How Instant Photography Works

Instant cameras were a real revolution in the world of photography. Their invention made it possible for people to take a picture and hold the actual photograph in their hands only a few seconds later. How does that work? The film inside the camera is a plastic base coat with particles of silver compounds that are sensitive to light. Color films, such as those in instant cameras, have three layers of silver compounds – the top layer is sensitive to blue light, the middle layer to green and the bottom layer to red light. Underneath each layer, there is a developer layer containing dye couplers. All these layers sit on top of a black base layer and underneath the image layer, the timing layer and the acid layer. When exposed to light, the sensitive particles at each layer react to light of that color, forming metallic silver at that layer. The developing process is then started by the reagent. It is a mix of light blockers, alkali and white pigment. It is collected in a blob at the white bottom of the film sheet, away from the light-sensitive material to keep the film from developing before it has been exposed. After taking a picture, the film sheet passes out of the camera through a pair of rolls. The rolls help spread the reagent out in the middle of the film sheet where it reacts with other chemical layers in the film. The opacifier material stops the light from filtering onto the layers below. The reagent then dissolves the developer dye so it begins to diffuse up toward the image layer. Only the dyes from the unexposed layers will reach the image layer. The acid layer in the film reacts with the alkali and opacifiers in the reagent, making the opacifier become clear. The timing layer slows the reagent down on its way to the acid layer, to give the film time to develop before it is exposed to light. When the film sheet gets out of the camera you are actually able to see the last chemical reaction, namely the acid layer clearing up the opacifier in the reagent and making the image visible.

(363 words)

How to make a camera lucida?

The instructions “How to make a camera lucida”, written by Tim Hunkin, are very vague.

They do not not fulfill their task to explain how to build a camera lucida. Many important elements of an effective instructional text are missing. At the beginning the author does not provide a  list of items that are needed for the project. Constructing something without a list of what is required can be hard. However, the author tries to illustrate the process of building the camera by providing pictures that show measurements for the materials. Another important element missing is the estimated time for the project. Further on, what is really noticeable when looking at the how-to-guide, is that there are no numbered steps. It is challenging to follow the instructions as they are divided into paragraphs. Although the author explains how to build the camera lucida, he does not provide information on how to build the construct on which the camera should be fixed if used for drawing purposes. Despite containing pictures that could be helpful while building the camera lucida, the instructional text is complicated and makes it hard follow the steps since they are not numbered.

[195 words]

Migrant Mother - Description

Depressed, hopeless and gazing into space, Florence Owens Thompson depicts the sorrow surrounding her. She is in the center of the photograph, taking up most of the image. Her arm is supporting her head, looking like she is in fear of the future. The long and bony fingers are touching her narrow and dry lips, which have not tasted proper food and clean water for quite some time. Deep wrinkles around her mouth and eyes make her look older than she probably is, as well as revealing her concern for the family's future. The mother is wearing a checked shirt and a vest that look old, torn and itchy, as if they were made out of burlap. Hidden in her arm lies an infant wrapped in a dirty blanket. Next to the mother are her two older children leaning on her shoulders. Both children are not facing the camera but have instead buried their faces in their hands. It seems as though they are trying to hide behind their mother where they feel safe and protected. What can be easily noticed by looking at the children is that they have the same hairstyle, namely a bowl haircut. The light hair color of the child standing on the viewers right side makes a good contrast to the mother’s and other childs dark hair. Last but not least, the pale background illustrates the hopelessness and bleakness of her situation.

(237 words)


XOXO A.

A day in the life of...me! :)

“I need more sleep”. My first thought in the morning is how I need to go to bed earlier today and finally get a good night’s sleep. I usually have troubles falling asleep and most of the time end up staring at the ceiling. Therefore, I really appreciate the days when I am so exhausted that I just crash.

After getting out of bed my thoughts wander on what my tasks for the day are. I think about what I have to study for and the homework I still have not finished. The work keeps pilling up and my initial motivation for the day is starting to drop. University is a must on almost every day of the week. Although hard work is ahead of me there I also know that it is the place where I meet my friends, where we talk about our hopes and fears.

