I won a photo contest yesterday... well not entirely by myself. It was a collaborative effort with Aryn. The winning photo is not really one of my favourites. In fact out of all of the photos I/we submitted the winning photo was my least favourite. But I'm not complaining... we won $500 at McBain Camera.
This afternoon was the second part of the school talent show. It stretched for a monstrous two hours... which can seem like a really long time on a Friday afternoon. Some of the acts were, as can be expected, substandard or really terrible. But there were a few little gems here and there. One chubby little girl got stage fright, but came back later to try to redo her act. She asked her a few volunteers to come up and dance with her and ended up having nearly the entire school up and dancing. It was quite hilarious, even more so since the kids were busting moves to LFO's "Summer Girls". You know the one I'm talking about, if you don't, here's a little refresher.
New kids on the block had a bunch of hits
Chinese food makes me sick
And I think it’s fly when girls stop by for the
Summer, for the summer
I like girls that wear abercrombie and fitch
I’d take her if I had one wish
But she’s been gone since that summer,
Since that summer
Hip-hop mama layed spic & span
Met you one summer and it all began
You’re the best girl that I ever did see
The great larry bird, jersey 33
When you take a sip, you buzz like a hornet billy
Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets
Call me willy whistle cause I can’t speak baby
Somethin’ in your eyes went and drove me crazy
Now I can’t forget you and it makes me mad left one
Day and never came back
Stayed all summer then went back home
Mccaullay culkin wasn’t home alone
Fell deep in love, but now we ain’t speakin’
Michael j. fox was alex p. keaton
When I met you I said my name was rich
You look like a girl from abercrombie and fitch
...what powerful lyrics.
Yesterday I made my photography wishlist (again. I'm not finished yet, but the list is fairly comprehensive. I cried silently and tearlessly when I saw the total.
In response to this newfound faux stress I've decided that I need to knit a new toque. I haven't knit anything in a while. My attempt at knitting a garment was only partly successful... I made it to the sleeves and then quit. So I planning to try knitting lace patterns. Not doilies or collars mind you. I found a nice pattern online for a scarf so I'm going to try that and then move on to headwear.
It's Friday, I have photo editing to complete this weekend, portfolios to plan, and XMen to watch (finally, months after I saw it being filmed).
Something's wrong with the main page of my blog template. The sidebar is showing up at the bottom and I don't know why since I didn't make any changes to it.
hmm... how annoying.
hmm... how annoying.
This morning I came across this poem...
You begin this way:
this is your hand,
this is your eye,
this is a fish, blue and flat
on the paper, almost
the shape of an eye
This is your mouth, this is an O
or a moon, whichever
you like. This is yellow.
Outside the window
is the rain, green
because it is summer, and beyond that
the trees and then the world,
which is round and has only
the colors of these nine crayons.
This is the world, which is fuller
and more difficult to learn than I have said.
You are right to smudge it that way
with the red and then
the orange: the world burns.
Once you have learned these words
you will learn that there are more
words than you can ever learn.
The word hand floats above your hand
like a small cloud over a lake.
The word hand anchors
your hand to this table
your hand is a warm stone
I hold between two words.
This is your hand, these are my hands, this is the world,
which is round but not flat and has more colors
than we can see.
It begins, it has an end,
this is what you will
come back to, this is your hand.
-- Margaret Atwood
Totally unrelated: but XMen will be opening on Friday and I am going to see it.
with the sound of wedding bells no less...
(dramatic pause)
On my wish list are several items, but most prominently is a quality wide angle lens. I have two that I'm trying to decide between, both expensive, but one considerably more so than the other. Making investments in such things is a difficult thing, especially when I am trying to take my photography seriously. Obviously the better lens is the more expensive one, it would work better in lower light conditions because it has a larger aperture and slightly wider angle. Add to that my newest wish list item, the Sekonic L-558 Light Meter and a more powerful flash like the Metz Mecablitz 76 MZ-5 digital for walk around wedding photography... and my desire to one day have studio lights... well, it all just becomes way too overwhelming. Even more so when I wish that I had a Macbook so that I could run Aperture.
