There Pillars of Photography

Aperture

Aperture of f2.8

Aperture of ≥ f16

1. What part of the body should we closely relate aperture?
The pupil.
2. Finish this sentence - the smaller the Aperture diameter, the higher the Aperture f-number.
3. In your own words tell me how aperture impacts Depth of Field?
When the f-number is low, making the aperture bigger, the background will appear more blurry. When the f-number is high, the aperture is smaller and the background is more in-focus.

Shutter Speed

Fast shutter speed

Slow shutter speed

1. If you were assigned to shoot at Bulldogs and Hotdogs night, which was a few months ago, what shutter speeds do you think you would have to shoot at the following events that night I would like you to answer the question for the following two situations:

At the beginning while the sun was still up and the courtyard had reasonable good light

a.) a booth in the middle of the yard near the Tree - fast speed
b.) a food booth outside under one of the big red awnings - fast speed
c.) the Stars performance inside the gym - fast speed
d.) students dancing near the center of the courtyard - fast speed
e.) people streaming in from the front doors - slow speed (if you want sense of movement)
f.) the basketball booth where students are shooting basketballs at a hoop - fast speed

Towards the end when there is no sun and has gotten dark enough that you can't see from one end of the courtyard to the other.

a.) a booth in the middle of the yard near the Tree - slow speed

b.) a food booth outside under one of the big red awnings - slow speed

c.) the Stars performance inside the gym - fast speed

d.) students dancing near the center of the courtyard - fast speed

e.) people streaming in from the front doors - slow speed (if you want a sense of movement)

f.) the basketball booth where students are shooting basketballs at a hoop - fast speed

2. List the three settings your camera has regarding setting shutter speed (these are found at #5 on the Shutter Speed website. Explain how each works.

1. Aperture Priority - allows you to manually set the aperture which automatically sets the shutter speed.
2. Shutter Priority - allows you to manually set the shutter speed which automatically sets the aperture.
3. Manual - allows you to set both aperture and shutter speed manually

ISO

ISO of 3200.

ISO of 200.

1. What are the advantages of shoot at a higher ISO at a sporting event like basketball or a night football game?

It is more sensitive to light, so in the low-light environment you'd still be able to get good photographs of what's going on. 

2. What suggestions did the author make about using a low ISO?

• If your camera is set on a stable surface in a dim environment, you might want to use a low ISO.
• Whenever possible stick to the lowest ISO.
• Especially if there is plenty of light—it will keep the image quality intact. 

3. What suggestions did the author make about using a high ISO?

• When shooting indoors with a flash, using a high ISO will freeze motion.
• Use high ISO when you need to get high-speed action shots. 
• Always think about whether it'll be okay to introduce noise to the photo you're taking. 

Camera Simulator

List of Aperture settings: f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22

List of Shutter Speed settings: 1 second to 1/4000 sec.

List of ISO settings: 100 to 25600.

Photojournalism Ethics

A. The story details several instances in which photos were edited and then publication in a newspaper or other news publication. It talks about the consequences the photographers/those who edited the pictures faced and the situations in which they were edited.

B. This type of photo editing is unethical because it defies the purpose of journalism. They tell different stories than what really happened, often to cover up something that they don't want the people to know for whatever reason. This is misinformation, and in certain situations it walks or crosses the line of propaganda.

I think that this photo is the most unethical out of all of them:

Israel seems to have a history with photoshopping women out of photos, especially female leaders, and I think that it's an incredibly harmful, false representation of the world. It's teaching women that they shouldn't be seen or that they can't/shouldn't lead, which is very detrimental. 

I think that this photo is the least unethical out of all of them: 

The photoshop job seems relatively innocent even though it botched the photograph, and it's unclear what the photographer was even trying to clone in the first place. Nevertheless, it's not propaganda and it's pretty irrelevant. 

