Looking over my first blog post, it was clear to see that I hoped to gain skills that I could use to not only promote agriculture, but also my future classroom. I wanted to gain photography skills, as well as the ability to be clear and concise in what I convey on a blog and or in social media. Looking back I certainly think that I gained that knowledge.
Looking at the soft skills I learned, I can think of so many! Fromm talking to people in class and brainstorming ideas with them when we would have to have a group discussion. Also having to interview people for blog posts, such as my interview with Caleb Boardman (https://tffnyconnelly.photo.blog/2020/03/12/times-of-change/) taught me to be able to talk to a person in a situation that I had never been apart of. I taught me to think critically about the question that I needed to ask in order to gain the information that I needed. Also having to reach out to the rodeo coach to take photos, someone that I didn’t have a strong relationship with already, was a really hard thing for me to do. It took a lot for me to get up the courage to do it. However, I learned that the only way you will get the opportunities that you want, is to get out of your comfort zone and just do them. As a future teacher I will need to be able to work under pressure and work even if I am uncomfortable.
Looking back my favorite assignment was our main photography assignment where we had to do action shots, etc. For this assignment I chose to photograph the rodeo team and it was so fun! It gave me the opportunity to photograph something that I enjoyed being around. Ironically enough the most challenging assignment was the last one we did about videography. It was just hard to do and get my head wrapped around it.
If I could give myself any advice it would be to take every opportunity to learn as possible! I would also tell myself to pay more attention in class and to give a more active effort after the pandemic started.
Hey guys, it has been a crazy few weeks and I fell like I am finally starting to make headway on what I need to do. I decided to make an attempt at making a vlog or a video blog kind of to show you just a brief tid bit of my day. It just so happened that it was one of the first barrel race days that we have had back since the pandemic started, so you will also get to see a run that I made (thank you mom for videoing)!
Day in the live of Quarantine
I liked how I was able to piece together short video clips and make them pretty seamless, as well as put audio over the top of the video. It was hard to try and make it a good quality as it was the first time that I had ever done something like this, so I used the software that was on my iPad already. All in all, I do think it turned out okay, however I wish that I would have branched out and experimented more with other software to see what I could have accomplished.
In the future I would like to use video to help promote my chapter and the classroom that I will be teaching in. I want to be able to give the public and the student’s parents a first hand view or account of what the class is doing.
In the future I won’t take for granted footage of any kind, as I know how hard it is to capture! Looking back at the video that I did do, I wish I had a more clear ending to it, like a glimpse at the drive home, etc. It was something that I did not think about until I started writing this post. Next time I will write out my goals for the video and make sure I take the needed steps to achive them.
I have used Instagram for the last six or so years for personal use, however I have never used it in a “professional” way to promote a business or anything like that. I actually really like that this assignment gave me the opportunity to do that.
I had never actually used Canva until this assignment but I really liked how it made creating a flier so to speak, so easy! It made it look very professional but it was still easy to use. When creating my graphics I wanted to use font that would stick out and colors that would tie into the photos that I used.
It was challenging to write about myself and my own work, which I did not see coming initially. However the more posts that I did it did seem easier to do. I look forward to using Instagram as a way to promote my FFA Chapter as well as all of the activities that we will be doing the the classroom.
Head on over to my Instagram page and check out what I created!
I grew up eating “craw dads” as a kid, and it is one of my favorite things to eat to this day. However, I had never eaten creole style “crawfish” (as the Texans call them), until I was on my junior college livestock judging team and we went to Texas for contests. Let me tell you though, my life changed for the better when the first restaurnat we went to plopped a huge plastic bowl of these flaming red crawfish in front of me with a card board box to throw the discarded shells in. Just a few bites in and my mouth was on fire, but it was a heat like I had never experienced before, it was so good that I couldn’t stop eating, and I personally detest spicy food.
I talked to my livestock judging coach from junior college, Curtis Doubet, and asked for his input on some of the best places in Houston to get crawfish. “Honestly every place I have been to has been amazing and they are all so kind down there. I wish it was more like that up here, not to mention they are all so focused on quality”.
