NSPA Photojournalist of the Year portfolio
A reflection on my accomplishments and experiences in photojournalism
June 19, 2020
Signing up for the yearbook staff at McCallum High School was one of the best decisions I ever made. Although I was only on staff for two years, it completely changed my life. I initially joined yearbook because I wanted to take photos on the sidelines of football games, and although that was a memorable experience, I soon learned photojournalism was so much more than that. I fell in love with telling stories through images and capturing special moments for others to enjoy.
The first spread I was ever assigned was a feature spread. I decided to cover a trending activity among students, one that had never been in a McCallum yearbook before, thrift shopping. I picked three students who were nominated by their peers as “pro thrifters” and gave them each $30 to spend at a thrift store of their choice. I met up with each student to take photos and interview them to document their experience. Although I struggled with the designing component of the spread, I had help from other experienced staffers. This spread later won two awards: second place ILPC 2018-2019 Current Yearbook Individual Achievement Award, and a superior award in TAJE Student Life Story.
After my second semester on staff, I applied to be a section editor. As senior section editor, I took on a lot of new responsibilities, such as being in charge of designing spreads and assigning staffers’ jobs. We had a lot of first time staffers, so I took on the leadership role of teaching my peers how to give interviews, write captions, and even operate cameras. I loved interacting with my fellow staffers because I remembered how not too long ago I was also learning how to do all of those things.
One of my biggest contributions to the yearbook staff were the many photos I took. Taking photos was the reason I joined yearbook in the first place. I covered everything from sports games to musicals. I made sure I didn’t just sign up for the popular photo opportunities such as the kickoff football game or the annual student-led fashion show. I challenged myself to photograph events I knew didn’t get as much coverage. Additionally, I have had some really great opportunities that have helped me grow as a photojournalist. One of these opportunities was when my yearbook adviser gave me credentials to take photos at the 2019 Texas Relays when one of our school’s 4×1 relay teams qualified to compete. I woke up at the crack of dawn to arrive at the stadium hours before the team competed and diligently planned out the best way to cover the relay. After I took photos of their race, I stayed the remainder of the track meet to take advantage of my credentials. It was an amazing experience to better my sports photo-taking skills, as I photographed college and elite athletes alongside professional photojournalists.
Another contribution I gave to the yearbook team was my work ethic. Even when it was my first year on staff and I lacked experience in the journalism realm, I worked extra hard and stepped out of my comfort zone to learn how to conduct interviews, write stories, and design spreads. If I finished my work early, I would reach out to my fellow editors and ask them what I could do to help them. When I was assigned a spread or assignment, I didn’t see it as a task to check off and move on. Instead I went above and beyond to make sure that it was work I would be proud of and would be a great addition to the yearbook.
My senior year on the yearbook staff will be one I will remember for the rest of my life. When it was announced we would continue the remainder of the semester online, I downloaded Indesign and worked from home. Even though the book took longer to finish, lasting into the summer, I continued to push through and helped to finish what we had started. I designed 12 pages of senior ads, a spread, and wrote numerous captions. It was hard work, but I can say I am proud of the work we did and strongly believe this will be a really special book for the senior class.
Because I joined yearbook, I found a new passion, photojournalism. I am now going to study journalism at Baylor University, so I can pursue the career of a sports photojournalist. I owe everything I know to McCallum Yearbook, and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had and the lessons I’ve learned.
Photo 1: MAKING A PLAY, first posted on MacJournalism Instagram account on Nov. 14 (during the game), this photo also appears on page 56 of 2020 Knight yearbook.
![](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/I-Gabby-Sherwood-Portfolio_2-of-3-900x598.jpg)
Photo 2: SPEAKING FOR THE TEAM, first posted on MacJournalism Instagram account on Jan. 23 (two days after the meeting), this photo also appears on page 81 of 2020 Knight yearbook. It also appeared in Volume 67, Issue 4, Page 25 of The Shield print newspaper on Feb. 13 and the Shield website on March 10.
![](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/I-Gabby-Sherwood-Portfolio_3-of-3-900x601.jpg)
Photo 3: GLASS LAB appears in the 2020 Knight yearbook on page 40.
![](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/48905337262_a020780701_o-e1593176040910-600x900.jpg)
Photo 4: TO THE BEAT OF THE DRUM appears in the 2020 Knight yearbook on page 23.
![](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/I-Gabby-Sherwood-Portfolio_1-of-3-600x900.jpg)
PHOTO 5: SENIOR BATTLE CRY appeared as the cover image of our MacJournalism Instagram post of pep rally images on Aug. 29. Our coverage plan for each football game is to post a pep rally gallery prior to kickoff of the game. This gallery was particularly important because it was an annual rivalry game that means a great deal to our community.
![](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_0072-600x900.jpg)