Final Project

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the unit topic I chose was modern day slavery. At Milton Middle we have Adivsor/Advisee time every day for 15 min. I always struggled to come up with daily activities to fill that time. After going to Haiti and showing students video and pictures from the trip I began to see how powerful media can be in education. I discussed modern day slavery with students and had them take a survey online that showed them how many slaves were involved in making the things they own. After they had a good grasp on the concept we started talking about making a difference. We discussed various ways they, as teenagers, could make an impact. In the end we decided that spreading awareness was the most affective action we could take. At Milton we have MPNT, a weekly newscast shown throughout the school. The kids came up with the idea to shoot commercials and ask if they could be shown on the newscast. The students submitted different ideas for the commercials and we filtered through them and decided on three ideas to shoot.

Cabell County Digital Media Presentation from Curt Mann on Vimeo.

Video Haiku

This week we took the 8th graders to Washington DC. I really wanted to use that time to shoot video and use it for this week's assignment but time simply did not allow for it. So, upon return I had some fun shooting this video with one of my fellow teachers, Alex Whitt. Quite the character as you will see!

Video Haiku (kinda) from Curt Mann on Vimeo.

My project will be on ending modern day slavery. Basically my homeroom will make a series of videos that will be shown on the school news cast. Here is an example of a video that will be used.

Slavery in the US from Curt Mann on Vimeo.

not so "Spring" break

Well, "Spring" break was quite the dud this year. Despite the weather my wife and I did manage to make a trip to my hometown (Renick, WV). My original plan was to go fishing and hiking in the Cranberry Wilderness, site see at places such as the falls of Hills Creek, Droop Mountain Battlefield, and Beartown State Park however, the weather simply did not cooperate. This led to me shooting random video around the ol' home place.

The first opportunity I had was to shoot was while my dad and I ripped plywood for a teardrop camper he is building. Growing up we always had a project or two or three going. He was always building and working on something. This of course led to needing my brothers and I to help him. We spent many Saturdays in the barn or garage. While we would work he would always have bluegrass music playing. Occasionally we would take breaks to get a drink, eat supper, or just watch wildlife.

The next shots I had the opportunity to take are of another hobby of my father's; playing the banjo. On Friday nights at "The Pretty Penny"(a restaurant just down the road in Hillsboro, WV) my dad and whoever else wants to join in play music on the stage for the patrons and anyone decides to drop in and grab a bite to eat. It was on that stage I learned to play guitar.

All of the shots in the video incorporate the scenes mentioned above. The music in the video is actually from a bluegrass band located in Renick named "The Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys". I wanted to use the audio from the actual video but the restaurant was simply too loud.

 Hope you enjoy!!

Not so "Spring" Break from Curt Mann on Vimeo.

Home

This week I drew a blank on the prompt so I used a video that I mad with my HOMEroom. Enjoy!

Slavery Still Exists from Curt Mann on Vimeo.

Nostalgia

There is nothing more nostalgic then looking at old photographs. I caught my wife looking at pictures on the couch this weekend and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to tell a story. The music is a song that I recorded for a Haiti benefit cd. Hope you enjoy!

Nostalgia from Curt Mann on Vimeo.

Reflection

Well, I'm sick. Sick as a dog. Bed ridden for 5 days. So here I am, wondering what the crap am I gonna take a reflection picture of? My medicine! That's what! Called to my wife to get me a mirror, she said "you don't want to see yourself right now" Thanks. I took some with the medicine straight up and down in good lighting but it didn't portray the imminent death that was hanging in the air, so I turned off the light, tilted the camera and pulled the ISO all the way up to make it grainy. Once I had it in Lightroom I made it black and white and pulled the clarity down quite a bit. I feel the picture captures a little of what it feels like to be sick (disorientated, backwards, a little blurry).

As much as being sick really does stink, a lot. It does allow for time to well, reflect. Being sick allows you to slow down, read a book you've been wanting to (Undaunted Courage is mine of choice at the moment) or re-watch a favorite tv show. All that being said I think I'd still rather be at work right now...

