Star intern named Loyalist College photographer of the year

                                                                 Galit Rodan

By Jenni Dunning

Suffering from a ‘Bambi’ complex, the last thing Galit Rodan wanted to see was a dead deer.

So naturally, she saw four.

The carcasses hung upside-down at the farmhouse of a family of hunting enthusiasts she was set to interview for a story that day.

Instead of bolting, the photojournalist – who is joining the Star as a radio room reporter later this month – pulled out her camera and started shooting.

Two nearby cows stared wide-eyed at the carcasses, as Rodan snapped their terrified photographs.

It was one of the 28-year-old’s first photojournalism assignments – and the scared cows make it one of her favourites of her career so far.

“The cow in the back totally makes the photo for me, but she’s far off and pretty small ... so it’s not in my portfolio,” she said. “But it’s still a ‘cult favourite.’”

Rodan, a self-proclaimed photography addict, won the Loyalist College photographer of the year award last week. She credits her hard work and passion for the win. 

The award is based on overall work from entries made throughout the year.

“I shot often, not just for assignments, and tried to cover diverse subject matter. I got lucky with some great subjects and always tried to make my own luck,” said Rodan, a second-year Loyalist photojournalism student.

Yannick Tona was just four years old when the Rwandan genocide began in 1994. He has since dedicated himself to raising awareness about the Rwandan genocide and to eliminating hatred and advocating for human rights through organizations such as Aegis Students Rwanda. (Galit Rodan)

Editors and photojournalists, including the Star’s Steve Russell, judge the entrants’ work. Along with the title of year’s best photographer, winners get a camera vest or bag and a $120 gift card for Henry’s camera store.

Rodin took an unconventional step as a photojournalist by accepting a job in the Star’s radio room. She will not leave the newsroom – spending entire shifts in one room to write about breaking news.

“I will be developing a news gathering skill set that I haven’t really had the opportunity to work on yet ... making myself a more well-rounded photojournalist,” she said.

“I love telling stories and I think I can only benefit by working on my ability to do so in a number of different media. I think the Star will be a great place for me to grow.”


A protester is run over by a group of mounted police who were using their horses to help riot police clear a dwindling crowd out of Queen's Park. (Galit Rodan)

FAST FACTS: Galit Rodan

• Favourite photographer: Eugene Richards
• Place she learned to use a DSLR: Africa
• Hometown: Born in Montreal, grew up in Toronto, lives in Kingston
• Other education: Religious studies B.A. from Queen’s University
• Languages: Fluent in Hebrew
• A word on photography: “There are no limits on what you can capture and where you can take it. I also love how it’s brought me into the lives of other people.”

Kiteboarders on Lake Ontario take advantage of warm weather and strong winds on Oct. 8, 2010, as windmills on Wolfe Island loom in the background. (Galit Rodan)

Jenni Dunning is a web editor in the one-year intern program at the Star. Follow her on Twitter.

Comments

[hugh Wesley]

Congrats Galit. Your future is in the hands of a master that is you.