Commentary: End of year wrap-up

This was my first year on the photojournalism team and my fourth year on The Feather Online. I started out knowing absolutely nothing; I didn’t even know how to hold a camera the right way. Making the decision to be on the team was one of my few good decisions of the year.

I got to spend time with a group of girls who I have grown to love. It will be very hard for me to leave the team because of the friendships and memories we have created. Over the course of a year, I learned that taking risks isn’t always a bad thing and professionally I have learned how to manage time better and I think I have become a better journalist along the way.

As a photographer, I have grown immensely. Before I didn’t know how to hold the camera correctly. You can take a wild guess how my first few pictures turned out. Most of them were not focused and either too bright or too dark.

Over the year, my photos have become much better. I know how to move around the focal point of the photo and get the lighting right where I want it. Over time I learned many tricks with the camera and on photoshop to get an overall better photo.

Worship chapel was one of my favorite events to cover because the stage lighting was fun to play with. At first, I struggled a lot with the event because the room was so dark that I could never get the picture the way I wanted it.

Another event I learned from was shooting Fresno County’s Blossom Trail. This was one event that I went out and did on my own. I had a vision of the pictures I wanted and, by then, I was much better with camera skills. I learned that having a plan of the type of pictures you want to capture helps you get exactly what you want.

One thing I struggled with while being on the photojournalism team was getting the job done in a timely manner. When capturing a picture of a group it was hard for me to make sure my lighting was good and the picture turned out well without making the group of people wait a good two minutes. 

By the end of the year, I learned how to take a photo much faster than before. I had to get used to the uncomfortable few seconds before capturing the photo. I learned how to create conversations with people that I have never met before. 

In the future, I plan to keep photography as a hobby. I love playing around with the camera but I don’t think I would enjoy it has a career option.

A message I would leave behind for the next photography team is to always take up any photo opportunity you have outside of school. Sometimes shooting the same school events repetitively can be boring but outside of school. There are so many awesome things you can capture; you just need to find it.

I would like to thank Mr. (Greg) Stobbe and Mrs. (Kori) Friesen for always pushing me to do better. Even though sometimes I would be very reluctant, I’m thankful for the opportunities I did follow through with and complete.

Sydney Belmont will be attending Clovis Community college in the Fall and getting hopes to earn a masters degree in psychology at Fresno State. 

Below are some of my favorite images I have captured throughout the year. 

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To read more End of the year reflections, read Kylie Bells 2015-16 wrap-up.

For more Feather photos, visit media, photos 2016-17.