This week, our assignment was to tell a story through video. I went to the Smith Hall Peace Gallery and found it very difficult. There was not much action, so it was very hard for me to find sequences to film. I filmed a sequence beginning outside the building and moving into the actual gallery.
However, the hardest part was actually uploading the videos- I had so much trouble and in the end could not even get all of my clips into Windows Movie Maker. This week was very hard, and since I am a big perfectionist, I am not at all happy with my work this week. I am hoping that with guest speakers this week and next week I can improve my video work as quickly as possible.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Analysis of Photography
One of the stories that is part of the New York Times series One in 8 Million, stories about everyday people who live and work in New York City, really struck me as a particularly moving story that used photographs to convey emotion. This story was the one about Freda Degannes, a woman originally from Barbados who survived a very difficult surgery and who doctors now call a walking miracle.
This story certainly contains the elements of a good story- it has a beginning, in which Freda explains her first symptoms and her trip to the doctor when she found out that her stomach was full of blood clots. It has a middle, in which Freda tells of her decision to go through with the risky procedure in an attempt to save her life, and an end, in which Freda describes the ways in which her life has changed since having this procedure. The story, in describing (and showing through photography) her changes both in behavior and also in attitude, shows clear character development- the audience is able to both hear and also see the ways in which Freda has changed.
This change, or character development, begins with the photograph of her severely scarred stomach. Although the audience cannot see her face, this photograph conveys so much emotion and pain and truly shows the power of still photography. In the last picture, which depicts Freda lounging beside an open window, with the sun streaming through, and a smile on her face, the audience is able to better understand her change of attitude since her surgery. While this picture is being shown, Freda is describing how she sees the world as a more beautiful place, and realizes the things she used to take for granted. These words are really echoed in this photograph, in which Freda looks truly happy for the first time in the series of pictures. It shows that even after all this pain and suffering Freda went through, she came out of it happier than she went in.
This story and its photographs also demonstrate very important characteristics of journalism, such as relevancy and conflict or emotion. This story is relevant to anyone living in New York, as Freda is one of their neighbors, but it is also relevant to anyone who has ever had a struggle in their lives or experienced any sort of pain or suffering- it is one of those universal stories almost anyone can relate to and would find interesting. There is so much conflict and emotion in this story- conflict is found in her decision to go through with a potentially life-saving, but potentially deadly surgery and emotion is found in the success of this surgery and the words of both Freda and her doctor, who said that Freda helped him to believe that God is really out there.
However, emotion is also found in the photographs of this story. Not only in the expressions on Freda’s face throughout the pictures, but also through the composition and presentation of the photographs. Since the photographer was shooting in black and white, there was a lot of contrast in these photographs that really helped to increase the drama and emotion portrayed in the pictures. There was one photograph in particular that seemed to really use contrast between the colors black and white to convey emotion. This picture is the one in which Freda is sitting, dressed in all black, sitting in front of a sunlit window, against a white wall, with a vase of white flowers next to her. Since Freda herself has dark skin and dark hair, and is wearing dark clothes, the viewer’s eye is automatically drawn to her and her face, which helps to focus in on the emotion she is expressing- helplessness. In this way, the photographer really uses the black and white composition of the photographs to portray even more emotion than if the photographs were in color.
To me, it was this power and this emotion that these photographs were able to convey that lead me to choose this story to write about. While I looked at several other stories, including others in this black and white series, this story in particular was able to make me feel what its subject felt. It conveyed to me the truth of this woman’s life- the pain she went through, and also her strength. This strength was conveyed through her words, but also, to me, through the use of black and white photography and the contrast between the two colors. To me, the stark contrast between the black and white kind of represented the contrast between her life before the surgery and her life after the surgery. I also really liked it because it seemed to me this contrast was part of the photographer’s style. While there is naturally contrast when using black and white photography, it seemed to me that the photographer tried to increase this natural contrast, such as in the photograph I described earlier in which Freda is dressed in dark clothing and sitting in front of an all-white wall and window. This seemed to be a common factor among the other pictures in this story, and was the major reason I chose to analyze this piece.
This story certainly contains the elements of a good story- it has a beginning, in which Freda explains her first symptoms and her trip to the doctor when she found out that her stomach was full of blood clots. It has a middle, in which Freda tells of her decision to go through with the risky procedure in an attempt to save her life, and an end, in which Freda describes the ways in which her life has changed since having this procedure. The story, in describing (and showing through photography) her changes both in behavior and also in attitude, shows clear character development- the audience is able to both hear and also see the ways in which Freda has changed.
