The thought behind every shot

Junior photographer Joe Vallina sits behind the track on a mild September day. He squats to get an image of two runners just before they start another repetition. His camera flickers as he captures their faces straining with sweat. 

Most school photographers only show up to the meets, to the moments where things really matter. But Vallina was trying to tell a different story. “My goal is to get the things you don’t see,” he says. “I think a lot of time, all you see is the results but you don't see the training and effort… I was trying to show the work that they actually put in, you know, the work that everyone doesn't see, but that they're always putting in every day.” 

Telling a story 

Vallina explains that his goal before any photo shoot is to have a vision or story to tell. “I mean the easiest thing to do is just take a lot of photos,” he says. “That’s good, and that’s what I do too. But you also have to have a purpose behind it, and when you go back you want to find those photos that really make an impact.” 

Vallina takes photos as a freelancer for a variety of sports at Blair, and he always has a vision before shooting. “I’ve taken photos for basketball, football, and other stuff too,” he says. “But I always try to find something I think is impactful, kind of showing the behind-the-scenes. I try to think about it like I want to get a shot where the players will remember that moment when looking back.”

Joe V example photo

Photo: Instead of taking photos of the meets, in one gallery Vallina captured the track team's practice in order to emphasize the behind-the-scenes work required for success.

Instead of taking photos of the meets, in one gallery Vallina captured the track team's practice in order to emphasize the behind-the-scenes work required for success. Photo courtesy of Joseph Vallina.

J.P. Belling, a photographer for the yearbook and Silver Chips print, also envisions a story before taking a shot. “It really depends whether I’m on assignment or not,” he says. “But most of the time if I’m out on my own or don’t have any idea about what the story will be about I just seek out interesting angles and look for displays of emotion… Frames that are flat emotionally will for the most part fall flat visually.”

Settings and editing

While capturing these pivotal moments might sound easy, the difficult aspect of making a good photo often comes after the shot. While most don’t have access to high-quality Canon cameras like Vallina has, there are still ways of creating a professional look from an iPhone. “I don’t usually take photos with a phone, but it’s doable,” he says. When taking an iPhone photo, Vallina says it’s all about the settings. “First of all, you shouldn't just take them raw, you should go into your settings and mess with things a bit,” he says. “The first thing I usually do is I bring down the exposure a little, depending on the environment. And then just remember the rule of thirds.” The rule of thirds is a fundamental photography rule that states that every photo should be taken within the intersections of four compositional lines, naturally drawing the eye to the subject.  

Finally, Vallina discussed the editing process afterward. “It's also how you edit the photo,” he says. “I usually use Photoshop, but you can do it within the Camera App too. I really just experiment with the filters and settings until I get the mood I want.” 

When he’s done editing a photo, Vallina usually compiles the photos into what he calls a “documentary-style” gallery. 

What’s next for photography?

With the rise of AI photography, Vallina says the future of his “doc-style” galleries is uncertain. “I feel like there’s always photos to be taken,” he says. “So I feel like it's never gonna really die. But I do think eventually it's gonna be harder to be a photographer because a lot of it will be photography that isn’t real anymore.” 

Belling responded with a similar notion. “I think photography is important because so much of what we consume on the internet is visual and there is a certain visceral reaction that photos—usually of gut wrenching things—can create,” he says. “There is also this ability to show the beauty in the ordinary, which I believe is extremely important to remaining grounded and grateful for the world around us.”

JP Belling Example photo

Photo: Outside of school, senior photographer Belling enjoys taking shots of cityscapes -- employing techniques and approaches like the rule of thirds to evoke emotion from the viewer.

Outside of school, senior photographer Belling enjoys taking shots of cityscapes -- employing techniques and approaches like the rule of thirds to evoke emotion from the viewer. Photo courtesy of J.P. Belling.

Vallina says he got into photography because of his mom, who is also a professional photographer. “She already had the camera, so I thought I’d give it a try,” he says. “From then on, photography became more and more important to me, and it’s something that I think I’ll keep with me going forward.” 

Note: Belling is a member of the Silver Chips print publication.