Image manipulation – a portrait of Girls Incorporated.

I chose the image (on the left) from the Associated Press database to guide my portrait of Girls Incorporated and their Director of Operations, Lucy Berger.
Although this image was not taken at the Girls Incorporated in Bloomington, it portrays a scene typically found at the site. Just last Friday I was playing volleyball and basketball with some of the girls in their gymnasium, and now that it's getting warmer, they will soon be able to play outside.
I have manipulated this image in five different ways in order to illustrate the dominant impression, in my portrait, of Lucy and the organization itself.

Manipulation #1:

This manipulation represents the pressure that young girls (such as the girls I've observed at Girls Inc) experience every day from sources such as the media. Pictures and messages from television and magazines present girls with a cookie cutter mold that they are then expected to embrace as the only acceptable image of femininity. When asked about this dilemma, Lucy responded,
"It’s ridiculous what people see as the ideal female… you’re not going to find [in the media], necessarily, what it means to be a real woman. I think that goes a long way into making them feel… vulnerable"
This image shows a girl bending to a great amount of pressure. The details that once made the image playful (the jungle gym, the basketball) are now forced out of the frame or distorted. I like to think that her extended leg shows some resistance. The girls Lucy works with are constantly under pressure, but thanks to her organization, those girls may learn to fight back or at least understand.

Manipulation #2:

For this manipulation, I added a spotlight on the girl. this not only shows how young girls constantly feel scrutinized, but also how Lucy (and the staff at Girls Inc) highlight the girls in a positive way.
Still on the topic of her girls' self images, she says, "I think they get a lot of mixed messages… We try to break down some of the messages they’re getting, we try to just focus on them as a person."
The girls are recognized for who they are, their accomplishments, and their contributions to the group/community, rather than their appearance. Lucy and her staff make their girls feel special, rather than alienated, for their differences.

Manipulation #3:

This image has been turned black and white except for two portions: the basketball and the flowers on the girl's left leg. In my interview with Lucy, she told me that they encourage the girls to participate in all activities, regardless of its association with certain gender roles. The girls learn how to sew and clean, as well as fish and change a tire. 
I wanted to bring the focus to two seemingly contrasting parts of the image: a basketball and flower embroidery. Basketball is seen as a predominantly male activity, while flowery bell-bottoms express femininity. Both of these items contribute to this girl's identity, making her more complex and well-rounded than the cookie cutter image projected in the media. At Girls Inc, they support and develop the individuality of their girls, hopefully instilling them with the ability to take charge of their own identities.


Manipulation #4:

This picture has been blurred to indicate motion. At Girls Inc, the girls are constantly moving. They have a large gymnasium to release pent-up energy, they make games out of cleaning up the center, and they even get to go to the park when weather permits. They are constantly moving and actively participating while at Girls Inc, an integral aspect of their after-school program.
Lucy, herself, is aways on the move as well. To name a few of her typical duties, she oversees the camps, sports leagues, finances, and even runs the bus route every day to pick the girls up from school. She says she sometimes works 13 hour days, but that doesn't stop her from loving her job.

Manipulation #5:

For this manipulation, I cropped four sections of the image and then made a frame out of the tree branches. This manipulation is the most abstract, in my opinion, but I think it represents Girls Inc effectively. The four pictures in the center have been touched on in previous manipulations, and I feel as if they come together in this one. Lucy and the staff at Girls Inc recognize their girls as individuals, but also encourage them to challenge what they know (or think they know) about themselves. Girls Inc disregards gender roles to focus on each child/teen as a person - one reason why they only serve girls - it alleviates the pressure of boys versus girls.




The girls also learn values of community collaboration - whether they are the ones giving or receiving. Girls Inc does a wonderful job of giving their girls access Bloomington's vast amount of resources. They are surrounded by love and good role models at Girls Inc. A very special type of learning and development takes place at Girls Inc, and I hope to further unpack exactly what that is as the semester continues.