A Slice of Kristin Gotch

        Kristin Gotch likes blank pages and fresh starts.

Gotch is from Idaho Falls, Idaho.  She is currently a senior studying English and Journalism at the University of the Cumberlands.

       Gotch likes Kentucky, but she misses Idaho.

“I was reading an article on the ‘seven wonders of Idaho,” said Gotch, “It included places such as the Snake River and Craters of the Moon.  When I was younger, my family and I frequently visited these places. I started taking them for granted. Now that I’m so far away, I have discovered how important Idaho is to me.” 

        After graduating, Gotch hopes to study poetry in the MFA program at Eastern Washington University. She plans to teach creative writing.

She enjoys poets such as Lawrence Ferlinghetti and e.e. cummings.   “Don’t let that horse” is Gotch’s favorite Ferlinghetti poem.

      “The poem is about an artist that won’t give up.  I want to have that kind of confidence and courage in my writing,” said Gotch.

       Gotch is the editor of her college newspaper, The Patriot.  She became interested in journalism after reading “Ana’s Story” by Jenna Bush. 

      “I was heart-broken by this story about a girl with AIDS. It put a face to an epidemic,” said Gotch.

       Gotch is currently enrolled in Introduction to Journalism.

      “I think it will be good to re-learn the basics,” said Gotch.

       Gotch enjoys listening to music while she works.  She recently added Vampire Weekend’s cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m Going Down,” Sleigh Bells’ album “Treats” and a live recording of “Kill the Messenger” by Jack’s Mannequin to her iPod.  

      Gotch finds that she has little time to watch movies, but she recently watched “The Kings Speech” and “Batman Begins.” 

      “I enjoyed “The Kings Speech” because it was emotional, yet hilarious.  I fell asleep during “Batman Begins,” said Gotch.

      At the end of the day, Kristin Gotch just loves being alive.

A Study of Photojournalism: Zed Nelson

          This photo shows the nurses and anesthesiologists who assist the surgeons during rhinoplasty operations, or as they are more commonly known, nose jobs.  The photo was taken by Zed Nelson in Tehran, Iran where nose jobs are becoming a social trend.  The photo comes from Nelson’s collection in features project called “Iran Nose Jobs" from his personal website. 

         Nelson is a British photojournalist, but his work has been published and exhibited worldwide.  He focuses on social behaviors in the western world.  His most recent projects include a photo book entitled Gun Nation which displays America’s disturbing obsession with guns.  Another book called Love Me explores the world’s obsession with youth and beauty.  Some of the Iranian nose job photos appear in Love Me. He won first prize in the 2010 Pictures of the Year Contest and third place in the 2010 World Press Photo Competition for photos in Love Me.  Gun Nation won Best Photography Book in the 2010 Pictures of the Year Contest.

        Nelson shoots is photos in a 35 mm format and displays images with aspects of news photography, portraiture, and social documentary.  In Reuel Golden's book Photojournalism 1855 to the Present, Zed Nelson is quoted, saying that his photos aim to “investigate our obsessions and weaknesses.” 

       In his feature collection, Nelson quoted an Iranian proverb that says “Kill me, but make me beautiful.”  This proverb certainly speaks to the trend of dangerous beauty that is happening among Iranian women. 

         This photo is unique because it shows the women who assist with the operations, and all of their noses are covered, leaving the viewer with a sense of mystery about whether the assistance have also received nose jobs.  The photo (as well as the whole project) is bizarre because women in Iranian culture are forced to keep their whole bodies covered when they are out in public—it makes one wonder why they would be so concerned with the appearance of their noses if throughout the day they can only show their eyes.  Because this photo is focusing on a trend story, it also conveys the value of currency and timeliness.  The photo is also artistic because of the way the women have lined up and they all match. 

A Study of Photojournalism: Gerd Ludwig

           This photograph shows a retired couple in their home in Moscow, Russia after the disbanding of the USSR.  The couple struggles to make ends meet in the new Russian economy.  She is a former scientist, and he is a former accountant.

           The photo was taken by Gerd Ludwig, a German photojournalist who focuses his work mainly in Russia and the former Soviet Union countries.  Ludwig first studied literature, political science and physical education at University of Marburg in Germany.  After dropping out, he held jobs as a bricklayer, dishwasher, sailor, and gardener.  He later studied photography under Professor Otto Steinert at Folkwagschule in Essen.  He co-founded VISUM, Germany’s first photographer-owned photo agency.  He has photographed for German magazines, Geo, Stern, Spiegel, Zeit-Magazin as well as Time and LIFE (gerdludwig.com).

           His father was in the Germany Sixth Army that invaded the USSR in 1942, and thus Ludwig became part of the guilt-ridden post-war generation.  Most of his photographs focus on the impact that the new openness of government was having on the daily lives of Russian people.  Ludwig shows the grim social and economic situations of these people, yet there is usually a sense of contagious optimism in Ludwig’s photographs (Photojournalism 1855 to the Present).

