Sound Study Assignment Part B

Assignment Part B: Collect recordings for a sound portrait of a location. This can be the same location from Part A. Pay close attention to interior/exterior ambiance sounds and distinct individual sources (such as human voice, running water/faucet, door knob turning, etc. ). Upload the sound clips to your blog and also bring it on a USB stick or CD to class.

Again, Larissa, Katy and I used the elevator for our location.

Sound Study Assignment Part A

Assignment: Pick a location, then carefully listen to it for 3 uninterrupted minutes. Take notes of every sound event you hear (for example: sound of a trucking passing by, loud footsteps, coughing, , fast typing on keyboard, etc. ) Descriptions can be factual, onomatopoeic, poetic, etc. post notes to Blog. 

Larissa, Katy, and I decided to ride the elevator at the New School Arnhold Hall (where we have class) for the 3 minutes (going up and down). Below are the notes I took.

~ Moving upward as motor accelerates
~Bing! (we're at a floor)
~Door opening/some jostling
~Girl fidgeting with plastic bag, and can here the crunkling
~Door closing/some jostling
~Acceleration of elevator/can hear the mechanics
~Elevator slowing down
~Bing! (next floor)
~Rushed footsteps as someone runs to make the elevator
~Pushing the elevator button
~Elevator doors closing
~Stopping at the 3rd floor and hearing the atmospheric noises as someone is at the info desk asking for help
~Footsteps of person walking out
~Footsteps of person walking in
~New person's bag rubs up against the wall of the elevator
~ Someone Sniffling
~Doors closing
~ Elevator acceleration

When we finished our 3 minutes in the elevator, Larissa, Katy, and I compared notes. Below are some of the differences.

~Larissa heard a girl mumble, "Oh My God" under her breath
~I heard the person's bag rub up against the wall
~Katy and Larissa both heard the espresso machine on the 1st floor that Larissa initially attributed to a car outside.

A Subway Story

A Subway Story~ stills

Walking to the train~ Beautiful Day

Uh-oh! Trains running irregular!

walking to the turnstiles

Suspicions justified~ the pink ribbon innocently has no idea of the inconvenience it has caused for so many people

turnstiles that work in the opposite direction

waiting for transfer

waiting for train

Train arrives

Train comes to a halt!

Always an indecisive decision of where to sit

Construction outside

Ah-ha! The source of the disruption!

They keep it running though....

"An ounce of prevention is worth so much more than a pound of cure!

Usual visual of the commute to the city

Edging around the corner

That moment of confronting the day/city head-on!

Photo Exhibit Writing Assignment

I attended the Jasper, Texas photo exhibit featuring the work of Alonzo Jordan which showcased the African American culture during the 1940s-1950s in Jasper, Texas. Mr. Jordan was an African American who held multiple positions in a pre-dominantly segregated community of Texas (was a barber by trade, as well as the local photographer). Racial tensions were recently renewed with the brutal murder of African American, James Byrd Jr., by three white men in 1998 which unfortunately earned the community’s notoriety to date.  However, most of Jordan’s photos expressed African Americans maintaining the same jovial rituals as their white counterparts in the community such as weddings, reunions, parades, organizations, and dancing.

          There were a few photos that I was able to snap with my blackberry (security was very kind/understanding~ sorry for quality) that I would like to comment on. First, is the wedding preparation photo showing a bride getting her hair done by another woman, and you can see their reflections in the mirror, providing context / a converging vector. I think this is a great shot that is symmetrical and adds balance to the shot between the two live people and their reflections that are comparable in size. Furthermore, it was taken from the side, so more of the focus is on the bride’s full-faced smile in the mirror  . The next shot I want to comment on is the catching of the bouquet.  At first glance, it seems a little off-balance, as the women reach for the bouquet on the left. However, after further analysis it becomes apparent that the bouquet is actually the index vector as if it’s pointing, leaving plenty of empty space on the right side of the photograph. Not to mention, the women are looking in the opposite direction with their backs to the camera.

         Finally, my third picture I would like to comment on that illustrates the 2-dimensional field structure using a closure  into a triangle is the shot of the Jasper residents dancing. The woman in the lighter dress being front/center really closes the triangle, and it's like she's the center of all the action. Which is really interesting because her dancing partner is so disconnected from her that he's closer to the gentleman on the far left who is leaning against the wall. Speaking of the gentleman on the far left, his arm is a little bit cutoff  leaving lead room on the right hand side. With the woman in the center, and the same amount of people on either side of her, this adds symmetry, with her gaze acting as a pointing vector in the direction of the gentleman on the far left.
                In conclusion, Mr. Jordan exhibited a keen style that expressed the emotions of those being photographed. Whether it was a family reunion, a graduation picture, or somebody just standing out in front of their yard, the photos exhibited a pride that subjects weren't all that different to their white neighbors. As mentioned, it's unfortunate that the town of Jasper is plagued but its recent inhumanity/intolerance, though it's nice and refreshing to see that the African American community still had their good times. I am happy to have attended this exhibit, and it was a bonus that I was able to analyze the photographs with the knowledge of 2-dimensional dynamics and the importance of composing a shot that were taught in class.

Experimentation w/ Lighting & Aperture ~ Assignment #2

Hmmmmm.....Yum! Also use of aperture while playing with the focus.

Shadow Casting from over-head light source

Fast Falloff

This was my rendition of the faster shutter sequence while taking a drink

Next is a rendition of a slower shutter speed~ yeah, much slower

Light Source From Behind

More Aperture example with object in focus and blurry background

Silhouette lighting of the phone underneath the light source

Straight shot  with soft falloff

More Shadows, but showing the fast fall off of the textured wall

More Aperture of focus with overhead lighting

Soft overhead light eliminating fall-off

Photos I like ( I included one extra 'like' photo so it out-balanced the dislikes)

I liked this earlier photo of the Beatles because it's pretty candid, and it shows each of their personalities. Furthermore, I enjoy that the 2 more popular Beatles (Paul & John) are in the background as George and Ringo are in the front. Unfortunately, I don't know who the photographer was :-/



Always a fan of Ansel Adams, this particular photograph always resonated with me as it shows the contrast between nature's elements both with lighting and content (Earth/tree= dark and sky= light)