Below I have a list of five of the best crawfish places to visit and eat at in Houston, and I promise they are all to die for. I wasn’t able to rank them from best to worst, as they are all so extremely high quality for their own reasons! Check out my map below to see where they are all located!
LTK Crawfish
LTK Crawfish, Houston, TX
LTK Crawfish was one of the first places that I ate at in Houston. When we pulled up I wasn’t expecting much as the exterior was not very fancy. However, I was very wrong! When you walk in they give you the option of how many pounds of crawfish you want and then you take a seat and wait for the glory goodness to come out to your table. I promise you are capable of eating far more of these little guys than you think, so order extra!
Le’ Pam’s House of Creole Photo Courtesy of Google Maps
Walking into this place I already had a smile on my face as the interior was bright yellow and purple, and reminded me of being in Mardi Gras. The staff was so friendly, not to mention the food was out of this world. This place’s etouffe was amazing, and if I could eat it for every meal I would. Curtis agreed with me that this place had such a fun atmosphere to it, that there was a very New Orleans vibe, and that it made it such a fun place to unwind and have a good meal.
Boil House, Houston, TX. Photo Courtesy of Google Maps
I lovded that this place had outside seating so that you could sit in the fresh air and eat. They farm their own crawfish and as their website states, they bring the authentic taste of Louisiana crawfish to Houston! I have said it before and I will say it again, this place ties for one of my all time favorite restaurants to eat at. Plus it is a family owned and operated business so it makes me even happier to support this awesome establishment!
This was a restaurant that my team stopped at just last year after some awesome people at a gas station we stopped at noticed we were out of town visitors. They said that it was a must see place as they had just about a little of everything. They were SO right. I really like that they had multiple ways of preparing the seafood, so there was many different options to get your crawfish fix.
True Texas Boil House, Houston, TX Photo Courtesy of Google Maps
Even though this place is the last one to mentioned, I would have to say it is my favorite! This was another place that was recommended to my livestock judging team, and I am so glad that we stopped here. They catch all of their seafood fresh everyday, not to mention they would catch all of their crawfish right behind their shop. Curtis also mentioned, “I thought it was so cool that you could look out the back window where the team was sitting, and you could see the employees out on the lake catching crawfish to bring back into the restaurant. You can’t get any more fresh than that!”. The service was so welcoming, and the quality of the food was beyond great. They had spice levels that you could choose from and if you weren’t’ sure what to pick they were quick to walk you through the menu and pick what was best suited for you. This would rank in my top five favorite places to eat in the country.
Today I am going to be live tweeting the state wide address given my Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts on the Covid-19 issue in my home state. Below you will find the link to my Twitter acocunt so that you can follow along minute by minute!
This assignment certainly did not go as I had planned, as there was several technical difficulties on the live stream, and the updated version of the whole lives stream was only published in the last day or so. However there were several good things to come of this press conference, such as Governor Ricketts saying he will not close any Nebraska processing plants at this time, which is not doubt a welcomed thing by Nebraska farmers and ranchers who are already hurting badly at this time. Writing my live tweets I tried to keep it more of a journalistic approach however I can see that there was some PR approaches used.
Looking back I enjoyed the feeling of having to stay on my toes so I made sure not to miss anything , however I was really disappointed when the live stream was cut short, as I felt a sense of responsibility to my viewers and I felt like I was letting them down. (I have 4 followers on twitter as I NEVER tweet hahahah). Still I wish that things could have gone more smoothly and this is something that I would like to try again in the future!
Moving forward I would like to use this in my classroom, such as having my students live tweet on an agricultural event happening on either a state, country, or world level. I think that there needs a place for technology and media in the classroom and this would be a good way to also teach them how to be social media aware.
During this trying time due to Covid-19 I have had to make some adjustments to what I have wanted to do and who I have wanted to interview for my blog. That being said, I sat down and realized that I would follow up my previous story on the University of Wyoming’s Livestock Judging Coach, with an interview of a team member. So how lucky am I that my twin sister was on the team with me!
