Wrap-Up| Young

First off- this semester went so fast, I cannot believe that the year is over already! But anyway, I really loved this class- it was such a breath of fresh air to actually do something creative in my major (advertising). I loved that the class was all about design and color, and that it was project-based. It was really nice not to have written tests, and because of it I know I learned more, the class was all about actually doing the work and gaining experience. Coming from a person who is usually horrible with technology and learning software, I can safely say that I learned SO much from working in the labs. My times spent in the lab were sometimes wrong, but the finished products are definitely rewarding and nice to have. The class was fun but also really informative and serious, it was a perfect mix and created a really comfortable learning environment.

Thanks for a great semester, and everyone have an amazing summer!- bye Paul! :)

Annie Liebovitz: Extra Credit| Young

Like most of the people there, I was a fan of Annie Liebovitz prior to attending her speech, so I was very excited that she was able to come. I was a little bit surprised actually that she didn't show her most famous photographs such as the john lennon & yoko ono rolling stones cover or her pregnant demi moore vanity fair cover, but they were mentioned briefly. Throughout her lecture it seemed that the emphasis of her display was on nature, landscapes, and still lifes. Her niece is a senior at syracuse and some of her other family members were in the audience as well, so it was a cool atmosphere and she shared a lot of personal family pictures and stories as well. Personally, I enjoyed her story regarding time when she photographed the queen of england and how she was only allowed a very short amount of time with her, but with her personality and a little talking she was able to stay with her for a longer amount of time. All in all, I feel really lucky to have been able to hear a photographer of her ability and experience speak, her work is amazing, and she's a really interesting person as well.

Annie Leibovits extra credit | Lang

I googled the name Annie Leibovitz countless times before I went to see her. I looked up her most famous photographs and learned about who she is. I didn't want to have high expectations for this lecture as in that she was going to show all her famous photographs such as the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Rolling Stone cover or the pregnant Demi Moore. I went to this lecture with an open mind because she was so famous, I felt that she could talk about anything and I would be captivated and it was true. The lecture started with her showing a lot of landscape photography. She talked about how she got into taking photos and then later into photo journalism. There were times when her speech got personal, and I really enjoyed that. She didn't try to pretend to be super strong and that she had to hold up an act. I felt that Annie Leibovitz was very honest and open about her life, her thoughts and the future. What i took away from this lecture was that adaptability is the key. Technology is constantly changing and it is very important to keep up with it. She stressed that our generation is the future and that we need to be able to adapt to the new technology. I really admired her, listening to her speak was really inspiring. I also learned that being a photography is so personal. She is able to express her feelings and thoughts however she wants through her pictures and I think that's amazing.

Wrap-up MERCER

When I learned I had to take this course, I was initially very upset. I don't consider myself a visual or creative person, generally speaking, and I was truly worried about the time commitment that everyone complains about so much! I was completely and pleasantly surprised by this course.

Never before have I considered font and type face important. Never did I think of the Rule of Thirds. I didn't know that you could make a visual without using a photograph! Honestly this course has taught me a lot, even to a frustrating point- I can't look at anything without picking apart all its design elements!

My favorite project was the poster one because I was able to think of a cool idea on my own and really run with it. I usually got frustrated during projects because I would have great ideas, but the execution would prove to be way harder than I thought. With this project, my final poster looked exactly as I wanted it to! My least favorite was, to my surprise, the resume. This project had me feeling least creative and I really didn't do a good job on it. I preferred the more difficult and time-consuming ones because I was able to conceptualize cooler ideas.

I'm really happy to have taken this course and I would love to take another graphics course! Thanks Paul for being great!

Wrap-Up | Lang

I didn't really know what to expect coming into this class. I knew we would have to design projects and use the Adobe programs. I was some what familiar with some of the programs because i used them in high school, but once the projects starting rolling, it was a lot. I had expected this class to be very time consuming and difficult. It was definitely time consuming, but instead of difficult, I would say that it was challenging but it a good way. This class really made me think a lot about design and how things look visually. It made me looking at everything differently. I would just stop and look at random posters or fliers on the wall and think about the design. Overall, I really enjoyed this class a lot! Now looking back on it, I learned so much, not just using the software but also about designing. I really enjoyed working on each project even though sometimes it drove me crazy. I spent a lot of time in the labs and it seriously started to feel like I was living in the labs. I didn't have a problem with that though. Each project took me a long time, sometimes i felt that some people were breezing by with their projects and I was just working on it really slowly. I spent a lot of detail and time on each project, sometimes it was because I didn't know what i was doing, other times it was because i wanted to get it right. my favorite project would probably be the magazine one. I honestly has so much fun with that project and really enjoyed working on every bit of it. The only thing i found most difficult was finding all the pictures I needed. I'm really glad that I took this class. There is so much that I took away just from taking this class and I know that because of this class, I will not look at everything more visually.

