Original (above)
Figure 1 (above)
Figure 2 (above)
Figure 3 (above)
Figure 4 (above)
Figure 5 (above)
I chose Option 2 for Blog Assignment #3.
Referring to the original image, I thought it was so powerful that I knew it would be my chosen piece immediately when I saw it. It holds so much power because it is not just an image, as we often see, of a homeless individual on the side of a brick building holding a sign asking for "change" (whether it is literal or metaphorical.) This image is about the man holding this picture and it is about the person walking by, the person viewing this photo, the person who is reaching out.
Figure 1
The first image brings attention to the sign the man is holding. We would assume from this image that he wrote on this piece of cardboard. His message is so strong, because he is not just asking for someone to help him with some food or money, but he is drawing the reader in. He is asking for an end to "this." He wants to stop doing "this." He wants a permanent shift in his life and situation. He is asking for a change on the bigger scale. What is "this"? I believe "this" is homelessness. He is asking for help to end the vicious cycle that is his current life. He is asking for a change in his own life and, I believe, in the lives of others like himself. In Figure 1, the sign is made difficult to read to not only draw attention to his words and their meaning, but also to show a blurring and erasure of his words, which symbolizes an elimination of all evil and unhappiness in his life and in the lives of others like him. This image represents the gradual elimination of homelessness.
Figure 2
This image symbolizes the man's life being consumed by his current situation. The words transparently written all over his clothing and body (I think) bring out the fact that his head is down and his face is covered. The words make the man's hopelessness and sadness (which are not concrete things) really stand out. I have worked with the homeless population before, and they are consumed by poverty. Poverty can be defined as a lack of basic resources. You must really think deeply about this to understand. Don't just superficially read my sentence "consumed by poverty." Think of your own life. Think of waking up in a bed, brushing your teeth, pouring a bowl of cereal, sending a text to a friend, watching your favorite television show, taking a shower, decorating your room, going to dinner. People in the same situation as the man in this photo do not even have these things. Think of how your life would be without them. Really, right now, think about it. And there are people who have even less than that. They are consumed by their situations, emotionally, physically, financially, and in every way. I think the overlaying words on the man, as I mentioned before, really bring out a sense of hopelessness and sadness and allow the viewer to sympathize, if not empathize. I think because the image invokes this feeling in the viewer, it symbolizes how poverty consumes its victims, especially emotionally.
Figure 3
This image sends a direct message to the viewer. The sign now reads "stop this." This is a more active and direct type of speech. It could even be received as a command. I chose to manipulate the image in this way to not only grab the viewer's attention with a more straightforward sense of speech, but also as a way to embody the fact that direct action must be taken. Donating money is charitable and a wonderful act. Serving food in a kitchen is also an amazing act of kindness. But what needs to be done is to teach the man to fish, not to simply bring him a fish. "Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life," right? The sign now reads "stop this." Change needs to happen and it needs to happen now. Yes, we must plan if we want to do as much as possible in the best way for everyone and make a permanent change. But we need to begin now. We can plan while we act. Perfection is not an attainable state of being and it never will be. So even though planning may be preliminary as we begin to act, waiting is not an option in the fight against homelessness and poverty. Another day without action is another day even deeper into depression, lack of shelter, and much more for the victims of poverty.
Figure 4
In this image, there is no background and no sign. The words "Help Me" that were written on the piece of cardboard were relocated to where the man's face is hidden in this picture. His jeans are colored bright blue, his sweatshirt is bright green, and his gloves are a glowing orange. I wanted his clothes to look brighter, less tattered, and more common. I want to bring to light the fact that those suffering from poverty and homelessness are not some "other" community of people. By volunteering and getting involved in community service, we do risk reinforcing stereotypes and conventionalized social statuses. Someone plays the role of "the giver" and someone plays the role of "the receiver." We need to work to improve the lives of the "receivers" while breaking down boundary lines between 'social classes' and building bridges across these broken boundaries to connect us all as one. This image, again, puts more color into the man's apparel and makes the photo seem less dark. That is not to say that it makes his situation any less grim, but it is emphasizing the fact that most people like this man are good people in a bad situation. They are like you and me and they want to be seen and treated this way. Poverty is not who they are, it is only what they are experiencing. We need to fix this.
Figure 5
This effect on the image was supposed to be more of a comic-book type style. It is supposed to make it seem as if the image is fabricated, not taken from real life. This represents the view many people who are not in poverty have on poverty. It is often seen as "other worldly" or as some sort of legend at times. I honestly do not like the image of Figure 5 because, to me, it does make this man seem distant and unreal. Unfortunately, many people who have never experienced poverty or dealt with it in any way see victims of poverty as distant and unreal. This last image is a powerful one, but, to me, a dangerous one. It is powerful because it exposes the flaw in the system-- the stereotypes, the views of those in poverty as "the others", the distance that is created by the "givers"-- and it is dangerous because it poses the risk of reinforcing that distance by portraying this man in a graphics-design fabricated way.