This change, or character development, begins with the photograph of her severely scarred stomach. Although the audience cannot see her face, this photograph conveys so much emotion and pain and truly shows the power of still photography. In the last picture, which depicts Freda lounging beside an open window, with the sun streaming through, and a smile on her face, the audience is able to better understand her change of attitude since her surgery. While this picture is being shown, Freda is describing how she sees the world as a more beautiful place, and realizes the things she used to take for granted. These words are really echoed in this photograph, in which Freda looks truly happy for the first time in the series of pictures. It shows that even after all this pain and suffering Freda went through, she came out of it happier than she went in.
This story and its photographs also demonstrate very important characteristics of journalism, such as relevancy and conflict or emotion. This story is relevant to anyone living in New York, as Freda is one of their neighbors, but it is also relevant to anyone who has ever had a struggle in their lives or experienced any sort of pain or suffering- it is one of those universal stories almost anyone can relate to and would find interesting. There is so much conflict and emotion in this story- conflict is found in her decision to go through with a potentially life-saving, but potentially deadly surgery and emotion is found in the success of this surgery and the words of both Freda and her doctor, who said that Freda helped him to believe that God is really out there.
However, emotion is also found in the photographs of this story. Not only in the expressions on Freda’s face throughout the pictures, but also through the composition and presentation of the photographs. Since the photographer was shooting in black and white, there was a lot of contrast in these photographs that really helped to increase the drama and emotion portrayed in the pictures. There was one photograph in particular that seemed to really use contrast between the colors black and white to convey emotion. This picture is the one in which Freda is sitting, dressed in all black, sitting in front of a sunlit window, against a white wall, with a vase of white flowers next to her. Since Freda herself has dark skin and dark hair, and is wearing dark clothes, the viewer’s eye is automatically drawn to her and her face, which helps to focus in on the emotion she is expressing- helplessness. In this way, the photographer really uses the black and white composition of the photographs to portray even more emotion than if the photographs were in color.
To me, it was this power and this emotion that these photographs were able to convey that lead me to choose this story to write about. While I looked at several other stories, including others in this black and white series, this story in particular was able to make me feel what its subject felt. It conveyed to me the truth of this woman’s life- the pain she went through, and also her strength. This strength was conveyed through her words, but also, to me, through the use of black and white photography and the contrast between the two colors. To me, the stark contrast between the black and white kind of represented the contrast between her life before the surgery and her life after the surgery. I also really liked it because it seemed to me this contrast was part of the photographer’s style. While there is naturally contrast when using black and white photography, it seemed to me that the photographer tried to increase this natural contrast, such as in the photograph I described earlier in which Freda is dressed in dark clothing and sitting in front of an all-white wall and window. This seemed to be a common factor among the other pictures in this story, and was the major reason I chose to analyze this piece.
Monday, September 28, 2009
An Experiment in Photography
This week I worked by myself to take some photographs that were meant to be both newsworthy and portray emotion. I think I did a fairly good job of doing this, although it was pretty hard to capture emotion. I wanted to go to the football game, since I figured this would be a good place to see different emotions, but unfortunately, it was during when I was working on Saturday.
Two of my photos are from the WSBE scholarship ceremony that occurred on Friday. I thought that the pictures of students smiling after receiving their awards conveyed not only the obvious emotion of happiness, but also of pride. I also took some photographs of a blindfolded man tight-rope walking between two trees on T-Hall lawn. I thought that this portrayed the emotion of determination on his part, and hope or anxiousness on the part of the viewer (at least, I know I felt hopeful that he would not fall and anxious that he might while I was watching him).
One of my favorite photos is of the young boy running. There was a track event going on at the football field Monday night for the elementary school, and this was where I took this picture. I tried to get some of the kids running and laughing with eachother, but it was very difficult to take a picture that was not fuzzy (they were really fast), plus the more pictures I took, the worse looks I was getting from parents who must have thought I was a creep.
I wish that I could have found a little more emotion, but I think that for a first attempt, I did a pretty good job. I look forward to being able to take more pictures and improve the content and also the look of them, as I felt that some of mine this week were a bit fuzzy.
Two of my photos are from the WSBE scholarship ceremony that occurred on Friday. I thought that the pictures of students smiling after receiving their awards conveyed not only the obvious emotion of happiness, but also of pride. I also took some photographs of a blindfolded man tight-rope walking between two trees on T-Hall lawn. I thought that this portrayed the emotion of determination on his part, and hope or anxiousness on the part of the viewer (at least, I know I felt hopeful that he would not fall and anxious that he might while I was watching him).
One of my favorite photos is of the young boy running. There was a track event going on at the football field Monday night for the elementary school, and this was where I took this picture. I tried to get some of the kids running and laughing with eachother, but it was very difficult to take a picture that was not fuzzy (they were really fast), plus the more pictures I took, the worse looks I was getting from parents who must have thought I was a creep.
