Assignment 4: "Defining Beauty"

This week's assignment was to define what we see as beautiful. As a former dancer, I wanted to show the beauty that dancers can portray through their work. I had contacted the ballet club at Penn State, Volé, asking to photograph a point technique class. When I showed up at the time the girl had told me, however, I was surprised to find that it was only a rehearsal for a piece for their semester showcase. More than a little bit disappointed, as it was Monday at 11 p.m., I continued to shoot hopefully to get something useable. I found out that the girl who was choreographing the dance had knee surgery, yet still keeps dancing because it is her passion. To me, displaying her scar and continuing to go for her dreams even after overcoming a major obstacle is the definition of true beauty.

Becky Kelley, a Penn State senior majoring in integrative arts and dance, instructs four fellow Volé club dancers in the White Building on Monday night. As a senior and member of Volé, the ballet club on campus, Kelley choreographed a dance for Volé's showcase for the Fall of 2010 set to Ella Fitzgerald's "Fever." Kelley continued to pursue her passion of dance even after having knee surgery, which left a scar on her right knee.

Melanie Angle, a Penn State Senior majoring in psychology dances during a rehearsal for a showcase piece for Volé, Penn State's dance club, in the White Building on Monday night. The piece was set to "Fever" by Ella Fitzgerald, and was choreographed by senior Becky Kelley, an integrative arts major.

Assignment 3: "A Real Superhero"

For this assignment, I photographed volunteers of the organization Meals on Wheels on Friday, September 10th, 2010 at the Grace Lutheran Church in State College. It is here that the organization prepares meals to be delivered to clients. A number of volunteers work on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to prepare and deliver meals. Supervisor Anna Carol Buffington said "I think everyone in our organization is a hero. They go about their volunteering in a quiet manner, but they make a huge impact on the clients whom they serve." The State College branch of Meals on Wheels is now in its 39th year of operation, and has served between 1.2-1.3 million meals in that time period. 

Photo By: Chloe Elmer
Dawn Crews, 42, of State College, Pa., puts cling wrap on cheese sandwiches for Meals on Wheels at the Grace Lutheran Church on Friday morning, September 10th, 2010. Crews has volunteered for Meals on Wheels for three years, but says "I love it. I feel like I've been here forever." Meals on Wheels delivers hot and cold meals  to eight different routes in the State College Area School District. After preparing the meals for two hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the volunteers pack up decorated brown bags and insulated packages and deliver them to the clients. A team of eight prepared 160 of both hot and cold meals to deliver this day.

Photo By: Chloe Elmer
Bob Lindsay, 69, of State College, Pa., delivers a hot meal and a cold meal to Margaret Budd on Fairmont Avenue on Friday morning, September 10th, 2010. Lindsay, a retired employee of the U.S. Department of Justice and Penn State Alumnus, has been volunteering with Meals on Wheels for about 5 years. Lindsay drives Route 7 (out of 8 different routes throughout the State College Area School District), which is the local route, including homes in his own neighborhood.

Assignment 2: "Alphabet Portrait"

For this assignment, we were instructed to find someone with a profession beginning with the letter we picked out of an envelope. I got the letter "n," and I found a nail technician. We then had to take 2 portraits of this person, one as an environmental posed photo and the other as a candid.

Nail technician Rachel Taylor, 26, poses in front of an O.P.I. nail polish display in Looks Hair Design on Friday, September 3rd, 2010. Taylor has worked at the salon for almost two years after graduating from Empire Beauty School doing manicures and pedicures among other procedures. Taylor says her favorite part of  working as a nail technician is the variety of clientele she serves.

Nail technician Rachel Taylor, 26, paints the toenails of Tiffany Zak at Looks Hair Design on Friday, September 3rd, 2010. Zak, a Penn State senior majoring in biotechnology, gets manicures and pedicures often, but came to Taylor because she "heard she's really good." Taylor, originally from Altoona, Pa., has been a nail technician at Looks for about two years. She enjoys her job because of the variety of clientele she serves.