super duper

March 22, 2013

Didn’t plan on going to the lake; ended up there for the most beautiful four wheeler ride I’ve been on. Thanks, Neal.

Thanks for looking,

4:30pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbpuwgsY3hf

March 3, 2013

Oklahoma for Native Daughters II

I spent my weekend traveling Oklahoma, with stops in Oklahoma City, Norman, Ada, Shawnee and Tulsa, shooting for the UNL College of Journalism’s second Native Daughters magazine. I met some amazing people and had a great time.

Thanks for looking.

February 3, 2013

Catching up

Just a collection of some recent work, starting with the Daily Nebraskan fashion show and ending with a portrait of Nebraska track and field’s Janis Leitis, who competed in the London Olympics for his home country of Latvia.

My schedule hasn’t allowed me much time to shoot recently, and it feels good to be working again.

Thanks for looking.

7:32pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbpuwdLJi2_

January 7, 2013

Brazil: In-betweens

Hey, everyone. I’ve been silent on here for about the last month because I was in São Paulo working with a group of nine other students on stories relating to poverty. We are able to do this work through an endowment fund in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at UNL.

I will get into more details about my story, its struggles and its successes later, but for now I wanted to share the in-betweens.

I think I’ve traveled a decent amount for someone my age. Because of this endowment, I’ve spent three weeks each in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, India and, now, Brazil. There will hopefully be more trips down the road, too.

Being thrown into a new situation, no matter how much research you do ahead of time, is always somewhat jarring.

Also, with only three weeks, the necessity for speed in making the pictures you need for your story is very high.

But one of my favorite parts about the trips is the frames I shoot between the stories. Literally everywhere you go (and this is true at home, too) there is opportunity. The opportunity to meet someone different from anyone you’ve met before, yet the same as everyone you’ve met before. Differences you notice in how a culture acts or looks or feels can be played out in these in-betweens in a way that maybe only I connect with. But that connection, and the memory and feelings these photos spark, is something I hold on to.

Photographically, this wasn’t my best trip. But everything is a learning experience and failure isn’t the worst thing. Not realizing when or how you’ve made mistakes is what hurts you.

But enough rambling. It’s nice to be using English again and eat at D’Leons.

Story pictures will come soon.

Thanks for looking.

6:42pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbpuwbE5IF4

(Notes: 1)

Filed under: unl photojournalism andrew dickinson photo university of nebraska-lincoln sao paulo brazil culture portrait 2013

December 9, 2012

Downtown

Some photos from a story that ran last week in the OWH about Lincoln’s downtown by Cara Pesek. Most are from a show at the Zoo Bar with French music by local acts.

5:52pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbpuwZ0axRs

(Notes: 1)

Filed under: lincoln downtown copyright omaha world-herald andrew dickinson photo photojournalism bar zoo bar drinking french music local music

December 9, 2012

Capitol Christmas tree lighting

Some frames from an assignment at the Nebraska State Capitol.

Thanks for looking.

5:15pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/ZYbpuwZ0PuCj

(Notes: 1)

Filed under: governor dave heineman copyright omaha world-herald lincoln capitol nebraska state capitol sally ganem scott middle school select choir lincoln north star high school choreographed choir holiday tree christmas tree lighting nebraska andrew dickinson photojournalism photo

November 25, 2012

Why personal photography matters

A year ago, I wrote this post about the death of my grandpa and my interpretation of the profound importance of personal photography.

Coincidentally, an event occurred over the past week that got me thinking, as I often do, about how important photos of those you care about are.

I got to know Riley Johnson initially when we both endured Joe Starita’s reporting class two years ago. Not many people escape the class with an A (I have a sneaking suspicion Riley was one of those few), and the entire class bonded. We had a party once we’d all survived the course, and we were all better journalists for having been through it (What’s up, Staritanauts?).

Fast forward to this semester and Riley and I are coworkers at the Daily Nebraskan.

I probably spend more time around Riley than anyone else (sorry, Amanda), yelling questions at him from my office five nights a week or listening to Liz announce how much time he has left to write teasers. He always has a drawer full of candy that never lasts as long as it should, and recently his goatee has been the topic of many a newsroom conversation.

Last Thursday afternoon, Riley collapsed after arriving at a bar in his hometown of Ellsworth, Wisc., with his family while visiting for Thanksgiving break. It appeared he was having a seizure, but he suffered cardiac arrest and it took CPR and three defibrillator shocks to bring him back.

His heart had, quite literally, stopped.

It was discovered soon after that he suffers from Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a disorder caused by an extra pathway in the lower half of the heart. Doctors induced a coma for 24 hours, but Riley is now awake and responsive.

My immediate thoughts when I received the phone call breaking the news on my way from Kansas City to Lincoln were scattered. How could a 22-year-old kid in good shape just collapse out of nowhere? What if he were gone - just like that?

I started thinking next of the photos I’d taken of him recently on our trip to Chicago for the ACP journalism conference.

In my mind, they represent Riley well. He’s a wise 40-year-old man mixed with a rambunctious 6-year-old boy. He’s hilarious, fun, smart and motivated. I respect him and feel honored to work with him.

It was possible, I thought, that these would’ve been the last photos I’d take of Riley. It’s a scary, real thought.

Fortunately, things are looking up and, after surgery this week to remove the extra passageway in his heart, he should be on the road to recovery.

For now, keep Riley and his family in your thoughts…and pick up your camera (iPhone, GoPro, DSLR, disposable, whatever) and shoot some pictures of the people you care about.