Thoughts on Slavery

Here are some of the final images from my portrait project. I came across many different people—differing political backgrounds, opinions, accents, and living situations. I took the majority of the images by the Hershey store in Chicago and told people that the Hershey’s company uses slave labor for much of their products.

I just asked their opinion about it and if I could take their picture. Some did not let me take their picture, one didn’t speak English and the first person I asked about it just didn’t know what to say and laughed it off.

As for these people's opinions....

• The man on the top left--"Well, I'm against that."
• The man on the bottom left (pardon his 'French')--"That's bulls--t"
• The couple--"Well, I obviously don't approve of anything with slave trade."
• The man on top right--"I wasn't aware that Hershey's did that...capitalist."
• Charles--"I'm a Democrat. I do not shop at Wal-Mart because they are products from slave labor entities. I do not eat chocolate."

During crit yesterday, one of my professors commented on how I could have taken the picture first and then asked their thoughts. I want to continue going into Chicago and asking people, and I'm going to try to remember to take their picture first. And I have to remember to be more assertive of moving the subject so they are in a better composition and lighting situation. Truthfully, I was so nervous and out of my comfort zone on Saturday, that it was hard to remember.

Did I mention I got lost for about an hour?

Charles

This picture is part of my project for my Portrait Project due on Monday. [I'll post pictures soon, either here or at my photo blog]

I didn't ask this guy his name, but I'll call him Charles. Well I asked Charles if he knew that Hershey's employs slave labor. He said he didn't and that he didn't actually eat chocolate. His father was a WW2 veteran and much of what they ate was stale crackers and bitter chocolate, so growing up they weren't allowed to eat chocolate.

I do not shop at Wal-Mart because they are products from slave-labor entities. I do not eat chocolate.

Charles said he was shopping [I was just outside the Hershey's store downtown] for his wife. He then mentioned how he was a Democrat and would obviously not support slave labor (or something like that). He was quite surprised to find out that I am a Republican and asked if I was 'anti-business.' "Well, not anti-business, I guess, as much as anti-slavery," I replied. It was an interesting experience. I think I need to go to Chicago more often.

PhotoBlog

You should check out my new photoBlog.

Hopefully, I'll be more devoted to it. My intention was to put up a picture a day on it. But I have been "too busy."

More comments=more posts?

http://merbele-pics.blogspot.com

Help Portrait

Guess what?

• I like taking pictures (and editing them as well)!
• I have been terrible at posting, I didn't do anything for the holidays. :-/
• Trisha finally remembered that she has a blog.
• I am reading an amazing book, Set-Apart Femininity.
• My train got cancelled today, so I had to either miss 1-2 days of school or scramble and get a flight.
• I have been doing laundry.
• Um, this list is just getting more boring as it keeps going. On. And. On.
• I am wearing a cool hat.
• See? I told you you'd get bored.
• There are clean socks staring at me.
• They aren't folded.
• I have gotten considerable better in my sock folding skills over the years. Just ask my mom.
• I made carmel rolls this past week. They were amazing. Even though I temporarily forgot an important step. And my mum had to bail me out.
• I love my mommy. I'm going to miss her.
• I leave on Sunday on the plane, because trains are unreliable.
• But you already knew that.
• I give up.
• If you are still reading this, then you must be an amazing friend.
• Or just really bored.

I'm in love.

It is official. I am in love. [sigh] Deeply and madly. When did this happen you ask? 5:41pm

The name of my obsession? Nikon d80. Doesn't it even sound beautiful? Oh it is. Playing with every feature of the 80 thrills me even more. There are so many more ISO options than on my d40x. I have hardly explored 1/10 of the options on it.

Did I mention I'm in love? I don't know if I'll post tons of pictures in the near future or just be so deliriously happy that I'm in my own little world. Probably both. :)

[smiles]

Bethany

She definitely loves photography

She's can't help herself.

We try to distract her...

But she's addicted.

However she did find time for 'normal' activities like Migthy Mighty Scoop Noodle Challenge!