Why does everything have to cost so much money? Sometimes (like now) I wish that I could just pursue photography full-time. But that's just not practical. I need to have the "back-up" plan to make sure that I can survive. As some might say, I have too many mistresses.
But back to my dream of prime lenses (the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM in particular)... I've always liked the look of wide angles in architectural and travel photography. Perhaps it's the cimeatic scope... but I just like to see the sweeping vistas and towering buildings. Like so many other paupers I get a lot of my kicks out of magazine travel, looking at the shots in various magazines of far off and exotic places. Today I chose my newest ideal vacation spot, the Algarve. The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal and is well known for glorious year round sunshine and excellent sandy beaches.
Lonely Planet has this to say about Portugal:
Portugal has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts, wistful towns and a landscape wreathed in olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Littered with UNESCO World Heritage sites and graced by one of Europe's most relaxed and attractive capitals, it also remains refreshingly affordable.
Savouring life slowly is a Portuguese passion, and much of the best is humble - traditional folk festivals; simple, honest food drowning in olive oil; music that pulls at the heart strings, recalling past love and glories; and markets overflowing with fish, fruit and flowers.
Who knows, maybe one day I'll be flying off to Portugal for photography assignments... with my faithful Sherpa of course, who will help me carry my equipment.
The long weekend has come and gone so quickly. I had a wonderful time with my beau and my best friend... Aryn having the chance to meet some of my family and Wade's. A rather amusing note, Aryn met more of Wade's relatives than mine. The weekend was a bit of whirlwind... fitting, since several of the days were quite blustery. I did not get a chance to give Aryn the walking tour of the town... however, he did get a chance to see most of the exciting sites of the area, including a look at the inner workings of the Peace Canyon Dam and the W.A.C. Bennett Dam. We ate, drank and were merry. Wade and I took some photos but I haven't downloaded them yet. All in due time, this afternoon I had more important things to do... I needed a nap.
June is fast approaching and I need to start to do more than mentally prepare myself for the big move. I actually have to start packing (or rather repack some of the boxes that are still somewhat packed from my last attempted move two years ago). I think I'm ready for a return to the city life.
I'm sure I'll write more about the weekend in the next coming days. Photos will also be forthcoming. For now I'm planning to go to sleep.
June is fast approaching and I need to start to do more than mentally prepare myself for the big move. I actually have to start packing (or rather repack some of the boxes that are still somewhat packed from my last attempted move two years ago). I think I'm ready for a return to the city life.
I'm sure I'll write more about the weekend in the next coming days. Photos will also be forthcoming. For now I'm planning to go to sleep.
I will admit that in the past I have not been what anyone could call a diligent flosser. However, my bad habits have been cured somewhat and I am now a faithful flosser.
Here's my secret...
Just imagine that you are about to meet your significant other's parents for the first time and one of them is a dentist.
This strategy (based in fact not fiction) has worked like a charm for me, and if you try this technique for 30 days it will for you too.
I am cautious in recommending such strategy for improving of eyesight.
Here's my secret...
Just imagine that you are about to meet your significant other's parents for the first time and one of them is a dentist.
This strategy (based in fact not fiction) has worked like a charm for me, and if you try this technique for 30 days it will for you too.
I am cautious in recommending such strategy for improving of eyesight.
I'm in the midst of organizing my vast clothing collection in my room in preparation of letting some people view my inner sanctum... but I'm exhausted from my day at work which consisted of an ok morning paired with a rather tiring afternoon as a TOC, or UTOC as I like to say. I have no patience tonight for organizing this room. I don't want to show it to anyone. It's a jumble of boxes and books and all sorts of things that exemplify my state of constant nomadism. I am at fault for the continuation of this state of temporary living, but I don't think I've ever wanted to unpack and organize things properly... because it would mean that I'm settling and I don't want to do that here. Besides, I'm moving in just over a month. What's the point?
