Investigate/Design Brief

What do you already know about the problem?

So far, I know that I will have to find an old photo of a living relative that I believe has an interesting story to share. Once I’ve restored my photo on “Photoshop” I will then be able to take a new digital picture that somehow connects to the original photo.

On the other hand, I do not know very much about phtography. I know enough to take decent (average) pictures, but it stops there. For previous projects, I’ve worked with “Picasa”, however (I’m almost embarrassed to admit) I know close to nothing about “Photoshop”. I guess my goal for this project is to become acquainted with the program, at the very least.

What do you need to investigate?

Before I can even start the project, I will have to look through some of my grandparents’ old photo albums. After finding a photo I like, I will be able to ask questions about it’s story and it’s significance to the person/people in it. Obviously the next step would be to restore the photograph however I will have to experiment with “Photoshop” first. Chances are, I will have to ask Mr Penning for addtional help and guidance. Lastly, I will have to learn how to properly use a camera to take effective pictures.

Appropriate sources of inforformation:

• a bunch of old photos
• family members (or who ever is in the photos I’m looking through)
• internet
• Mr Penning (and his blog)

Evaluate each source of information in terms of how effectively it will help your investigation

Family Members

pros: They are obviously a good source of information, considering the photos I will be looking through involve my grandparents or our family in general. They most definitely will be able to help me piece together a (relatively) accurate story, worth sharing.

cons: They might not know all the details, especially if the picture was taken before my parents were born. Asking my grandmother directly would be ideal, however the problem is she might have forgotten bits and pieces of the story over the years.

The Internet

pros: Refering to the internet for additional information on photography and “Photoshop” will help me better understand the material taught in class.

cons: Like always, it’s important to keep in mind that the internet is not always the most reliable source of information. Research that has been collected via the internet is not always accurate, since anyone can be posting incorrect information.

Mr Penning

pros: He understands the project better than anyone, therefore refering to him would be the best option, if a problem were to arise. He also knows a lot about photography and is very familiar with “Photoshop”.

cons: We only see him 2 days out of a 9 day cycle which could make it harder to speak with him one-on-one.