          This photo appears in the Ludwig’s collection on his personal website under the heading “Daily Life.”  The photo was taken after the fall of the USSR in 1991.  His optimism is the focus of this photo—although the couple is wondering how they will pay their bills and keep food on their table, they still have smiles on their faces and playful affection for one another.

        Emotion is the strongest news value displayed in this photo; it also contains timeliness for the time and situation in which it was taken as well as artistic sensibilities.  The optimism in the photo also holds strong feelings of impact and conflict.  The new government in Russia was controversial among people in the country, yet the viewer is seeing this couple outside this conflict which is a strong contrast in itself. 

A Study of Photojournalism: Joachim Ladefoged

            This photograph shows a Danish bodybuilder competing in the 2001 Danish Bodybuilding Championships.  While this subject is a female, it is hard to tell because she has worked off every ounce of fat from her and has injected testosterone into her body. According to an article that ran in The Independent, Bodybuilders tan their bodies extremely so that their muscles can be seen clearly from the stage. 

The photo was taken by Danish photojournalist Joachim Ladefoged.  The photo was published alongside other photos of extreme bodybuilders in Ladefoged’s book Mirrors published in 2008 as well as in the U.K. based magazine The Independent.   Ladefoged has published both news and social documentary photos in publications in the U.S. and Europe. According to Reuel Golden in his book Photojournalism 1855 to the Present, Ladefoged is known for both the artist aspects of his work as well as the honesty of his images.   Ladefoged spoke about his experience photographing bodybuilders in The Independent, saying “their eyes really told the story.” Also in the piece that ran in The Independent, Ladefoged explained that most of them had been bullied in school either because they were fat or because of some other imperfection in their appearances.  He tried to make this woman smile, but she remained with this detached look on her face.   

            For this project, Ladefoged photographed his subjects without any indication as to who these people were outside of their accentuated muscles.  He chose a dark background because it made their suffering eyes standout and gave them a “haunting” look to match their ghostlike dispositions.     

            This photo displays a sense of prominence because bodybuilders are well-known subjects in the sports world, especially in Europe.  The photo also contains the news value of timeliness and drama because society is becoming more obsessed with body image, and it’s becoming harder to draw the line between health and appearance.  The photo also contains both impact and bizarreness because it is a “haunting” image to view, and the woman is so toned that she appears asexual.  The photo also shows an artistic value because it falls in between the realms of artistic portraiture and social documentary. 

A Study of Photojournalism: Mary Ellen Mark

         In this photo are twin brothers Tulsi and Basant.  They perform in the Great Famous Circus based in Calcutta, India.  The photo was taken in 1989 by American photojournalist Mary Ellen Mark and it appeared in her book Exposure published in 2006 as well as in her book Indian Circus and Aperture Magazine in 1992.  Her books can be viewed in part on her personal website.

          Mary Ellen Mark is one of the most popular female photojournalist in America.  Her photos have appeared in national publications such as LIFE, Rolling Stone, New York Times Magazine, and Vanity Fair.  She received her M.A. in photojournalism at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia in 1964.

        Mark is attracted to photographing people, especially those who are living on the fringes of their societies.  She has photographed prostitutes, mentally ill patients, homeless people and drug addicts. She never over sentimentalizes her subjects, she simply wishes people to acknowledge the harsh lives of her subjects.  She is not an artsy photographer; her best images fall somewhere between simple portraiture and news photographs.  He photos demand strong eye contact between the subject and the viewer (Photojournalism 1855 to the Present).

        The photograph above displays emotion as well as bizarre elements. The two men in the photo are midget twins, and they are wearing strange monkey costumes.  One of the best elements of this photo is that the unmasked man’s hair matches the wavy hair of the monkey mask that is on his brother’s face beside him as well as on the mask that he holds in his hands.  The viewer can also somehow tell that the subjects are twins although one is masked. The man on the right looks as if he may drop the sleeping puppy that he is holding in his awkward, fuzzy costume hands.   The photo is unusual and bizarre.  It shows the straight-faced emotion of the men, and it tells the story of a society’s minority and outcast, midgets, surviving only in the circus.

A Study of Photojournalism: Judah Passow

 

        This photo shows a reflection of New York City in the window of a Muslim-owned shoe store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The photo explores the tensions between Americans and Muslims with a sense of symbolism in the reflection.  The American flags, statue of liberty and city buildings are bolder than anything that can be seen inside the window of the store, showing that America tends to overshadow the Muslim minority.  

