Photojournalism Portfolio

Feature Story

This project was to focus on a single person, and center your story around them. I focused on Eric Luu who was hosting a hip hop seminar with Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates, an organization at Virginia Tech that highlights and promotes Hip Hop studies and Hip Hop History.

Eric Luu, a Virginia Tech alum and professional b-boy, at returns to Blacksburg on March 20, 2025, to teach a seminar on the fundamentals of breaking held by Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates: Hip Hop Studies. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114) 

20 March 2025 – Blacksburg, VA – Eric Luu has participants write down their goals and joys in life and how they plan to balance those with school and jobs. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114) 

Eric Luu discusses the connection between a healthy body and mind, and hip hop at a Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates: Hip Hop Studies seminar about the fundamentals of breaking on March 20, 2025. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

20 March 2025 – Blacksburg, VA – Eric Luu teaches the steps for a basic transition into power moves, acrobatic spins, to a class of students as part of Virginia Tech Digging in the Crates: Hip Hop Studies seminar about the fundamentals of breaking. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

Sports Story

For this assignment, we were asked to take photos for a sporting event happening in Blacksburg. This proved to be difficult for me, especially since I was in DC for most of the time that the assignment was assigned. When I got back to Blacksburg I decided to focus on a sport involving dogs called Flyball. This proved to be much harder than I anticipated, but also some of the most fun that I have had doing an assignment for VT.

Two dogs run simultaneously during the early heats of the NAFA Tournament hosted by the local team, New River Rapids, in Blacksburg, VA on April 6, 2025 (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114) 

6 April 2025 - The racer jumps on to the Flyball Box causing the ball to thrust out to be caught in the air (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

6 April 2025 - Dirk Elber, a NAFA certified judge, inspects the course before allowing the next leg of the heat to being (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114) 

The lead off racer for “Fur Fun” waits with their owner to begin the next heat on April 6. 2025 in Blacksburg, VA (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

The club, “That’s So Fetch,” catches the final dog of the heat at the Region 9 NAFA Tournament on April 6, 2025 (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

News 1 Assignment

For this assignment we had to photograph a newsworthy event happening in and around the NRV. I chose to travel up to Harrisonburg, VA to cover MacRock, a DIY music festival that was completely volunteer run. This trip alone was amazing and I was so happy with how the story came out overall. Getting to cover such a special event is something that I will cherish forever.

11 April 2025 – People from around the East Coast descend on Harrisonburg, Virginia to attend Macrock, a community ran music festival. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

Pretty Bitter, a band from Washington D.C. closes out the first night of the festival at Pale Fire, in Harrisonburg, Va. on April 11, 2025. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

11 April 2025 – A member of Poets for Peace writing personalized poems for each person who asks at the Vendor and Panel portion of Macrock at Arts Incarnate in Harrisonburg, Va. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

SLAAT, a hardcore band, encouraging audience members to take the mic and sing the next few lines at Golden Pony, in Harrisonburg, Va., on April 12, 2025 (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)

Liza Grishaeva, the front person for Drook, the headliner for Macrock, performing their song, “Sprinter” with the crowd, to celebrate the final song of the festival on April 12, 2025. (Ben Janusz/JMC 4114)