Here is my school backpack and the essentials that I keep inside of it. First thing is my laptop. I use this to do all of my work, especially for this class. I also have my AirPods with me. Listening to music while working really helps me to focus. I also always have my planner with me to keep track of my daily to-do lists. I also always have a book with me, either if it’s reading for pleasure or for a class. This week I am reading “One of Us is Lying” by Karen M. McManus. I also never leave my house without a water bottle. This is one of my favorites that I bought at the L. L. Bean store in Freeport, Maine. And of course, I always have my phone with me in my bag, but in this photo I am using it to take the picture!
For my second to last visual assignment this week, I decided to do What’s in your bag? However, I wanted to do this as if I was an early 20 year old in the 80’s. I first stated off this assignment by thinking na researching different make-up or beauty products from the 80’s. Then I just thought of other thins an early 20 year old would need in her purse. This is a list of thins that would be in my purse if I lived in the 80s!
The first thing I thought would be in my purse would be some barrettes. This is something that a lot of people in the 80s would wear in there hair and they are so easy to just put into you hair to spice up a hair look.
The next thing that would be in my purse if I lived in the 80s would a bright colored eye shadow pallet. I currently always have an eye shadow pallet in my purse in case I need to touch something up, so since bright colored eye shadow was such a thing in the 80s, I figured I would have to have a pallet in my purse.
Another thing that I would have in my purse would be some scrunchies. I always have something to put my hair up in my purse because I really hate having my hair down when I am either eating or doing work. Scrunchies were such a thing of the 80s and I’m so glad that they are coming back into style!
The last thing I would have in my purse would be, a bottle of hair spray. You never know when you need to touch up your hair and since big hair was such a thing of the 80s I’m sure I would need some hairspray on me at all times in case of an emergency.
This assignment, What’s in your bag?, asks you to take pictures of items in your bag that you use daily and explain their importance.
It caught me eye because there are a few things that I can’t leave the house without that are a little unique, so I thought I would share them with the world.
I’m not a huge fan of wearing purses, especially when I’m at school, so a lot of my items just go into my backpack. When I do go out on the weekends, I either have duplicates of what I carry around in my purse, or I switch things over from my backpack to my purse.
The first item is my gum. I always have to have this with me and it has to be this specific brand. I started chewing gum in the seventh grade and I actually think I’ve become addicted it. After I eat, I have to have my mint gum or my stomach starts to get upset. Mint naturally helps digestive problems so I believe that it is possible that my body uses it as a regular digestive aid now.
Another thing that I can’t go without is my chap stick. It doesn’t have to be this brand in particular, but I need to at least have some with me. When I was in high school, I was on the drug Accutane twice and one of the side effects was dry skin/lips. Ever since I started taking Accutane, I have had dry lips. It definitely isn’t as bad as when I was actually on the medicine, but I still feel the need to have chap stick on me at all times.
Next is some migraine medicine. This isn’t something I need every day, but when I can feel a migraine coming on, it usually never slows down so I have to make sure I have some medicine on me to attempt to get through the rest of the day. Sometimes, though, the medicine doesn’t help and I have to go home, but it can normally affect it a little bit.
I really need my keys. I commute to school so I couldn’t get home without them. I even take my keys with me if I am not driving. I think it is reassuring/comforting to have them on me just in case something happens to where I have to get into my house without my boyfriend.
My laptop/Surface is really important for school. It has all of my notes on it and I don’t usually carry notebooks or binders, so if I get to school and realize I don’t have it, I’ll have to turn around to go and get it. I only ever take it to school, however. This isn’t something that I will put in my purse. Maybe that’s obvious, but I wanted to clarify.
My final item is my earbuds and their case. I love listening to music, especially when I’m walking across campus or working on an assignment. The days that I have forgotten my headphones have been the longest days of my life.
All of these items are important to my daily life. Could I live without them? Sure. But they sure make life a lot easier.
When I was taking the pictures for this assignment, I wasn’t trying to make them too fancy, but I tried to follow some of the guideline that were introduced this week. I attempted to make the photo balanced/centered, use a plain background so the items can be in focus, and tried to get good lighting by blocking out the glare.
For my third Visual Assignment, I chose the “What’s in Your Bag?” prompt. I keep my everyday backpack pretty clean and simple, or at least I try to!
The main essential things that I carry with me are:
Wallet
Besides my cards and money, my set of keys are attached to my wallet, so that is important!