From time to time I am shocked by the way that the students treat each other. They are truly horrible and show almost no remorse for what they do or say. This afternoon I had to play peacemaker between a set of waring students, each one acting without thinking resulting in them doing and saying really stupid things. But they just don't seem to care. I don't think I was ever like that.
I seem to have left myself in a bit of a dismal mood. I should be excited and happy though, since the long weekend is only a short work day away... In an effort to make things a bit more cheerful I will share with you a funny article that my brother emailed me today about a new DaVinci Code conspiracy... or more specifically, as the article states, "We're talking about a vast real-life global conspiracy, possibly involving the Vatican and perpetuated by some of the most powerful people in the world."
That is... "Why is Tom Hanks' character wearing a mullet?"
The article as a whole is quite funny and the full text can be found here. However, I'm including a small excerpt in case the link ever disappears.
With that I bid you adieu for the evening. I'm done with organizing for the night, perhaps I might continue tomorrow when I wake up at the crack of dawn because I'm anticipating the start of the weekend.
From time to time I am shocked by the way that the students treat each other. They are truly horrible and show almost no remorse for what they do or say. This afternoon I had to play peacemaker between a set of waring students, each one acting without thinking resulting in them doing and saying really stupid things. But they just don't seem to care. I don't think I was ever like that.
I seem to have left myself in a bit of a dismal mood. I should be excited and happy though, since the long weekend is only a short work day away... In an effort to make things a bit more cheerful I will share with you a funny article that my brother emailed me today about a new DaVinci Code conspiracy... or more specifically, as the article states, "We're talking about a vast real-life global conspiracy, possibly involving the Vatican and perpetuated by some of the most powerful people in the world."
That is... "Why is Tom Hanks' character wearing a mullet?"
The article as a whole is quite funny and the full text can be found here. However, I'm including a small excerpt in case the link ever disappears.
To prove there's a conspiracy afoot, one needs to look no further than Brown's book for the physical description of the Langdon character. It reads as follows:
"The past year had taken a heavy toll on him, but he didn't appreciate seeing proof in the mirror. His usually sharp blue eyes looked hazy and drawn tonight. A dark stubble was shrouding his strong jaw and dimpled chin. Around his temples, the grey highlights were advancing, making their way deeper into his thicket of coarse black hair." (Italics added for emphasis.)
Notice that Brown didn't write " ... making their way deeper into his thicket of coarse black hair that appeared to be shorter on the sides and longer on the back." Or " ... his thicket of coarse black hair that looked exactly like Wayne Gretzky's right after the Edmonton Oilers traded him to the Los Angeles Kings."
With no other explanation, Hanks' haircut can mean only one thing -- a covert attempt by the biggest players in Hollywood to return the mullet to prominence, quite possibly at the behest of the Catholic Church.
Still confused? Follow this logic:
Where do a lot of people with mullets end up? In prison.
What was the only movie where Hanks played a prison guard? "The Green Mile."
Who did Hanks' "The Green Mile" co-star Michael Jeter play in "Sister Act II: Back in the Habit"? Father Ignatius.
And who, ultimately, gave Father Ignatius his orders? The Vatican.
Could it be any clearer what is behind this? The Vatican, after hiding for centuries the true story that Jesus had a mullet, conspired with hundreds of celebrities in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to make the haircut popular so they could reveal the truth.
When the Beastie Boys thwarted this plan, the Roman Catholic Church forced Ron Howard to direct "The Da Vinci Code," knowing that it would become a hit movie, where the much-loved Hanks could bring the haircut to new heights of popularity.
(And if it's really not all that clear, is the above explanation any more outlandish than the content of any of Brown's books?)
I still haven't figured out where Mary Magdalene fits into all of this. But I'm pretty sure she had hair like Nancy McKeon in the seventh season of "The Facts of Life."
--
Peter Hartlaub 2006 (phartlaub@sfchronicle.com).
With that I bid you adieu for the evening. I'm done with organizing for the night, perhaps I might continue tomorrow when I wake up at the crack of dawn because I'm anticipating the start of the weekend.
something I read this morning...
