Sep 24, 2008

Smile big

I cheated. I should say that upfront. This weekend i was invited to my friend's place near Boston and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. So the landscapes are cliched skylines. In the North End, there was a loading dock or sanitary plant, something with these really cool intertwining lines from bridges and i wanted to get that. The light wasn't cooperating though, so it's not quite the scene i wanted.

i had fun with the portraits. for the most part i knew what i wanted for each and then just got lucky. It's my dad playing his guitar and i wish i had gotten a more dramatic angle but i was kind of pushing it by even taking the picture of him. the other two are of the same girl but i liked them both. the flowers was impulsive. we were actually just walking around and she stuck her nose in a tree. i got her to hold it and it worked out well. the sleeping one was another happy accident. we were "studying" in the mub when she just dozed off in that position.

the college life collection - the guitar playing slob, the boys playing, and the girls at the china buffet - were similar chances. The slob lives down the hall, heard him playing and asked to get the picture. I was feeling self conscious so i didn't take enough pictures but i wish i had gotten a better angle. or at least got him playing. i really like just natural shots so the china buffet was just us at dinner and i got their funny expressions. for the boys, they didn't know i was taking the shot (they actually objected to it before) so that is why the chair is in it. i didn't edit it because the cropping thing on my kodak software is on strike. ideally i would love to cut out the chair but alas the technology wins this round.

i love walking around with a camera. i think it's fun. a little challenging as i feel i'm always on the look out for a good shot. i realized most of my photography up to this point has been very specific - places or people i want remembrances of, not necessarily images.

it was tough getting people to understand where the pictures would end up, if they would. definitely tricky to get the courage to go and ask someone to stand still while i snap away.

ultimately i used three different cameras - the journalism point and shoot, my own nikon digital, and an slr rebel from the new hampshire office. funny enough the fancy-shancy one from tnh gave me the most grief. i took photos as an intramural game under the flood lights but they weren't coming out. the battery was crapping out and the zoom isn't too impressive so that might have factored into that.

good fun overall. looking forward to doing more.

Sep 20, 2008

Erica flying


Sep 16, 2008

First Multimedia Project

I wrote this but completely forgot to post it ... whoops.

who: the dishwashers in Holloway Commons

what: a look into what they do, how they do it, and a little bit about who they are, these lovely people that pick up after us

when: after 9, when they close down and are finishing off the dishes

where: Holloway dish room with a little, i hope, in hoco

why: these guys do work hard for us, probably for not a lot of pay, and while unh dining isn't at the top of people's favorites lists right now, i don't think these guys had anything to do with it and would like to share their story.

how: stills of them working, audio in the room (i know it'll be loud). i kind of want a video from a cart when they wheel stuff out taped to the front, just to mix it up and see a little bit of what they see.

so what? why is this news?: Again Hoco is not getting a lot of love right now and i imagine a lot of the workers there are feeling some animosity from the students. but what i hope the motivation behind watching this will be is curiosity - hopefully people are inherently interested about what goes on in that little room and who the people are that work there.

Sep 9, 2008

Blog Number Two and It's Creative Title

My mom would have killed me. She absolutely would have taken a blunt object to my temple then my body to the shed, if I was pregnant at 19. I was curious to see how Matt and Melissa Eich handled young pregnancy.

The slide show with video did absolute justice to their story. Starting with her voice over still of picture eventually cutting to her talking to the camera was a brilliant visual lead. The stills are captive enough to draw you in, the video enough to hold you. While she did wax a bit of religion, he seemed more tangible - real language, real actions. He says at one point something along the lines of wondering if you're going to be a good parent. good husband, or if you're going to fuck it all up. Again the use of video there helped to solidify the reality of the story. You can actually watch him debate over whether to drop the f-bomb or not. Then at the wedding he toasts with the camera. A light, silly touch.

The frequent cuts to video helped, for me at least, to establish Matt and Melissa as real people instead of stills or models. The slide show moments were really good. At least twice the pictures were changing in tune with the music which I thought was cinematic and cool. The sound quality wasn't the best - that first video sounded pretty fuzzy - but i think that added to the whole theme of they're normal people going through something big. Loved the simple acoustic guitar bits. Definitely storing that idea for later.

Kind of getting nervous watching these bits. They are really good. Definitely going to be interesting trying to even remotely try to match that ...

Sep 4, 2008

Digital Cameras

JP had a basketball tournament somewhere and instead of sitting in the gym, I opted for the car where i played with my mom's new digital camera. Giant, beastly thing she loved to death. I discovered built in templates and how to view the picture before hand on the screen. I ended up using it enough she just gave it to me. That was 1999. I've been playing with cameras ever since from old Kodak instants to disposable and now digital cameras. I don't edit much - usually basic Photoshop when I want something out.

Haven't really gotten into video too much other than taping a brother's basketball game or another brother's theater shows. I know that is the next step and I'm looking forward to playing some more with that medium. I imagine like everyone I have ideas for funny little videos but haven't had the desire to put them into action yet. It's kinda tough when you're easily distracted by Youtube.

Sure we use the Internet to stay connected to distant loved ones or find new loved ones, for business or news. But one major benefit is this wondrous Youtube. What started as an underground media movement has turned into a worldwide sensation. I can watch videos from Hong Kong at the same time as I check out the latest rugby highlights. And, really, where would we be without the endless videos of movie parodies or some ill fated soul attempting the gallon challenge. Yes, the Internet has made the already lazy students worse with information - true or not - available immediately at our fingertips. Yes, we are more vulnerable to scams, crooks, and pervs. Yes, we may be collectively more stupid as people use more and more text message lingo in face to face conversation. But, c'mon, who doesn't get a kick out of the Evolution of Dance?