rachel mummey // visual journalist

Finally something new....

2012-02-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

So I've been catching a bit of flack for not updating my blog in over six months. Here is an image from a recent project I've been working on for the last few months in Joplin, Missouri. The project is about domestic weather refugees and the hardships residents face as they trek the road to recovery in search of some sort of normalcy in their lives.

summer is here

2011-06-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

strawberry festival

2011-05-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

The smaller the person the smaller the details.

day to day

2011-05-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

It has definitely been a while since I've updated. I don't post as often as I should, but this last lapse as been particularly long. I've been shooting a lot lately, I look back at the past five and a half months I've been here in Jasper and I am amazed at the sheer volume and range of things I've photographed. Here are a selection of recent daily assignments.

Spring Spring Spring...

2011-04-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Shot Gun Merit Badge

2011-03-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

This is in between rounds of a shot gun class for Boy Scout Troop 185.
The crisp air and light rain made for some especially nice glistening light.

St. Patrick's Day - Ireland, Indiana

2011-03-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I shot at the St. Patrick's Day Celebration in Ireland, Indiana.
I have been told by many people about the small town festivals in Dubois County,
and I must say, that after my first time experiencing one first hand, I look back on
them and feel very much at home. It was a rather quarky sequence of events that
allowed me to spend time getting to know people and observing how their community members connect with one another.

Organist's last day

2011-03-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

Vita Bartley has been the organist at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church for 63 years. This past Sunday was her last. The list on the lower left is a hand written line up of songs so the choir knows what to sing.

Anticipation

2011-03-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

The kids who go to the sporting events in Dubois County always seem to have some
kind trickery going on. This morning tournament game, they all brought newspapers to read while the rivaling team's players are introduced. This little boy was the only one
without a newspaper in his lap. He squirmed back and forth for a few moments trying to
horn in on someone else's newspaper but alas he had none and he burst into laughter.

The Quail Hunt

2011-02-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

Tradition is a huge part of life here in Jasper. The annual youth quail hunt is just one of those rights of passage that I have gotten to photograph thus far in my adventures here.
I awoke to a pretty blustery snow storm and thought to myself... yep they'll still be out
there - it's perfect hunting weather.

upside-down couches & some wrestling

2011-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

Relax & Enjoy Yourself

2011-01-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

Here are a few features I've shot this week. Above is Clarence and his wife Imogene. Clarence turn 100 years old on Tuesday. He and his wife both live at a nursing home together in Jasper. They enjoy playing Bingo together. It's very sweet.

The second image was from a Trivia night, that was a little overwhelming. I walked into a large room with a ton of people. But it was hard to find how to shoot without being awkward. It was very clear that I was the outsider. Then in walks this group all dressed up in kimonos. They were in good spirits and it made it a whole lot easier to shoot.

I'm a little disappointed. I've had two stories fall through. My first ones. Not off to a great track record. I've got more ideas forming in my head but man... what a bummer. It just goes to show you that it happens to everyone.

But on the bright side... these people in the kimonos gave me a fortune cookie....

it said "RELAX & ENJOY YOURSELF."

The blog has gone black & white

2011-01-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

So it's been about two week - okay more like three - since moving to Jasper, Indiana. I have to say, it's very nice to be back in the midwest, or the heartland, as it does have a bit of my heart. I have most definitely been hitting the pavement for feature hunting. Some days are better than others. But this is such a different pace than what I have been going for the last two years. It is so strange. Its slow and it is encouraged to be slow. To take my time and think. Which is really difficult for me to grasp at this point. But I'm trying to just be slow. I haven't quite caught on fully but it will come with time.

This was my very first feature in Jasper. Don't be fooled by their cuteness. I almost got bit for trying to pet too soon. I'm so sorry to this woman for having disturbed her otherwise peaceful walk. It was kind of nerve racking though... anybody remember the timed assignment in Marcy's class???

This was my first real assignment - to photograph the re-opening of this historic church that had been closed down and over the years became dilapidated. This pastor along with another and some community members worked together to get in working order. The turnout that morning was not good. Hopefully with time the word will spread and their congregation flourish.

Coming into this internship is much like the others. I was sooo nervous to be good. But my boss, Dave, has made it pretty clear that all I have to do is be me. I've been making pictures everyday, working on making connections with people, trying to get stories started. It is slow. But it's beginning to have its payoff. I'll be starting some stories here shortly.

I'm trying to not get caught in a rut of cute kid features which is difficult but as I find my way into the community I think I will continue to encounter real moments. Most generally, the people who live Dubois County are very accepting and warm. I just need to be patient.

