Bethany Mollenkof Visual Journalist

UPDATE

2010-01-31T21:42:00.000-08:00

Change your blog rolls, bookmark me, do what ya gotta do.
I've moved!
My new blog is: bethanymollenkof.tumblr.com/

See ya there!

Re: Mix Tape

2010-01-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Breaks are for
being still,
listening,
thinking and remembering.
Remembering why I love to take photos,
thinking about what matters the most,
listening to others,
and being
still.

Asking why is a good place to start remembering how.

Black Friday 2009: GET WHAT YOU WANT

2009-12-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Old Navy was a complete zoo.
Velour jumpsuits... really? You waited for hours in the cold for discounted violet velour jumpsuits... really?
My mind was blown. But I'm glad people got some sweet deals.
I didn't buy a thing. But it was totally worth not sleeping.

Beech Bend Park

2009-11-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

It is official.
I'm dropping out of school and becoming a drag racer.
Not really.
But I've discovered a whole new world.
And I love it.

Assignments

2009-11-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

These are two from my lighting class.
Trying to have fun.
Trying to learn some stuff.

Shear Faith

2009-11-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

Read the full story here

WKU swimming

2009-10-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Found myself shooting a swim meet, never done it before.
I'm LAME at sports action, doesn't matter the sport.
I used to swim... that didn't really help me see the action any better.
Oh well.

Theatre Lights

2009-10-24T21:29:00.001-07:00

A shot before a A Rose for Emily started at a local playhouse in Bowling Green last week.
The colors from the lights were quite a lovely shade of violet.

Fall Break

2009-10-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Sweetness.

The summer of Venus Montgomery and post-it note secrets.

2009-09-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

Never said goodbye palm beach...I guess its sort of fitting to post my disposable work then.
I met some lovely people I'm not likely to forget for a bit.
I'm grateful for the fond memories, colors, and sounds I can tuck into my back pocket.
Part of the pieces along the way.

Beautiful Girls.

2009-09-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Spent the morning shooting the International Festival.
It was full of subtle colors and gentle rain.
The colors turned more vibrant and the rain heavier as the day progressed.
These girls were really lovely.

Fall Football.

2009-09-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Shot my first Western football game.
I going to keep trying.
The experience was interesting.
I like the fans. And the colors.
And the puddles of water.

Vette City Vixens

2009-09-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Check out the multimedia piece I did on the new roller derby team in Bowling Green.
I dig their energy.
Here are a few frames I liked.

Slow Lights Loud Laughter

2009-09-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

My heart.
Parts that make it up.
Pieces.
Fractions.

Pretty Pretty

2009-09-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Herald has a bangin new design, both print and web.
Here, look: http://www.wkuherald.com/

And then my first assignment: a portrait of junior football player Thomas Majors.
My favorite part of the shoot was when I asked him to pose with his hands on his hips, he paused... and said, "Nah girl... I ain't no cupcake." Too funny.

It is good to be back.

Parts to a whole.

2009-08-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Maybe because being someone else is the only way to know who you are.
But perhaps being two people just complicates things.

Dancer

2009-08-17T13:20:00.001-07:00

I'm going to update with more photos soon.
I promise.

1600

2009-08-06T13:23:00.001-07:00

Secrets

2009-07-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

Food Art

2009-07-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Half naked girls with food slathered on their bodies in a club with loud music and drunk people... its an art show?
A bit of a stretch to call this art if you ask me.
Or perhaps just some guys fantasy realized.
Either way it was interesting to shoot and be there.
People are strange.

Miami Caliente: Lingerie Football

2009-07-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Got to shoot a Womens football team that plays in lingerie. Don't be fooled by their attire, these chicks were intense.
Shot mostly video but here are a few frames.
Check out the video: The Palm Beach Post.com

Sweet Couple

2009-07-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Pat and Dave have been married and lived in West Palm Beach for the past 30 years. Dave enjoys fishing along the Florida Intercoastal waterway, which is where I met them. Dave goes out just about every evening. "You never know what your gonna get fishin here," said Pat, she comes with her husband from time to time when the weather is nice. They caught a black drum while I was there. They were sweet.

Beach Day.

2009-07-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Night life in West Palm.

2009-07-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

Musical Theatre

2009-06-27T07:58:00.001-07:00

Tornado Light

2009-06-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Jet Lagged: Day 2

2009-06-13T16:20:00.001-07:00

They were so tired today.
We sat and look at each other for a good while. Apparently the Burmese I tried to learn off the internet is not in their dialect, I couldn't even say hello correctly.
They had no English words to respond to my silly mumblings, so there was a lot of sitting and smiling and sitting...
The kids fell asleep on the floor and both parents drifted in and out of sleep.
After sitting for a while they gave me a yellow sling bag as a present. I think this means they like me.

