Senior Speech

As our senior year rapidly comes to a bitter-sweet end, it is important too cherish the time we have here together; while preparing ourselves for the step ahead. College will soon drag us into a new world where everything may seem uncomfortable and different. We will adjust, like we did here at North Broward. Of course, everyone should remember the times we've spent here; but without dwelling on the past too much. It's important that we take lessons we've been taught and challenges we've overcome and use those as a pedastool entering the crazy college life. Don't party too hard and good luck everyone!

Bradley A. Blizzard

PLN #6

Leaving YOUR Mark

          As we all set forth to essentially enter a "new life" wherever we might travel next year, it is important to leave our marks on our communities; if we haven't already. Believe it or not, I intended to leave my mark using my photography business and talent. From creating my photo business using online social networks, (Facebook.com/BBlizzardPhoto, www.bblizzardphoto.com, etc.), to teaching others all I can about photography at NBPS, I have helped people who share the same interest as I do but need a little help reaching their full potential. This year, I was nominated for a Silver Knight Award given by the Miami Herald for precisely that, helping the community. As I go to college studying photography, I hope I am fortunate enough to find someone to help me improve in what I do. Then, I can do the same later on. Incorporating a business aspect to my work was probably the hardest part of what I do. Handling money, advertising/promoting, and recruiting other photographers are just a couple examples of the business that comes with creating and managing a professional photography business.

  

PLN #5

Building a Portfolio

          One of the most exciting things a photographer gets to do is show off his/her work to others. This is a time where, like all artists, get to receive feedback from outside sources. Receiving feedback can either be a very exciting thing, or something you wish you never heard. Though negative feedback can result in anger and giving up, it is important not to think about it too much. It might sound cheesy but don't let negative feedback anchor you down too much. When previewing your work to others, it is probably best to expect the worst. One thing I have learned about feedback is that those who are inthralled with your work will always ask to see more. Personally, receiving negative feedback on anything, not just photography, does not usually bother me due to the confidence I have in my work and what I have done.

           When building a portfolio, it is important to include personal favorites and crowd pleasers. I like to throw in a equal mix of both. Below are a couple of my photographs which you can often find in my exclusive portfolio.

*Crowd Pleaser* Published in the Atlantic Ave. Magazine

*Personal Favorite* My hometown, Washington D.C

 

*Personal Favorite* 

"I think it's very important to have a feedback loop, where you're constantly thinking about what you've done and how you could be doing it better." Elon Musk

PLN #4

Event Photography

Photographing important events is one of my personal favorite things to do. Concerts, sporting events, and celebrity charity events are a couple of my most commonly photographed events. Above is a photograph I took of DJ Girl Talk performing before thousands of fans in West Palm Beach, FL. The largest event I ever photographed was the 2013 Presidential Election of Barack Obama. (Below) Preparing to shoot important events is often overwhelming for some people, but I find it exciting and interesting. You must make sure extra batteries are charged, memory cards are empty, and camera lens' are easy to access. When I shoot big events and far from my subject, I often use larger lens' and move as close as I can to the subject. For more artistic shots, I like to use wide-angle lens' and/or a fish eye lens to get a more distorted/interesting look. 

(800,000 - 1 million people present)

PLN #3

Studio Lighting

When one wants to expand their photographic talents to a more intuitive, and defiant level, studio work may be the key to unlocking personal levels in the art. Shadows, brightness, intensity, and positioning are all major factors when taking pictures in a studio. There are many different techniques used by professionals, but it is most important to figure out what works for you. Yes, a reflector is recommended to even out the light on the other side of a face, but for a more dramatic look, I often use one single light. 

I first started using studio lights when NBPS received a brand new professional studio. After being intrigued by the preparation used to get a noteworthy photograph using a studio, I ordered one myself; which I still use today. When one looks at any kind of photograph, the first thing one might not think of is how the work is done to make it look the way it does. Photographers pay attention to every little detail.   

PLN #2

How to Protect Your Copyrighted Work

When one is involved with taking pictures, there is always that sense of security when it comes to protecting your own artwork. Not only do copyrights help protect artwork from impersonators, but is also used as a promotion technique. As photographers turn professional, there is a need for attention towards their work. Due to positive criticism, photographers gain confidence which allows them to expand their focus as they gain a broader audience. Believe it or not, it is vital for photographers to have confidence going in to photo shoots. As most things, you must believe your time is spent wisely and have a good attitude in order to perform at the maximum level. When I began my photography business (BBlizzardPhoto,) I immediately added "water stains" to my photographs after older photographers encouraged me to do so. Finding an appropriate location to post a water stain is an important factor to how one should protect copyrights to an image and promote the photographers work. When photographs are posted with water stains on the bottom, corners, or too small of text, it is simple for editors to crop out the water stain or completely erase it using Photoshop. Never post a water stain with the opacity too low and too high, about 40% opacity is perfect for making the text visible, without getting in the way of the beauty of the artwork.

