Name: Francesco Moulson Grade: 9/10

Criteria Needs more work Strong

Opening: the paper is introduced appropriately for the assignment
so that the reader is clear about the writer’s intention.

Appropriate context is provided.

The writer has encouraged a reader’s interest.

The thesis is clear and appropriate for the assignment.

Readability—organization, clarity, cohesion, and flow: the

ideas are organized and structured in a manner appropriate for
the assignment

The student shows skill and knowledge of transitions and bridge

building to help the reader follow the flow of ideas.

Paragraphs are unified around one idea and one point.

Sentences are constructed and arranged effectively to show

variety, clarity, and concision.

Word choice is precise, clear, effective, appropriate, and

interesting.
Development: the ideas and points are clearly and appropriately
developed with sufficient details so as to show depth of thought
and ability to link generalizations and main points with specific
support.

Development goes beyond restating others’ words and work and

includes the writer’s own analysis and explanation/reasoning.

Outside sources are accurately and honestly introduced,

quoted, paraphrased, summarized, integrated, and
documented.
Closing: the piece of writing is concluded in a way that is
appropriate for the purpose and audience (closing statement)

The conclusion provides coherence with the intention noted in

the introduction and the support provided in the development of
the piece of writing.

Writing conventions—compassion and consideration for the

reader: shows care in revising, editing, and proofreading so as to
eliminate most problems with standard English usage, syntax,
punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Although the reader might
encounter an occasional error, there should be no pattern of errors;
shows precise and consistent adherence to documentation
conventions when outside sources are used.

Francesco Moulson

Writing 2
 Cover Letter

April 23, 2019

Egregious Professor Fedorova, Commented [MOU1]: Francesco, it is probably a typo.

The most common use of “egregious” is when you want
to say “appalling,” “shocking (in a bad way)” 
Reading through my Writing Project 1 once more, I noticed that most of the content I

had put into my PB1 and PB2 was vastly sufficient, having written double the Commented [MOU2]: Smart idea!

recommended amount for both and that I've mainly reorganized the main concepts

around the pivotal genres that my choice of discourse community employs.

Through the use of long, sometimes complex sentences, I like to convey my thoughts

and feelings as if someone were reading a book of mine. Through the use of several

synonyms and peculiar stylistic choices, I like to give my essays a twist of exciting

originality. After all you and I understand each other, I think we've both had enough

of the overly simplistic English "concise and direct". Us Europeans, we like to sound

highly educated! Commented [MOU3]: Very true! (But if you intend to

Another writing choice I made was that of keeping most of my paragraphs quite long.
apply for grad school here, you will still need to stick to
the “concise and direct” style of writing. It’s all about
understanding the rhetorical situation you are in. The
Writing 2 rhetorical situation is more open for
experimenting.)

I simply like it better that way, as it makes me feel as if I were writing a novel.

I think these stylistic choices, in combination with my introduction of multiple genres,

makes for a more original reading and a more fluid sentence structure.

However, sometimes I feel as if I have introduced too many different subjects, and

that my essay might suffer from a lack of in-depth description of the individual

genres.
Had I been given more time, I think I would’ve introduced more new paragraphs, but

I am quite content with how my Writing Project came out. Regarding the introduction

of examples within the text, I chose to not analyze any particular example too deeply,

generally presenting a concept without citing any specific sources.

Swales definitively impacted my understanding of what a genre is and how it helps a

group of driven individuals come together and work as one, introducing me to various

concepts such as those of “discourse community” and “genre analysis”.

I deeply attend your review of my work, perhaps giving me feedback on whether the

number of genres I introduced was too high, and if I should’ve instead focused on just

one. Also, do you believe my writing project was a bit too elaborate, or rather, too

confusing to read through and follow? Have I properly exposed and explained all of
the concepts that I have introduced? Does my essay reflect my train of thought well,
all the while responding to all the demands of the prompt? For the time being, I wish
Commented [MOU4]: What I liked about your project is
that you were able to connect the social role of genres
with the goals of the community. However, I would like to
see more analysis of genre conventions when you discuss
emails and texts. Without specific examples (and I know
that you don’t like to cite – you can paraphrase), the
essay lacks some life.

