Lori KingPhotojournalist

&Educator

Thesis statement:Lori King is a photojournalist who

documents life in a more truthful and balanced way, compared to other types of

photography (corporate or wedding).

Lori King

Lori King was born in 1961 in Akron, Ohio.

Her parents are Linda Ickes and Jerry King. Neither of her parents were college graduates or artists. Her mom used to be a waitress and restaurant owner, and her dad was a truck driver. Both are now retired.

They were divorced when she was 11. She has three younger brothers. One of her brothers, Jerry King, is a cartoonist.

She has two daughters, one of which is me, and four cats.

Lori, who is a photojournalist for the Toledo Blade,

began her journalism career in

the U.S. Army in 1979. She was 18

years old.

All military journalists learn about how to be a journalist at the Defense Information School (DINFOS), which at that time was at Ft. Ben Harrison, Indiana, where she attended.

Along with learning how to be journalists, DINFOS students are also taught photography.

It is at DINFOS where Lori learned to take pictures.

Lori spent eight years active duty working for various military publications in the United States and Germany. When she got out, she attended Kent State University.

While earning her degree in photojournalism, Lori worked for the Daily Kent Stater as the features editor and a photographer.

She also did her internship as a part-time photographer for a year at the Warren Tribune Newspaper in Warren, Ohio.

Because she likes teaching so much, Lori went back to school and earned her Master's Degree in Journalism Education from Kent State University.

During Lori's first four years in Toledo, she worked as a stringer

for the Associated Press. Then, in 1995, she was hired full-time at

the Toledo Blade, where she still works today.

Before newspapers started using digital cameras in the late 1990s, Lori used to process her own film and make her own prints.

This is the photo stamp she used to use on the back of her prints (each photographer had their own):

Though Lori started out using a Canon film camera in the Army, she bought a Nikon camera in college.

The Blade also used Nikon for a long time. But a few years ago the Blade sold their Nikon cameras and bought Canon.

She now shoots with a Canon 1D MarkIV and Canon 5D Mark III, a 17-35mm f2.8 lens and a 70-200mm f2.8 lens, two flashes and audio equipment for when she shoots video.

She also edits video stories herself using either Final Cut Pro or Adobe Elements Premiere.

This is the 300mm f2.8 she uses to shoot mostly sports and crime scenes.

For this photo she was shooting the Train concert at the Toledo Zoo.

Lori also teaches photography, photojournalism and multimedia courses at several colleges, including Owens Community College and Kent State University. And next year she will add Wayne State University.

Throughout her military career, Lori became proficient with a Canon F1 film camera, the cameras issued to military photographers in the 1980s. According to Lori, most military journalists also took their own pictures.

However, it was the military's 2-month Intermediate Photojournalism Course at DINFOS that turned into a photojournalist. She took the course in 1985.

“That course is what ultimately shifted my career from being a journalist to a photojournalist,” she said.

“It's time to pass on to the next generation what I've learned over the

past 30 years. I am anxious to train my replacement!”

- Lori King

According to Merriam-Webster's definition:

Journalism in which written copy is subordinate to pictorial usually photographicpresentation of news stories or in which a high proportion of pictorial presentation isUsed.

Broadly: news photography

Lori says she prefers the style of photojournalism over other types of photography because of the realness of the images.

In other types of photography, like public relations, corporate and weddings, she said “there is a fake-ness” about them.

Some of her uncomfortable feelings concerning these other types is probably because she is trained to follow strict NPPA ethical guidelines:No manipulation using photoshopNo re-enactments if the action is missedNo adding or deleting things in a photoNo setting up scenes for a better photo

In today's day in age of technology, Lori believes it's more important than ever to teach new photojournalists strong ethical and legal guidelines.

In photojournalism, the image needs to be believed and real because these photos document our history.

Lori takes all kinds of pictures for her job at the Blade. She shoots politics, sports, news and features. Not every photo is happy; and not every photo is sad. She just captures what happens.

The following pictures are a few of her favorites.

Gov. John Kasich waves goodbye after giving his State of the State address at the Veteran's Memorial Civic & Convention Center in Lima, Ohio.

Caden Quinn, 4, stands with his father TFD Pvt. Gary Quinn, during the procession for Toledo Firefighter Stephen Machcinski as it passes by Station 5 in Downtown Toledo.

Honor Guard commander Jeffrey Koenigseker gives a final command of “dismissed” during the procession for Toledo Firefighter Stephen Machcinski as it passes by Station 5 in Downtown Toledo.

Firefighters work to snuff out a marsh fire in Monroe, Mich.

A Canadian goose is the first to gather plastic eggs during the 14th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Olander Park's Nederhouser Community Hall in Sylvania, Ohio. After realizing it wasn't real, the goose released the egg before being chased away by another goose.

Lake head coach Ryan Bowen jumps up in excitement as his team takes a large lead over Rossford during the basketball game at Lake High School in Millbury, Ohio.

Hens catcher Bryan Holaday misses the tag on Indianapolis' catcher Tony Sanchez during game at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio.

Bowling Green State University's Ronnie Moore appears to be chased by phantom defenders as he sprints toward the end zone during game at Eastern Michigan's Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Pedestrians walk over a maze of tar stripes near Orange St. in Toledo.

A tiger sees double as Toledo twin sisters Gabrielle, left, and Mickaylla McNeal, 15, visit his exhibit at the Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio. The girls went to the zoo to celebrate their birthdays today because they said they love animals.

But despite Lori's preference for photojournalism, she admits she sometimes shoots other stuff, like weddings.

“Photojournalists make the best wedding photographers because we can shoot anything!” she said.

In conclusion, I think my mom has a pretty exciting life as a photojournalist. I can't imagine her doing anything else, like shooting weddings. She always says how she really likes capturing the moments.

Sometimes she takes me on assignments with her, so I get to see how she works. Most of the time she has fun, but sometimes she doesn't, like when she to shoot fatal fires and car accidents.

But more importantly, the job is important because it captures history.

She is one of the reasons I like taking pictures, too.

Bibliography

1. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photojournalism

2. https://nppa.org/code_of_ethics

3. https://lori-king.squarespace.com/