Moving into the actual interviewing portion of this I was blessed with the fact that I have known this person since birth (haha), so it was no an awkward situation for either of us. However, trying to get a good interview was actually kind of hard and we had to redo it several times to make sure it was how I wanted it or needed it to be. The app that I used to do the recording and editing was pretty hard to use, and I found it difficult to cut things out and make it not sound choppy. I found some success in this and some not so great moments, but that’s life right?
Stephanie Connelly talks about her livestock judging career in this uncut version of her interview. It has a lot of awesome materiel that I just could not fit into the final cut. You can clearly hear that Stephanie is passionate about judging as she even chokes up at one point.
Above Stephanie’s interview got cut down to just over 2 minutes, and I still feel like we both got across what we wanted to in the end.
Above it is clear to see that Stephanie has a deep love and appreciation for livestock and everything that comes with it. Looking at the photo I took of Stephanie, I got lucky that we had a friend with an old show steer we were helping with. As you can tell Teddy certainly earned his name as he was a big softy! I didn’t find it hard at all to get this photo, but it was honestly just pure luck.
No doubt as a future educator I can use the information and the materiel that I gathered and learned through this assignment to not only interview my future students and FFA Chapter members but I can also see me putting together a lesson for them as well. I think knowing how to interview someone is a vital skill that everyone should know.
The PRCA and WPRA are two organizations that have been a alrge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I got to thinking how their media presence differs and ow it is the same, so I took a deeper look into both! Below you will find our the results of my “research” and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
To begin I starte at the most logical place in my mind which is Facebook. Both the PRCA and WPRA have pages and from the looks of it they are both not only putting up old rodeo footage, but they are also doing interviews with Pro Rodeo athletes about how they are handling not rodeoing due to Covid-19.
PRCA (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association)
I really liked looking through their Facebook page. There was a lot of fun material to look at and read through, such as point of view articles, such as what it’s like to be a stock contractor which was told in their point of view by a fellow contractor.
There are also other interviews with competitors and how they are handling the virus outbreak. For example, here is a post about an interview with bareback rider Wyatt Bloom which asks how he is occupying his time at home during this unforeseen down time all rodeo competitors have gotten.
After looking at their Facebook page I headed over to Instagram and it was essentially the same content as they had posted on Facebook. Something that they are doing on their Instragram that I thought was cool was their 40 days of the NFR where each day they post and outstanding highlight from previous World Championships.
Looking at all of their social media platforms it was clear to see that they always promoted their contestants as well as the western way of life and rodeo. I was a bit disappointed that the content was the exact same, not to mention I wish the posts were a bit more interactive with the viewers, rather than just posts of content all of the time. That beign said though I can understand why they might do this, so that they can keep all of their content and information consistent across media platforms.
WPRA (Womens Professional Rodeo Association)
Like the PRCA the WPRA is presne ton multiple forms of social media. Looking through their Facebook page, it is easy to see that like the PRCA they are devoted to their members. I actually like their Facebook page a lot more (even though I am a woman I promise I am not biased haha). They seemed to be more focused on show casiing their members and contestant in every day light especially at this time. Compared to the PRCA site, they are much more interactive and have a variety of content which is really nice. They are not only focused on current members either, but also the new up and comers , which is somethign that I did not see on the PRCA page.
However, the WPRA’s media presence isn’t perfect, and unlike their Facebook page, their Instagram account is extremely lacking in multiple areas For example their last post was over seven weeks ago as you can see below.
Now on to their Twitter Account. I actually liked it almost as much as I liked their Facebook page, even though I know very little about Twitter and I rarely use it. They ahd a lot of user interaction and people tagging them in posts which was really cool to see. One post that stuck out to me was someone had sent them a phot of some robin eggs in a nest at the St. Paul Rodeo Stadium. It brough a smile to my face and I am sure that it did the same for others.
All in all both Associations had things that I could appreciate in terms of their media presence and how they used social media for what they need. On the same hand they both had things that I would like to fix. That being said I can understand hwy some things are the way they are, however I would be interested to see if there could be a better way to do it all.
2020 University of Wyoming Team at the Arizona National. Photo Courtesy of Caleb Boardman
A Little Bit of Background
The University of Wyoming has had a livestock judging program almost every year since the 1920’s, and every team since 2015 has been coached by the same impressive and talented coach.
