Intense Lighting

I didn't like this project because having the minimal amount of light makes the final picture very grainy. However, when I came into class to work on it in Photoshop Vaughn showed me how to take the noise and make it interesting....this is what I ended up with.

Chapter Eight

Jobs for Young Artists

I hate to say it like this but I am so glad this is my last post on this book. The further I got along the more I enjoyed the information Dunning was trying to convey to me as a young artist. I think that there are some values that are worth taking along if I were to pursue photography as a career, the only problem would be trying to work two jobs to afford the studio time and take great shots, too.


A long time ago the phrase, "starving artist" was coined and I think that after a month out on their own trying to live solely on their art, a new artist truly starts to realize what this statement actually means and the fact that it can certainly be true. There are some headstrong artists out there who think they know they are good, they have some connections and have produced good work, but what happens when the gallery buying the art decides that they want to go a new direction and they need some thing new and totally different, trying to live by only making and selling art is going to run you into the ground.


I think that the option of holding a part time job while living your dream is the plan that should be stuck to. I say this because you never know how it's going to pan out. Will you sell 10 or 15 pieces this week and 2 next week? Will you have a bidder on 5 today but none tomorrow? I think that having a part time job not involved with art, or even with art maybe an understudy, would relieve some of the stress that an artist is sure to feel once they are hit with the sledge hammer of reality. Bills still have to be paid and gas still has to be put in the car and food doesn't just appear either. I am not trying to suggest that this is how it will be forever. I know that there are some very talented people out there and they work hard and produce great work, but that takes time and money, and to get to the top, to where selling your art, only, can pay the mortgage and feed the kids, sacrifices have to be made, even if it means waiting tables at Chili's til you save the money to truly put every thing you have into your love (art) and not have to struggle with every day life decisions.

Chapter Seven

Galleries, Portfolios, and Web Pages

It probably seems that I am just flying through this book, but to be honest I am skimming and trying to pick up the major key points.


All semester I have listened to Vaughn talk about how important it is to get yourself out there. Enter into shows at the university or you never know where your website might take you. Yes, Vaughn, I have been listening. Exposure is what is going to get you the "big bucks" as Vaughn would say. In order to be seen, heard, and paid any attention to you have to put in the effort and the man hours by updating your blog/website, going to galleries and taking a portfolio. When I see an artist, I will admit I tend to think more about painters, which is good considering Dunning was focused on painters too. I see someone who sits in front of a canvas all day long in a studio with paint all over their clothes, glasses instead of contacts, one brush in their mouth the other whisking away trying to make the perfect image. The only problem with this is that if they were to walk into a gallery like that they would most likely be turned away, and I say this not to be rude but to put the reality into your head. A gallery is a business, just like any fanchise, and they are looking for someone who can not only produce great art to look at but can back it up in a professional manner. Have a clean-cut portfolio, valid credentials, but still be able to show their hard work, without the greasy hair and painted clothing.


Now, you're probably thinking, "I have a website, the people only see my art, not me when I am creating it," but what if that site leads to calls from someone who wants to purchase a piece of your art, are you going to show up in your white jumpsuit with red, green, yellow, blue, and orange paint blobs or are you going to meet them in a nice, professional setting, with a suit and tie/dress and heels, and treat it like an upscale transaction? I think I would go with the latter.


So utilize these methods of spreading the word on yourself. Websites are nice, its quick and simple access to examples of your work, but keep it updated. Portfolios are nice when that gallery calls and says they want to give you a show. And, those gallery professionals want, not only for you to make them proud by presenting yourself in a business manner, but to make yourself proud by presenting your work that way because you feel that it deserves that kind of respect.

Chapter Six

The Color Monster

I never thought about how the use of color makes artists feel. Personally, I love a black and white image. I was taught in middle school that black and white are not considered color but tints or shades. I love the mystery of a black and white. Maybe this is what the author was trying to say though, artists are trying to find a way to make black and white more than it is just to avoid using color.


In a way I guess it's like being afraid of the dark or of heights. It truly is a monster. Last semester my instructor got into, briefly, about how the color in an image can affect your mood. If you see Red...some might say it makes them feel angry, where others might say it gives them a feeling of love and comfort; Blue might be calming, Green might make one feel anxious or jealous. I think that when an artist is trying to convey a specific mood, then color is a must. Since, Dunning is talking more about painting I think that it is more prominent in the use of a color pallet rather than just a picture of a sunset. Now, if a photographer were to apply this technique in the studio and wanted to portray a certain feel in their commercial photography or even with a family portrait...again in that scenario I think your conscience needs to check for the color monster under your bed and reassure you that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Chapter Five

Artist and Artist's Image

Image is something I think people work their whole lives toward perfecting. The risk takers in the art world used to be lepers where as in today's modern society the more outlandish your artwork is the more attention the public eye gives you. Self-image is definitely something that I have struggled with. From my life I can tell you that I get to the point of feeling worthy of being on this planet and then it's like a huge asteroid hits my world and I am knocked down. It takes me a while to get back onto my feet, but eventually I get to the point where everything is falling into place, and again something comes along to destroy it. I think this is how someone has to struggle in order to find their self-image either by what they see in the mirror or through their art. Life is a rollercoaster and most of the time you just have to hang on and try to enjoy the ride. If you take life's ups and downs and use it to your advantage in putting that emotion and discovery into your art I believe that the image you are trying to portray through that art will show on its own without trying to force it down everyone's throat.

