2018-2019 Maria Sofia Latour
PORTFOLIO
Personal essay What did I expect when I circled Journalism on my course sheet? I expected an easy class that I could drop out of next year in favor of another art class. I expected long boring classes filled with busy-work. Walking into my classroom for the first time, I saw a long year of unhappiness in front of me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead I found a classroom full of skills to learn. Before stepping into my journalism class I was completely unaware of the skills it took to be a journalist. What journalism class really did for me was open up a new door that I wouldn’t have considered before then, and taught me skills that I would never thought about learning otherwise. I’m grateful for the skills I learned, especially in areas that I had never thought to be worth it. Because of this, I feel as though I really did make a big improvement in my writing, photography, and design skills. Even though I wasn’t particularly skilled in any of these areas towards the beginning of the year, I’m glad that I didn’t give up and kept trying to improve my skills. I felt that I grew the most as a designer. I had shown interest in design before but it wasn’t till my journalism class that I realy grew serious about it. I do think think that these skills will be applicable later. These skills will be especially useful working for the school yearbook, where I really hope I can help the production.
piece reflections
This was a piece I created for the litmag later in the year. It was not included in this year’s literary magazine, however I was very proud of the result by the time it was finished. In this piece I used many of the skills I had been working on throughout the year. Some of these skills include cuttng out parts of photos in photoshop, fading photos, composition, and matching a photo to a poem. These were skills that the entire class had been working on throughout the year, and I feel as though this piece encompasses all these acquired skills well.
piece Reflection reflection
This photo was taken as part of an assignment to create a photography portfolio. I feel as though this photo was very strong compositionally. The subject of the photo (the reflection) is in the center of the photo, I feel as though this works to ground the photo as the viewer’s eyes are led to the reflection oin the glass first. The rings inside of the vending machine then work to lead the viewer’s eyes through the rest of the photo because of the way they lead backwards into the machine. This was deliberate, this concept is called leading lines and was one of the many concepts taught in class. Beacuse of the strong centered composition and the leading lines, I feela s though the photo is very visually interesting.
piece reflections
This photo was also taken as part of the same assignment to create a photography portfolio. This photo was taken for the prompt “worm’s eye view”. The idea behind this promt was to take a photo from the ground up, or from the perspective of a worm. the subject in question (the flag pole) is centered in the middle of the photo. The reader’s eyes are drawn to the flagpole first before moving on to the sky and clouds in the background. Another concept used in this photo is contrasting colors. The sky in the background is blue while the stripes of the flag are red. These two colrs are on opposite ends of the color wheel and therfore contrast greatly to eachother. This works to pop out the red of the flag and results in a more visually interesting photo.
Worm’s eye view
Clips writing Transgender Policy Opinion Piece It is completely and utterly infuriating that in 2019, after decades of fighting for basic rights, the lgbt community is still being oppressed in such a ridiculous and frankly disgusting fashion by the US government. When the supreme court passed President Trump’s policy to ban transgender soldiers from the military, it felt like a huge step backwards in a fight for equality. The lgbt community has taken great advances marching towards a future where everyone is seen as equals. When headlines flash with hate crimes or policies passed by the very court that should be protecting rather than oppressing us, it almost feels like these cries have fallen on deaf ears. In truth, what gives anyone the right to tell someone who they can or can’t be simply because of their gender orientation. There is almost no reason to do so other than a outdated opinion which needs to be put to an end if the US hopes to live up to the values it was created on. It is especially ridiculous that the US is now banning people from protecting and fighting for their country. Oppressing someone brave enough to give their very life for a country they love is somehow acceptable in the world the US government is shaping. These individuals have fought gender dysphoria their whole life and are now being held back from a right granted to all other humans simply because of a bigoted opinion, the entire concept feels medieval. I of course understand that the Supreme court and the US president is at liberty to pass any policies that they feel would push the country forward. I of course am at a liberty to disagree with these policies, arguing that it violates basic rights and promotes the oppression of the lgbt community. The only solution I can hope to give is to take back the policy and once again allow US citizens, who deserve the same rights given to any other human being, to bravely walk the battlefield alongside his brothers and sisters in equality.
Opinion piece
clips writing OBR Gun Control As anyone with access to news media knows gun control is a problem that has been creeping closer and closer to home for most individuals in the Gulliver community. With every mass shooting that makes headlines more and more people begin asking themselves if they are truly as safe as they once thought they were. As the threat of a school shooting looms over schools, this new generation of thinkers and leaders must think their way out of this global issue. School shootings and public massacres are often tied to the weapon itself. The gun turns into the villain in the story, when in truth the gun is only the method. The real villain is the human being pulling the trigger. School shootings don’t come from guns but people. People who often have severe mental issues or are consumed in hate for the world. Of course gun control laws are an important factor to this issue. Stricter gun control laws such as a more thorough background check can save lives. But this isn’t an issue of weapons only but instead an issue of humanity. Students who kill students were often bullied and teased by their peers. This of course does not excuse their actions. To kill another human with feelings and thoughts is never justified, but acknowledging the root of the problem is the first step to any solution. Many schools shooters have shown obvious signs of severe mental illness and misery, every headline could’ve been avoided if only someone had noticed. Noticing someone’s pain and getting them proper help can stop a potential tragedy, and this step can start somewhere as basic as paying attention to the people around you. You might never know what’s going on inside of someone, but if everyone tried to be just a little kinder or more empathetic this problem can be eventually put to an end.
Opinion piece
clips design
Done for Gulliver Reflections Lierary Magazine
clips design Done for Gulliver Reflections Lierary Magazine
clips photography students working
repitition reflection
a cat Worm’s eye view
clips photography backgrpound vs foreground cover piece
covering an event
about me
about me
Art
Art
awarded at FSPA Conference orlando