Spiral Staircases (5 websites)

http://petapixel.com/2014/12/19/disorienting-beauty-spiral-staircases-old-abandoned-buildings/

I looked at the spiral staircase website very briefly, not only because there were few pictures to look at, but because the staircases all looked very similar. Except for these three. It says in the link, "Spiral Staircases" but these three really stood out to me. They are all so different and unique from one another but they are all classified as the same thing. I don't see a whole lot of simplicity in these pictures because most of them are old and have peeling paint on the walls/stairs. But i do see balance throughout all three. They all follow the same pattern all the way through the picture; either a spiral shape, a rounded rectangle shape, or a sharp-edged square shape. All of these pictures were taken by Christian Richter. 

Killer Time Lapse (5 websites)

http://blog.ted.com/2014/10/07/how-to-create-a-killer-timelapse-with-joe-capra/

I looked at a couple really cool time lapses of Rio de Janeiro and Australia's Gold Coast. They would be beautiful places to visit and the time lapses were really cool and well done. Both videos went from sunrise to sunset and showed people on the coast surfing and playing in the water. They showed traffic which was really cool to watch at a faster pace than usual. They also showed the forested parts of the areas and what tourists do too. I think both time lapses were made by Vimeo. 

the videos didn't really teach me anything, they were just really amazing. 

Gold Coast, Australia

The Oldest Living Things In The World (5 Websites)

http://www.rachelsussman.com/oltw/

I looked at some really cool pictures of some really amazing places with some of the oldest living things on earth. Almost all of the pictures were of plants/trees. one was a simple soil sample, while others were huge living trees in the US and Africa.

I learned that things like moss and small shrubberies to huge trees can live for thousands and thousands of years.

The site was full of very well-taken and well-positioned pictures of beautiful places all over the world with even more beautiful, ancient plants.
I chose this picture because of its natural, serene beauty.

It has incredible simplicity that draws your eye straight to the focus of the picture, the 9,550 year old tree

Prompt Shoot-2nd Semester

"eight"

"the end"

"connected"

"pause"

Bests of 2014

Song: Style - Taylor Swift

I could listen to Taylor's new album over and over again. But i really loved this song about how this couple "never goes out of style".

Movie: Into The Woods

I absolutely LOVED this movie. They had a bunch of really popular actors and actresses in it to make it very interesting to watch. The fact that some of those people could sing was really surprising, but it made it so fun to watch! The twist of all the fairytales that we were told as kids gave it an interesting twist on many movies that had already been made.

News Story: Celebrity Deaths- Robin Williams

"From 'Mork' to Oscar, A Look At Robin Williams' Career"

This story was really heart-wrenching for many who enjoyed Robin Williams. The day I found out that one of my favorite actors had died, i watched videos of his early comedy acts. 

I grew up with Robin Williams in many of my favorite movies; Aladdin, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Hook, Jumanji, and all of the Night at the Museum movies. Even movies like Flubber and Bicentennial Man were amazing because he was in them. He will be truly missed as an actor, comedian and role model.

Most Influential person of 2014: Carrie Underwood

I not only love Carrie Underwood's music and style, I love the message she gives off and what she believes in. As a top country artist, she has quite a bit of influence on people. She is strong-willed and smart and just amazing. She is a role model for so many young girls, including me. 

                      

Favorite photos of 2014

Turkish-Syrian Border
I loved the way this photo was taken. The barren land all around the abandoned crib
brought the message of the photo back to something we understand.
The people who were forced to leave this crib had to choose their life or their belongings.

The fire that was lit in the middle of Sha'af (Gaza city)
 is the only comfort they have left in the midst of what their homes used to be.
I love that even when they were surrounded by memories and what is left of their homes,
they can find comfort in each other even it is close to none.  

Taken in Ferguson, MO,
this protestor is willing to take horrible pain for what he believes in.
For Michael Brown and his death, many protesters would do the same.
I love what this photo shows of what people will do for what they think is right. 

EXTRA CREDIT - Finals

1. A Queen's resident, Ki Suk Han was pushed in fromt of an on-coming subway train by a man who was harassing people in the subway. The photographer began taking photos only after he tried to save the man's life.
2. He said he only took pictures because he thought the flash might warn the conductor of the on-coming train that there was someone in danger.
3. I think that what really turned out to be a horrible photo, was only taken on accident. If the photographer said that he could do all he could to help, then I believe him. Taking those pictures was only done because of the flash that would go off to warn the conductor. He was trying to save the man's life.
4. I think he could have asked the people who were taking videos of it to help him. If he couldn't lift the man by himself, a few more people could have helped.
5. I completely disagree with everything that they did. No person's death should ever be spread across the front page of a magazine for everyone to see and judge. Someone DIED and they used it as a cover story with the words "Pushed on the subway track, this man is about to die". There is no respect in that, and no humanity. I have no respect for the people at that magazine.
6. I think that capturing life as it happens is more important. As their job, they have to capture photos that take our breath away. That is their goal. But in situations like this, where it is a matter of life or death, and what they are thinking about is saving a man's life or getting a great picture… that is wrong. It shouldn't be anyone's job to make that decision for someone else.
7. I think in a situation like this, it is always acceptable to involve yourself.
8. When a situation decides if someone lives or dies, ethics shouldn't matter. But when it is any other photo, they should take the pictures they see, not what they make.
9. They should have done more, and could have. Or at least delete the picture for no one to use. It is horribly wrong to have sold it for the magazine, or to have let anyone use it or see it. And it gives the situation a whole new meaning from what the photographer said it was.