Behind the scenes at the drive-in!

The marquee of the Sundance Kid Drive-In in Oregon, Ohio. Photos by Paul Murray/PHO245.

The Three Stooges plays on the big screen.

An analog film machine. It will become obsolete as theaters make the transition to digital.

Administrative assistant Scott Bee Displays a 35mm film reel.

    For my final project, I was assigned to shoot a documentary all by myself. I did my documentary on the Sundance Kid Drive-In in Oregon, Ohio. This was one of the greatest challenges I have faced as a photographer. This assignment put me in a situation that I had never been in before. I was to go into an unknown environment, talk to people that I had never met, interview them, and take pictures of them.
   The most important thing to remember when attempting something like this is that you have to just relax. You can’t psych yourself out, or you will go into panic mode. I chose to not even think about my social anxiety. I just relaxed and did what I had to do. When you forget about your fears, your job becomes much simpler.
   Even though I successfully completed this assignment, I still did not step completely out of my comfort zone. I interviewed the management and took pictures of the staff and the structures of the drive-in itself.  However, I did not get many pictures with customers. That is one of my regrets about this assignment. My other regret is that I did not bring a tripod. It got really dark outside, and there was not as much lighting as I thought there would be. Some of my pictures came out really blurry because of this. This was my first time shooting at night, so lesson learned!
   Overall, this was a good experience. I got good pictures and a good interview. The vice president and his assistant were more than happy to help me out and show me around. They gave me some useful information in my interview about how many drive-ins throughout the country have had to close. However, they also shared some humorous stories about people sneaking in their friends in the trunks of their cars!
   I am satisfied with this project. I learned a lot from it, and it was one of my best experiences yet. To be honest though, I am glad that I am done with people photography, at least for now.

Witnessing realtionships being built at the Sunshine Home!

A nurse helps a resident with special needs. Photos by Paul Murray/PHO245.

A man works hard with others to build an outdoor structure.

The horse of Sunshine Home is as friendly as can be.

A resident waves at the camera with the guidance of a staff member.

   My photojournalism class went out to Sunshine Home for a class documentary project. Sunshine Home focuses on the needs of people with developmental disabilities, so it was a sensitive subject. We had to take picture of the residents without offending them or getting straight up in their face. However, the staff was very friendly, and more than willing to help us out.

   I handled the task a lot better than my team member Sydney. I was getting relaxed and stepping out of my comfort zone, while she was on the verge of having a panic attack. It’s funny because I thought it would be the other way around. I guess I’m getting more used to working with people.

   I was also on the sound team for this project. I got to help conduct an interview. It was nice to step back from the photo editing process for a moment and apply my area of expertise to photojournalism.

   Overall, this was a useful experience, and it really helped me out when I went out to shoot my  individual documentary. I am much more confident now than I was before. I think if I can handle this sensitive task in a proper manner, then I am well-equipped to handle anything.

Shooting features: The best way to learn is to step out of your comfort zone!

Camille Pristash prepares her classroom in Beverly Elementary School in Toledo, Ohio March 29.

Camille Pristash

    I am a socially awkward introvert who does not like people photography. This assignment further confirms that way of thinking.
    I had to go out and find an interesting person to take portraits of. I needed a shot of the subject in their environment, and a standard head and shoulders shot.

   The biggest problem I had was actually finding someone that would let me photograph them. I managed to find a teacher who works in the same building as my mother. She was more than happy to help me out, and I owe her a lot of gratitude.

   The part of this assignment where I had to actually take the photos was not so bad. That is where I actually feel comfortable.  I was also under a time constraint. I had about 10-15 minutes to shoot these photos. Giving the subject precise instruction under this amount of time was difficult, but I managed to get it done.

   I am still not getting used to interacting with people, and I fear that I never will. However, photography is what I am comfortable with, so I will stick with it, and I will try to avoid photographing people as best as I can.