Photojournalism

Photos are an essential part of telling a story, and I make sure each story I work on has the best visual to accompany it. Whether I’m working with a photographer or tapping into my middle school photography skills, images enhance my journalistic work by appealing to additional senses. I love the chase behind a good photo— guided by my research, I’m always going above and beyond to capture the best image. Moreover, I know working with our photographers with a specific skill set will take a photo that complements a story better than I could on my own — even if it means I don’t receive credit. I have also given these photographers a new way to showcase their work through photostories on the website.

Working for the visual

When I’m covering a story that extends beyond the boundaries of our campus, I make it a priority to go out and capture compelling images that enhance my reporting. Whether I’m documenting a protest, capturing the atmosphere of a community event, or illustrating the impact of an issue through powerful imagery, I believe strong visuals are essential to bringing stories to life. By stepping outside of the school environment and directly immersing myself in the subject, I gain a deeper understanding of the context and emotions involved, which ultimately strengthens the overall storytelling experience.

As a Mavericks fan, this wound is still fresh for me. Mav’s star Luka Doncic had just been traded to the Lakers and I wanted some visuals to accompany a personal column I was writing. I captured a moment of a couple observing the memorial fans made for Luka at PNC Plaza outside American Airlines Center where they play.

For a story covering fake ID’s, I went around the city asking convenience store clerks about their process for testing ID’s. I took a photo of the signs in front of a local 7-11 warning minors of the punishments for buying and consuming liquor.

Setting up a shot

For some stories, a photo can be more powerful if it is deliberately set up to strengthen the message behind the content. Thoughtful composition, lighting, and subject placement can enhance the emotional impact and clarity of the story being told.

This is one of my favorite photos I’ve taken for a ReMarker story. I wrote a column about my experience with the ADHD medicine shortage and took this photo. I filled a bowl with all of my empty prescription bottles and laid out my remaining pills to emphasize the severity of the crisis.

For a story about my classmates obsession with running shoes, I wanted to emphasize the vast size of his shoe collection. By circling his head with a halo of shoes, I also symbolized the amount of knowledge he had on the topic.

Spot news photography

While we often try to slot our photographers for web stories well in advance, there are times when a story pops up suddenly that we need to cover (one of my favorite parts of the website!). So, it often falls on me to pick up a camera or take my phone out and capture the moment.

Attached are some of my favorite active journalism captures. The top one is from when teachers held a surprise party for another teacher on the one year anniversary of his heart transplant. The bottom two are from when my classmate broke our school’s all time basketball scoring record.

Planning the perfect photo

When our very talented photographers can take photos for us, we want to use them! That doesn’t stop me from planning out the exact photo that I believe will help my story the best. While I may not have taken these photos, I was instrumental in their creation and planning.

I loved the way these photos turned out; the first is a photo of a student standing in front of a moving train in his school uniform for a story exploring DFW’s public transit challenges amid the 2026 World Cup bids. The second is a for a story about the process for receiving accommodations.

Giving photographers opportunities

On the website, we publish photo stories regularly — allowing our photographers to shine and showcase their work. In the print newspaper, they can only publish 1-2 of their photos per story. Online, they can display all of their photos from an event, even when there isn’t a story directly related to it. Attached are a couple examples of our best photo stories.