From neuro-biologist Susan Greenfield who asked this question in the House of Lords, "Is technology changing our brains?"
From neuro-biologist Susan Greenfield who asked this question in the House of Lords, "Is technology changing our brains?"
" In just a couple of decades, we have slipped away from a culture based essentially on words to one based essentially on images, or pictures. This is probably one of the great shifts in the story of modern humans but we take it almost for granted.
There can be little doubt that the structures, never mind the surface form, of the English language are changing fast.
The process of traditional book-reading, which involves following an author through a series of interconnected steps in a logical fashion. We read other narratives and compare them, and so build up a conceptual framework that enables us to evaluate further journeys... One might argue that this is the basis of education ... Traditional education enables us to turn information into knowledge.
Recently the marvelous site that is/was Flickr updated from Beta to Gamma (oh how clever). They made a number of functionality changes, including altering the site navigation and the organize feature... but they made a major change to the site layout, changing the front page from a single column to double columns and all following pages to triple columns. The result is less overall pages for the photostream but as a wise man once said, "It looks like a visual abortion" (a term which I cleaned up a bit on the flickr forum, adding a bit of alliterative flare, writing visual vomit instead). Needless to say I'm not too pleased about this layout change. I really wish they would switch back or at least give us the option to change back to a portfolio style single column front page. The site is far too busy now, which really detracts from individual photographs. But then Flickr is part of the Yahoo family... so I suppose they're just starting to conform to conglomerate ugliness. I mean look at the preview page for Yahoo (Warning though... the preview page only supports IE and Firefox). If this is any indication of where Flickr is going then I'm really disappointing... I have higher hopes for Flickr.
What Kind of Oil Are You?
I just completed this short environics survey and discovered that I belong to the tribe of the New Aquarians (follow the link for visuals or read below for more about my tribe).
Apparently I also show a similarity to the following tribe(s):
Thrill-seeking Materialists
Social Hedonists
Incidence in PopulationOther Demographics
- Proportion of Canadian population: 5 per cent
- Proportion of Gen Xers: 14 per cent
Fundamental Motivations
- Mostly mirror the general population
Social Justice and Experience-seeking
Key ValuesWords to Live By
- Adaptability
- Concern for the less fortunate
- Concern for the environment
- Respect for education
- Contempt for traditional authorities
- Hedonism
Money Orientation
- There is no being, only becoming
- Everything changed in Seattle
- No justice, no peace
Making it: I'd never do work I didn't believe in.
Spending it: When I must consume at all, I consume with conscience.
Saving it: I'm not saving much now, but when I do I'll call the shots.
Stealing it: No, thanks.
Giving it away: Environmental and social causes.
Apparently I also show a similarity to the following tribe(s):
Today is starting out so well...
new macbooks have been released and the weather is beautiful... and only three more sleeps till chum and beau come for a visit.
Happy Tuesday!
new macbooks have been released and the weather is beautiful... and only three more sleeps till chum and beau come for a visit.
Happy Tuesday!
Every so often I become intoxicated with thoughts of new camera and computer equipment. Then I am instantly sobered by the realization of the costs involved in such foolish pursuits.
I just hate having my hopes dashed like that.
I just hate having my hopes dashed like that.
Here's some advice that I would like to start giving my models..
Stoop and you'll be stepped on; stand tall and you'll be shot at.
Carlos A. Urbizo
Today was the big day... my first official solo photoshoot. Now that's it is finished I don't know what I was so worried about.
My day started earlier than usual as I had to be at the salon at about quarter after eight. I hadn't prepared anything for the shoot in advance, with the exception of making sure that all of my batteries were fully charged. So this morning I busied myself getting together all the stuff I needed for the shoot, packed it all in the car and took off for the salon. When I arrived at the salon I quickly realized that I had forgotten my tripod (which was essential), so I had to drive back to the house and pick it up.
The day passed by rather quickly. I quickly fell into a routine of moving my models through a series of regular poses and locations. I will admit that I did not try to coax my models to display any real personality... but I wasn't really interested in their personality so much as their hair colour. Terrible I know, but I wanted their expressions to be understated and not compete with the hair.
