Photojournalism

Photos are a core part of the stories that I tell. They have the unique ability to express emotions, feelings, or "vibes" that can not be understood or expressed through the written word.

Here are some of my favorite photos that I've taken.

Softball run to state semifinal

A Pinch of Luck

Senior pitcher Sami Rosenberg sprinkles dirt onto brand-new softballs to break them in. Rosenberg was a stalwart at the circle for the Wildcats, staving off a late Urbana comeback attempt and clinching the game on a strikeout. Rosenberg and the team’s offensive hitting led them to a 9-7 win over Urbana HS in the 4A state quarterfinal Monday.

It's Coming Home

Sophomore shortstop Addie Strbak slides into home plate to open the scoring for the Wildcats. Strbak’s run was also the first-ever run the Wildcats had scored in a state quarterfinal, having been shut out in their two previous appearances in 2021 and 2022.

Prayer for Deliverance

In the Wildcats’ dugout, junior Lydia Stelnyk says a prayer while former WJ player Maya Rickles looks on the field worryingly, with the promised land of a state semifinal just out of reach. The lead changed four times in the game with the Wildcats ultimately taking back the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Coach Carter

Softball head coach Richard Carter high fives his team as he is introduced at Bachman Field, the neutral site for the state semifinal against Leonardtown HS. Carter has coached the team to their winningest season of all time.

Go-Ahead

Senior second baseman Carly Gilder enters her swing. Gilder hit the go-ahead double to give the Wildcats a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Choking on Tears

The Wildcats softball team cries as they walk off the field at Bachman Stadium following their 12-6 loss to the Leonardtown Raiders in the state semifinal. The game was a heartbreaker as the Wildcats choked away the 6-3 lead they had held going into the top of the seventh inning.

Desperate Solitude

Sophomore shortstop Addie Strbak takes a moment to herself, crying alone on the field that saw her dream destroyed. Strbak was the last member of the team on the field following the game, and left it all on the field, playing through extreme pain after a hit to the shins.

A Pinch of Luck

It's Coming Home

Prayer for Deliverance

Coach Carter

Go-Ahead

Senior second baseman Carly Gilder enters her swing. Gilder hit the go-ahead double to give the Wildcats a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Reflection

I first covered softball because no one else on our staff wanted to cover it. But last year, the team made an unprecedented run to the state semifinal, shattering school records. Along the way, I covered the team through both photo and articles, even traveling over an hour to cover the semifinal.

A season that ended in heartbreak was a learning experience for me as I got to capture the raw emotions of a team on an emotional roller coaster: from exuberant jubilance to fear and anticipation to heartbroken desperation, using photos to depict the emotions that words never could.

WJ Fall 2024 Pep Rally

Seniors, wearing their class color green, shout as members of their class compete in tug-of-war against the junior class. The seniors defeated the juniors and freshmen to win the class competition.

Girls' soccer senior captain Ella Hoban introduces the team's 10 other seniors. The team chose "80s workout video" as their theme for the pep rally.

Pep band director Dr. Michael Helgerman directs the band while calling out. Pep band performs at pep rallies, football games and other major school events.

Boys' soccer senior Fraol Kedebe breaks through a paper banner as his team makes their entrance. Each team ran onto the field to introduce their captains and seniors and encourage students to come out and support the team at their games.

Boys' soccer sophomore Natnaelle (Natty) Mekonnen triumphantly enters the field on the shoulders of junior Nicholas Cornejo Zuniga, clad in a hot dog suit. Mekonnen is one of two sophomores on the team of mostly upperclassmen.

Reflection

Our pep rallies are one of just a few times per year that the entire school gathers in one place at one time. With a crowd of over 3000 students, it's not often, even at major football games or others events to have such a large, energetic crowd, that I got to capture on camera. Working with three other photographers from The Pitch, in the hours after the pep rally, we put together and published a photo gallery online and on Instagram, which became our most-liked post of the year.

Photo Editing

During press, I am also responsible for making sure that photos for print are the proper resolution and are grayscaled for most pages. I teach editors how to grayscale photos, and we also rely on the Photo Editor to help treat images during press. However, I also use Adobe Photoshop myself to edit images when needed. Here are examples of photos I edited myself.

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