The Mission Bay girls lacrosse team closed out a remarkable season on May 10 that saw them finish on top of the league standings (9-1). After winning the regular-season opener versus Del Lago Academy on Feb. 21, the Bucs dropped the next three matches to Point Loma, El Capitan, and University City before turning things around by going on a six-game win streak.

“We saw how much growing we needed to do pretty early in the season with a ton of new players,” said head coach Hayley Burke. “I was proud of the team this year.”

With only three returning seniors, Mission Bay went from finishing with only a couple of wins in 2023 to an 11-5 overall record this season while only having three seniors on the squad before falling to Castle Park in the playoff quarterfinals.

Among the team’s standout performers was goalie Sydney Kidd, who, despite being injured the majority of the season, stayed involved and returned in time for the final matches. Midfielder Iris Brogan and teammate Richie Lynn Nguyen stepped up big when they were called upon to impact offense and defense.

“The girls ultimately bought in and impacted how the season ended,” Burke added. “I feel like having a tough season last year, our learned lesson was setting small goals and just taking it day by day. I’m sad to lose the seniors, but I’m pretty excited to have a ton of returners next year to pick up where we left off.”

Mission Bay outscored its opponents 164 to 116 during the regular season, which included back-to-back shutouts over Lincoln on March 18 and Hilltop on March 23 by a combined scoreline of 35-0 along with a forfeit victory over Preuss UCSD on April 29.

“Once we learned we had a chance of making the playoffs, we set a bigger goal of going for league champion and making it as far as we could,” said Burke.

PHOTO BY STEVE SIDELL

This conversation originally aired in the May 19, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.

Tennessee photographer Stacy Kranitz is attracting attention for her visceral photos of life in Appalachia and the South.

Photography has had an important but troubled history in Appalachia. Many of the stereotypes now associated with the region came from photographers who visited the area in the 1960s to cover Lyndon Johnson’s so-called “war on poverty.” Those stark, black-and-white images became emblematic of a style of photography known as “poverty porn.” That style of photography, and the stereotypes that accompany it, accounts for a lot of why people in Appalachia are still suspicious of photographers. 

Kranitz not only acknowledges that history — she leans into it. Sometimes her photos are hard to look at, but they’re always compelling. That’s the case with a project published earlier this year. ProPublica’s story, “The Year After a Denied Abortion,” follows a young family in Tennessee.

Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams reached out to Kranitz to talk about the gripping photos that accompany the story, and how she thinks about photography in Appalachia.

The transcript below was lightly edited for clarity.

Adams: We’re talking today because of a photo essay in ProPublica, titled “The Year after a Denied Abortion.” The piece is less about the abortion that didn’t happen than about the year in the life of a mother and child and family, and the various challenges they encounter. So, the story centers around Mayron Michelle Hollis, who is the mother in question. At the beginning of the story, she is having her fifth child. She’s already been working through recovery.

How did you connect with Mayron, and how did you get such access to her life?

Kranitz: I received a call from my visuals editor at ProPublica [in] December 2022. She asked me if I would be available to follow a woman who is in the late stages of a life threatening pregnancy that she has been forced to carry to term. The reporter, Kavitha Surana, this is her beat, this is her focus, is abortion across America. She had been working really hard to find a story to tell from a very intimate first-person perspective. We didn’t have full permission from Mayron yet. We had set up a time to go and meet her to discuss what we would like to do and to see if it was something that she was interested in participating in. And then, she gave birth the next day.

She had a very intense birth. She almost died during the birth of her child. Her child, Elayna, was born three months ahead of time and was in the NICU. Kavitha and I went to meet her in the hospital. We had originally planned to meet her that day. We asked her if she was OK to meet with us. She said yes. She was very adamant that she wanted to tell her story. She wanted other people to understand what she was going through how she made the decisions that she made. It’s a complicated story in that, originally, her and her husband Chris, they wanted to have the baby. But they had to really think through the risks, which was that she was very likely to die, and then that would leave her other child without a mother. And that child was not even one yet.

Adams: The story basically follows their life for the next year after their daughter, Elayna, is born prematurely. We see them go through excruciating experiences. It all feels very real, and also very hard. She’s extraordinarily vulnerable. We see her at some of her lowest moments. How were you able to capture a year in this person’s life in such a close way?

Kranitz: I did have to be constantly available. I worked with Kavitha, the reporter, and my editor Andrea Wise. Me and Kavitha were in constant contact with Mayron. If she was going to a doctor’s appointment, we definitely wanted to be there for that. If she was going to run errands, we wanted a chance to be there to do that, to document that. Her work as well. And so she got in the habit of letting me know the kinds of things that were happening in her life each week. 

Adams: How did you deal with this, not as a photographer but as a person? How were you able to compartmentalize the trauma going on in this person’s life in such a way that you could carry on your own life at the same time?