An equestrian event

2011-01-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

on the beach

2010-12-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

I'm working the holidays and don't have any assignments so I'm
back on the pavement (or well... sand) for some feature hunting!!

This family was on vacation for the holidays from North Carolina.
The parents spent more time in the ocean than the kids, who were
freezing and wanting to go sit in the car! It was about 60 but the
wind was pretty chilly. So these girls are sisters and the oldest, Chelsea,
came into embrace her younger sister, Diamond, to help keep her warm.

The Nutcracker

2010-12-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

I spent the afternoon back stage with the Moscow Classical Ballet as they
visited West Palm Beach to perform their rendition of The Nutcracker.

Opera singer

2010-12-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

This is a young girl who is aspiring to become an opera singer. Her voice is truly amazing. She also kind of looks like Natalie Portman...

fallen soldier

2010-12-17T18:54:00.000-08:00

This was a really sad assignment. A young man, 19, Jose Hernandez, lost his life to an IED while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. His friends came out to Lake Worth Beach to

hold a vigil in his honor. It really brings it home - these guys are our brothers, our neighbors,

our friends. They are our age and dying. It is just so sad. Thank you, I love you.

Florida winters II

2010-12-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

These Haitian day laborers were rushing to hand pick sweet corn yesterday afternoon before this mornings freeze. They managed to pick 13 acres but estimated to loose 127 to frost. Needless to say they were pretty cold after being out in the winds all day.

Workers at local nurseries rushed to get tropical plants into heated
facilities because of the expected freeze.

Florida winters

2010-12-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

It's 7 a.m. and about 38 degrees - the coldest it's been in Florida in a while. I was out hunting for weather features trying to photograph people looking cold. I found these guys. They didn't look very cold but it was still really pretty out and they were crazy enough to get in the water.

1st AP TOPIX pick-up

2010-11-26T08:53:00.000-08:00

At 9 o'clock p.m. last night I went to photograph Black Friday specials at Toys"R"Us in Royal Palm Beach. Made this picture. My boss called the next morning to tell me that the AP has picked it up for their TOPIX features. NICE!!

I kept thinking of Al Bello - eliminate color... black... white... red.

First time in Court (to photograph)

2010-11-23T19:00:00.001-08:00

This was my first time shooting pictures during a court case. The trial had been going on a very long time before I ever got to the Palm Beach Post in October. Nearly eight years ago, The woman's four-year-old son was beat to death by her lover. The defendant in the case was recently found guilty and I was asked to photograph the sentencing. This was after the man received two life sentences with an additional 30 years - the maximum.

National Adoption Day

2010-11-23T18:58:00.001-08:00

This is the new Colón family. Three siblings all in need of a family and hoping to stay together. After an afternoon of pizza, face painting, they finalized their adoption at the Palm Beach County Courthouse on National Adoption Day.

Cole Bros. Circus

2010-11-22T21:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry I can't figure out how to make the viewer bigger!!! If anyone wants to see it larger go to

http://clikhear.palmbeachpost.com/2010/south-florida/palm-beach-county/cole-bros-circus-behind-the-big-top/

A flag feature

2010-10-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

Eddie Adams Workshop :: After Thoughts

2010-10-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

I think that the most important thing I walked away from the barn with is to have more confidence in myself as a photographer. Be decisive. Know what you want to do and then go shoot that. So my assignment was to shoot a barber in Monticello, Dave McNeal, also known as "Dapper Dave." It was both challenging and rewarding.

I was uncertain of my story line as I was shooting. Dave spoke about the history barber shop and its atmosphere. So I attempted to visually define the space by taking images of the place and the people who were there.

At the same time I was noticing that there was something very special about the dynamics of the relationship between Dave and his wife, Rosetta. Rosetta stopped by the barber shop a few hours into the first day of shooting. They had a very sweet story of how their families had grown up together. They are very supportive of each other. The moments between them were fleeting and I only captured a few.

So two storylines:

1. Barber shop sense of place story

2. Barber and wife relationship story

Failure on my part to make a definitive decision on one of these left me in a position without great pictures of either. To make things even worse, I wasn't even fully aware that this was happing until the editing took place.

There was a young boy, Chris, who came in the barber shop with his father, Joe. The two seemed to be much closer to Dave and Rosetta than any of the other customers. It was subtle but the way they interacted with each other was more like watching family interact rather than barber to client or friend to friend.

But with that said, I should have shot more frames that attempted to place Rosetta and Dave together in the barber shop. So if I had the opportunity to shoot this again, I would have tried to layer Dave in the foreground while trying to capture this moment between Rosetta and Chris at the same time. If only we had re-do's... sigh...

