Picture Perfect
We all think about it. We all hope we get the answer right. Searching for the meaning of life isn’t easy. Answers vary from person to person. Whether they be simple or complicated, each of these meanings are unique and valid.
In this unit of Journalism, we delved into the world of photojournalism. Photojournalism is a form of storytelling using photography. Photojournalists use their cameras to capture the essence of a story. Photojournalism allows you to see, rather than imagine, what is being reported. It brings you into the center of the action, space, or emotion.
You might not have noticed, but pictures are a big deal. You see them in articles, newspapers, and television programs. Cherished memories pop up on our home screens. Instagram revolves around visual images that draw us into people’s worlds. Pictures are everywhere and each one tells a story. Normally, at least for me, I click on articles with engaging cover photos. They make me want to know more.
Now, imagine a news article without any pictures or videos - bland and essay-like. It doesn’t engage the reader the same way an article with photo documentation does. With only words, you are forced to imagine what is being described. This works well for books, but not for journalism. In journalism, photos capture the violence, drama, excitement, and emotion being reported.
For this project, I will use one photo of my subject and their interpretation of the meaning of life.
The subject I decided to interview is my 80 year old grandfather, Vytenis Damusis. To me, he is “Tukas.” Tukas told me he thinks the meaning of life is about following three principles by Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher - thinking, feeling, and action.
Thinking is to wonder - coming up with new ideas and exploring them. Feeling is about experiencing emotion - sharing love and affection with others, especially family. Action is doing something you strive to complete - fulfilling a project or life goal.
In this photo, you see me walking next to my grandfather down a sidewalk with his beloved dog, Buddy. Last year, my grandparents moved to a condo in Wilmette due to their advanced age and need to be close to family. Unfortunately, many buildings in the area aren’t pet-friendly, so Buddy lives with me now. Sad as it is, it still works out fine because my grandparents’ building is only a few blocks away. Tukas can come to see and walk Buddy anytime he wants.
This picture was taken during mid-morning. I wanted to capture it before noon so the light would play with the leaves and shadows from an angle. Since the action project is built around this photo, I really needed it to be perfect. In this photo, Tukas is experiencing one of the three aspects of the meaning of life - feeling. He loves me. I love him. He loves his dog. At his age, moving around isn’t easy. He often laments about his inability to do the things he used to, like golf, swim, and travel abroad. So, these walks with me and his dog are very special. It is one of the few active things we can do safely together. He never forgets to let us know how much he loves these visits.
The photo was taken in Portrait Mode on my mom’s iPhone X. I had her take the picture because I wanted to be photographed next to my grandfather. Family is a big part of his interpretation of the meaning of life, so this seemed natural. Since it was taken in the morning, and the camera was facing south, the light is shining from the left side of the image. If said in terms of the rule of thirds, the light would be shining from the top-left and middle-left squares of the image.
Though the lighting in the picture is not something I preplanned on, what I believe stands out the most in terms of visuals is the variety of colors that can be seen. You see different shades of blue from our clothing, oranges and yellows from the fall leaves, small bits of green grass on the ground, and occasional appearances of grey. The textures and colors pull you into the photo, as if you’re walking along with us on a beautiful fall day. The focus in the photo does not blur out much. iPhone’s Portrait Mode creates a depth-of-field effect. It produces sharp focus on the subjects with a blurred background. Despite the background blur, you can pretty much make out everything in the distance, like the man or car parked on the right side of the street.
The shutter speed seems to be just a bit above average. This is because there are quite a few things in motion - me, Tukas, the dog, the blowing leaves. If you take a closer look at our feet, you can see we are both halfway through taking a step forward, as well as my grandfather's dog. If this were to be taken at a lower shutter speed, you would see blurs in those movements.
Pictures serve many purposes. They can be taken to portray things, record events, share an opinion, evoke an emotion, or just make you laugh. Originally, the picture I took for this project was taken only to help fulfill the rubric requirements, but it ended up being so much more than that. I love spending time with my grandfather, so this picture is more than an Action Project. I think it might be MY meaning of life, too. My grandfather is old and won’t be around forever, so moments like these are a gift. I’m so happy to have a record of it. In the end, this photo fulfills so much more than just one purpose. It is to always remember Tukas and capture his interpretation of the meaning of life that he shared with me on this day - the feeling of love.
