Monday, April 21, 2008

Monday arrives and along with it our first PWP2 assignment. At the end of the digital management class our instructor Rowan stood and declared "You have twelve minutes to take one picture of something old. GO!" All 21 students scrambled out the door. For the next few minutes the only sounds heard were feet. Some ran for the stairs, others for the lobby and still others found the elevator. Throughout the hotel swarmed a mass of students focused on finding the perfect picture of old. Soon groans and exclamations were heard along with shutter clicks and snaps. "Old, what's old?" was the question in every mouth. Once again we faced the challenge of trying to express an idea through a photograph. This same challenge seems to come back over and over.

Throughout the assignments we students are confronted with the need to first define our words before trying to communicate the concept in pictures. As basic as this might seem it can be difficult to decide on what "old" might mean. How do you differentiate it from myriad synonyms such as ancient, used, worn, and aged? The assignments this week and last week have helped us to think about what words actually mean and how to communicate them in clear and unmistakable ways. The question is what do I want to say and how can I best say it?

The photographer has a difficult task but no more than any of us faces as we look at the world around us and try to communicate well. If a picture is worth a thousand words then every word should count, no excess words and no blank spaces. As the evening draws to a close we will discover whose picture has come closest to the concept of "old." If someone captures it completely we will all know without being told.

—PWP2 Student Rebekah Barnes