I love photography. I love everything about it. Ever since I was a child, I could recognize the artistic medium of photography and I could appreciate the nuances of black and white portraits and the brilliant colors of sprawling panoramic scenes.

I’m somewhat of a camera junkie now, and while I don’t have any true brand loyalty, in some areas I can be a bit of a snob. For instance: I prefer using Leica cameras for black and white portrait work. Those images stand alone in their sharp contrast and brilliant rendering. And I know that Canon and Fuji — as well as Leica — pride themselves on their color science, but I love the color production that comes from Pentax.

The reason I feel this is all relevant is because all of it serves as a good metaphor for life. All too often we want to see things in bold black and white without acknowledging the complexity of how the grey tones are actually what help make the black and white stand out so much. There are often times when we are stuck on a particular idea or belief; and even if that belief might be self-limiting, we can’t seem to let go of the belief because it’s what we know and what we prefer.

As this new year begins and another election looms on the horizon, there are multiple different things being reported in the news; and it seems to just be pushing people deeper into their own camps. The tribalistic mindset is actually kind of alarming to me. How can we be in this information age and simply just choose to ignore information? We do so at our peril.

In addition to being a photographer, I’m also a journalist. I have several years of journalism experience from different locations; and I have always had a natural inclination toward asking questions. Even if the answer might scare me, I still have always been interested in receiving the answer. Like many people I grew up with, I was told I couldn’t trust the media. I was told to question everything. But when I questioned what I was expected to believe wholesale without any skepticism, I noticed that actions didn’t always match words.

Certain media outlets might have an agenda to push. Some corporate individuals have learned that pushing a certain narrative — regardless of its truth or lack thereof — generates viewership, which then translates into dollars. It’s not about truth at all. It’s about helping a billionaire buy himself a new boat.

There is a serious reason the media is known as the Fourth Estate. We are here to shed the light on the darkness and to keep you informed about how your money is being spent, and how your leaders are behaving. What is meant to separate the chaff from the wheat is the media. And I take that responsibility seriously. Thankfully, so do my new colleagues. And, while we can’t speak for other media outlets, we can clearly speak for ourselves. And we will clearly tell you that we’re here to give you the facts.

Now, those facts might not have the color mixture you desire. You may not like that the black and white image relies on multiple different grey tones in order for it to be a proper image. But liking or disliking something doesn’t make it any less real or any less true. Maybe it’s time for you to pick up a different camera, try shooting with different settings, test your options and see what is clear. You might be surprised at what the other options have to offer, if you will just open yourself to the attempt.

In the meantime, rest assured that my colleagues and I will bring you the facts, and will do so objectively for you to decide what to think. We will bring you the stories you want and need… as well as the photographs.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Since her October destination wedding in Colorado, Bobbi Oddo says communication with the photographer has been rocky.

“If you don’t make a timeline, at least communicate and say why you’re going to be behind rather than ignoring somebody,” Bobbi said.

Bobbi says she paid about $800 in airline and Uber costs to have Joslyn Marie Photography of Iowa document her mile high memories. But for three months, she only had about 30 bride and groom shots to show for it.

“No pictures of family, no pictures of kids,” Bobbi said.

Though a month late, Clarissa Frink got her wedding photos.

“It’s definitely professional and I love the way she edits,” Clarissa said.

But she says video of her 2022 wedding just came in an email last week.

“I do have everything that I was promised, but it taking over a year and not getting responses for months at a time is just extremely frustrating,” Clarissa said.

Citing personal issues in a Facebook post, the owner of Joslyn Marie Photography admits she’s been late on deadlines, late on responses, and unable to follow through on obligations.

But she promises to have a repayment plan for customers who are owed sessions and those waiting on photos will be getting them by email.

“Definitely have referrals, I mean, look into it and see how consistent they are,” Bobbi said.

Brides and expectant mother wanting professional photos may rely on a website to pick a photographer. Chances are, they’re going to see pictures that will make them emotional and say, “I want to look like that.”

But they shouldn’t make a snap decision.

Professional photographer Christopher Tierney schedules almost 50 wedding and maternity photoshoots per year. He says pictures don’t tell the whole story.

“If a client asks me, ‘Hey, I’ve seen these pictures, would you mind if I contacted a couple of those clients and talk to them?’” Tierney said. “[I say] ‘Sure.’”

After 6 News contacted Joslyn Marie Photography, Bobbi Oddo sees that her mountain top wedding photos have finally come down online.

“A lot of tears have been shed over these pictures and I fought really hard to get them, so I’m glad they are finally in my possession,” Oddo said.

After 6 News contacted the photographer, the customer received almost 350 wedding photos, about three months late. The photographer also promised her a $180 refund for a missed photo session.

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Ten other entrants were highly commended by the judges: Tzahi Finkelstein, John Blumenkamp, Zoe Ashdown, Brian Matthews, Lara Matthews, Delphine Casimir, Pratick Mondal, Wendy Kaveney, Jacques Poulard, and Dakota Vaccaro.

“One of the greatest pleasures we experience in this competition is seeing the incredible standard of photography, combined with humor, which consistently increases each year. This year’s People’s Choice Award winner is like the cherry on the cake. To have a junior entrant win this major prize is extremely rewarding for us,” Sullam, the co-founder of the contest, shared.

“We want more juniors to enter. We want to take our conservation message and our love of photography to the younger generation, and this result proves that young photographers have as much chance of winning as anybody else.”