First Prompt Shoot

Square - Rule of Thirds

Metal - Patterns

Happy - Simplicity

Bowie - Cropping

Current Events Quiz 1/21/15

1. Who became the 48th governor of Texas yesterday?
Greg Abbott. 

2. What was served at the luncheon yesterday after the inauguration parade? Page A7 "First Parade…"
Barbecue.

3. President Obama gave his annual "state of the union" address yesterday night. He covered 12 main points. List them please. Page A10 "Tax Hikes…"
Tax hikes, tax breaks, education, paid leave, homeownership, retirement savings, Middle East, Cuba, Iran, trade, cybersecurity, no going back.

4. Why are the New England Patriots under investigation by the NFL regarding their win over the Colts on Sunday evening? Page C6 "Report: footballs…"
The footballs were under-inflated.

5. What were five of the top 10 recipe searches in 2014? Page SA4 "Tracking the arc...(sidebar)"
Chicken, meatloaf, banana bread, pancakes, chili. 

Short Answer:

1. In his address to the general public after he was sworn in as the 48th governor of Texas, Greg Abbott committed to the people of Texas 5 MAJOR points. What were those 5 things?
Advancing education, improving roads, expanding water resources, keeping borders secure, and making sure that Texas stays the "economic engine" of the U.S.

2. What are some of the things he will be doing in his first week in office. Please be specific and give me at least 2 items he will address, according to the story?
He will visit the planned University of Texas Rio Grande Medical School for a grant announcement, and he will meet with the task force he assembled to investigate the contracting scandal at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. 

3. How many people were estimated to have attended the event?
17,000.

Composition Quiz

1. Viewpoint
2. Rule of Thirds
3. Lines
4. Depth of Field
5. Simplicity
6. Rule of Thirds
7. Lines
8. Patterns and Symmetry
9. Framing
10. Viewpoint

Photographic Composition: Cropping

Anyone to the left of the man is cropped out, leaving only his face and the smoking rubble of the World Trade Center behind him.

Photographic Composition: Viewpoint

This photograph has a birds-eye view of the rubble at Ground Zero as well as the famous Sphere that now stands in memorial of the 9/11 attacks.

Photographic Composition: Patterns and Symmetry

This photograph is symmetrical in the way that the "Welcome to Manhattan" sign and the median split in half, but the symmetry is interrupted by the way in which there are a great deal of people on the left, but much fewer on the right.

Photographic Composition: Create Depth

This photograph has depth because of the layers of the wreckage of Ground Zero behind the firefighters, and then other buildings behind that.

Photographic Composition: Avoiding Mergers

This photograph has several mergers; things in the background light street signs distract from the running men (but it was clearly a photo taken in the moment, so it's understandable).

Photographic Composition: Framing

The mourning man is framed by the wall of the memorial that he is leaning against.

Photographic Composition: Balance

Even though the two towers are off-center, the photograph is balanced by the smoke and fire billowing from them to the left.

Photographic Composition: Lines

The diagonal lines created by the ruined, remaining structures on Ground Zero create a very dynamic image.

Photographic Composition: Rule of Thirds

The Empire State Building is on the left of the three vertical lines of the rule of three.

Photographic Composition: Simplicity

This photograph is devastatingly simple; a lone man stands in the ashes that fell on streets near the World Trade Center as it collapsed.

Lone Star Dispatch #3

News
Penalties for off campus lunches

Bowie staff have finally realized how many underclassmen are managing to get off-campus against the rules with seniors as their accomplices. They are starting to crack down on this to keep students safe, and there are many penalties for the offenders.

Who was quoted in the story?

Hallie Arnold, Vicento Trevino

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

"You never know what could happen while on your way to a fast food restaurant." 

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

No.

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

A statement.

Rewritten Lead

For many underclassmen, leaving campus illegally with a senior is thrilling both for simply getting away with breaking school rules as well as the reward of deliciously greasy fast food for lunch at the end. However, Bowie staff is starting to crack down on the rule-breakers.

