Tacking Up a Horse...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLetW1m32ig 

The first video I have chosen is a video by an equestrian youtuber named Claire. In this video she goes through the proper way to tack up a horse. I really like this video because Claire explains everything she is doing in this video and all the proper ways to put each piece of tack on properly to ensure the comfort of the horse. Claire gives many different example of how you can double check parts of your tack to make sure it is on correctly that way you can avoid hurting yourself or the horse. I agree with everything Claire did in this video and would say I use the same methods when tacking up my horse. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgzNyRzIhUY

This next video is from a girl named Zoe Luna. She owns a ranch in California and trains riders and horses. I love Zoe Luna and think she is very well educated on the well-being of horses. Although her tack up montage was short and to the point without a voice over, she showed clips of her putting all her horses tack on properly and in a good order. If I were zoe, I would include a video on her account of her explaining her tacking up and why she uses the products she does just to provide a little more information for her followers. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Bhj2jEVJM

For for video I chose a different style of riding to show the different types of tack. Western and English tack are very different, but this video shows that all the rules apply for the comfort of the horse. I think that's important because at the end of the day, the most important part is ensuring that your horse is going to be comfortable throughout your ride no matter what. 

My Favorite Influencer

 Heath Hussar is an influencer who I really like. I have been following him since his early vine days and have watched his content improve and change over the years. I feel as thought I have watched Heath mature and grow up, I have seen and followed him through all of his tough times and watched him turn his life around and change his content creation to make really great videos and create an amazing aesthetic and theme on his social media platforms such as Instagram. 

A big part of his change was definitely his Girlfriend, I don't think she personally changed him, but I think he decided he wanted to change to become a better person for her. That is very inspirational to me, and I try to notice and appreciate their love and kindness for each other and let it inspire me to be the same with my relationships. Heath has really great montages in his videos using all different types of camera angles, drone shots, edits, and audio. His montages are very artsy and well put together, I always appreciate how he edits all of his clips so they are smooth and flow into each other well. 

I think heath should post more of his own vlogs, although I know he is busy with his podcast. I think he should post  more short videos on instagram as well, since those are what I enjoy the most out of his content. I enjoy how much he has upped his photography skills too, and he really has made it a point to improve his instagram feed, it is very well organized and all the themes match. 

https://www.instagram.com/heathhussar/?hl=en 

The Cons of Social Media and The 2020 Election.

 Over the past few months, I have experienced very dramatic changes. I can remember when I first went home for COVID last spring, I would ask my parents, "does the world just keep getting worse as you get older?" Because for me, I felt as though the more I aged and entered the real world, the more complicated the world became. They reassured me that not everything is bad when you grow up, and many great things come from aging. 

I can remember feeling heartbreak and devastation when I would scroll through Instagram and TikTok and see protests and riots and innocent people being beaten and killed in the streets of our country. It was hard for me to understand that the American people were acting the way they were. I was questioning why not everyone loved this country and was as proud to be an American as I was. But I soon understood that our country became so divided over the past few years, we have stopped working together, and have actually turned on each other and began working against each other. I have noticed more hate on social media than I have love and kindness, which is so heartbreaking to me. 

This was my first election to vote in, and honestly I felt disappointed and pressured to vote. Even if it was for someone who I didn't necessarily think was a good fit for this country, both candidates have done and said terrible things, and I believe at the end of this election they both were in it just to beat the other person. 

Social media has become such a toxic aspect of my life, I really do find myself removing it from my phone often. There was a long period of time during quarantine where I deleted all of my social media apps for about 3 months. I felt a weight taken off my shoulders without it, and I had a lot of time to work on myself and establish a healthy mentality. After the recent election, I have again removed my social media apps. I find it hard to see all the negative posts on social media right now, and would rather stay up to date with reliable sources like the news instead of instagram and TikTok. This election has done more bad than it has good in my personal opinion, and it sometimes makes me feel like a bad person for not agreeing with what everyone else on instagram is agreeing with. I feel shut down and unwanted and that I am not able to speak my voice without receiving a lot of hate. I try to remind myself to hold true to myself and my beliefs and not let anyone change my mind or make me feel bad about the person I am. I feel proud of myself and my views, and I will continue to love and support all people despite what social media says.

Podcasts

 

One of my favorite podcasts to listen to weekly is called "Zane and Heath Unfiltered." This podcast is two friends from Florida who started their Social Media career on the platform Vine in 2012. Zane and Heath have had a following since then and have appeared in numerous types of videos, shows, and movies. The two of them used to do weekly vlogs where they went to get coffee and talked about their lives. The podcast is a run off of the vlogs, but instead of a short 10 minute video, they know sit down with coffee and talk about their lives, and things they are interested in and want to share with their subscribers over a cup of coffee. They just started filming the second season of their podcast, and decided to update all their sound equipment, cameras, and even their set. With all the new equipment the sound is more clear and the editing is a  lot better. They also created a new intro and music to segway into their add reads. They have two other team members for their podcast, their friend kenny who asks questions and directs them into changing the subject, he also fact checks things for them. The other, Mariah, is Heaths girlfriend who used to do the sound, but now they have a new assistant for that so Mariah is also a fact checker and helps them move into new topics. These are all skills I can take into consideration for when I'm filming my podcast. You want to talk about topics but not stay on them for too long to ensure the listeners are still engaged you want to keep the topics entertaining and not let them lag. I will also want to make sure my sound is clear for the listeners. Intro and outro music also help set the tone for the podcast, so if I want my podcast to be more upbeat, I will want to create and upbeat intro song. I like the way Zane and Heath Unfiltered is casual, and you feel as though you are in the room having a conversation about things that interest you too. I want to make sure my podcast feels casual and not forced or too scripted. 