Chapter Four

Tradition and the New in Current Art

Okay, so Chapter Four. This book is really getting to me. It takes all that I have and a few cups of coffee to keep my eyes open and my mind still. This chapter is basically telling us to try to understand the past before we try out our new ideas. Well, I believe most people try to do that in their every day lives, right? I mean that's why we are told we have to study history...in order to not repeat the past. I know that I personally try to learn from my mistakes as to not repeat them again. I liked the idea of taking a whole month and focusing on nothing but art. I think that that gives the artist time to appreciate and truly understand the meaning behind what they are trying to create.

Chapter Three

Artists and Teachers

Wow I think Chapter Three might have been worse than Chapter One. I feel like the author is just rambling...he is writing like he talks and I feel like I just want to yell, "Shut up!" He tells a story and then tells basically the same story over again with different characters in a different setting. The general idea of this chapter is the correlation between students and teachers. If you want a boring teacher you will get one, but if you are enthusiastic and ready to learn and ask questions and get involved then you just might find yourself getting what you paid for out of the teacher. The teachers have to do their part too. They have to work on paying attention to their audience and adjusting their methods to the crowd.

Chapter Two

Reading----and Reading Right

The general consensus of Chapter Two is that an artist needs to read, read, read. He states that a good reader not only reads but reads beyond their level of understanding. Basically, in order to expand your brain and to exercise your brain it's not enough to just pick up any book and read, you need to pick up a book that might be hard to comprehend at first but with more and more insight into the concept and background of the words you will eventually understand. He talks about the time of Picasso where if you were an artist and your were not reading then you were considered and outcast. There are some that say as an artist reading helps you in being able to speak about art in an intellectual manner and that is important when trying to make your mark into that world. I actually liked this chapter. I say that because I am an English major and I feel that reading is very important in, again, exercising your brain. I read often and do so because I enjoy it, and if the author believes that an artist needs to read in order to succeed in this profession then I believe him, and I'm not saying go out and try to read just any old book with a bunch of big words, I think he means for the artists to go out and read about the history of art and the ideas of different eras and learn about what was done before so as to not repeat an idea that was done 100 years ago and call it new.

Chapter One

Talent, Intelligence, and Art

The first chapter was torcher! I am an English major and I have to read some difficult texts but this book is really hard for me to follow. I feel like the author is talking in circles. He repeats his theories much too often and I'm not exactly sure how he views the "art world." The only conclusion I could come to is that he disagrees with most of the stereotypes. Basically, I think he is trying to say that "intelligence" and "genius" are abstract. Who you talk to and where that person comes from in the college world depends on how these words are defined. He also seems synical. It's as if nothing is good enough for him. I am so bored, confused and generally worn out after reading Chapter One. I guess the message to artists is to not be too cocky. To take everything with a grain of salt. Don't assume you know everything and can survive in the world with no help along the way, realize that some advice from art school teachers can be valuable in the end.

Current Event 24

E-Readers

The article describes a new device that makes reading a textbook much easier on the eye. I have little experience in reading text online because I am an old-fashioned kind of girl. I am the one that is always seen at Hastings buying books. I like the idea of this product the eDGe. The technology is of our time and I'm glad to see a business trying to put books on the same level as online newspapers, for example. I'm not going to say that this changes my mind about going to a library or a book store and purchasing a hard copy, but I do think that it is a good idea. I have read one book online and it was very difficult, the type was so small and very straining on the eyes. I like having the material in my hands, the smell of an old book, and the feel of walking into a book store and walking out with pages full of text, but this is a product I might consider, if there is a book that I think might be worth ready but now the $30 bill.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/business/06novel.html?ref=technology

Narrative

I thought I had already posted this. Sorry guys.
This narrative is about my grandmother. She was such an inspiration in my life and she supported me through anything. I connected with her mainly with the Dallas Mavericks, but she also always gave great advice and I miss her dearly every day. She was an amazing drawer and near the end that's all that consumed her lonely hours at home. She was really talented and I hope that I have made her proud.

