Before and After

Visual

For my visual work, I created two pieces exploring memory through photo manipulation. “Story Within Photos” started with separate stock images picturing a USB drive and family photographs. Using GIMP, I layered the family photos over the USB image and adjusted opacity to 40-70%, creating a ghostly effect where memories appear trapped inside the device. I also applied Gaussian blur for a dreamlike quality. “Beautifying World” used a lakeside family scene from Unsplash representing happy memories stored on the USB. Minimal editing was needed, as the original photo’s warm lighting already captured the nostalgic mood I wanted.

Story Within Photos (5 stars):

Beautifying World (2 stars):

Design

My design pieces visualized memory and time through typography and image arrangement. “Motivational Poster” began with a USB photo beside a laptop keyboard. In Canva, I added the quote “Some memories hide in the dark, waiting for the light” in script font with shadow effects, creating a visual metaphor for forgotten memories. “Storytelling Through Pictures” required gathering 8 images representing my narrative arc (family, USB, grief, drawers, calendars, reunion). I arranged them in a grid in Canva, creating a wordless visual timeline that flows left-to-right, top-to-bottom from happiness through loss to healing.

Motivational Poster (3 stars):

Storytelling Through Pictures (3 1/2 stars):

Audio

For audio, I told the story through sound alone. “Sound Effects Story” combined individual sounds from freesound.org. I found a baby’s laughter, drawer closing, clock ticking, silence, drawer opening, and a computer turning on. Using Audacity, I layered them with volume adjustments to create a 30-second piece that represents the 8-year journey. “Played From Another Room” transformed a song using Audacity effects: low-pass filter to reduce highs, some bass boost and treble reduction. The result sounds like music playing from inside a closed drawer.

Sound Effects Story (3 stars):

Played From Another Room (3 stars):

Video

My videos brought static images to life with motion and music. “30 Second Memory” used Clipchamp to arrange 6 key images on a timeline with 5-8 seconds each, showing happy memories of the family. I applied fade transitions and emotional music to create a 30 second piece that feels like watching recovered memories. “Pictures Are Larger Than Words” arranged 7-8 narrative images as a slideshow with fade transitions and cinematic background music, telling the complete story in 30 seconds purely through visuals and sound.

30 Second Memory (3 stars):

Pictures Are Larger Than Words (2 1/2 stars):