The 5 Design Principles

 Contrast, in my opinion, is the most popular design principle used today. Not only do we use contrast in photography/art, but we use it in our homes, clothing, and many other aspects of our everyday lives. The image I chose for contrast is a bunch of lemons, and one very pink lemon. I liked this example of contrast because the colors are bright and remind me of a hot summer day. The pink lemon clearly sticks out and is different from the rest, which quickly brought my attention to the contrast used in the photo. 

Repetition has also become a very popular form of design. I see a lot of wallpapers and computer backgrounds that are used with repetition, and even some posters and collages that people print to put on their walls in their bedrooms. The picture I chose for repetition also adds to my fruit-theme. This photo is lemons drawn one next to another which reminded me of a phone case I used to have. The lemons look well-drawn and very organized. 

Alignment is a very important design principle. If a photo is not aligned it looks unorganized which makes it less appealing to the eye. The photo I chose is of cherries and raspberries in the shape of a heart. The plain white background helped the colors of the fruit stand out which made the photo very appealing to my eyes. The fruit is clearly aligned in the shape of a heart and organized in a specific pattern. 

Proximity, in my opinion one of the less important design principles. I feel as though proximity is very similar to alignment. I feel that the purpose of proximity is to keep the photo appealing to the eye. The photo I chose shows all different types of citrus fruits that are clearly organized into groups by color which makes the photo very satisfying to look at. Those with similars colors are in close proximity of each other to make known what the pattern of the photo is.

Lastly, hierarchy. Hierarchy is a very basic design principle and is used very often. We use this when it comes to research for school or personal things, it is one of the first learned design principle. The photo I chose has no significance other than personal preference of someone who thinks bananas are the superior fruit, in my personal opinion they are the worst fruit. But this photo is clear and straight to the point, that bananas are higher than any other fruit. 

Summarizing a Sunset

 The photograph I have chosen to share today is a picture of the sunset this past summer in Mystic, CT. I love watching sunset for numerous reasons, one being that you know you have completed the day, whether it was the best day of your life or the most challenging day you have ever faced, you did it. And nature it rewarding you with a stunning sunset to remind you how amazing this earth is and that everything has a beautiful ending even if it felt like a struggle to get there. I also enjoy watching the sunset because it is only a few minutes a day, where you can just sit peacefully and enjoy your surroundings, thinking about your day and self reflecting. I like to turn on some quiet relaxing music and watch all the colors change in what feels like seconds sometimes. You will never see the same sunset twice, and you will never have the same day twice, so I like to think of sunsets as a fresh start to a new day and take the evening to prepare myself for the day ahead of me. 

Get To Know me, Lily:)

 Hello, my name is Lily Fleming. I am 19 years old. I was born in Carmel, New York but have lived in Simsbury, Connecticut for all 19 years of my life. I have incredible parents who have taught me everything I know today, and have raised me to be the person I am now. I am very proud of who I have become and owe it all to my parents. I have two older sisters named Abby and Julia. Abby is an EMT in Boston and Julia is a senior at Siena College. My sisters have been my best friends growing up. I cannot imagine my life without them. I love sailing with my family in Mystic, CT and in North Kingstown, RI. We have two sailboats named Outnumbered and Rounding Third. I have grown up sailing so it is a very important part of my life. I also have a horse named Reno. I have owned him for 5 years but have been riding horses since I was 3. I have never played any other sports because horseback riding is very time consuming so It has been my entire life since I can remember. I started at UNH as a marine biology major last year, but struggled and after taking different classes I decided to change my major to communications.

I am currently working towards a degree in communications. I really enjoy the digital media classes and TV production classes. In my freetime I enjoy practicing photography. It is hard to say what I want to do with the rest of my life, besides being happy. I know I want a family one day and to be able to provide them with everything they may need in life, so a job is very important to me and it would be amazing to be apart of the TV production field for live sports games. Especially baseball, I am a big mets fan and would love to work for their team at SNY one day.

One hobby that I love to do would be working out. I like to workout because it helps me feel good not only physically but also mentally. However, I do not work out to change my body image. I workout for the sole reason of becoming stronger and making myself better. I also ride my horse which is a very physical sport, it helps me stay in shape and gain muscle. Working out is great for anxiety and keeping your mind in a good place. I feel as thought after I workout I have cleared my head and challenged myself to complete something difficult. Everyday it helps me grow stronger mentally and physically.