First Day in America.

2009-06-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Burmese refugees arrive in America, everything is new.

Peep

2009-06-11T12:56:00.001-07:00

The Beginnings

2009-06-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Dad's Summer Garden

2009-06-05T16:28:00.001-07:00

Lapsing

2009-05-31T19:48:00.001-07:00

Look Look Look: My website.

2009-05-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

So after lots and lots of hard work, my website is finished.
I built the whole thing, literally. I took all the photographs, made all the slide shows, edited all the audio, produced all the pieces and created the whole thing in flash.
Hard work, but I'm happy with the final product.
So go look, click around, tell me what you think.

http://www.wku.edu/~bethany.mollenkof256/

Hey Mom

2009-05-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

I love my mom.
Very much.
Happy Mothers Day.

Spike Lee came to WKU

2009-05-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

I snapped a few frames when he came and spoke, these are mainly for Zay.
He talked about following your dreams.
okay.
and he said he would like to do a musical.
now we're talking.

For you: Puddin Pie

2009-05-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

My beautiful little sister went to her first prom last Friday.
She was lovely and so were her friends.
This post is for her.

Spring Sing

2009-04-25T17:22:00.001-07:00

Sorority and Frat sing-a-long/ lip synch/ dance competition held at the start of Greek Week.
There were pretty costumes and funny dance moves.

Best Friend.

2009-04-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

Heidi came by for a bit.
She brought me my favorite kind of cupcake. Yum.
That's what friends are for, I'm sure.

Two more boxing ones.

2009-04-04T15:32:00.001-07:00

The colors in these are kind of zapped.
I'm going to have to tone better for the web.

First of Many

2009-03-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

What is two nights of scantily clad girls parading around bloody nosed boys who are beating each other above a beer splashed floor while a hungry, drunk crowd cheers on ... Well, its Battle of the Greeks of course. Greek Fight Night (or Battle of the Greeks) is when all the Greek Fraternities and Sororities at Western get together and to hold their annual boxing tournament. Sigma Chi hosts the event for philanthropic fundraising.
It was intensely fun to shoot, I left with my shoes covered in beer, my body moist with sweat and an interesting new perspective on Greek life.
This is one photo for now, the rest are coming.
I saw this guy warming up in the back of the arena, he was intense. I guess because he was the returning champion.

Hoops.

2009-03-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

I've been learning to shoot sports, specifically basketball.
My heart races the whole time.
It is sensory overload; between the cheerleaders, the crowd and all the action, my head just spins and my fingers just fly.
I really like it.
Now, I just need to get good at it.
I like this shot not because its all that telling, it just helped me learn something.

Blurry Night in NYC

2009-03-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

I like pattern and color.
NYC is spilling color and patterns are everywhere.
I wish it wasn't so rainy and grey. And that I had taken more photos.
These were from a walk in Time Square.

Blue

2009-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Kentucky highschool cheerleading state competition. Held on Valentines day.

More recent(ish)

2009-02-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a number of features and stories, some sports, pretty much anything I can point my camera at, so I am going to be updating more regularly. I've decided I like shooting cheerleaders and crowds from above, hence these two shots.

Kentucky Snow

2009-01-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

Clomping around campus in my rain boots is not my favorite.
However I do enjoy having my toes and fingers all bundled up,
tucked snugly into my socks and gloves.

Other Obama Singles

2009-01-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Obama: America's President.

2009-01-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, in front of a massive crowd reveling in a moment of historical significance, Barack Hussein Obama became the leader of the "free world." Obama became not only the 44th president of the United States but also the first African American elected to this position. Although I was unable to attend this historical inauguration in D.C, I made it down to the African American Museum in Chattanooga where an inauguration event was held all day. From seeing the shining eyes, smiling faces and decorative shirts, and hearing Obama address millions of people all over the world, I realized just how important this election has been. It has been pretty exciting. Even if you don't like Obama, he gave a great speech and has really pulled a lot of people together, he is changing our country. I do not agree with all of his politics, but I am proud to be an American for once.

"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."
-Barack Obama January 20th, 2009

I am going to hold him to it.
P.S Click on the photos to see them bigger. I LOVED all of the shirts people were wearing, they were fabulous. I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of McCain or Bush shirts designed like these.

Going to Grandma's.

