LIS5313

media lab 02

Life Escaping the Old Town

Image: Palacio Episcopal and Catedral de la Encarnación de Málaga by Matt Kieffer under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

Audio: ‘Life Is‘ by Scott Buckley – released under CC BY 3.0 DEED

For as long as I could remember, I have always adored European architecture. Their intricate designs and ornate details reflect centuries of cultural influences and artistic expression, helping to capture how rich the history is. The building that primarily shown in the image above is of a Catholic church located in Málaga, Spain, a city that is located near the Mediterranean Sea. While the building on the lower left had served as the official residence of the bishop.

Looking at these two buildings just makes me wonder why human beings never carried on this trait of constructing these beautiful buildings, in my humble opinion alot of buildings being built nowadays compared to the past are just an eye sore. It’s crazy how lives drastically change from generation to generation, each having their own unique touch.

I paired the image with an audio file containing one of Scott Buckley’s work, a musician who is based out of Australia. Hearing it reminded me to a similar song I heard walking down the small and narrow city roads in the south of Spain, similar to one being played by a street performer. Very peaceful, justifying that life should be truly lived simply. The name of the song is what caught my eye, “Life is” and then blank. By leaving it like that, I think the author wanted the listeners to fill the blank. Having it be different for everyone, proving that life is essentially what one makes it out to be for themselves.

January 23, 2024 by Student Posts 4

SportsCenter Live

“Authentically Black Out Here” by Johnny Silvercloud is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
New York City – Crowd ext walled basketball and tennis court playing different sports fence NYC, USA.flac by kyles is licensed under CC0 1.0

When looking for images, I searched for an image that could be defined as interesting and alive, and when I saw the above photo, I knew I had struck gold. When looking at the picture, I could see it being a crowd at a concert, a rally, or even a group waiting for a speaker. The image provides the viewer with the chance to experience many different stories depending on the person you focus on in the photo, and that is what I loved so much about it. The viewer gets to see the images through their own eyes, not just the photographer’s.

My eyes went to the person with the phone. They are so focused and staring intently into what is being recorded that I imagined it being an exciting basketball game outside with loud commentary from the players. It reminded me of the times my brother would record basketball games and go home to dissect each play of the game we just watched because he enjoyed the game so much. Listening to the audio while looking at the picture brought back the feeling of being in that sports atmosphere during a very close game. It is a different feeling, an electric one.

So pairing the image with the sounds of an exciting basketball environment paired well to bring the story I chose to tell when I looked at the picture. I would like to hear from you about your thoughts! Share in the comments what thoughts come to mind when looking at the image. Do you see what I see or something different?

January 23, 2023 by Spring 2023 Student Posts 3

Out of Office

“Forest sky” by peter.v.b is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
“cell_message_deleted.aif” by thanvannispen is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

We’re all busy, between work, school, and general life, and it’s really hard to escape the everyday noises, literally and figuratively. I choose to pair a beautiful night sky in the forest with the sound of deleting messages as a story of disconnecting. I imagine hiking out to this wonderful spot, selecting all from my inbox, and deleting, them so I can enjoy the sounds and sights of nature. I was drawn to this image because it’s simple, yet what it displays is so complex, trees of likely decades, if not centuries old, and the stars, whos light has burned bright for thousands of years to reach us here on Earth.

Taken alone, the image is calm and serene and one might think of the sound of the wind rustling through the trees, or crickets, or even the hoot of an owl. The modern sound of a message deletion, which is a bit robotic, sticks out as a contrast to the natural wonder of the photo.

This is a reminder to us all, including myself, to take moments to enjoy what’s around us and put down the phone. I know I need this reminder as a nudge, that we’re all in this together, and it’s ok if we don’t respond immediately to all the notifications on our phones, sometimes we need to step out into nature and really focus on the stars and our place among them.