Earbuds
Wherever I go I will always be listening to music, a set of earbuds is definitely a must-have.
Lipbalms
One of my pet peeves is having dry lips, it’s so uncomfortable! I make sure to have one with me at all times, maybe a second one that provides moisture and tint!
Pen
There are times where I suddenly need to write something down, or sign a receipt. Whatever it might be, having a pen is quite handy.
Glasses Wipe
Because I wear glasses everyday, the lens catch dust and have smudges on them, so I like to clean it often, and using the wipes is better than using my shirt or something!
Body Mist
I love putting body mist on before heading out, but often times I forget, so I just toss it in my bag so I can spritz some on-the-go.
Lotion/Hand Cream
Going along with dry lips, I also hate dry hands or elbows. I’m not quite sure why I have four mini bottles in my bag, though… but the more the merrier!
Fan
I keep a mini plastic fan with me to help me cool down in the summer heat.
Emergency Poncho
I recently put this in my bag because I attended an outdoor graduation ceremony and they were expecting rain, so the staff were handing these out. I thought it was a handy thing to keep in my bag, just in case!
This assignment was a great reminder to clean my everyday bag! After my bag was clean, I laid all of my belongings out on my table and propped up the bag behind everything. Then, I took the photo with my phone. For this picture, I made sure to have a background that was simple and not distracting. I placed each of the items in a certain layout, as well, to make it neat, instead of just a pile of clutter.
They say you can tell a lot about a woman from the contents of her purse.
But in all honesty, I think you can tell a lot about a person from the contents of their “constant companion” throughout life. This visual assignment tasked us with showing off and describing the contents of our purse, backpack, murse, etc.
Personally, I don’t carry a purse around; And as much as I’d love to show you all my messy backpack filled with my laptop and old food wrappers, I thought I would take this visual assignment as an opportunity to show you the contents of my character Justin Case’s “constant companion”: his briefcase.
Justin Case’s briefcase is vital to his success as a lawyer and an agent. His case looks like a regular briefcase, but you will notice that it contains two sets of lock combinations in order to unlock it. This is because this ordinary looking briefcase opens up and contains some of Justin’s most important and prized possessions.
The first item in Justin’s case is his most prized possession, an old family photograph. As we know, Justin’s wife and daughter were murdered. His wife and daughter’s death is what inspired him to go undercover and help bring the same mobsters that murdered his family to justice inside the courtroom. His family is a huge part of Justin’s family because Justin’s family is what drives him to fight for justice throughout Detroit.
The next thing in Justin’s briefcase are the case files for fighting against the mobsters he brings into court. These case files contain information that is public knowledge but also contains information that Justin found during his time spent undercover infiltrating Detroit’s most notorious mobsters and finding any and all information or evidence that He can either plant or use to win his cases.
This device is a small, cellphone transmitter that Justin will use to gather information on his suspects and bring them to justice. It contains a microphone so he will often place it so he can eavesdrop on the suspects he is prosecuting both inside and outside of court. This allows him to find evidence and information that make his cases better!
The last item in Justin’s case is his hat. While this hat looks like an ordinary hat, it contains a microphone on the inside that connects to the cellphone transmitter. This way, Justin can easily hear and eavesdrop on conversations without appearing like he is doing so. He also just looks really good in his hat.
The best part of completing the What’s in your bag?assignment was that it allowed me the chance to give my character, Justin, more life. I applied personal characteristics to Justin, who he is, what he is like, and what is relevant to his story to the items that would be found in his actual briefcase if you were to open it. Doing so, I not only gave you all a better idea of who Justin is as a lawyer and an agent and a better idea of what types of things are most important and relevant to Justin and his story.
This assignment was fairly easy to complete. Using Justin’s story, I took the time to search the internet for various items that I think Justin would have in his briefcase. Then by adding descriptions of each item, I was able to express not only what the item was, but why it was so important to Justin. the items range from ordinary items to spy gadgets that Justin uses undercover.
I had a lot of fun with this assignment because ti was a chance for me to use photographs to embellish Justin’s life. Sometimes seeing is believing and being able to see what would be included in Justin’s briefcase allowed me to visually believe that Justin’s character is becoming more and more alive.
Commencing inspection of Training Officer (TO) BOND's backpack
Backpack belonging to TO BOND
Item 1 Metal water bottle
The bottle implies a connection with Penn State. This appears to be a red herring, or a subtle misdirection.
