MIPA Student

Journalism Staff

Emily Fisher

A lot of trial and error was behind this photo. I showed up to two

different games and shot hundreds of photos of this player above

until I got the perfect shot for the page design. One frustration

I have with this photo was the blur in the ball and the player’s

hand, I wish I could have been able to have both the object in

focus.

Photojournalism

Date of Publication:

February 6, 2014

This photo was a remake of a tradition that this exchange student partakes in at home. I found a tree and grabbed some people to hold hands in order to properly recreate his tradition. I tried to have the tree be in focus with him in the background but at the same time include the hand holding.

Photojournalism

Date of Publication:

December 19, 2013

My favorite part about taking this photo was that I wasn’t familiar with the sport, I quickly learned that lacrosse is a very quick pace, physical sport. A challenge I came across was trying to include both the ball and the face in the shot. I’m proud in that I was able to control the depth of field and catch his face in the frame.

Photojournalism

Date of Publication:

May 8, 2014

This photo came to be very last minute, I showed up at the local Walgreen’s and started taking photos. It was hard for me to pick an angle to shoot her, there was a sign in the background along with many people walking by.

Photojournalism

Date of Publication:

December 19, 2014

This photo was taken directly after the runner was finished racing. I was surprised looking over the pictures on Photoshop that my shutter speed was set to be able to catch the water droplets at the speed that it did. I had a lot of fun trying to keep up with these boys on the cross country course.

Photojournalism

Date of Publication:

September 2, 2014

This photo accompanies an in-depth feature story I wrote on the boy pictured above who has both Diabetes and Down Syndrome. After interviewing him and his family, I tried to think of a way the photo could reflect something he loved to do. I thought back to how his family talked about Boy Scouts. I trailed them at the meeting and took pictures of him in one of his favorite environments along side his mother.

Photojournalism

Date of Publication:

November 21, 2014

This was one of my very first photos taken using a DSLR camera. I ended up coming back to newspaper production soaked from laying down flat on my stomach on the pool deck. It was all worth it, I got the picture I was hoping to take and discovered the more unique you get with angles, the better the photo.

PhotojournalismDate of Publication: December 19, 2013

playing easy schools and not having to improve every week,” junior receiver Luke DeLong said.

For the first time the Chemics are not one of the top schools in the Valley, which has created negativity among their peers and the community.

“I’m a little disappointed in our students,” Nowak said. “Overall it motivates the rest of the team and I to prove them w r o n g c o m e week nine.”

Many other p l a y e r s f e e l t h e s a m e a s Nowak. Rather t h a n l e t t i n g the negativity get to the team and affect their performance, some players are choosing to let the negative comments inspire them.

“The negativity that we hear is just noise, it doesn’t mean anything to us,” DeLong said. “Our players and coaches believe we are a good team and we have a lot of talent. We can’t wait to prove all the doubters wrong.”

Midland High players are in agreement that the students can play a part in helping the team Friday night against Dow. Nowak comments that there is a lot of doubt among the students

and that showing support would benefit the team. DeLong said that the student section can help out the team by creating as much noise as possible.

“The student body needs to encourage people to be in the student section and be as loud as possible,” DeLong said. “Believe it or not, a noisy crowd when the other team is on offense

can cause some troubles for them.”

U s i n g t h e n e g a t i v i t y a s a spark, players have kept confidence t h r o u g h o u t t h e hardships and plan to mainta in the confidence going into week nine.

“I’m a hundred percent confident

with our team. I know our team is good enough and has the ability to win,” Nowak said.

Junior safety Jordan Wilson is especially confident that his defense will hold up well against Dow’s powerful offense.

“Our defense is exceptional. I trust all my guys, if we do our jobs, the sky is the limit,” Wilson said.

Dow’s offensive lineman senior Brandon Veihl said that Midland’s defense is what caused Dow to struggle last year. Having only put up

six points on the Chemics in last years match up, Midland’s defense is something Dow is preparing for this year.

While the Chemics are headed into the Dow game with much anticipation, the players from across town are also certain that they will be able to bring home the victory.

“We’re staying focused on our goals and taking it one game at a time,” Dow High quarterback Alec Marty said.

The hard work and dedication that Dow put into their summer preseason preparation is what they accredit this years historic success to.

