2013 KHSAA State Football Championships - December 6-8, 2013

I spent the weekend before finals shooting some high school football. I ended up shooting a little bit worse this year than at the same event last year, but I had tons of fun and came away with some decent frames. Here are some of my favorites.

Lighting Final - December 2013

It's been a very long time since I updated my blog. I haven't shot much this semester, and stuff for my Lighting class has comprised most of it. Here's a portion of my Lighting final portfolio.

WKU Football vs University of Louisiana-Lafayette - 10/15/13

I had the chance to shoot my only football game of the year last night, and it was a fun one. Despite the WKU loss, it was a blast, as always. Here are some of my favorite shots.

WKU Volleyball vs University of Louisiana-Monroe - 10/11/13

Finally got around to shooting a full volleyball game this semester. I haven't been shooting on a regular basis because of my editorial position at the Talisman, so this was a much-welcomed change. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Beginnings of Lighting Class

Some stuff from the beginning half of my Lighting class this semester - assignments include a pepper, a teacher, an athlete, and a blue-collar worker.

Fulton Railroaders Baseball - Late June and July 2013

I had the pleasure of doing some casual shooting for my hometown newspaper this summer. I covered the Fulton Railroaders, a pretty unique baseball team here in town. Each year the wood-bat team is comprised of college baseball players who want to continue playing through the summer. The players come from all over the country, and are housed with different families in town.
Every game was an unique experience. The players all had a discernible passion for the game, and played every game with 110%.
Here are some of my favorite frames from the 8 games since my last blog post.

WKU Xposure 2013 - 6/9/13 to 6/16/13

I spent June 8 through June 16 back at WKU, on staff of Xposure 2013, a journalism workshop for high school students. As the photo assistant, I spent the majority of my time producing the end of workshop slideshow, which you can find at the end of this post. I also did a little shooting: I shot a ton of photos of the students working, and on the rare occasion I got to accompany them to an assignment, I shot a little for myself. Here's some of my favorite frames from this past week.

Fulton Railroaders - Early June 2013

I've been shooting the local amateur baseball team, the Fulton Railroaders, for the Fulton Leader. Here's some frames from my first two games.

End of the Semester

I was so incredibly busy for the last part of the semester, so I didn't have time to update my blog. Instead of posting shots from everything I did, here's some frames from everything I shot since...the last time I updated. 

An Open Letter to Dr. Gary Ransdell and the WKU Board of Regents - Re: Talisman Budget Cuts

To support our cause - please visit savethetalisman.com. Thank you. 

Dear Dr. Ransdell and the Board of Regents,

Nothing could have prepared me for the year I had as a freshman on the staff of the Talisman. I was nervous to apply, arrived 25 minutes early to the first meeting and spent it awkwardly with editorial board members I didn’t know, and stumbled through my first assignments, making mistakes as I went.

A year later, the following hold true: I have two stories that I have shot being published in the 2013 Talisman. A photo I took on assignment for the Talisman won first place at the Kentucky News Photographers Association 2013 Best of Photojournalism Student Division, in the category of General News. And next year, I will be serving as Managing Editor of the 2014 Talisman – as a sophomore.

These opportunities are found nowhere else but the corner suite of the Adams-Whitaker Student Publications Building. No other university can boast that their yearbook gives students such an opportunity to hone and develop their skills in a practical manner. No other university can boast of multiple Pacemakers and Gold Crowns – a tradition of excellence held by the Talisman. No other university holds such a tight-knit group of student journalists with such passion for telling the story of their campus.

These reasons are the reasons that the proposed 47% budget cut to the Talisman breaks my heart. Our yearbook cannot withstand such a dramatic cut to our budget. We produce a high-quality product that wins awards, yes, but that’s not what is important to us. Our goal at the Talisman is to provide a place for student journalists to write stories, take photographs, design pages, and practice advertising and marketing – all for a top-notch collegiate publication. We strive to build the skills of our staff to prepare them for the “real world.” We pride ourselves in creating a work environment that mirrors professional publications – and I daresay that our publication is just as professional as any.

As I write this letter, I am back home in my tiny town of Fulton, Kentucky. I have finished my finals, and all that is left is the customary posting of the grades. Tomorrow, I begin work on planning the 2014 Talisman. It will be just like every Talisman before it. We will tell the stories of our campus in a beautiful way. We will take photos and write stories and document the incredible place that is Western Kentucky University. A year ago, I never dreamed I would be in this position.

