Assignment 8: Photoshopping

This photograph was taken at my sorority’s spring formal last semester. I took several simple steps to alter this photo, but the result is remarkably obvious. First, I cropped the edges of the photo. In the original image there are many distracting features in the background, the mammoth skeleton and a table off to the side holding extra picture frames for photo ops. After altering the photo it is zoomed in and focused very specifically on me. Next I removed the red-eye (or tried to) and increased the color contrast. The increased contrast separated me from the more shadowed background, and brought out colors with greater vibrancy, further increasing the viewers focus. Finally, I brightened the image and added a “glow” that radiates softly out from the center. The result is a brighter, more attractive image that draws the viewer’s eye to a specific feature within the photograph.

In order to consider why I changed these aspects of my photo it is first important to consider the way images are expected to look. First, the altered image was created as a Facebook profile picture. Images used as profile pictures are expected to represent the person to the rest of the Facebook community, and therefore generally depict the person as they wish to be viewed. I made the changes to this photograph in order to make my image stand out, as profile pictures are generally intended to do, and to represent myself as I wish to be seen; that is, someone who stands out, is colorful, and is maybe a little creative. 

    

Assignment 7: Metaphors in Media

The Chronicles of Narina: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), first a popular children’s novel and now a major motion picture is famous for the vast number of Christian metaphors. It may be less well known, however, that there is another strong metaphor within the context of the film. Although biblical symbolism could also be drawn to the White Witch, she appears to be most significantly symbolic of the Snow Queen from Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale, “The Snow Queen.” In the story, the Snow Queen takes a young boy into her sledge and wraps him in her fur robe to keep him warm. She then kisses him twice: once to warm him up, and a second time to make him forget about his family. This is precisely what happens in the scene in which Edmund first meets the White Witch of Narnia, only instead of kisses, she offers him treats: a warm drink, and Turkish Delight.

            Upon first meeting Edmund, the White Witch comments that he looks very cold, and invites him to sit with her on her sleigh. After embracing him with her fur cloak, she offers the boy a drink and presents Edmund with a steaming goblet filled with hot cocoa. This first gift from the White Witch is a metaphor for the Anderson’s White Witch’s first kiss, which warms the boy in the story.

Next, the Witch tells Edmund she can make for him anything he likes, and offers him something to eat. Edmund requests Turkish Delight. Before consuming the bewitching treat, Edmund shows a certain amount of concern for his sister, who is also somewhere in Narnia, as well as what his other siblings, Peter and Susan, would think about Lucy being right about the world inside the wardrobe after all. After accepting her gifts, however, he is unconcerned for his siblings and resents the White Witch mentioning them until she suggests that they may become Edmund’s servants. This second gift represents the Snow Queen’s second kiss given to the boy in Anderson’s story, which makes him forget his family.

The White Witch 

Blog Assignment 6

An iconic image is an image that is easily recognized by a majority, and represents a time period or cultural event, taking on a symbolic meaning. In the field of psychology, one example of an iconic image might be this photograph of Genie, a feral child. This image comes from a selection of video footage that was used to study Genie. The photograph demonstrates several tell-tale characteristic of a feral child, including her animal-like positioning and downward gaze.

Genie was discovered at the age of thirteen, strapped to a chair where she had spent most of her life in complete isolation from human comtact, except for when her father would bring her a plate of food. When she was found, she was nearly mute, possessing a vocabulary of approximately twenty words. Over time she developed a broader use of language, including sign language, but never fully developed normal language skills. Genie has become a metonym, or a word that is used to represent something other than its actual meaning, in psychology for the theory that there is an age threshold for the acquisition of language. After her rescue, Genie began to physically and mentally develop very rapidly. Although she was never able to string word together in a meaningful way, she would express frustration when she felt that she was not conveying her meaning accurately. Instead of language, she would often illustrate her thoughts or feelings by drawing them, usually demonstrating fairly complex ideas and emotions. Further study led to the discovery that the left side of Genie’s brain was shockingly inactive, leading to the belief that there is a critical time period for the development of the left brain (which governs language acquisition and use) that generally occurs before the age of 12, which is when Genie was rescued. Genie’s case is a well known trope for a critical period of language acquisition not only in the field of psychology, but also to linguists and neurologists. 

