Photojournalism
A well-written article can explain an event, but a powerful photograph makes the reader feel it. As a journalist, I don’t just think about what stories to tell — but how to tell them visually. Through my photography, I have worked to capture the emotion, movement, and significance of each moment — whether it’s an Olympian’s homecoming, a high-stakes football play, or an election that defines the future.
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Even though Theogony does not have a dedicated photojournalism program, I have ensured that our reporting is driven by immersive visuals, using photography to deepen impact, evoke emotion, and enhance storytelling across print, web, and social media.
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Beyond photography itself, I have also:
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Curated and selected impactful images that enhance Theogony’s reporting.
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Strengthened cutlines to provide deeper context and storytelling beyond the image.
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Ensured that investigative pieces and breaking news stories integrate strong visuals.
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Framed social media photography in ways that maximize engagement and meaning.
Beyond The Shot
A photo without context is just a snapshot — but a well-crafted cutline turns it into journalism. Throughout my time at Theogony, I have prioritized cutlines that go beyond surface descriptions and instead provide insight into the emotion, symbolism, and deeper meaning of the moment captured.
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Instead of writing a simple caption like:
🚫 "Students walk out in protest."
I push for captions that tell a story:
✅ "Hundreds of students flood the front of the school, chanting in unison as they demand an administrative response to recent policy changes. 'We will not stand for this,' said junior Chloe Yokitis."
Featured Photojournalism
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Noah Lyles greets supporters from a red convertible as the parade moves through the city. The track star, fresh off international success, returned to his hometown for a celebration in his honor.
Olympian Noah Lyles, who graduated from my high school in 2016, is a hometown hero. For his homecoming parade, I knew it wasn’t enough to just take a picture of him waving — I needed to capture the moment’s energy and symbolism.
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In the shot above, I positioned myself so the sun would reflect off the car’s hood, making the red pop and emphasizing Lyles as a shining figure in our community. The reflection helped create a dynamic visual effect, reinforcing the idea that he’s a star, both literally and figuratively. Lyles waving directly into the camera completed the shot, as he knows he will be on our TV screens for years to come.
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In the image to the right, I framed the shot so that Lyles was the central focus, but the crowd, police escort, and media presence all contributed to the larger sense of occasion. By including them, I made sure the viewer could feel the excitement of the event rather than just seeing Lyles in isolation.
Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles waves to cheering fans as he is driven through Alexandria during his homecoming parade. Residents and students were eager to celebrate the champion who once walked their same halls.
Voters arrive at the Durant Center poll site in Alexandria on Election Day. Parents said this election was crucial, as environmental, weapons and abortion policies may impact their children's well-being for years to come.
A large Harris/Walz banner hangs drectly outside of vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance's home. Vance moved to Del Ray earlier this year, sparking outrage among residents after a park was closed for his security.
Election coverage is usually dominated by data and statements, but I wanted to use photography to highlight the human side of voting.
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I framed the image of the father and daughter walking toward the polling place so that the sunlight would illuminate their path. I interviewed several people that day who said that voting is about shaping the future, and I wanted a shot that could reinforce this message. The simplicity of the image made it more powerful — it wasn’t about big crowds or campaign signs, but about a quiet moment that carried meaning.
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Vice President J.D. Vance lived in Alexandria for several months leading up to the election, and his neighbors were not shy to share their political stances. The Harris/Walz campaign sign is directly outside of Vance’s home, adjacent to a neighborhood park that was closed for his security — sparking outrage from residents. I noticed the sign in passing but immediately recognized it as an opportunity. I shot through the leaves to subtly remind the reader the park and the greater controversy of Vance's home choice.
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In the sidewalk image to the right, I wanted to illustrate how, despite Alexandria’s Democratic majority, Republican voters are still present. By capturing a group of three people, one of whom was wearing a MAGA hat, I created a visual representation of the statistic that roughly one in three Alexandria voters is Republican. Although Republicans are often quiet in Alexandria, there was no mistaking the bright red "Make America Great Again" hat.​​
Proudly toting a red "Make America Great Again" hat, Jon Danilowicz — along with roughly a third of Alexandrians — identifies as conservative. On Election day, he predicted the shift to the Right:“It wasn’t long ago when Republicans won,” he said. “I think it will be close.”
