What a normal day...or not!

This is a presentation I had to do as part of my learning experience with cloud computing. I have tried using Google Docs before, but during this assignment I learnt a lot more about it and even though it did take a bit of work, I really enjoyed this project. It made me realize that as much as I sometimes don't pay attention to things, my day isn't very normal at all and I feel like I am always surrounded by wonderful people. I need to always keep in mind to never, ever take them for granted. So, here's my day on a presentation through Google Docs, I really hope you enjoy it!

Urban Landscape in 30 Seconds!

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

This is video made for my Fundamentals of Digital Media Class. It was made with the software provided by Animoto. The images in the video were taken by me, as part of another project, where we had to take pictures based on the theme of Urban Landscape. The song I used was "Where I belong" by Building 429. I chose this song because I love what it says, and I thought it would go well with the video, sense I am showing pictures of a city.

Accessibility

2012-01-17 21.40.31, a photo by The Fault in Our Stars on Flickr.

As part of my Digital Media class at the University of Toledo, I had to go out into the city and try to capture a little bit of the Urban Landscape (which was the theme of the photoshoot) with my camera phone. After taking over a hundred pictures, I narrowed it down to 20 photos that I liked the most and I then edited them using Picnik.

The original photograph was taken with the flash off and a resolution of 5 megapixels. I tried to take the shots from different point of views and from different distances. I also tried to take it with the flash on, but from far away, it didn’t really make a difference, and when I was closer to the sign, the light would reflect on the sign to the point of almost fading the sign. After reviewing the pictures from this location, I picked this one.

In this photo, I decided to optimize the image by messing around with the lighting and the contrast between the wall, the sign and the lighting that was hitting the sign. I tried to make the focus on the actual sign, and that was something that I wasn’t getting from the original image. The focus could be the sign, but it could also be the car in the background, and I just wasn’t convinced. After trying to change the saturation of colors, and using the contrast tool to bring out the blue of the sign, I tried the neon editing tool and it blew me away. Getting rid of the noise and unnecessary objects and colors, I think helped the picture, because the focus went straight to the sign, and I can see the structure of the wall behind it. I also like the fact that it makes me wonder what’s going in the background, but I still go back to the sign as the main focus.

C'mon, be extraordinary.

Three words, such a simple sentence, no metaphors nor any epiphanies, just a simple statement, but it has become an everyday reminder in my life. As simple as that line is, it’s a shame I didn’t come up with it, but I think that’s what makes it greater. This quote came up in an episode of my favorite television show, Doctor Who, which is a British television show about the adventures of an alien. The line is of course said by the Doctor, and I knew right then, this quote was going to change my life. I remember I wrote down the quote, and I decided to take it into my everyday life. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that what we’re doing or working on at the moment is literally changing the world. From typing a paper, to cooking dinner for your family, or working on an art project, everything affects something else or someone else. So, I decided, if I’m going to do it, I better give it my best, it may not be the best, but it’s the best I could do, and in the end, that’s what makes a difference.

“C’mon, Extraordinary” – Eleventh Doctor