What is the American Dream? What does it look like? These questions posed by The Atlantic magazine inspired readers, including Journalism Professor John Freeman, to submit a photo of what a successful life looks like.

The Atlantic, in conjunction with EchoSight (co-founded by Danny Ghitis, JOU 2006), culled through hundreds of entries submitted via Twitter and Instagram to select 42 images. The 42 cell phone images were then blended together using the Image Blender app to create 21 double-exposures. The results are featured in Photographing the American Dreamers in the September 2, 2015 online edition.

Freeman’s image represents the wide variety of people who are proud to be Americans. “It’s not just successful businesspeople, or immigrants who’ve worked hard, or military personnel who stand guard to protect our freedoms. It’s also the aging hippie who can ride a cruiser bicycle barefoot down a sidewalk in Florida on the Fourth of July with a flag bandana and matching swim trunks,” Freeman said.

His image was combined with a photo by Phillip Poston featuring a father and son after wrangling horses in Yellowstone Park into a trailer. His idea of the American dream represents happiness through hard work, family and simplicity.

Creating images with the Image Blender app has become a passion for Freeman. His images, combined with those of his photography partner Daron Dean (JOU 2004), manager of photography for the St. Augustine Record, are the subject of an upcoming exhibit at the Hippodrome Theater Gallery. The exhibit, “1+1=1,” will include twelve 16” x 16” canvas prints on view from Sept. 28 through Oct. 11.

Posted: September 8, 2015
Category: The College in the News
Tagged as: John Freeman