Let's start with Wales. It is gorgeous to say the least the scenery and everything is beautiful. But as far as excitment goes theres not a whole lot to do. The hotel... well we have no shower so that's not cool and we had to shower in the gym but they had a nice indoor pool which was a nice break from the cold. We went to a caslte, a village, and the deep mines which was a long but fun day.
Bath is nice it has a lot of shopping but it's pricy. The Roman Baths were nice to see and we got audio guides which tell you everything so that was cool. We went to a mexican restaraunt called las Iguanas which eneded up being nothing like a real Mexican restaraunt; but the sangria was good.
We saw Stone Henge which was cool but it was pouring down raining so we didn't stay long.
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Trip Advice
What I enjoyed most about the trip: I liked that we had rail passes to go see things on our own and make our own adventures. I also like the group trips which were pre-planned because I feel like I got to see things that I would have otherwise not seen.
What I enjoyed the least: Sometimes Grantham can be somewhat of a boring city so you have to find things to entertain yourself; luckily we had lots of side trips planned for us and the rail passes so it wasn't a huge problem.
Suggestions for next year: I think it would be cool if the trip included a few nights in Paris. We also could use maybe another day or two in Scotland because I thought it was beautiful but we didn't get to stay long. We went to cambridge and it was a beautiful city so maybe the whole group could take aday trip their.
Advice for next years students:
* If you want to go out at night in Grantham you will need taxi money; DO NOT WALK HOME!!!
* Bring warm clothes and a rain coat; an umbrella won't last long with the wind.
* Take a trip to go punting in Cambridge.
* Planned theme parties for the Bistro while in Grantham you will save money and they are lots of fun. (we did a toga party, a pj party, and a formal fairwell party for our last one)
* Go shopping at Primark; it has cheap cute clothes. Lincoln has a lot of cute shopping areas.
* Make sure you are friends with everyone on the trip and don't be afraid to meet new people.
* Don't forget a converter; it stinks and you can't buy them here.
* If you get a chance visit the Harry Potter Castle in Alnwick it costs 10 £.
* Send post cards early on in the trip they take a while to get home.
* Use a phone card they are cheap and easy.
* Go to a beer fest if you can.
* Bring a laptop... the manner has a computer lab but yout travel a lot and it's nice to have internet. The Caslte and every hotel has wireless.
* Spend a Saturday night in New Castle.
What I enjoyed the least: Sometimes Grantham can be somewhat of a boring city so you have to find things to entertain yourself; luckily we had lots of side trips planned for us and the rail passes so it wasn't a huge problem.
Suggestions for next year: I think it would be cool if the trip included a few nights in Paris. We also could use maybe another day or two in Scotland because I thought it was beautiful but we didn't get to stay long. We went to cambridge and it was a beautiful city so maybe the whole group could take aday trip their.
Advice for next years students:
* If you want to go out at night in Grantham you will need taxi money; DO NOT WALK HOME!!!
* Bring warm clothes and a rain coat; an umbrella won't last long with the wind.
* Take a trip to go punting in Cambridge.
* Planned theme parties for the Bistro while in Grantham you will save money and they are lots of fun. (we did a toga party, a pj party, and a formal fairwell party for our last one)
* Go shopping at Primark; it has cheap cute clothes. Lincoln has a lot of cute shopping areas.
* Make sure you are friends with everyone on the trip and don't be afraid to meet new people.
* Don't forget a converter; it stinks and you can't buy them here.
* If you get a chance visit the Harry Potter Castle in Alnwick it costs 10 £.
* Send post cards early on in the trip they take a while to get home.
* Use a phone card they are cheap and easy.
* Go to a beer fest if you can.
* Bring a laptop... the manner has a computer lab but yout travel a lot and it's nice to have internet. The Caslte and every hotel has wireless.
