Zettl, "The Two Dimensional Field"

It's more than fitting words on a page

When I first learned how to change the layout of my paper on Microsoft Word, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Being able to fit more words on a page?! Genius! Granted, I was in second grade and didn't quite understand how physics worked or why it would actually be useful. 

As I was reading the Zettl article, page 1 talked about how the lines in photos effect how we see them. More specifically, a horizontal arrangement "seems to suggest calmness, tranquility, and rest," while a vertical orientation is "harder to manage" and thus more exciting and powerful. After reading this I thought it could be somewhat true, but it wasn't until I looked at the examples on the next page when I was shocked to realize how true this is. I've seen other pictures that have given me the same feelings without me even realizing that it was the lines to blame for my subconscious emotions.

To prove it to you, I've included my own examples. I always imagined the beach (and pictures of it) to be relaxing and tranquil, to put me at ease and comfort me. Above is a perfect example of one these picturesque beach scenes, where you will most likely feel perfectly content while looking at the image.

However, once I saw a similar photo of a beach shown vertically (to the left), with strong vertical lines, I immediately felt jarred and uneasy. Since the beach is beautiful and I love the ocean, I consciously thought that it looked nice, but couldn't shake that feeling of being slightly uncomfortable. Do you feel the same way after looking at these two pictures or do you have no change in feeling?

Frame your life

There are many other generally undetectable aspects that go into making a picture seem 'just right,' from framing, to alignment, to placement; and most of these are then inspected and subconsciously reordered in our brains. Our minds often fill in more than what is pictured, or automatically connect it to something else. I am fascinated by those images of lines or dots that ask if you can tell which is longer or bigger because these illusions always prove just how complex our minds are. My favorite book as a child was an Eric Carle book, called Hello, Red Fox, that used color and shapes to bring up other images. One example from this book is shown to the right. It you stare at the dot in the middle of the goldfish for 30 seconds and then look at the dot on the blank page, a new color fish will appear, based on complimentary colors and such. This is similar to some of the illusions Zettl discusses in this chapter. 

However, as we examine images and their effect on our feelings, I have to wonder if being told what we should feel affects us. Do we want to feel normal and thus imagine feeling a certain way or do we wish to rebel against authority on every level and therefore refuse to acknowledge specific emotions?

"Social" Media: the Cost of Being Online

Virilio, "Open Sky," Part 3

Virilio opens by questioning what makes a real tree. This reminds me of an earlier post reviewing an article by Sturken and Cartwright questioning the meaning of images. Virilio argues the importance of his question, since it will determine how we view photographs moving forward. He also refers to the "overexposure of the visible of the age of image animation" in light of the underexposure of the written word, which is reminiscent of Carr's article about Google. This again reminds me of an earlier post about the decline of academic reading in response to Carr's article.

Back to the Future

The way that we see the world has changed considerably, even since the invention of the light. Before that, humans could only see the world from ground level, in the light of the day, for the time they were looking. Today, with satellite images and airplanes, with night vision and cities that light up, with still pictures and videos, images have been forever and irrecoverably changed, as has our ability to view them. Animated GIFs, or moving pictures (eerily similar to the way photographs are depicted in Harry Potter), are a fairly recent innovation that have changed the Internet yet again. Like Carr argues, I believe that they have been detrimental to the written word by making online lists even more appealing. 

However, despite their detriment to literacy, GIFs are an interesting step towards the future of imagery. They can be entertaining (as they often are on Buzzfeed's lists) or can be utilized as a helpful tool for learning. For example, this is an animated GIF of a model of DNA; it is better than a still picture because it shows how bases are added and in what pattern, and some would argue that it is better than a video because it shows the same motion over and over so students can more clearly see and remember how it works.

Of course, as many inventions perfect for educational use, they can also be turned into entertainment. It is this that has the potential to cause a problem for the future of images. I am starting to find animated GIFs more interesting to look at than regular pictures. Do you believe that these moving pictures will eventually lead to the extinction of still pictures or will they always have a place in our world? If GIFs were to overrun still photographs, do you think that would be detrimental to society?

