Bursting balloons
Photojournalism teacher Jade Shiver stands on a chair and throws a water balloon to the ground so students can practice capturing motion.
March 10, 2021
In the bus circle one day in mid-November, a group of photojournalism students could be seen throwing water balloons – splashing them down on the pavement and up against the brick walls. The exercise was not just for fun. “They were learning about using shutter speed and how it affects blur in photos,” photojournalism teacher Jade Shiver said. Photographers have to learn how to freeze motion and when a water balloon breaks, it happens very quickly. The students learned how to adjust their shutter speed so that the water droplets are seen clearly in the photos. Photojournalism is a new class this year for juniors in the Center for Journalism and Multimedia. The class gives the students the opportunity to learn more about using a camera on manual settings and it also allows them to get certified in Photoshop.