Help us to continue to surprise future student journalists with a place to call home. Help us to continue to provide an environment for young journalists like myself to gain experience. Help us to continue the tradition of the Talisman.

Please reconsider the massive budget cuts to the Talisman. Don’t do it for me: do it for the new students next year, and the next, and the years following. Our legacy is large – please help us to continue it.

Thank you,

Brandon Carter

Managing Editor, 2014 Talisman

University of Louisville NCAA Championship Celebration - 04/08/13

A huge group of WKUPJ students made the trip to Louisville in hopes that riotous celebration would break out if Louisville won the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game. We weren't disappointed. It was a ton of fun to be in the middle of a crowd (I've heard over 5,000 people were in the area that we were, Cardinal Towne) that was going absolutely bonkers. I'm including more photos than usual in this post just because I had a ton of fun with this and enjoyed a lot of stuff I got from it.

WKU Spring Football Practice - 04/04/13

I've been shooting a lot of spring football practice lately, and two of the practices have been 5:45 AM sessions on Thursdays. It's been fun to wake up incredibly early and watch both the sun rise (literally) and some football practice. This week's story in the Herald was on the linebackers, so I focused on them and the defensive coach, Nick Holt. I've also been trying to shoot a few photos of Coach Petrino at every practice so that the Herald can begin to build a collection of stock shots.

WKU Baseball vs Austin Peay - 04/03/13

It's finally starting to warm up in Kentucky, which means proper baseball weather is right around the corner. I can't wait to shoot a game without my hands turning to ice cubes. Here's a couple shots from WKU's recent game against Austin Peay.

WGI Mid South Percussion Championship - 03/23/13

The WGI Mid South Percussion Championship invaded the campus of Western Kentucky University this weekend. The drum corps and percussions groups performed in Diddle Arena, but only one performed at a time. The rest were left to practice - and they did so all over campus. I was blessed with the groups practicing in locations that allowed me to shoot from above, and to really play with composition all day long. It was a great event to shoot, and not shooting it for a publication made it even better. It gave me the freedom to just play with my camera and the endless stream of subjects. Here are some of my favorite shots.

WKU Spring Football Practice - 03/22/13

Friday was WKU's first spring football practice, and the first one open to the media. It was pretty cool to watch the team go through drills, and to get a short glimpse of Bobby Petrino coaching. Media were only allowed to shoot for 20 minutes, so here are just a couple frames.

WKU Women's Basketball vs East Carolina - 03/21/13

The WKU Lady Hilltoppers didn't make the NCAA Tournament, but their fantastic season did earn them a bid in the Women's NIT, hosting a game at Diddle Arena. I was really excited to shoot the game, and the Lady Toppers did not disappoint. With 11 seconds left in the second half, Alexis Govan hit a 3 to force overtime. From there, WKU took over and went on to a 88-77 victory. It was an incredibly exciting game. Here are some of my favorite shots.

WKU Baseball vs Lipscomb - 03/19/13

Here are a few shots from a cold baseball game I shot this week.

KHSAA 4th Region Girls Basketball Championship - Allen County-Scottsville vs Bowling Green - 03/05/13

I managed to get into the KHSAA 4th Region Girls Basketball championship game earlier this week. This year has really made me appreciate women's basketball so much. I've found that I have more fun shooting women's games than I do men's. The women's games are always played more scrappy, and there's so much emotion shown. Sadly, this game was a total blowout, with Bowling Green coming out on top. Here's some of my favorite shots.

KHSAA 4th Region Boys Basketball Championship - Warren Central vs Russell County - 03/03/13

The KHSAA 4th Region Basketball Championships are being held at Diddle Arena this year, so I walked on over to the boys game to see if I could get in to shoot it. I did, and ultimately experienced one of the loudest basketball games I've ever been to - louder than most college games. There was a biting desire by both teams to win the game and advance to the Sweet 16 held at Rupp Arena, and the fan base from each school reflected it. Tons of booing, jeering, cheering, clapping, and screaming came from the stands during the game. It was a hard fought battle by both squads, but in the end Warren Central came out on top. Here are some of my favorite shots.