Virilio, "Open Sky," Part 2

Smaller, Faster, Smarter

This section opens with with an admiration of the mosquito; how it can detect its prey, draw blood painlessly, and function completely at such a microscopic level. This marvel is then compared to the abilities of a machine if (when) we harness the mosquito's abilities for our benefit. Contrary to the popular saying, it seems that smaller is better.

"...little by little, technological reductionism is spreading to all branches of communications and telecommunications."

While this book was originally published in 1997, it was edited in 2008. The original edition came out before Twitter existed and I doubt this quote was changed in the newer version; making his statement completely true and forthcoming. Twitter is the epitome of the fast-paced digital age. With only 140 characters, a person can share breaking news, promote a product, cause a frenzy, or try to trick people into thinking they're funny. 

Although some scoffed at the idea of a social media sharing website that restricted how much you could share, Twitter is one of the top social media sites. According to Technogist, Twitter is the second most popular social media site, behind Facebook. It has been especially great for businesses and media, allowing for both interaction with customers/fans and promotion.

'I was born into a century in which the whole earth had been discovered, whereas the Ancients scarcely knew a third of it.'

--Jérome Cardan

This is an incredible thought, when you apply it to technology today. To think that 100 years ago the modern X-Ray tube was invented and was considered revolutionary because it could show photographs of deep anatomy and tumors is amazing. Today we have machines that can show almost everything inside our bodies, more than with just X-Ray machines, but also with MRIs and others.

With that much progress in a seemingly short amount of time, it's almost terrifying to think about what might exist even in another 50 years. Especially if there are tiny, robotic mosquitos flying around and sucking our blood as part of some scientific experiment.

There are some theories that these crazy sci-fi inventions have already been created and are just waiting to be released; do you believe these conspiracy theories? Why or why not? What is the next big technology that you imagine being created?

Paul Virilio, "Open Sky," Part One

Woah. This reading was very heavy on the technical terms and dove right into concepts that I knew very little, if anything, about. I will (try to) analyze one piece of information from the article that I understood and found interesting.

The Breakdown of the Family Unit

Virilio blames the "technological evolution" of the new convergence culture for the breakdown of the family unit. While many would argue that it is the new era of liberated values and looser morals (in the younger generations) that causes families to grow distant and fall apart.

Technology is to blame because:

-Globalization- As the world gets smaller, we feel the need to reach out farther, thus ignoring the ones closest to us. We can instantly chat with our friends across the state instead of paying attention to our family, and in the teenage years, this is unbearably tempting.

-Less Talking- In instances where face-to-face talking was inevitable, like car rides and waiting rooms, we now have an array of other options. Instead of chatting in the car, kids can now play games on their phone or text friends.

-Skewed Priorities- I think we can all admit that it is nearly impossible to ignore our phones. No matter how important a conversation is, when my phone goes off my eyes immediately dart to it. Especially when this goes to extremes, it can be very damaging to relationships, and eventually deteriorate the family.

Technology is NOT to blame because:

-Demoralization- The more recent generations have had decreasing moral values in the past decades, so it is their loose morals that explain the breakdown of the family. Teen pregnancy (as glorified recently by shows like Teen Mom) is hard on families, and often leads to single parenthood. Also, rising divorce rates means that more children are being raised by grandparents or third parties.

-Other Options: On Saturday night, when a family could go out together or stay in and play a board game, society now offers many different entertainment options for all ages.

-Increasing Demands- With a bad economy and increasing demands in the workplace, parents are forced to stay at work longer and remain more distracted when they are home. This again leaves children to be raised by nannies or others, and can build resentment towards their parents.

Do you find that you have become more distant from your family since you've gotten a smart phone? Or do you feel that it is society that has been separating families?

Welcome to Furman!

Created with flickr slideshow.

Behind the Scenes

My last post was a slideshow of Furman, showing what it's like to tour Furman University. I tried to focus on the digital aspect of the admissions world, although it was somewhat difficult to do in pictures.  For example, I recently learned that Furman will be checking students in on iPads instead of on paper in the near future, but couldn't represent this in photos. Either way, I'm really proud of the pictures I took and the edits I made. Below are some examples of photos before and after I edited them.

First Impressions Matter 

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After

Let's Be Eco

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The Perfect Instagram Opportunity

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 Over Hill and Through the Woods... 

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Beautiful Day

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After