Imagine taking over a program that has spanned over a 100 years, and essentially rebuilding it from the ground up. That is exactly what head livestock judging coach Caleb Boardman did.
Goals For the Program
“Coming in I had a lot of goals set for this program. Seeing as Wyoming is my home state, I wanted to make this a nationally respected program again, and I feel like we certainly accomplished that,” Caleb began.
“Not only did I want to have members named to the All-American team, which for the first time in UW history we accomplished in 2016 and 2017, but I also had the goal of not only winning a national contest, but also a national championship. Unfortunately, although we have won many contests, we have yet to win one of the four big national contests or a national championship,” Caleb said.
Nonetheless, he says that there are still many things that he is incredibly proud of, including having a team member in the top 10 at every contest in 2019, and winning his first Arizona National Contest with the 2019 team. But more humbly, simply making long lasting and meaningful friendships with the team members was a big deal to him..
“They have become a part of my family, my wife Kylie, my son Cash, and I are close with many of the past team members, and that is something that I appreciate so much,” Caleb said.
A student at the UW judging Clinic evaluates a hereford heifer.
A future team member works on her sheep handling skills during the UW Judging Clinic.
Tides of Change
Yet, there are still tides of change rolling in for this team and their coach this next year. In November Caleb was offered the head coach and livestock judging team coordinator for his alma mater, Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He is set to finish up his position here in December, and officially take over the Texas program soon after.
“When I got the offer, it was certainly the most challenging and bittersweet decision I have ever had to make. Everyone in this program has been nothing but fantastic to me, and we have loved our time here. However, the challenge of a new program was something that I just could not pass up,” Caleb said.
However, there are a lot of emotions running high for Caleb right now, not only in his professional life, but also in his personal one.
“It is extremely stressful right now as I am doing two jobs at one time. I am traveling back and forth between here and Texas to recruit kids down there, as well as try and get a plan in place for when we finally make the move,” Caleb started.
“Nonetheless, to add to the hectic nature of the situation right now, my wife and I are expecting twin daughters in June, and not knowing when exactly to sell our house here or when to buy a house down there, certainly adds a lot of stress to the situation,” he finished.
Still, Caleb has no doubt that the hard work he has put in here will pay off for the new coach coming in, and has a few pieces of advice for them.
“Just don’t mess up my program,” he said through a grin.
“No, I’m joking obviously, I would tell them to immerse themselves in the University and dive as deep into the Poke Pride that is so special to our school. The community is tight knit and the staff really do support all of the extracurricular activities on campus, so take advantage of every single opportunity you can get, because you will not be disappointed,” Caleb said.
Moving Forward in a New Direction
Even still, there are still many questions that potential team members and students have, but Caleb assured that he is fully committed to this team and any potential students that may come here. He is still putting together class schedules for the incoming members, as well as being as open and transparent of this whole process as possible.
“ I want to make sure that this transition is as smooth as possible, and I am still encouraging kids from the region to come here, as it is a wonderful opportunity for them to excel,” he said.
Dr. Warrie Means, and interim Associate Dean for the Animal Science department was quick to say that he and the rest of the hiring committee are doing the very best they can to find the perfect candidate for the job in a swift and timely manner, as to ensure that the transition for every party involved is as swift as possible.
“We know that almost all of the students that Caleb has coached have come to the University to specifically judge for Caleb, which makes the job that much harder on us, as he leaves behind enormous shoes to fill,” Warrie said.
2020 Team at NWSS. Photo courtesy of Caleb Boardman.
For more information about the team and Caleb, please check out their Facebook (University of Wyoming Livestock Judging), as well as the team website.
I am the kind of person that always likes to think outside of the box, so when I found out part of my assignment would be taking sports photos I knew I wanted to photograph the sport of rodeo. I spent the week taking pictures of the University of Wyoming Rodeo Team and not only got some amazing photos, got snorted at and charged by a bull, but I also got to see the cutest lab puppy learn how to be a “good boy”. My only regret, is that I can’t share all of my photos for this one assignment!
