PhotoJ: Disposable Image

For the first assignment in photojournalism we were asked to take pictures with a disposable camera. This specification aimed to take away all the dials and knobs of an SLR camera and focus on the pure composition of each photograph. Light was key in this assignment because we were unable to change ISO, shutter speed or aperture of our cameras; and without a flash anything but bright daylight produced grainy, muddy pictures that were unusable.

I spent a lot of time in downtown Bellingham, walking around and looking at posters for possible events to photograph. I took pictures of tango dancers, a maintenance woman blowing snow off the sidewalk, firemen responding to a medical emergency, cosmetology students designing avant garde mohawks, and more. It was a task that compelled me to explore the community I live in and forced me to overcome my qualms about taking pictures of strangers.

 

Brett Sivret, 37, establishes reference points for a street monument in downtown Bellingham at the intersection between Champion Street and State Street on Monday, Jan. 17. The city is replacing old street monuments that serve as the orientation point for all property lines. "They should be pretty precise," says Sivret.

Mel Hutto, a writer and artist, enjoys breakfast and a book at Avenue Bread and Deli.

Anders Mavis shows athlete Arielle Walton correct form for jumping steeples.