Nate Chute. Photojournalist.

Currently listening to: Lessons by Damiera

 Spring sports have begun and this includes track, which works incredibly well visually , given the lines of the track, the layers of color on the field, and the action that takes place. Despite the visual depth that can exist at a track meet, what has stood out to me is that, with the exception of relays, each event has individuals competing against one another. It’s something I hope to bring out in my images, whether it be emphasizing solitude (see image at bottom of post) or of the will and determination of athletes to push themselves on their own. While getting an image of a long jumper drenched in sand or a close finish in a race make for great, eye-catching moments, illustrating the concept of “why”  from an event apart from just “what” and “who” allows for a moment to literally be defining. 

 Images are intended to create a connection by conveying a particular element of a moment. This is what sets the pros apart. They know how to communicate elation with bright colors and lights or define anger by framing a subject tightly (these are, of course, just ideas and not formulas that work to convey feelings). The firefighter to the left, as an example, went next to the truck to pull the hose out from it. The line the hose creates allows for viewer’s eye to go back to the truck and the smoke  in the background with the firefighter leading the frame in the foreground. 

Piecing all of these components together worked to explain the situation. But the frame is nothing without the firefighter’s expression. The human element allows for the situation to be identified with rather than just seen as something that happened. The same is true with the image of the runner on the right. He’s exhausted – holding onto a cup and leaning over with no one near him.  All of those things are emphasized with the framing, the light, and more importantly, the moment that was captured. I’m in the business of capturing moments to tell a story. The challenge is capturing one that speaks to the story in an explanatory manner but also to the subject(s) humanity.