Commentary

Hola, I still don't know Spanish

The author argues that the foreign language program at Bowie doesn't teach language effectively or efficiently. She says that there should be less projects and book work and more hands-on learning and vocabulary assignments. 

Who was quoted in the story?

N/A

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

N/A

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

Somewhat.

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

A statement.

Student Life

The winter keeps students warm and in style

Melissa Pittman and Nathan Olson give tips on winter style. They say to layer up to keep warm, but also utilize socks, sweaters, and scarves to stay fashionable even in the bitter cold. 

Who was quoted in the story?

Melissa Pittman, Nathan Olson

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

"This may not make sense at first, but the most important necessity for dressing up in the winter is being warm." 

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

Yes. 

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

A statement.

Entertainment

The holiday season brings out family traditions around ATX

Most people spend their holidays with their family and get to see members who they only talk to a few times a year. Families have different traditions and beliefs, Christmas and Hannukah are two examples given in the article, but it's a special time for everyone.

Who was quoted in the story?

Bryn Williams, Sydney Cowell, Megan Schwab, Savannah Davis

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

"[Christmas] is the only time that I get to see all of my relatives at once and it always brings us closer together as a family."

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

No.

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

A quote.

Sports

Rowing team shares their boating experience

Even though it's not a school-based sport, the Bowie rowing team is a very close-knit community. The members say it's both a good way to stay in shape and get exercise as well as to meet new people and spend time with friends.

Who was quoted in the story?

Mary Geisinger, Ben Bell, Ben Patterson

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

"It is an exhilarating sport full of competition and chances to become a part of a larger community."

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

No. 

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

A statement.

Ideas for other stories:

• The school musical, Evita
• The Bowie Gay Straight Alliance doing a clothes drive for transgender kids (I think it's happening again this month)
• Juniors who are trying to become next year's senior directors in the theatre company

Current Events Quiz 1/8/15

1. How many people were killed yesterday in a terrorist attack on a French newsmagazine in Paris? Page A1 "One held in deadly raid…"
12 people. 

2. Why is the discovery of the tail of Flight 8501in the Indonesian Ocean so important? Page A3 "Tail of AirAsia plane…"
The black boxes of the craft are in that part of it.

3. What are two tips homeowners should be doing this week to protect their homes from the bitter cold? Page B6 "Freeze Tips"
Check smoke detectors, make sure pets have warmth and shelter.

4. What does Xeris Pharmaceuticals  sell that helped them to raise $17.9million from their investors? Page B7 "Austin Xeris…"
A Glugacon Rescue Pen

5. Which of the 5 things to do this weekend interests you the most? WHY? Page D2 "The Long Weekend"
The Way Off Broadway production because I love live theatre.

Short Answer:

Read the story on Page A1 "Fight for 'school choice' likely different this year" and answer the following questions.

A. Why does Dan Patrick think its important for public tax money to be made available to any public school student who wants to attend a private school?
He doesn't want any kids to be trapped in underperforming schools. 

B. Why do opponents of his legislation, like Ken Zarifis president of Education Austin the largest AISD teachers union,  think this use of public tax money is illegal and shouldn't been allowed to happen?
They think that public money should stay public and not be used for private purposes like private schools.

C. Which side of this argument do you think is correct? WHY
I don't think that students who are dedicated to their education should be trapped in schools that are underperforming because of their economic situation, but I don't think that public money should be used for private schools. I think scholarships are better options for those students.

D. If your parents had access to a set amount of money and were able to use that to help pay for a private school education for you, do you think you would want to go to a private school?
It depends on the school. I don't like the idea of going to a really sheltered private school with just rich kids because I don't think it's a good representation of the real world. Honestly I think that going to public school gives me better life experience than most private schools would. 

E. What if your parents only got enough to pay for part of that private school?
I wouldn't want them to use up all of their money for me to go to private school, so I wouldn't go. 

