And the last - Video Editing Exercise!

The task: Make a video with my digital camera introducing myself and my home life in 45 seconds or less.  I took that to me showing off my house, which is quite difficult to do in 45 seconds or less.  Sorry I don't talk much, but I'm not very good with the words in such situations.

It should also be noted that I have three roommates - I don't live in this big house all by my lonesome.

More interesting things soon!  I promise!

Photo Editing Exercise

This is the not-fun stuff.  I'm sorry.

So here's an adorable picture of Wishbone at the capitol, a photo in which he is sadly out of focus.  The color came out quite dark as well (it was very bright).

But say that you feel Wishbone isn't really adding anything to the magnificence of the capitol building.  You might crop it and brighten the color and the saturation, and voila!

Poor Wishbone.  He'll just have to make sure he's in focus next time.

Fun with Audacity

Before we go, we're required to prove that we have some idea how to use a few pieces of technology.  For this small assignment, I used the free, open-source audio editing software Audacity to make a radio/podcast sounding piece.  I was testing out a USB voice recorder that I bought, so what I say is mostly nonsense.

Click here to listen to my 40-second audio clip

OR


Click here to listen to a piece I made for a media workshop plan for a library (I talk about my middle school boyfriend!)

I love radio.  I really do.  I don't know where I'd be without NPR, and I had the distinct pleasure to work on the show To the Best of Our Knowledge at Wisconsin Public Radio.  I was doing archival work, but I sure learned how to use audio software.  I mainly worked to create a searchable online archive, which you can explore at any time.  Check it out!

Here We Begin Our Journey!

Hello friends and family!  From this blog, I'll be keeping you abreast of my travel details to Ireland, England, and (briefly) France.  There will be lots of pictures, and not a whole lot of text.  I hope it will be enjoyable!

For those who I haven't told (or those who have forgotten), I will be in London for 3 weeks as a study abroad program through Florida State University.  This program is a digital media production course (2 courses, really) in which we must keep a blog, shoot video, make a podcast, and take lots and lots of pictures.  It just so happens to be in London.

I'm also going to take this opportunity to say that I am required to use Blogger for my class.  Since Google bought Blogger, the interface has changed significantly.  It's disgustingly simple and so frustrating when you want to actually make things look professional.  I'd use Wordpress if it were my choice.  Just sayin'.

My choice of blog title comes directly from my trip "mascot" (something we have with us to put into pictures, see below).  This little guy heavily influenced my childhood - I'm sure many people my age would say the same - and significantly added to my love of great literature.  So in a rare infringement of copyright, let me (re)introduce you to... Wishbone.

Aaaah, the memories!  How many times did I watch that intro?  Hundreds, I'm sure.  A major regret in my life is that I erased all the TV recordings of Wishbone I made on VHS.  What on earth was my 14 year old self thinking?

And here's my adorable little traveling companion in front of Lake Mendota in Madison:

For those unfamiliar with Madison, we took some pictures at the Union Terrace (would have been more, but they just started reconstruction *sigh*) and the state capitol.

I leave Madison on June 25th - first, a bus to O'Hare airport, then a flight to Charlotte, then a flight to Dublin.  I'll be staying with a friend's sister while in the Emerald Isle for approximately a week before flying to London.  Since I'm a library student, a trip to Trinity College in Dublin to see the Book of Kells was an absolute necessity.  But more on that later.  So begins the adventure!