Photo Blog 2- Africa and my heart

          This painting has sentimental value close to my heart based on my experience of traveling to Africa when I was eleven years old on a mission trip. In direct correlation to the Cognitive Theory, which describes mental activities such as memories or expectations becoming an impact of perception of a piece, this piece triggers a batch of memories.  Because of the culture I not only saw, but was experiencing face to face, this painting, through memory brings me back to Uganda, Africa every time I see it. This painting is a complete reflection of what the African culture is, mothers holding their babies in a wrap, covered and close at all times no matter where they are and what they’re doing, no matter how long the journey is. For me, this painting isn’t just a reflection of what African culture might be, but what it IS. Being able to witness this lifestyle and see it first hand for three weeks, gives me such an appreciation and value for everything it represents and the accurate interpretation of a distant nation that most people know nothing about. As far as other factors affecting my perception of this painting as part of the Cognitive Theory, sometimes a flawed expectation of the subject of an image painted can bring the viewer to an understanding of a false idea of the painting. However, with this painting of an African mother and her child, the exact image I had in my head of what African people and its culture would look like once I got there, completely matched up with this painting. Various pieces of literature, as well as stories and blogs about Africa express the deep hurt and needs the people of this continent are going through, almost perceiving them as a sad culture. However, this painting expresses the love and diligence those who are a part of this life survive and take care of each other. An African mother holding her baby in a wrap and running all over the village doing a million things to provide her family looks exactly as this image is conveying that it does. I love this painting, and at one point I had a framed piece of it hanging in my old room, calling me back to Africa every glance I had of it. 

Visual Communications- Photo Blog Post 1

Found on one the main street of Jamestown, New York, this image is one I have never been able to forget. This image has always brought a smile across my face, as well as deep in thought, picturing two people that I have loved through a television show as funny as that is. To me, this is not just a painting of a postage stamp on a building, but more of an icon of how one woman, and her partner in crime, her husband, captured the hearts of a whole nation, starting right here in Jamestown. Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown, and out of all the paintings and memorabilia dedicated to her in Jamestown, this picture is my favorite, and it will never leave my mind. As I visited Jamestown one summer, visiting the house that Lucy grew up in, and the museum dedicated to her and Desi's memory, this painting completed my experience. In our Visual Communication textbook, squares are described as "an unsophisicated or dull" shapes however, because of the people being captured within these four lines, this image is completely the opposite! I love this image because it describes in a simplistic way, the love Desi and Lucille Ball had for each other, and they are one of the reasons Jamestown is a special place, dedicated to preserving the memory of an incredible woman. As the painting is formatted as a stamp, it is conveying how Lucy put Johnstown "on the map" in a sense. As far as placement goes, Lucy, the more iconic of the two in the picture is picture in the center, fitting the social perspective, she the more important person. While the picture is not only about Lucy, Desi is picture beside her not only showing he was her support, but the love and fun they had together is what made this "team" so famous. Within these four lines I come away with a sense of jealously longing for the love Desi and Lucy had. Even though this is not the most vibrant colored picture out there, it doesn't need any more than it already has to develop character or attraction. As the piece is not specifically black and white, it does capture the coloring the couple had, in subtle tones; Desi being handsome and Cuban, and Lucy being red haired, and fair skinned you can tell from the color scheme pastel colors wouldn't reveal anything drastic. The colors chosen bring a depth not as bold as other pieces, but still brings a sense of attraction and thought to the piece. I think as other people visit Jamestown, coming for the purpose I did, they feel the same way when taking in this picture, and would share a similar love and appreciation for the couple pictured. I admire the way Desi is pictured slightly brushing his face against Lucy's, giving it a very classic look, representing the time period of class and sophistication, but still drawing a sense of love and adoration. This image is near and dear to my heart, and the second I heard about this assignment, I immediately knew this is the image I wanted to share.

How has the Internet Improved Society?

 The internet, or "the world wide web" as it is nicknamed, has revolutionized the world in areas of communication, journalism, research, music, business and many others. The internet has changed the way companies operate, the way we learn new things, the way we spread awareness, and without it, we would be missing the ease that it provides. Because the internet is a "world wide free broad cast medium for all" newspapers, broadcast stations, and bloggers can publicize their opinion or new found information within a matter of seconds to anyone with internet around the world (Doyle.) According to internetworldstats.com, 3,366,261,156 access the internet every day. With many people owning smart phones, their source for news is the internet. Along with this fact, those in journalism have pressure to publish online stories within an hour of an event occurring so its readers can access it. The internet has also provided a whole new avenue of opportunity for business. The web was found in the late 1990's as "a site of commerce that has of course continued to grow" (Read, 36). Through websites such as Ebay, Amazon, as well as various retail stores that have online purchasing available, the internet

has changed the way business is done, as the number of online customers only continues to grow. Through sales such as Cyber Monday, occurring around Christmas time, businesses have created opportunity for an incredible profit from those who would rather not brave the crowds at the mall, or those looking for specific sales. According to CNBC, over 131 million people shop on Cyber Monday, creating an incredible amount of internet traffic and sales, blowing profits through the roof. Because of the internet, culture has completely changed in terms of social media, the way people communicate and the introduction of slang, etc. There has been a shifted focus in phone calls, personal contact, and"traditional communication" between friends, family, as well as coworkers have completely transformed due to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat,etc.

As digitalinformationworld.com conducted studies concerning social media, it was found over 1.44 billion people actively use Facebook every month. Because of this fact, advertisers have countless opportunities to present their products, companies, etc. Once the realization was made that the Internet could be used for "more than business communication, but for business period," its worth was raised in the eyes of businesses (Read 36.) " Because of the internet's ability to project ideas, news, advertising, provide platforms of communication, it has completely reconstructed the way the every day person accesses news, learns of products and companies, as well as how they are able to stay in touch with those around them both in professional and casual circumstances. Without the internet, society would be missing out on major steps of advancement in marketing, business, and adopting ideas from those in other parts of the world in other countries and cultures. 

Works Cited

Ahman, IIrfan. "Fascinating #SocialMedia Stats 2015: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+." Fascinating #SocialMedia Stats 2015: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+. Digital Information World 2015, 1 Feb. 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

Ellyatt, Holly. "It's 'Cyber Monday': Here's What to Expect." CNBC. CNBC, 02 Dec. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

Reed, T. V. Digitized Lives: Culture, Power and Social Change in the Internet Era. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

"World Internet Users Statistics and 2015 World Population Stats." World Internet Users Statistics and 2015 World Population Stats. Miniwatts Marketing Group, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.