Marte | Wrap-Up

Ok, so before starting the actual class I heard a lot of rumors about Graphics, especially the section with Sherri Taylor. I heard the class was going to be a pain because she was so strict. I was kind of freaked out, however, throughout the course I learned that those rumors, in my opinion didn’t live up to the real experience. I don’t want to sugarcoat this wrap-up blog but I actually ENJOYED and really liked the class, even after spending couple of hours at the lab without knowing what to do.

I learned so much about the Adobe programs. I have never even opened InDesign before the class started and now I know so much about it. Every time I showed my friends my projects they were so amazed, and always said they wanted to learn how to create what I was able to create. I always said I wasn’t creative, but I think I found some creativity within me ☺ Truly, I never thought I was going to enjoy this class, and I did. I’m so proud of myself and of all my projects, even though none of them were perfect. Sherri Taylor, Stephen, and of course you, Paul, helped each one of us in our one semester journey. I’m going to miss the class.

Annie Leibovitz | Extra Credit | Wong

    Although being in a crowded room and sitting on the floor wasn't my idea of a fun Thursday night, being able to listen to Annie Leibovitz, one of the most celebrated photographers in the world, gave a simple message today to the packed audience at Hendricks Chapel was definitely pretty cool. That message was that the future depends on our youth and our ability to learn from the past in order to be innovative.

    But Friday’s lecture was also a much more personal affair than expected. Hendricks Chapel got to see a different side of the famous photographer that evening. Leibovitz didn’t show any of her famous photos, such as the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Rolling Stones cover photo, or the other famous pregnant Demi Moore cover photo. Instead, every picture that she shared in her slideshow, which ranged from landscapes to personal pictures, had a personal narrative behind it, and also a quick heartfelt lesson that the audience would benefit learning from. They all involved her family, friends, or her life somehow, and they were all important in her journey to get to where she is today.
    Leibovitz started the evening with an anecdote about a family trip to Niagara Falls, in which she had planned to stay in a hotel overlooking the falls. She had to settle for a motel instead, because her credit card had been declined, due to her recent financial troubles. The anecdote was accompanied by a photograph of one of her children sleeping on the motel bed, one of what the view outside the motel window was like, and finally one what the falls looked like. Instead of the gorgeous view that the hotel would’ve given them, the view from the motel window consisted of a lot of fog and mist – no glorious view of the falls. However, once the family was on the boat touring Niagara Falls, Leibovitz’s children were amazed and awed by the beauty of the falls, causing her to take that final photograph that she shared. According to her, this experience showed that the darkest times could also be the most interesting times – a simple and heartfelt message that everybody should learn.
    She continued by talking about her love of using natural light, and shooting outdoors. Every single landscape and portrait that she shared with the audience had a story behind it – for her portrait of Queen Elizabeth, she talked about how the British wouldn’t let her shoot the Queen in “formal wear” outdoors. She then joked about how the Queen was never seen without any sort of “formal wear.” There were photos of a magnificent glass house, in which she shared her story about how she got the opportunity to shoot it, and how she treated the man who lived there (very rudely).
    When showing the pictures she took at Petra, Jordan for Conde Nast Travel, Leibovitz shared stories about her relationship and friendship with the late photographer, Susan Sontag, and how “death gives photographs a whole new meaning.” She also shared other photographs that she shot for Conde Nast Travel, and then shared the story as to why she left the magazine – for their beach issue, she shot dismal black and white photographs instead of stunningly beautiful and colorful beach photos.
    She also said that she didn’t have a favorite picture or shot – it was the body of her work that was the most important, another lesson that everybody should really learn. Yet, if she had to choose a favorite photo, it would be a portrait she took of her mother, because in the photograph, it seemed as if her mother was staring into Leibovitz’s soul, and not into the camera. Overall, the lecture was a very personal and intimate one – and it ended on a personal note. After showing a few personal photos of her family, Leibovitz ended with a photograph of her niece, a graduating senior from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Leibovitz then wished the best of luck to her niece and the rest of the class of 2010, saying that the future depended on them. So yeah, hanging out on the floor of Hendricks Chapel wasn't the greatest way to spend a Thursday night, but being able to say that I saw a famous photographer and brag about it to my friends back home who are huge fans definitely made the event worth going to.