“During the summer we had ‘optional’ morning workouts a couple days a week just to get in physical shape and a lot of guys came which showed how dedicated everyone was to working towards this year,” senior wide receiver Mason Hayes said. “Once or twice a week we would do seven on seven’s and we would have all the skill guys there, not just the starters. Everybody came and worked their butts off. I guess you could say it’s paying off.”

Rather than concentrating on what the team did in the off season, Midland is able to prepare for every game by learning from the previous teams they have played and after every practice. Wilson comments they prepare in this way because every week is as big as the next. Not only do they prepare and improve based off of games, but also in their everyday team improvements.

would be officially eliminated from postseason competition.

Not only will playoff hopes come to an end with a Chemic loss, but the 37 year playoff streak dating back to 1976, will also come to an end.

“Every time we take the field for practice, every time we watch film, we tell ourselves we need to keep this tradition alive.” Senior Kicker Philip Wandor said. “It’s something that we think about every day”

Every year dating back to 1976, the football team has been able to record a winning season and this year it will come down to the final game of the year. The team is determined to keep the streak alive and out of the taking of their biggest rival. If they are able to pull through with a winning season, they will beat the school record of 37 consecutive winning seasons, setting a new record of 38.

“We definitely don’t want Dow to be able to say they were the team who ended the streak” Wandor said. “Keeping the streak alive is not the number one most important thing right now, but it is definitely one of them.”

Midland knows that coming out of this game with a win will be no easy feat, but they say they are ready to try their hardest..

“Our team will have to play smart, disciplined football with no dumb penalties or turnovers,” DeLong said. “Because little mistakes like that will come back to haunt you in big games.”

“The team as a whole is going to go out there every day and try to improve the team whether they are a starter or a scout guy,” DeLong said. “Everybody is giving it their all in practice with complete focus will be the key to victory.”

Midland High head coach Eric Methner agrees with DeLong and Wilson in that every practice prepares the team for the game, but he sees playing Dow as no different from the other schools.

“We will prepare for Dow just like we prepare for any opponent. We will watch plenty of video, put together our game plan, and practice executing our plan each day during practice,” Methner said. “It is going to take a great effort by our entire team in order to beat a very good Dow team.”

Something that will help the Chemics stay strong and fight hard through this game is a strong, loud, active student section.

“We really need our student body to get behind our team and show Chemic Pride,” Methner said. “Our student section is amazing, and we are going to need them every step of the way for this game.”

The Chemics will need to come out strong against this years Dow High team to not only continue its three year winning streak against its rival, but to secure a playoff spot as well. In order to obtain a spot in the playoffs the Chemics will need a record of 5-4. With a Dow High victory come Friday night, Midland High

MIDLAND OF CHAMPIONSFor the first time in many years, varsity football heads into the Midland vs. Dow game with a 4-4 record while Dow is going into the game 8-0. Many Midland players feel that since they faced tougher opponents leading up to this game that they feel prepared and are confident that they will once again defeat Dow and go on to have a winning season. Allie Smith | Staff Writer & Sam Robinson | Staff Writer & Emily Fisher | Sports and Photo Editor

The seniors are about to head into their final Midland vs. Dow football game which could also be the final game of their careers unless they can come out

with a win. Since the class of 2015 has been at Midland High, the varsity team has a perfect 3-0 record against Dow. This year, history could be rewritten.

Midland High is headed into its biggest game of the year sitting at 4-4, while Dow High has come out as the top team in Midland, with a record of 8-0 going into the last week of regular season play. Not only do the Chemics need a win to have a shot at a playoff bid, the team must also win against the Chargers to keep alive is streak of 37 consecutive years with a winning season, the longest active streak in the state.

“We have played a harder schedule so we are used to playing at a tougher level,” senior offensive lineman Nolan Nowak said. “The talent we have seen has prepared us and made us better.”

This season Midland is 3-3 in conference play and 1-2 against non conference opponents. Headed into week nine against Midland, Dow is undefeated and atop the Saginaw Valley conference entering at 8-0. Although Midland has a less impressive record than their cross town rival, players choose to view these losses as an opportunity to improve.

“I believe it’s better to play tough competition. It helps you improve as a team instead of just

1.

2.

3.

4.

sports | mhsfocus.com | FOCUS | 13

1. 2. 3. 4.

WEE

K 9

VS 8-0 DO

WYEAR

by YEAR DID you

KNOW?

