JACOB DANEK
PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGN
Taking pictures is one thing, but actually seeing your pictures printed in the newspaper and yearbook gives you a warming sense of pride that compares to nothing else. Designing around pictures can be difficult, as you do not want to take away from the picture. These designs all feature my pictures. In print form the pictures are brought to life. They are not just mere digital copies but something you can touch and feel. If I am in a class and see someone reading a newspaper, the first thing they see or comment on are the pictures. This is because photos give people a chance to be transported to that exact moment.
Making History: I was chosen to take pictures at the Breslin Center last year when our girls basketball team made it to states. I designed this cover for The Informer, and the title "No Regrets" was the team's motto, which encapsulated their entire season. They played their heart outs, just falling short of winning it all. This picture, to me, gives a feel of just how high the stakes were. This free throw was at the end of the game...that one little point could be the difference between being state champs, or runner ups. This cover is being entered for cover design in the 2015-2016 MIPA awards.
Seniors Prevail: For the first time in decades, Powderpuff was brought back to Laingsburg. That day I had a soccer game, so I just made the second half of the game. I had to run to the other side of the field to get this pictureof a senior screaming after her victory. This cover design was one of my favorites that I've done because it shows the raw emotion of sports and high school in general. This cover design will be entered in the 2015-2016 MIPA awards.
We Did It: This cover is one of my favorites that I have designed. The volleyball team had fallen short of winning regionals year after year. This picture, with one of the team captains cheering for her team, really shows how that they had finally made it. Hours and hours of hard work prepared them for one game...and they made those few hours of game time count. That is one of my favorite parts of being a sports photographer, seeing people's smiling faces. This photo is being entered in the 2015-2016 MIPA competition for sports feature photo.
Dedicated to Their Craft: Musicians amaze me. I have never been gifted musically, and whenever I go to band concert I am in awe of their talent. For this picture I had to kneel down amongst the band memebers, being careful not to knock over any drums or music stands. The photo and design shows the dedication musicians have: a dedication to their craft that I admire and hope to capture through photography.
A Different Take on the Q&A: When I originally went to my advisor with a plan to use gradients as part of a design, both she and I were a little nervous about how it would look in print. The grey and red gradient, in the end, turned out as a great design feature, especially for a spotlight on two intergral members of school sports and the student spirit section. I took the picture on the right and below the title. I knew that since it was a feaure, I wanted to have big cutouts, to showcase each of their passions. This design will be entered in the 2015-2016 MIPA awards for sports feature design.
Big Story, Less Room for Pictures: This was the longest story I have ever written for the newspaper. I ended up having to cut it down so I could add pictures. Because let's face it...a bunch of text isn't very exciting. I loved this design because it was so simple. Nothing too flashy, but simple colors and a few pictures that helped add meaning to the story. I took pictures 1, 2, and 3. This spread was entered in the 2015-2016 MIPA awards for feature spread design.
CMU Application: I competed in this year's Centralis Scholarship competition, which is a scholarship offered by Central Michigan University. This was the arts/creative piece that I submitted as part of the application. It showcases some of my best pictures while incorporating design elements. The "one second," "one moment," and "one memory," on the side is a saying I created that exemplifies photography. A picture is a way for someone to be transported back to that exact second, moment, and memory. I recieved a full tuition scholarship from CMU partly due to this arts pieice.
Capturing Happiness: You never know what you are going to capture during a game. There might be cries of joy or cries of defeat. But this is the beauty of photography. Whether joy or sorrow is captured, viewers are able to experience that emotion, and understand what the subjects were going through at that exact moment. Luckily, this shot was after the girls volleyball team won district finals. Happiness was obvious, but the way the team stormed the court after the game and hugged each other made for a picture that makes you smile with pride. This cover design was entered in the 2014-2015 MIPA awards and won honorable mention.