you farewell. Commented [MOU5]: Yes. I think that it was an

interesting idea to treat photography as a genre of
communication.
P.S.: As an opening, I intended for the adjective “egregious” to be taken in its archaic

meaning of “distinguished” or “remarkable”. Commented [MOU6]: Sounds good. You could have used
a footnote to explain it. I had to read until the end of the
cover letter to see what you meant 

Best wishes,

Francesco Moulson

PB1: Describing Discourse Community

Jumping right into winter quarter after a 13-hour flight from Rome was quite

destabilizing. Having spent the previous quarter trying to meet as many people as

possible in the hopes of fitting in, I had realized the challenging consequences of

choosing quantity over quality throughout the boring hours of the trip: none of the

people I had met shared interests with me.

Scrambling through various UCSB websites, I came across a small group of

photographers that would reunite every Wednesday to discuss shooting locations, neat

photography tricks and various common interests.

Gaucho Photography is an emblematic example of a discourse community: simply

put, a discourse community can be defined as a group or body of people, driven by

common or shared objectives, that communicate, relate to each other and expand the

group's knowledge through a form of communication, usually written. Gaucho

Photography's participants' main objective is that of learning how to take pictures by

studying the functions of a camera: during my first week I was taught by other

members of the group how to regulate shutter speed to focus on moving objects and

how to take portraits setting the aperture of the lens, allowing more or less light to

filter through the optic. According to John Swales, a British linguist, one of the main

aims of a discourse community is that of creating a social bond between its

participants. Through oral communication and the physical practice of operating a

camera and shooting, I managed to bond with the other participants of the community.

As stated by Swales, for a group of individuals to be defined as "discourse

community", such a group is bound to satisfy six fundamental criteria, the first of

which is a set of common goals. In the case of Gaucho Photography the two main

goals, as previously stated, are the apprehension of the uses and functions of a
camera, and the formation of a sense of community and personal bonding through the

use of social interaction.

The second fundamental criterion that Swales introduces is the systematic use of

language, usually written, by the members of the discourse community that would

allow them to communicate between themselves. This is a criterion that Gaucho

Photography does not fully satisfy: the use of language is mainly oral, and, aside from

a public group chat and a small variety of articles posted on the group's Facebook

page, there isn't much written communication. However, this does not fully eliminate

the community from the definition of a discourse community, as participating in it

over time I found myself to realize that photography itself, or rather, the act of

reciprocal teaching and apprehending the art of photography, carried out by the

members of Gaucho Photography, is, in fact, a form of communication. Even without

much use of written language, the community retains the characteristics that Swales

tends to attribute to a "sociorethorical affiliation", meaning that the shared goals of

the community tend to predominate discourse patterns and are the main influencers of

language use.

It is this precise teaching-learning bond that categorizes the group as a discourse

community according to Swales' third criterion, that of presenting the use of certain

participatory mechanisms, or mediums of communication, to further extend the

knowledge of the group and allow access to new members by conveying the groups

collected information. Without access to a camera, which Gaucho Photography

generously allowed me to lend for the quarter, I couldn't have comprehended the use

of its various parts and, similarly, without some of the other members' instruction I

wouldn't have learned how to operate a camera to the fullest extent. Furthermore, a

crucial aspect of the use of these "participatory mechanisms", is their influence on the
feedback provided by the members of the group, more specifically, the enabling of a

dialogue in which those who are in the process of learning are allowed to supply a

response: often, when I was unsure of how to take a particular picture, I would

communicate my insecurities, which were always listened to. This form of

communication is also known as "reciprocal apprehension", since not only was I

learning how to shoot, but the other members of the group were learning how to

express their point of view and how to tutor as well.

As a fourth criterion, Swales introduces the concept of "genre". Simply put, genres

can be defined as the multiplicity of discoursal elements debated by the community to

attain its goal. In the case of Gaucho Photography, it is clear that the main genre that

unites the members of the community is that of photography: the art of capturing life's

most precious moments is what brings the group together, and sharing innovative

ways to shoot drives the community forward, always in search of the perfect picture.