2009

2013

2012

2011

2010

MHS:

DOW:

MHS:

DOW:

MHS:

DOW:

MHS:

MHS:

DOW:

DOW:

14 (10-2)

0 (5-4)

0 (7-3)

24 (9-2)

38 (9-2)

13 (3-6)

21 (11-1)

6 (5-4)

6 (8-3)

45 (10-2)

QUARTERBACK: ALEX RAPANOS

QUARTERBACK: ALEX RAPANOS

QUARTERBACK: PAUL LYNCH

QUARTERBACK: TANNER GROSS

QUARTERBACK: ALEC JOHNSON

Chargers are 8-0 for the first time in 37

years.

L a s t t i m e t h e Chemics headed into the Dow game with a

record of 4-4.

1976 The last time the

Chemics did not have a winning season.

2014

19702001

Midland and Dow meet for the first time.

Chemics win 14-9.

2013Chemics win 45-6, the largest win in the

series history.

MHS: 14DOW: 9

MHS: 2DOW: 20

MHS: 25DOW: 0

MHS: (4-4)DOW: (8-0)

MHS: 45DOW: 6

2005 The Chemics and

Chargers share the SVL title.

MHS: 24DOW: 17

{ }‘‘Every time we take the field for practice, every time we watch film, we tell ourselves we need to keep this tradition alive. It’s something we think about every day.

Senior Philip Wandor

F

Junior Ju’karri Cooper runs a route in the Midland vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill.

The defensive line sets up to block Arthur Hill’s offense.

Senior Ryan Lynch attempts to run the ball in for a touchdown.

Lynch sets up to take the snap for an extra point for senior Philip Wandor.

12| FOCUS | 10/24/2014 | sports

Every year Focus comes out the day of or the day before the football game against our cross town rivals. This year, our football team for the first time in many years were expected to be the underdogs. I wanted to incorporate a eye catching design along with a unique angle to grab the readers attention and read up before attending the big game.

Design & Writing

PicturePERFECT

A & E

Computers can now remove any blemish with the click of a mouse. Photo studios utilize these techniques to varying degrees on senior pictures. By Jack Duly | Managing Editor & Emily Fisher | Ad Coordinator

A & E

There is one goal: when the client sees the picture, they shouldn’t feel self-conscious. They should feel confident in themselves and their photos should

reflect their personalities. The photos should summarize their senior year, so students remember what they looked like and how they felt. This is the philosophy Rachel Evans, senior picture photographer at Captured Photography practices.

“I want my clients to have their best side captured, but it is very important that it is still them,” Evans said.

Every year, seniors make the decision on how they want to remember their senior year through their senior pictures. Photography businesses have a fine line between making seniors look the best they can or making them look like something out of a magazine. Adam Carroll, owner of Harbor Light Photography believes, along with Evans, that a senior picture should be a true reflection of the client and should not be heavily altered or retouched.

“They should feel and look pretty, not sexy. They’re seniors in high school, not twenty-five year olds. I know girls can be self-conscious and we want to make them look good,” Carroll said.

Since Evans and Carroll do not rely on Photoshop and other editing software to improve the quality of their photos, they take a different approach when it comes time to take their photos. When Evans gets ready to take the photo, she makes sure the client is the main focus of the image and the background doesn’t

clash with the client. Evans tries to find angles the flatter her clients best, and

comments that leaning forward is one of these most flattering poses.

Senior Hannah Szymanowski

The process has changed. Ten years ago he didn’t use Photoshop or digital cameras. Photographers needed the perfect lighting, backdrop, and a steady

hand. Not every minor problem could be fixed. Bruce Schneider, owner of Warner Photography, remembers editing photos using negatives, he was unable to add as much detail. Every blemish had to be removed by adding dye to the negative of a photo, layering it on until the blemish became neutral with the skin.

“The prints would come back and any light spots on the prints, like shine on the face or glasses glare, could actually be taken out by adding dyes and painting over mistakes if you needed to,” Schneider said. “Now you do it all at the same time on the computer.”

Schneider believes that with editing programs like Photoshop it is very easy for photographers to show their clients in their best light. He has the philosophy that every client should look the best they can look. Kathy Morley, owner of Morley Studios, also runs her business with the same philosophy. Morley comments that her take on retouching photos is to make her clients look rested and have them look their age.

With senior photography, Schneider wants his customer to feel good about themselves. To do this, he is a firm proponent when it comes to retouching photographs. Morley will even go to the lengths of swapping out the heads of her client in one photo, with the head of the same client in a different photo. She does this because she sometimes captures the perfect smile or emotion on one face while capturing the perfect pose on a different photo.

