Week 6 Day 2

Name: Allison Vincent
Major: Art Education
Year: Senior

I was interested in this course because I love photography and animals, art classes are rarely offered during the summer (a bonus being it was taught by an amazing teacher!), and I thought it would be great opportunity to volunteer at the Wake County Animal Shelter.

There were two main things that were valuable to me from this course. One was that I got a lot more experience working in Adobe Photoshop and applying techniques to photography that was not for my art portfolio. However, the most important of both things was that I was able to help these animals by spending time with them and sharing them with the rest of the world through photography, which ultimately improves their chances of getting adopted.

Overall I learned that some things take a lot more time than you thought they would, but really it was all worth it in the end, which I wasn't expecting at the beginning of this class.

In the end, photography can make a huge difference in animal overpopulation, although in a subtle, often unnoticed way. For each animal we photographed, we've shared them with the general public by having them put online. This means that more people have a chance to see them that might not have been able to come into the shelter easily. It also gives them a glance into what the animals are like, so that people can look through the list easily in one place without spending hours at the shelter, which can get pretty crowded with a lot of people walking around. So, photography allows more access to these animals and in essence provides more opportunities and chances for them to get adopted.

Below, the first photograph is of Salem, who has been at the shelter since the beginning of class and has finally gotten adopted! The next two cats I took photographs of last week. Their photographs were posted on the WCAS website at the beginning of the week, and now, at the end of the week, they both have pending adoptions!

WCAS, Salem, ID# 52210

WCAS, Ferry (Ferocia) ID#: 52128

WCAS, Greg ID#: 54617

Week 6 Day 1

Animal overpopulation is when the number of animals outnumbers the homes they are able to live in. To me animal overpopulation is a result of neglect, ignorance or selfishness, and a lack of responsibility. Overpopulation really just comes from pet owner's not getting their animals spayed/neutered. Maybe they don't think they have the money for it, but honestly, if you don't have the money to do this, should you really have a pet in the first place? But, even if you are low on money, which happens, especially with this recession, there are programs that you can apply to and places that you can go to to neuter/spay your pet for those with financial problems. Then there are those who think that no one should neuter/spay their pet, that they have the right not to. But what happens to the rights of the other animals that still need homes, or the people paying more tax money to afford shelters when these people refuse to get their female pet, for example, spayed and she has a litter that they can't afford to keep?

I think overall, our society only cares about overpopulation if it personally affects them. I feel that most of the time a blind eye is given to this issue. I think the mindset might be that it's sad to see animals at the shelter or see the commercials with Sarah McLaughlin about animal abuse and needs, but many feel it's not their problem to deal with, or maybe feel like they can't do anything to make a difference.

Shelters and most adoption centers and foundations require that the animals that get adopted are spayed or neutered. But, in most cases, a deposit is given and this does not assure that the new owner will actually get the surgery for the animal because the only penalty of not doing the surgery is not getting the refund. However, I do know that many animal breeders do require the animal to be spayed or neutered before adoption, so that's always a start. But, currently there are no laws about spaying/neutering pets. I feel that if they made it law, at least in the US, and only gave special permits to some people, that the animal overpopulation would be greatly reduced.

Here are my top ten favorite photographs from this course:

WCAS, Moo Moo, ID#: 51171

WCAS, Elvira, ID#: 53478

WCAS, Dreamer, ID#: 50016

WCAS, White Queen, ID#: 53778

WCAS, Buba, ID#: 53902

WCAS, Cookie, ID#: 54061

WCAS, Melinda, ID#: 53962

WCAS, Thomas, ID#: 54607

WCAS, Catina, ID#: 54745

WCAS, Carol, ID#: 53918

Week 5 Day 4

Realistically, I'm not sure if I will be able to volunteer at the WCAS after this course. I have very limited money for gas (gas in my truck doesn't get me very far already) and the shelter is a 35-40 minute drive from my house. So, trying to get 10 hours as an actual volunteer at the WCAS will be tough, especially since I will be starting another summer class (that isn't an online hybrid) right after this one. However, I will certainly try my best to work things out because this has been a great experience for me and has become a project I'd like to continue. Here is a picture of me at the shelter with Salem:

WCAS, Me with Salem (ID# 52210)

Week 5 Day 3

Step 1. The collaboration idea that I lean towards would be creating a weekly catalog or newsletter for animals at the shelter that are featured or are in a greater need of a home (i.e. older aged cats, dogs, etc.). I feel like by shining more light on these animals and putting them into a spotlight, that it could improve their chances of finding homes sooner. Which, ultimately means less of them getting sick or euthanized. I don't know much about the AIGA group at Meredith, but this could be good for the Artist Alliance and AIGA, and it hopefully raise interest in the project. This would be great for an ongoing project and could help bring in more volunteers for the shelter. It would also be a great opportunity for studio art, graphic design majors, and even art ed. majors at Meredith to gain more experience with photography and graphic design commissions, and I'm sure it could probably be a good resume item.
Step 2. I will be the Vice President of the Artist Alliance for this upcoming year, 2011-2012, and I would like to strongly promote this project for this upcoming year. However, I could certainly start contacting people now. I would just have to contact Sarah Elliot about the Artist Alliance and then try to figure out who is in charge of AIGA and contact them as well. However, I would first need to make contact with the WCAS and see if they would be interested in the project and would allow us to put something like this on their website and/or get sent out to their mailing lists.
Step 3. Finally, after getting a list of those interested, collaborate to set up a timeline, and figure out who could volunteer to take the pictures and get the information on the animals, and who could take time to design the layout of the catalog/newsletter, and who would be in charge of updating it weekly, and how long that they could continue the project, etc. Then get started!