* Spend a Saturday night in New Castle.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Bike Riding at the Manor
DISASTER! That is about the only word needed to describe it. First, we got lost trying to find the bike shed which should have been our first sign to give up. But of course our 
determination over powers and we persist. We open the creepy shed only to find 10 bikes which haven't been used in a long time. We also found out that these bikes were made giants and that is not an understatement. Two bike were normal heights... Juanita got one and the other one was missing a pedal. So everyone claimed their gigantic bikes. Courney and I were left with 1 gigantomungo bike and the worlds smallest bike. So she took the small one and I took on the monster. We tried to keep up with everyone but it seemed impossible since Courtney couldn't pedal without hittin
g herself in the face and everytime I stopped I had to remount the mountain. Eventually the group left us in the dust and we could no longer see them. We tried to find them but they were no where to be found. So we tried going on our own adventure which didn't last long. It must have been less than a block when I hit the ground and the bike had a hard fall too. A random lady came over to see if I was ok. I was but the bike wasn't; the chain had come off it's track and the tires were making funny noises too. We decided it w
as a good reason to head back. On the way home we saw a dead squirrel. ) : We made it back and turned in our key. The lady at reception asked me if anything was wrong with the bikes and I told her they were only for tall people but she insisted to me that it was because another group had taken all the good bikes. I told her that the other group was with us and that they were not tall enought for any of the bikes either but she looked at me like I was crazy and continued to tell me about this "other group." I was frustrated so I went to laundry.
determination over powers and we persist. We open the creepy shed only to find 10 bikes which haven't been used in a long time. We also found out that these bikes were made giants and that is not an understatement. Two bike were normal heights... Juanita got one and the other one was missing a pedal. So everyone claimed their gigantic bikes. Courney and I were left with 1 gigantomungo bike and the worlds smallest bike. So she took the small one and I took on the monster. We tried to keep up with everyone but it seemed impossible since Courtney couldn't pedal without hittin
g herself in the face and everytime I stopped I had to remount the mountain. Eventually the group left us in the dust and we could no longer see them. We tried to find them but they were no where to be found. So we tried going on our own adventure which didn't last long. It must have been less than a block when I hit the ground and the bike had a hard fall too. A random lady came over to see if I was ok. I was but the bike wasn't; the chain had come off it's track and the tires were making funny noises too. We decided it w
as a good reason to head back. On the way home we saw a dead squirrel. ) : We made it back and turned in our key. The lady at reception asked me if anything was wrong with the bikes and I told her they were only for tall people but she insisted to me that it was because another group had taken all the good bikes. I told her that the other group was with us and that they were not tall enought for any of the bikes either but she looked at me like I was crazy and continued to tell me about this "other group." I was frustrated so I went to laundry.
Response Essay 3
To be honest I thought the article was difficult to get through but I did think that it brought up some interesting points. Tourism photography really is an art and I had never really thought about how different it is to what we normally consider to be photography at home.
The assertion made about technology and photography I found to be particularly interesting. Garlick says “The camera, as an instrument of modern technology, can be seen as not only framing particular slices of life, but also playing a part of the enframing of the world.” This is interesting because he is talking about how the camera itself is the modern tool which relates different locations not just the technology you may be photographing.
When I am a “tourist” or when I am on a vacation to somewhere I take a lot more photos then I normally would. I also take pictures of things that are completely random such a stores, objects, or even strangers. I do this because I want to remember the experiences I had while traveling; I want to remember what made the place that I traveled to different then what I am used to while at home.
The pictures I take while traveling are completely different then those that I take while at home or school. When I am at a place that I am familiar with, such as my home, I see my surroundings almost every day. I’m not going to forget those things therefore I don’t need to take a picture to remember them. However when you are traveling you see many unfamiliar things and in order to remember those things and places you need to take pictures because you might not get to see them again otherwise.
Garlick said “Memory is crucial in the process which brings this about, and it seems necessary to acknowledge today that the visual and technological re4cording of our experiences as we travel through our lives, whether that travel is tourism or not, has a significant role to play in the production of memory and, thus, of who we are.” I wanted to include this quote because it perfectly describes why many people take photographs, especially when touring. The people and the places that we see and the experiences we have are what makes us who we are and we photograph these things to look back and clearly remember what has happened.
After I have taken my pictures I first put them onto my computer. I also put them on facebook in order to share them with others. I want to share my pictures with my friends and family so they can see the things I have seen and so they can see what I have been up to. I also make back up disks of all my photos because they mean a lot to me. They are my experiences and a memory of them.
