Photojournalism Final

Part One:

1.) Should newspapers show us violent images from Iraq?

My answer is yes, they should. People of this country deserve to see what is actually happening in war, if that is what they want. I think perhaps the photos should not be published in a news paper, but only online, so that there can be a disclaimer stating that there are graphic images. I think that we are censored to much as a nation. If we want to know the truth, and want to know what is actually going on, we should be allowed to do so. If it is optional for people to look at these images, then those who want to see them, will do so, and vice versa. If the photographer takes images that are graphic, and they end up not wanting anyone to see them, that is one thing. If they feel that it is in the public's best interest, or that they've been scarred by these images, and they don't want anyone to see them, then they should have the right and option to decide whether they want them to be published or not. But if the photographer is alright with using the photos, then I think they should be put out there for people to see.

2.) I think in most cases the photographer and editor should be two different people. As a photographer, I've found that I get attached to my work. I can go shoot 500 images, and come out with 10 that I love. I have a hard time narrowing it down to one or two images. I think that someone who has an objective view on the story, will be best at deciding which photo tells, or fits the story best. I think that the photographer and editor should work together in deciding which photos to use, because the photographer knows the images, and knows the story. They know exactly what they were trying to capture. On the other hand the editor doesn't know the whole story, or what the photographer was trying to capture. So if they collaborate and maybe have the photographer pick our their 5 or 10 best photos, and have the editor select the 2 or 3 they like best of those 10. I think this would be the most efficient method to selecting and editing photos. As far as actual photo editing, There shouldn't be anything done aside from some chroma, sharpness, and contrast editing, if the photo is for a news story, or is being used to portray facts of a story as they were actually told. 

3.) We see the world in Color, therefore the news images, and any image that is meant to tell a story exactly as it happened, should be in color.... I think that is the idea behind using color images. However I disagree, I think that black and white photos do add to the contrast of an image a great deal. I also think that black and white photos can have a much more psychological and affective impact on us. I don't think that this means we shouldn't use black and white images. News papers use to be printed in black and white, and all photos use to be taken in black and white. I don't think that black and white photos can distort the story to the effect that it can dramatically effect the way a reader or viewer portray the story. I think for the most part color is a better choice, however I think there are circumstances where black and white images are just as good. 

4.)Honesty is just that. As a photojournalist you must be honest in all of your work. You cannot photoshop someone in or out of a photo, or add  things to photos to change the story. Even extreme cropping can be dishonest. We crop enough through the lens of our camera, more cropping can lead to higher amounts of dishonesty. You must never alter the story that the images are telling. 

Decency: As a photojournalist we must know when to stop. There are times where you might have a breaking story that no one else has, but perhaps that story is going to harm many many more people than it will do good for. You have to be able to realize this and hold off on publishing the images. You must obey the ethics of the media, such as not trespassing or paying sources for information. decency is sort of like the golden rule, you have to treat everyone in ways you would want to be treated. You can not put people in false light or have slander or libel about anyone.

Relevance: You have to know what the story is, and tell that story. You shouldn't go off on tangents that only matter to you and no one else. You cannot spend your time trying to bring someone down just because you have a personal vendetta against them, when they're doing nothing wrong. You must be relevant with you work.

Part 2:

For my picture of the semester, of my own photographs, I've chosen one from the gymnastics photos I shot. I had a hard time selecting one of my own photographs for this. Not because I think I have many good ones and it was hard to choose. Because that is not the case at all, but only because I think that everyone else in our class did such a great job that I would rather choose two of their photos than one of my own. But the image I selected is this one:

I chose this photo because I like the contrast of her legs and hands on the black, background. I think that her precision in this moment is perfect. Her fingers are all straight out, and her toes are pointed. There are some poor figure-ground relationships in the photo. Her black uniform, and the black background run together, which takes away from the image. I just really like how she is placed in front of the black, background, and how below her there is a crowd of on lookers and the bar that she seems to be so easily floating over. Like I said, it's hard for me to pick 

any of my work to be nominated, because to me I can pick apart every photo I've ever taken and tell you a dozen things wrong with it, for everyone one thing that is done right. But for the sake of my final grade, I chose the photo.