Current Event 23

So the semester is coming to an end. I am so stressed in this last week and I feel like I'm getting an ulcer. I am stressed about all of my classes. This class took me a while to warm up to. The problem I have is the times in which the lab is open on the weekends. I was the good student and went up on Saturday and did what I could in order to get my prints matted, but with a part time job with full time hours and the lab not opening til noon on Sunday...I didn't get accomplished what I would have liked. I am doing my very best to get everything else caught up so that I can at least say I didn't give up. My English class takes up so much time with all the essays, and my Psychology class I shouldn't even be in. I feel like I can never take a deep breath and relax, not to mention my Spanish class is killer. Trying to learn a different language at 23 is a challenge. I think I have all of my projects for Vaughn published but I am really worried. He jokes around and tries to make the class enjoyable but I feel like my head is about to pop with the pressure. I love taking photos and I enjoy some of the things I have learned in class, but this is not something I could do for the rest of my life. There is too much envolved and I feel like I can never catch up. I really enjoyed the multiple me's project as well as the narrative. I learned how to matte this weekend...I don't have it down perfectly but it's a start. This blog thing...I do not like. I will probably cancel it at the end of the semester. I also feel like the book wasn't needed. Well, I will say that I am ready for some of the stress to be lifted for a little while, but I did learn some things. And what I learned I enjoyed. I wish all of you good luck in your future. I hope to maybe see a few of you further down the road.

Current Event 22

NEW MOON

Okay, Twilight fans...the movie version of the second book is out. I was so excited when I finally got to see it. I own the first one, and have seen it several times, but I will have to say that this one is way better than the first. The graphics are amazing and the story line is followed much closer. Jacob really gives Edward a run for his money in this one. Taylor looks amazing and I'm telling you that I see why people have tried to choose sides. Team Jacob or Team Edward. Well, I have read all four books and if you have as well then you know how it ends and you know who gets the girl but the suspense is nice and I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so that I can purchase this film. I was somewhat disappointed after seeing the first one for the first time, but I walked away from "New Moon" excited and ready to see the third..even knowing how the story goes. The cliffhanger at the end was great and I want to give props to the makers of this film because they did an absolutely amazing job. The wolves are so lifelike and the shiftchanges are incredible. So if you haven't seen "New Moon" because you're waiting til it comes out to rent it...I would say DO NOT WAIT take a free moment and go see it with your friends or with your mate because you will not be disappointed at all. You will regret it if you wait and see it on your TV at home, this is something that the big screen makes it well worth the money.

Current Event 21

Vinyl Records and Turntables Are Gaining Sales

This article really caught my attention. The reason being, I am a huge Elvis Presley fan. I know what you're thinking? Elvis Presley? Were you even alive when he died? The answer is no. I am only 23, but my aunt was lucky enough to see his last concert before his demise. Anyone who knows me personally, in any way, knows how I feel about the king. I love his voice and I really love his face. I have a lot of Elvis memorabilia, including, an old collection of his vinyl records and my aunt's old record player. I have been fascinated by Elvis for so long and appreciate the time of the vinyl. I am really excited to hear that our generation is appreciating it as well. I have Elvis CD's but is it really the same? The sound is different and the authenticity is a part of the Elvis Presley feel...for me anyway. I feel that I am lucky to have a piece of the past and I stoked that records are being reborn.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/nyregion/07vinyl.html?_r=1&hp

Current Event #20

As we all know this Thursday is Thanksgiving. Well, my family has a tradition of going to New Orleans for the holiday at my aunt and uncle's house. I really enjoy going every year, but my work has denied my request for the weekend after Thanksgiving off. I was terribly upset about it, but my mom, being the saint that she is, gave me and my brother (he can't go either) and our significant others, our Thanksgiving on Saturday. We all got together and took a nice family photo, at my mom's request. The family atmosphere was great. I don't get to spend much time with my brother, so it was great to be able to all sit around the table and just talk. I was upset that my niece was unable to come because she was ill, but other than that ... the food was amazing, the pictures were good, and the time was well spent. I love my family, and though I won't get to go out of town with the rest of my family to celebrate, I was glad that my mom got us all together. I wanted to be able to go and take pictures of how I usually spend my Thanksgiving, but I'm going to have to post my family portraits later on instead.

The reason I chose to write about this is mainly because I was disappointed in the fact the my job would not even consider my request for the time off. I was told that NO ONE, from the top to the bottom, was allowed to take that weekend off. There are no exceptions! When my HR manager told me that the weekend was closed, she was not very nice about it, and I was really hurt. I just could not believe that there was no consideration or even any sympathy. Most of the people I work with stay in and around town for the holiday and it upsets me that I am one of a handful that goes out of town for the holiday. Anyway, I'm done ranting.....

DAVID HOCKNEY

This was a very time consuming project...I didn't like it all that much, but I guess the final product was nice.

This last one I was not impressed with but I tried to make it look okay.

