Bio for COMM 3530

I am including two self-portraits because my emotional response was different for each. Fascinating how changing the lighting, hand placement, and angle of my head tell a different stories. 

Biography:

My name is Josh, and I am a senior Mass Communication major/Music minor. I will be graduating in May 2016! 
I am planning on pursuing a career in Social Media Marketing but am also considering working toward a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. I plan on a few years of working in the business world before making the decision regarding extending my education.
My hobby is getting into hobbies. I enjoy learning new things so I have picked up quite a few extra-curricular interests over the years. I have built a sailboat, learned to Yo-yo, finished 3 Marathons, play disc golf and enjoy learning how to play new instruments. I currently play the piano, clarinet, saxophone, ukelele, guitar, flute well enough to make a musical sound. This semester I will be learning how to play the oboe and possibly, the trombone. My favorite kind of music is Jazz, but I don't have a favorite instrument - I like them all. I am always baffled and learning new things.
I am excited to graduate and start a career in the social media industry. I believe that social media is such a powerful tool. I am looking forward to all the new learning experiences that lie ahead.   

Description of my experience:

My experience is limited at best. While I have taken a few good photos, it is more out of luck than skill. Most of my experience taking photos is with my smartphone. "The best camera is the one you have with you." The ease of taking pictures and uploading them to the pages I manage on different social media sites has proved more "productive" using my phone rather than learning how to properly use a real camera. 

Objectives as a student:

"A picture is worth 1,000 words." In my mind, one of the most underutilized skills for Social Media Managers is our ability to take good photos (becuase most of us can't). This criticism has appeared on a few list regarding the weaknesses about social media management. Since it is considered an underused skill, I know that I am not the only one who struggles in this area. A great photo is a necessity to draw our audience to engagement on the post. Let's remember that Instagram, Pinterest, and SnapChat are all photo sharing sites. 

PhotoJournalism is about telling a story. An engaging social media page does the same thing.
My objective in this class is to learn how to take better pictures so that I can tell engaging stories with my photos. 

Inventory of photographic equipment: 

I have access to my LG Android smartphone and a Canon Rebel XT with two lenses - a 75-300mm zoom lens and the basic 18-55mm lens.