My Top Five Websites

Let’s be honest. I love the Internet, and would rather not even think about the amount of hours per day that I use it. I check my e-mail religiously and Google feeds my curiousity like nothing else can. But with the exception of those two sites, the top five sites that I visit most often are these:

1. Facebook: You’re welcome, Mark Zuckerberg. Even after all this time, Facebook remains just as addicting as ever. In college, I find I use it even more than before though. It is the perfect way to stay connected to people near and far, seeing what they’re up to and sharing an inside joke, witty comment, picture or video. It’s a strange world we live in when a “wall post” or “like” can brighten your day — but I just go with it.

2. Twitter: My favorite new social networking tool. But unlike Facebook, I do actually use it for good, productive reasons. While I do follow some friends and favorite celebrities, I do follow important people in the communications industry such as Roger Ebert, who offers amazing movie critiques, and Hart Hanson, a successful TV writer who tweets insights into the world of television. The 140 characters or less seems is the perfect amount to get a dose of everything you’re interested in. Follow me @maddieecarlin!

3. Imdb: As a cinema major, this website is liquid gold. I often find myself Netflix-ing movies or reading movie reviews, and am thus curious for more information about the people behind the camera. I find myself most often reading the trivia and quotes section under a movie, which offers insights into the production and development. Through Imdb, I have discovered the work of director Ron Howard, of cinematographer Roger Deakins, and the production company Metanoia films. I absolutely love this website and hope it soon becomes even more legitimate.

4. YouTube and VEVO: I am a music video and behind-the-scenes junkie, and these websites fuel the addiction. Both websites offer the newest music videos as well information about their production sometimes. Artists also often post behind-the-scenes footage to YouTube themselves while Vevo24s follow an artist for 24 hours and in a very quick and cool editing style, portray a “day in the life”. Since I hope to work in the music industry as a cinema major in the future, these websites are the perfect way to observe just how its done. One leader in this field, Travis Schneider, who most prominently worked for Maroon 5, even e-mailed me back when Iasked for advice after discovering his YouTube page!

5. Netflix: Again, as a cinema major this seems like a pretty obvious one. But Netflix is awesome for anyone, and has led me to discover some great TV shows such as Lie to Me and Dexter as well as catch up on some classic films. To its inventor, I offer a sincere thank-you.

I know that this list may not seem impressive but I am working to expand it in the near future after learning about some awesome websites such as ISSUU and StumbleUpon in this class. Hopefully it won’t be the same by the end of this semester!

Go shoot. Go fail. Go learn.

I have spent the past two weekends taking literally hundreds of photos. The first week I explored basic photography, mostly of inanimate objects, around Elon’s campus. The second week, I went with my friends Lizzy and Jeff to downtown Greensboro, NC. I was pleasantly surprised with the city – its old school charm sufficed for our project in street photography. Its main street is filled with antique shops, small boutiques, and great diners, a nice change from the rural setting of campus.

After learning to manually operate a camera in class a few days before, we set off on the sunniest of days to test out our newfound skills. This proved rather difficult at first, but we finally got the hang of it after running into two professional photographers who helped us out! (Another reason why I love the south – people are often out of their way nice to you.)

Each of us struggled with street photography at first. It is about documenting the human condition, which means that you can’t be afraid to make connections with others. It’s awkward to take photos like a member of the paparazzi, ask people if they will pose for you, and just walk around like a tourist without a cause. But I think I finally understand why people love photography so much, and why I am beginning to too. It’s the adrenaline you feel when you know you’ve got a good shot. Whether you almost get hit by a car or have to run down an alleyway to snap it (both of which occurred this weekend) doesn’t matter. It’s about getting that one picture that despite the hundreds you took, is the only one that really counts. It’s about making other people feel a connection to your photo too and to the story behind it, not just you.

The title of this post comes from an essay called “Street Photography for the Purist” by the street photographer, Chris Weeks. While we may have different personalities, I can definitely relate to a lot of what he says – particularly this quote because I have already learned A LOT through just these two experiences.

Below are some choice pictures from my first two attempts at photography – enjoy and please comment!

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“Because it is something very personal, Because you have to leave your shell. Because you have to – in some cases – expose yourself. Because you have to love people. Street photography is about sympathy, not hate. It is about community, even if it pictures solitude. It can be ironic, but never offending.” – Michael Kaiser

Acapella Grams

Check out my first multimedia project for the Elon student newspaper,  The Pendulum…thank you to the guys of Rip_Chord for letting Katy Steele and me follow you around! Happy Valentine’s Day!

“Street photography is life, in pure and raw form.” – Chris Weeks

This gallery contains 7 photos.

In another search for inspiration and example, our next assignment was to explore the photography website 1x.com and discover a favorite street photographer. I found the Portuguese photographer, Rui Palha, who specializes in rainy day shots, people portraits, and capturing both … Continue reading →

the best ISSUU

Our first post assignment for this blog was to explore the website, ISSUU . Essentially, the website consists of online publications or magazines in a variety of topics but is geared towards providing inspiration and fueling creativity. I spent nearly an hour and a half on the site today, but of all the online ‘time-wasting websites’ it is definitely one of the best.

I love the film, home decor and fashion sections, but my absolute favorite is photography. Photographers, both professional and amateur, can post publications of their work that range from photojournalism to wedding to travel. After several searches, I stumbled upon this publication, “Time Unending” , which features the photography of Pio Andrei S. Japitana and was arranged by Clee Villasor.

Japitana’s play with silhouette lighting and focus as well as mix of both intricate and simplistic settings make the publication diverse, interesting and most importantly, inspiring.

Enjoy “Time Unending” and this blog, and be sure to check out ISSUU for yourself!

Hello blogosphere!

Hi! My name is Madeline Carlin and I am starting this blog for my Digital Media Convergence class. I will be posting my projects and sources of inspiration throughout the semester…and maybe even blogging a bit on my own as well! Enjoy the blog, feel free to comment and thanks for reading!