I enjoyed treading the part of the article about traveling being an art and in a way I guess it is and as Heidegger says it is “a means of world- making.” I take that to mean that it is making the world be what it is. Traveling is a natural form of filling curiosity it helps the world to be what we know it as.
The assertion made about technology and photography I found to be particularly interesting. Garlick says “The camera, as an instrument of modern technology, can be seen as not only framing particular slices of life, but also playing a part of the enframing of the world.” This is interesting because he is talking about how the camera itself is the modern tool which relates different locations not just the technology you may be photographing.
When I am a “tourist” or when I am on a vacation to somewhere I take a lot more photos then I normally would. I also take pictures of things that are completely random such a stores, objects, or even strangers. I do this because I want to remember the experiences I had while traveling; I want to remember what made the place that I traveled to different then what I am used to while at home.
The pictures I take while traveling are completely different then those that I take while at home or school. When I am at a place that I am familiar with, such as my home, I see my surroundings almost every day. I’m not going to forget those things therefore I don’t need to take a picture to remember them. However when you are traveling you see many unfamiliar things and in order to remember those things and places you need to take pictures because you might not get to see them again otherwise.
Garlick said “Memory is crucial in the process which brings this about, and it seems necessary to acknowledge today that the visual and technological re4cording of our experiences as we travel through our lives, whether that travel is tourism or not, has a significant role to play in the production of memory and, thus, of who we are.” I wanted to include this quote because it perfectly describes why many people take photographs, especially when touring. The people and the places that we see and the experiences we have are what makes us who we are and we photograph these things to look back and clearly remember what has happened.
After I have taken my pictures I first put them onto my computer. I also put them on facebook in order to share them with others. I want to share my pictures with my friends and family so they can see the things I have seen and so they can see what I have been up to. I also make back up disks of all my photos because they mean a lot to me. They are my experiences and a memory of them.
I enjoyed treading the part of the article about traveling being an art and in a way I guess it is and as Heidegger says it is “a means of world- making.” I take that to mean that it is making the world be what it is. Traveling is a natural form of filling curiosity it helps the world to be what we know it as.
Cambridge
So we went on an adventure to Cambridge "the city of the bikes" as I like to call it because here bikes over rule the cars and the city for that matter. 
We walked what seemed to be forever until we finally found the river cam where we went "punting." Basicallly it's a flat bottom wooden boat that is hand propelled by a pole. You get a tour of the city and get to hear cool stories from the tour guide.
Our tour guide was Sam (you can see him in the back) he told us all about Cambridge and then when we asked him where else we should go he directed us to Beer Fest.
So of course we had to check it out! It turned out to be a lot of fun and I even tried green beer.
They had so much beer that it was difficult to decide what to drink but after the green beer I decided it was a better choice to just get some cider.
Cambridge was fun and I would reccomend that everyone should some day visit!
We walked what seemed to be forever until we finally found the river cam where we went "punting." Basicallly it's a flat bottom wooden boat that is hand propelled by a pole. You get a tour of the city and get to hear cool stories from the tour guide.
Our tour guide was Sam (you can see him in the back) he told us all about Cambridge and then when we asked him where else we should go he directed us to Beer Fest.
So of course we had to check it out! It turned out to be a lot of fun and I even tried green beer.
They had so much beer that it was difficult to decide what to drink but after the green beer I decided it was a better choice to just get some cider.
Cambridge was fun and I would reccomend that everyone should some day visit!
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Response Essay 2
The scary thing about a credible news publication such as Newsweek using a doctored image is the thought of how many other publications have used doctored images as well. How many other doctored images have we seen that we believed to be reality? I understand that they were trying to be humorous with the Martha Stewart picture which does provide some justification and they did publish that the image was edited but I expected more out of Newsweek or another respectable publication.
The second article was interesting also. I enjoyed how they showed the images and listened to the responses. I do see how the featured photographs could have completely different impressions on people.
It is wrong to change photographs that are altered because they are not the truth. When publishing a photo you are giving your readers the impression that the image you are publishing is the truth. But if you are changing that photo around you are lying. It is wrong because it is misleading.
Images can be edited to a degree and I think small changes are okay as long as they do not change the meaning of a photograph. For example taking a pimple off of someone’s face before publishing a photo is okay because in most cases that would not change the meaning of a photo or even the way that someone may interpret it. However adding extra people into a picture completely changes a situation. I think a lot of photo editing can be deceptive but as long as it is not changing the way that someone may interpret a situation I don’t see harm in removing a blemish or changing lighting or something small.