Kranitz: One of the ways that I am able to do this — and this is a choice — is that I am a huge believer in there not being a dividing line between my personal life and my professional life. So that part didn’t feel all that different. I think it made me uniquely suited to do this work, to pick up at any moment and rush to Clarksville, which is a little over two hours from where I live. I have to say, I have worked on a lot of really, really challenging stories. This one really took me down. It was incredibly intense, and I’m really grateful to my editor and Kavitha for providing a lot of emotional support throughout the year.

Adams: As a journalist, it’s tricky, because our stories may end but life goes on. Chris and Mayron’s story ends in a challenging moment, with Elayna’s first birthday. Chris is trying to put together a celebration and Mayron is in jail at the time. Can you give us an update on how the family is doing?

Kranitz: Unfortunately, things are difficult right now. I spoke with Mayron last a few days ago, and they are going through a lot of the same struggles. The story really affected a lot of people, and they went to Mayron’s GoFundMe page and they donated money at a time when a lot of their utilities were being shut off. They were going through another eviction warning. They owed their babysitter $1,000. The babysitter was kind enough to let them continue to bring the children there. But to be able to pay your childcare provider is such an important thing to be in control of.

Adams: What’s some wisdom you’ve taken away from this experience?

Kranitz: Spending time with Mayron is a masterclass in resilience. Every time I left after spending a few days or a week with her, I felt like I had a deeper appreciation and understanding for how to survive in the face of extreme difficulty. I spent hours listening to her on the phone with [the] food stamps office, social security, all these different resources that were supposed to be there for her but weren’t. I think a lot of people do not realize how inaccessible government assistance can be. And I really, really felt like that education will stay with me forever.

Adams: The photos in this story are emotionally raw and intense. But in a lot of ways they align with the work you’ve been doing for the last 15 years almost in Appalachia and elsewhere. Did you set out as a young photographer to do this kind of work? Or did you just kind of fall into it through your experiences?

Kranitz: I had always been a magazine photographer right, out of studying photography as an undergraduate. I was doing a lot of work around subculture, around music and land, and different kinds of sort of more, you could say “superficial” stories. I was also shooting a lot of portraits of C-list celebrities. I worked for Guitar World and Revolver magazines; I shot a lot of metal bands, which was a true pleasure.

But I had a bit of a crisis of faith in 2008, which is around the time the media industry collapsed. It gave me an excuse to separate from this industry that I felt like only allowed me to make work for a couple of days. And so in 2009, I started several projects, and one of them was located in the Appalachian region of the United States. I began to really think a lot about intimacy, and how I could use the camera to get as close to people as possible. And so it was around 2009 that I began to make this kind of, I guess you could say more guttural work, living very closely with subjects, spending very long periods of time [with them].

Adams: I wanted to ask you about photography’s complicated relationship with Appalachia, going back to “Stranger with a Camera,” the documentary, and even before. Gatekeepers have criticized your work for being exploitative, because it is raw and “guttural,” I think was the word used for it. What’s that journey been like for you? I’m curious as to your thoughts about photography and Appalachia, and how to authentically cover that area.

Kranitz: I came to make work in Appalachia, because I was feeling frustrated with the concept of journalism, this fantasy of objectivity. I felt like in order to talk about that, it would be best to do that in a place that had been harmed by photography, [and] in particular photojournalism. Once I was there, and I realized this was a place with a significant history of problematic photographic representation, it really piqued my interest because I was looking for a place that was struggling with its visual representation. So that’s actually how I came to take pictures in the region.

I’m really interested in the idea of stereotypes. They’re useful for us as humans, right? They help us understand and process what is good, what is bad, what is right, what is wrong. So I began to look at all these different stereotypes that existed in the region. Snake handling churches. I went to a Klan rally, not unique to Appalachia, but certainly a part of rural American, southern life. Then I looked to undo those stereotypes, to look for images that kind of were its opposite. And of course, I found a lot of things.

Out by me, there’s this really incredible, rural queer commune — actually, there’s several — and so I went there and took pictures as well. So I was kind of looking to play with the stereotypes. In some ways, I leaned into them, in order to start a conversation. What I guess I’m looking to do is to make work that asks us, or asks the viewer, to reflect on their own relationship to images of poverty. I think we talk a lot about poverty porn, but we don’t talk a lot about how the threshold for what is poverty porn — and what is not — is going to be different for every single individual.

So when we talk about things like this, it’s really important to understand where we ourselves are coming from in determining [whether] something is problematic or not. Where does that come from? For that person, it definitely has to do with their own personal history with poverty, and that’s a really important thing to factor in to think about. So I really am trying to make work in this region that does in many ways deconstruct that problem. 

Adams: Do you have a sense of where your line is, of where that threshold is crossed? Or is it more like the Supreme Court justices definition of obscenity; you know it when you see it?

