seen

It’s Missouri Photo Workshop time.

For the first time during my time at MU, I’m a volunteer for the Missouri Photo Workshop. In the past, I’ve let The Maneater, the Missourian or being in London get in the way of volunteering.

It will be a week of long days.

I’ll eat more Burger King and greasy dinner fare than my heart would prefer.

Missing a week of classes will give my grades an early sucker punch I could do without.

I’m stoked.

Here’s a story I wrote a few years ago about the workshop -

Photographers invade mid-Missouri

MARSHALL — Forty-one photojournalists from around the world descended upon this town of 12,000 on Sunday to document the lives of the town’s residents.

The Missouri Photo Workshop was first held in Columbia in 1949. MU photojournalism professor Clifton Edom founded the workshop that features photography from rural Missouri.

Missouri Photo Workshop co-director Jim Curley said it was Edom’s “vision to use small town America” that helped start the program.

“Cliff’s mantra for years was simple,” Curley said. “Show the truth with the camera.”

Workshop participants spent the week following a local resident and documenting his or her story. The photojournalists were given a short amount of time to locate a story that interested them and a faculty of experienced photojournalists critiqued the work and gave advice.

Most of the participants are professional photojournalists, but MU students also could apply. Carolin Burrer, a German Fulbright scholar studying at MU, attended the workshop after hearing about it from her professor and workshop co-director David Rees. Burrer received her first critique from the faculty on Wednesday morning.

“They can really tell you what to do,” Burrer said.

Photojournalism students helped the workshop run smoothly.

“We have about 15 students who do the grunt work,” Curley said. “They get to experience the workshop by doing the work.”

The student staff performed a number of tasks that helped keep the workshop participants focused on their stories. They downloaded the photographers’ digital cards, printed the best shots for the community show and produced a daily newsletter.

MU graduate student Beatriz Wallace served on the student staff. Wallace said she was familiar with the Missouri Photo Workshop before choosing to attend the university.

“This is why I decided to come to Missouri,” Wallace said.

The participants must complete their stories by noon today, which is when the final editing will begin. On Saturday, community members can go to Marshall High School to see some of the photographs taken during the week as well as photos from a Missouri Photo Workshop held in 1967.

“This feels like a pep rally,” Wallace said. “We have been seeing people make terrific work, and now we just want to get out and make our own.