Digital Storytelling Film and Final Reflection

Video Created by Natalie Leduc

Before going on this trip, I honestly did not pay much attention to politics or many social issues. I was too busy to watch or read news and politics just did not interest me much. I knew that there was a lot going on with regards to the Trump administration and foreign affairs but the constant updates and changes were always too much for me to stay up to date on or pay attention to. For these reasons, I was highly uninformed on what was happening in regards to many issues in our own country. It may sound weird but there is something oddly comforting about finding out that the issues we face in America are universal problems. Americans are not the only ones with problems, everyone has them. Ireland has just as much issues with housing shortages, immigration limits and domestic violence, just to name a few of the major issues. 

After this trip, my desire to travel more has just been magnified. I have always wanted to travel the world but was also very nervous and did not know if I could actually do it not just financially but emotionally as well. This trip has given me the confidence to know that I would be capable of traveling on my own or with family or friends. I loved being able to immerse myself in another country and culture. One thing I was worried about before going to Cork was having to learn the city and potentially getting lost, but it was actually much easier to get around than I had anticipated. The majority of places we went to were in walking distance from the hotel and we all became comfortable finding our way around quickly.

Through the “Rebel City” I have learned that there are many issues that our societies are facing and people who are willing to fight against the issues. There are those who call themselves activists without hesitation and those who are more reserved with the term but still do the work. What we have to do, though, is reach out to join those communities of people and activists. As humans, we are naturally drawn to be in community with others. We are social beings who typically need interaction with others. When people act together as a collective group, they can be stronger. A sociopolitical movement for change may start small with one person but as more people come together in support of the cause, the group can do much more and have a stronger impact.

Before this trip, I did not see myself as an activist. Typically, I photograph things that I find beautiful, mostly images in nature. I did not think my photographs told a story or put out a message, but I have realized that in photographing the beauty of nature I am advocating for my love of nature and environmental preservation. One of the big concepts I learned from this trip is that I can make an impact on others through my work as an artist. We each have at least one issue we care about, whether we truly realize it or not, and have something to contribute. I have the ability to incite change or simply inform others of the issues we are facing in our society. Yes, I can still photograph just for myself, but I can also use my talent in a way that benefits more than just myself.

Reflection on Showcase

Video and photos by Natalie Leduc

The sociopolitical issue I addressed in my showcase was environmental preservation and I also questioned how we each define beauty. I was taking the stance that the natural environment is beautiful and worth preserving. I also wanted to question beauty because it is something I have been challenging in my work as a photographer. Through the process of creating this work, I realized the importance of adapting to one’s environment as an artist. I came into this trip thinking that I would be taking photographs that showed Ireland’s natural beauty. However, I did not realize how urban the area we were staying in would be and the difficulty I would face in attempting to execute my plan. This caused me to have to adjust my plan and switch around what I wanted to do for my project. As my project idea evolved, I actually got more excited for how it would turn out.

I integrated an opportunity for dialogue with the audience by posing a series of questions relating to my topic for them to think about while watching my video. They focused on how we each find beauty differently and how we as humans have impacted the environment with our constant need to build and destroy natural land. Some of my classmates told me that I did a great job or that they loved my images, but I did not really have a conversation with the other audience members after my piece. I hope that the audience was able to find beauty in the images I showed in my video. I hope that they felt as if they were there in the many places around the United States and Ireland that I showed. I hope that they understand how amazing our land is and how important it is that this land is preserved and respected. Throughout my short time as a photographer and especially in the past three weeks here in Cork, I have found that my definition of beauty is no longer black and white. I no longer define beauty only in landscapes but in cityscapes as well. My definition of beauty has changed.

While in Ireland, I had many discussions and brainstorming sessions with my classmates, especially Esther as she is a fellow photographer. On many occasions, we simply sat and talked through how we were each doing our final projects and helped each other brainstorm our concepts. I also had some help from Ericka, Castro, Ches, Tatiana and Rachel as well in the process of finalizing what I was saying for the introduction into my final project. If I had more time, I probably would have had more images in the video. I was pleasantly surprised to have found so many images from Ireland that mirrored images I had from other places in the United States. I did feel like some of the images I used from Ireland did not mirror their partner as well as others and I would have liked to have found a different image that fit better, but I ran out of time to go out and take better photos in Ireland.