Current Event 19 - I love you, Beth Cooper

My fance, Tony, went out the other night and rented some movies, so we could just have a night to relax. He rented I Love You, Beth Cooper. I didn't think that I would like this movie at all. I had seen movies like it, like SuperBad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and I was not impressed by either one. They were annoying, not really that funny and I was bored watching them. I was skeptical when we started the movie but by the end I had laughed, genuinely, and almost cried. The end is really sweet! This is definitely a movie that I would recommend everyone to go rent and watch. It was nice to relax and enjoy my day off and to have a good laugh. It is still crazy to me that the little girl from Remember the Titans is now in her late teens (I believe) and is taking on really good roles.

Current Event 18 - Dallas Mavericks

Saturday, November 7 my fiance and I went to the Dallas Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center. I was given these tickets for my 23rd birthday. Most of you do not know me very well, but I get a lot of things from my Me Me, she was a huge sports fan, and while I do not typically watch all of the Texas teams (Cowboys, Rangers, Stars, etc.), I do LOVE the Mavericks. I have been watching them for as long as I can remember. I have only been to a handful of games and each time I do get to go I have the time of my life. They won Saturday by over 20 points and we had some really good seats. When the camera shows the fans waving the "bricks" when someone is shooting a free throw, well that is the section I was in. No, I was not on tv but I was really close. I am completely in love with watching Dirk Nowitzki play this wonderful game. He has over an 85% free throw percentage, he has the best jump shot in the league, and he is a great team player. Though I had great seats, I will be saving money in order to be able to see at least one game in my lifetime at courtside. I want so bad to meet Dirk, and hopefully one day I will. I honestly hate the fact that athletes and actors make so much money, but it is I (and others) who put that money into their pockets. I do not like that this is the case, but I sit back and think about it, and I enjoy these activites (movies and games) so I don't see myself discontinuing my "donation" to their pocketbooks.

Current Event 17 - Fort Hood

Last Thursday there was a tragedy at Fort Hood. Everyone has heard about the shooting there last week, and I have to say that I do not understand the brutality of people. My fiance has a cousin who is stationed there right now, and she was supposed to have been in that building when the shooting occured. Thank God she wasn't. I cannot imagine what the families of the deceased and injured are feeling. I would be beside myself if I were in their shoes. I was able to see the beginning of the President's speech at Fort Hood yesterday. He look very solmn and seemed to really care. He was sincere in his empathy for the families. The soldiers that were killed will be carried on in memory through husbands, wives, children, parents, and friends but I hope more than anything that the soldier who commited this terrible crime is brought to justice. I believe he was a psychiatrist to the soldiers coming back from war, he was the one who was supposed to try to help others adapt back to society, and he went crazy. I know that my fiance was very upset about this event. They revealed the major's name on tv and my fiance said "no wonder, just listen to his name." I hate to be judgemental, but I can see how some might think that he enlisted and worked his way to the top of ranks just to terrorize America. 9/11 gave names from that origin a bad rap. I think I'm just rambling now, but I really don't know how I feel about that part of it. His name is his name right? His name didn't kill those innocent soldiers. It's not his name that made him pull the trigger. It was him as a man, as a person, that made him perform these actions. I just want to say that those soldiers and thier families need your and my prayers.

Many Me's

MULTIPLES

These took a very long time to get the way I wanted them. I know I redid the first one 4 times. I liked this assignment, however, it was rather tedious. I thought that the images turned out pretty well. I will say that I am proud of them. I did other ones, with myself, but either the lighting was off or something in each picture moved and was different. For example, I tried to take some shots of me reading in my bed from different spots on my bed but the blankets got moved so it didn't turn out.

Welcome to the Party

Poker Face

A story from MY life - Current Event 16

This isn't something major happening in the world or a medical crisis. This is an event that I am personally excited about. On October 2 I turned 23 and my amazing family pitched in together and purchased 2 tickets for me and my fiance to go to a Dallas Mavericks game. I am so excited! I have not been in a couple years and I absolutely love basketball. Dirk Nowitzki, of course, is my favorite. He is so talented and I cannot wait for the chance to meet him and get an autograph...maybe a picture too!! I will be leaving soon after Tony gets off work for the American Airlines Center and enjoying my seats in the section behind court-side. Yes, I give you permission to feel a tinge of jealousy. I have been given the day of and the day after off of work because my boss is amazing. I am so excited. I will be going on November 7th and I am getting ansy. I feel like these last few weeks have been dragging and dragging. I want to get in my car and go right now!! So I have the best family in the whole world. My cousin said it was a sign from God. She was online looking for something to get me and racking her brain. Then she received a pop-up at the bottom of her screen for an advertisement for the Dallas Mavericks. She knew right then that she was being told that that was what she needed to get, so she called my brother and his fiance, my aunt and uncle and her husband and they all pitched in to give me this amazing gift.

GO MAVS!!!!