The first image brings attention to the sign the man is holding. We would assume from this image that he wrote on this piece of cardboard. His message is so strong, because he is not just asking for someone to help him with some food or money, but he is drawing the reader in. He is asking for an end to "this." He wants to stop doing "this." He wants a permanent shift in his life and situation. He is asking for a change on the bigger scale. What is "this"? I believe "this" is homelessness. He is asking for help to end the vicious cycle that is his current life. He is asking for a change in his own life and, I believe, in the lives of others like himself. In Figure 1, the sign is made difficult to read to not only draw attention to his words and their meaning, but also to show a blurring and erasure of his words, which symbolizes an elimination of all evil and unhappiness in his life and in the lives of others like him. This image represents the gradual elimination of homelessness.
Figure 2
This image symbolizes the man's life being consumed by his current situation. The words transparently written all over his clothing and body (I think) bring out the fact that his head is down and his face is covered. The words make the man's hopelessness and sadness (which are not concrete things) really stand out. I have worked with the homeless population before, and they are consumed by poverty. Poverty can be defined as a lack of basic resources. You must really think deeply about this to understand. Don't just superficially read my sentence "consumed by poverty." Think of your own life. Think of waking up in a bed, brushing your teeth, pouring a bowl of cereal, sending a text to a friend, watching your favorite television show, taking a shower, decorating your room, going to dinner. People in the same situation as the man in this photo do not even have these things. Think of how your life would be without them. Really, right now, think about it. And there are people who have even less than that. They are consumed by their situations, emotionally, physically, financially, and in every way. I think the overlaying words on the man, as I mentioned before, really bring out a sense of hopelessness and sadness and allow the viewer to sympathize, if not empathize. I think because the image invokes this feeling in the viewer, it symbolizes how poverty consumes its victims, especially emotionally.
Figure 3
This image sends a direct message to the viewer. The sign now reads "stop this." This is a more active and direct type of speech. It could even be received as a command. I chose to manipulate the image in this way to not only grab the viewer's attention with a more straightforward sense of speech, but also as a way to embody the fact that direct action must be taken. Donating money is charitable and a wonderful act. Serving food in a kitchen is also an amazing act of kindness. But what needs to be done is to teach the man to fish, not to simply bring him a fish. "Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life," right? The sign now reads "stop this." Change needs to happen and it needs to happen now. Yes, we must plan if we want to do as much as possible in the best way for everyone and make a permanent change. But we need to begin now. We can plan while we act. Perfection is not an attainable state of being and it never will be. So even though planning may be preliminary as we begin to act, waiting is not an option in the fight against homelessness and poverty. Another day without action is another day even deeper into depression, lack of shelter, and much more for the victims of poverty.
Figure 4
In this image, there is no background and no sign. The words "Help Me" that were written on the piece of cardboard were relocated to where the man's face is hidden in this picture. His jeans are colored bright blue, his sweatshirt is bright green, and his gloves are a glowing orange. I wanted his clothes to look brighter, less tattered, and more common. I want to bring to light the fact that those suffering from poverty and homelessness are not some "other" community of people. By volunteering and getting involved in community service, we do risk reinforcing stereotypes and conventionalized social statuses. Someone plays the role of "the giver" and someone plays the role of "the receiver." We need to work to improve the lives of the "receivers" while breaking down boundary lines between 'social classes' and building bridges across these broken boundaries to connect us all as one. This image, again, puts more color into the man's apparel and makes the photo seem less dark. That is not to say that it makes his situation any less grim, but it is emphasizing the fact that most people like this man are good people in a bad situation. They are like you and me and they want to be seen and treated this way. Poverty is not who they are, it is only what they are experiencing. We need to fix this.
Figure 5
This effect on the image was supposed to be more of a comic-book type style. It is supposed to make it seem as if the image is fabricated, not taken from real life. This represents the view many people who are not in poverty have on poverty. It is often seen as "other worldly" or as some sort of legend at times. I honestly do not like the image of Figure 5 because, to me, it does make this man seem distant and unreal. Unfortunately, many people who have never experienced poverty or dealt with it in any way see victims of poverty as distant and unreal. This last image is a powerful one, but, to me, a dangerous one. It is powerful because it exposes the flaw in the system-- the stereotypes, the views of those in poverty as "the others", the distance that is created by the "givers"-- and it is dangerous because it poses the risk of reinforcing that distance by portraying this man in a graphics-design fabricated way.
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