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.

Travelogue and Digital Story Script

Photo by Natalie Leduc

So much life, energy, movement. The streets are crowded, not just with people walking around and cars on the street but with all of the brightly colored buildings planted on top of one another; red, yellow, blue, green and even pink. It is as if a giant placed these buildings next to one another and then squeezed them together from each end to make them tall, skinny and unable to stand square. It is an overcast and windy day, but this does not seem to deter people from walking around and exploring the vast city. Luckily, the cold winter air does not penetrate my down jacket but my ears feel like they are on fire from being exposed to the cold. I must remember to thank my mother for finding this great jacket for me when I call her later to catch up. People are briskly walking through the light rain, on their way to places I will never know. I wonder where they are from, how they got here, what they are doing in this city today. Are they walking to work or school, meeting a friend for lunch, going on a blind date? Do they wonder the same when they see me or are they too focused on their own thoughts to notice the multitude of passing faces? The grey uneven sidewalks are splattered with white gum and I must watch out for the occasional pile of dog poop. Speaking of which, I just watched as a woman walking with a small terrier allowed it to relieve itself in the middle of the sidewalk and then walked along as if nothing happened. In a city of people so generally kind I don’t understand why people don’t pick up after their pets, but that is beside the point.

As I continue down the lively main street in this foreign town, I am amazed by the small alleyways between buildings that cars miraculously seem to fit through. The double decker buses remind me of Harry Potter as they make their way around, carrying passengers from place to place. I wonder if the bus drivers get lonely, being around so many people every day but never really getting to interact with them. As I walk, I can smell the nostalgic scent of wet pavement after the light rain mixed with car exhaust surrounding me. It reminds me of summer days from my childhood, having water balloon fights with my cousins in the middle of the court they lived in. I turn a corner and the soothing sound of a man singing and playing a guitar begins to get louder and louder until I am finally standing in front of him, taking in the way his voice and guitar mix with the sound of cars and people passing by. He is singing alternative/pop hits and the small crowd that has gathered around is singing with him. I listen for another song, drop some money in his open guitar case, and move on my way, wondering how much money he actually makes in a day and if this is something he does for fun or as a main source of income. As I continue exploring, I am surprised to find that I can actually see myself living in this big city. I can see myself being a part of the life, energy, and movement in this space.

Digital Story Script

Music will start once my showcase video starts: “Respiro” by Mattia Vlad Morleo
From California to Ireland, from a small town to a big city. Well, bigger at least.	Map showing arrow from SF to Ireland
Before leaving, I knew that Cork was going to be a city without much nature; I could see that from Google maps. However, I did not anticipate that it was such an urban city for some reason.	Google maps satellite shot of Cork to show city without much nature
Over the course of the trip, I came to find that Cork was just like Walnut Creek and that Dublin was like San Francisco. There are shops lining the streets, and cafes on corners. There is constant motion, and the streets are always crowded.	Various pictures from the trip showing the city, buildings and the sea cliffs
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 and buildings as well. My definition of beauty has changed. In the remainder of the video, I will be portraying scenes of nature juxtaposed with cityscapes in an effort to show the beauty in both, as well as the way humans have altered natural land.	More pictures from the trip showing the city, buildings and the sea cliffs  Transition into showcase video