I wish that I could have found a little more emotion, but I think that for a first attempt, I did a pretty good job. I look forward to being able to take more pictures and improve the content and also the look of them, as I felt that some of mine this week were a bit fuzzy.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Another Experiment in Audio Recording
This week we had to create an NPR-style news story that included not only the voices of our sources but also a narration by a member of the group. I narrated most of the story, and I thought I was doing a pretty good job while recording, but turns out- I sound dull! Apparently, I was not made to be on radio!
Otherwise, this project was generally more difficult than the last one- not the recording and editing aspects, but the interviewing and finding sources part. We had a great interview lined up with two professors who are husband and wife and are both in the microbiology department here at UNH, and then a few hours before our scheduled meeting, they contacted me saying they had a family emergency. Our group was left to scramble around campus on Monday trying to find other sources of information, without having to come up with a whole new story. I think under the circumstances we did a good job, and I am proud of the final project. Still, I can't help but think of what could have been...
Otherwise, this project was generally more difficult than the last one- not the recording and editing aspects, but the interviewing and finding sources part. We had a great interview lined up with two professors who are husband and wife and are both in the microbiology department here at UNH, and then a few hours before our scheduled meeting, they contacted me saying they had a family emergency. Our group was left to scramble around campus on Monday trying to find other sources of information, without having to come up with a whole new story. I think under the circumstances we did a good job, and I am proud of the final project. Still, I can't help but think of what could have been...
Sunday, September 13, 2009
An Experiment in Audio Recording
This week our assignment was to do an audio interview with a person who makes UNH work. My group chose to interview Sheila Mosley, a housekeeper in Smith Hall here at UNH. She was a really interesting person to interview and I was very surprised to hear about her past professional life. She was an RN before becoming a housekeeper here, and was such an interesting person to talk to.
We had one minor slip-up during the actual interview process when I thought I was recording but wasn't, but it ended ok. I think we got some really great sounds for the background noise of her job, and I loved her voice itself and the way it sounded on tape.
When it came to the actual editing and putting the story together, I was pretty nervous. No one in my group had ever done any audio editing before and so it was quite the adventure. But I think that we got the hang of it towards the end and will only continue to get better as the semester continues. It was kind of hard for me, since I am a bit of a perfectionist and was worried that it wasn't going to be good enough. But I just had to remind myself that I am certainly no expert and just like everyone else, am learning as I go in this class. Overall though, I am really pleased with how this audio story came out.
We had one minor slip-up during the actual interview process when I thought I was recording but wasn't, but it ended ok. I think we got some really great sounds for the background noise of her job, and I loved her voice itself and the way it sounded on tape.
When it came to the actual editing and putting the story together, I was pretty nervous. No one in my group had ever done any audio editing before and so it was quite the adventure. But I think that we got the hang of it towards the end and will only continue to get better as the semester continues. It was kind of hard for me, since I am a bit of a perfectionist and was worried that it wasn't going to be good enough. But I just had to remind myself that I am certainly no expert and just like everyone else, am learning as I go in this class. Overall though, I am really pleased with how this audio story came out.
Friday, September 4, 2009
The First of Many
This post begins what is sure to be a challenging and interesting semester (with any luck, a fun one, too!) Sitting in class on Wednesday I was feeling a little 0verwhelmed. I was one of the less experienced students, with many people in the class having already done their internships and having been TNH staff writers for awhile now. Still, I am now feeling a lot less nervousness because I realized that everyone else, and I don't mean just every other student in my class, but also many, many journalists young and old (some of whom have been reporters for decades), feels the same way. Even the most experienced reporters are now having to learn the art of creating multimedia, whether its photo slide shows or videos to accompany articles. So I decided I don't have to worry, because we are all learning together.
After realizing that, I got really excited. This is going to be an awesome experience and I feel confident that participating in this course will make me a much better journalist: a journalist of the future. A lot more is going to be expected of journalists in the years to come and I am glad that I can start to prepare myself for that now.
In the area of story ideas, I am still at a bit of a blank. I have been trying to think about different multimedia projects that could be done for this class and for the newspaper as well, but it's kind of hard to know what will make a good video. I am sure that in the coming weeks, however, I will come up with something. For now, I am happy to start learning the art that is multimedia.
After realizing that, I got really excited. This is going to be an awesome experience and I feel confident that participating in this course will make me a much better journalist: a journalist of the future. A lot more is going to be expected of journalists in the years to come and I am glad that I can start to prepare myself for that now.
In the area of story ideas, I am still at a bit of a blank. I have been trying to think about different multimedia projects that could be done for this class and for the newspaper as well, but it's kind of hard to know what will make a good video. I am sure that in the coming weeks, however, I will come up with something. For now, I am happy to start learning the art that is multimedia.
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