        The photo was taken in 2001 by Jewish photojournalist Judah Passow and appeared with other photos depicting Islam in New York in a photo book entitled Shattered Dreams. Shattered Dreams displays Passow's 25-year coverage of conflict among Arab nations. The collection can also be seen on his personal website.  The book, published in 2008, displays other photographs that look at the larger conflict in the Middle East, especially that between Israel and Palestine. 

        Judah Passow was born in Israel and has spent his career photographing conflicts in the Middle East.  Although he is Jewish, Passow doesn’t photograph the issues from one side—in fact he often shows Palestinians as the victims (Photojournalism 1855 to the Present).  Passow is based in London, and his work has been published in both American magazines as well as European magazines. He has won the World Press Photo Contest for his work in the Middle East.  Passow also form Further Vision, a media production that works to expand traditional photojournalism with new digital technology.

        The photos that accompany this photo show Muslims in New York as Americans as they practice their religious and cultural traditions.  On shows an Arab barber with an American flag hanging in his shop and another photo shows a young man wearing a New York Yankees cap during a prayer at a New York mosque.

        This photo displays news values of art, drama, proximity and timeliness.  It is more of an artistic photograph than a hard news photo yet it still tells the story of American-Muslim tensions.  Although the photograph was taken in New York City, it provides a sense of proximity for all Americans, especially Americans in minority groups.  The issue that was photographed was timely for the time it was taken, and it is an issue that still affects Americans and Muslims today.

Skinny obsession pokes knives at belly fat

           As a female college student, I am constantly hearing about weight-loss regimens and carb-free diets— frankly, I’m sick of it. I watch some women count their calories on sheets of notebook paper and cry when they eat a piece of chocolate.  This strife to become fit is no longer a healthy objective.  Women my age are obsessed with being thin. 

          Obsessions are easy to fall into, I won’t argue with that.  I have been trying to shed a few pounds myself, and I guess I, too, have become consumed with my body image.   

          My friend and I recently started using the website Myfitnesspal.com to track our weight-loss progress.  She was motivated by the website.  I, however, quickly found this website to be more discouraging than helpful.  I was addicted to eating less and working out more to the point where I aimed to have negative numbers in my calorie counter each day. 

          I have also seen many people become more critical of other’s bodies and habits as they become more successful with their own goals. 

          The obsession is destructive, and it’s bringing out the worst in us.  But it’s not hard to see why.  Weight is thrown at women in everything from shampoo commercials to movies and television shows.

          In October 2010, Maura Kelly wrote an editorial for Marie Claire urging her disgust for the new TV series “Mike and Molly.” The show tells the story of a couple that meets in an Overeaters Anonymous group.  Kelly claimed that she would be “grossed out if [she] had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other.”  She took her displeasure for the television series one step further by saying, “I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room.”  Kelly didn’t stop there.  She compared her distaste for overweight people as a feeling similar to seeing “a very drunk person [stumble] across a bar or a heroin addict slumping in a chair.”

            It seems that Kelly took a stab at everyone with any kind of problem.  After receiving countless angry replies to her editorial, Kelly later apologized to readers who may have been offended—revealing her own struggle with anorexia. And that’s not a surprise—those who struggle with their own appearance tend to poke at belly rolls the most.

           Kelly attempted to offer some advice for overweight people, as if losing weight is as simple as tying your shoes.  She urges people to read labels and consume less processed foods and high fructose corn syrup.  But I wonder if Kelly has seen the cost of fresh fruit lately--$4 for a 12 oz. container of fresh blueberries, 62 cents per pound of fresh bananas. A gallon of milk is now over $3, but soda seems to always be on sale.

 Gas prices and taxes are increasing all over the nation.  According to a MarketWatch report released on April 16, the price of a gallon gas has gone up 75 cents nationwide so far in 2011, and gas has risen 20 cents per gallon in just the last two weeks.  Low income and middle class families are struggling to keep food on their tables. MarketWatch also reported that hourly wages have dropped .6 percent since March. Food costs are rising across the table, .8 percent in the last month. While people should be eating fresh produce and meats, processed foods remain the cheapest. 

          I’m not saying that individuals don’t have control over what they do to their bodies; rather I’m saying that outward situations and cultural influences have contributed to America’s obesity epidemic. 

Just driving around Williamsburg, Ky., I can see several fast-food advertisements for super-sized meals and more “manly” hamburgers at discount prices.  America is devoted to dominance and convenience.  We care more about the shelf life of a product than the life-span of a person.  While there has been some movement toward a healthier America, there is still more working against our health than working in favor of it.

          On the other extreme, there are people, especially young women, who are striving to look like the airbrushed celebrities on the covers of fashion magazines.  I’m not saying that people shouldn’t watch their weight, exercise, consume healthy foods, and take care of their bodies, but body image shouldn’t be the sole focus.  I’m also not condoning obesity, but people should think about an overweight person’s obstacles before they start poking their knives into another’s stomach.