Items 2 and 3 eating implements
Item 2 is ostensibly an orange peeler, although the small blade could serve other purposes. Item 2 is a paring knife, which seems innocuous, but apparently has seen heavy use judging from the condition of the handle. Consider upgrading.
Item 4 listening device
This is a standard iPhone earbud/microphone wire, with adapter, which lacks the tensile strength to function as a garrote. Recommend upgrading to agent standard version.
Item 5 book
This is not on the list of agency-approved standard equipment. The title matches BOND’s name and should be considered a red flag. Recommend BOND for a psych eval. Check for narcissism within acceptable levels.
This is based on the What’s in your bag? assignment, which has been a required character-visualization assignment in the past. I applied it to the backpack I use, filtered through the secret agent theme. This meant looking at the various items and considering how else they might be used in an agent context.
I wanted to set it up as a table, thinking that might make it look bureaucratic and outdated. I found the TablePress plugin, which didn’t quite give me what I envisioned, but it does the job and it may come in handy in the future. Photographically, I think it would have been better to use a tripod and a less decorative table. Given the context, it makes sense for the photos to be documentary snapshots, with little thought to composition or aesthetics. It’s really more of an exercise in design than imagery, but I think it made sense to take that approach.
Earphones – Used to listen to videos or music. Deidra also uses them as a way to ignore people, she puts them in and acts as though she can’t hear anything.
iPad mini – To watch Netflix while working on homework.
Umbrella – Just in case it rains.
Keys attached to wallet – Keys needed for her car and house. Wallet is essential because it stores id and debit card.
Snacks – When Deidra doesn’t eat anything, she gets very hangry and can turn into a beast. The snacks help to keep her calm and tie her over until she can get a meal.
Planner – A way for Deidra to stay organized. She doesn’t use it often but she’s determined to use it this year to help her stay on task.
Notebook – Used to take notes but towards the further back is where Deidra lets her creative juices flow and comes up with different ideas and creations.
Lotion – Deidra likes to stay moisturized.
Hand Sanitizer – Got to wipe those germs away.
Chap stick – Helps prevent chapped lips.
Calculator – Helps Deidra calculate how high she may have to build a catapult to launch something 10 feet away.
Tissue – Cleans the boogers and helps when she gets a few nose bleeds.
Pencil/Pen – Deidra likes to practice her chopstick skills when she gets bored in class, they’re also great tools to use to write down a few notes.
Mints – She likes to give these to people she sits next to in class to help them freshen their breath.
Medicine – Never know when you’re going to have a headache so Deidra likes to keep a few painkillers in her bag.
Charger – After being on her phone looking at Pinterest for a whole class period, Deidra needs a charger to juice up her phone so that she can browse through Instagram in her next class.
Water Bottle – Hydrate or Diedrate am I right?
Jacket – Deidra gets cold while taking naps in some buildings so she comes prepared with her jacket.
I chose this bag because it is big enough to fit all of Ella’s witchcraft needs but also stylish and modern. I also envision Ella as a boho and hippie-esque.
Ella’s bag has to be big enough to fit her scrying stone that allows her to do her magic. She does not carry it with her everywhere she goes, but she needs to be able to do so when necessary.
Ella is still a normal modern Irish girl, so of course she also has her wallet with euros in her bag.
Ella also carries around mini mason jars with her. They tend to be empty so that she can fill them with herbs she needs for spells and potions. She carries them around with her all the time because she never knows when she will need to cast a spell or find a rare herb.
She also carries small journals on her at all times. Occasionally, a spell will come to her while she is doing something else and cannot use it, so she must write it down. She also sometimes needs to carry certain spells around with her.
Ella of course also has her phone on her at all times with a happy case that matches her hippie style. She gets along well with yoga and vegan- types.
I decided on these items for Ella’s What’s in Your Bag? Assignment because I thought they represented the two main parts of her personality- a young modern Irish woman as well as a young witch. She carries around the normal things that people today carry around with them, as well as some additional tools that help her with her witchcraft.
I found the pictures on Pinterest. I looked up the various items that I needed and found the ones that best the images I had in my mind of what Ella would be carrying around with her. This activity allowed me to look into what Ella would be doing on a daily basis and what her usual days would look like. It made Ella’s character more real to me.
#ds106
