American Soldier

  
1.  I believe this image is one of the most powerful images for this story, because this was the moment that he confirmed he was joining the army. One he pledged, his life was going to change forever. He was taking on the unknown, and going to be fighting a dangerous fight. He signed up as violence was spiking in Iraq. He knew he had a battle ahead of him.


2. The images work together to tell a story because they go in chronological order and take us through his journey of becoming apart of the military. They begin with him making the final decision of joining the army, and the photographer captures all of the obstacles along the way. The images really show us what life is like once you commit to the army. You can tell what the story is just by looking at the images.

3. The captions enhance the photographs because they explain any emotions shown in the images. Also they give you background information that you wouldn't of understood by just looking at the photo. They tie the story together.

4. On June 1, 2007, Ian Fisher made a commitment to the army. He was a physically fit kid with a great mind set, in it for God and his country. He soon was enlisted, and said his goodbyes to friends, family, and girlfriend before leaving for training. He began going through training and learning everything he would need to know for going into battle in Iraq. As basic training was completed, Fisher had began deployment in Iraq. Fisher was a very motivated young man, with big ambitions. He was excited to finally be doing something. Iraq was a difficult journey, but Ian made it out. After this battle, he has new goals for himself and his life. He was finished with the military life, however he was starting a new journey as a newly wed, with his wife Devin.

5. When Ian is the main subject of the photo, the images are usually in present tense.

6. The captions on average are 2-4 sentences. The first sentence tells us exactly what is happening in the photo. The second sentence gives us information that we wouldn't of known by just looking at the photo. This includes background information and what was actually said during the photos. The third sentence, if present, is a quote from Ian. Also it is more background information that gives people a better idea of what is happening in the photo. Quite a few captions have a quote attached to them. These quotes are often something that Ian said. Some captions do have 4 sentences. These provide us with plenty of information for the photo.

7. I think it is possible for just pictures and images to tell a story because actions speak louder than words. If you see what is happening your mind allows you to piece a story together and the captions are there to fill in any blanks.

8. Even though you can create a story with just images and captions, this isn't the only way to tell stories. Writing stories is important because you can then include those little details and write out everything that happened. Writing stories also can be more accurate because you don't have to infer or make up what is being said like you do with photos.