Camera Practice

So, here are some of the photographs I’ve been taking lately (thanks to those that have expressed an interest in seeing them). I’m using a digital camera, a Cannon Powershot SD1000, so nothing fancy, but I’m just learning! I’ve been tryng to figure out how to capture the light (without a flash) at night. I’m learning the trick to evening photography is to adjust the ISO to the lowest setting possible, depending on the light, which requires a very steady hand to capture a crisp image without any blurring. After many botched pictures, I’ve finally figured out how to stabilize my camera just long enough to get a good shot here and there. Here are some of the pictures that have turned out…

24 Hour Photo Binge

Something magical happened yesterday as I wandered the streets with a new set of eyes… not just looking, but seeing art in ordinary things. Armed with a Digital Elph, relaxed by a few drinks, and happy to have a dear friend by my side, we hit the streets with our newfound love of cameras! Scanning over the common details of daily life, my eyes became overwhelmed with possibility. Suddenly I was drawn to an eyeful of shapes making up angles, lines criss-crossing over and underneath one another, colors fighting for attention, light grasping for existence in the night, reflections of less important objects, the dents and subtle imperfections, and just plain regular things. Everything appeared unlike any other night to me… each and every step possessed a wonderfully seductive beauty in its own unique way.

Walking with this heightened sensation of SEEING, I began to loose consciousness of the usual things surrounding me that distract my senses from their purpose. I lost all consideration of time as I absorbed this lovely night… hearing nothing other than my own footsteps lightly travelling towards whatever drew them near. It’s been an intoxicating 24 hours, lost in my new, beautiful world.

I love this, SEEING. It’s a certain kind of addiction I feel right now, the need to SEE. I can’t stop recycling the images, over and over, I rewind the night. There is so much to take in especially since, until now, I haven’t. I look at these things every day… but why don’t I SEE them? Where does the beauty in my eyes go, when I’m rushing to and from work? Why haven’t I noticed how charming the scenery is? Could this be something we’re all guilty of depriving ourselves? Hmmm… Perhaps I’ll start looking through my lens more often. I do believe our eyes were meant to have a higher purpose in life.

Picking my U-lock with a BIC Pen!

After spending the majority of the past few days desperately searching for my bike key, I finally gave up. I’ve since conceded that it is long gone, and I simply don’t have the patience to search anymore. I want to ride my bike! So, moving on, I had to figure out how I was going to get the Kryptonite U-lock off my bike! After searching the Internet, I came across something that seemed too good to be true… I found several videos demonstrating how I could pick the lock with a BIC pen! I was skeptical, and yes, it seemed like a fat chance in hell that it would work, but I figured it was worth a try.

The result? After 30 minutes of sweat and Macgyver-type maneuvering, armed with a rock, a pliers, and several BIC pens, I PICKED MY LOCK! In case you want/need to try this at home, here is how I eventually did it:

1. Remove ink from pen (seems obvious I know, but common sense doesn’t always apply!)
2. Widen the end of the big pen slightly with a key…just enough so that the opening is large enough to slide over the key hole. (Note: I tried several BIC pens, the one that ended up working was the softer plastic material (translucent) pen.)
3. Pound the pen into the key hole with a hammer or a rock.
4. Twist the pen clockwise, until eventually the key rotates half way around, unlocking the U-lock. (Keeping a grip of this is hard… I used a pliers).
5. If this works, Call or Email Kryptonite and demand a replacement! http://www.kryptonitelock.com

I feel like the ultimate BAD-ASS right now. I can’t believe this worked! At the same time I feel RIPPED OFF! I spent like $70 on this lock!

So I’ve written an email to Kryptonite, requesting a new lock in exchange for this faulty piece of craftmanship… we’ll see what happens. But, for any of you out there who cherish your bike’s or rely on it for your daily transportation, you might wanna do a little research on your own locks… just in case! I’ll let you all know what I hear back from Kryptonite!

Moving On When Love is Wrong

I found this piece of writing as I was cleaning through a pile of old papers… written in my early twenties, it brings me back to the place that I was in and emotions that I would later revisit in life. It was a very sad and seemingly helpless time in my life… a time of heavy contemplation and stark realization, as shortly thereafter I knew what I had to do and finally had the courage to do it. I thought I’d post a little of what I wrote that day… as the words speak a truth that others might need to hear. I know I’m not the only one to have gone through this…

‘I’ve toyed with the idea of movin’ on… for years I’ve made half-assed attempts, but for whatever reason, I’ve been too scared, too alone, too broke inside to follow through. It’s easier to resort to what you know. Comfort can pacify anyone’s mind to justify a compromised life. It’s that false sense of comfort that strays us from our true intentions, our will, our minds, our peace…it’s the life inside we loose along the way that keeps us down.’

Summer is like a full moon.

What happens when the temperature raises that makes us all a little more audacious and unbound by our individual realities in life?

Could it be that the air smells like sugar? That the breeze stirs up sounds of city, long forgotten in the dead of winter? That our taste buds are awakened with the pleasure of eating fresh food from the earth? Or that the sun feels like a gentle message every time it touches our pasty skin?

Perhaps summertime arouses our senses in a way that can satisfy even the most resilient traces of discontentment inside… leaving us all a little more at peace within ourselves.

Just my luck!

Of all things a person could wake up to in the morning… I woke up to the piercing sting of this guy, right between my ring and pinky fingers. What f**ing luck!

Believe it or not, this isn’t the most random sting I’ve ever had… a few summers back I was stung in the EAR (not kidding!) while waiting for the subway inside of the  Central Square T stop.

I think this might be Karma at it’s finest… long deserved (I’ll agree). Perhaps it all stems from introducing my little sister to her first bee… One time, when were kids, a giant bumblebee landed  between us inside our wading pool. She had never seen one before and innocently asked, “what’s that?!”  My response (deviously taking advantage of all the wisdom and cleverness of being the older sibling) was:  ”Oh, it’s furry and nice, you should pet it”, while holding back a grin… and, as any trusting 4 year-old would, she did.  Yes, it was one of many terrible deeds to come. That was her first bee sting… now years later, I’m getting mine!