Being that it was that it was the Eddie Adams workshop, and being so inspired by all of the amazing speakers... I found myself just wanting to make strange and beautiful images like this one. although I think I may be the only fan of it... except for the 3 likes I got on Facebook... anyway it doesn't matter... the picture makes me happy.

So after the first day of shooting I felt pretty good about some of the images I had made. I knew that I had over shot. I knew that was because I wasn't confident in what I was shooting. I thought surely there must be a few frames in here that I can use, that the editors will like.... man was I in for it.

The second day of shooting it was much more obvious to focus on the relationship between Rosetta and Dave because they were going to church... so I thought. The visual problem now was to link it to the barber shop. You can guess how successful that was. It wasn't at all. But I made a few pictures I liked...

And I got to ride in the Hulk. Which was so awesome but yet another distracting element away from the relationship story line between Rosetta and Dave.

During the editing session my heart sank bit by bit as we flew through image after image with out a word being said. "Man was the shoot really that bad?" I thought to myself. I guess the lesson here is that even though I thought I was working a situation, I wasn't. At least not it the right way. So next time, I better work it more, and think very critically about what image I'm trying to make and why.

I went to the shoots with a shot list but the problem was that I didn't make enough of a decisive effort to make unique pictures of everything on that shot list. I would shoot one picture of something and then check it off and move onto the next. If I have a shot list and on it is, get a picture of hair on the floor, I better shoot it not just one way but five or ten ways, to guarantee I had a useable picture of hair on the floor.

I am trying to put these lessons into action now. I am back in West Palm Beach, at The Palm Beach Post, as their photo intern until the end of this year. I feel really lucky to be in a community of photographers who are supportive and thoughtful and caring. I feel like I went through some growing pains while at the workshop and now that it's over now is the time to put that information to use. Hopefully I will retain the information and come up with some great things in the next few months, years to come. I hope to never loose touch with the people I met at Eddie Adams, we're family now, so I'm sorry to say.... you're stuck with me. In the words of Ms. MaryAnne Golon, and my good friend Ms. Amanda Lucier, be a good person, take good pictures.

Love you all, Rachel.

GATOR HUNTIN'

2010-10-25T16:15:00.001-07:00

Back in Iowa City :: New Work

2010-09-16T20:39:00.001-07:00

2010-08-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

Tanned and weathered, bearing bandanas and sweat-stained hats, the Salt Water Cowboys of Chincoteague Island set out to round up the wild ponies of Assateague Island for the 85th annual Chincoteague Wild Pony Swim. It's a job held close to their hearts as a rite of passage, handed down from their grandfathers and then to their sons. People flock to the Eastern Shore every year hoping to catch a glimpse of these horses with the tangled manes that leave fleeting hoofprints along the shoreline - only to be washed away until next year.

2010-08-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

Norfolk is home to the largest Naval Base on the east coast. Last week USS Eisenhower came home from
the Arabian Sea, bringing with it nearly 5,000 men and woman.

2010-08-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

I have been spending my off time trying to document the oyster and watermen community along some

of the more rural areas in Hampton Roads. This is what I have so far.

Hand net fishermen on the River Tweed

2009-08-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Scotland here and there

2009-08-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

Rural Scotland

2009-08-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

Scottish Wedding

2009-07-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

North Berwick, Scotland

2009-07-16T15:15:00.001-07:00

Abandoned homes

2009-04-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

The community project last couple of weeks.

2009-03-21T07:41:00.001-07:00

New community work...

2009-02-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

More on community...

2009-02-18T17:30:00.001-08:00

2009-02-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

This father and son help to clear fallen trees in their neighborhood.

This was taken after the ice storm that hit southeast Ohio.

PUPPIES!

My community continued...

2009-02-04T20:58:00.000-08:00

Here I am chasing the sun

A family auction outside of Athens.

Josh Mace, 7, gets money from his family members if they cuss.

The Mace family lives in Liars Corner, a community outside of Athens.

More to this community...

2009-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

The Sunday brunch crowd at the diner in Amesville, Ohio.

This is Dwight Groce. He is 91-years-old and drives to the diner every week for breakfast. Katie, the waitress, calls him her sunshine. Which portrait is better?

Friday the sun was out. These kids, from Millfield, were released

early from school because of a broken water main in Chauncey.

The beginnings of a community

2009-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Before the start of the pheasant hunt, the boys stopped for breakfast at a diner in Logan, Ohio.

I love this dog and his little jacket and booties. He's a German Shorthaired Pointer.

I thought the soda machines gave this photo context about the environment.

After the hunt, the boys divided up the birds evenly to be taken home and prepared for food.