah Krull and is also co-producing Jonah's music video. 

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Jonah Krull, the main artist of the music video entitled "Do You Remember?", throws up a peace sign with his girlfriend who is an actress in the video. He currently goes to Cornerstone University for commercial music.

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Doug Renteme, the cinematographer of the music video, checks playback of a previous shot on his Black Magic camera.

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Jonathan takes pictures of the sunset on the Blue Bridge one evening in Grand Rapids, MI. He is a marketing major at Grrand Valley State University and has a strong interest in photography.

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Street Photography- Cheyanne Fowler

Part One:

Taken by Diane Arbus
This photo is really interesting to me and strikes me with a story because to often you don't just see small people everyday, especially ones that are Russian. Formal elements used in this picture can even be rule of thirds; it also has a lot of detail in it. Looking around in this photo and focusing on something other than the people, that could be considered as too busy, however since the detail and objects are behind the people, our eyes go straight to them. This picture looks posed, however, the portrait look is interesting because in this moment you wonder what they are thinking about. 

This photo is interesting to by the blurred motion that is used to interpret the picture. You just see a woman with a bag of book and birds flying crazily about her. You're not sure if they are swarming in or flying away. Using formal elements in this picture such as framing, it's in just the right position to where you have a demential look from the blurred bird in the front left part of the camera, following all the way back behind the woman to the birds flying away. Rule of thirds, blurred motion, selective focus, etc. could also be considered as used. I see this photo as telling a story about woman who often comes to feed the birds. Her big bag of food or items inside suggest that if she is feeding them she knows how many there are down at that spot for them to come and fly towards her.

I picked this photo because looking at it, it is so striking and stands out to me more so than the others. This is a full on portrait shot, the up closeness makes it more personal and you can see the very fine detail of everything that is surrounding and on the man. Rule of thirds, white balance and space is also used. While also having those elements, it is straight forward and shows him at a perfect angle, not from the side, a birds eye view or from below. This picture shows a man who looks homeless, lets be frank he probably is. Sitting on the street, eating something of what looks like it could be a burger, we really have no idea if he got that from a restaurant or from the trash. 

Part Two:

Walking across the street after a long day of work, people start on their trek home, but the first stop is getting to their cars.
ISO: 800 F: 5.6 Exposure: 1/160 

Heading down the street towards food, four friends keep concentrated as they look ahead towards the busier downtown area.
ISO: 1600 F: 5.0 Exposure: 1/160

Coming from a busy day at work and business meeting at local restaurant, she stands out one the curb waiting to cross the road in the opposite direction of those around her.  
ISO: 800 F: 5.6 Exposure: 1/120

Walking down the street, this couple holds hands as they start into the main part of the city for dinner.
ISO: 1200 F: 5.6 Exposure: 1/120

Nekoda Boggs- General News

Planned Parenthood Protest

Protesters peacefully stand outside Planned Parenthood in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 23, 2016 singing hymns and praying.

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Protester Kris Michmerhuizen holds up a sign saying "I am a pro life feminist" on April 23, 2016 in front of the local Planned Parenthood.

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Laurie Dehaan stands across the street from the Planned Parenthood building hoping to be seen by cars passing by on April 23, 2016

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Nekoda Boggs- Street Photography

These photos were all taken by Diane Arbus who was known as the "photographer of freaks". I chose these images because I've always been drawn to the people who are different, who are outcasts, the ones society thinks are not normal. Each of these three photos are very up close and personal. We may not know their names but we can guess their stories. This can be through their eyes, posture or just where Arbus decided to move to place them in the photo. The principles that Arbus used the most in these three pictures were contrast, rule of thirds and anti rule of thirds. 

I was inspired by Diane Arbus and her fearlessness of getting up close and personal. At first I was scared and wasn't planning on working to hard to get people's names but then I ended up in the area with the most homeless people and I couldn't help myself but want to talk to them. I sat down with two people and got their stories and names. While, I did not get the name of the other four people I took pictures of though, I probably should have. I will, however, share with you the stories of the two I did.
I was also inspired by Arbus because I tried to used the anti rule of thirds, rule of thirds and contrast. It may have not turned out exactly as I would have liked and planned it was still a fun project getting to walk around the city. Also, four of the six people I photographed are homeless and while Arbus was the photographer of freaks I decided to be inspired to be the photographer of the homeless.

On April 25, 2016 Lee and her service dog Lola made their way to a doctor's appointment in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

 Lee became homeless when she was 14-years-old and was born with Marfan Syndrome. This syndrome is a genetic disorder that makes a person's features enlarged, Lee is effected in her figures and her feet. She has undergone eight different surgeries and has many health issues. Lee's mother died when she was nine years old leaving her with her father who didn't take care of her. Lee's service dog Lola is meant to bark and get help if she ever stops breathing. 

"The streets don't care who you are."