WKU Women's Basketball vs MTSU - 03/02/13

Barring any NCAA tournament appearances by the Hilltoppers, the Lady Toppers' March 2 game against MTSU will be my last college basketball game of the year. I'm definitely going to miss shooting college basketball. I learned a ton this season and I can't wait for the next one. Here's a couple shots from the game.

WKU Men's Basketball vs South Alabama - 02/28/13

The Hilltoppers have been hitting their stride as of late, and I hope it continues into the conference tournament. Here are some of my favorite shots from the second-to-last home game this season, and the last men's basketball game I'll be shooting this year.

WKU Women's Basketball vs South Alabama - 02/27/13

I volunteered to take on a lot of basketball this week, as most of the upperclassmen on Herald staff were working on stories, especially the Sigma Chi fight night event. Here are some of my favorite shots from the Lady Hilltoppers' game against South Alabama.

KHSAA State Competitive Cheerleading Championships - 02/23/13

Rounding out my weekend of shooting was the KHSAA State Competitive Cheerleading Championships. Cheerleading is a really weird sport to shoot, especially when you're limited to where you can move around. My best shots came from reactions from the squads to their winning/losing. I can't wait to shoot this event next year, providing it's still being held at WKU. Here are some of my favorite shots. There are more photos than usual because I liked the variety of moments presented by the competition.

WKU Baseball vs Central Michigan - 02/22/13

I decided to experiment a little bit with baseball this weekend, and shot the Friday game with only a 70-200mm lens. I forced myself into that focal range to make myself look at the game a little bit differently. Since the season is about to get in full swing, I want to maximize my creative output, and I figure early in the season is the best time to do that. That being said, here's a few shots from the game.

WKU Men's Basketball vs ULM - 02/21/13

Basketball season is winding down, and I had the chance to shoot WKU's recent home game vs ULM. It was a resounding win for the Hilltoppers. Here's five of my favorites from the game.

WKU Women's Basketball vs ULM - 02/20/13

I shot with a Nikon for the first time during this game. For this Canon guy, it wasn't too bad. It also didn't hurt that I was shooting with a D4. Such a sick camera.
Time and time again I find myself wanting to shoot women's basketball instead of men's. This team is just so much fun to watch. They play with such energy, and it's a joy to cover them. Here are some of my favorite shots.

WKU Baseball vs Bowling Green State - 02/15/13

Last weekend I shot the WKU baseball team's home opener. I quickly learned that even though I'm a huge baseball fan, it's a difficult sport to shoot. Here are a couple shots.

Beauty and the Greek - 02/13/13

I shot Omega Phi Alpha's "Beauty and the Greek" pageant as my first assignment for the Herald. Here are some of my favorite shots.

Downing University Center Construction - 02/12/13

I've been working on a story about the construction of our campus student center, and Tuesday I got to go inside the site. It was really awesome, and I can't wait for it to reopen. Here are some of my favorite shots.

WKU Basketball vs Arkansas State - 02/09/13

Here are some of my favorite shots from the WKU mens'/Arkansas State game on Saturday.

WKU Lady Hilltopper Basketball vs Arkansas State - 02/09/13

I love shooting WKU Lady Hilltopper basketball, because the team plays with a ferocious energy and drive. It's a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorite shots.

Kentucky FIRST LEGO League’s State Robotics Competition - 02/02/13

I woke up early on a Saturday to shoot the Kentucky FIRST LEGO League’s State Robotics Competition that was held at Diddle Arena. It was half as interesting as I thought it would be, at least visually. The whole concept of these kids ages 9-14 programming LEGO robots to do certain tasks is really cool. But it was a hard event to photograph. I came away with a few solid frames. Here are my favorites.

WKU vs Troy Basketball - 01/31/13

I've started my second semester here at WKU, and to get back in the swing of things, I shot the WKU/Troy men's basketball game on January 31. It was a big night for WKU, mostly because their starting point guard, Jamal Crook, returned after being injured since December 16. While he didn't score, he created a ton of offense for the Hilltoppers, and his presence on the court brought much needed energy and leadership to the team. It was a totally different team than the one I saw after his injury in December.
The halftime act included a pair of human jugglers - they literally juggled themselves.
Here are my favorite shots.