The photos shown in these articles were deceptive. They changed how everyone saw them. They made people have completely different ideas of what really happened in these situations. As for the whole Martha Stewart thing… well come on Newsweek was that really necessary?
The second article was interesting also. I enjoyed how they showed the images and listened to the responses. I do see how the featured photographs could have completely different impressions on people.
It is wrong to change photographs that are altered because they are not the truth. When publishing a photo you are giving your readers the impression that the image you are publishing is the truth. But if you are changing that photo around you are lying. It is wrong because it is misleading.
Images can be edited to a degree and I think small changes are okay as long as they do not change the meaning of a photograph. For example taking a pimple off of someone’s face before publishing a photo is okay because in most cases that would not change the meaning of a photo or even the way that someone may interpret it. However adding extra people into a picture completely changes a situation. I think a lot of photo editing can be deceptive but as long as it is not changing the way that someone may interpret a situation I don’t see harm in removing a blemish or changing lighting or something small.
The photos shown in these articles were deceptive. They changed how everyone saw them. They made people have completely different ideas of what really happened in these situations. As for the whole Martha Stewart thing… well come on Newsweek was that really necessary?
Response Essay 1
I enjoyed reading the story about lifting the photo ban. I thought he had an interesting perspective on the subject as a journalist and as someone who has served as an officer during war.
I agree that there should not be a photo ban on wars however I do believe that restrictions are necessary. Complete freedom of journalism during war could be disrespectful to family members and soldiers. Photos of the flag-dropped coffins may help the public to better understand the pain and loss of these families but I’m not sure that these photographs can help citizens to “meaningfully weigh the choices of sending our troops to war.” People are already informed of how many soldiers die and they have already made decisions about whether or not they want war. I don’t believe that seeing a picture of a coffin could have that much more of an impact on their decision. However I do think it is a good idea because it can begin to help the rest of us “understand the pain that people endure when losing loved ones who wore uniforms in warfare.”
One quote from the article that I found particularly interesting was “the camera lens, if used professionally and responsibly, captures real moments and relays visual information.” This is true, however not all journalists care about being responsible and some may even have a different motive. Some photos can be deceptive and relay a completely different image then what is really going on; however the public is only going to believe what they are told and what they see through these images. I think the restrictions placed were well thought out. They give the families of the deceased the ultimate say on whether or not a photo will be published which I think shows great respect for the soldiers and families.
I found the article about the disturbing images to be particularly interesting. After seeing some of the images I had an immediate opinion on whether or not they should be published but after reading the responses I had mixed feelings. It is hard to decide where the line should be drawn on publishing photos but I do believe that the media should tell the truth and sometimes that means showing people things that they don’t want to see.
My take on disturbing images is that sometimes they are necessary to show people what is really gong on. They often can have a positive outcome because even though they may not be pleasant at first they can often times be honorable or even encourage someone to help out. It is one thing for someone to tell you about a world problem (such as starving children) but is another thing completely to see a picture of the pain that child is experiencing. It is easy to ignore words but ignoring an image is hard to do. I think that the public needs to be aware of world problems involving terrorism and they should be exposed however a line must be drawn in order to respect victims and families.
In response to Wally Rayl’s statement about facing reality being a problem in our society I guess I would have to agree. People don’t want to see the problems in our society because if they don’t see them they are easy to put aside and not deal with. I also enjoyed his quote that talked about how people can not react appropriately if the media is altering or not giving the complete information because they are trying to protect us. I do think that the media should censor some of their images. Although the public needs to know the truth and the extent of circumstances some photos should not be published because they are too graphic and may be disrespectful to publish.
To what extent should the media be censored? Well that is a tough question to answer because I don’t think that there is a defined answer. I think each photo needs to be analyzed individually and when publishing a photo a journalist should consider the people in the photo and their families and how it will effect the public that see it.