“I have a different philosophy when it comes to photography, I want everyone to look their best. If I can make it perfect I will swap a head

to make it perfect,” Morley said. Senior Malissa Garland chose Warner

Photography because her friends were crew members, seniors who are chosen to have their photos advertised, and liked Warner’s style. She got her pictures taken in May and when she got her hard copies she was impressed with the way Schneider highlighted her best features.

“Wow... I wish I looked like this all the time,” said Garland. “I don’t know what else they could do to them, I’m so happy with how they turned out.”

Garland mentions when she was choosing a she kept in mind that she wanted to go somewhere that emphasized her beauty, one that didn’t take their retouches too far to the point where she didn’t look like herself.

“The danger of retouching is putting it in the wrong hands of people who take it too far,” Morley said. “You want it to look like that person, but have it be them on their best day, and not have it so they are blurred out and look plastic.”

Morley believes that when deciding between picking a studio that retouches their photos verses a studio that doesn’t, it comes down to a personal preference.

“Clients come to me because that is what they want. They want my style and my artwork. Otherwise anyone with a camera can do it. Why would anyone come to me and say I just want your pictures but not your artwork,” said Morley. “Everyone needs a little bit of editing to give them a little more dimension. It doesn’t change how you look it just enhances by taking an image on a flat piece of paper and make it look better.”

chose to have her senior portraits taken by Captured Photography because she liked their relaxed and unique style. She enjoyed how Evans used color to emphasize the background but still had the focus of the photo be on her. She was pleased with her photos and commented that she had a good experience working with Captured Photography.

“I liked how it wasn’t posed, it was in the moment. There were no strict positions so my pictures look like a moment being captured in time,” Szymanowski said. “I think some of my photos were retouched, but it was unique to other studios, they didn’t try altering my face.”

Although Evans and Carroll do not use editing software to make major enhancements to their photos, they still use programs like Photoshop and Apple Appacure to make basic retouches to their client’s photos. These are common expectations that clients have when having their senior pictures taken, and include blemish removal and making sure the skin looks healthy. Additionally, clients of Captured Photography can choose a variety of tints for their photos.

“I prefer a more classic style and to keep it real with my clients,” Carroll said.

Both photographers have a set style that is associated with their work. They are known not to alter their client’s photos, but to use both of their individual and unique methods to enhance the photos.

“We love people and I think that it is exciting to see clients and show them themselves in a light they haven’t seen before,” Evans said. “Our goal is to capture their personality, because that’s what it should be about. We don’t want them to be plastic and posed. That would be foreign to them.”

Reasons to Re-Touch A Natural Approach

DO ITYOURSELF

Quick and easy Photoshop tips that even an amateur can do.

1.How to remove blemishes

2.How to whiten your teeth

3.How to make your eyes pop

BLEMISHES

Left click the spot healing brush tool located on the

left toolbar.

Select the healing brush tool.

Hold down ALT and click on skin around the blemish

Now click on the blemish and watch it disappear

TEETH WHITENING

Select the paint brush tool located on the left toolbar.

At the bottom of the left toolbar click on the white box and make it an off white color

Senior Malissa Garland models the effects of re-touching that most seniors receive automatically when having their senior photos taken. This photo was helped made possible by Samantha Raykovitz, make-up artist. Jack Duly & Emily Fisher | Photo Illustration

Lower the opacity of the brush to around

Lightly brush over the teeth until they are white enough.

10%

MAKING THE EYES POP

BY THE NUMBERS

Select the dodge tool located on the left toolbar

for lightening the iris.

Range: MidtonesHardness: 20%

Select the burn tool located on the left

toolbar fordarkening the edge of the iris

and the pupilRange: MidtonesHardness: 20%

82%of seniors were

satisfied with their senior pictures

86% of seniors were happy with the

edits done to their photos

Statistics compiled from a survey of a 119 seniors.

POPULAR STUDIOS

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Where seniors decided to go for their senior portraits. Data gathered from a survey of

119 seniors.

The subject of photo retouching was something I wanted to write about in Focus but we had to find a way to localize the problem. I was assigned to the story and my partner and I went around interviewing the photography studios in Midland. We handed out survey’s and interviewed MHS students that had an opinion on the topic. The photo illustration is what I’m most proud of, my partner and I were able to take my idea and make it happen through make-up and Photoshop retouching.

Design

Thank you for your consideration!!