Ad Buster

For this Ad Buster Project I chose to use a running ad I found for Asics running shoes.  The original slogan for the ad is, (Sound Mind) x (Sound Body) x 2 = Happily Ever After.  The meaning, or exploitation of this ad is that if you use this shoes for running, then both your mind and body will be comfortable, leading to a happy life as long as you own these shoes.  The intended audience for this ad is teenagers and young adults who either already run or want to start running.  The audience being leftout is those who may participate in other activities or simply those who do not wish to run, but may like the shoes for their look.

I chose to cross out the "Happily Ever After" and replace that phrase with the term Chrondromalacia.  Chondromalacia is also known as the "Runner's Knee," this is when the cartilage begins to break away from the patella, also known as the knee cap, and the bones begin to grind together causing extreme pain.  I accompanied the slogan change with a picture I found in a health article which shows scientific breakdown of this knee injury.  I feel that, being a consistant runner since I was 12, and being someone that has Chondromalcia, the concept the ad is trying to portray is false and the facts of running need to addressed. 

Personal Photography: The move to Arizona (Growing Up)

For this body project I chose to include personal photos of myself with friends while growing up in Arizona.  I moved to Arizona in July of 2012, and I feel that in the midst of middle school it can be hard to make new friends and feel accepted amongst your peers.  The theme I have chosen to explore is the process of moving to new places, feeling somewhat alienated, but eventually discovering who you are and being accepted among your peers and creating life-long friendships.  When looking through old photographs, I noticed that there were a good amount of pictures of myself with friends where I was always off to the side or on the phone.  Looking back, I realize how not only did I feel somewhat alienated in a huge group setting, but also how to a certain extent I alienated myself from the group because I did not feel comfortable in a large group setting.  I found this interesting, and this is what led me to the decision to post my personal photographs.  I found the inspiration to do this project through the idea and probable thinking that I am more than likely not the only person who felt this way, or dealt with the same issues, but in a different way.  Another element of the project that I realized is how much I have grown as a person since I first moved to Arizona when I was twelve years old.  I feel like I found the inspiration from Carrie Mae Weems because her photography portrayed everyday struggles that people question about themselves.

Documentary Photography

After careful consideration I chose to photograph different areas of Greasewood Park.  The park is a great example of the Sonoran Desert.  The thought process behind this is to emphasize that the Sonoran Desert is the only home to the Sahuaro Cactus and how our parks need to be kept clean and construction free.  It is illegal to cut down this cactus and in ourder to move it you need the city's permission.  With all the construction in Tucson and the parks, ask yourself, how many of these cacti can we move before we start effecting their growth?  Another key note is that littering is not only wrong by poluting the environment, but it also defaces the natural beauty of the park.  The Sahuaro Cactus still stands strong and mighty today, but for how long?  This is something to keep in mind as we try to preserve nature at it's best.  The Sonoran Desert is unique and holds a home to many different species of plants and animals, we need to take this into consideration before the contruction gets out of hand do our best to keep pollution at a minimum.

Texture

I chose to explore the element of texture through these pair of boots.  The way i positioned the boots on the grass allows the view to see not only parts of the boot seen when being worn, but also the soul of the boot which takes the most beating.  Texture portrays not only the age of the boot, but also what these boots were used for.  It gives the viewer an idea of what these boots were used for along with the type of person who probably used them.

Color

I decided to choose color as the other them for these boots because the photos are almost polar opposite of the ones chosen for texture.  The texture portrays that of a working man, where as the color portrays a person who may be going to a dinner and needs to dress in a nice manner, or that of someone who believes they have great taste.  The top of the boots are filled with color and have a unique design, along with clean appearance as opposed to the bottom of the boot.  This is what led me to choose the theme of color.

Perspective