Silhouette

                          

 Practice makes perfect, well almost. Most people have no idea the amount of practice it takes to become competent with a bow. Every fall thousands of hunters take to the woods with stick and string only to come home frustrated. A good friend of mine tells story of heading for the field with 7 arrows and coming back with 3...and no quarry. Growing up my father refused to let us head to the stand unless we could put 3 arrows (in a row) in a ring the size of a paper desert plate at 30 yards. Respect for the game we chased as youth was instilled in us from day one. Every year in early July we would get out our archery equipment and begin practicing and fine tuning our skill for the season that doesn't start until the middle of October. We spent countless evenings shooting until it was too dark to see, then turning on the porch light or mom's car lights and shooting on into the night. Competitions would start up, arrows would be lost, but memories and respect was gained. It is funny how for every memory I have in the woods, I have 2 or 3 in preparation. Perhaps then, practice indeed makes perfect.  

As far as these pics go, I have been experimenting with Adobe Lightroom. The pic above is the one I like best but isn't a true silhouette because you can see the blue in the jeans. This happened when I pulled out the blue hue in the sky. I also had to vignette because I had a bad lens flare in the bottom left corner (you can see it in the bottom picture). The top pic to the immediate left I made black and white and put a ton of contrast in it. The next one down I pulled the clarity all the way down. Almost gives it a cartoon feel. The bottom pic is the original.

I also played around with some older pictures in lightroom. This one I took on Sonora Island, Canada. 

Exposure

This weather this week couldn't have been more perfect for a campfire. My Mom is in from out of town this week so I decided to build one. Initially I wanted to get some action shots of everyone around the fire laughing and talking but the opportunity never afforded itself. As the fire died I found my mother warming her hands. It took some experimenting but I ended up with a Tv of 13", Av of 13, and an ISO of 100. I had to use a flashlight to illuminate her face and as a result one of the leaves to the left of the fire showed through...which bugs me but I couldn't see it until it was on the full screen.

Share a smile

Week two's challenge is to share a smile. I had trouble with this challenge because I did not want to "set up" a photo. I found this smile in my neighbor's garage. He is an avid hunter and has a huge display of turkey fans (such as this one), deer mounts, fish, and all sorts of other wild game along with barbed wire, antlers, acorns, old signs, and other things you would see in the outdoors. I have found that many hunters and outdoorsman, as rugged as they are, have an artistic side to them.

If I could change one thing about the picture it would be the feather that is sticking down on the left side of the photo. It seems to throw things out of balance. I wanted to try to use the rule of thirds but the boards this fan is displayed are not wide enough, I did not want the white wall to blow out the picture. Here are the specs: Av - 4.5, Tv - 1/25 (this worries me, I fear it will be blurry when expanded), EV - -1, ISO - 6400.

Here are some other pics I took throughout the week before capturing the one above:

Above: some bacon wrapped tenderloin over charcoal. It was simply too dark. Needed a tripod to keep it still enough. Right: My neighbor holding his bow, the bow was kind of in a smile but I did not like the white in the background. I was also having trouble due to the window just out of the shot to the left.

Broaden Your Horizon

I'm a hunter. There is something about sitting in a tree stand and watching, anticipating, and never knowing for sure what will transpire in the hours ahead. One spot in an ocean of wilderness, one ridge in a range, one tree amongst thousands. Yet it was in this very spot this fall that I witnessed amazing events unfold. There was the morning that a mature gobbler was roosted just thirty yards from me (in the tree to the far right of this pic). There was the evening I watched a small buck run a doe all over the valley straight ahead. Then there was the morning that the deer I have hunted for two years came and went without presenting an ethical shot. However, Saturday morning before Thanksgiving a mature 10 pointer did present an ethical shot. As much as I enjoyed that moment and the opportunity to harvest one of God's great creations, it was the days I spent in the stand leading up to and after my son's birth that stand out most to me. The things that ran through my mind during those times I can not explain. I spent time asking God for health for my wife and son and just for everything to be ok. I spent time thanking him for exceeding all of my expectations and desires for that moment. I suppose some people find reading a book with a cup of coffee or sitting around a fire is a time for reflection. This tree stand is where I found mine last fall. Here are the specs: Camera was set to Tv. Shutter speed was 1/4000. Aperture 5.0. Exposure -1. ISO 1600.