Kranitz: No. I think one of the things that has been most valuable for me is that I have learned in making my work that that line is constantly shifting. I tried to make work in this place that has been very harmed by photography, and I would never deny that truth that allows us to talk about that discomfort, those problems, the shame that we feel around images of poverty, their inability to actually solve poverty. Appalachia is best served by a variety of photographic voices, all these different pieces of a puzzle that fit together to tell a story about this place. And they really all need to be in conversation with each other.

New photographers often learn the craft by developing an understanding of basic photography rules, like the Rule of Thirds and the exposure triangle. But often the images that speak to us are ones that break the rules. These images don’t have a complete disregard for those rules, but rather understand why those rules work — and then break them to achieve a certain feel.

We asked some of Rangefinder’s 30 Rising Stars to share how and why they choose to buck traditional photography rules. Find unconventional inspiration in this week’s Photos of the Week for May 20 by Darren and Shamakia Williams, Parker Selman, and Marie Thibault.

Darren and Shamakia Williams, DSW Photography

When the couple wanted a location that represented New York City, Darren and Shamakia Williams of DSW Photography decided to shoot at the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. But like many iconic locations in the big city, the photographers and to work with the crowds. Instead of trying to Photoshop them out, they used motion blur to use the crowd as a tool to draw the eye to the couple. The shot was captured with the Sony A7R V and the Sony 24-70mm G Master lens.

“The goal is always to follow the photography rules,” the photographers explain. “However, we wanted to work with the scene rather than against the scene. We wanted to isolate the couple using the movement of the crowd on the bridge. The advice we will give to new photographers is to learn the rules but don’t allow the rules to restrict your creativity. By knowing the rules, you can determine which to break for creative purposes and which to apply to the image to create a creative and competent photograph.”

Parker Selman, Parker’s Pictures

Film photographer Parker Selman of Parker’s Pictures wanted to exemplify the 1960’s TWA Hotel for this shoot. She captured several images of the couple against the arches with her main camera, even though it had started to rain. But one of the ways Selman continually improves her work is by always shooting a “bonus roll” of film where she tries a new technique or uses a toy camera. This shot was a little of both, using a double exposure technique on the Holga 120N and Porta 400 120 film with a pop of light from a Canon Speedlite to give the subject more dimension.

“Sometimes the best photos are accidents that come from experimentation,” she says. “I like incorporating toy cameras, double exposures and intentional light leaks into my workflow on a small scale by trying out one new skill at every wedding I shoot. I view this as a “bonus roll” of film that I am paying for myself. Sometimes the results are fantastic and I can add a new skill to my repertoire, and sometimes it’s a risk that doesn’t work out. That’s my advice to new photographers — constantly try something new — but not at the expense of your clients or your typical work flow.”

Marie Thibault

France-based wedding photographer Marie Thibault (@marie.weddingphotographer) captured this shot after being inspired by the unique light. Instead of centering the subject or using the Rule of Thirds, she let that inspiration take center stage, allowing the play of light and shadows to take up a majority of the frame. She captured the shot with the Canon 5D Mark IV and a 85mm f1.4 lens.

“I don’t follow any specific rules when I photograph,” she says. “I shoot by instinct based on what’s in front of me: a landscape, an object, a person. I love lines, especially when they are straight and upright, but I also enjoy challenging my beliefs about framing, depending on what I want to convey. I believe everyone should create their own rules, as long as they make sense.”

Dig into our Photo of the Day archives for even more timeless photos, eye-catching wedding photos and portraits. Submit your wedding, editorial, documentary and other interesting imagery (up to 5 images at a time) to: hillary.grigonis@emeraldx.com.

As a thank you to our readers, we’re pleased to offer you a Rangefinder exclusive discount code to get 25% off The Portrait Masters courses below. Use the code RF25 to redeem. This code cannot be used in combination with any other sales.

Photographing Couples In Love by Kristina Wikle

The Location Lighting Series

Renowned fine art photographer James Katsipis will open his namesake gallery, James Katsipis Photography, in Montauk on Thursday, May 23, at 742 Montauk Highway, attached to the Montauk Chamber of Commerce. Born and raised in Montauk, Katsipis is celebrated for his exceptional ocean photography and stunning visual art.

“Opening a gallery in my hometown of Montauk has always been my lifelong dream; this is 20 years in the making. I’m thrilled to invite everyone to experience the culmination of my life’s work in my new gallery,” said Katsipis.

James Katsipis Photography will serve as a captivating space where visitors can immerse themselves in Katsipis’ masterful works. Highlights include his acclaimed fine art photography, customizable commissioned large-scale acrylic pieces, and a curated print shop. Katsipis will be hosting photo seminars and private photography explorations of Montauk. 