I agree that there should not be a photo ban on wars however I do believe that restrictions are necessary. Complete freedom of journalism during war could be disrespectful to family members and soldiers. Photos of the flag-dropped coffins may help the public to better understand the pain and loss of these families but I’m not sure that these photographs can help citizens to “meaningfully weigh the choices of sending our troops to war.” People are already informed of how many soldiers die and they have already made decisions about whether or not they want war. I don’t believe that seeing a picture of a coffin could have that much more of an impact on their decision. However I do think it is a good idea because it can begin to help the rest of us “understand the pain that people endure when losing loved ones who wore uniforms in warfare.”
One quote from the article that I found particularly interesting was “the camera lens, if used professionally and responsibly, captures real moments and relays visual information.” This is true, however not all journalists care about being responsible and some may even have a different motive. Some photos can be deceptive and relay a completely different image then what is really going on; however the public is only going to believe what they are told and what they see through these images. I think the restrictions placed were well thought out. They give the families of the deceased the ultimate say on whether or not a photo will be published which I think shows great respect for the soldiers and families.
I found the article about the disturbing images to be particularly interesting. After seeing some of the images I had an immediate opinion on whether or not they should be published but after reading the responses I had mixed feelings. It is hard to decide where the line should be drawn on publishing photos but I do believe that the media should tell the truth and sometimes that means showing people things that they don’t want to see.
My take on disturbing images is that sometimes they are necessary to show people what is really gong on. They often can have a positive outcome because even though they may not be pleasant at first they can often times be honorable or even encourage someone to help out. It is one thing for someone to tell you about a world problem (such as starving children) but is another thing completely to see a picture of the pain that child is experiencing. It is easy to ignore words but ignoring an image is hard to do. I think that the public needs to be aware of world problems involving terrorism and they should be exposed however a line must be drawn in order to respect victims and families.
In response to Wally Rayl’s statement about facing reality being a problem in our society I guess I would have to agree. People don’t want to see the problems in our society because if they don’t see them they are easy to put aside and not deal with. I also enjoyed his quote that talked about how people can not react appropriately if the media is altering or not giving the complete information because they are trying to protect us. I do think that the media should censor some of their images. Although the public needs to know the truth and the extent of circumstances some photos should not be published because they are too graphic and may be disrespectful to publish.
To what extent should the media be censored? Well that is a tough question to answer because I don’t think that there is a defined answer. I think each photo needs to be analyzed individually and when publishing a photo a journalist should consider the people in the photo and their families and how it will effect the public that see it.
Monday, 18 May 2009
Rolling (Falling down the hill)
Sorry that the first part is sideways... just wait 5 seconds and it will be upright...
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Stalking the Jonas Brothers
Okay so the truth is I'm not really a Jonas Brothers fan but after Romeo and Juliet Dakota, Courtney, and Emily were going off to find them. So I figured that it sounded like a fun adventure and I joined them on the quest for Jonas. Juanita came too. Anyways we traveled to the location of the Jonas Brothers movie premiere in London. We could hear the fans from a mile away with all the girls screaming we thought surely they must be already be there. When we arrived they were not there yet but everyone screamed as television reporters by with their cameras interviewing all the fans. Groups were singing and they had their faces painted. They books and posters for the brothers to sign. Half an hour later when they finally arrived pushing and shoving occured all to get a picture of the guys and if lucky an autoggraph. I have videos and pictures from this intense journey that I would like to share with you so enjoy:
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
.jpg)
Monday, 11 May 2009
Taking "Candid" photos
Today we had to take candid photos... boy was that an experience to say the least. We got some strange looks as we passed people and snapped photos and a few times I accidently had my flash on so they knew I was snapping their picture... oops! Anyways I found a few techniques to take creeeper pitures and not look like a creeper so I thought I would share:
1. Use your zoom to get a shot of someone your not near.
2. Put it under your jacket and they won't even notice.
3. When someone looks at you like you are crazy just give them a snob look that says "why do you think I would take YOUR picture?"
-and my best advice-
4. Do NOT use your flash- they will notice.
Here is a sample of my favorite photos from today:
1. Use your zoom to get a shot of someone your not near.
2. Put it under your jacket and they won't even notice.
3. When someone looks at you like you are crazy just give them a snob look that says "why do you think I would take YOUR picture?"
-and my best advice-
4. Do NOT use your flash- they will notice.
Here is a sample of my favorite photos from today:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