Reflections
I was sitting in the stands at Hansen Arena, waiting for the next calf roper to go and I noticed Austin Hurlburt and his horse Sarah taking a moment as if reflecting on their last calf or preparing for their next run. I was humbled to be able to see let alone capture such a calm unseen side of the rodeo world. The photo had some challenge to getting, but using the cropping technique before I shot it, made it easier.
When You Mess With The Bull You Get The Horns
I 100% forgot to breathe while I watched this ride unfold. Team member Chase Rose just about met his match with this bull on Friday afternoon, and I was shocked when I looked back at my camera and saw that I got this shot. To say it was hard would be and understatement, and honestly was pure luck I had my camera setting perfect and happened to click the shutter button at just the right time. Looking back leading lines is certainly represented in this picture as the bull fighters hand and out stretched arm lead your eye to the bull and rider.
Perfect Shot
Team member Jase Staudt and his gelding Casino worked hard in Practice last Tuesday. I have always had a keen eye for getting action shots like this, and knowing what calf roping is, I knew that there was a split second to get a shot like this. It took a lot of waiting and missed shots until I got the one that I wanted. The difficulty level was pretty hard, as your camera aperture has to be just right to ensure that nothing is blurry. Leading lines was used with the rope and the sign in the back.
The “Goodest” of Boys
Charity Hoar and her dog Boone were watching some of her family’s bucking horses work during practice. I wasn’t expecting to capture this photo, and while I was sitting waiting for the next bull rider to come out, I heard her talking to him and tell him he was the best boy. I almost cried, because I could hear and see how much love she had for this puppy, and when she told him he was the best I knew she meant it, and he did too. This photo wasn’t hard to get at all, and the rule of thirds was used.
Hang On Cowboy
Houston Brown spurs a rank one on Friday afternoon. Those boys behind the chutes look far more worried than this seasoned rider does. This photo like the others took a lot of patience and the right timing to help make it possible, but the feeling that I had while watching this ride unfold was exhilarating! I don’t think I breathed one time. Leading lines was used in this photo.
I have always loved photography in all forms for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory of being infatuated with a camera was when my grandparents would take photos of my sister and I with their old Polaroid. The few moments of uncertainty as as they were shaking the photo waiting for the image to appear, was a rush that I lived for. The excitement was so real to me.
This is a photo of a new branding iron that my roommate Myca made for her cattle. This was the first time that she had heated it up so that she could use it on a couple of new heifers that she bought. This photo represents contrast, because there is a bright focal point that draws the viewer into the center where the brand is.
This is a photo that was taken in the conservatory at the University of Wyoming, and shows cropping. There was a lot of other plants around this statue, so when I took it, I intentionally made sure I cropped it out of the frame before taking the picture. The statue is something that is somehow calming because it reminds me of a gentle old man that has soft eyes and weather features, and I have a feeling that it is something the other viewers can relate to also.
I snapped this photo on my way to class after a fresh snow. This photo uses cropping and texture. I love how the flakes of snow are so crisp and clear, almost as if you can feel their texture like tiny grains of salt, by simply just looking at it. I think a lot of people like myself are interested in texture and how it can make us feel, which is why I wanted to capture this photo.
This photo actually really surprised me when I looked back on what I had captured. The lighting was so perfect, that the leaves looked almost black up against the lady bug. The color is the creative device that came to mind when I spotted that little red gem in the leaves, and I was so shocked and filled with joy when I found it, especially considering it was snowing outside when I saw it. Personally little thing like this make me so happy, and when I took it, I wanted to give someone else the joy that I felt.
This photo feature a cactus that was also found at the conservatory on campus. It features leading lines. This photo also features texture, color, and depth. I feel like cacti and succulents have become extremely popular the last couple of years, and seeing a cactus with needles that prominent, and color that naturally vibrant, I wanted to be able to share that!
This assignments was surprisingly more complicated than what I had initially expected. It is far more difficult to capture color and some other details in photos using my phone that what I had thought. Looking back I wish I had shot more photos outside rather than most in the conservatory.
Life is a Crazy Ride 