Reaction Paper: Embracing Our Differences

Jacqueline Riley

Professor Lopez

ART 144

9 December 2014

Reaction Paper: Embracing our Differences

          In today’s society, people believe that it is not okay to be different. They need to understand that people of different skin color, nationality, weight. height, etc., have lived together since life began. It may not always have been easy, but it happened.

          Professor Lopez and Professor Keener, brought my photography career seminar class to see the banners that were promoting diversity that were displayed out  in front of the Sagtikos building at Suffolk County Community College. As I walked around looking at all these banners I noticed that each one was different. They were created by people of all different ages and different styles of art. Each one was different but had the same meaning--everyone is different, but we’re still people and everyone is deserving of respect.

          I know from personal experience that being bullied is horrible. To go to school everyday and being called mean names I was labeled different in high school because I am overweight and so I can only imagine what it is like to have a different skin color, or nationality. My label is something that I could change, but you cannot change where you come from.

Reaction Paper:: Janelle Brooke

Jacqueline Riley

Professor Lopez

ART 144

9 December 2014

Reaction Paper: Janelle Brooke

          Recently, a photographer named Janelle Brooke came to visit my career seminar class at Suffolk County Community College. One of the first things she said to us was that she was a photography student here at SCCC.  That was refreshing to hear that someone who is in my position has created a successful business. During her journey she fell in love with wedding photography specifically and that is what her business is now. In the promotional video that she showed us, she said that loves to get to know that couples and find out who they are. One of the things that allows her to do that is that she works with her clients for years. She does this because she expanded her business to now include engagement photos, wedding photos, family portraits and infant photography. This change allows her to spend more time with her clients. One of the things that make her photos unique is the unusual, exotic locations that she brings the couples to for their wedding photos. I love this because it’s amazing and very untraditional. Having the unusual background with the classic wedding dress and tuxedo makes the perfect contrast to the photos.

          When Janelle Brooke first told the class that the cost of her business was $9,000,  my first thought was that she was insane. However, after seeing the pamphlets and things that she passed around, that is a perfect amount. The amount of things that she does for a couple is amazing. 

          After class that day, I went home and told my family that when I get married, Janelle Brooke will photography my wedding.  

Reaction Paper: Jim Lennon

Jacqueline Riley

Professor Lopez

ART 144

9 December 2014

Reaction Paper: Jim Lennon

          Recently, the career seminar class at Suffolk County Community College took a trip to a professional photography studio. This studio belonged to professional photographer Jim Lennon. When we first arrived, we were greeted by his wife and his paid assistant. They were extremely nice people. Their assistant did not talk much, but Jim’s wife did. She told us a lot about the financial aspect of running their own studio. When coming up with your initial price, you need to factor in materials being used, paying models, paying the assistants, paying themselves, electricity, even heating/ac.

          Once Jim Lennin arrived, he told us more about the photography side. He told us about shooting on location, which sounded exhausting.  It must be difficult to carry all that equipment to the scene, take it out, set it up, do the job and then clean up all the equipment. Lennon also told us about his clients. It seemed unreal to be talking to someone who had took photos for big companies you see every day.

          This was the first studio that I have ever seen and it was nothing like I imagined it to be. First, Lennon said there were multiple shooting spaces, but I only saw the big one in the back.  It was amazing to see all materials displayed all around.  I saw the lights he had, the computers, and the cabinets full of equipment—it was amazing. If this is one of the smaller studios, I wish I could see the rest, they’re like a work of art.

Gallery at Eastern Campus

Recently, I submitted three photos to be hung in the gallery at Suffolk's Eastern Campus. I would not know if any of them would be hung up until I attended the opening reception on November 13. When I went to the reception I was pleasantly surprised to see that all three images that I submitted were hung up. My professor was there and told me that someone asked if I would sell my photos. That was such an amazing feeling to know that someone thought my photos were that amazing.


These are the photos that were hung up:

Orient to New London

Recently I took a vacation to Salem, Massachusetts. While I was there, I took so many pictures. While I was on the ferry from Orient Point to New London, I was all over the boat! I took 400 pictures on a hour and a half ferry ride. However, this is not the point of this post. When I was younger, I would take photos of the land that I passed, the water, the american flag, and my family. On this trip it was different. I was taking pictures of the stairs, railing, lights, the telescope, the benches, ropes, buoys, rust stains and writing on the wall. As I was looking back on the photos, I came to the realization that I am improving as a photographer. The different assignments in my Digital Photography I class have made me look at things differently and my assignments and lectures in my Digital Materials and Processes class have enabled me to play around with the setting on my camera to produce different images. It is amazing to see how far I have come! and there is still half a semester left!

Here are some of my favorite images from the boat!

"Number 6"

1/60 @ f/ 5.6

ISO 200

"Lines of the Sea"

1/3200 @  f/5.6

ISO 1600

* A couple of said to me that this image looks like it was taken on the Titanic *

"Ropes"

1/200 @ f/5.6

ISO 200

"Light"

1/100 @ f/5.6

ISO 200

"Orient to New London"

1/3200 @ f/5.6

ISO 1600

"Used"

1/3200 @ f/5.6

ISO 1600

Diversity

Today at school, my professor, brought us to see these works of art that promote diversity. I did not have my camera with me, but I was able to take some shots with my galaxy S5 smartphone.

I really liked this one in particular. I was bullied in high school and so this image speaks to me on a whole different level. Everyone is different but we go to school to learn. We are stuck with each other for several years, I do not understand why people feel the need to bully others. This image is a perfect representation of this problem that most children, teens and even some college students face.

This piece of art is the first one that I saw when I walked up the banners. I kept coming back to this one image because it is a fantastic representation of diversity. There are so many different races and nationalities and they all make up one big work. Each one is a puzzle piece that when added together, form a beautiful picture.

Music is a big part of my life and so when I saw this I had to take a picture of it. Most instruments are the same no matter where you go, but they are played by many different kinds of people.

This banner caught my eye because I really liked how they used a different color and font for each word. It is a visual representation of diversity even in just words. 

These four images are of banners that got my attention. Diversity is a big part about American life and racism is a big issue. People may look different bur that doesn't mean that people shouldn't be treated like people. Any person is deserving of respect of any other person.

Firehouse Photography

My brother is an EMT and a volunteer at our local firehouse. Him and a couple of his fellow volunteers had asked me to take a couple of shots of some of the trucks for them. The pictures below are my favorite out of the bunch!

f/10.0 @ 1/250

ISO 200

f/10.0 @ 1/250 

ISO 200

f/10.0 @ 1/250

ISO 200

These photos were shown at their annual installation dinner!

*These photos were not edited in photoshop*