Bus Driver Richard Stevens Jr.

UMD Bus Driver Richard Stevens Jr. from Alexandra Pamias on Vimeo.

One thing I think I did well was ask the right questions. I got very good soundbites when I asked him what inspired him to be a bus driver and what was the funniest thing he experienced during a night shift.

When it comes to the things I could work on there are many. I wasn't able to interview him in a place that showed who he was. Instead I conducted the interview inside an empty classroom, which didn't show off his personality. I tried using the shaky video stabilizer but because of the App I used to film most of the videos, it wouldn't let me apply that feature to them.

I definitely need to work on it a bit more.

DJ Molly E Interview

Something I think I did well was get a good variety of wide, mediums, and close-ups that properly gave a sense of Molly's surroundings. The area where she gives her radio show is very quirky and I think my shots really captured that.

Something I can work on are the transitions between video and how they match up with the audio. Sometimes when Molly began a new topic or sentence, the transition was perfectly timed with a change in video. I would have preferred if it wasn't so choppy, having the same sentence flow into another image.



DJMollyE from Alexandra Pamias on Vimeo.

Farmer's Market, Testudo's Nose, and The Diner

Farmer's Market, Testudo's Nose, and The Diner from Alexandra Pamias on Vimeo.


I thought I did a good job with the videos that were filmed at the Farmer's Market and at The Diner. I chose those spots because there would be a lot of activity and I managed to get many shots. Even though the assignment focused on video, I was proud of the audio in the Farmer's Market sequence because it matched what was going on in the video very well.

The Testudo's Nose sequence is where I could improve a lot on. There were only so many angles I could get so in the end many of my shots had either no movement or they were repetitive. My wide and one of my mediums were shot almost the same. Next time I should think of more creative spots to film from such as from the second floor on the library or climbing on top of Testudo and filming the nose rubbing from a more aerial view.

Video Assignment #1

One thing I did right was to match up the audio with the video and also I managed to make sure that the volume didnt go down or blast from video to video.

The thing that I had the most trouble with was making people comfortable enough to answer my question calmly and with confidence. Many people I asked to interview turned me down when I told they I had to take a video of them and most of the people who agreed to it, did not seem very comfortable.



Sequence 01 from Alexandra Pamias on Vimeo.

Interviewing Patrick Ronk

Patrick Ronk: UMD Tour Guide

Patrick Ronk (19) stands in front of the statue of Testudo, a very important stop for people touring the UMD campus. 

One thing I think I did well was to edit the interview so that Patrick's voice didn't get cut off. I also added an introduction which explained what he did before announcing his name and job.

I didn't get to accompany Patrick on one of his tours but I did manage to record some natural sound by following a female tour guide for a while. I should have stayed with her longer to get a larger variety of sound but I felt conscious following the group around when I wasn't there for the tour. So next I need be more confident.

Natural Sound!

Natural Sound JOUR203 Alexandra Pamias from Alexandra Pamias on Vimeo.


One of the things I think I did well on this assignment was properly editing the video and audio so that there was 5 second of black and 5 seconds of video.

Something I noticed when I was editing was that I filmed all the videos in portrait mode. Since I'm used to holding my phone that way, I forget to turn it around. Landscape mode looks better aesthetically and I should remember to film that way from now on.

Interviewing Sydney Sotelo

Yesterday my friends and I decided to challenge ourselves by rock-climbing. There I met Sydney Sotelo, a outdoor activity enthusiastic. 

Sydney Sotelo (19) working as a belayer at the rock-climbing wall behind Eppley Recreation Center. College Park, Md. October 15, 2013.

One thing I did well was asking the right questions. I asked her questions about her job and the outdoors which elicited a good response because she was passionate about both. I learned this information by talking to her about belaying at the rock-climbing wall and by having a pre-interview conversation.

One thing that I can work on is choosing a better location to record the interview. I met up with Sydney at Stamp and I realized how noisy every area was. We found a seemly noiseless place in the stairwell. But while editing the sound-clip I noticed that there was a slight echo. The end of the interview also got interrupted by a person clomping down the stairs and opening screeching doors.

National Embarrassment: The Olympic Flame won't stay lit for the Russians

First Radio Segment!

I chose to convert an article written in the Washington Post about the second time the Olympic flame went out in Russia.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russias-olympic-torch-flames-out-again/2013/10/07/04198cba-2f5f-11e3-9ddd-bdd3022f66ee_story.html

One thing I think I did well was edit out the long pauses between sentences. In order for the radio segment to flow, it was better to eliminate the long pauses because if not the person who is listening feels like a 40 second radio segment is going on forever.

The thing I could work on more is talking a bit more slowly and vocalizing better. In different parts of the radio segments I rushed through words which made them sound like a completely different word all together.

UMD Men's Soccer game against Tulsa

Yesterday, on October 1st, 2013, UMD's Men's soccer team faced off against Tulsa on Ludwig Field. I went to take pictures of the game which began at 7:00 p.m.