Furthermore, Swales defines a discourse community by its use of specific lexis,

usually linked to the community's interests and genres. Not only has Gaucho

Photography taught me the vast terminology of the world of picture-taking, but,

together with the group's use of specific abbreviations during shoots to signal

potential positions of interest to the model and shooting angles to the other

photographers, the discourse community has taught me to fully communicate

throughout a photo shoot. From the lens release, to the viewfinder and even the

simplest appliances of the camera, such as the power button and LCD screen, the

many parts of the camera constitute a large part of the vocabulary used by the

members of Gaucho Photography: it is clear that genre and lexis are strictly related

and are complementary, another typical feature of Swales' discourse community.

Lastly, the sixth criterion is that of the community's regulation of its memberships,

with a relatively reasonable ratio of apprentices to mentors, or, in other words, the

imposition of certain qualifications the members must satisfy to enter the group.

Gaucho Photography meets all of these requisites, allowing anybody to participate in

the community's activities as long as the new members have a desire to learn and are

passionate.

Gaucho Photography, thus, is a fair example of a discourse community, even without

an abundant use of written language, due to the numerous interactions and

supplementary forms of communication employed by its members: Swales himself

states that discoursal conventions are not singularly necessary to define a discourse

community. More importantly, what makes Gaucho Photography a complete

discourse community is the patterns of communication it provides for its members to

learn and grow, resulting in the group's expansion and the extension of knowledge

shared by its participants. Through the reception of feedback from its new members,

even experts of the art of photography can learn.

PB2: Analyzing Conventions of Genre

Gaucho Photography makes use of multiple genres to aid its members in

communication. Often the language used is not written, and, more simply, oral

dialogue is used. In the world of photography, in fact, most communication is carried

out through orders given by the photographer to his model and, reciprocally, by

indications asked by the model. To define the genres used in the literature of

photography and in the act of photo-shooting itself, we must first analyze the

relationship between those who employ them.

The main relationship that is formed inside of the discourse community that is

Gaucho Photography, is that of the model and the shooter. The first is generally

chosen through a written application (if they are requesting to be the main focus of a

photo shoot). Other times the

photographer will email the model directly. Both methods of communication are

written and help establish an initial relationship between the two parties. This first

approach is usually followed by a dialogue (generally carried out via email) in which

shooting times and locations are discussed, and eventually, agreed upon. In its own

way, email can be considered a modern genre, in that it retains all of the

characteristics of the more typical literary genre: email is a specific category of

writing. An email is conventionally subdivided into paragraphs, and can include a

multiplicity of genres within, makes use of codified forms of expression, and often

utilizes a lexicon related to the internet and its innovation.

To not include email as a form of literary genre, the main Internet service thanks to

which every authorized user can send and receive messages using a computer or other

electronic device, is to ignore the contemporary shift from "typewriter literature" to

that of using computers and the Internet as main mediums of communication. In other

words, email is the new epistolary genre, a direct form of dialogue that preserves

formality (contrary to a new current of writing, that of texting), and establishes a

professional relationship in and out of the workplace.

Once the initial dialogue is carried out, a new genre is introduced to the model: that of

group texting. As an informal method of writing, group texting can be more difficult
to define as a genre. Though it shares some similarities with email, such as that of

including codified forms of expression, usually those of abbreviations, acronyms or

emojis (pictures or symbols generally signifying a word or thought), texting generally

does not include multiple genres within its own. Texting in group chats generally

consists of short, concise and often very informal messages and as a form of

communication, it is much more direct than that of email, or the epistolary genre.

Through texting, a closer bond is formed and the model applicant or new member of

the community come in contact with the voices of all members of the group, allowing

them to instantly sympathize. While email is mainly used as means of communication

aiding the goal of the discourse community, that of taking pictures, the use of the

texting genre, thus, serves the purpose of building inner connections: it aids the

secondary goal of a discourse community, that of social bonding.

According to Swales, analytically speaking, in the faculty of genre analysis, genres

can be defined as the multiplicity of discoursal elements debated by the community to

attain its goal. A genre is thus not strictly literary, but rather a categorical definition of

mediums of communication. Taking this definition into account, one could define the

art of photography as a whole as a form of dialogue, and thus, as a genre.

If photography is considered as an art, then the photographic genre can be classified

as a genre of the arts. In terms of optic photography, it can be classified as a genre of

study, and even considering photography manuals, and all written works regarding

photography, the photographic genre assumes the traits of a linguistic genre, defined

by words that are strictly relevant to the world of photography and by the mechanical

or scientific terms that designate the different elements of a camera.

