A Fancy New Device....The Fujifilm X-M1

Here I am, in my messy room (because I'm far too busy) with my fancy new device....

I got my first camera when I was
12, I think... Within the first 30 minutes I used up a whole roll of film. The camera was a simple one - put in the film and a battery, turn it on and CLICK - take a picture. I got my first digital camera several years ago, but it too was a very simple camera, unless there was more to it than I thought at the time... Hmm, where is that camera? I should find it and see if there was more to it after all.
Well, I got myself a new camera for my Digital Photojournalism class - The Fujifilm X-M1. For me, it was a pricey thing but I thought, this will be worth it. In no time at all I'm sure I'll have this thing mastered and I'll be taking some amazing pictures. I was a silly girl to think this device was going to be SIMPLE. For me, this device is very complicated, but it's my new toy and so I am determined to find out how it works.  This camera can upload directly to the Internet, I believe... I haven't tried it yet, but that's pretty sweet. I uploaded photos directly to my phone through a wireless transfer. There are so many settings that it makes my head spin.
Anyway, this is the device that I'm going to learn about... and hopefully master someday.

OVER

I've never gotten that deep into apps actually so trying to find interesting apps is a new thing for me and some that seem interesting, new and exciting to me, are probably old news to everyone else, but I don't mind. We do things and discover things at different times... Hahahah!

I found OVER, an app that helps do fun things with your photos. Most of us love photos or post memes that someone somewhere created. I thought this app, would make creating our own fancy photos much easier and more fun of course. I haven't tried it yet though, but I plan to.

Samples from the OVER app

 OVER

There are countless apps out there that let you mess around with your photos and make them all spiffy. The one that we’ve been having the most fun with recently is Over. The app is simple with one defined purpose, to allow you to add beautiful typography to your shots. Instead of adding boring text like you would with say a Camera+, Over lets you get a bit more stylish and design-y.

Link for the Apple Over app
Link for the Android app

Marshall McLuhan

Marshall McLuhan
"The medium is the message"

Marshall McLuhan's statement, "The medium is the message" has had a variety of interpretations. After reading an article by Mark Federman - Chief strategist- McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology, I think I have a better understanding of what McLuhan meant. If I still don't understand his statement clearly, that's okay with me.
In this photo of McLuhan there is a telephone on the back wall. The telephone reminds me of something I've experienced several times, beginning many years ago.
I walked into Zion's Bank in Sun Valley, Idaho in 1993. I stood in line behind a man in shorts and sandals. The bank was pretty quiet that day. I was glad that I had gotten there during a slow time of day. After a few minutes, it was my turn to get my banking done with the teller.  I approached the friendly-looking older woman at the counter. She asked me how she could help me and just as I opened my mouth to answer her, the ringing of a telephone behind the woman pulled her attention away from me as she mumbled, "um just a minute" and picked up the phone and answered, "Zion's Bank, Sun Valley, how can I help you?"  I stood at the desk for several minutes as the teller helped the telephone-patron. I wondered as I watched her why it was that a person who didn't have the compulsion to leave wherever they were got priority treatment over me...I had gotten dressed, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and used up my personal time and fuel to drive over to the bank to do my banking in person. The person on the telephone hadn't done that. Now it could be that the person on the phone was at their job and couldn't get away, but still, why was the person on the telephone more important than a real live flesh and blood person right in front of the teller?
I have experienced that same thing in countless businesses over the years. Is a person who calls on the phone or sends a text message, more important than the people who are breathing right in front of us?
In this situation, McLuhan's statement "the medium is the message," to me, has nothing to do with what the person on the telephone wants at that moment, or the text message sender's purpose either. In this age of wanting to connect with others, sometimes, with as many people as we can through email, Facebook, Instagram, text-messages, telephone calls, etc. we tend to overlook and take for granted the people that are right in front of us and that often should be the most important people.
The message here is that the invisible individual is more important than the visible one that we can see, touch and smell.
I have many friends, and I've experienced this myself, that complain that their significant other is always so busy on their cell phone playing games, Facebooking, texting, etc that they don't seem to even talk much anymore. When did devices and what they contain become more important than people? Devices have sure added an amazing amount of convenience to our lives, but along with that convenience there have come many negatives. We may not notice them or the messages our devices have sent until we shut them off, put them down and notice the people around us again. People are pretty cool too you know.