The Tritonian
Mr. Kostichka's Photos Preserve Special NDA MomentsSaturday, December 11, 2010 By Anna Miller
Mr. Randy Kostichka, father of junior Jacklyn Kostichka, combines his passion for photography and willingness to work to capture many activities here at Notre Dame. The recent Mr. NDA Contest is a good example. In fact, the NDA website presently features a Kostichka photo of the 15 contestants. Mr. Kostichka was asked by the coordinators of Mr. NDA to take photographs because they knew of his previous work. “Mr. Kostichka is always providing pictures for our yearbook and newspaper,” said Mrs. Carolyn Brown. “The dance team, as well as the athletic teams, know if he’s at their show or event, there will be pictures, good pictures. If he’s present, his camera is clicking.” Performers in the Mr. NDA Contest appreciated the plethora of photographs from the show posted at www.kostichka.com. “Mr. Kostichka did awesome. I don’t think they [the photos] could get any better,” said Mr. NDA contestant Mark Vandenberg. Originally Mr. Kostichka took photographs of local theatre troupes, which taught him to take photos without the flash and with the stage lighting, an experience that was useful at Mr. NDA. When first working with stage lighting and theatre, he had to adapt and learn to take photos without the flash. “It is mainly just me taking the photographs,” he explained. Mr. Kostichka also takes photos of the Northern Dance Academy. In his experience with those photos, he learned that the best way to allow people to see and purchase photographs was by creating a website (www.kostichka.com). Initially Mr. Kostichka distributed his photos through Walgreens, but difficulties, such as differences in lab color at different Walgreen stores and the creation of individual accounts, led to his decision to go with a website that specializes in photography. "This website eliminated many of the issues we were having at Walgreens. Plus, we provide delivery service to your house with high-quality lab services, and, best of all, it's available to anyone anywhere," he explained. "Even international students and their families can get photos." Despite the website, photography is primarily a hobby for him, a hobby he “works” in addition to his regular job. One thing that he enjoys doing with photography is taking pictures of the homeless in Green Bay. “Most of them don’t have cameras, so this is the only way that they can get a picture of themselves,” said the photographer. After taking their picture, Mr. Kostichka enjoys giving it back to them and striking up a conversation. Mr. Kostichka is not the only one with an affinity for the camera. Those who also see the world through the lens of a camera can join the NDA Photography Club, which travels around Green Bay, taking photos in a variety of places, such as cemeteries, all in an effort to capture the raw emotion of human life. |