This leads me to another very important aspect of my day, my friends. My friends keep me going, they help me get up when I fall and encourage me to be the best possible version of myself. Whenever I feel like giving up, they are here to push me back into the game. I cannot imagine my life without them, I probably would not be the person I am today.

(218 words)

"What does it matter how many lovers you have if none of them gives you the universe?" 
Jacques Lacan

Serbia's requirements for the EU - Corrected Version

Hey friends,

check out the corrected version of our paper for Melissa and Fiona on Tiana's blog. Our topic was "Serbia's requirements for joining the EU". Thank you :)


http://tiana-afterglow.blogspot.co.at/2014/01/serbias-requirements-for-eu-corrected.html


XOXO A.

"It is not about what you have done, it is about what you are doing!"

Why Serbia should join the EU?

Hi!

Me and my friends Tiana and Dajana had to write an essay about Serbia and its relation to the European Union. We chose to write about why Serbia should join. If you are interested in politics, the European Union and its enlargement process, take a look at it. You can find it on Tiana's blog. I hope you will find it interesting. :)

http://tiana-afterglow.blogspot.co.at/2013/12/serbias-requirements-for-joining-eu.html


"You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it." Malcolm X

The council of Europe

Good morning!

I just want to inform you that I and my colleagues had to write a paragraph about the council of Europe. If you are interested in reading what we wrote, check out Cat's blog (link below). Thank you and have a nice day!

XOXO A.

http://sparklyzombiecat.blogspot.co.at/2013/11/the-council-of-europe.html

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time" Abraham Lincoln

The European Year of...

Hello!

Our topic for SUK3 is the European Union. In class we had to get into groups and write a paragraph about "The European Year of..." Check it out, maybe you will learn something you did not know before.



 The concept of the European Year was first introduced in 1983, and each year since, the EU has picked a 
specific topic to discuss within the member countries of the European Union. The purpose of the European Years is to concentrate and debate on subjects that are currently important to the EU in order to change certain policies to improve the standard of living for its citizens. Each year, a specific theme is proposed by the Commission and approved by the European Parliament. 1997 was named the “European Year against racism and xenophobia”. As a leader in protecting human rights, the EU wanted to raise public awareness of the dangers of racism and xenophobia and stress the importance of equal rights. Languages are of great importance for the EU as well; hence it was proposed to promote them and their impact on our everyday life in form of a “European Year of Languages” in 2001. The aim was to encourage the citizens of the European Union to take interest in learning foreign languages. As a sort of extension to the 2001 project, 2008 was named the „European Year of Intercultural Dialogue“. It was a year of projects, campaigns, debates and festivals all aimed at increasing mutual understanding and dialogue between different cultures. In a nutshell, the European Year focuses on important topics and works towards bringing forth positive changes.


"Each day you learn something new, and just as important, relearn something old." Robert Brault

XOXO A.

EU individual paragraph

In 2011 the European Commission decided to make 2013 the “European Year of Citizens”. Exactly 20 years ago leaders of 12 member nations signed the Maastricht Treaty removing all barriers to the movement of people, goods, capital and services across national borders, as well as establishing a single European currency, the euro. By signing the Treaty lives of millions of Europeans were affected. To honor this event and the citizen, the one who started it all, the European Commission decided to dedicate the whole year to it. Every citizen of the EU has certain rights and over this year they want to encourage us to inform ourselves more about them. Approximately 48% of Europeans feel that they are not well-informed about their rights and in order to change that the Commission will host various conferences and events across Europe. Besides having rights, Europeans also have responsibilities. In order to be able to understand both, we need to know what the EU is doing for us and what we can do for it and what better way than to enjoy our year?

(181 words)

XOXO A.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has"       Margaret Mead

Paragraph brainstorming:

-> 2013 "European Year of Citizens"

-> Maastricht Treaty

-> European Commission proposed the idea

-> Rights and responsibilities we have as EU citizens

-> European citizens can make a difference for they are the ones who started it all

Feedback summary 1 (Topic sentence, Register):

I was given positive feedback on my paragraph. Thanks to my colleagues, Cat and Monika, I was able to look at my paragraph from a whole new perspective. I like getting feedback because it shows me what still needs working on. In my case, it is the commas. I make comma mistakes often. I simply forget that they even exist. I think I will have to read through rules for comma usage. My colleagues liked my topic sentence and the high register I used but suggested to change my last sentence in order to connect better to the rest of the paragraph.

