The Visual Student

Chris Mackler interned at The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa during the spring and summer of 2009.  Mackler graduated in November 2008 from Ohio University, majoring in Photojournalism.  Mackler previously interned at The Elkhart Truth and was Senior Staff Photographer for The Post, the student newspaper at Ohio University.

VS:  How was your internship structured?

Mackler: “I was treated just like any other staff photographer. I worked five days a week, but those days varied greatly depending on the photo staff’s assignments. My hours varied according to the assignments that day; I found out the hours I worked the night before via email from my boss. I had an average of three to four assignments a day. Over the course of four months, the only hours I did not work were from 4-5 in the morning.”

Congressman Dave Loebsack, left, Colonel Scott Ayres and General Tim Orr speak on the future site of the new National Guard Armory in Cedar Rapids on Monday, July 6, 2009. Construction on the new site, which is located off of Wright Brothers Boulevard, is expected to begin in the fall. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette 2009 Intern)

VS:  Who was your supervisor and describe your working relationship?

Mackler: “Due to restructuring, my boss changed a month into the internship. Before restructuring, I had two supervisors – Paul Jensen, Director of Photography and Rollin Banderob, Photo Editor. After restructuring, Rollin became my supervisor, and had the job title of Managing Editor of Visuals for both the newspaper and the TV station the company owns, as the two entities of the company combined into one. Rollin would email the assignments to me the night before, which would determine the next day’s hours. After returning from a shoot, I would edit my take down to a handful of selects, and then Rollin would edit that down to 1-3 photos to put into the system. Rollin and I would keep in touch via cell phone, emails and instant messages throughout the day for updates to assignments, etc.”

VS:  What helped you get the internship?

Mackler: “The Gazette’s strong ties to Ohio University helped to put my foot in the door. Honestly, I was in an odd situation where the previous intern (a fellow OU graduate) who had worked at The Gazette for just two weeks, got a job offer elsewhere, and so an intern needed to be found ASAP to fill her shoes. It was one of those situations in which networking came into play. Networking is a valuable skill to have.”

VS:  Did you set a goal for the internship for yourself when you started?

Mackler: “Yes, on one of the first days of the internship, Intern Mentor Cliff Jette asked me what I wanted to work on for my portfolio. I thought my sports and lit portraits needed improvement, and so both Cliff and Rollin made more sports and portrait assignments available to me.”

Marion senior Kelsey Labs races toward the finish line en route to winning the 100 meter dash on May 15 during the Class 3A district at Thomas Park in Marion. Labs won in 13.13 seconds and also won the 100 and 400 hurdles. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette 2009 Intern)

VS:  What was expected of you that you did not expect?

Mackler: “During restructuring, both the newspaper and TV station owned by the company combined. As a result, I was expected to bring a video camera to many shoots as well as a still camera to capture B-roll footage for our TV station. Juggling a still and video camera, as well as a video tripod, while shooting could be overwhelming at times.”

VS:  Who ended up teaching you the most?

Mackler: “The whole photo staff, really. Cliff, the Intern Mentor, helped a great deal. You could go to him for any help. But I learned a lot from the rest of the photo staff too.”

VS:  What was the most important thing you learned?

Mackler: “How to deal with the whole changing newspaper environment. The restructuring put a lot of stress into the job, but I learned how to handle the evolving environment while juggling the added responsibilities of new media (video, shooting B-roll for the TV station, making slideshows, getting photos up online in near real-time) while working together with both the traditional newspaper reporters and the TV station reporters.”

VS:  What was your favorite assignment and why?

Mackler: “Every month, The Gazette profiles a randomly-selected location within the coverage area, and sends a reporter and photographer to the area to find stories.  The photographer is able to explore the town and has free range to shoot whatever he or she pleases. Known as “Coffeetown,” The Gazette then would invite the town out for coffee or other social function when the pieces ran. During one such Coffeetown, I was exploring the small town of Brooklyn, IA. While shooting a local family gardening, I saw a plane circling overhead, and the family informed me there was a skydiving place a mile down the road. Jackpot! I quickly drove there and after shooting for awhile, I talked my way into going up in the skydiving plane with some jumpers. I shot them getting ready and jumping. That was one of those days when you realize you love your job. I mean, going up in a skydiving plane…sweet!”

VS:  Describe your personal and professional growth (visual, multimedia, other) during the internship.

Mackler:  ”I became much more confident at shooting the areas that I thought needed improvement (sports, lighting portraits). I also learned how to deal with great change in the workplace environment, a valuable skill to have these days.”

VS:  What will you do next?

Mackler: “Good question…freelance until I find a staff photographer position”

VS:  Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Mackler: “Interning at The Gazette taught me that not only do you need to know the valuable new media skills, but you must also be willing and flexible enough to change along with your work environment. There is no such thing as a traditional newsroom anymore.”

Curtis Miller reacts upon hearing his guilty verdict in the Linn County Courthouse on Thursday, May 7, 2009. Miller, 30, of West Branch, is accused of killing his 3-month-old daughter Kimisha Miller in 2007. (Chris Mackler/The Gazette 2009 Intern)

Internship Application Info:

The internship starts around the first of the year and runs until the end of May or early June.  Please submit a portfolio along with resume and references by October 9, 2009 to:

Shonna Woods
Employment Manager
Gazette Communications
P.O. Box 511
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-0511