An author that I strongly admire is James Patterson. His professional porfolio website is easy to navigate and eye catching. The wide array of photographs of himself in the top header of the page makes you laugh and realize he is more than just an author. By adding these photographs to the first page of the website he is showing the viewers that he has many sides that they may not know about. When you first enter his website you see a news section about his latest books and updates, as well as a side column for book reviews he has done. It also provides links to his newsletter and social media sites; giving the viewer many ways to learn about him and his books.

However, there is a lot more to his website than just the first page you are brought to. There are numerous sections such as “Books.” When you put your mouse over the tag, not clicking it, you are allowed to view all of his books, or books from a particular series you are interested in. I admire this because you are not forced to search through numerous pages to find something. The website provides an easy and user-friendly way to do so.

The language throughout the site is simple and engaging. It gives you enough information to undersrand things without throwing too much at you. There seem to be a lot of small little paragraohs and articles giving a sample, then if you wish you can link to a longer and more thorough explanation. James Patterson’s website gave me a few ideas for my own. I enjoy how he has everything broken down into parts so you can easily find exactly what you are looking for. However, for my sight I would try to attempt to lay mine out in a more modern way. Although I do enjoy Patterson’s, it does seem a little too simple and old fashion in a way.

The photo that stuck out the most to me in “Paradise Paved” was photo 2/14. It shows a woman stretching after spending a night sleeping in her car in a Walmart parking lot. However, the composition of the photograph is quite impressive. The yoga instructor stretching with the glow of the sun behind her depicts a tranquil and peaceful scene- which one may not normally associate with a Walmart parking lot. While there are other main points within the photo such as her car and Walmart itself, the sun depend her truly makes her become the central focus. The background, though full of numerous items, does not overshadow her.  The separation between her, the car, and Walmart creates enough room for the photo to not be overcrowded.

Although it may not be necessarily obvious, I enjoy the depth of this photograph. When viewing the photo I first looked at the woman, then her car, then Walmart. After looking at the photo numerous times in this fashion I found she is in the front of the photo, her car behind her, and Walmart is behind both of them. The layers may not be important or essential to the photograph, but they stuck out to me and I believe it is what causes the photo to not be cluttered.

This photo also seems to truly capture the essence of the yoga instructor. Her bare feet, flowing skirt, and relaxed expression and posture shows that she was comfortable spending her night in the parking lot. In the description of the photo she says she was able to find peace and bliss spending a night here and that is very well depicted in the photo. Also- having trees on each side of the photo creates a beautiful and simple frame that fills what could have potentially have been empty spaces in the photo and adds to the serenity of the woman in it. The balancing of all of the elements photo (yoga instructor, car, Walmart, and the trees) is wonderfully done and creates an interesting scene and a layered- yet simple photo.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/29/magazine/look-walmart.html?_r=0

ORIGIN: East Boston, MA

BEHAVIORS: Writing, reading, hanging out with my dogs, watching numerous TV shows

HABITAT: My house, Staples

CHARACTERISTICS: Short hair, positive attitude, hardworking and determined, always having a concerning amount of school supplies

CALL: “How can I help you today?”