Pamela Finley

"No matter what I feel on the inside, I have to put on a happy face for my customers."

On the field trip down Nicollet Ave, I interviewed Pamela Finley. She was working at Town's Edge Cleaners & Launderers. During my interview I learned a lot about Pamela that I definitely wouldn't have known before. She really opened up to me and told me a lot about her personal life. She said she was a single parent who just recently found a good job. She was previously unemployed for over a year. She said the biggest challenge to someone her age is having and holding a job. Through out the entire interview everything she said made me think she was a very strong person.

She is also very unselfish, she told me her family (kids) come first above all. Her advice to a random stranger would be "May God bless you" showing she is always thinking of other people's happiness. 

Pamela knows all of her customers by name, which I found very surprising. Most people wouldn't take the time to find out things about their customers and bond with them on a personal level. When I was interviewing her a customer came in and she greeted him by name and asked if his dog was doing okay, knowing that he had been sick.

What I also found interesting was that Pamela told me that no matter what is happening at home or in her personal life, no matter what, she puts on a happy face and tells her customers to "Enjoy your day, which is more personal to me than saying, have a nice day." The second picture illustrates that, her face is frowning which is how she may feel on the inside some days, but her chalkboard reads "Enjoy your day". Even if her day is bad, she does what she can to make someone else's good.

During my interview with Pamela, one word stood out to me. STRONG.

My Interview with Nick Krause

Nick Krause "Friends & Happiness!"

In my interview with Nick Krause, I learned a lot about him. He feels that people don't know what he is outside of school, when he is in school he is hard working and studious, but also kind of a clown. Outside of school he told me he is "a gamer, a helper and an eccentric person." Nick is a unique kid who loves the word smorgasbord! He likes working toward a common goal with people and hates when people are "douche bags and try to screw each other over". His advice to a stranger would be 'Stand up for yourself and others." Which makes it no surprise that when I asked him what matters, he replied with, "Friends & Happiness!" which is what we decided to put on his board because it reflected his personality. I learned a lot about Nick that I didn't know before, he is a very colorful person.

Reaction to Michael McKinney's Post

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The photograph for his interview with Natalie Holdhal really stands out to me. I'm drawn to look directly at the board because that is where she is looking herself. She looks happy and has a very colorful background. But to me it seems that the chalkboard, and what is on the chalkboard, are the main points of the photo. Where she is standing also brings attention. The Miller in the background has his arms positioned where Natalie's arms are. It looks almost like Natalie has the big arms of the Miller, symbolizing strength. Strength is definitely something that goes along with what is on the board. Great photo!

Berit Johnson

"Music creates peace."

Berit Johnson is a music loving, singing actress at Washburn High School. In my interview with Berit, I found out that she really enjoys the arts and loves to smile. When I asked her "What matters?" she quickly replied with "Music, the arts, and peace" which really jumped out at me, and that is why we decided to put that on her chalk board. I had never really talked to Berit before, and I found out a lot about her that I wouldn't have expected. She said that she feels comfortable with "people who are outgoing and have a good sense of humor" and that she feels different when she is around shy people. She also believes the hardest things about being her age is "Managing time and living up  to expectations. From what I've gained from talking with her, she is very outgoing and loves life. She seems like she wants to make the world a better place, and I think she will. 

Who Owns the Meaning of a Photograph?

Who really owns the true meaning of a photograph? There is no "true meaning" to a photograph. Meanings to photos are held by all who are involved, photographer, subject, and audience. Every photo is open to interpretation. Photos are ambiguous as Wing Young Huie says. Ambiguous means something has more than one meaning and is open to interpretation. That is what i believe too. How you interpret a photo has to do with your background, your views and what you see when you look beyond just the surface of the picture. "When I am reading a photograph, am I reading a story?" asked Wing Young Huie.  And i believe you are, you have to read the photo like a story to gather your own interpretation and meanings of the photo. Whether you are the photographer, the subject, or just the person that sees the photo in a gallery. The meaning of a photo is what each individual makes it out to be.