I Just Opened Up A Whole New Can of Worms

And I'm pumped about it!

Jewish Friends

I have a lot of them and attended a lot of bar and bat-mitzvahs in my day. It must have seemed a bit daunting to memorize a portion of an ancient script in a foreign language before the age of 13. I'm glad I don't heavily affiliate with any one religion. The forest is my church.

Brickyards

I find Brickyards an interesting concept. We have a quarry right next to our house (literally about 1 mile from our house) and I have gone exploring there multiple times. It is basically some people who claimed a piece of land, started digging, put the rocks in a fire, and then put there name on the product to sell them. Yay! Exploiting natural resources! But I guess someone has to do it.

This brick in particular was extra crispy since it was found at the site of a house fire in Clovis, CA.

On The Lookout

Today I will be wandering around Inverness.

The Game

This is the game. Chess. It is truly unique and unparalleled in the board game world, and really, it is probably the only board game I actually enjoy playing. A test of intellect through strategy, the rules are simple but your attacks and defenses grow more and more complicated as you play more. Hopefully I will be playing a bit more this summer.

Random Objects

An unknown object hanging from the wall of a chimney of a burnt down house in Fresno. Depth of field is your friend.

Perspective

I find it really interesting how much perspective can change something, especially in a photograph. What you put in the frame of your lens and what angle it is in really is all the your audience can see. So, if you photograph something rather plain, but shoot it in an unconventional way, then it is possible your audience won't even recognize what it originally was.

Faces

Stinson

The date is soon approaching. You have no idea how excited I am for this.

Quick Post

Here is a cart that is rarely used but a few times in the year.

Artificial Lighting

I recently did a post on natural lighting and the benefits that come with learning how to manipulate it to your pleasing. There is, however, another way to get dramatic lighting in your photos to work to your advantage. That, of course, is to simply create it yourself. Photographers have been coming up with tricks and techniques to create the lighting they want for years and years. Personally, I prefer natural lighting, but this'll do in a pinch.

Here is a shot of some dramatic sandwich making.

A Boy and His Dog

A rather kinky tale of survival.

Natural Lighting

Lighting really is everything in photography. In fact, a lot of people call photography "l'art du lumière" or "the art of light." Once you learn to manipulate light and use what natural light is available, you really open up a lot of options. For instance, here is a pretty plain shot in subject matter. But I took advantage of the natural light in the situation to bring attention to the contrast in the shot as well as the texture of the wall.

Awesome, Dad

So I was rummaging through my dads old backpack gear out of sheer curiosity and found this awesome hat. "Faster Horses, Younger Women, Older Whiskey, More Money." My father had good tastes.

Architecture

Here's a shot of my friend Jake's house. His father and uncle built it and designed it themselves, which I think is pretty awesome. The outside is almost entirely wooden (Jake and Sean just refinished the entire thing). I'm not quite sure why I like this shot so much. Mostly its geometric appearance and summer tones. Yes, yes that's it.

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Eastern Practices

My family is interested in Eastern culture, and it has become more and more noticeable even more recently. I used to always dig on kung fu movies and monks and was curious about buddhism, and my father as well. My mother and sister have both started yoga and I recently joined them as well. And now my father is going to start transcendental meditation? Hm...alright.

Oh yea, and samurai and the bushido code is awesome.

Enjoying Summer and Hair

It has been a wonderfully relaxing summer so far, and hope you all feel the same way. In case you did not know, I have been growing out my hair for a bit now for Locks of Love, and at some point I intend to cut it all off to donate. I'll most likely do a before and after picture because those are always so much fun.

Squirrels

I got a random text yesterday saying "Squirrel sex."

Random Pic

Heres a shot of an old scale (capable of weighing up to 2000 lbs) that is behind the food science department at Davis. I wonder if they ever use it any more?

Narcus

My friend is sadly going back to LA today after being in the area for a few days. It is always a pleasant surprise when she is up in the bay. I know shows been wanting this picture up for awhile so here it is (it's her dining room table). Hope the surgery goes well, Nirk!

Stairways

There is something nice about not knowing what is at the top of them.

Post

Here are some things on a telephone post. Enjoi.

Lucky Numbers

I was thinking the other day about superstitions, and how they are kind of funny. I mean, yes it is foolish to do some of them (I, myself, am guilty of wishing at 11:11 and throwing salt over my shoulder when it is spilled), but humans are entirely creatures of habit. We get used to doing things and then feel uncomfortable when we stop doing them. Another aspect of superstition is luck. I don't really believe in luck, i suppose. When people ask me what my lucky number is, or even favorite number or favorite day of the week, I never really have an answer -- or rather, I don't have a reason to justify my answer. Maybe I'm strange. Do you have a lucky number?

Facebook

Somewhat off topic picture of Sean.

It is a strange thing, but really, it has just become a more stalkerish and in depth version of e-mail. And it is convenient for keeping in touch with people, to say the least. It is funny, though, that really anyone could be on someone else's facebook. My friend, Sean, was on mine for a good hour or so last night chatting with a few different people (I of course was there to supervise) but it took those few people a little while to figure out it wasn't me. Facebook rules (not like it is awesome, but like it is an dictator) in todays civilization. Get outside while you still can, before the next big craze hits. In a few months facebook may be gone, and most likely, everyone will be checking their Blazzle every day instead.

Technical Difficulties

So Im going to have to shut down the blog for a little bit. My computer got water on it and now my hard drive is refusing to work. Fun stuff. But I have not backed up my data for awhile so all of my pictures on there are most likely lost.

Hopefully I'll be up and running again soon. I'm taking my computer into some over-priced repair center to see if i can salvage anything. See you guys later

Signature Style

So my friend pointed out to me recently that I tend to take a lot of pictures in a certain way. Upon certain reflection, I found her to be correct in such an observation. Many of my photos tend to be of some object that i find interesting and hold up. This way I can also achieve the depth of field (usually very shallow) that I desire.

Happy Fourth, Everyone

And happy birthday, America. How will I celebrate you today? Well I shall do what any true American would by eating lots of food that is likely to clog a coronary artery and watching shit get lit on fire and blow up. Who's down? Well the majority of America is, I'm assuming. Enjoy the day, folks!

ps. the little creatures shown above are delectables known as whoopie pies and are made be my sister. Chocolate peanut-butter ones are little cakes full of heaven

Peace

If you ever need a little bit of solitude for reflection, this is definitely the spot for it.

The Piano

Currently listening to Bill Evans and his trio, live at the Village Vanguard. Bill Evans is truly a God among men when it comes to playing. It would be amazing to be inside his mind while he played through a solo section of Alice In Wonderland. Thanks again, Paul, for giving me the box edition. It has truly been a great gift.

Abba-Zabbas Are Delicious

But it took me until finals week of the last quarter of my first year in college to figure it out. And they are probably horrendous for your teeth because of the whole taffy thing. But Abba-Zabbas are delicious. Next on the list of older candies to try: Big Hunks.