Isaac White
Hawkeye Photographer of the Year Applicant
"The Cusp of Chaos"
In the first quarter of boys varsity state quarterfinals, #8 Dallas Center-Grimes led #1 kennedy by 2, with all the pressure on him, senior Joe Bean hit three consecutive three point shots right after this photo was taken, to give the cougars a comfortable lead. The DCG student section adding pressure right behind Bean, the steaks were high. This photo used the rule of thirds, placing the ball and the two players on the right side, and closer to the camera, while having the raging student section on the left side of the photo, and further from the camera, adding depth and emotion to the photo. with a crowd so large, it creates a "Big Game" atmosphere, a scene you would similarly see in a photo from an NBA game.
"Pinned!"
Junior Jack Oleson stretches his opponents arm back while on top of him, creating a dominant stance, while the referee signals a pin for the junior. This photo uses the rule of thirds, along with contrasting depth to create an eye grabbing action shot. The two wrestlers placed on the right side of the shot, and further away from the camera, while the referee is placed on the left side of the shot, and closer to the camera. The subject's placement in the thirds of the photo grabs the attention, while the depth of each subject brings the photo to life.
"The Fumble"
Battling a tight game, a fumble recovery in overtime brought the cougars their first win of the season, 36-35. On the Pleasant Valley football field, the lighting poses a significant disadvantage to photographers following sunset, so the raw images were very dark. Using an "S" shape on the tone curve, along with exposure boosts and working with AI tools to de-noise the photo, I ended up with a
"Dinger"
Sending it all the way, junior Jace Scott hits a 2 run home run in a tight game against Waterloo West, a big triumph, as these players have been competing against each other from a early age. This photo grabs your attention because you can see that this ball has been hit with force, as it is slightly blurred, and its trajectory is on a path to be hit far. The sunset hitting the back of Scott adds contrast to the photo, as the light is very evenly balanced, but contrasted enough to create depth.
Original Post - Flickr - Date - 9/1/23 - Caption - After coming back and forcing overtime, the cougars hold their ground, not letting a Pleasant Valley score, with a crucial fumble, forced by junior Braylon Edwards.
Original Post - Flickr - Date - 6/24/23 - Caption -Saying goodbye to the ball, junior Jace Scott smashes a home run to take the lead early in the matchup.
"Mighty Lionesses"
During Kennedy's rendition of "The Lion King Jr.", very creative, colorful yet dark lighting was used all throughout the show, using this to my advantage, I enhanced the flooding colors that were present, creating a cool, calm, moody scene to tell a story that matches what was happening in the story, that being the ballad number "Shadowlands". Because of the naturally dark lighting, I combined Ai de-noising tools, with small lighting tweaks of my own, creating a balance that was just right.
Original Post - Flickr - Date - 12/11/23 - Caption - During the "Shadowlands" song in the Lion king jr. musical, a lioness played by senior Taryn Gerjets extends her arms down her outstretched leg.