Assignment 5: Representing Others

Most people consider media today to be an important news source, something that they need and that they have a right to. But is this entirely true? Or is the media largely an invasion of privacy? Often the news takes steps to preserve the privacy of its subjects, but this is not always the case. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag discusses a case regarding a woman whose husband had been kidnapped and slaughtered overseas. She says, “…a vehement debate took place in which the right of Pearl’s widow to be spared more pain was pitted against the newspaper’s right to print and post what it saw fit and the public’s right to see” (pg 69). In this particular case the video of her husband’s death had been posted online. Perhaps this subject is so controversial because it does not violate the rights of the dead man, but is an indirect invasion of his family’s privacy, which is less concretely protected in the Constitution. It is a moral dilemma, one which requires news sources to decide whether it is more important for the public to access certain information, or to protect those whom it most directly affects. This is further exemplified in Clint Eastwood’s film Letters from Iwo Jima. There is one scene in particular in which several Japanese soldiers are ordered to commit suicide, rather than be captured and killed by the invading American army. Many of the soldiers commit the act in blatant fear. Although the identities of these soldiers are not directly identified in the film, it is historically accurate. The grandchildren of these men may watch the film, see the fear in the faces of the men as they hold tightly a grenade to their chests before they are killed by the blast. Viewers are not spared the sight of torn flesh and blood splattered across the cave walls before the scene changes. How might these visions affect those whose families were directly touched by these forced actions? Is it the right of the media to release footage that shows a man being brutally executed? It is not a matter of freedom of speech: these events could be described in words rather than images, to spare those who are closest to the incident further unnecessary pain. 

My Online Persona

My facebook persona combines all the subcultures that I am a part of into one person.

It is nearly impossible to always be the exact same person with every group of people that you interact with: family, close personal friends, coworkers, classmates, and people that you only know by association. Facebook allows all of these personas to mix together and for people from each subculture that I am a part of to see who I am outside of the context in which they know me.

According to Facebook, I have 521 “friends.”  I do not closely know all of them, obviously. Within these 521 people there are probably a dozen different subcultures. My immediate and extended family are included, friends from church, friends from college, friends from high school, coworkers from the past and present, classmates, sorority sisters, and the list could go on  and on. Through Facebook, I am able to address and associate myself with each group. This is especially obvious in status updates, which are available to all of my “friends.” In one status I may comment about the ridiculous customer that was encountered at work, or the incredible amount of homework due for a class. I might comment on a recent mission trip, or the epic night out that I just experienced with some of my closest friends. Generally, each status update elicits a response from the group of people that are associated with the content, allowing friends from other groups to observe the types of interactions that I participate in when I am outside the culture through which they know me most directly.

 I am also able to share my unique interactions with each subculture through photos. I have albums dedicated to family trips, nights out with friends, Gator football games, sorority functions and mission trips. Within these albums it is easy to see the differences and similarities with which I conduct myself in different groups. I also do not believe that behaving differently in different groups is hypocritical, and I think that displaying these different behaviors on Facebook help to make that true. It is simply that certain types of behavior may be more appropriate for one subculture, such as a church family, than for another subculture, such as the friends that I go out with on Friday nights. It is entertaining to me, if no one else, to demonstrate through photos all the different aspects that make me the person I am.

Saturday Is My Favorite Day

Saturday is My Favorite Day

I open my eyes grudgingly, not because I have to get up, but because of the insistent stream of sunlight coming through my partially closed window. It is 6:00 in the morning in Alajuelita, Costa Rica, and the sun has been up for the last half hour. With a sigh I kick back my sheets and get out of bed.

                It’s Saturday, my favorite day. I get myself ready and walk downstairs where I am greeted by my mom, my sister, and Spencer. Spencer was the youth pastor of my church in Florida, and when he decided to move his family to Alajuelita and start a non-profit organization to help the community here, my family and I chose to accompany them for one year.

                We grab a handful of colones each and head out the door. Church bells chime in the not so far off distance as we begin our traditional Saturday morning journey through Alajuelita. Every time I walk outside I am awed by this place. Let me tell you now, the Costa Rica that you are imagining is definitely not Alajuelita. For starters, it is landlocked. I am surrounded by green mountains, blanketed by a bright blue sky. On the peak of a mountain to the northwest I can see the pale figure of a metal cross. It looks miniscule from here, but in reality it is 90 feet tall and absolutely worth the three hour uphill climb. Alajuelita is in the San Jose Valley, where it is said that in one day a person breathes the equivalent on a pack of cigarettes in polluted air. So, it’s not very touristy. In fact, these are essentially the slums. Alajuelita is the poorest county in all of Costa Rica. But it’s beautiful.

  

                I always love walking through the streets of Costa Rica. Today is no different. Our small band of gringos takes its time as we walk along the busy street. A soft cover of cloud begins to sweep across the mountain peaks and slides down the slopes towards the valley so that the green and blue of earth and sky are separated by a gentle white mist. The juxtaposition of the surrounding natural beauty and the squalor of the local streets is quite astonishing. I step delicately past an emaciated middle-aged man lying on the broken and pockmarked sidewalk. He is shirtless and sleeps with a cap pulled over his eyes, fighting off the previous night’s drunkenness. His powerful odor follows me for several steps.

