I had to admire Thomas Neff who was in New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and captured both the horrifying reality of the destruction but also the hope and resiliency of the people. It wasn't just the photos, but the stories which accompanied them which truly made one appreciate the gravity of this tragedy. Some refused to leave their home and belongings behind or they were protecting their property. Others simply didn’t have the resources to live somewhere else.

 In our last class discussion of Camera Lucida Professor Bergman expatiated upon her favorite segment of the book: "...the punctum is: he is going to die. I read at the same time: This will be and this has been; I observe with horror an anterior future of which death is the stake. By giving me the absolute past of the pose (aorist), the photograph tells me death in the future. What pricks me is the discovery of this equivalence.

I can't front, Camera Lucida is one of the most frustrating books I've ever read. I understand most of Barthes' points, such as how he notices minute details in photos that are meant to emphasize something on a much large scale. For example, in a photo by Lewis Hine of two retarded children in an institution (1924), rather than focus on the children's disfigurements, he focuses on the boy's huge Danton collar and the girl's finger bondage. This much I can understand, but why must he explain everything in such an excruciating manner?! Maybe I'm just an impatient reader.

My first visit to the ICP was very interesting. I thought that it wouldn't be something that I would be interested in but was surprised. The discussions were thought-provoking and people's interpretations of the photos were impressive and interesting. I had fun analyzing the pictures myself. I may not be putting myself in the most intellectual light but I never thought analyzing photos could be fun but was pleasantly surprised. ICP is a place I would revisit to not only look at photos but examine and analyze them and try to understand the photographers.

The Wall Street Bull symbolizes 2 hallmarks of NYC: art and business. It symolizes the aggressiveness of business and perhaps the hostility of the financial atmosphere. But it also symbolizes prosperity and progression. It inspires economic advancement. The bull, like the economy, is also unrestricted and unpredictable. It symbolizes the strength and grit of NYC. This amazingly crafted bronze sculpure is one of the most recognizable artworks of NYC. It is a major tourist attraction and a Wall Street icon.