Blog | Jakob Berr Photography

These news are worth spreading:

From the Clout Street blog of the Chicago Tribune: Quinn signs death penalty ban, commutes 15 death row sentences to life

Over the last 14 months I’ve been working on my professional project, the capstone of my Master’s degree at the Missouri School of Journalism. The time has been a rollercoaster of constant ups and downs, successes and backlashes. But it has paid off as I have learned important lessons about photography, multimedia, journalism and about myself. I’m excited to present to you the outcome of all of this: forgiven, but not forgotten. Please visit the project website, and if you feel compelled to voice your thoughts about it, leave your comments in the forum section.

This afternoon, Valeria took me to the place on 512 Mary St. where Deandra Buchanan shot and killed her daughter Angela almost to the day ten years ago. She had a little bouquet of flowers with her that she laid down on the sidewalk where Angela was found. The house where the shooting took place still stands, but has now a wooden exterior rather than a brick one. It doesn’t look like someone’s living there now, and trees and bushes grow all around it. It looks kind of creepy, and I’m wondering if I should go back when it’s dark to work out that aspect. I’m kind of torn apart about it, though, because I’m not sure if it might come across as sensationalistic or editorializing. I’d be glad to hear some other thoughts on this.

Yesterday I joined Paul, Valeria and her cousin Mary on a visit to the cemetery where both Valeria and Mary have buried a child. Both Valeria’s daughter Angela’s birthday and the death anniversary of Mary’s son are in July. Below are some of my selects of that day:

Paul and Valeria hold hands on their way out to the cemetery.

Valeria unfolds an old drawing and a letter that her granddaughters Dreisha and Drejanay had put on their mother’s grave.