After the shoot, images are generally either uploaded first to a public server to be

edited and, successively, are transferred to a public one where they may be viewed by

those who follow the club's updates. Through a selection, some pictures are chosen to

then be featured in articles or magazines, usually related to or regarding UCSB

incidents or locations. Occasionally a request by forum users or website curators will

spark Gaucho Photography's interest and permission to make use of the group's

pictures is granted. These forms of online communication, usually through direct

messaging, a form of texting used on the platform "Instagram" (the main image

centered social network that allows users to take pictures, apply filters, and share

them on the web), or via dialogue carried out in forums, such as Reddit threads,

comprise the last genre: Gaucho Photography's online presence is always monitored

by a sub-division of the group that focuses on publicizing posts according to schedule

and to broadcast the community's work. What makes this "social networking genre"

so important is its influence on the members inside the group and the stable dialogue

it constructs with those who do not participate within the community: through the use

of certain hashtags, anyone can find the groups pictures in a matter of seconds.

The use of all of these genres altogether, in combination with the diversity of

everyone's commitment to the group's collective work make of Gaucho Photography a

successful discourse community: everyone is designated to individual performance.

The models are subjects of the image, the photographers take the pictures and apply

their expertise in choosing the right angles and locations, the set-makers help create

the backgrounds and the publicizing team divulges everyone's work.

To aid everyone in their task, each genre is chosen and employed specifically by the

community. To fully operate within a discourse community is to communicate.

Without the use of most of these genres, the individual work of each person would not

benefit from the input that each and every member contributes to, but perhaps the

most important feature of the use of genres is how such fundamental communicative

patterns help everyone cooperate in the setting of a photo shoot, help build a strong

sense of identity within the community and maintain the constant coordination and

focus that leads the group to success.

Writing Draft 1

Identifying Genres and Discourse Communities

Jumping right into winter quarter after a 13-hour flight from Rome was quite

destabilizing. Having spent the previous quarter trying to meet as many people as

possible in the hopes of fitting in, I had realized the challenging consequences of

choosing quantity over quality throughout the boring hours of the trip: none of the

people I had met shared interests with me.

Scrambling through various UCSB websites, I came across a small group of

photographers that would reunite every Wednesday to discuss shooting locations, neat

photography tricks and various common interests.

Gaucho Photography is an emblematic example of a discourse community: simply

put, a discourse community can be defined as a group or body of people, driven by

common or shared objectives, that communicate, relate to each other and expand the

group's knowledge through a form of communication, usually written. Gaucho

Photography's participants' main objective is that of learning how to take pictures by

studying the functions of a camera: during my first week I was taught by other

members of the group how to regulate shutter speed to focus on moving objects and

how to take portraits setting the aperture of the lens, allowing more or less light to

filter through the optic. Through oral communication and the physical practice of

operating a camera and shooting, I managed to bond with the other participants of the

community.

Gaucho Photography makes use of multiple genres to aid its members in

communication. Often the language used is not written, and, more simply, oral

dialogue is used. In the world of photography, in fact, most communication is carried

out through orders given by the photographer to his model and, reciprocally, by

indications asked by the model. To define the genres used in the literature of

photography and in the act of photo-shooting itself, we must first analyze the

relationship between those who employ them.

The main relationship that is formed inside of the discourse community that is

Gaucho Photography, is that of the model and the shooter. A first approach is usually

followed by a dialogue (generally carried out via email) in which shooting times and

locations are discussed, and eventually, agreed upon. In its own way, email can be

considered a modern genre, in that it retains all of the characteristics of the more

typical literary genre: email is a specific category of writing. An email is

conventionally subdivided into paragraphs, and can include a multiplicity of genres

within, makes use of codified forms of expression, and often utilizes a lexicon related

to the internet and its innovation. To not include email as a form of literary genre, is

to ignore the contemporary shift from "typewriter literature" to that of using

computers and the Internet as main mediums of communication. In other words, email

is the new epistolary genre, a direct form of dialogue that preserves formality

(contrary to a new current of writing, that of texting), and establishes a professional

relationship in and out of the workplace.

