Published Photographers Ernie and Cheryl Graff took a selfie in Rochester, New York. The view is of the Genesee River near the lower falls. "Everybody connected to the White family gets a Lansing Journal t-shirt!" explained Cathy White. (Photo: Ernie Graff)
LANSING, Ill. (March 6, 2024) – The creative enthusiasm of the Cathy White Photographer Family has inspired The Lansing Journal to officially expand our ongoing feature, the Lansing Journal Journeys.Published Photographers Ernie and Cheryl Graff took a selfie in Rochester, New York. The view is of the Genesee River near the lower falls. “Everybody connected to the White family gets a Lansing Journal t-shirt!” explained Cathy White. (Photo: Ernie Graff)
Before the Journeys started
In its original incarnation, Journal Journeys was known simply as “Community Photography.” It was an invitation for readers to submit photos on a particular theme, the first of which was the 2017 solar eclipse. (See “Eclipsing in Lansing,” photos gathered specifically for the inaugural print edition of The Lansing Journal.) Other themes included Veterans, Holidays, and What I did on my Summer Vacation.The Summer Vacation photos included several vacationers who took The Lansing Journal with them, so by August of 2018 we had renamed the feature “The Lansing Journal Journeys.”In 2019, The Lansing Journal Journeys won an award in the Independent Free Papers of America’s Advertising and Editorial Contest.In 2020, travel became more difficult, but Journal Journey-ers continued to submit photos, some from at home in Lansing, others from trips they had taken pre-pandemic.
When the Journeys slowed
Following 2020, print issues became less frequent, and Journal Journey submissions slowed down. But in 2023 our partnership with Gayety’s Chocolates & Ice Cream added a new opportunity for photo submissions. The Zaragoza sisters were the first to have their picture taken not with a printed newspaper, but with the Journal Java Chip poster at Gayety’s. We then invited people to send “Journal Java Journeys” photos — and they did. That was following by “Lovin’ the Latte” photos, which celebrated our partnership with Kdulche Cafe.
And when Cathy White began submitting photos of herself and her family members who had submitted weather photos to the Journal, we published those too, and we put them in the Journal Journeys category. In a sense, we’ve come full circle, back to a simple “Community Photography” category.
Affirming each other
This history of community photography in the pages of this community newspaper is an affirmation. We love to see our community represented in the Journal — and we love to see the Journal represented in our community. So whether you are holding a printed newspaper, enjoying a Journal Java Chip ice cream cone, standing in front of a Lansing Journal Latte poster, or wearing Lansing Journal merch, we welcome your photos!
Our “Published Photographer” design is available as a shirt, sweatshirt, long-sleeved shirt, hoodie, coffee mug, magnet, tote bag, or phone case. Click the image to choose from a variety of colors, styles, and sizes at our shop on TeePublic.com. Each purchase helps support this community newspaper.
The fine print
By submitting photos to The Lansing Journal, you are affirming that the content is original to you or that you have the right to allow The Lansing Journal to edit, publish, display, and otherwise use it and credit it to you by name, without any obligation to you or any other person or entity.
License. By submitting the content, you grant The Lansing Journal a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to make all legally permitted uses of the content under copyright and privacy/publicity laws, in any format and media, and to sublicense others to do the same. This includes, among other rights, the right to edit, embellish, and compile with other content your content, and to publish, display, make derivatives of, and otherwise use the content, without further notice or any payment obligation.
Representations. You represent that you have the right to enter into this agreement. If any minors appear in the content, you represent you are their parent or legal guardian and have the right to grant us the rights to the content. You also represent that you own all rights to the content and/or have the authority to grant these rights, and that our permitted use of the content will not infringe on any third party’s rights. You also represent that the content is free and clear of any liens and that our use of the content will not raise any claim of infringement, invasion of privacy, defamation, publicity, or claims for any payments.
Melanie Jongsma grew up in Lansing, Illinois, and believes The Lansing Journal has an important role to play in building community through trustworthy information.
