Snow Day.

I awoke to the most breath taking view from my bedroom window today. Freshly fallen snow rested heavily on the branches below. Despite my longing for sunshine and warmth, winter has staked its claim and the beauty of this day was undeniable.

Biding Time.

I’ve often wondered about the lives of people I see on my daily commutes. It’s sterile and monotonous…the train, the time we idly bide as a necessary means to fulfill our occupations. Each of us wishing we could be somewhere else, with someone else… fast forward or rewind to a time where we didn’t have to play that awkward avoid-eye-contact-with-one-another game.

This was just a girl on the train one afternoon. She looked so tired and cozy; I thought it was beautiful…little did she know that I was snapping such lovely photographs of her from across the isle. This is how I bide my time to break up the the monotony of my daily grind.

Long Lost Love.

The love between us never went away. We broke each other’s hearts, simply because we didn’t know how to make it work. A year has passed, and despite the pain and loss we felt once before, we cannot deny the feelings we still hold inside. It’s a rare thing to find this kind of love…I can only hope that this time, we manage to hold on to it.

Capture the Moment.

This is the perfect example of why I always like to have a camera in hand…you never know what you might come across. I was walking to the grocery store one morning last weekend when I captured this photo. The sky was a deep, threatening gray, but quickly parted to reveal white fluffy clouds and a brilliant blue beneath it all. It was beautiful.

Winter.

I was really, really hoping to wake up to blue skies and sunshine this morning… that didn’t happen. More rain, wind, and dirty clouds. UGH. What’s more, is the weather guy solidified the fact that winter is coming, with his 5 day forecast of COLD. I have been ignoring the inevitable…winter is on its way.

Sunshine.

I spent this rainy night indoors… trying to find some color within. Exploring the confines of my own home, I discovered sunshine on my own.

Where were you when Obama was elected President?

I watched the election on a big screen TV at a local bar up the street from my house.

As the results for each state were announced the crowd would boo (McCain) or cheer (Obama). As one guy, standing next to me, said it best: “This is like watching the world series of freedom!”

I have to agree. I’ve never felt this proud of my country before. Barack Obama has done what no one imagined possible. He has restored my faith in humanity and given me hope for a new America.

Congratulations Barack Obama for winning a well-fought race with dignity, poise, conviction, and courage.

For all I know, last night may have been the most monumental political event I will ever witness in my lifetime. I brought my camera along with me to document this piece of history. Although it was dark, I captured what I could of the moment and have started a public, online photo group so that I can share those photos with you. It is my hope that you too will post your photographs and stories of the night here as well.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words?

I’ve fallen madly in love with my camera. Seriously, it’s occupies all my spare time these days. I’ve upgraded to a Cannon G9, so I can start to learn the true mechanisms of a camera… you know aperture, shutter speed, etc. It’s challenging to understand right now, but I’m learning to work with it.

Recently, my passion for photography has been refueled with the help of a new friend of mine… we’ll call him Chicago. Chicago is one hell of a photographer who wanted some inspiration. I’m, well… an amateur photographer that needs practice! So together we decided to create weekly photo assignments based on different themes. At the end of the week we upload them to an online group, where we can both post our photographs and share our work.

So far, this experience has been amazing. Not only do I carry my camera everywhere these days, but I’m using it… a lot! It is interesting to see each other’s photographs and compare each other’s perspectives on the topic. I am learning through practice, and inspired by our mutual love of cameras.

The only drawback to this endeavor is that I’ve become so immersed in my new world of photography, that I’ve seriously been neglecting my blog. Writing and having this artistic outlet is so important to me. So, I’ve been trying to figure out how to maintain both… realizing that, as of lately, I’ve become all-consumed with photography.

Today I think I found my answer. As I was looking at other people’s photographs I found one woman, in particular, that I liked. She has some great photographs, but what really caught my eye was that she describes each one, as she took them:

OldhaMedia says:

Photo taken by: OldhaMedia

Lunchtime.

36th and 8th.

Chan (a total stranger who struck up a conversation with me) saw my camera and asked me to take a picture of him in front of the very big dog in the truck.

Chan would not stop chewing, however.

Margot (my co-worker – not pictured) could not wrap her Seattle brain around the fact that I talk to strangers on the street.

The pigeons were a gift from the photo gods.

—

Photo taken by: OldhaMedia

This is Donde. Maybe he said Dante.

Whatever.

I saw him across the intersection of Spring and Broadway, dancing with the pink bubble guns he was selling.

I shot as much as I could before the batteries died.

He danced and fired off thousands of bubbles with such complete joy, filling the streets with shining gems of soap and air, it made me feel filled with the same joy just watching him.

I went over and told him so.

His hair was amazing… Woven with shells and silver trinkets and things he loves… He told me that six years ago, he shook off his corporate shackles and decided to do only that which brings him happiness. His long dreadlocks are a symbol of that rebellion.

I’m mad about Donde… Or Dante… Whatever.

Yes, I now own a pink bubble gun, too.

Anyways, I thought I’d share my newest love in life with you… My words may be short and sweet over these next few months, as I’m glued to my lens. I’d like to share my photos with you, and as OldhaMedia has so candidly done. I hope you will enjoy following along with me as I explore a new world of art.

My Photos

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.