January 18, 2023 by Spring 2023 Student Posts 2

Live in the Moment & Enjoy

“A plant growing up in the moss” by Z Carlos is licensed under
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
“Life Theme” by XHALE303 is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0)

Do you sometimes feel like you have no idea what’s happening in your life even though everything is going well? This is something I’ve been feeling a lot lately. I’m not upset about it because I know I am going through a stage of growth that will be beneficial to my future. However, sometimes I do wish I had more clarity.

The image “A plant growing up in the moss” by Z Carlos is the perfect example of this feeling. The plant is alone by itself yet it is still constantly growing into something more beautiful. I decided to find a song that I think a plant would like to listen to during its growth and “Life Theme” by XHALE303 seemed to be the perfect example. The piano is soothing and the different tempos of the notes reminded me of the different paces that we go through in this journey called life.

Even though you may not know exactly what’s happening in your life right now always take time to live in the moment and enjoy it.

January 25, 2022 by Student Posts 2

Climbing the Mountain

“Mountains” by oatsy40 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
“Fire crackles in the fireplace” by pater.marek.op is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License

For me, there are only a few things more beautiful than mountain scenery. It also represents a challenge to overcome with the reward waiting for you at the peak. The peak may be in the distance, but you can still enjoy the view along the way. The “on top of the world” high is not because one is looking down at the rest of the world, but from the achievements along the way and completing your ultimate challenge.

The image Mountains by oatsy40 embraces this concept. It shows the beauty all around but also keeps the center focus on the peak ahead. Pairing this image with a crackling fire by Pater Marek reminds us of the need to sometimes rest and enjoy the small things in life along the way. It also reminds us of the necessity of fire in this extreme cold environment.

January 23, 2022 by Spring 2022 Student Posts 2

First Round, First Minute


Manny Pacquiao vs Muhammad Ali” by mario_d is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Ding! Round one – BOOM!  Within minutes, the fight is over!

The photo shown above is a fight between Muhammad Ali and Manny Pacquiao.  As a huge fan of Muhammad Ali, I wanted to share this powerful photo of him in the ring.  I chose this photo for several reasons.  Although Muhammad Ali was the greatest professional fighter of all times, he was more than a boxer. He was also a philanthropist and social activist.  He was a great fighter in the ring and outside of it. Outside of the ring, he fought for what he believed in.

http://Jazzy eve of heavy seas by Wired Ant (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/Wired_Ant/38009 Ft: subdes2;kidjazz;smilingcynic

The audio file Jazzy Eve of Heavy Seas by Wired Ant was the perfect pairing to me for this photo. The audio starts out with a ding followed by a big BOOM!! After the boom, there is this metallic chiming sound as if someone got punched so hard that the only thing they see are stars as they lie flat on the canvas. The song repeats this cadence a few more times before going into a sweet melody of trumpet sounds with the crashing weaves heard in the background. The audio file reminded me of Muhammad Ali’s boxing career but also his life as a man.

Muhammad Ali gave more to this world then just his boxing career. He also gave the world a legacy that will live forever.

“A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”

Muhammad  Ali 1942-2016

January 20, 2022 by Spring 2022 Student Posts 2

Media Lab 02 Example: Orion in the Sky

Orion by Shaun Wrightson is licensed under
 Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Concentration by KevinMacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

When do you feel most the most calm? During the winter months, I often enjoy gazing up at the big open sky. The first constellation I usually spot is Orion, recognizable by its three stars which make up the hunter’s “belt.” Over the years I have associated this vast constellation of stars with the cooling down of the weather and early sunsets, as it is visible from November to February.

The sight of Orion in the darkening sky imbues a sense of tranquility and wonder at the start of each new year.

The image Orion by Shawn Wrightson is a perfect example of the calming effect the beauty of nature can have. I thought pairing the image with the ambient elements found in the song Concentration by Kevin MacLeod created a serene mental environment where one can feel the cool air and hear a light brushing of the leaves in the winter wind. The stars shine down from above, almost masked by the thinning clouds, and provide a focal point for meditative introspection.

January 11, 2022 by Example Posts 0