Below I have a simple example of one of the page layouts with pictures of two cats that could be featured. However, my InDesign trial is malfunctioning and won't let me enter any text so it looks kind of bald and plain, so bear with me! (Also, take note of the fact that I'm not awesome at graphic design, haha) But, the layout would have the WCAS written at the top in the white section with the logo. "Featured Cats" would be written in the purple section and beside each cat would be their lovely descriptions with their names, age, date in shelter, ID number, etc. Here is the example with Bonnie and Moo Moo, each page would feature two animals and the animals would be divided into sections (ie. cats, dogs, etc.).

WCAS catalog layout example

Bonnie ID# 49512 and Moo Moo ID# 51171

Week 5 Day 2

I think photography at the shelter helps the animals get more attention and showcase them in many ways. For example, capturing a playful or curious personality can create an emotional connection to a viewer. But, most of all, the photographs we take help provide a good visual of the animals so that they get adopted sooner. Just the other day I was working at the WCAS when I heard a "shopper" say that she saw the photograph of one particular cat online and immediately she knew she wanted to come down to the shelter to adopt her.

As we take our photographs we try to capture the personalities of the animals or getting just the right light to make their markings and uniqueness stand out, and even coaxing them to look directly at the camera. This takes time and energy and an artistic eye which enhances the overall impact of the picture because it can provide that emotionally connection and dynamic visual. But, not only are we using our artistic abilities to take the photos we further edit them to place further emphasis on the animals and to draw them out in the picture. I feel like the way we edit them in Photoshop is so similar to painting or drawing because we bring out the eyes, nose, the whiskers, and the ears by drawing or painting it in. We change the color balance, the contrast levels, and add shallow depth of field. And all of these things make the animal shine, make them more intriguing, and, in the end, more adoptable.

I think another art form that could benefit the animals at the shelter could be writing. For one thing, it takes time and talent to write the little descriptions about each animal. Not all animals have a description, and usually the ones that do have nice little snippets about their personalities and their background if known. But, writing can also be used to announce events for the shelter or write articles about them, like in a newspaper or newletter. I feel that if you mix in some graphic design with the writing there could also be a weekly catalog highlighting or featuring animals that need homes the most, like older animals or ones that have been in the shelter a long time.

Here is an example of what we do every week for these animals (the following include the initial photograph taken by the shelter for the website and records, my initial photograph of the animal, and then my final edited one):

WCAS, Initial Photgraph of White Queen, ID#53778

Before Edit, WCAS, White Queen, ID#53778 (Adoption Pending)

Edited, WCAS, White Queen, ID#53778 (Adoption Pending)

Week 5 Day 1

What I find most valuable about this course is the fact that I get to hone my Photoshop skills while performing community service by helping these loving animals find homes. I've already taken the Computer Literacy for Design class, as well as Portfolio Photography, but I feel that I've gotten a better handle on Photoshop in this class because I've been able to apply it to photography, a subject I've fallen in love with, rather than just my art portfolio. And, although face-to-face class meetings can be important and valuable I really like the fact that this was a hybrid online class because I'm a commuter and have limited money for gas. Since I don't have to go to the classroom everyday I can spend more time at the shelter and with the animals that are so in need of our help. The online class also gives me the freedom to choose when I want to work at the shelter and when I will edit my photos by freeing up my hours. This also means there's less pressure to get things done and I can focus on the quality of my work and not just the quantity. No matter what I'm doing, quality has always been the most important thing aspect of my work to me. Here are some of my best photographs so far:

WCAS, Moo Moo, ID#: 51171 (in foster)

WCAS, Dreamer, ID# 50016 (in foster)

WCAS, Bronson, ID#: 53755 (possibly adopted)

WCAS, Mondi, ID#: 37992

WCAS, Jill, ID#: 53970 (possibly adopted)

WCAS, Yasmin, ID#: 53165

Also, I actually had to drop off a stray at the Wake County Animal Shelter myself. And, let me tell you, it was really hard to do because he was such a sweet dog, but I couldn't keep him. However, with the skills and opportunities provided to me through this class I went back, found him, and took a picture of him for the WCAS website. And just with one photo, some of that horrible weight was lifted off my heart, and I was optimistic that he would find a loving home. Here he is:

WCAS, Kent, ID# 53784 (possibly adopted)

Week 4 Day 3

I feel that the forced depth of field was the most useful technique that we learned this week in Photoshop. I have a point and shoot camera, so I do not really have this option of changing the depth of field available to me. I feel that because it can blur the background around the animals, even just slightly enough to make the viewer's focus shift towards the animal more by tunneling the focus like our vision, the technique creates a more successful photograph. Here are two photographs that I used this technique for:

WCAS, Bronson, ID#: 53755

WCAS, Buba, ID#: 53902

In Bronson's photo you can see this forced depth of field technique in the way the blankets in front of him are now out of focus and the shadowed corner lines of his little room are much softer behind him. With Buba, the cinder-blocks, the metal door, and his legs are slightly blurred using this technique to give a more shallow depth of field centered around his face which draws attention to his bright, wise eyes.You can also see the before picture of Buba in my previous post.  However, I also wanted to mention the masking technique that allows us to change the color of one area. This is one useful tool! Look at the before and after pictures below:

Before: WCAS, Dexter, ID#: 53049

After: WCAS, Dexter, ID#: 53049