Once the initial dialogue is carried out, a new genre is introduced to the model: that of

group texting. As an informal method of writing, group texting can be more difficult

to define as a genre. Though it shares some similarities with email, such as that of

including codified forms of expression, usually those of abbreviations, acronyms or

emojis (pictures or symbols generally signifying a word or thought), texting generally

does not include multiple genres within its own. Texting in group chats generally

consists of short, concise and often very informal messages and as a form of

communication, it is much more direct than that of email, or the epistolary genre.

Through texting, a closer bond is formed and the model applicant or new member of

the community comes in contact with the voices of all members of the group,

allowing them to instantly sympathize. While email is mainly used as means of

communication aiding the goal of the discourse community, that of taking pictures,

the use of the texting genre, thus, serves the purpose of building inner connections: it

aids the secondary goal of a discourse community, that of social bonding.

Analytically speaking, in the faculty of genre analysis, genres can be defined as the

multiplicity of discoursal elements debated by the community to attain its goal. A

genre is thus not strictly literary, but rather a categorical definition of mediums of

communication. Taking this definition into account, one could define the art of
photography as a whole as a form of dialogue, and thus, as a genre. Even though the

use of language is mainly oral, and, aside from a public group chat and a small variety

of articles posted on the group's Facebook page, there isn't much written

communication, this does not fully eliminate the community from the definition of a

discourse community, as participating in it over time I found myself to realize that

photography itself, or rather, the act of reciprocal teaching and apprehending the art of

photography, carried out by the members of Gaucho Photography, is, in fact, a form

of communication.

It is this precise teaching-learning bond that helped me fit into and feel welcomed

inside the group. Without access to a camera, which Gaucho Photography generously

allowed me to lend for the quarter, I couldn't have comprehended the use of its

various parts and, similarly, without some of the other members' instruction I wouldn't

have learned how to operate a camera to the fullest extent. Furthermore, a crucial

aspect of the use of these participatory mechanisms is their influence on the feedback

provided by the members of the group, more specifically, the enabling of a dialogue

in which those who are in the process of learning are allowed to supply a response.

This form of communication is also known as "reciprocal apprehension", since not

only was I learning how to shoot, but the other members of the group were learning

how to express their point of view and how to tutor as well.

Not only has Gaucho Photography taught me the vast terminology of the world of

picture-taking, but, together with the group's use of specific abbreviations during

shoots to signal potential positions of interest to the model and shooting angles to the

other photographers, the discourse community has instructed me to fully

communicate throughout a photo shoot. From the lens release, to the viewfinder and

even the simplest appliances of the camera, such as the power button and LCD screen,

the many parts of the camera constitute a large part of the vocabulary used by the

members of Gaucho Photography. This use of a specific lexis, bound to the activities

of the club and their goal, further explains how photography itself can be viewed as a

genre.

After a shoot, some pictures are chosen to then be featured in articles or magazines,

usually related to or regarding UCSB incidents or locations. Occasionally a request by

forum users or website curators will spark Gaucho Photography's interest and

permission to make use of the group's pictures is granted. These forms of online

communication, usually through direct messaging, a form of texting used on the

platform "Instagram" (an image centered social network), or via dialogue carried out

in forums, such as Reddit threads, comprise the last genre: Gaucho Photography's

online presence is always monitored by a sub-division of the group that focuses on

publicizing posts. What makes this "social-networking” genre fundamental is the

stable dialogue it builds with those who do not participate within the community:

through the use of certain hashtags, anyone can find the groups pictures in a matter of

seconds.

The use of these genres altogether, in combination with everyone's commitment make

of Gaucho Photography a successful discourse community: everyone is designated to

individual performance. The models are subjects of the image, the photographers take

the pictures and apply their expertise in choosing the right angles and locations, the
set-makers help create the backgrounds and the publicizing team divulges everyone's

work.

To aid everyone in their task, each genre is chosen and employed specifically by the

community. To fully operate within a discourse community is to communicate.

Without the use of most of these genres, the individual work of each person would not

benefit from the input that each and every member contributes to, but perhaps the

most important feature of the use of genres is how such fundamental communicative

patterns help everyone cooperate in the setting of a photo shoot, help build a strong

sense of identity within the community and maintain the constant coordination and

focus that leads the group to success. What makes Gaucho Photography a complete

discourse community are the patterns of communication it provides for its members to

learn and grow, resulting in the group's expansion and the extension of knowledge

shared by its participants. Through the reception of feedback from its new members,

even experts of the art of photography can learn.