Law Abiding Citizen - Current Event 15

I have heard so many bad reviews on this movie, but they have yet to falter my feeling for desperately needing to see this film. I am a huge fan of Gerard Butler and I think that his attitude in the movie fits his character to a "T." He is such a good-looking man too! :D I was told that he overacts in this film and that the moral they are wanting to portray does not come out as clear as they probably would have liked. I like the revengeful side. There are so many people out in the country that feel the judicial system has failed them. I understand people being a little upset about spending years in prison and DNA proving them to be innocent, but you have to give credit to the system for taking action when DNA became available to release those who were wrongly accused. I personally have a sibling who has been in and out of the prison system for 15 years. I don't have a problem with that because he keeps screwing up. Now, I have another loved one who spent 4 years in the prison system and while in saw guys accused and convicted of murder being released. Now, I strongly believe that if someone is convicted of murder with a crap load of evidence against them, self-defense excluded, should have a life sentence at the least. Okay, done ranting now.

Where the Wild Things Are - Current Event 14

I have a niece that is 5 and a nephew that is 8 and I love having them around for when I wanna go see a kiddy movie. They are a great excuse/reason to go see a film for kids that I really want to go to but shouldn't be seen as a grown up with my fiance seeing a film for children. I will admit that I took them to see the Hannah Montana Movie and I loved it! Yes! I loved it. It had a nice moral to the story. Now, I have not tried yet to take one of them from their Mommy so that I could go see Where the Wild Things Are but since I'll have time this weekend I just might do that. I read the book when I was a kid and so did my mom and her sisters. My aunt has already taken her son and she said that it followed the book for as much as possible trying to stretch a 10 page book to an hour long movie. I personally think that the "monsters" look absolutely adorable and it looks like a cute movie. My great friend from my work wants to take his girls, too. However, when I was at my mom's house for a family get together yesterday my step-niece who is in 6th grade said that the kids in her class were saying the movie was "stupid." Her mom was telling her that she thought she would like it if she just went and saw it but she said, "No, Mom, it's not cool. Not for a 6th grader." So I said, "So if you're under 10 and older than 20 you'll like it?" Then my aunt said, "I'm 43, and I LOVED it." So I think it just goes to show that to enjoy and appreciate a good animated film you need to be either really young, or have kids that are really young. I know that I enjoy all kinds of animated films. I think I would watch Cars over Saw VI any day.

Saw VI - Current Event 13

I have seen all of the movies in the Saw series. I think I am addicted, but it has seemed to me that the more versions they make the more pointless it gets. I mean we got the point in the first one. What is your life worth to you? I understand. So the ones after that are a lot of gore that is cool but unnecessary. I have not gotten to see the 6th one yet, but after hearing from people who have, its the same old crap different film. So I don't have the excitement for seeing the 6th one as I did when the first few were released.

Family of Missing Teen - Current Event 14

The Jolkowski's lost there 19-year-old son in 2001. He was taking out the trash and on his way to be picked up for work but he never made it to catch his ride. The family reported it and an investigation was conducted. There is still no evidence of their son Jason. The tragedy that this family has suffered it unimaginable. In their time of sorrow, however, they have taken their loss and used it in order to help other families cope who have also had a loved one go missing. I get so inspired by stories like this one. Having the courage to take a terrible situation in your life and turn it around and use it for good. I don't have children and I could never even try to imagine losing my child, but I do know that if I were to have one of my nieces or my cousin or my godson taken away I don't think I could ever muster up the strength to go on after the investigation and take it to the state to have the laws changed and make fliers for other families to find their missing children. I would be so destraut and upset that all I could consume my life with would be finding the one that I lost. I guess, though, you never know until you're put into the situation yourself. So I give my props to this family for staying positive for the return of their son and for giving the community around them more of a chance for finding their own missing children.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/28/grace.coldcase.project.jason/index.html

FBI's Most Wanted - Current Event 13

According to the FBI a guy by the name of Eduardo Ravelo has now filled one of the three slots on the Most Wanted List. The FBI has come across with some new information on this fugitive, stated in the article, "has shaved his head, undergone plastic surgery and even manipulated his fingerprints to elude capture." The part that disturbs me is if the FBI knows that he has gone to the links of changing his fingerprints, why is it that they cannot capture this joker? If they can get the kind of information knowing how he changes his appearance, why can't they put him in cuffs and put him under the jail?! This seems just incomprehensible to me! At the same point, it makes our federal police department look incompetent. I understand that it takes time, money, and all that jazz to infiltrate the cartel he is working with but if they can get close enough to find out that he has literally changed his face, I really don't understand how he can still be on the run!!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/20/texas.fbi.ten.most.wanted/index.html

COOPER, TEXAS

I love this picture because I have always been an old soul. I am a huge fan of old things. My mother collects antiques and I just love the beauty in something that was before my time.

This is my stranger. I ran into him while walking down the streets of Cooper, Texas. His name is Chris and he was really nice







These are the images I felt best represented Cooper, Texas. I have lived in East Texas small town area my whole life and had never been here. It is quaint and had an old glory about it.

Caylee Anthony - Current Event 12

This story caught my eye when looking for this current event to talk about. My fiance and I actually watched the story on 48 Hours Mystery. The whole situation seems very fishy. A 23-year-old woman was arrested on murder charges of her 2-year-old daughter. The news program went to both sides of the story, as it should have. My finance thinks the young mother is guilty, whereas I say that I still need more information. The story is incredibly sad. The things that make the mother suspicious are that 1) she was out partying with friends when her baby was supposedly missing 2) she waited a month before telling even her mother that her child was missing 3) her friends have even called her a habitual liar 4) the remains were found, I think, less than a mile from the house she had been living in with her parents.
I am still skeptical. There is evidence that she is the one that did it, but without hard evidence: fingerprints, DNA, anything like that, it leaves much to be proved.
I most feel sorry for the grandparents of the deceased baby. They have had to put up with ridiculous harassment. Protesters outside their home all hours of the day and night. People shouting out that they're daughter is a baby-killer, I can't imagine the stress they are going through. They still have all of the child's belongings, refusing to let them go. They are so conflicted with the knowledge that their daughter might have taken the life of their granddaughter. I hope that the right answers will be found and that they will get closure and justice.



http://www.star-telegram.com/462/story/1690185.html

Red Light Camera Tickets - Current Event 11

This article is about 2 specific people who were having a very difficult time paying for their ticket for running a red light. They are getting mad because they were being charged more than once for their ticket after paying online. Well, it clearly mentions the fact of the "Send" button being clicked more than once. If anyone has been around computers long enough, which by now we all have, then they should understand that when you pay any kind of bill, ticket, whatever online then no matter how long it takes for the next page to load and refresh then you should only click send once! It seems pretty dumb to complain about something that is your fault. Yes I understand needing the money back, but really why cause trouble? It was the fault of the one behind the computer so they should call the right people say, "Look, it was my fault I clicked send 2-3 times but I still don't need to be charged for this ticket twice." Those are my thoughts on this subject.

found on star-telegram.com

My Hero

Narrative: Janee Haynes

I come from a family that is very close. And when I say family, I am almost always talking about my mother's side. I have never been close to my dad or his part of the family so I never really developed any special relationship with any of them. So, in my family I have my mom and her 2 sisters. And from them I have me and my cousin Janee being the girls of our generation. My cousin is a major influence and inspiration in my life. She was the first one to go to college after high school and now has gone on to receive her masters, while raising a family with a new born being added recently.

I feel like she has all of her priorities in line. I look at her life and want nothing more than to live mine in a similar way. She finished college before she married, she got a job as a teacher with her degree, she had her first child then she pursued her masters and had her second child.

With me she has helped tremendously. Several nights I would go to her house and she would stay up with me and help me with my college algebra, while giving her daughter a bath, and cooking dinner before her husband came home from work. She was never more than a phone call away when I needed her, no matter what I needed help with.

I want to graduate college and find a great career that I enjoy going to every day. I want to get married after I walk across the stage and I want to have my children in a timely fashion. I look at her life and see it as a guideline for how I should walk my path.

I want to take images of her in her daily life, juggling her kids, the house work, and studying for her masters. I want to have a picture of me and her sitting at her counter in front of a computer with a notebook and textbook in front of us scratching our heads, glasses at the end of my nose and chewing on my pencil while she helps me figure out variables. I want to capture how she tells her oldest to clean up her room while changing the baby's diaper.

The basis of it is that she is my hero.

Grand Prairie day-care - Current Event 10

This article is a reason to just get really really ticked off! A van driven by an unlicensed 20 year old hauling 20 children ages 3-11 was in a collision late September. I do not understand the reasoning behind the person who hired this driver! According to this article, this newly opened day-care has had numerous violations recorded and were still allowed to be in business. I think that a business should be given a limit and once that limit is met they should be shut down. This driver sent several people to the hospital, luckily none of the injuries were fatal. The car that hit the van was also driven by an unlicensed driver!! Now, it says that the owner of the day-care and the husband of the second driver were cited for allowing them behind the wheel. However, I think the day-care owner should have to spend time in jail or pay a large fine for knowingly endangering children. I understand that sometimes people are easily convinced of the worthiness of people because they lie on applications or even in interviews, but if you are hiring someone to transport children across town shouldn't you at least make them show proof of a driver's license??!!! This story has really gotten my quite baffled. I have no words for trying to explain the blatant stupidity of people. This is what is wrong with America. I honestly do not understand how someone could even be in the position to let something like this happen. I wonder if the driver of the van was tested for being on anything while driving too when she was taken to the hospital? I question this because she passed a car stopped at a red light in order to run the red light!! What kind of sense does it make for her to be a perfectly sane individual?