                As we continue, the “huevos man” drives past. I smile as he drives past, shouting through his loudspeaker “Huevos! Huevos! Come and get your huevos!” Or something to that extent. I think of my small, close-net group of friends here and the game we invented using the sounds of Costa Rica, which includes huevos man’s sales pitch. It’s the same as the children’s game “Zoo,” but we substituted the “sounds of Alajuelita” for animal names.

                Finally we reach the short hill the signals the nearness of our final destination. We all struggle up the incline, embarrassed by the local woman who passes us while wearing four-inch stilettos. Maybe I should start working out. First we pass the bakery. In Alajuelita there are bakeries on every corner, but this one is all the gringos’ favorite. We buy our bread here each week, but the tasty treats they sell in addition are what make them really special. My sister buys something that reminds me of a scone, but I will wait. In an hour or so a fresh batch of bread pudding will be put out and it is by far my favorite treat. After Angela hands over 200 colones, the equivalent of about 40 cents in the United States, we walk the few feet further and finally reach the market. Each Saturday the square next to the central park is blocked off and local farmers set up their stands piled high with fresh produce from their farms. The market is an assault on one’s senses: vibrant reds, yellows, and greens shine from the many vender tables. The delightful scent of strawberries is replaced by the stench of rotting fruit and urine as I wander past the gutter, only to be masked by the smell of ripe bananas that lie on the next table.

  

                Venders shout as I pass, telling me exactly why their lettuce or oranges or watermelons are the best I will find at the market that day. I stop at a table selling pineapples. I’m looking for a white pineapple, something I have yet to find at any grocery store back home in the States. They have all the flavor and sweetness of a yellow pineapple without the acidity, and it has become my favorite snack. It’s difficult to tell yellow pineapples from white pineapples, so I explain in clumsy Spanish what it is I am looking for. The woman smiles at me and helps me find the perfect fruit. 450 colones, less than one dollar, buys me my treasure for the day.

                I continue to explore the market. There are so many unique fruits and vegetables here, the likes of which I have never seen before. My family and I make up names for the items we don’t know. Snot fruit looks like an orange until you break open the orange peel. Inside is a glob of black seeds, each one cocooned by a slimy coating of God knows what. It tastes refreshingly of citrus, if you can get past the texture. Hairy beans look like a giant peapod, and inside the husk are small beans covered in soft white fuzz. I pop one of the beans in my mouth and suck off the sweet white coating before spitting out the bean. My last stop is at the juice stand, where an elderly lady and her sons have a bucket full of oranges that they juice for each customer. I’m pretty convinced that it’s the most delicious orange juice in the world. God, how I love this place. Saturday is my favorite day.

http://www.scribd.com/full/37584203?access_key=key-230hzordwmys757bpngs

Analysis:

I do not believe that the images posted without text tell the same story as the images that are accompanied by the narrative. A picture may contain symbolism but it cannot portray sounds, smells, the significance of a person, place or object, or the friendly joke that may accompany it. Without words, a still image is open to interpretation and each individual's interpretation will mean something different. However, the pairing of an image with text gives the reader an understanding of exactly what the writer intended to say through their work. This allows a more concrete message to be delivered with greater accuracy. I do not believe that all images are impossible to accurately interpret without text. A film gives viewers room for their own interpretation while still narrowing their interpretation, or parts of their interpretation, to something specific. The use of dialogue, sound, and movement within the frame direct the viewers attention and allow a specific message to be understood by the audience.

Assignment 3: Clip Analysis

The shot pans down a street with stopped traffic. *HER. Enigma: What happened? A partial answer is given to this question when a man in a dented car informs a police officer that he is ok. **ACT: Policeman lights a flare, a man whose vehicle was bumped explains that he is ok, and people stuck in traffic up and down the street get out of their cars and look out of their windows to see what is going on – all of these actions suggest an accident has occurred. ***REF: The police car’s lights are flashing and sirens are sounding in the distance – both of these are common place after an accident has occurred. ****SYM: The flare lit at the beginning of the shot is red, as are the tail lights of the cars in the shot – red is a symbolic color that appears throughout the film.

Cole and his mother sit in the car during a traffic jam.*HER. Enigma 2:  What is upsetting Cole?  Fraud: Cole’s mother suggests that he his mad because she missed his play. Suspended answer: A long silence stretches between mother and son. Promise of an answer: Cole tells his mother, “I’m ready to communicate with you now, tell you my secrets.” Blocking: Cole diverts the conversation from what is bothering him to comment on the accident. Partial answer: Cole tells his mother that the lady who died in the car accident is standing outside his window. Disclosure: Cole tells his mother that he can see ghosts, that they want him to do things. She accepts his statement and they embrace. **ACT: A camera shot shows us the dead woman from Cole’s mother’s point of view, although she clearly can’t see him. Cole nods his head in affirmation of his own claim that he can see dead people. ***SYM: The conversation moves to Cole’s grandmother. Comments concerning his mother’s past, his grandmother’s brooch, and his mother’s question to his grandmother elicit obvious grief.