Magazine Tips

1. Make it easy to read and understand at a glance. 
2. Visually stimulating, the image and text pulls a reader in. 
3. Make it appeal to your target audience. 
4. Don't let your text blend into the image. 
5. Stay away from making it too visually busy. 

Best Covers

1. The New York Times Magazine, Jerry Seinfeld - Informal
2. The Fader, Philip Glass - Formal
3. Vanity Fair, Lady Gaga - Formal
4. Harper's Bazaar, Gwyneth Revealed - Formal
5. New York, Nicki Minaj - Formal
6. W Magazine, Kate Moss - Formal
7. The New York Times Magazine, Deuce - Formal
8. Sports Illustrated, Oh Now You Love Us - Environmental
9. Texas Monthly, How to Raise a Texan - Informal
10. MIT Technology Review, You Promised Me Mars Colonies. Instead, I Got Facebook - Formal
11. Bloomberg Businessweek, The Next Four Weeks - Formal
12. TIME, Person of the Year - Formal
13. TIME, Are You Mom Enough? - Informal/Environmental
14. Bloomberg Businessweek, My Life in Private Equity - Environmental
15. New York, Sex - Informal

Newspaper Design #2

Newspaper Design #1

Current Events Quiz 3/11

1. What is one suggestion to easing overcrowding and both Bowie and Akins High School that doesn't require building a new school, according to Superintendent Paul Cruz? Page A1 "Decision on South Austin HS…"
Creating another Liberal Arts and Science Academy at an under-enrolled campus. 

2. What is the big deal about Hillary Clinton's email? Page A1 "Clinton says…"
She used a private account and server instead of a government one. 

3. Look at the political cartoon on Page A11 - what is the artists message, in your opinion?
The artist is making a comment on Clinton's apparent concern over her emails remaining private, so much so that she infringed on White House guidelines and made a personal email account. 

4. What is a micro unit? "Page B9 "Micro Units…"
Smaller, more moderately priced apartments. 

5.  Who are the top 5 Big 12 "locks" for the NCAA basketball tournament according to Kevin Lyttle? Page C1, "Stakes high in Big 12…"
Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Baylor, and West Virginia. 

Short Answer: Read the story on page A2 "School expels two students.

1. Do you think the school took appropriate action in this case? Why or Why not?
Definitely. Not only do the students need to be punished severely for their deplorable behavior, and it serves as a wake-up call for anyone at the same university as well as universities across the nation who have participated in similar hateful actions, but may not have been recorded. 

2. Do you think the free speech principals outlined in the Constitution should extend to this type of behavior? Why or Why not?
Personally I don't think that hate speech should be defended by free speech, no. However, I think that an effort to outline an amendment like that would be fruitless. People would argue constantly over what constitutes as hate speech and many people would cry "fascism" or "tyranny" because they don't like being held accountable for their own prejudice and bigotry. And unfortunately, many of those types of people hold places in our own Congress. 

3. If you saw this type of action happening, would you step in and try to stop it? Why or Why not?
I would definitely say something, though I doubt that frat boys like that would listen to someone like me. 

4. Would you record it the behaviors and attempt to provide that information to authorities? Why or Why not?
Yes. I would make sure that they wouldn't be able to say that there wasn't enough proof, and I would make sure that the administration was incapable of making such an argument as well. 

5. Should the actions of a couple of students caused the entire fraternal organization to be closed? Why or Why not?
Yes. If the others in the fraternity didn't try to stop the actions of their "brothers" it's likely that they shared the same views. And those who don't share them probably have no desire to be associated with those who do, anyway.

Portrait Photography

Two tips I liked: 

Whenever you are photographing someone, try to think of details of their body or dress that would get your message across in an indirect way.

You may want to make photographs of people going about their business—vendors in a market, a crowd at a sports event, the line at a theater. You don't want them to appear aware of the camera. Many times people will see you, then ignore you because they have to concentrate on what they are doing. You want the viewers of the image to feel that they are getting an unguarded, fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the scene.

Environmental Portrait

I chose this photo because I love how the subject is partially obscured by the vibrant color of what seem to be cherry blossoms, and how the ones in the foreground are out of focus, making them seem cloud-like and giving the photo a sort of dreamy look.

Self Portrait

I like this sort of vintage take on the modern mirror selfie. The soft lighting and the camera make it seem old-timey, and I find it very aesthetically pleasing to look at. 

Casual Portrait

I like this casual wedding portrait because it seems somewhat candid; the subject isn't looking at the camera and is instead smiling as she looks out the window of her car, making it seem as if the photographer has captured some of the genuine joy of the bride. 

1. What are the characteristics of an environmental portrait?

An environmental portrait is characterized by where it is taken and what importance or significance that place has to the subject. 
2. What is the difference between an environmental portrait and a casual portrait?

An environmental portrait is about the subject's relationship to the environment they're being photographed in, and a casual one is more about the subject themselves, trying to find a candid moment where their thoughts are shining through. 
3. What will you need to do to get a really good self-portrait?

You need to always be on the lookout for the perfect moment to take a shot, you need to make sure you're not too far away from your subject, and you need to try and give your portrait's subject humanity, not making it stiff and impersonal. 
4.  When you go take these pictures, and you will eventually turn in one of each, a portrait and a self-portrait, describe to me what you would like to do and who you would like to take a portrait of and where you might shoot these images.

I'd kind of like to maybe take a photo of a girl adjusting her makeup in the school bathroom because I think that could be a really personal and interesting moment. I'd probably have one of my friends do it.

Current Events Quiz 2/25/15

A. bae - 12. Used as a term of endearment for one's romantic partner.
B. binge-watch - 10. To watch multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession, typically by means of DVD's or digital streaming.
C. bitcoin - 3. Digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the need for a central bank.
D. budtender - 6. Person whose job is to serve customers in a cannabis dispensary or shop.
E. contactless - 7. Relating to or involving technologies that allow a smart card, mobile phone, etc. to contact wirelessly to an electronic reader, typically to make a payment.
F. indyref - 1. Abbreviation of "independence referendum," in reference to the referendum on Scottish independence, held in Scotland on Sept. 18, 2014, in which voters were asked to answer yes or no to the question: Should Scotland be an independent country?G. efference 
H. normcore - 11. Trend in which ordinary, unfashionable clothing is worn as a fashion statement.
I. olinguito - 8. Small furry mammal found in the mountain forests in Columbia and Ecuador; the smalls member of the raccoon family.
J. schmeat - 4. Form of meat produced synthetically from biological tissue.
K. monotic
L. showrooming - 9. The practice of visiting a shop or shops to examine product before buying it online at a lower price.
M. slacktivism - 5. Informal actions performed via the internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement, e.g. signing an online petition or joining a campaign group on a social media website.
N. twerk - 2. Dance to popular music in a provocative manner involving thrusting hip and a low, squatting stance.