Homework - Polaroid camera

Тhe phenomenon of the Polaroid camera

Do you remember these amazing cameras that immediately develop photographs after having pressed the shutter-release button? Apart from a predecessor model from 1860, the first instant camera, as we know it today, was launched in 1947 by the American scientist Edwin Land, the founder of the Polaroid Corporation.

But how does an instant camera function? Does it consist of a mini printer? – There is a simple answer to it: it is a chemical reaction and the secret is in the film. In order to make an immediate photo development possible, the camera is loaded with film packs containing sheets of plastic negatives instead of a usual film. In contrast to regular cameras, this photographic material already contains the necessary chemicals for photo development as its photosensitive layers - developer layer, image layer, timing layer and acid layer - correspond to the negative film. Once you have snapped a picture, the development process is initiated in the form of a chemical reaction under the surface of the silver compounds on the negatives. Then the four layers react in the presence of a reagent (the chemical that triggers the reaction) and the colors that are captured in the silver layers of the negative are produced. When the photograph is ejected, the particles of the chemicals are simultaneously spread and the image is produced. After that the photograph still needs some seconds to fully develop.

That is it! That is the secret of the Polaroid camera. Hopefully your curiosity has been satisfied!

-          249 words

Group work - rate an instructional text

When looking at these instructions, confusion may arise as its elements, namely text passages and illustrations, are combined in a rather chaotic way. Since it is not obvious which picture corresponds to which passage, it is hard to follow all the steps. Furthermore, neither the steps nor the illustrations are numbered and therefore, it is not clear where to start. A good recommendation features not only a list of required components and tools, but also the estimated time required for assembly, which is not the case here. Although the author used the correct way of addressing the reader by using active and imperative language, the building steps are rather vague and contain minimal information. The fact that the text passages are written by hand may irritate and distract the readers and also inhibits their ability to comprehend the instructions. All in all, the quality of it is rather low and thus will not only confuse the readers, but also discourage them from using it. As it lacks the necessary elements of a decent guide, it renders the instructions not very helpful for non-professionals.

- 183 words

Group 18 - Boy With Toy Hand Grenade

On this black and white picture you can see a blonde, little boy, standing in a park and looking straight into the camera. He is wearing dark, short dungarees, a white, patterned shirt, sneakers with white shoelaces and wool socks. The left strap of his dungarees is hanging loose. In his right hand he is holding a hand grenade and his left hand is cramped.

By looking at his face, it might seem as if the boy was quite unordinary. It leaves an impression as if he is staring into your soul. He is twisting his mouth in a rather disturbing way, suggesting that he was potentially mentally damaged by a tragic event that he might have experienced while being very young. To describe the boy’s physique, it might be correct to use the idiom “all skin and bones”. “Fit” and “healthy” would not be appropriate attributes to use.

The road the boy is standing on is visible throughout the whole picture. It is accompanied by trees and is fading somewhere in the background. Behind the boy you can see two tree trunks and a series of other smaller trees on a vast area covered with grass. On the meadow, a woman in a dark dress is standing, possibly watching the boy and the photographer. In the right corner you can see an elder woman in a long, dark coat, walking hand in hand with a young child.

- 238 words

A day in the life of ...

ME :)

For me, a typical day, no matter if I have uni or it’s weekend, starts with a huge cup of coffee, as otherwise, I wouldn’t even be able to get dressed. Having taken “tons” of caffeine, I’m finally able to leave my apartment without being rude to someone. Yesterday I didn’t have any lessons and as it was such a sunny day, the first thing I thought of was walking up the Schlossberg and enjoying my day up there. Since I hate being alone, my boyfriend joined me. Before the “climbing” we got some coffee and up there looked for a nice place on a meadow where we leaned back and enjoyed the warm rays of the sun. Suddenly I startled up because I felt something moving on my legs. A dozen ants were crawling on them. As it was pretty annoying we moved our blanket to another spot where we first assured ourselves that it’s free of ant trails. We stayed there until sunset and afterwards stopped by at our favorite coffee shop Barista’s for a shake. Then we still went to the supermarket to buy the ingredients for dinner and eventually headed for home. Back at home we cooked Lasagna and ended up watching TV until we fell asleep. :)