Revised paragraph 1:

In 2011, the European Commission decided to make 2013 the “European Year of Citizens”. Exactly 20 years ago leaders of 12 member nations signed the Maastricht Treaty, removing all barriers to the movement of people, goods, capital and services across national borders, as well as establishing a single European currency, the euro. By signing the Treaty, lives of millions of Europeans were affected. To honor this event and the citizen, the one who started it all, the European Commission decided to dedicate the whole year to it. Every citizen of the EU has certain rights and over this year they want to encourage us to inform ourselves more about them. Approximately 48% of Europeans feel that they are not well-informed about their rights and in order to change that the Commission will host various conferences and events across Europe. Besides having rights, Europeans also have responsibilities. In order to be able to understand both, we need to know what the EU is doing for us and what we can do for it and this is exactly the point of the „European Year of Citizens“.

(184 words)

Feedback summary 2 (Topic sentence, Register):

The second feedback I got from my colleagues was again very positive. My friend Cat pointed out that I should make two more changes in my paragraph. Instead of saying “over the year” I should use more sophisticated words and write „throughout the year“. She also noticed another mistake. In my paragraph I wrote “To honor this event and the citizen, the one who started it all,...”. This might confuse people as they would think that I am talking about a specific person, which I am not. That is why Cat suggested changing it into „To honor this event and the citizens, those who started it all,..“. I am very thankful for the feedback I got from my colleagues because they taught me valuable lessons about my style of writing.

Final paragraph:

In 2011, the European Commission decided to make 2013 the “European Year of Citizens”. Exactly 20 years ago leaders of 12 member nations signed the Maastricht Treaty, removing all barriers to the movement of people, goods, capital and services across national borders, as well as establishing a single European currency, the euro. By signing the Treaty, lives of millions of Europeans were affected. To honor this event and the citizens, those who started it all, the European Commission decided to dedicate the whole year to it. Every citizen of the EU has certain rights and throughout the year they want to encourage us to inform ourselves more about them. Approximately 48% of Europeans feel that they are not well-informed about their rights and in order to change that the Commission will host various conferences and events across Europe. Besides having rights, Europeans also have responsibilities. In order to be able to understand both, we need to know what the EU is doing for us and what we can do for it and this is exactly the point of the „European Year of Citizens“.

(185 words)

Final paragraph-teachers's correction:
In 2011, the European Commission decided to make 2013 the “European Year of Citizens”. Exactly 20 years ago leaders of 12 member nations signed the Maastricht Treaty, removing all barriers to the movement of people, goods, capital and services across national borders, as well as establishing a single European currency, the euro. By signing the Treaty, the lives of millions of Europeans were affected. To honor this event and the citizens, those who started it all(?), the European Commission decided to dedicate the whole year to it. Every citizen of the EU has certain rights and throughout the year they(?) want to encourage us to inform ourselves more about them(?). Approximately 48% of Europeans feel that they are not well-informed about their rights and in order to change that the Commission will host various conferences and events across Europe. Besides having rights, Europeans also have responsibilities(?). In order to be able to understand both, we need to know what the EU is doing for us and what we can do for it and this is exactly the point of the „European Year of Citizens“.

(183 words)

Final final paragraph:
In 2011, the European Commission decided to make 2013 the “European Year of Citizens”. 20 years ago leaders of 12 member states signed the Maastricht Treaty, removing all barriers to the movement of people, goods, capital and services across national borders, as well as establishing a single European currency, the euro. By signing the Treaty, the lives of millions of Europeans were affected. To honor this event and the citizens who make up the EU, the European Commission decided to dedicate the whole year to it. Every citizen of the EU has certain rights and throughout the year the Commission wants to encourage us to inform ourselves more about them. Approximately 48% of Europeans feel that they are not well-informed about their rights and in order to change that the Commission will host various conferences and events across Europe. To conclude, the goal of the “European Year of Citizens“ is to increase awareness and knowledge of EU citizenship.

(158 words)