Julie Elman
Digital Videography
Digital Trek 2009
La Jetée
La Jetée is a short, black and white, part love story, part sci-fi film that captures the essence of the adage, “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too”. From the initial still frames, La Jetée opens with dark music and sparse narration, as it captures images of Paris, post-WWWIII and nuclear destruction; I listened to my gut telling me that this film would not have a happy ending.
In the film, the opposing groups are the victors and the overpowered. As a result of their desperation, a group of scientists who retreated underground are seeking to save the future of humanity by training an individual to travel back in time and change the course of history. However, in their attempt to prepare the time traveler to save the world, their sadistic behaviors inflict pain and death upon their subjects. As the narrator explains, “Some died and some went crazy”. For me, this tyrannical behavior reflects the fact that these individuals acted as though they had the right to display utter disrespect for human life in the name of their cause; that is, power corrupts. Our history books note many similar violations of human rights and ethics in the name of security.
On a personal note, my experiences at the Museum of Resistance and Deportation closely connect to the messages I gleamed from watching La Jetée and from my knowledge about the Holocaust during WWII. In fact, in the museum there was a display that explained how the Nazi’s would take some of the prisoners behind closed doors and carry out experiments on them and enjoy watching them suffer just as the scientists had during the movie. Actually, the Nazi’s, the scientists in the film, and members of the French Resistance were all working towards their image of a better future.
The time traveler was selected because of his fixation on a past memory-a single memory just like a single frame of this film. Despite the scientists best attempts to condition him to behave so that when he time travels he will change the future, the traveler opts for the potential of love with a women his past over a life in the future without her. To me, this says that the powerful people in a society can not totally destroy man’s spirit of humanity and love. Another message that I derive from the movie is that is it important to live in the present. Unfortunately for the time traveler, he opted to live through his memories; a choice that did not allow him to live. Oh, the things people do for love.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Camera Review
Julie Elman
Digital Photography
Digital Trek 2009
Review of the Canon EOS Rebel
The Canon EOS Rebel is a great Prosumer camera-that is, it is an appropriate selection for photographers whose skills can best be described as somewhere along the spectrum from Professional Photographer to Average Consumer; when the Rebel initially hit the market in 2003, it retailed for $800 and up. There are a number of very enticing features on the original Canon Rebel. For example, Canon offers a number of easy to remove and attach lenses which can be purchased at any point in time. These lenses’ offer an enlarged range of zoom and telephoto capabilities and can create other cool effects. Manual zoom lenses are available with all different magnifications. Also, this Rebel model shoots at 6.3 megapixel (MP), which provides a very clear printed picture up to 11” by 17”. Furthermore, the Rebel offers a user-friendly design with many of the controls located on external knobs and dials; thus, it is easy to quickly adjust a shot. In addition, the shutter delay is less than 2 seconds and often it appears to be non-existent; this feature allows the photographer to quickly shoot a number of images without being forced to wait for the shutter to reset. An example of the benefits of a minimal shutter delay is evident in the photo (below) of the boy on his bicycle. I was able captured a series of images of the boy in mid-air because the shutter delay did not impede my shooting speed. An additional outstanding feature of the Rebel is that it offers both automatic and manual photographic capabilities-in fact, there are a total of 12 preset options-and the ISO speed can be set as high as 1600. Flash attachment capability is an additional feature on the Rebel. Another important and helpful feature is the depth of field button. This feature assists the photographer to view and create a blurred background or figure. Examples of can be seen below in the second and third images. On the Rebel there is a viewfinder lens feature that can be used instead of the LCD screen which is approximately 1½ inches. Below the viewfinder is an information bar which supplies details about the cameras current settings (this includes the lighting, image quality, as well as the current space left on the memory card). The Rebel requires a SanDisk memory card; the popularity of this memory card is diminishing with the development and growing popularity of the SD memory card. The Rebel requires a Canon lithium-ion, CB-5L, battery. The battery life on the Rebel is camera can be substantial and it can be optimized by setting the LCD screen to the “off” position. Users can easily recharge the battery or purchase extra back-up batteries.