For the best picture, out of the rest of the class.... WOW talk about a daunting task. There have been so many great photos this semester. Bre did great with the feature on Doug, and the construction work of the new communication building. (not to mention her shoes storyboard, although that was for a different class) Angie was all over the place. She covered the truck roll over and the house fire which were both great! Ronnie had some great wedding photos, and we are all a fan of his umbrella photo. Don told a great story in his feature story. The black and white really added an impact to that photo essay. It was so hard to pick a photo that I liked better than the rest, and in the end I don't know that you can say this photo is better than any others, it just happened to be the one I like today. It is like drawing out of a hat, there were so many great photos from everyone in our class, that it really is, like Eric would say, like shooting fish in a barrel. But here is my favorite... at the moment. 

I Think Angie did such a great job with this fire. It was so early in the semester when she covered it, and she was still learning lots of the basics, but I think she did a phenomenal job covering it. The photos from the early morning were all really great, but my favorite came from the followup. I think this photo is very dramatic. First of all the strong vector created by the caution tape leads your eye right to the middle of the picture, from there it follows the rain gutter up to the roof. Once your eye hits the roof, you see the grid like charred frame of what's left of the roof of this house. There is the stack of shelves and other contents that were once in the house, the show you that this was a real fire, this really happened to someone's home and now those people are without a home. Their belongings are waiting outside, one what appears to be an overcast, and gloomy day. Which adds a lot to the story of this photo. I also love that it was winter time when this photo was taken. The fact that there are no leaves on the trees also give it a gloomy feel. The contrast of the roof and the trees on the overcast sky works really well. I think this is just a great photo, and Angie did a great job covering this fire, both while it was happening and also in her follow up!

So to any of those who might read this, great job this semester I had fun. I learned a lot from all of you, and I hope you all continue to shoot photos. Thanks!

Visual Comm Final

Part One:
BMW:
This is, and always has been one of my favorite types of cars, and logo's. I think that the BMW logo is very effective, the font is in all CAPS, It's White, and it has a slight arch to it. I think that this font along with the logo give a simple, yet definitely noticeable logo. The spacing between the letters has a big effect. They're all space very far apart. I think this adds to the simplicity. The logo says "B...M....W...." there is no confusion what it is saying. The Blue and White propeller on the logo add to the simple visual appeal to the logo. Yet it stands for something more, the white part of the logo is meant to signify propellers spinning, since BMW originally built airplanes. I also like how their is artificial lighting on this logo. The top left portion of the logo has a glare on it, which i think provides it with a more realistic dimensional feel. The three colors they use, blue, black, and white give it a very neat and clean feel. I think that the logo shows what kind of car you're getting, something classy and nice. But not over the top. It works.

Infiniti:
Infiniti is another of my favorite logo's. I think that they name alone "infiniti" has a very... novelistic feel to it. The name makes it sound like its a one of a kind automobile. The think I like about this logo is how it is is a very abstract design. The infiniti symbol represents a highway going off into the distance. The Font, is similar to that of BMW, in the regard that it is in all CAPS, and the letters are all spaced a fair distance apart. The font is a very simple font with no serifs on the letters. I think the fact that the changed the spelling of the word Infinity also helps their logo. I N F I N I T I has a much more balanced feel to it that I N F I N I T Y. The fact that the letter I is almost perfectly spaced in a pattern provides a balance that you can't get with the letter Y on the end. I think that there logo was designed to have that feeling of novelty. The logo is so clean, and organized, yet its abstract at the same time. It definitely works.

GM:
General Motors.... It's not exactly an exciting brand name. and the logo follows pace with the name and is mundane and boring. I'm a fan of simplicity, however this logo is to simple. It's two letters, also in CAPS, spaced normally together, and underlined. I don't think GM has much to work with as far as creativity, because the words "general motors" don't really have an appeal because well... its very general. GM is a slight step up from general motors however when i hear GM, i think of General Manager, rather than General Motors. I think that this logo does not work well. If you're company is going to represented by two simple letters, you've got to do more to intrigue your customers. Yet somehow GM is one of the most successful auto makers in history. Maybe everyone else finds this logo appealing... I don't.

