Melody Soto / Roundup
The first installment of the Media Arts Department Speaker Series in the spring semester took place yesterday at the Great Hall with a presentation by L.A. Times photographer Liz O. Baylen.
Baylen, whose primary focus is still photography, stressed that creating trust with interviewees and capturing images with purpose are crucial to storytelling.
Throughout the evening, she showcased three of her multimedia pieces that correspond with other L.A. Times articles and answered questions from the audience.
This wasn’t Baylen’s first visit to the Pierce College campus. During the Fall 2010 semester, she served as a guest speaker to a Multimedia 801 class taught by instructors Amara Aguilar and Albert Lee.
The event officially began with “Waiting for death,” the work Baylen considers her favorite.
In order to complete this audio slideshow, which portrays a 90-year-old psychologist, Baylen spent her first days on assignment conversing with the subject, trying to get to know their story.
“I don’t do multimedia on something unless I feel really strongly about the subject matter,” Baylen said.
Christian Santiago, a 23-year-old nursing student called the slideshow a favorite as well.
“I felt connected with that piece because I work with the elderly and several of them have passed away,” said Santiago.
The second audio slideshow displayed during the evening titled “A boy’s struggles,” corresponds to an article concerning an investigation done on LAUSD staff.
Based on statistics that showed children sexually abused by instructors, Baylen contacted a victim and his mother and established a relationship. After building trust with both, she was able to capture their story.
“I am emotionally invested in these cases, yeah. That’s why I think they move people,” Baylen said.
The last multimedia piece shown was a hybrid piece that combined both video and still images. “A debilitating medical mystery,” investigated birth defects in Kettleman City, CA. Baylen used several voices to portray the varying points-of-view surrounding the case.
“I don’t want to do work that doesn’t create conversation,” Baylen said.
After the event ended, Baylen stayed to answer individual questions.
Linda Dudinsky, a 28-year-old journalism student attended the event to get more input on photojournalism.
“I got a lot out of it, about how to capture stories,” she said.
The next installment in the Media Arts Department Speaker Series is scheduled for March 22 at noon and will feature broadcasters Tommy Jaxson and Randy Kerdoon from KNX 1070 AM.