RIZE

RIZE:

This video was about an inspiring group of individuals living in the slums of California trying anything to stay out of the drug and violence scene. They form groups, beginning with the Clowns, and just start dancing. They dance anywhere and everywhere. They say it is their way of expressing their anger without hurting anyone in the process. The original group actually calls their dancing, "clowning." But others form branches off of the Clowns and create their own style of dancing called "krumping."

So how does this relate to me?

I guess these people take their bodies and express themselves through dancing. In the same sense, I take my camera and express myself and try to give the audience the same feelings I had while taking the image, through my photography. I think that these folks, when they started this craze, in a way went through a journey of finding out who they were through their art. I feel that I am on that same path. I don't yet know how I want to use my photography or what I want to say with my images, but I am trying to figure it out through taking a journey behind my camera.

execution report - Current Event 9

Since the mid-90's we have been taking our technological advances and using them to release wrongly accused prisoners based on DNA evidence. This article is basically the epitome of a major problem in our judicial system. Our governor Rick Perry received a fax in his office 88 minutes before the execution of a man accused of burning down his house with his 3 children inside stating that there might be more evidence for proving his innocence. Now, if I read this article correctly, the fax that was sent was not sent through the chain of command fast enough to get to the governor in time for him to put a stop to this man's death. To quote, "...there was ample time for the general counsel to read and analyze the report and to brief the governor on its content," yet this man was still executed. It is also said that Willingham's attorney had corresponded with the governor asking for more time to prove his client's innocence, because according to the expert who looked at the case there were errors made in the investigation of the arson from the beginning. So, if there was plenty of time to give the governor this information, Willingham's attorney had tried to talk with Perry, and there was an expert saying that more investigation in the case was necessary, why is it that this man did not get his additional help before being executed? What are the consequences for ignoring this kind of information and finding out that an innocent man was killed? Will Rick Perry be charged for intentionally going ahead with the plan without considering the new evidence? All I am saying is that every man deserves his day in court and every man deserves a fair trial, but if that trial says guilty and there is evidence after the fact that could prove the suspects innocense, then that suspect deserves to be treated like a human and given the opportunity to have his case reviewed to see if maybe he shouldn't have to die for something he didn't do.

Bedford man arrested - Current Event 8

I am an avid watcher of shows such as Law & Order: SVU and I have seen some crazy things involving subjects such as this one. No I am no expert but I felt that it was good information to know what the pentalties are for such a crime. I am absolutely mortified that people such as Murphy (from the article) are capable of such horrific acts. From what I have seen, because again I am not an expert, the offenders who are caught transfering these photos over the internet often escalate to sexually abusing children. Now, the sentence of 5-20 years to some may not be enough, but I am not part of our legal system so I do not know or understand the reasoning behind the choice of how many years someone has to spend behind bars per offense. Now, I think that, like in this case, the offender, if released, since he/she has to endure a lifetime of supervision, should be forbidden to own any kind of technology in which he/she could transmit these images. The fact that this article did not mention apprehending the man who recieved these photos disturbs me. Now, I live with my fiance and he is forced to watch these shows with me so he has a strong opinion about these offenders. He says that they should be required to have permanent phone taps. I understand his reasoning but at the same time, can we as citizens afford a higher tax rate in order to pay someone in law enforcement to sit and listen to these phone conversations day and night? I do feel that it is a good idea but again, without forcing the public to pay more per year to the government I do not see that happening.

Ben Roethlisberger - Current Event 7

Last year while in Nevada for a celebrity golf tournament the well-known Steelers quarterback was accused of sexually assaulting a casino hostess. Now, with the Kobe Bryant case a few years back, Dirk Nowitzki's deadbeat criminal girlfriend, and even the over publicized Michael Jackson cases, it often leaves the public wondering if these people really are being victimized or if they are looking for a simple easy pay-day. I feel bad for the ones who were victimized but I am pissed off at the ones who falsly accuse. It is those people that make it so difficult for the ones who have been hurt because they look like liars and never find justice. Now, I am not saying that Roethlisberger is guilty or innocent, but if this is another "cry wolf" senario for a 5 minute lime-light then I think there should be consequences for trying to take advantage of the celebrity people. I think it is bogus that these people do not have to serve time or pay for their false police reports. I am not one to feel sorry for celebrities because in some cases they do it to themselves, they put themselves in the situations to be taken advantage of, but at the same time I do not think that because they have money for being talented that it should automatically be assumed that they committed the crime. On the other hand, if the celebrity is guilty they should have to serve the time just like any joe-shmoe on the street. I guess what I am trying to say is that no matter what a person's status is the legal system should have a blind eye to how they are looked upon by society and give justice to the ones who deserve it.

