The Iowa Photo: A neighborhood beacon

“I wanted to get a photograph of the mural on the side of Wellington Heights Community Church since it’s sort of a beacon for the neighborhood: showing viewers what makes the neighborhood special to community members,” said senior photojournalist Jim Slosiarek. The mural, designed by teaching artist Christina Farrell, depicts themes of love, joy, hope and peace. “I wanted to get a human element in the composition, so I was glad when Myles and his brother Kohen walked through the colorful frame. I’m not much of a gear head, but having a camera with an articulated screen allowed me to actually compose the photograph and pick the moment I wanted to record instead of just laying the camera on the grass, pointing it in the general direction, tripping the shutter and taking a series of photos, praying I captured a good moment. I slowed the shutter speed down to blur the brothers, creating a sense of motion.”