In this unit of Journalism, we delved into the world of photojournalism. Photojournalism is a form of storytelling using photography. Photojournalists use their cameras to capture the essence of a story. Photojournalism allows you to see, rather than imagine, what is being reported. It brings you into the center of the action, space, or emotion.
You might not have noticed, but pictures are a big deal. You see them in articles, newspapers, and television programs. Cherished memories pop up on our home screens. Instagram revolves around visual images that draw us into people’s worlds. Pictures are everywhere and each one tells a story. Normally, at least for me, I click on articles with engaging cover photos. They make me want to know more.
Now, imagine a news article without any pictures or videos - bland and essay-like. It doesn’t engage the reader the same way an article with photo documentation does. With only words, you are forced to imagine what is being described. This works well for books, but not for journalism. In journalism, photos capture the violence, drama, excitement, and emotion being reported.
For this project, I will use one photo of my subject and their interpretation of the meaning of life.
The subject I decided to interview is my 80 year old grandfather, Vytenis Damusis. To me, he is “Tukas.” Tukas told me he thinks the meaning of life is about following three principles by Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher - thinking, feeling, and action.
Thinking is to wonder - coming up with new ideas and exploring them. Feeling is about experiencing emotion - sharing love and affection with others, especially family. Action is doing something you strive to complete - fulfilling a project or life goal.
In this photo, you see me walking next to my grandfather down a sidewalk with his beloved dog, Buddy. Last year, my grandparents moved to a condo in Wilmette due to their advanced age and need to be close to family. Unfortunately, many buildings in the area aren’t pet-friendly, so Buddy lives with me now. Sad as it is, it still works out fine because my grandparents’ building is only a few blocks away. Tukas can come to see and walk Buddy anytime he wants.
This picture was taken during mid-morning. I wanted to capture it before noon so the light would play with the leaves and shadows from an angle. Since the action project is built around this photo, I really needed it to be perfect. In this photo, Tukas is experiencing one of the three aspects of the meaning of life - feeling. He loves me. I love him. He loves his dog. At his age, moving around isn’t easy. He often laments about his inability to do the things he used to, like golf, swim, and travel abroad. So, these walks with me and his dog are very special. It is one of the few active things we can do safely together. He never forgets to let us know how much he loves these visits.
The photo was taken in Portrait Mode on my mom’s iPhone X. I had her take the picture because I wanted to be photographed next to my grandfather. Family is a big part of his interpretation of the meaning of life, so this seemed natural. Since it was taken in the morning, and the camera was facing south, the light is shining from the left side of the image. If said in terms of the rule of thirds, the light would be shining from the top-left and middle-left squares of the image.
Though the lighting in the picture is not something I preplanned on, what I believe stands out the most in terms of visuals is the variety of colors that can be seen. You see different shades of blue from our clothing, oranges and yellows from the fall leaves, small bits of green grass on the ground, and occasional appearances of grey. The textures and colors pull you into the photo, as if you’re walking along with us on a beautiful fall day. The focus in the photo does not blur out much. iPhone’s Portrait Mode creates a depth-of-field effect. It produces sharp focus on the subjects with a blurred background. Despite the background blur, you can pretty much make out everything in the distance, like the man or car parked on the right side of the street.
The shutter speed seems to be just a bit above average. This is because there are quite a few things in motion - me, Tukas, the dog, the blowing leaves. If you take a closer look at our feet, you can see we are both halfway through taking a step forward, as well as my grandfather's dog. If this were to be taken at a lower shutter speed, you would see blurs in those movements.
Pictures serve many purposes. They can be taken to portray things, record events, share an opinion, evoke an emotion, or just make you laugh. Originally, the picture I took for this project was taken only to help fulfill the rubric requirements, but it ended up being so much more than that. I love spending time with my grandfather, so this picture is more than an Action Project. I think it might be MY meaning of life, too. My grandfather is old and won’t be around forever, so moments like these are a gift. I’m so happy to have a record of it. In the end, this photo fulfills so much more than just one purpose. It is to always remember Tukas and capture his interpretation of the meaning of life that he shared with me on this day - the feeling of love.
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