Prompt #1

#1: Imagine a world without photographs. Describe what this world would be like.

     A world without photographs would be very bland and unhappy.  Photographs are a great way of capturing wonderful memories, and without that capability, looking back on the good times in our lives would be a lot more difficult.  Photographs are also a form of personal expression and exploration, and without that opportunity, there would be a creative void leaving a lot of people would be unfulfilled. 

#2: What does the word "photograph" mean to you?

     The word photograph, to me, means documentation.  It is a great and effective way of capturing moments in time, expressions, opinions, conditions, and can be a great historical research tool.  Before I switched to art education I was a history education major, and I always loved looking at photographs as valuable primary sources.  They can reveal a lot about the time period in ways other sources cannot. This will be true for other generations to come, even though photoshop and digital imaging may blur the idea of what is real and what is not - it is still a great tool for looking at the culture and interests of the time. 

#3 “Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.”~Duane Michals. Write a brief reaction to this quote. Is this quote applicable to your experience with photography? What does it mean to you? Do you agree with the idea presented or disagree? 
     I definitely agree with this quote.  I believe this is applicable to my experience with photography.  I find this to be true especially in cases where the image has been altered, but not always.  Some times when I look at photographs, particularly portraits or historical photographs, I always wonder what the person is really thinking. I think a lot of the time (not all), things can be staged or set up in a certain way.  I always wonder what people would do when left to make their own decisions.  For example, the United States government pictures of the Native Americans, when they were forcibly removed from their land and killed, are very poignant.  The Native Americans are photographed, but you can tell it is not willingly, and that there is a lot more them then what the viewer can see.  At the same time, I think photography really prompts you to think about these things. Is the photograph real? Historically accurate? Altered? Does it always matter?  

#4 “If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera.” ~Lewis Hine.

Write a brief reaction to this quote. Is this quote applicable to your experience with photography? What does it mean to you? Do you agree with the idea presented or disagree? Describe situations when photographic images reveal “the story” (as compared to words). Describe situations when words reveal “the story” (as compared to images).

     This quote is applicable to my experience with photography.  I think that photography is a great way to express and capture moments and feelings that are not always so easy to express in words.  To me, this quote means that visual representations can portray and capture moments that words cannot always easily express.  Some people are more visually orientated and some find their niche in other ways.  Personally, I like to see things and I like to read.  But I find that some things ARE better understood and expressed in a visual format.  In my own experience, I find this to be true especially for nature, such as natural parks and awesome nature scenes that cannot be expressed by words, they take your breath away.