Student voices: Finding a new challenge to tackle in photography

It’s insane to me that four days ago, I was just saying goodbye to my friends, and family in McMinnville, Oregon.

Truth be told, I hadn’t finished packing all of my things until the morning of my departure. The night prior, I had just gotten my new ragdoll kitten, Beverly. My mom and I traveled all the way to Battleground, Washington for Beverly — a worthwhile drive indeed.

Leaving my new kitten made it increasingly difficult to get me out of the house on Saturday morning. Nevertheless, the High School Journalism Institute has been very rewarding and captivating.

Over the past few days, I’ve worked on various assignments, namely profile writing, photography and interviewing. My partner,

Frankie

, and I alongside our mentor, Nik, went to interview the owners of Dort Worm Farm for our upcoming news story.

The interview at the worm farm went quite smoothly, with Frankie taking notes as I handled photography. Photography has never piqued my interest, or been my forte. I’m much more interested in writing, and always have been.

However, when taking photos of Dort Worm Farm, it dawned on me: photography is much more than taking a photo.

Photography is about visually conveying a story in a way that words can’t. It’s about noticing the details and direction of light. There are so many aspects that contribute to a good photo; it’s truly fascinating.

Additionally, I’ve greatly enjoyed getting to know all of the 19 other individuals attending the High School Journalism Institute. I already know

Rio

well, as we both go to McMinnville High School together. However, there’s always more to learn; you can never truly know every little detail of one’s life. Other than that, I’ve made lots of new connections with my peers, and bonded over similarities.

Excluding the lack of A/C in the dorms and the incredulously hot weather, my time in Corvallis has been life-changing. I’ve received the opportunity to experience a variety of new things, and I’m not even finished with the institute yet.

As much as I miss my family, pets, and most importantly, my vinyls, the community here is amazing. Here’s to the future (which for me, is the next four days of the institute).

— Molly Gribskov, McMinnville High School

This blog post was produced by student reporters as part of the High School Journalism Institute, an annual collaboration among The Oregonian/OregonLive, Oregon State University and other Oregon media organizations. For more information or to support the program, go to oregonlive.com/hsji.