The gallery will showcase a new series of featured works that Katsipis curates, launched every other month. He will present a unique collection of custom surfboards and skate decks as well as his best-selling merchandise embodying his distinct artistic vision.

To commemorate the opening, Katsipis is launching a limited-edition Zine crafted from his “Graintalk” analog film series. The first 50 people to purchase this Zine (in gallery only) will also receive a signed and numbered limited-edition print. This exclusive publication offers an intimate glimpse into Katsipis’ world, capturing the essence of Montauk through the lens of a true local.

Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth photographer Roy Edan was posthumously recognized for his outstanding and courageous journalism 8 months after he was brutally murdered alongside his wife, Smadar, by Hamas terrorists in the Kfar Aza massacre on October 7

2024 Global Photography Awards Call for Entries

2024 Maia Statuettes – Platinum, Gold & Silver

In an ambitious effort to venture to great heights in 2024, IAA is delighted to announce the debut of the Global Photography Awards.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, May 20, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — In an ambitious effort to venture to great heights in 2024, IAA is delighted to announce the debut of the Global Photography Awards. The competition is an international photography award that celebrates photographers from all backgrounds and perspectives, fostering creativity and excellence on a global scale. As a platform that recognizes exceptional talent in photography, the award presents the identity of each photographer, displaying the beauty and elegance of your creations worldwide.

“The 2024 Global Photography Awards captures the intersection of creativity and visual heritage, where each image represents a different perspective of photographic innovation,” stated Thomas Brandt, spokesperson of IAA. “This competition celebrates contemporary photographic trends, and honors those extraordinary works that push the limits of perspective, technique, and expression to forge visuals that command attention and respect.”

Fostering the growth of visual arts across the globe, the Global Photography Awards welcomes inspiring photographers from every corner, no matter professionals, amateurs, or students to express themselves through a single masterpiece. The mission is simple, to gather the world’s greatest individuals who believe that their photographs can make a difference, and to showcase this excellence to the very world.

2024 Global Photography Awards: International Photography Categories to Showcase Excellence
The Global Photography Awards features a diverse array of categories, including International Photography, Fine Art Photography, Architecture Photography, Black & White Photography, Nature Photography, People Photography, Editorial Photography, Commercial Photography, Fashion Photography, Minimalist Photography, and other special categories such as Event Photography, Mobile Photography, Film Photography, AI-Generated Photography, and more.

Asides from general categories introduced to celebrate photographic excellence, the competition introduces the debut of its newly created Supporting Category Awards, dedicated to honor individuals, companies, and organizations that play a vital role in shaping the photography industry and community worldwide.

Up to $10,000 of Cash Prizes to be Won
The Global Photography Awards recognizes exceptional talent across several winning levels: Professional Photographer of the Year, Amateur/Student Photographer of the Year, Category Winners of the Year, along with Platinum, Gold, and Silver Winners. The highest achievement, Professional Photographer of the Year and Amateur Photographer of the Year, are honored with a $5,000 cash prize and $3,000 each, alongside the prestigious 2024 Maia Statuette, symbolizing photographic excellence.

Global Category Winners, encompassing both professionals and amateurs/students, will each receive $100 in cash prizes. All winners, across each level, will gain exclusive privileges and opportunities designed to enhance their professional influence in the world of photography.

Blind Judging by Worldwide Photography Experts
The Global Photography Awards takes immense pride in its Jury Panel, gathering individuals whose expertise forms the very foundation of the judging process. Each juror brings depths of knowledge to the evaluation of each submission, ensuring a fair, and insightful process, maintaining commitment to the highest standards of photographic achievement worldwide.

2024 Maia Statuette
Maia is the face of the competition, acknowledging the hearts of each and every photographer who has demonstrated their skills. Maia draws inspiration from the mythology, and this powerful connection signifies the enduring legacy that exceptional photography leaves behind, its ability to ignite conversations, evoke emotions, and inspire new perspectives.

IAA and the Global Photography Awards proudly celebrate the diversity and creativity that define the world’s most innovative photographic works. The competition will officially launch on May 20, 2024, with the announcement of winners scheduled for September 27, 2024.

For competition rules and entry forms, do visit: https://globalphotographyawards.com/.

About International Awards Associate (IAA)
Established in 2015, the International Awards Associate (IAA) is a global organization dedicated to recognizing professional excellence and outstanding achievements in various industries. As the organizer of a wide range of prestigious award programs such as the MUSE Creative Awards, MUSE Design Awards, Vega Digital Awards, NYX Awards, NYX Game Awards, TITAN Business Awards, TITAN Property Awards, London Design Awards, NY Product Design Awards, French Design Awards, and many more, IAA aims to honor, promote, and encourage professional excellence, from industry to industry, internationally and domestically, through award platforms that are industry-appropriate.

Tyler K.
International Awards Associate Inc.
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