The LifeChange Photo Essay

I'm back to the blog. I was recently motivated by Heather to re-enter the blogging world. Today's post is inspired by a project that I am working on for the Mish.

One of the joys of working at the Mish is the daily encounters I have with people. Every day brings me something new to wonder about...sometimes in awe, sometimes in frustration, sometimes in joy, and sometimes in sadness. Life at the Mish is real...and the stories are so tangible that I need to find a way to share them--I feel compelled to let them out.

I'm working on a project that will be released in a couple of weeks. The piece is a photo essay about one of the gentlemen in our LifeChange program. This particular project has given me the opportunity to broaden my skill set in a way that is really exciting. I love learning new things and playing around with new systems and programs is even better.

The photos for the essay have been primarily taken by my husband, who has a stunning eye for capturing moments. For the editing process and using a platform to host to project, we're using FotoMagico from Boinx. For audio, I interviewed one of our LifeChange students for about 45 minutes. Then the fun part started..editing the interview, to take it down from 45 minutes to 3. Yeah..remember when I said broadening my skills? This is a totally new experience and has been amazing. I'm using Audacity, which is a free audio editing program. Editing a "non visual" has been an experience that stretched me in a way that is similar to really good, long run works me out. The process requires endurance, patience, and a mind that can freeflow and stay focus intermittently. There's the bit of visual as you look at the sound clips, but then you are in an audible world that comes together in your head as you pull pieces out as bring them back together.

I'm loving this project, and once we work through this first one I'll post it here and on the Mish's website. It will be a true pleasure to bring people into the lives, minds, and hearts of the men in our program through this venue.