The Barn

The Barn, a new Albany staple, had its soft opening in Jone of 2019. They quickly realized that they needed more room to accommodate al of the customers and food trucks wanting a piece of the action. NOW Building, began work early November of this year. The finished product will involve heating lamps, loads of seating inside and outside, and a grass area for summer yard games. 

Jason Crow, is one of the three owners of The Barn. Brian Hovelsrud and his son running it along side him. Behind him is the party room. The space is available for rent. So far they have hosted class reunions, staff parties, and birthdays. Jason is looking forward to the future of this project, as is the rest of Albany.

 Inside is where you will find beer on tap and hard cider. hey also serve kombucha and soda for those who don't or aren't old enough for their selection of alcoholic beverages. Along two walls live four flat screens showing any game playing. Football being the most common this time of year.

The day before reopening, co-owner Jason Crow was making his rounds. Talking to al the truck owners and tap deliverers to ensure the next week goes smoothly. They had just moved the trucks back into their spots after the construction had finished. Safety regulations are strict for food trucks, needing to be around 9 feet apart and properly wired.

Stacy Hovelsrud has become a regular here at the Barn Her frequent visits may be due to her husband Brian co-owning the establishment. Sitting at the bar allows her to talk to all the employees and watch what ever game is playing. The Arizona football game was playing this time. 

Tis the season, even at a tap house. Next to the window facing the food trucks outside lives a tree this time of year. If you look close enough you cans see the ornaments are made from beer keg lids and a red solo cup on top.

Week 10 Forum

Topic 1:

My favorite photo I took this term was this portrait of Alondra Cortez. I like this photo the best because of the lighting and clarity. I had no idea what I was doing whenI took this picture. I had tried doing this two times before but was never really proud of any. This was a lucky picture. Looking back I realize I did some things subconsciously that did help, like getting to know her before I took pictures, and moving around to get better angles. This photo helped my throughout the rest of the term. It reflects that sometimes you just get lucky, or you just have to keep trying. My best photos have never been the first one taken. You just have t wait until the moment happens, and hope you capture it. I do think that I have improved over my time in this class. I know how to change the brightness settings, which I did not know how to do in my first week. I think that was painfully obvious when I took pictures of Fabian Gonzales. I also learned how to change lenses without breaking anything. That skill really helped my shoot Bradley Boyce for his swim meet.


Topic 2:
My goals for this class week 1, " My three goals for this class, is to be able to use a camera correctly, feel comfortable talking to strangers, and to learn how to write well."
I think I did this. I am not 100% with a camera yet, but I do think I can take good pictures in a variety of settings. I would not be able to shoot anything professionally but I can take really good portraits. My best pictures were of Pam and Alondra and they were both portraits. I can definitely talk to strangers. I had to do this for a lot of my pictures. Fabian Gonzales was a complete stranger, I haven't seen him since I took hat picture. But the conversation was easy and comfortable. That was actually easier than expected. Writing is still not my strong suit. I'm not sure it ever will be, but do think I can say what I need to accurately and efficiently. My captions say what is happening and provide background information when needed. But my flow and word choice could do better still.

Linsey Addario book report

I quickly fell in love with this book. Linsey Addario’s, “It’s What I Do” is an incredibly compelling heartfelt book. One of my favorite part s was early on in chapter two. It is part of her journey when she first travels to Afghanistan. Her interaction with Mohammed, the embassy employee is very well written. On her first day they didn’t speak, and each time she visits to obtain her travel visa, he becomes a little more comfortable. This scene is so compelling for me because of the contrast to what I’m am accustomed too.In america, there is a more informal atmosphere to everyday tasks, while it is strict there. I also really enjoyed this section because of how respectful Addario was. She was patient and respectful to their culture and traditions, even though they were very different from her normal. I think this ability translates into her work. I would describe her style as very accurate. She was able to make the subjects feel so comfortable with a stranger from a different country. Her people skills were incredible as well as her camera technique. She capture the people or the scenery. She doesn't just take a picture, she captures a moment. It is clear to see this in any of her photos, especially her Pulitzer prize winning photo of the young woman. She has such a drive to document these moments and share them with the world. I can completely understand her drive behind it. I know that I would never be able to do it. She leaves so much behind for her work, her family and various romances, I wouldn't be able to sacrifice as much. I don't think she is crazy by any means, she just lives differently than I would ever be able too. I respect her a lot for this reason.

From this book, I learned that photos should be natural. My only experience to photography before this was getting my senior pictures taken. That was a very posed professional setting. All of her work is genuine and flows well from photo to photo. Early in the book, in chapter two, she is able to photograph a group of Muslim women. They tell her stories and their views on the political climate they live under. Skipping to chapter nine, she is able to document the locals living under warfare while never seaming biased in her work. The photos that convey the most emotion are my favorites. My favorite from her book are on pages 147, 152, 212, 216, 217, and 221. If I had to choose my overall favorite, it would be her photo of Bibi Aisha. It won the Pulitzer Prize, and I can see why. It is a respectful photo, by being a beautiful portrait, but shows as much emotion. You can feel the weight of this photo.



Bibi Aisha, whose husband cut off her nose because she had left their home to seek help. This photo was on the cover of Time magazine. November 2009

The quote from this book that most resonated with me was in the very beginning of the book. In the first paragraph in chapter, she says, “I was only a year and a half old and couldn't swim, so i was standing on my father's shoulders...suddenly, with-out a word, I bent my knees and jumped into the water. My sisters were stunned. My father said he ;et me go because he knew I would be fine. When I emerged from the water, I was smiling”(19). I like this line because it foreshadows the story while giving background information about her at the same time. It sets the tone of her life and becomes more relevant the longer you read. I think it was brilliant to start the story this way. I would definitely recommend this book to others. It is a great read. I love how many emotions you can feel while reading this. It illustrates dangerous countries and a complicated career with such clarity and accuracy. I loved this book.