Part Two:

Artifact One: I like the artwork on the poster. Before I even new what it was for, I had an emotional feel for the little bird. The fact that the birds head is tilted down it looks like it is sad, or embarrassed. But as i scrolled down and saw the Black at the bottom of the picture i realized it was sitting on a tree that had been consumed in a wildfire. I like the closure that takes place in the picture. We only see half of the sun on the left side of the picture, and the tree is composed of black lines. I think it works well, and if you do know what it represents I think that it would have the effect of making people do something. I think its a powerful image. I think aspects of all three, cognitive, psychomotor, and affective effects are in this image. I think most of all it is a cognitive piece. It gets you thinking, about what its representing and the story that it is trying to tell.

Artifact Two:
This is a very powerful image. The affective effect of this image is very high. I've known a few people who have committed suicide so i think it might have an even more powerful emotional feeling on people who have been effected by suicide. I love the design of this artifact, and it is my favorite of the three that we are evaluating today. I think the silhouette feeling plays a very deep role in the affective side of this image. If you were able to see the person holding the gun it wouldn't have as strong of an effect, but since its a silhouette it makes your mind wander. that could be anyone that you know, holding that gun to their head. The little digital hand icon plugging the barrel adds some positive relief to this image. If that wasn't their, along with the website at the bottom, this would be... almost a scary image. That hand plugging the barrel of the gun shows that you can stop suicide by simply going to the website. This is a very affective and psychomotor-driven piece. It gets your emotions going and also prompts you to help.

Artifact Three:
When i first looked at these artifacts I was sort of... turned off. I like the overall design, but each poster seemed to simple, and the overall design to complex. (it probably didn't help that i couldn't read all of the text on each poster) however once I read the description of the campaign and what each poster represented I fell in love with it. I like the continuity between each piece. They're all set up the same, yet all very different. Each has a different background color, different image, and a different word. I think as a whole they work very well together and they definitely have a good psychomotor and cognitive effect. If you think about each poster you start to discover more and more, and if you see them all together and you realized what the red letters spell out It all comes together. It has a psychomotor response, because it makes me want to go to find out more about what each poster represents and what the goals of the campaign are. I think it definitely works.

Tea Party

Where Amazing Happens

This is just a project I did for Digital Film-Post Production.

Where Super Hero Happens from Adam Metcalf on Vimeo.

Story Board

SUU Gymnastics

Web Design Lab.

http://thelab.thoughtlab.com/

1.)The objectives of this website are crystal clear. They lay it out in 6 different categories that will tell you what they do, show you what they do, tell you about them, tell you how to contact them, how to become involved in their business, and the laboratory which has blogs and tutorials within it. 

2.) I think this website has a very strong grid. The home page is broken down into basically two sections, The main column on the right hand side that tells what thoughtlab is, and what thoughtlab does. The column on the left shows some of their featured projects that they're working on.

3.) The main body of text is in the lower right hand corner of the home page. This is exactly where Rutledge says is the most effective place to have the main body of text on your page. Most of the other pages of this website are either one column of text or the text is centered. I feel that both of these alternative options are just as effective as having the text on the right side of the screen.

4.) The website does have some diagonals to keep your eyes moving. I like the overall theme of this website how it is all related to the brain.... like the brain powering the light bulb and the Neurotransmitters on the background of the page provide some diagonals to keep your mind moving around the page.. funny how that works. 

5.) I think the thoughlab website is highly intuitive. The main headings of the website border across the top of the page, and you don't have to search hard to find them. The main body of the text is right there in front of you and other than the 6 headings on the top of the page, there really aren't any other main external links other than the search bar that is in "The Laboratory" section of the page, and the examples that are displayed on the "our work" page. 

6.) There is some contrast in the design of this site. The background of the website is a grey-ish color that really isn't seen much throughout the rest of the page. The main blocks of every sub category are either white or green. I particularly love the "What We Do" page with the brain and the light bulb and how the page gets brighter and darker like a flickering light bulb. All of the boxes on the page have a slight gradient of color in them, which helps your eyes smoothly roam around the page.

7.)I really like this website. I looked at all of the other similar sights in the "click to critique" section of the blog, and this one was by far my favorite. I love the whiteboard on the main page, and how it tells you to try writing on it. I played around with that for 20 minutes before i navigated the rest of the site. Over all i think it's very aesthetically pleasing. I think that it is a rather simple design, but it is in no way a boring design.. 