 Writing Project 1

Identifying Genres and Discourse Communities

Jumping right into winter quarter after a 13-hour flight from Rome was quite Commented [MOU7]: Formatting. In the United States,
the correct formatting of the text is 1 inch margins. You
will get marked off for using 1.25 inches in college essays.
destabilizing. Having spent the previous quarter trying to meet as many people as

possible in the hopes of fitting in, I had realized the challenging consequences of

choosing quantity over quality throughout the boring hours of the trip: none of the

people I had met shared interests with me.

Scrambling through various UCSB websites, I came across a small group of

photographers that would reunite every Wednesday to discuss shooting locations, neat

photography tricks and various common interests.

Gaucho Photography is an emblematic example of a discourse community: simply Commented [MOU8]: I think that this sentence can be
divided. The first half of the sentence will serve as a nice
break between long sentences.
put, a discourse community can be defined as a group or body of people, driven by

common or shared objectives, that communicate, relate to each other and expand the

group's knowledge through a form of communication, usually written. Gaucho Commented [MOU9]: Because it’s not your definition,
you need to cite John Swales here.
Photography's participants' main objective is that of learning how to take pictures by

studying the functions of a camera: during my first week I was taught by other

members of the group how to regulate shutter speed to focus on moving objects and

how to take portraits setting the aperture of the lens, allowing more or less light to

filter through the optic. Through oral communication and the physical practice of

operating a camera and shooting, I managed to bond with the other participants of the

community.

Gaucho Photography makes use of multiple genres to aid its members in

communication. Often the language used is not written, and, more simply, oral
dialogue is used. In the world of photography, in fact, most communication is carried

out through orders given by the photographer to his model and, reciprocally, by

indications asked by the model. To define the genres used in the literature of

photography and in the act of photo-shooting itself, we must first analyze the

relationship between those who employ them.

The main relationship that is formed inside of the discourse community that is

Gaucho Photography, is that of the model and the shooter. The first approach is Commented [MOU10]: Word choice? I understand what
you mean but it can be said in a different way that is
easier to comprehend.
usually followed by a dialogue (generally carried out via email) in which shooting

times and locations are discussed, and eventually, agreed upon. To give an instance,

usually the model will apply for a photo shoot by sending their height, age, and other

personal information via email, after which the group will promptly ask

“professionalism questions”, that is an inquiry regarding whether or not the applying

model has had any previous experience in the art of photo shooting and posing. Other

times the photographer will email the model directly. In its own way, email can be Commented [MOU11]: Here you’re jumping from one
thought to another without a transition. Will it be better
to move the general discussion of emails to the beginning
considered a modern genre, in that it retains all of the characteristics of the more of this paragraph?

typical literary genre: email is a specific category of writing. An email is

conventionally subdivided into paragraphs, and can include a multiplicity of genres

within, makes use of codified forms of expression, and often utilizes a lexicon related Commented [MOU12]: I’m not sure what you mean. Do
you mean genre conventions?
to the Internet and its innovation. To not include email as a form of literary genre is to

ignore the contemporary shift from "typewriter literature" to that of using computers

and the Internet as main mediums media of communication. In other words, email is

the new epistolary genre, a direct form of dialogue that preserves formality (contrary

to a new current of writing, that of texting), and establishes a professional relationship

in and out of the workplace.

Once the initial dialogue is carried out, a new genre is introduced to the model: that of

group texting. As an informal method of writing, group texting can be more difficult

to define as a genre. Though it shares some similarities with email, such as that of Commented [MOU13]: You like this phrase  Try not to
overuse it.
including codified forms of expression, usually those of abbreviations, acronyms or

emojis (pictures or symbols generally signifying a word or thought), texting generally

does not include multiple genres within its own. Texting in group chats generally

consists of short, concise and often very informal messages and as a form of

communication, it is much more direct than that of email, or the epistolary genre.