I shot almost all of the portraits with my 50mm lens... something which was rather new for me. I really wanted the depth of field capabilities of this lens though. I shot primarily outdoors, with a few introductory shots for each model inside. I am always so much more partial to the results of natural light photography. Studio lighting can create some really fabulous effects, but I don't have the expertise in that area, nor do I have quality equipment. But I didn't have to worry about the inferiority of my lights this time...
I've posted some of the photos from the shoot today to my photostream and added them to my salon selectives set. After a shoot like today I feel a little more hopeful that one day I might be able to call photography my exclusive profession. I wish I was financially secure enough to do that now. One day soon perhaps... once Wade wins the lottery and gives me part of his windfall.
Today a million beavers slapped their tails in celebration as my parents became Canadian citizens.
To celebrate they had the finest cuisine that Chetwynd, British Columbia has to offer... Teen Burger Combos at A&W.
I will no longer be able to make excuses for my behaviour because I am the child of immigrants.
To celebrate they had the finest cuisine that Chetwynd, British Columbia has to offer... Teen Burger Combos at A&W.
I will no longer be able to make excuses for my behaviour because I am the child of immigrants.
One of the buildings that I walk past on my way to work has had a window boarded up for the past couple of weeks since a rock was thrown at it. I was thinking today how that window should have really been replaced by now as there are more than enough glaziers in town to fit the window. I thought for a moment that maybe it was something to do with insurance, but then I realized that the boarded up window was on one of the branches of a comprehensive insurance agency. That cracked me up.
In other news... Friday is finally here!
In other news... Friday is finally here!
I might be the only one, but I find these two pictures arranged like this rather funny. I must be twelve years old.
In other news... Today was a much better day at work... the students I work with all had good days (in comparison to their bad days) and for part of the morning we got to indulge in a little art therapy and painted little terracotta pots for Mother's Day. I can see why mental institutions have arts and craft for their inmates because today's activity was very soothing. However, I can also see why such activities might also be a bad idea, judging from the rising level of frustration in some students when their ideas were not translating well from thought to paintbrush. But, that's what you get for trying to paint a Harley Davidson on your mother's flower pot (her mother was an avid biker the girl assured me). One student painted a pot with a skull and red eyes and green slime oozing down from the top. Rethinking his idea he decided to add a heart to his masterpiece so that his mother would know that it would be painted with love. Children amuse me with their originality.
On the photoshoot front... I made a mistake earlier in the week and I got the date wrong on my hair appointment. I feel a bit like an idiot, but it's not a big deal. My colouring appointment has been rescheduled for Friday, so I'll end the week at the salon with a head full of foils. Saturday is still the big day for photos, so I'll have lots of pictures to edit in the coming weeks before I move.
Tonight I found out that Earth: the World Urban Festival is also going to be held in Vancouver as part of the World Urban Forum.
an excerpt from the Earth website:
In June 2006, delegates from around the world will be in Vancouver for the United Nations’ World Urban Forum to discuss future of the world’s cities and urban environments. And thanks to Earth: the World Urban Festival, the role of art, culture, music and dance in shaping and defining our cities and our urban experiences will be at the centre of the discussion.
Earth: the World Urban Festival is the UNESCO-designated official arts and culture festival of the World Urban Forum. From June 21-25, the World Urban Festival will bring artists from around the globe to Vancouver to share their stories and experiences, and help build awareness of the role of art in creating livable, sustainable and vibrant cities. The World Urban Festival will transform an industrial site at the Great Northern Way Campus into a once in a lifetime celebration of international theatre, dance, music and visual arts
It's an exciting time to visit. I keep on saying how much I'm looking forward to visiting Vancouver in June, but there's going to be so much to do. I'm really glad that I decided to go.