Article on Roethlisberger found on star-telegram.com

Tasers - Current Event 6

Sheriff Anderson of Tarrant County has decided to forego the use of tasers in his department. I think that his decision to do his own research was much more than most in his position would have done. Now there are arguments on both sides for using or not using tasers. I think that Anderson's choice is probably one I would have made. I do understand that tasers have helped in situations where the end result might have been much worse had the officers used a different way of immobilizing the offender, but the study that Anderson conducted showed that if the officer did not have the knowledge of whether or not the suspect was on drugs or was physically impaired that the "less lethal" approach of the taser might acutally cause the death of that individual. The article also mentions the adrenaline rush that comes with the chase. One officer held the trigger down too long and it was said in the autopsy report that the suspect's death was a homicide. The purpose of the taser is to give a 5 second jolt to temporarily immobilize the suspect in order to apprehend him or her, but if the taser has no way to shut off after that 5 seconds then there is the risk of the jolt lasting much too long and causing a terrible accident. I'm not saying that tasers are a bad idea, I think that they can be helpful, but I think that the makers of this product should put more research into them and figure out a way so as to not cause an accidental death by the use of them on the person being apprehended.


I found this article on the star-telegram website.

CATCH UP

Okay so this last week I have been sick from moving when the
weather was nasty. So my next few posts are going to be me playing catch
up. Lots of current events and a chapter to read and comment on. Bare with me!

LAST ALPHABET

THIS IS THE LAST SET OF THE ALPHABET THAT I DID. THEY WERE ALL TAKEN IN AND AROUND MY MOM'S HOUSE. I REALLY LIKE THE "X" ON THE WHEELBARROW. I THINK IT BRINGS OUT THE LETTER THE BEST WITH THE HIGH SATURATION IN THE COLOR AND THE REST HAVING NO SATURATION AT ALL.

B&W ABC's

Black & White Alphabet

These images are of my fiance signing letters. A couple of them are the normal sign language that you would find if you looked it up on the internet, but most of them are a group of signed letters that were made up by the group he used to hang out with.

Square Alphabet

These images were all taken in my apartment. This was a very difficult project and took a long time but I enjoyed trying to think outside the box and once I started to really look at things letters just seemed to come out of no where.

Must-Know Figures - Current Event 5

This article is concerning the re-writing of the history books in grade school. The debate is over whether Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall should be held in the same "model American citizen" as figures such as Benjamin Franklin.

Chavez was a civil rights activist who fought for the union labor rights and Marshall was the first black man appointed to the Supreme Court and was also one of the attorneys fighting for the desegregation in public-schools.

Some people think that they are not worthy of being held to the standard as Benjamin Franklin. However, these 2 men are a very large part of U.S. history. I believe that they should be given more space in our history text books.

I especially agree with this quote from the article, "Chavez and Thurgood Marshall 'played a real crucial part in our nation's fighting for liberty, which is really what America's been founded on,' Agosto said."

To be honest, I think that the people making a huge fuss over this issue are simple minded and not open to change. They are sticklers and want things to just stay how they are, but I believe that our grade school kids need to be informed about men like these so that issues like these are never forgotten and these men should be appreciated for the work they did for our country.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/09/16/us/AP-US-Texas-Schools-Social-Studies.html?_r=1&scp=25&sq=texas&st=cse

Self Portraits

THIS IS ME IN A NUTSHELL.


I did not really enjoy this project. I tend to enjoy being behind the camera more than I do as the subject. My dog is my kid. I love her like she is my baby and I wouldn't take back getting her for anything.





Pancakes, eggs, and milk is my perfect breakfast. Especially the one in the image because those are chocolate chip pancakes and my fiance is completely amazing when it comes to making my favorite breakfast.







I really enjoy the nights when my fiance and I get to go out with our friends to concerts and festivals and things like that, so I am always straightening my hair and putting on my make-up before we walk out the door....and it takes like 25 minutes so it's a big part of our night out.

I am also an English major and I really, really enjoy reading. When I have downtime I am almost always sitting on my couch with a book in my lap ignoring the rest of the world around me. :D




The last image is of my fiance's and my hand intertwined. We are recently engaged and he is my world. The sweetest man I could have ever asked for and he is my rock when it comes to school, always telling me that I can do it, and letting me get my homework done on my own time without being pushy. I love him.

John

I had a fun time working with John after he opened up to us. He is an Art Education major and in our class is known as "The Lip Ring Guy." He likes to draw and he has a relaxed look about him in the way he dresses and carries himself, which I appreciate because I never felt intimidated or uncomfortable.

Jamie

JAMIE S.

Jamie is a quirky kind of girl with a great sense of humor. She is very photogenic and makes for an easy subject.
You can see her riding her bike around campus but she said that her bike wasn't something that defined her. Photography is a hobby for her, she loves her dogs, and she cooks, too.


I really enjoyed getting to know her and John. She made me feel comfortable around her and I had fun with this project.