Through texting, a closer bond is formed and the model applicant or new member of

the community comes in contact with the voices of all members of the group,

allowing them to instantly sympathize. While email is mainly used as means of

communication aiding the goal of the discourse community, that of taking pictures,

the use of the texting genre, thus, serves the purpose of building inner connections: it

aids the secondary goal of a discourse community, that of social bonding.

Analytically speaking, in the faculty of genre analysis, genres can be defined as the Commented [MOU14]: I’m not sure if it’s an effective
transition. I like your definition of genres but the phrase
“analytically speaking” does not work for me.
multiplicity of discoursal elements debated by the community to attain its goal. A

genre is thus not strictly literary, but rather a categorical definition of mediums media

of communication. Taking this definition into account, one could define the art of

photography as a whole as a form of dialogue, and thus, as a genre. Even though the

use of language is mainly oral, and, aside from a public group chat and a small variety

of articles posted on the group's Facebook page, there isn't is not much written Commented [MOU15]: Avoid using contractions in
college writing.
communication, this does not fully eliminate the community from the definition of a
discourse community, as participating in it over time I found myself to realize that Commented [MOU16]: Realized (it’s more effective and
easier to understand)
photography itself, or rather, the act of reciprocal teaching and apprehending the art of

photography, carried out by the members of Gaucho Photography, is, in fact, a form

of communication. Commented [MOU17]: I think it’s a great point.

It is this precise teaching-learning bond that helped me fit into and feel welcomed

inside the group. Without access to a camera, which Gaucho Photography generously

allowed me to lend for the quarter, I couldn't have comprehended the use of its

various parts and, similarly, without some of the other members' instruction I wouldn't

have learned how to operate a camera to the fullest extent. Furthermore, a crucial

aspect of the use of these participatory mechanisms is their influence on the feedback Commented [MOU18]: Rephrase. I’m not sure what you
mean.
provided by the members of the group, more specifically, the enabling of a dialogue

in which those who are in the process of learning are allowed to supply a response.

This form of communication is also known as "reciprocal apprehension", since not

only was I learning how to shoot, but the other members of the group were learning

how to express their point of view and how to tutor as well.

Not only has Gaucho Photography taught me the vast terminology of the world of

picture-taking, but, together with the group's use of specific abbreviations during

shoots to signal potential positions of interest to the model and shooting angles to the

other photographers, the discourse community has instructed me to fully

communicate throughout a photo shoot. From the lens release, to the viewfinder and

even the simplest appliances of the camera, such as the power button and LCD screen,

the many parts of the camera constitute a large part of the vocabulary used by the

members of Gaucho Photography. This use of a specific lexis, bound to the activities
of the club and their goal, further explains how photography itself can be viewed as a

genre.

After a shoot, some pictures are chosen to then be featured in articles or magazines,

usually related to or regarding UCSB incidents or locations. Occasionally a request by

forum users or website curators will spark Gaucho Photography's interest and

permission to make use of the group's pictures is granted. These forms of online

communication, usually through direct messaging, a form of texting used on the

platform "Instagram" (an image centered social network), or via dialogue carried out

in forums, such as Reddit threads, comprise the last genre: Gaucho Photography's

online presence is always monitored by a sub-division of the group that focuses on

publicizing posts. What makes this "social-networking” genre fundamental is the

stable dialogue it builds with those who do not participate within the community:

through the use of certain hashtags, anyone can find the groups pictures in a matter of

seconds.

The use of these genres altogether, in combination with everyone's commitment make

of Gaucho Photography a successful discourse community: everyone is designated to

individual performance. The models are subjects of the image, the photographers take

the pictures and apply their expertise in choosing the right angles and locations, the

set-makers help create the backgrounds and the publicizing team divulges everyone's

work.

To aid everyone in their task, each genre is chosen and employed specifically by the

community. To fully operate within a discourse community is to communicate.

Without the use of most of these genres, the individual work of each person would not

benefit from the input that each and every member contributes to, but perhaps the

most important feature of the use of genres is how such fundamental communicative

patterns help everyone cooperate in the setting of a photo shoot, help build a strong

sense of identity within the community and maintain the constant coordination and

focus that leads the group to success. What makes Gaucho Photography a complete

discourse community are the patterns of communication it provides for its members to

learn and grow, resulting in the group's expansion and the extension of knowledge

shared by its participants. Through the reception of feedback from its new members,

even experts of the art of photography can learn.