Annual Ice Harvest

The video takes a look at how the community of Tully, New York comes together each year to accomplish the one goal of ice harvesting.

Photographing moments of grief

This article on NPR’s photo blog is not a multimedia story, but instead a piece about photographing people in moments of grief.  This ethical issue is one that journalists everywhere seem to face, but this is especially true for photographers.

The woman involved, Marie, was captured praying after the Newtown shootings.  She says, however, that she was not asked to be photographed and the experience made her feel like a “zoo animal.”

Of course, the photographer says he did what he thought to be least intrusive. Letting Marie grieve without interruption, taking her picture only to do what journalists do…tell a story.

I guess the point of this is that there is no “right” way to handle these sorts of situations. Journalists want to capture these moments of raw, human emotion and communicate such emotions to the world. The goal is to always be respectful, but how to obtain this will, more often times than not, be situational.

Weaving a New Beginning

Weaving a New Beginning from Tucker Walsh on Vimeo.

“Weaving A New Beginning,” by Tucker Walsh, is the story of two Zambian widows. Despite their hardships, both women manage to find stability in their life with the help of a local non-profit, Chikumbuso, where widows crochet and sell bags made from recycled plastics.  Throughout the video, the transformation one undergoes when provided with the resources and emotional support to heal is illustrated. And I really liked how well he captured the personalities of both women throughout the video.

Calming Seizures with Medical Marijuana

Calming Jayden’s Seizures from Ariana van den Akker on Vimeo.

This video accompanied a piece ran by the LA Times in September of 2012. It tells the story of Jayden David, 6, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome. Jayden takes a form of medical marijuana that is not psychoactive, which means that it does not give him a high. The problem, however, is that the type of marijuana he needs to calm his seizures is difficult to obtain. This story focuses on the determination of his father, Jason David, as he continues to search for the only medication that has, so far, been able to help his son.

The Cloud Juicer, bottling rainwater

The Cloud Juicer from Powering a Nation on Vimeo.

Okay, so this is a really cool story about Richard Heinichen, the first licensed bottler of rainwater in the United States. It’s another multimedia story by Josh Davis, the same guy who made “Only a Dream.” The story is of course done really well, but beyond that, it was just really cool. I mean, Richard Heinichen seems like quite the character…plus he sells carbonated rainwater and calls it Happy Water.

A First Kiss

First Kiss from UNC | Carolina Photojournalism on Vimeo.

This is a multimedia story (which also placed at the recent College Photographer of the Year competition) by Ariana van den Akker on exactly what the title suggets, a first kiss! It takes a central question and then interviews numerous individuals about that question. It’s a simple, but a very well made video. It shows that a multimedia story can be told about pretty much anything.

A Beautiful Waste

A Beautiful Waste from Powering a Nation on Vimeo.

“A Beautiful Waste,” by Jon Kasbe, won silver in the category of multimedia story in the most recent college photographer of the year competition. It’s a multimedia story about urban explorer Steve Duncan and his life of exploring and photographing New York sewers. I liked this story because it is kind of a feature multimedia story example. It highlights the life of one single individual who just happens to do do something pretty unique and interesting. I also thought the technical quality of this story was notable. I mean, it was shot primarily in a sewer, where it is pitch black, and the quality of the video is really superb.

Only A Dream, adding a face to immigration

“Only a Dream”  by Josh Davis was first published on the documentary website Reframing Mexico, and is part of the undocumentary project from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This story focuses on a man named Rogelio and the sacrifices that he and countless other Mexican migrants endure when trying to cross the border in search of a better life. While most of the current immigration debate is framed around whether a person is deemed “legal” or “illegal”, less attention seems to be paid to the sacrifices that thousands of migrants make while trying to make the dangerous journey into the U.S. This story provides a human element, a face to that narrative.

 

Love in the First Person, a multimedia example

“Love in the First Person” by Matt and Melissa Eich follows the life of a young photojournalist and his girlfriend as they face the pressure of young adulthood. Photography seems to be the primary source of showing the events that took place throughout the time the story was made. These photographs move in and out, sometimes coordinated to the background music played throughout the story.  I feel that Matt and Melissa used their photographs well, and really allowed for an intimate, candid look into their lives. It seems that nothing was off limits as they provide a narrative on the perils of growing up.

Airsick: An Industrial Devolution

Airsick: An Industrial Devolution from Lucas Oleniuk on Vimeo.

This is a multimedia story by photojournalist Lucas Oleniuk. The story focuses on climate change and the overconsumption of humanity. Oleniuk utilizes photographs, text, animation, and music in order to convey the warnings of industrial consumption and the effects it has on the earth. The audio is most effective. The music is almost haunting and adds great tension as it accompanies the photographs and quotes. It gives the black and white still images almost an eerie vibe, creating a somewhat unsettling effect upon the audience.  It jars the audience a bit, and truly fits the mood Oleniuk seems to be trying to achieve. The entire story, however, is editorial. I think that’s something that has to be kept in mind while viewing the video.