The ergonomics of the Rebel are impressive. First, there is a comfortable spot for the photographer’s right hand to firmly grip the body of the Rebel. Second, although the Rebel weighs about 1.4 lbs with the battery attached, this weight can serve as a positive feature for the professional photographer who may need the weight to assist them in maintain a steady shot.
The camera has no blunt constraints or affordances. However, one major weakness is that when a consumer inserts the memory card in the incorrect direction, which is very easy to do, the pins that read the card can be crushed and cause detrimental damages.
This product should only be recommended to a consumer who has at least a basic knowledge in photography. Over the years, updated models of the Canon Rebel have been developed and they are available at various price points-in fact, a number of the newer Rebel models, like the XS and the XTi retail for less than $700.
As for its usability factor, the camera is very nice but not recommended for someone who looking for a good, lightweight camera to carry along on a night out on the town. It is also not recommended for use by children since it could prove too heavy and too difficult for small hands.
This camera takes very clear and neat images as seen below. Overall, it is a great camera and I would rate it a 4.5 on a scale of 5.
Digital Photography
Digital Trek 2009
Review of the Canon EOS Rebel
The Canon EOS Rebel is a great Prosumer camera-that is, it is an appropriate selection for photographers whose skills can best be described as somewhere along the spectrum from Professional Photographer to Average Consumer; when the Rebel initially hit the market in 2003, it retailed for $800 and up. There are a number of very enticing features on the original Canon Rebel. For example, Canon offers a number of easy to remove and attach lenses which can be purchased at any point in time. These lenses’ offer an enlarged range of zoom and telephoto capabilities and can create other cool effects. Manual zoom lenses are available with all different magnifications. Also, this Rebel model shoots at 6.3 megapixel (MP), which provides a very clear printed picture up to 11” by 17”. Furthermore, the Rebel offers a user-friendly design with many of the controls located on external knobs and dials; thus, it is easy to quickly adjust a shot. In addition, the shutter delay is less than 2 seconds and often it appears to be non-existent; this feature allows the photographer to quickly shoot a number of images without being forced to wait for the shutter to reset. An example of the benefits of a minimal shutter delay is evident in the photo (below) of the boy on his bicycle. I was able captured a series of images of the boy in mid-air because the shutter delay did not impede my shooting speed. An additional outstanding feature of the Rebel is that it offers both automatic and manual photographic capabilities-in fact, there are a total of 12 preset options-and the ISO speed can be set as high as 1600. Flash attachment capability is an additional feature on the Rebel. Another important and helpful feature is the depth of field button. This feature assists the photographer to view and create a blurred background or figure. Examples of can be seen below in the second and third images. On the Rebel there is a viewfinder lens feature that can be used instead of the LCD screen which is approximately 1½ inches. Below the viewfinder is an information bar which supplies details about the cameras current settings (this includes the lighting, image quality, as well as the current space left on the memory card). The Rebel requires a SanDisk memory card; the popularity of this memory card is diminishing with the development and growing popularity of the SD memory card. The Rebel requires a Canon lithium-ion, CB-5L, battery. The battery life on the Rebel is camera can be substantial and it can be optimized by setting the LCD screen to the “off” position. Users can easily recharge the battery or purchase extra back-up batteries.
The ergonomics of the Rebel are impressive. First, there is a comfortable spot for the photographer’s right hand to firmly grip the body of the Rebel. Second, although the Rebel weighs about 1.4 lbs with the battery attached, this weight can serve as a positive feature for the professional photographer who may need the weight to assist them in maintain a steady shot.
The camera has no blunt constraints or affordances. However, one major weakness is that when a consumer inserts the memory card in the incorrect direction, which is very easy to do, the pins that read the card can be crushed and cause detrimental damages.
This product should only be recommended to a consumer who has at least a basic knowledge in photography. Over the years, updated models of the Canon Rebel have been developed and they are available at various price points-in fact, a number of the newer Rebel models, like the XS and the XTi retail for less than $700.
As for its usability factor, the camera is very nice but not recommended for someone who looking for a good, lightweight camera to carry along on a night out on the town. It is also not recommended for use by children since it could prove too heavy and too difficult for small hands.
This camera takes very clear and neat images as seen below. Overall, it is a great camera and I would rate it a 4.5 on a scale of 5.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)