I faced many challenges because not only was it night time, but the soccer field was illuminated by very powerful lights. It was nearly impossible to escape the glare of white light as I took pictures of the soccer players and the fans.

The main issue I had with my pictures this time round was that when I took pictures of the players, they would never be completely focused. I might have captured movement but the blurred effect of the entire picture ruined it. I think that this problem would be resolved with a better camera.

One thing that I think I did well was the slideshow. I timed the change in images with the music and the order of the pictures makes sense too.

Below is a link which has all the information on the UMD Men's soccer team.

http://www.umterps.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=29700&SPID=120714&SPSID=716334&DB_OEM_ID=29700

Portraits

Portraits

Jaime Weissman, founder of the new UMD online magazine The Campus Trainer

Emily Robins, sells baked good from Goldilocks Goodies at The Farmer's Market on campus.



I think that the portrait of Jaime correctly complimented the reason I decided to take a picture of her: The impressive feat of starting a new publication on campus for people who want to pursue a healthy lifestyle. The Campus Trainer is a online publication that focuses on fitness and health. By having her pose in front of flowers, I try to surround her with something that evokes life.

The lighting around Emily in the second portrait was very difficult to adjust. The best picture I was able to take was this one where she is casually thanking a customer and at the same time checking her phone. Even though it does show that she is dedicated to her work, I feel that it would have been more powerful to have her look at the camera.

UMD's First Look Fair

The First Look Fair, one of the longest running University of Maryland traditions, offers students an opportunity to see what the university has to offer in terms of clubs, organizations, and more.

More than 500 students set up stands on the McKeldin Mall surrounding the McKeldin fountain, one of the school's most iconic locations. In order to show off what their organization is all about, students can get very creative. 

The University of Maryland Club Sailing Team promoted their club by bringing in a real sailing boat. Towering over the rest of the stands, the sailing boat really stands out. 

Olivia Wolski (18) and Mellownie Ho (21) are part of UMD's Department of Transportation Services HR Department. One can spin the DOTS wheel of fortune and walk away with all sorts of prizes. 

UMD's Gymkana Troupe promoted their healthy lifestyle message by jumping on a trampoline. 

My close up picture was not really a close up so next time I have to make sure to get closer to the subject. If i could have captured the expressions of the girls closer up I think it would have made a difference in conveying the emotions experienced during The First Look Fair.

On a more positive side, I think that I captured motion pretty well. The First Look Fair is by no means boring so the picture of the girl doing a flip on the trampoline and the chaotic scene in the DOTS HR Department picture capture the sensation of being there. 

Below you can find the link for the organizations I took pictures of:

http://www.gymkana.umd.edu/index.html

http://terpsailing.com/

http://www.transportation.umd.edu/

Lost Homes and Photographs

"How a small debt can become a big problem" is the first article of a three piece news story by The Washington Post that came out September 8th of this year. During a 10 month investigation by The Post, reporters uncovered a story of injustice and robbery.

People in the DC area have been losing their homes after failing to pay for property taxes as low as $134. After the government placed liens on their homes and auctioned them off to investors, these investors charged the homeowners interest on top off the house debt. High legal fees transformed a tiny debt into an unpayable amount. When homeowners failed to pay, their property was foreclosed and they were left without their home.

Photographer Michael S. Williamson documented the story with a series of pictures that in my opinion illustrate the pain accurately.

Ive chosen these three of the many photographs that were featured with the story.

"How a small debt can become a big problem" follows the story of a man called Bennie Coleman. Coleman was 76 when he was forced out of him home. His initial debt of only $134 turned into $4,999, 37 times the original amount!

This man is the subject of the first and third picture.

In this first picture Coleman just walked past his old house and told the reporter that "he could not look at it--the memories were too painful." This photograph works well in the context of the story because it shows a man who is clearly defeated. He seems to be in a neighborhood with low income houses. Low income housing neighborhoods are some of the main affected areas. 

This photograph is colorful and has depth to it; a close up of Coleman and a low income house in the back. This photograph also adheres to the rule of thirds with coleman to the left and the house in the top right. 

This photograph has a pink house that seems to be abandoned: the white gate is carelessly open and the shutters are down. The caption for this photograph is "Outsiders come to buy liens." This photograph also works well with the story not only because of the empty house but also due to the row of houses that stretched off to the right side of the picture. It gives the reader a warning: "they might be next."

This picture has depth to it and color as well. There is a beautiful contrast between the intense blue sky and pastel color house. 

In this photograph Williamson shows us readers where Coleman is right now: "in a group home one mile from the house that is no longer his." This photograph goes well with the story because it shows us a man who went from having a home to staying in a tiny room. 

I would say the lighting is the most special element in this photograph. The dark spot next to Coleman created by the shadow, which he seems to be staring at, gives this picture a tone of despair. The rule of thirds applies as well because Coleman is not in the center of the picture. 

Below you can find the link to the story on The Washington Post's website.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2013/09/08/left-with-nothing/