Author: Jediah Plumley

Today we spent the evening working through the first steps of creating the class book. This process went much better than I expected, and we actually managed to get a lot done. We started by working on the layout today and the group went through each of the projects and people tended to agree to the image sequences. This made the process much more streamlined and fun to be part of. We managed to get through all of the 13 projects before we all went braindead. We did end up buying two 60mm pizzas for only 6 people.

Earlier this week, I decided to go back and try and spend more time with both of the subjects. I wanted to try and expand on more than just their work lives. I wanted to try and show elements of their family and friendships. When I went to their shops to ask them about this, I got almost the exact same answer “when I get out of work, I have worked for so long that I just go home and relax.” This was really frustrating for me because I feel like a lot of what I try and say gets lost in translation.

During this entire trip, the class has had to share two translators. Sharing   is fine but it limits how much we can do and when we can do it. I wish that the RIT photography program required students to learn at least one other language. So many photography students travel and having these skills would dramatically increase their ability to work abroad.

So yesterday I went back to the subject’s business with a translator and I started talking with him some more. I found out that he has a brother who  is also a cobbler!

Today I went back to Sefa’s business and we had a full interview and it was very informative. After that I went and introduced myself to Sefa’s brother Naser and he also agreed to work with me. I took photos at both of their businesses and I attempted to get a good variance of photos. The shops were very small and the work is vary detailed so it was hard to not make similar images.

This week we are working on our final projects. I started off trying to meet  a woman that worked with people with physical disabilities. We started talking and decided to try and meet for coffee. I showed up at this restaurant that she wanted to meet at but she never showed up. I think she started to get cold feet about the idea and she also had a small child. I decided I needed to try and find a new subject and do it quickly.

My professor recommended that I go and meet a man that repairs shoes. I went to his shop with a friend and attempted to talk with him. Sefa decided to agree to let me photograph him but he seemed very hesitant.

Today I finished the audio visual slideshow and I am more proud of it than I expected. Usually projects like this intimidate me more than I like to admit and I don’t produce as good of work as I want. I decided to stick with what I thought seemed to flow the best and I think it works well. We have critique coming up soon and I think everyone will like the final product.

Today I started cutting the audio recording and this is the first time I have tried actually create a 3 minute audio slideshow. We have some really great quotes to use and I think it will turn out well but I have been struggling to figure out exactly how to create a good story line.

Today both Meredith and Jeta sat and helped me organize the audio clips and I think it seems to flow really well. I have decided to organize the story line by starting talking about his guitar and then moving to the struggles of making a living in such a small field.

So I spent the night at Lorik’s house and it went surprisingly well! His family was unbelievably welcome and didn’t seem to mind me intruding on their lives. They were so attentive to my needs that it became humorous. If I even thought to look around the home or not sit down at the closest chair, someone would immediately ask me what was wrong. At first this was nice but it makes doing my job kinda hard. Eyes seemed to be on me no mater how hard I tried.

Lorik’s lesson was yesterday and I think I took some great photos! I spent a lot of time trying to capture moments that allude to him as a teacher in a variance of ways.

In the evening Lorik decided to show me around the city. This was really fun and I felt like I got to experience Gjakova a lot but I didn’t feel like I could take any photos. I felt like these images would be ethnically wrong because he was only showing me around the city.

Today we went to his high school and I took some images of him while he practiced in his classroom. This room was strangely shaped so it gave me a good variety of ways to take photos of him and I think this variance will be great for what I need.

Yesterday I was talking to Lorik and he asked me if I wanted to spend the night at his house tonight so that I wouldn’t have to take the bus so many times. Im really happy that he seems to actually enjoy spending time with me. I am on the bus now and I am planning on spending the night. Im really nervous about just showing up and spending the night with these people I have yet to meet. He seems nice and it seems like his family wants me to spend the night.

Im just such an awkward person, I hope I don’t seem that uncomfortable with them.

So I have been talking with my subject and he informed me that he will becoming up to Pristina on today and that he wants to meet and talk for a while. Im really excited to sit down and talk with him. Even if we don’t have a big in-depth conversation it will be so helpful to build a little bit of  a bond with him before I really break out the camera.

We decided to meet at a small restaurant and talk their. It sounds like he is a genuinely nice person and he is actually willing to let me sit in while he practices and while he teaches.

Traveling To Gjakova

My partner and I reached out to our subject and we decided to meet at the bus station and travel to Gjakova together. In theory this sounds incredibly easy but traveling to a bus station in a foreign counties is much harder than expected. I asked the worker at the hotel to call me a cab and he was even nice enough to talk to the cab driver in Albanian before I left.

I arrived at the bus station with no issues but finding the bus seemed to be tougher than I expected. At the bus station, one has to go to the bus that they would like to and then pay for their ticket there. Well This is a fairly large bus station and there was a lot of people there on a Sunday afternoon. I arrived an hour early and I was still extremely stressed right up until I got on the bus. My partner only arrived ten minutes before the bus left, so I was on my own for a good amount of time.

The bus ride went very smoothly, it was an hour and a half ride even with multiple stops along the way. I was happy that this ride seemed to be an easy one because I was already sure that this was the project that I wanted to do.

We sat down and talked with Lorik and he seemed to be even more interesting that I could have expected. He has just turned eighteen and he has won multiple Master level Classical Guitar contests around Europe. He has been accepted to a college in Germany to study under one of the best Classical Guitarists in the world.

I am positive that this will be my subject.