Stand Alone Photo

For this assignment, I had to go out and find a stand alone photo.



Orientation Student Advisors Alex Ferrin, 20, (far left), Sara Clark, 19, (far right) and Heather Mullins, 20, (2nd from right) prepare for the next wave of incoming students signing in for Transitions, WWU’s orientation program outside WWU’s Performing Arts Center on Monday, July 26. During Transitions, students tour campus, take the picture for their Western Card, and meet other incoming students. WWU’s student employees, including these student advisors, make sure these events run smoothly, and their favorite part of working at orientations varies. “I like getting a feel for what the incoming class is like,” Ferrin said. Clark had different reasons. “I love working in the sun with other people,” Clark said. Mullins said he liked talking to the families. “I really like meeting the families of the new students, they have good stories,” Mullins said.

Event/Photo Story

For this assignment, were we to go out and photograph an event or get a photo story. I went to the Bellingham Farmer's Market and photographed and talked to "buskers", street performers and entertainers at the market. Here are some highlights.



Kevin Pinnell, 47, as known as “Thee Balloon Guy” presents Kevin O’Brien, 1, with a balloon. Kevin’s parents, Justin O’ Brien, 28, and Krystal O’Brien, 27, are visiting from Houston, TX. Pinnell has been entertaining young and old with his balloons for 20 years. “I go through anywhere from around 400 to 700 balloons a typical [Farmer’s] market. “ Pinnell said.



Tucker Horath, 16, plays his violin at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market. Horath has played violin for six years, and is saving the money he earns from the Farmer’s Market to pay off his car. “I’ve been coming here [to the Farmer’s Market] for five years,” Horath said.



Richard Myers, 55, sings an original song at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market. He started “busking” or street performing in 1997 at Pike Place Market in Seattle. “I take the songs as they come,” Myers said. According to Myers, about 50 percent of his songs are spiritually-based.



Chelsea Barrett, 26, plays her miniature piano at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market. “I’m also a performer with the Bellingham Circus Guild,” Barrett said.



Cayley Schmid, 21, Richard Reeves, 24, and Aaron Guest, 25 (Right to Left) from the band Polecat play at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market. Polecat, a 5 piece band, plays every Monday 8:30 P.M to 10:00 P.M at Boundary Bay Brewery. “[I have played] guitar since I was ten, 15 years,” Guest said.



Quinton Rundell, 13, plays his guitar and kazoo at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market. Rundell said he has played guitar for 9 years, and it is his 2nd year at the Farmer’s Market. The story behind his use of the Kazoo: “My dad bought me this kazoo for a Christmas present, just to see what I could do with it, and I threw it into one of my songs and it just worked,” Rundell said.

Controlling Motion Assignment

Ben Hollingsworth, 21, races back to first base as Bennett Mills, also 21, has the ball and takes it back to first base Tuesday in a WWU Intramural Softball game between the Infrared Socks and the Sliding Penguins. Mills said he enjoys having fun and meeting people while playing softball. "It's a good time getting out in the sun and having fun with friends," Mills said. Hollingsworth said, "I play to win, not for fun."

Honest Emotion/Relationship

Brian Scott, 23, and his friend Ali Lingel, also 23, react to Lingel's great move in the card game they are playing outside the Viking Union Tuesday. Scott graduated from WWU with a geology major, and Lingel graduated in sociology. Reflecting on what their favorite part of the Western experience was, Scott said “All the people I meet.” Lingel said “The town (Bellingham) was something totally different from where I grew up.”

Personality Photo

The next assignment was a personality photo, to capture the essence of person's personality in a photo.

Michael (Mike) Lower, 71, repairs a caboose from Bellingham Railway Museum's G-gauge layout. Lower serves on the Board of Directors for the museum, and is also a director at the museum. He is very friendly with visitors, and helps everyone have a fun time at the museum. As a former law enforcement officer, he is spending a few days a week at the museum, donating his time to make sure the railroad history of Whatcom County is preserved for generations to come.

Icebreaker

For this assignment, we were to take photographs of complete strangers, and ask them the following question: If you were stuck on an desert island, what single item would take and why?

Thomas Deakin, 28, said he would take a sense of humor, because if you were trapped on an island, you need a sense of humor.



Dung (Joy) Pham, 18, said she would take her phone, to keep in touch with the outside world and find a way to get off the island.