Two little students came up to me on the playground today and said quite seriously, "Duty... something really weird happened. We were looking at the field at this red spot and then it disappeared and now we feel all dizzy." They were making it all up of course, but they still went on saying, "oh, we just saw something yellow and it disappeared to and now we feel all wobbly." I can relate to their feeling of wobbliness... It's only Wednesday but these past three days have felt like two weeks. It's getting to that point in the year when some students are just done with school. They don't care and don't want to work anymore... and no amount of talk can convince them otherwise. I've had to deal with at least one student who fits that profile... and it been quite a challenge. I've come home each evening absolutely exhausted... so much so that I haven't even really thought much about my photoshoot that is coming up on Saturday. And I usually will think and talk ad nauseum about upcoming shoots. Tomorrow I have to get my model releases all printed off and then later in the afternoon I have to go and get have my hair coloured in preparation for the shoot. Tonight I might make a playlist for the photoshoot... I don't know who the models are so maybe I'll just go with something really popular... or mellow... I can't quite decide. I'm open to suggestions.
Wade totally made my day the other day when he sent me a picture of the new art installation in his luxe apartment suite. He has three of my bw photos from my most recent trip to Edmonton. I'm really pleased and I can't wait to see the installation in person. I am shamed to admit that I don't have any of my own photos hung up right now... and not for lack of wall space either... since my bedroom walls are absolutely bare. But I'm hesitant to go out and make purchases on frames or prints of my photos right now as I'm planning to move shortly. I've put up with my minimalist wall scheme for this long, I can continue to live with it until the end of June.
One more weekend to go until Aryn and Wade come up for a visit. I'm looking forward to it... although the fact that I'll have a visitor means that I'll be responsible for finding something exciting to do. Or maybe I won't come up with anything exciting at all... and I'll take my visitor for a walking tour of the city and introduce him to the world of northern pedestrian unfriendliness. Maybe we'll go for a romantic drive in the country and I'll show him the northern donkey... so many things to do, it's so hard to decide.
I think we'll all survive the weekend though. The beau must be introduced to this countryside at least a few times. Besides, ony a couple of weeks later I'll regain my status of traveller and be off to Kamloops and then to Vancouver, both trips which I am really excited about. It's been a nice change for me... this leaving town. I spent most of the previous year landlocked in FSJ, with the exception of my photo excursions and some time spent away for school... I didn't see much more than the core area of the city. Since January I've been living the life of jetsetter, making friends with the pilots and flight attendants... being on a first name basis with all the security staff at the airports (makes it far less uncomfortable when they have to pat you down for weapons). I got to pretend like I was a high profile business woman... I would alternate my story between that of being the youngest CEO of Imaginary Industries or the staff photographer for Northern Geographic.
anyhow... i'm going to relax now and watch the season (2) finale of Veronica Mars (this episode will reveal who crashed the bus... although I already know). If you have not watched this show I would highly recommend it... it's good tv. Rent season 1 on DVD and you'll find out what I'm talking about.
This morning I decided to test the readability of my blog using this readability test from juicy studio. Obviously only a rough guide (since these results also include the navigation bar and archives), but it doesn't look so bad (doesn't take that much education to read my blog posts). I would be interested to put on of my academic papers through one of these tests.
I'm lying of course.
I was asked today if I would be available to be the photographer at a wedding this summer. The wedding will be in August so I will have moved by then... but if my rates are agreed to then I will most definitely return for the weekend. I would like the opportunity to shoot another wedding... to add both to my experience and to my portfolio. It would be nice to have another photographer to shoot with... but I think there will be another photographer there, a friend of the family who will just be taking shots casually. After work I was showing some of the photos I've taken to the bride and some of my coworkers gathered round to see what all the commotion was about (I think it was because they heard someone ask, "Is that a naked man?"). While we were looking through the photos my ego was sufficiently plumped up by all their comments. One person even asked me if photography was my day job. I had to laugh... because it is anything but.
So now I have some more work to do. I have to go over my weddings price list again and see if there are any options I want to add or change. I might wait until after my photoshoot this weekend though. Let's focus on one thing at a time... after all, I have to print off my model releases this time.