Trimester II Exam Essay

Bradley Blizzard

Tri. II Exam

February 26, 2013

Option II: The Men I Ambushed

Tim O'Brien, the author of "The Things They Carried, obsesses about his memories from his own experience in Vietnam. Though O'Brien contradicted his ability to tell stories in "To Tell A True War Story", his ability to remember most (if not all) events from the war is not very common due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] among veterans. Without leaving out any detail, O'Brien tries to explain his dramatic experiences to his daughter, Kathleen, in the story "Ambush." In the story "The Man I Killed," O'Brien creates a storyline to the young man who was blown up by O'Brien's grenade. Putting a name to the man's obliterated face was important to O'Brien, even though members of his platoon were acting "insensitive" towards the bloody killing.

"Someday, I hope, she'll ask again. But here I want to pretend she's a grown-up." O'Brien explained, "I want to tell her exactly what happened, or what I remember happening, and then I want to say to her that as a little girl she was absolutely right. This is why I keep writing war stories:" In the beginning of "Ambush," O'Brien's daughter Kathleen is too young to understand the struggle which her father encountered during the war. In his attempt to explain to her his entire story of My Khe, O'Brien reinvents the image in his head of when his platoon moved into the ambush site. Speaking in the first person, the overwhelmed veteran described how he noticed a young soldier come out of the fog on the sketchy trail. Wearing an ammunition belt, the soldier steadily walked down the trail on his sandals before noticing a grenade bounce in front of him. He then dropped his weapon and began to sprint away from the exploding metal while covering his head. Boom! He was blown up while O'Brien began to feel guilt. Throughout the story, O'Brien takes direct responsibility for the death. Whereas he avoids confronting the boy's death directly in "The Man I Killed."

While describing the gruesome death of the boy who O'Brien killed, he began to create a background story for what he thinks the boy's life was like before the war. He suddenly transformed from an opposing soldier to a young boy. O'Brien felt a need to come to terms with death, he began to reflect on the boys life which he ended. While observing the boy's "untouched" nose, O'Brien couldn't keep his eyes off of him. He also began to imagine that the boy studied at the University of Saigon in 1964. Obsessing over his eye that looks like a star-shaped hole, Kiowa insists that the company will move out before covering the body. He says that O'Brien seems to be feeling better, but will only talk about the boy's eye and the rest of the dead body. Coming to grips with the young boy who he killed was not easy for O'Brien and still is not to this day. "Later, Kiowa said, 'I'm serious. Nothing anybody could do. Come on, Tim, stop staring."

Though Tim has made his first enemy kill known, which might be good news to the U.S Army, he continues to be forever scarred by the life he has taken. He remembers details from the day, which has haunted him since. The memories have gotten inside his head so much that he begins to "see things differently." When an event, like this one, causes emotional harm, it is hard for one not to let the story get the best of them. Yes, killing is never a good idea to think about, but O'Brien's head is so emotionally damaged that whatever he thinks even happened that day, must be true in his mind. It is common that soldiers suffer from PTSD when there service time is up, I believe that it is then the governments responsibility to protect and help those veterans who need it. They have fought and risked their lives for their nations freedom, it is only right that they receive treatment.

Little do I know about the topic of putting myself into someones shoes who has killed another, I believe that Tim's reflections on the war are not something that his family should be necessarily worried about. Yes, Tim may be reflecting on negative memories, but he's living in a mind set that will not let him forget about what he has done. In the stories "Ambush" and "The Man I Killed," O'Brien describes his first killing experience and how he deals with this mind set of killings. In "The Man I Killed," he distances away from the solider while telling his story, mostly because of his daughter, Kathleen.

BradleyBlizz Twitter

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PLN #1

Bradley Blizzard

          My love for photography is everlasting. I was first taught how to take professional-like pictures in the eighth grade after moving from Washington D.C to Palm Beach Gardens, FL. I rapidly became involved with after school shoots, school events, and photo shoots amongst peers in my community. I would constantly have the urge to keep taking photographs, even though they might not have been what others would consider "professional." Going into freshman year, I was one of the only incoming freshman to be invited to Mr. Miller's honors photo class. Instead, do to schedule conflicts, I volunteered to assist Mr. Miller in teaching a regulars photo class about photography and how to take a good picture. In that class, I noticed the intense compassion for photography from two Juniors [at the time.] Both Stevan and Donato are now professional photographers in South Florida. After being inspired by Stevan, who managed to gain a ton of positive attention his senior year, I began to follow in his foot steps. I began to create my own photography website [www.bblizzardphoto.com] and a Facebook page [BBlizzardPhoto.] These two media sites got a ton of hype my Junior year, 2011-2012. Over the past couple years, my photographs have been featured all around North Broward, Atlantic Ave. Magazine, and I even photographed events such as SunFest 2012 [West Palm Beach, FL], Susan Rice press conference [Boca Raton, FL], and the 2013 Presidential Inauguration [Washington D.C.] My experiences with photography helped me in unexplainable ways and will never be forgotten as I move forward with photography.

