This is out very first entry for our new section, which will be called “The Creator’s Corner”. This portion of the site will be dedicated to the work that the Creative Director of Cypher Sessions, Daniel, will be doing in his Journalism Media Boot Camp course at CU-Boulder. His first post will be the cellphone story assignment which will follow below.
Jason Romero, 24, teaches 11th and 12th graders at Strive Prep SMART Academy in Southwest Denver. Romero, who earned summa cum laude distinction at CU-Boulder while obtaining his B.A in Ethnic Studies and his Masters in the School of Education is very passionate about teaching the next generation of students. “Education is liberation” Romero said after deeply contemplating how to answer what he hopes to accomplish as a teacher. “By learning we free ourselves. I hope to disrupt the traditional definition of what being a teacher is by guiding students to open their eyes and shift their understanding of thinking and being.” Romero will work to do this in his third year of teaching at SMART Academy, in his Civics, Government & Politics, and Chicano Studies courses. This interview was held in the Dennis Small Cultural Center in the University Memorial Center on the CU-Boulder main campus.
Cypher Sessions 
I like the diffused lighting and how it shows us Romero’s whole face. This portrait could be more compelling by zooming in on his face and putting him in front of a simple background. In a journalistic package, I think this photo could be re-worked into a profile piece.
Thanks for sharing your cell phone portrait on here. I like the “Education is liberation” quote Romero bases his life on.
I agree with Emma’s comments, except I don’t think you need a clean background. Instead, you could highlight how Romero’s face fits with those in the painting. I think the space below your subject’s hands and above the painting aren’t very valuable in this composition. I’d rather a see a squarish photo of him from the waste up with the painting, or even just a tight shot of his face in front of the painting. There’s a lot to be said for “negative space” in photographic compositions, but in this case, I don’t think the negative space is serving you well. The lighting is ok, but a little flat. That’s probably helping you pair his face with those in the painting, as you don’t have any difficult hotspots or reflections to deal with. Your well-reported caption really adds a lot to your portrait and helps the viewer understand its significance. See D2L for your grade.
PS – For the one hot reflection you’ve got on the painting, I think you could have stepped to your left and effectively hidden it behind your subject.