Maybe there is hope for her afterall.

(Remember to keep her in your prayers! :)

A quick note

to say I'm back. Sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving! I got my flash on the 7th (Saturday). I was kind of in la-la land after the UPS came. ;) Then we went to camp, amd I stayed overnight in the dorm with the older Wissmann girls. I had so much fun at camp!! I'll tell you about it later. After I load the 1000+ pictures that I took. Oh and pray for Bethany. Her camera broke the last day of camp. :(

It''s coming!

I have been thinking, and thinking. Thinking about buying an attachable flash (SB 600) for my camera. Well, I ordered it tonight off of B&H photo and hopefully it will come before camp. Mom and I are going to Bismarck on Tuesday (and hopefully my camera lens can get fixed!!) I was thinking about buying a flash when we were at BestBuy but I looked it up and it was about forty dollars cheaper at B&H. (Praise the Lord for the internet! :)
And, I did post some more pictures onto the PBC blog.

I'm still here!

Okay let's see. What have I been up to? Homework. I was in the studio for 7 straight hours painting. Until security kicked me out at 1:40. It was worth it though because Prof. Carl surprised us. If we got our homework done (about half of the class), we could watch a movie (about art, but still!) and eat food. And for homework all we had was reading a chapter and finding an image with an interesting use of color. Aside from that, doing a couple photo shoots [huge smile], helping someone start a new blog, going to open mic night. And hopefully tomorrow I will be able to do another photo shoot. YAY!!!

Moon pictures

Last night the moon was so bright, I had just HAD to try taking pictures with my new "great, wonderful, fantabulous camera." At first, I just did the automatic setting and my pictures were turning out like this:

But then I played around with the aperature and shutter settings. This is one of the pictures. One picture of the moon looks pretty much exactly the same as another. So I deemed it un-necessary to post all 27 pictures of the moon. ;)

Having fun with the moon:

"She's Got the Whole Mo-on In Her Hands" :)

I took some of the neighbor's yard lights and swirled them around (that is soooo much fun!). Maybe I'll post them another time. It was neat though 'cause they were green and red.

I'm so excited!!!!!!

I bought MY new camera yesterday!!!!!! A Nikon d40x! I am so so so excited! But kind of bummed at the same time. You see, it didn't say that you need to buy a memory card separately. So my mom has to look for one tomorrow. Okay, she doesn't have to, but I desparately want her to!!! Do you know how annoying it is to have a great, wonderful, fantabulous camera and be able to take pictures with it?!!!!!!!!!! :-/ Well, I can set it so I can take pictures, but they aren't saved, so maybe I will be able to survive. :) Well, anyway, I thought I'd share my exciting/depressing news with you. Here are some pictures of my great, wonderful, fantabulous camera:

Fotos and fishing

I had fun photographing the animals and wildlife!

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And the boys had fun FISHING! They caught and released bass and blue-gills in the pond.

So...

does anyone know how I got this picture? Don't ask me because I don't know! It is less focused in the background. I think it looks neat and it would be really cool if I could do it again!! :) The only thing weird is how I positioned myself to take the picture. It was still muddy and I didn't want to actually lay on the ground. So I squatted as close to the ground as I could get without actually getting muddy. If only I had a picture of me taking the picture!!! :-D

Bubble-wrapped

If you look really closely inside the big bubble, you can see my reflection. I thought that was so cool! I took this picture when I was in the process of photographing a North Dakota landmark....

Lunar Eclipse... finally!!

Well it has been about a month since I told you about the lunar eclipse. Now my pictures are finally developed!!! Yeah! It is kind of annoying that Bismarck is so far away! ;-)

`

My best lunar eclipse picture...

Just kidding!!! :D but that is what I was worried about. This was the first one that I saw, and I got really bummed. It really lifted my spirits when I saw that a couple turned out or you could at least tell what it was! ;D I am so excited!!! YIPPEE!! YEAH! :D

Actually, the bottom two were the best two out of four.

The pictures are better in person, oh well....

He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon,

through all generations.

Psalm 72:5