Students pack the bleachers at Friday evening's football game vs. Woodson, waving a red flag reading “The City.” Despite the Titans' loss, the crowd emained vibrant the entire night.
Darius Bivins, a freshman, weaves through defenders in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Octavius Miller sprints downfield under stadium lights to catch a high-flying ball. Miller had two touchdowns.
Junior Sean Burbage forcefully takes his defender to the basket. In the Titans win, Burbage had just six points, but was a reliable go-to player who controlled the pace of the game.
Sports photography requires anticipating movement before it happens. Every fraction of a second matters, and I focus on positioning myself where I can capture both the peak action and the emotional intensity.
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For most sports coverage, the focus is on the players—the action on the field, the defining plays. But in this game, the score was lopsided, and the team was struggling. Instead of capturing a highlight moment on the field, I turned my lens to the stands, where the student section refused to let the game’s outcome dictate their energy. I framed the shot wide to capture the sheer volume of the crowd and the red “The City” flag as the central focal point. The result was a photo that told a different kind of sports story—not one about victory, but about unwavering Titan pride.
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This varsity basketball game was a playoff game, and with two minutes remaining and the game tied, Darius Bivins, a freshman, was out on the court. I wanted to capture not just the action, but the confidence he brought to the game. Instead of shooting from behind the basket, I positioned myself at mid-court to get a clear angle of Bivins driving forward on a fast break, with his body leaning into his momentum. The defenders in the background add context — Bivins wasn’t just running down the court; he was outrunning older, more experienced players in a high-stakes moment.
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Football moves quickly, and sometimes the best shot isn’t the tackle or the touchdown — it’s the buildup. I wanted to capture the trajectory of the ball, the players positioning themselves, and the referee rushing into place. The ball is in clear focus mid-air, allowing the viewer to immediately understand the timing of the play. The spacing of the players shows the developing route — a receiver sprinting, a defensive back adjusting, all while the ball hangs in play. This image doesn’t capture a final moment — it shows a play still unfolding, the kind of in-between moment that makes football unpredictable.
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In basketball, small details make or break a play. I wanted to capture a player in the middle of one of those moments, when he was making a decisive move toward the basket. I shot from a lower angle to make the drive feel more forceful, and photographed a telling scene. As the game winded down, the player, Sean Burbage had to push through rough contact to get to the basket. His facial expression, tense and locked in, adds to the intensity of the play.
Shannon Campos-Dowdy teaches social studies and serves as a building representative for the Education Association of Alexandria (EAA). The EAA has pushed for collective bargaining since the 2020 passage of a law allowing the process, but some teachers are not content with the group's efforts.
A school newspaper will inevitably cover school staff and teachers. But it's often difficult to frame shots in a way that captures the personality of the teacher, or the gravity of a situation. I've learned that, more often than not, it's best to just capture the teacher doing what they do best: teach. I've also learned that the background of the shot can subtly influence readers.
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When covering collective bargaining, I initially tried more dramatic, close-up shots of this teacher, Ms. Campos-Dowdy (pictured in the image above), hoping to create a striking portrait. However, I found that a simple, wide-angle shot of her teaching — just doing her job — was the most effective. This lighting made the image to stay somewhat dramatic, and the wide-shot reinforced the stakes of the issue: collective bargaining wasn’t just about contracts and negotiations; it was about ensuring that educators like her had the ability to advocate for themselves and impact their students for the better.
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​The teacher in the image to the right, Ms. Kiyak, was transferring school districts after policy changes by administrators at my school. Ms. Kiyak was beloved in the halls of ACHS, as she had taught there for 19 years. She was known for her warmth, and this shot captured her and several students smiling — all in front of a bright yellow background.
English teacher Sarah Kiyak has taught at ACHS for the last 19 years. Partially due to the restructuring, Kiyak has decided to transfer districts next school year.