Blog 2: Topic Chioce

What is your topic and why?

Photography is my topic this year because it has always been a personal obsession of mine. Wherever I go I always carry a camera with me to capture anything I find interesting or will remind me of the day. It really is a very personal connection when I pick up a photograph and look back at that moment. To me, it is exactly how the saying goes; a picture really is worth a thousand words.  It means everything to me.

 My family background plays a huge part in why something as simple as a picture is so sacred to me. It may sound ridiculous but I have a genuine fear of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a disease that depletes your memory starting with short term and moving its way into your long term memory until you can’t even remember a simple task like eating. My grandma has been living with Alzheimer’s disease for over ten years and she has reached a point where she won’t even respond to basic “hello” or “goodbyes”. My father is even showing some signs of the disease. I want to try and prolong my memories through pictures, hoping that they will be able to spark something in my mind to help me remember the times in my life. This is why my passion for photos and photography is so dear to my heart. I want to capture special moments in other people’s lives so that they can remember their good experiences in life.

 

 What do I hope to accomplish this year with this topic (connecting to the 4 ESLR's)?
 

iPoly Citizen:  I will be improving as an Ipoly citizen because I will be helping my fellow student body in the class room by helping them learn and understand my photography class that I’ve had experience with. I plan on accompanying Jack B. in taking the Ipoly student pictures, Senior Portraits, and being his assistant in our R.O.P program here on campus.

Effective Communicator: While volunteering in the R.O.P class on campus I will be answering any questions that students may have about Photoshop or the concepts taught in class like abstract photos and photojournalism.

Effective Learner: I plan on learning more in depth skills about photography in modern times. To me this means learning more about the digital side of photography such as Photoshop concepts and learning how to properly use the controls on the camera such as the shutter speeds and ISO settings.

Effective user of technology: By learning how to properly use the adjustments on the camera, I am effectively using technology at it’s finest. Not only will I be working with cameras, which is a must, I will also be learning to set up and test lighting, and again use Photoshop to do minor edits.