I happen to be one of the many
expats that reside in New York City, and although, I hail from another major
metropolitan, Miami isn't as diverse as the infamous melting pot of the world. So going into my sophomore year, I took a photography class at Borough of
Manhattan Community College, which completely transformed my perception of the
medium and the amount of freedom I was given to express not only my point of
view, but also of those who are unable to tell their own story. “When you learn something from people, or
from a culture, you accept it as a gift, and it is your lifelong commitment to
preserve it and build on it” Meeting people of different walks of life,
speaking to them, living with them has altered my awareness of culture and how
it can really shape a human being, and this idea of preserving our
relationships with others is exactly what I want my photos to portray, images
that speak universally.
Obviously it would be said that our
generation is a culture that is overstimulated by media and I would have to
agree. My first instinct when I wake up is to give myself at least a couple of
minutes to scroll through my Instagram feed, check my updates on Facebook, and
as soon as I sit down at a desktop I automatically go to the Gothamist,
Huffington Post and Refinery. As unhealthy as it may be, it seems to be the
only form of communication a good majority of people respond to and keeps us up
to date on the various on goings of all our friends and favorite artists. With
all these platforms of social media and outlets that are virtually accessible to
all it is difficult to say that in some small way our opinions on certain issues
aren't shaped by the imagery we are bombarded by or things we read on a day to
day basis. How much of our common experience involves mass media events? A large
number of our media consumption is shared and discussed frequently; from Beyoncé’s
new single, to the Mike Brown shooting, and the trailer for the Fifty Shades of
Grey movie. Every large shared experience is posted, shared and retweeted and
everyone is aware of our opinion on the subject.
I only feel now that being a senior
and majoring in Media Studies, I have only recently become more on the critiquing
and media making end versus only being a consumer. Besides my interest in
photography I also have become intrigued by documentaries lately and though they
only hold so much truth, it is fascinating to see someone else’s view on a
topic and their attempt at exposing what they believe to be factual. Media only
allows me to express my identity to a certain extent; social media is as far as
I go and even then I tend to tread lightly because of the negative light it can
sometimes shed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnGsh-3fYQ
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