Allebach+J+Wk+9

Due - 3/30/12

 * The idea:** I recently read quote about the gift of a normal day - basically, it is saying that we don't know how precious a normal (and what we might see as mundane) day is until it is taken away from us. I would like my story project to portray this idea through various photographs picturing a normal day. For example, eating cereal at the table, driving to work, sitting in class, doing household chores, sitting at the office desk, taking care of children, doing paperwork, etc. I would then like to use images that might invoke an understanding of the meaning of the original photos - someone without food, a broken-down car or a car accident, not having a school to go to, a broken arm that hinders household chores, the death of a child or children that have grown up, etc.


 * Where:** The quote that sparked this idea was found on Facebook. I expect to find my photographs in various forms - I have found some online already, but as I enjoy photography myself, I plan on hopefully using some of my own photographs.


 * Sontag:** "In teaching us a new visual code, photographs alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have a right to observe."


 * Reflection:** I think that Sontag is really getting at the ability of photographs to change and fashion our notions in general. Not only does it change our notions of what is worth looking at and observing but it also changes our notions of what we believe and think about what is portrayed. Does it reinforce what we already believe? Does it work to alter it completely? Does it begin to shift our thinking about the image?


 * Search:** I've used google image search and the national photography archive to search images similar to the ones I've discussed above. There are quite a few options that fit my idea. More than that, I've explored ideas about how I could take photographs myself that portray what I want to. In the end, I expect to use a balanced mix of images provided on the internet and some I will or have already taken myself.


 * Prezi:** Currently, there are no images in my Prezi. I have to decide how I want to set up. Currently I'm considering two ideas. The first is showing a film strip of photographs depicting a normal day, and then a film strip of photographs depicting a normal day taken away. I think it would be interesting to use the same person with this idea, but that would require me taking each photo myself. The second is showing an image of a normal day, and then dropping in a photo of the opposite of that - more like the idea of Montage.


 * What's next:** I want to gather all of my photographs and finalize the way I would like to compose them in Prezi, deciding the best way to make my point and appeal to the pathos of my audience.


 * My Point:** I want to change the way people view a normal day and make them think about the gift it is. There are few of us that drive to school and think "how blessed I am to be driving to school today." We don't realize such a thing until we have a car accident and can't make it to class or until we don't have enough money to consider our schooling. My goal is to make my audience think about those blessings before their forced to realize it based on circumstance.

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Topic Description and Audience Profile
I want to portray the blessing of a normal and mundane day through images of a normal day and images of a day that takes that normalcy away from you.

Audience Profile for 3VSP

Kind of Viewer: Primary NOTE: My project applies to a wide array of audience - I am purposefully including photographs that apply to various people in various walks of life (classroom to work to raising kids), so I just picked out one segment to analyze.

Education: High School or College Professional Experience: Part-time, some full time Job Responsibilities: childcare, internships, cashier, serving positions and other part-time responsibilities along with college assignments Personal characteristics: college student, 18-24, interested in learning and discovering Personal preferences: excitement, discovering identity, friends, partying Cultural characteristiscs: any race, many small-town, all-American Attitude toward photographer: Intrigued, talented Attitude towards subject: relatability, learning something new Expectations about the subject: n/a Expectations about the photo: discover something Reasons for veiwing the photograph: interest Way of viewing the photo: internet veiwing skill: high skill Viewer's physical environment: classroom