Feature News: Beyond the Bounds

Las Tías (The Aunts)

The Identity: Dixie.

Shoot to Illustrate - Job Dilemma: Over Qualified, Under Expirienced

UPDATE: When I inquired on how my "memes" looked I was advised that the words were suppose to be part of the image. So that is when I decided to add an image with cardboard and a help wanted sign. Hopefully this completes the illustration of a Graduate being Over Qualified, Under Experienced.

Update: I received some advise to add words and this is what I came up with. I also edited the focus on the saturation a little bit to bring more focus on the face and dim the bright reflections surrounding parker. I showed it to my sister and her response was that it made her want to cry. (She is graduating in a month). Let me know your thoughts of this updated image.

This is what we have to look forward to as a new college graduate. The Accenture 2014 College Graduate Employment Survey Statistics will have you believing that previous statement. 

Here are two of their findings:

• 46% of recent college graduates consider themselves underemployed or in a job that does not require their college degree.

• 41% of recent college graduates are earning $25,000 or less.

My own experience validates those statistics. I am currently on the job hunt, as I prepare to move to Phoenix for Grad School. In the last 30 days, I have applied for more jobs than I care to count (50+). Of the few that have returned contact, the common response has been, "while your skills are great, we have decided to pursue other candidates that better meet our experience requirements." Yes, it is true, I do not have 10+ years Social Media Marketing experience, and that is mainly because that field was not relevant 5 years ago.

With that in mind I decided to do an illustration of the job dilemma with which new graduates face. I call it:

Over Qualified, Under Experienced.

In composing this shot I considered a number of ways to illustrate the dilemma. Original thoughts consisted of a graduate job hunter, walking out of a business with a "now hiring" sign in the window. The graduate would be looking down, disappointed, and rejected. I thought about taking it at McDonalds. Later, the image of a graduate, dressed in his graduation robes, in front of a building, begging for money came to mind. We went through a couple of positions and this one spoke to the issue the best. 

Black and white. I chose to use black and white because the color was distracting. While the contrast was good, it still distracted from the pain, suffering, and real intent of the image. The black and white allows us to experience empathy more so than when viewing the color image.

Lighting: In finding the right lighting, I choose the north side of the burns arena. There was nice fall off light and big bay windows. I used a reflector disc to direct light directly on to Parker. Later in the digital dark room I adjusted the blur and lighting a little bit to better direct our eyes onto Parkers face.

The depth of field was determined by my 55-220mm lens. I had to stand back a ways. It also worked well to avoid any unnecessary refection in the windows. It also offered a compressed wide shot. I took this shot to the right of parker to get a longer image and to cut the frame in half with the wall and bay window.

The focal length was 104mm. My ASA was 320, shutter speed was 1/250 and the f-stop was 7.1. I wanted to have a balance of light, but a focus on Parker and the focus to have more depth that included the cap and loose change in front of Parker.

5 Contexts of the Image:

Physical: This image was shot in front of a business like place. The clothing was specifically chosen to represent a recent college graduate. The cap on the ground with loose change is representative of being hopeless and jobless. The wind picked up and blew the cash out of the hat. It made the image all the better. 

Psychological: The reflection in the windows provides a wavering, uncertain undertone of confusion. The facial express is one of exhaustion, pain, and confusion.

Social: He is a young man, a typical graduate that is facing a future that is not as bright as he was lead to believe. His shoes and jeans are indications of his younger age and is something that is relatable by all ages, but especially the young graduate. 

Cultural: This was an interesting section to consider. Parker is in the middle of the rising Millennial generation. Millennials, are often depicted as being consumed by some form of technology, disconnected from the world around them. There is no technology in this image. Parker is alone and at the end of his rope. It goes against the fluffy story that higher education tells it's future adherents, that after graduation you are employable and will have the life you have always dreamed of.

Temporal: This context can be twisted in a number of ways. It can be taken as literal. Parker graduated and that same day went out with his robes to beg on the streets. It is meant to be looked at metaphorically. Parker graduated, went through many job applications, and interviews, but still, with his degree and lack of experience, is pushed to his limits. That limit can mean anything from accepting that job offer from Mc. Donald's, to moving back in with parents, or living in the streets.

Bonus Meme: