My Hometown

The Hope Center is a women and children's shelter in Sweet Home, Oregon. It's Oregon's longest lasting shelter for the homeless that has never received government funding. It's made up solely of volunteers. They offer Bible studies, mentoring, and aid women in finding employment.

A statue of two loggers in front of the East Linn Museum in Sweet Home, Oregon, honors the rich logging history of the small town. The East Linn Museum pays tribute to the history of primary people of east Linn County. Inside, you can visit a recreated pioneer bedroom, sitting room, and kitchen. The museum holds thousands of records, photos, and artifacts from early loggers, farmers, and families of Linn County. The museum is open to visitors Thursdays through Saturdays from 11am to 4pm.

The Weddle Bridge at Sankey Park in Sweet Home, Oregon, was originally built in 1937. The covered bridge hosts many of the town's events including fundraisers for breast cancer, the "October Fest," and private events such as parties and weddings. 

Keeanna & Penny

Keeanna Selby lunges her green broke five year old Quarab mare, Penny, at Windfall Farms in Lebanon, Oregon. Selby purchased Penny recently, just this last October. Selby has been a horse owner her whole life, Penny being her sixth horse. "The previous owners didn't put a lot of work into her, so she hadn’t really been desensitized to anything. She spooks easily, and I'm still trying to get her comfortable in a saddle. She's young and has a lot of potential though, she's very gentle and an incredibly fast learner," Selby says as she continues lunging her.

Selby successfully runs with Penny over a small jump for the first time. "She must be showing off for the camera, she usually just stops and goes around it!" she exclaims while laughing.

After Penny is comfortable with a saddle pad on her back, Selby introduces a western saddle. Selby places the saddle on and off of Penny while calmly speaking to her until she's relaxed. This is done to build Penny's confidence until she's ready to have a rider.

Week 7

My Hometown / My Neighborhood

Currently, I live in Sweet Home, Oregon. So for the "My Hometown / My neighborhood" assignment, I plan on shooting the most popular places in Sweet Home, I want to make sure to get people in my photos. I'm thinking about shooting the Foster Reservoir, A&W restaurant, Sankey Park and/or bridges -- where town events are usually held. I plan on checking bulletin boards, The New Era, or online for upcoming local events to capture this coming week as well. 

Photo Story Ideas

 

I have no solid plans for the photo story -- yet -- but I've been considering my local middle school, or high school, cheer team, since competition season is coming up. I also know someone who is going to be competing in horse shows, barrel racing and more, through this month and next. I plan on checking the local high school for their school plays, they usually have performances this time on the year. I could shoot their rehearsals leading up to the main performance, and behind the scenes. 

Environmental Portrait

Barbi Riggs is the principal of Hawthorne Elementary School in Sweet Home, Oregon. This is her third year as principal. Before becoming principal, she started her career in education as a classified teacher's assistant at Foster Elementary school in 1997. After she acquired her BS degree, she was hired as a certified teacher at Hawthorne. She was a 1st and 2nd grade teacher at Hawthorne for seventeen years. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Western Oregon University, her Masters Degree in Education from Northwest Christian University, and eventually received her Administration Degree from the University of Oregon. She's extremely passionate about education and children. Her favorites parts of being an elementary school principal are mentoring teachers, and making sure children are getting the education they deserve in a safe, welcoming environment.

Humans of LBCC

Isaac Savage is a psychology major, and he’s currently dual enrolled with Oregon State University. This is his second year at LBCC. He's most passionate about helping people whenever he’s able, and in any way he can. Willingness to help others is the quality that holds the most value to him. “Helping people has always kind of been my thing. Especially when they’re in stressful situations, whether it’s academic, family, or relationship problems. Psychology fits in that area, so that’s why I chose it,” he explains. Once he receives his degree, Isaac wants to work as a counselor with youth, mostly middle school or high school students. He considers getting accepted into college his greatest accomplishment so far. He applied to OSU twice, getting accepted the second time. Isaac was born in Oregon, growing up in Philomath and Sherwood. His family comes from Jonesville, Louisiana. In his free time, Isaac enjoys socializing with all kinds of people, playing basketball, and working out at the Dixon Recreation Center at OSU.

Pete Souza

Pete Souza is an award winning American photojournalist, speaker, bestselling author, assistant photojournalism professor, former official White House photographer, and currently a freelancer. He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on December 31st, 1954. Graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in public communications from Boston University, he later went on to receive his masters in journalism and mass communication from Kansas State. His career started in Kansas with the Hutchinson News and the Chanute Tribune in the seventies, he then was a photographer for the Chicago Sun Times in the early eighties. Souza covered photo stories for National Geographic, Life magazine, and other notable newspapers and magazines worldwide as a freelancer.

From 1983 to 1989, Souza was an official White House photographer for former U.S. president Ronald Reagan’s second term. He was behind the lense during many well known events, such as when president Reagan invited Michael Jackson to the White House in 1984 to present him with the Presidential Public Safety Communication Award. Souza also took one of the iconic images of Princess Diana dancing in the White House wearing the “Travolta Gown,” with John Travolta in 1985. After photographing Reagan’s second term in office, Souza stayed in Washington D.C., working for the Chicago Tribune Washington D.C., bureau. In 2001, just a few weeks after 9/11, Souza was on of the first photojournalists to cover the Fall of Kabul in Afghanistan. Souza, along with other staff with the Chicago Tribune, received a Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for their reporting on the airline industry. In 2004, he was the official photographer for Reagan’s funeral services.

It was around 2004 when Souza was asked to take photos of Barack Obama’s first year as a U.S. Senator. Souza actually met Obama on his first day in the Senate. He accompanied Obama on trips to Russia, Kenya, and South Africa. I think Souza’s “claim to fame” was in photographing the rise of Barack Obama’s presidency. His 2008 book, “The Rise of President Obama,” was a New York Times bestseller. Souza was an assistant photojournalism professor at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication for a short period of time, before being requested to become the official White House photographer for the newly elected president Barack Obama. Obama’s presidential portrait, taken in 2009 by Souza, was the first presidential portrait taken on a digital camera. Souza’s photo-book ‘Obama: An Intimate Portrait,” was #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list in 2016, and is one of the best selling photography books of all time. Pete Souza is known for his humanizing, candid, and intimate photos of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama during their presidencies. His most recent photo-book “Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents,” was also #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list. 

Check out Pete Souza’s website for his image galleries, bio, upcoming events, and more at:

https://www.petesouza.com/content.html?page=3

Follow Souza’s personal account on Instagram @petesouza

For photos taken during his time in the White House with former president Barack Obama, follow @petesouza44