2014 Review

1. The best song of 2014:

Happy by Marina and the Diamonds

Unlike most of the things included in this post, which are more about the big picture though still very important to me, this song is, in my opinion, the best of 2014 because of the personal affect it had on me. Marina and the Diamonds' new album, Froot, will be released in April, but she is releasing a few songs from it before the official debut, one of which is Happy. 
In Marina's other two albums she has written about, among other things, the depression she's suffered from for the majority of her life and her struggles with identity and loneliness. But, as she said in an interview about her album before any song was released, Froot is about finally finding happiness. One of my favorite quotes from the interview is as follows: "I used to believe that being depressed was part of my personality or that I was born like that, but it's actually quite shocking realize that perhaps that isn't the case."
The song Happy is a melancholically hopeful song about finding happiness—perhaps not euphoria or complete lack of sadness, but finally having a "life worth living for", which is something that really hit home for me. The first time I heard the song it made me cry because even though I haven't gotten to that place of contentment yet, but to see someone I already looked up to who has felt the way I feel get to a place I wasn't sure existed really was amazing, which is what made this song probably the one that affected me the most this year.

2. The best movie of 2014

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

 The penultimate movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins' hit young adult dystopian series was probably the best movie I saw this year. It was towards the end of 2014, a year that was packed full of tragedies and revolutionary movements. Many of the scenes, I think, hit home with a lot of people even if they hadn't been involved in this year's events, simply having seen the pictures on the news. 

There have also been a lot of situations this year that have been eerily reminiscent of situations in the dystopian novels themselves, from the militaristic police in the U.S., to the increasing class disparities in many of the world's richest countries, to the bombings in Gaza, I think the theme of rebellion against the oppressors is a theme that was repeated throughout 2014, which made Mockingjay Part 1 quite applicable. 

However, it's important to remember that these real-life tragedies shouldn't be reduced to thought processes that go something like "Hey, this is kinda like that scene in the Hunger Games!" It's trivializing to the struggle of those being victimized—instead remember that this is real life and if you're comparing our real life to a dystopian series, something is terribly wrong, and maybe you should try and educate yourself on the situation and do your part to try and make it right, even if it just means spreading awareness on social media.

3. The most important news story of 2014

Michael Brown's murder and the Ferguson protests

On August 9th of 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old was shot multiple times and killed by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. The subsequent protests, as well as Wilson's lack of indictment, cracked discussions of the militarization of police and race in the U.S. wide open after years of privileged groups claiming that America is a "post-racial" country.
Several other cases of black people being killed by American police officers both before and after Brown's death gained publicity and incited protests across the country, as well as solidarity movements in other places by other people facing marginalization, such as in Palestine and Hong Kong.

4. The most important person of 2014

Laverne Cox

Transgender actress and activist Laverne Cox, best known for her role on Orange is the New Black, gained a great amount of publicity and popularity this year, appearing on many talk shows and other platforms to talk about the struggles of the trans community, a group that even with the surge in LGBT rights movements is often pushed off to the side. 

She and other high-profile members of the trans community like Janet Mock have become some of the loudest voices for the "T" in LGBT. They've done incredible work and they have raised a great deal of awareness to an issue that far too many people are oblivious or ignorant or bigoted towards, becoming some of the most prominent and revolutionary activists of this year.

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1. Something that happened this holiday that I think I'll remember is on Sunday when my friends and I were eating on 6th street and we saw a parade of neo-Nazis with assault rifles and signs plastered with Hitler quotes walking down the street. It was, honestly, nauseating.

2. My main resolution for 2015 is to focus on bettering my mental health—I've been unhappy for far too long. Which means I will surround myself with positive people who are willing to support me, do things that I love and not things I just feel obligated to do with my free time, and seek help when I need it.

3. I'm really looking forwards to Marina and the Diamonds' new album in April, going to Europe this summer, and getting my driver's license when I turn 16 in December.