Week 8 Forum

So far in the Lindsey Addario book we have been reading in class, the most compelling chapter has been chapter 9, “The Most Dangerous Place In The World”. In this chapter she is traveling throughout China, Korengal Valley, with the United States Military, taking pictures of the troops at camp, interacting with civilians, and on perimeter walks. This chapter follows her and her partner, Elizabeth Rubin who is secretly pregnant at this time. Later in the Chapter she returns home to her boyfriend and the shock of being in a different environment is difficult for her to deal with. On page 189 she writes, “I walked to the bedroom in the rear of the apartment, closed the door behind me, and collapsed into tears”. The chapter ends with her photos and stories being manipulated and trashed by her editors because of differing perspectives. This chapter was my favorite because it showed more aspects of the job. I felt like it was the most complex, while still staying with the rest of the book. My favorite quote from this chapter was on page 165, saying “ I had always been a loyal friend. Elizabeth reminded me several times a day that I could never utter a word about her pregnancy, and I obliged”. I think it humanizes her.

My favorite photo so far is on page 219. I like this photo because the background looks so remote and alone, but the subjects are real people living in it. It is a very “real” photo without being graphic or very saddening. 
From this book I have learned to always be prepared with enough equipment. Always bring batteries, sim cards, and lenses. This is said throughout the book but is brought up again in chapter 9.

 

My Hometown: Albany

Icarus, a mural in down town Albany painted by Seth Jefferson in 2009. While many residents said they did't think this piece matched the historic feel of own town, it has stayed here for ten years. Albany only ha two murals, many residents wish to add more in the future. M favorite part of this depiction os Jefferson's color choice. When the sun is on the west side of this building, the yellow is so vibrant. The contrast to the green trees and architecture is stunning.

The Albany Farmers Market has been going strong since it was founded in 1991. Just ten miles from the much larger Corvallis Market, this gathering is full of variety and smiling faces. Booths stocked with anything from fresh breads, produce, mushrooms, beeswax, and hand-made tamales. Many vendors can give tips and tricks to keep the produce ripe for longer and fun recipes to try. Opening at 9am  and closing for the weekend at 1pm, there is plenty of time to see all their is to offer. This event is no temporarily closed for the winter season soon, but will pick up when the weather permits. 

Bailey Filley is a senior at West Albany High School this year. There she has been a massive part of the music department. Playing trombone in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz band, and Pit Orchestra. She is loved by her community for her activeness in various clubs and honors. She is planning to attend the University of Oregon next fall to study Criminal Justice. Her favorite place in Albany is the Antique Store off of 2nd street. It is one of the many things she will miss when se leaves for college. 

Week 7 Forum

TOPIC 1: MY NEIGHBORHOOD/MY HOMETOWN
For next week's “Hometown” assignment I am going to shoot the city of Albany. I grew up here and have seen it change throughout my life. I have a lot of memories here. For the landmark I am thinking about something downtown. Most likely the carousel or Pix theatre. For the activity I want to shoot the Saturday market. It isn’t as big as Corvallis's but it still has quite the variety. I am unsure of who I want the portrait to be of but I’m thinking a teacher here in town. I really liked school growing up and I think it would add a personal touch to the project. I think the hardest photo shoot will be of the activity. There is so much going on at the Saturday market. I'm not sure what I want to focus on.


TOPIC 2: TWO PHOTO STORY IDEAS
One idea for my photo story I am thinking about shooting my friends soccer team lead up to their last game. It is the OSU women’s recreation league. I think it gets skipped over and it would be cool if more people knew about it. I would try to make it to some of their practices or meeting before the final game. They would mostly be on OSU’s campus.
To do this I would need to talk to the head coach and the team to make sure they were comfortable with me doing this. I would also need to work around my job schedule so I'd need to be in communication with my manager as well. It would also be ideal to be talking to some of the players to hear about anything going on directly from them.
Another photo story idea I have is to document my friends barbershop quartet while they prep for their first gig out of high school. They have a pretty irregular practice schedule so that will be a little tricky to find times. I would take photos of them at rehearsal, signing or arranging music.
To do this I would need to talk to the four singers and their instructor. They all need to be onboard with this idea before I could start. I would also need to know where they practice and if there was anything they didn’t want me to cover. To pull this off I would need to build a good rapport with them because I would be around them a fair amount.

Action Photos- Swim Meet

On November 9th 2019 the Courtside Aquatic Swim Club held a swim meet at the Albany Community Pool. The crowded pool was split into two halves, one half the warm up side and the other being the competitive side. Outside is food provided to the athletes and families along with some setting is you want a break from the chlorine air. The events began at 12 PM and ended at 5:38 PM. A total of 682 athletes competed in 120 different heats.



The 100 breaststroke had 12 heats with 97 swimmers. This was mixed event for those 13 and over. Each competitor was timed and evaluated by their club and the USA competitive swimmer regulators. The sidelines of the pool were lined with family and friends to support during this event.



Bradley Boyce is a 14 year old freshman at South Salem High School. He is a member of the Courtside Aquatic Swim Club, and has been a USA competitive swimmer for 8 years. On November 9th he swam a 134.87 second 100 breaststroke and a 17 second freestyle. He didn't PR in the breaststroke but was still happy with his performance.