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Stephanie Lingly sits outside of a local building in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 25, 2016 with no other place to go or be.

 Stephanie Lingly is a homeless woman in transition from a man to a women. She ran away from home at the age of 17 and hitchhiked around. She has ADHD and a friend of hers in high school taught her how to abuse her medication. Her hitchhiking got her severely injured and she traveled from Indianapolis to Miami refusing medical treatment until she found herself back in Grand Rapids. 2/3 of her right eye and 4/3 of her jaw are titanium. After her surgeries Stephanie became suicidal and took all of her medication at once. "I lined them up and took them all" she said. Now she keeps only a week's worth of medication with her.
Stephanie's transition hasn't been easy on her or her family. She has been married twice with 2 sons from her first marriage and one son from her second. Stephanie's second wife left when she decided to make the decision to go from being a man to a women. Now she is barely getting by after she pays all her bills and is left with no more than $15. That isn't' enough to pay for her hormone medicine making her transition from a man to a women even more difficult.

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In Grand Rapids, Michigan a homeless man watches as construction workers stop for a break on April 25, 2016.

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A couple walks their dog in Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the warm spring day on April 25, 2016

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A boxer sits tied to a trash can waiting for his owners to be done inside a local shop in Grand Rapids on April 25, 2016.

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A homeless woman sits in the shade and plays her guitar in hopes for some change from passers by on April 25, 2016.

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Gabrielle Truax - Protest against Planned Parenthood

On Saturday, April 23rd at 9am in the morning, pro-life supporters gathered at Planned Parenthood, at 425 Cherry St. downtown Grand Rapids, to protest abortion and the harvesting of unborn baby parts. April 23rd was the first annual nationwide day of protest against Planned Parenthood.

Protesters collect in front of the Planned Parenthood establishment on Cherry St. where they sing hymns and listen to speakers.

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Tom and Candy Schmiedicke are strong pro-life advocates; Candy is the president of the Flat River Right to Life organization; she has eleven children and was blessed with her 47th grandchild on April 22nd.

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Austin, 5, protested alongside his 3 siblings and parents who drove from Freemont to be there; his 7-year-old brother, Tobyn and mom are pictured in the background.

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Michaila Cohen- Street Photography

This photo was very interesting to me and really caught my eye. I am pulled into this photo of a musician on the street playing his cello amidst all of the chaos around him. This photo uses blur to draw my eye straight to the main focus of the photograph which is the man playing his instrument, however, the blur of the people walking around him adds to the story by showing how busy everyone is walking to and from where they are going and not taking the time to pay attention to the man next to them. Leading lines are also used in the architecture of the building behind the man to draw your eye to him. The photograph is also framed in a way by the blurred people on either side of the man which further causes you to focus on him. By looking at the man in the photograph, I infer that he is an aspiring cellist and is trying to make it bigger in the city. He plays his cello on the street to find people who want to listen and also to try to earn money to get to a bigger stage.

I chose this photo because my eye was drawn to the movement in the photo and the perfect decisive moment. This man is in the city playing frisbee with his dog in the middle of the street. It looks like he may have trained his dog to do different frisbee tricks and wants to show off downtown. Leading lines of the road draw you in to the subject of the photo and the action taking place as well as vanishing point which causes you to look behind him. This does not use rule of thirds, however, by placing the subject right in the middle and having people on the sides of him, it causes your eye to be drawn to the subject. Motion is an obvious use with the dog actually in the air and the man looks as if he is pulling back which makes it so that you are actually inside of the photograph watching him and his dog in the street.

This photo is of a simple subject that we see every day, a woman crossing a street. However, the decisive moment of this photo makes it look like something we have never seen before and it makes us want to turn and look. This woman is crossing a crosswalk in a downtown city area and judging by the clothes she is wearing, it looks like she is on her way to work since she looks so professional. Motion is used in this photograph to show that she is in the middle of walking. You can see the flow of her hair being pushed by wind and her hands in the middle of arranging her purse. Rule of thirds is used in the placement of the woman in the photograph to further draw your eye to her even when there are cars and signs around her. The leading lines in the cross walk also help us to focus on her in the middle of them walking across.

Curtis and his friend, Ray, both homeless in downtown Grand Rapids, were so excited that I wanted to take a picture of them that they posed for me.

Kyle Underwood, meteorologist for Grand Rapids news, talks about how the beautiful weather has caused many people to gather downtown.

Chris sits down to let his dogs rest from their walk, he explains to me that when it's warm outside and he has the day off of work he always likes to spend it downtown with his favorite companions.

Tyler, student at Kendall College studying graphic design, takes a break from his classes to longboard and spend time some much needed time outside.

A man walks to meet his girlfriend for late dinner downtown as the sun is beginning to set.

As I take a picture of two girls walking by hoping they don't think I'm too strange, I realize that it is no other than Allison and Gabrielle also taking street photographs.