Overall i liked this site. The brain theme, and the white board were both great qualities to the page. I think that they were successful in adapting the principles of quite structure. The site was aesthetically pleasing and simple to navigate. 

Shoot Tight

The first four pictures were taken this past weekend during my journey to Lake Powell (and the surrounding area) The last four are just random tight shots that i've taken.

Red Stormin'

Font

Design Evaluation

For my first design evaluation I decided to use Vitamin Water. I remember thinking that this was some pretty cool stuff when it first hit the shelves. It was about two years ago that I first started drinking it, and I remember always really liking the packaging that they used.

There is a lot of contrast used in their design. Obviously color is the first thing that pops about this product. Each flavor is a different color liquid, and in a different colored package. On top of a contrast of color there is also a contrast in the fonts that they use on they bottle. "Vitamin" is typed in a bold font, where as "water" is not bold. I think this provides a contrast and makes the word "vitamin" stand out. I am a fan of simplicity. I think that their design is very simple, very recognizable and very easy to look at.

At a time where it seems like our nation is trying to be healthier, this has really worked for vitamin water. When people see words that represent healthy terminology like "vitamin" and "nutrients" and "anti-oxidants" it really catches peoples attention.

There is more contrast on the bottle with the words, the "vitamin water" logo runs vertically on the packaging. which is not something you see on drinks. I think that this is a cleaver way because when someone is drinking their product (in commercials and advertisements) other people don't have to tilt their head to see what it is. They can read it parallel to the ground.

Quite possibly my favorite thing about vitamin water is the brief story they provide you with on each bottle. My particular favorite one was the one about Paris Hilton on the "XXX" flavor. Each flavor has a different story on it, and they change those stories over time. I think vitamin water is doing things right. Their leading competitor has already gone through at least 4 designs, in the time that vitamin water has had one.

I Like that vitamin water has held fast to the same logo and design. I think that is an effective trademark of a company. Eventually im sure it will change, because all things must change over time to keep up with current demand, however only yielding one design up to this point shows some stability and I think that appeals to people. Psychologically it shows that they are a stable company that is consistent with what they are doing.

Sobe life water is my complimentary product to vitamin water. When these types of beverages first came out I remember trying both, at first I actually liked Sobe life water, but that didn't last long. As I mentioned, Sobe has already gone through at least 4 different designs with life water. Here is their first attempt, and my favorite that they've used.

I think that Sobe did a decent job with this design. The metallic colors seem very "modern" the Simple font also goes along with the idea of being a very modern product. But they changed their design as fast as I was able to buy it, and with that change I am sure that they changed their recipe. It never tasted the same after they changed the design.

The design they had just until recently baffled me. I remember thinking "Wow I have no desire to buy this" when I saw their design at that point. I found it to be awful, this is what it looked like.

For some reason I found this design repulsive. Things that are cluttered, are no good to me. I don't like their font choice for this package. I think this is a poor design. Another thing that was strange to me, was that while Sobe was using this design, life water was always on sale. I remember it was always 10 for 10, or cheaper at any grocery store I would see it at. I think that is in part to the fact that they used a poor design, and also because they changed the flavor. It just is not good anymore.

Sobe just came out with another new design, and I will admit I like this one a lot more than their recent efforts. I think that by reshaping their bottle they not only separated themselves from being stereotyped as a "vitamin water rip-off" but they also dramatically increased their attraction. I really like this new design. I think its a very modern look. It appears simple yet there is a lot happening, however I don't see it as cluttered. I like the contrast of the colors, the different shades of green that are used. Overall I feel like Sobe may have taken a step back towards the good side of design. If it tastes better than I might be sold on it!

I don't think it has been a good idea for Sobe to change their design as often as they have. I think that people become attached to things, and are psychologically and cognitively drawn to something. For to Sobe to change that as much as they have seems to show that they are unstable. At least to this point in their existence. I think that once you have established yourself as a powerhouse of any idustry it is ok to try new things and expiriment. Products and companys like Gatorade are alright to try new things like they constantly do because people already know what to expect and what they can rely on when it comes to Gatorade.

Sobe is a solid product with their other drinks, but since life water seems to have been a consistent 2nd place to vitamin water, makes me think they should stick with something. Hopefully that something is their new design because I think it is solid.

Shoot em' Wide