Valentines Day Post

        This romantic poem, in my opinion, sums up Valentines Day. The poem was written with the intention to thank his "lover" for changing his life, this is clear throughout the writing. Because he is writing in present tense, he gives lots of hope for the future. I also believe that he has had a short past when it comes to relationships, but never that "one" love; "From you I learned love..." 
      She clearly has taught him a lot of things [ex. to care and to love] that has effected his life in a positive way. This poem could have been written to show her on Valentines Day, a marriage proposal, anniversary, etc. It gives hope to others that love, in fact, is real to the fortunate ones. It's not every day where you see examples of love shown publicly, but when it is shown, it is genuine. 



Why I Love You
By: Udiah

You give to me hope
And help me to cope
When life pulls me down
You bring me around

You teach me to care
And help me to share
You make me honest
With kindness the best

From you I learned love
With grace from above
It's for you I live
And I want to give

You are the reason
That fills each season
When I hear love I think of you
You are my world and best friend too

I love you because you are so kind, thoughtful and caring
I love you because you are so pleasant, lovely and sharing

You made me the man I am
Thank you

One Question

Bradley Blizzard
January 14, 2012
Mr. Parsons

What makes a memory?

        Throughout life, memories are made whether they are positive or negative. The most compelling 

aspect of a memory is the event that is most interesting to you. Positive, negative, and thought 

provoking events are the memories which stick in people's minds every day.

        The most enjoyable memories to remember are those which have a positive impact on you. 

Special events are always fun to remember and look back upon. In my life, I have relied on 

photography to essentially capture the memory in to one photograph. This has had a huge impact on 

my everyday thinking and the way I interpret different things. When I first began photography, I knew 

that it would quickly become one of my obsessions and I will look back to my work in many years to 

come. Capturing moments for other people can bring a special connection to everyone who was a 

part of it, but also for me, the photographer. Today, I can still look back on some of my early 

photographs and remember the memories that are attached with the moment. Though positive 

memories bring back special times, there are sometimes negative memories which haunt you. 

        It is not common for people to not have negative memories in their lives. In my opinion, to grow 

up there needs to be a mixture of both positive and negative thoughts and times in ones life. 

Personal downfalls in life are only the come before the storm. In my past, I had to overcome personal 

and communal issues to become who I am today. Tragedies, such as death and depression, will often 

stick into ones minds due to the negative impact the event had on their lives.

         The road bumps and the climaxes that I have had in my life so far are what shaped me in to the 

man I am today. I have had to undergo injury issues, tragic events, and mental road bumps. If I had 

the opportunity to go back and change any of these moments, I wouldn't. I would only change the 

events that effected others. 

Horrible product, great service

While ordering this product, I was lead to believe this product would help me save time, money, and stress. After receiving the banana slicer, I realized that the product is not capable of slicing the banana skin as well. After trying to slice the fruit the first time, I am left with circular banana "rings" and a horrible stomach ache. FML.

Reflecting on a 2012 Blog

           Throughout the first part of the school year in 2012, my blog posts have improved it's grammar, vocabulary, and composition. The blog that is my personal favorite is "About Me..." due to the connection shown between my photography and my personality. The blog, which I wrote at the beginning of the school year, became one of my favorites after adding several images to the blog. 

                                  [One of my personal favorite photographs that I have taken]

              This photo has been one of my favorites because of the message that it sends to me whenever I look at it, which is my childhood story. Growing up in a suburb outside of Washington D.C, my life was surrounded by sports. One of the biggest sports in my family growing up was baseball. Everyday leading up to Sunday morning games were long, tiring, nighttime practices. As the sun went down, so did the northeastern temperature. Running to my fathers jeep to escape the cold air was always my favorite time of the night. This picture brings back memories of watching the sun set through the metal fence and glaring, with amusement, at the shadows caused by the field lights. The hat that is being worn in this photo also brings back memories of the night I found it laying on the wooden dugout bench.

         While growing up is exciting and memories quickly vanish, it is important to have photographs that can magically remind you of a time that has passed. As stated in my "About Me..." blog, my photographs all have a meaning to me in one way or another. They either remind me of a past experience or an experience which I'm living in today. But in my opinion, the best picture I'll take will be the one I take tomorrow.