Internship Post-Fieldwork Response

So I'm having to write all these final essays for my internship portfolio because I have to turn it in tomorrow before we leave on our honeymoon on Sunday! There was this questionaire that I had to fill out, and I figured some of you nerds might enjoy reading it. Here it is!!

Post Fieldwork Response:

1. My first day on my internship caused me to... be excited about the things that I would learn through working with Lauren. I was a bit anxious but willing to learn

2. My internship supervisor... became one my good friends. Lauren and I really clicked and we both learned a lot from each other. She also let me use and learn from her equipment.

3. I often wished I knew how to... help Lauren run her business better. I had no experience with a small business.

4. I functioned at or above expectations because I knew how to... react on my toes and learn quickly. I also was able to develop and repeat Lauren’s style of photography so that she could use my pictures for her business albums.

5. I was most comfortable when I was assigned to... take pictures on my own. She assigned me to capture the groom at weddings and to photograph the children. I loved being respected and trusted to use her equipment as I saw needed.

6. I was most uncomfortable when I was assigned to... hold the reflector while Lauren took the pictures. I wanted to be in the action, but I also new that I could learn from watching and helping her.

7. If I had to do it over, I would pay more attention, or work harder in... practicing the few Photoshop skills we learned in visual media. I learned a lot this summer, but I could have built on the basic knowledge more if I had remembered what I learned then.

8. The least valuable thing to my internship that I learned in JMC ...was media issues. None of that mattered for my internship.

9. I would advise interns to... be open to all directions that their internship might take them, even if it’s outside the news room.

10. About the so-called “ACU bubble,” I learned... to cherish it. And that it’s true to some degree, but only so we can learn before being thrown out into the rest of the world. It’s good to have a solid foundation. No one knows how it will be like for them until you get out and do it yourself. Every beginning has it’s own bubble.

11. The fieldwork opened my eyes to... the business challenges of photography. Though having my own portrait business is not what I want to do as a career, I know that it could help me earn some money and get my name out there. It reminded me about how much I love photojournalism, and how passionate I am about capturing the essence of the story, not just a pretty face.

12. I learned that the books I will need near my desk are... a Photoshop guide, an AP style manual and daily scripture reminders of the real truth.

13. Criticism caused me to... be more challenged, and to learn on my own. I accepted it with open arms.

14. Praise caused me to... gain confidence and enthusiasm about my photography.

15. I learned I need to improve my work habits of... persistence and punctuality. I need to learn how to get to the main point with out all the outside jibberish.

16. I was ecstatic when... Lauren’s blog viewers started to comment on my blog. I felt like my photos were finally making an impact. I was surprised that they would even care to look at her intern’s pictures, but I was thrilled by their curiosity.

17. Now that the fieldwork is done, I hope... to continue to build off of the knowledge I learned to develop a style that I can call my own. I hope the camera skills I learned can help me in my work on the Optimist next year. This internship has helped give me a boost of confidence and has opened my eyes to angles I would have never found before.