2009-01-07T11:34:00.001-08:00

Grandma Pearl lives in Goochland County, VA.
She has congestive heart failure, so most of the time she sits around her big empty farm house. My grandpa Elwood died a few years back so she is mostly alone. They had 11 children together and raised them all in Goochland. I can't imagine what it would be like to still live in a house once full and now so empty.

Christmas joys.

2008-12-26T17:56:00.001-08:00

I made those cinnamon rolls... and wrapped that present. I did not however generate the electricity for those fake candles.

Unrelated

2008-12-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

These images are mostly unrelated, however, they were taken at the same place at the same time... This is what Brian looks like to me, or what I imagine him to look like in my head. Nothing that photo journalistic about it, just a photo.
I think I would like to do a series of paintings on what colors my friends look like. If I was to paint Brian, these would be his colors.

And then just for color balance sake is this photo. I like the warmth.

Final Story

2008-12-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

Brittany Hunt, 27, is a self-described “talker.” Peering over her large round glasses and between bites of vanilla ice cream, which she insisted on eating with a fork, she explained to me, “I like to talk a lot, I even talk to myself when no one else is around,” and with a chuckle her mom agreed. That day, sitting in Steak and Shake with rain softly falling outside, the white tile floor gleaming and the smell of fried food hanging in the air, I began my first photo story.

For the past month I have been understanding,learning from,laughing with and photographing Brittany. Brittany is young woman from Bowling Green Ky., who has Down syndrome, but that is not only what makes her special. She is on the Special Olympics Cheer leading squad and is very active in her community. She is hilarious and has the biggest heart. You can tell by her smile, she loves life. It was such a delight to spend time with her and see her reality, I am thankful for the experience. One of my favorite moments was when she practiced "Thriller" in her bedroom. This girl cracked me up!

This is the design I came up with and the photographs.
I think if you click on the photo they will get bigger.

Nellie Woodcock: Soap Opera and Bird Fanatic.

2008-11-20T07:52:00.001-08:00

"I collect anything that I think is pretty. I'm crazy about red birds, tea cups and saucers. I just like 'em. I'm crazy about lamps, I'm not even sure how many I have... I'm pretty hooked on General Hospital, it comes on day and night."
Nellie Woodcock, 75, Bowling Green, Ky., has lived by herself for the past 20 years after the death of her husband. Since then she has been collecting everything you could imagine. Her house is crammed packed with trinkets she just can't seem to let go of. Up until she recently had a relapse of leukemia,she was still working at her job at the car plant. But now she stays at home most of the time. She also likes to garden, she even waters her plastic plants.

Look.

2008-11-16T14:39:00.001-08:00

Cathleen Kight, 4

2008-11-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

Campus Shooting? A Fight?

2008-10-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

Five WKU students are being questioned in connection with two fights that took place this past Wednesday.
WKU’s emergency notification system was activated after WKU Police received reports of armed gunmen on the South Campus building. Students and teachers were put on lock-down in classrooms from about 12:30 p.m until the all clear was issued about 3 p.m. All afternoon and evening classes on the main camp were canceled.
In both incidents, there were initial reports of shots being fired. Police have found no evidence of weapons being used in either incident, but some students still say they heard gun fire and saw armed gunmen.
I was locked in a classroom with the lights turned off and blinds closed. It was intense for the first hour. I wished I had my camera.
These are some shots from the proceeding press conference held later that evening.

Debate Watch '08

2008-10-10T18:08:00.001-07:00

Kentucky Bluegrass Adventures

2008-09-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Each Friday night, year round, musicians converge on the tiny town of Rosine to play

Bluegrass music. The musicians play in the small general store, outside the store and in a weekly stage show in the barn next to the store. This small town event is open for visitors. There are also square dancing nights every few weeks.

The people are Southern, hospitable and love bluegrass. The town is also the grave-site of Bill Monroe, the father of Bluegrass.

African Street Photographer

2008-09-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

When reading my favorite magazine, Aperture, I came across a review on an African theme photography show that took place this past year up in NYC.
I discovered these gems and was intrigued by the photographer Notiskelelo "Lolo" Veleko. She is a South African born photographer who is known for her street fashion photography of South African teens who dress in the Japanese fashion style Harajuku. They call themselves Smarteez, which is a South African candy.
So random and totally up my isle, love it.

Edamame

2008-09-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yum Yum Yum.

New Library and Lunch

2008-09-09T07:44:00.001-07:00

Sundays at my house.

2008-09-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

2008-08-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

Nomes

2008-08-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Pleasant Colors

2008-08-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you.

2007-05-01T08:02:00.000-07:00