GRADUAT E
No Snap Shots Here: Grad Student Traverses Photography Industry Kyle Beam was assigned the interview every college journalism student hoped they would get. He got goose bumps on his arms when he stepped inside the tour bus. The red mahogany table where he placed his laptop had a smooth woodgrain finish and the white marble tile floors were immaculate. He was taken aback by how refined everything was. Beam sat eagerly, waiting at the table, his right leg shaking restlessly. He only had one chance to get it right. He stood politely as Willie Nelson approached the table wearing his traditional black T-shirt, black cowboy hat and his trademark long braids. “I sat with Willie Nelson’s in his tour bus for 30 minutes,” said Beam. “I was sitting next to a county legend whose music I’ve listened to throughout the years and have watched on TV. Frankly, it was intimidating, but when the interview was over I had a regular conversation with him,” Beam said. Beam, who graduates in May 2014, is a professional photographer from Houston, working to earn a Master of Arts in journalism. He graduated number six in his class from Channelview High School and became the first in his family to earn a college degree in 2012, when he graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations. Coming to Baylor was an easy choice for Beam. “If you work hard, Baylor offers great scholarships,” said Beam. “For relatively the same cost as a public institution, one can
attend a private school. The classes are small here, which means more one-on-one time with professors.” Throughout his college career Beam worked on many projects including, “In The Shadow of a King” – The Tommy Duncan Story, a documentary on the pioneer of American Western swing music. Working on this project allowed Beam the opportunity to interview Willie Nelson. His portfolio includes photographs taken while on various locations throughout Texas and New Mexico with his mentor, photography Professor Curtis Callaway. Having good photography skills is invaluable in the field of journalism. Beam took his first excellent shot in January 2011 at Nolan River in North Central Texas. In order to get the best shot, Beam was willing to go the extra mile. He explained, the temperature was in the 20s, and he was standing in the middle of the river with ice around his boots. Beam’s current projects include working on his thesis and photography work for Diana Garland, Baylor University’s dean of social work’s upcoming book. Beam’s thesis will be a photo exhibit of Big Bend National Park. He said he hopes to show Big Bend as the last frontier of unchanged landscape. His advice to perspective journalism students is to think of journalism as more than newspapers and magazines. In his opinion, journalism is pubic relations and communication. “We have the option to work for a corporation or a non-profit,” said Beam. “The sky is the limit because everybody needs someone who knows how to communicate and write well to get a message across. Journalism not only provides the writing aspect of it, but it also teaches you to have an eye for detail.”