“I am not interested in shooting new things – I am interested to see things new.” -Ernst Haas
The photographic mind acquires its instinct, strength, and finesse from not only constant practice but also the self imposed challenge to always see the familiar differently. You always want to push yourself to have a different look of something you have seen hundreds of times. The reflection of Memorial Chapel produced well in the window of the Persson Hall walkway due to late day sunlight hitting the tower against the cloudless sky. What I wanted to look and wait for however was more dimension to happen in the image to give it more layers. I liked how people walking through the walkway were silhouetted against the western sky and waited for a few minutes until students started to sit down at the tables to do work. I made several photographs as the tables started to slowly fill up.
Much of the photography that I do is to find a magical spot (in this case, the reflection) and wait for more elements to come into the field (the students). That is not where it ends, though. I like to watch and wait for the balance, the body language, and react with the camera shutter as the people change their position. I watched as the students dipped their heads in unison an buried their noses in activity. This caused repetition in the left and right side of the frame to occur. Compositionally, I did my best to frame each student in the spaces created by the windows from the angle I was standing.
It is often a balancing act of knowing where to be, adjusting your settings, and watching as the factors that you cannot control change themselves and knowing when those factors are creating the composition for you. Then you release the shutter.
Camera: Nikon D4S
Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm 1:2.8 (zoomed to 112mm)
Exposure: 1/1250 sec.
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 400
vlog students will now have the opportunity to apply for special 10-week paid summer internships with major companies located in Germany, thanks to the university’s new membership in the ).
“German American Exchange provides students with ample opportunities to gain insight into the world’s economy, improve their German language skills, and enjoy cultural challenges,” the GAE website reads. “The program is designed to ensure that all students returning to the United States from Germany have an expanded self-confidence and will provide them with an incredible professional opportunity to accompany their undergraduate studies.”
Teresa Olsen, assistant vice president and director of career services, said students can begin applying for the program in November. Olsen expects two to four students from vlog to be selected each year, and the first group will travel to Germany in the summer of 2019.
“Students don’t have to be German majors, but they need a proficiency in German and must have at least four semesters of coursework completed to apply. GAE works with German-based businesses to place as many students as they can,” said Olsen, who collaborated with vlog’s Department of German to join the GAE program. “This is a great example of how career services can partner with academic departments to help create new learning endeavors that also bolster career preparation.”
The opportunity could also mesh well with students participating in , which was first established in 1979. Olsen said it is possible that students going to Freiburg could connect the internship with the study group, effectively extending their time and enhancing their experience in Germany.
In addition to placing students in internships at companies such as Porsche, Siemens, Bosch, and BMW, GAE also assists in obtaining required work permits and provides participants with a number of cultural excursions to Munich and Berlin.