I walked to work in the snow and rain (simultaneous I might add) and my hands froze... I've cured my moderately grumpy mood by spending a rather industrious morning creating a new inventory resource inventory form in Excel (really people, the table format in Word is only so helpful...). My new Excel spreadsheet is so much more efficient.
The precipitation seems to have stopped for now and I have my fingers crossed that the sun will be back this week.
The precipitation seems to have stopped for now and I have my fingers crossed that the sun will be back this week.
I took the camero out for a spin last night... As I was lamenting in earlier posts it had been some time since I had indulged in any photography (a couple weeks is some time for me). So when one of my coworkers asked if I wanted to take some portraits of her children (read... dog and cat) I thought... why not? So yesterday evening after charging my camera and flash batteries I strolled down the Fort St. John streets with my camera bag and tripod slung over my shoulders, considering how I was going to take photos of these animals. I had considered carrying my backdrop stand with me... so I could shoot with one of my handy white sheets... but at the last minute I decided against it. I doubted that the little furry beasts would be able to sit still anyhow. I grabbed a few basic shots of the animals on the balcony and such, but as was to be expected they kept on running around everywhere.
We were also planning on some human portraiture while there was still daylight but the model/hairdresser was late arriving. I decided to still try some evening shots, so we picked up some flashlights and headed out to the lake. It was quite cold and windy out so we didn't stay for too long and I didn't play around with my settings too much. As most of the shots were longer exposures quite a few of the shots are blurry but I did manage to get a few good ones that are in somewhat of a sharp focus.
It was a fun evening. Everyone was easy going and overall it was a relaxing photography session. Next weekend is my big session at the hair salon, which I will be shooting solo this time.
reports will be forthcoming.
When I was in grade three I went to a classmate's birthday party and invariably her parents had planned a series of suitable activities that we could play. One such game was pin the tail of the donkey (which crashed and burned quickly) and the fall-back while the pigs in the blanket were being prepared was a rousing games of barbies. However, this group of young girls (myself included) were of the liberated kind and we found ourselves involved in a debate as to what careers our pieces of plastic 'perfection' should hold. The majority of us considered ourselves to be moderately athletic and eschewed frilly skirts and blouses. We sported bowl cuts (of the mushroom variety) which, when paired with our muscular legs, presented a very gang-like appearance on the school playground. So, it was rather funny that this particular group (if we are going to follow the stereotype of the tomboy) eagerly fell into this game of Barbie, the ultimate career woman. It was at this time that I decided that I wanted to become an architect/interior designer (the slash was very important because I wanted not only to design the spaces but what went in them). My Barbie also held this magical career... and my friend who liked to compete with me decided that her's was to be the same. I was not pleased at the time but I let it pass.
Anyhow... I still have my inclinations towards architecture and interior design, although I have other more serious career aspirations... but from time to time I get in the mood where I need to buy some magazine or book that showcases innovative architecture and interesting interior design. Yesterday I picked up such a magazine, spending what pennies I had in my wallet on some glossy pages of Canadian design (I really do prefer the Canadian design magazines to the other ones that are available). In the magazine I found an interesting article about a company (BlueSky MOD) that manufactures prefab vacation homes with aesthetic appeal and ecological responsibility. Those may seem like buzz words (and they are), but I looked at their website and I found myself liking the simplicity and adaptability of their product. The magazine mentioned that they are looking for something for the urban market in the upcoming year. However, back to their current product. I linked to a similar type product some time in April, the LV series by Rocio Romero, but the look is just a little too much like living in a cargo container for my tastes, even for a vacation home. The Blue Sky MODs are just as boxy, but because the exterior is cedar it seems to be more appealing. It's basically the same concept (a box sitting on some concrete blocks) and I'm sure that you could come up with any number of variations of the same idea (which is not really that new I think). In fact, when I was in drafting in grade 9, I designed a similar structure for my parent's to use as a garden shed (of course my design was not used by my parental units so I cannot show you any pictures).
If I had a piece of property (vacation or otherwise), I might consider putting a building like this up, for a guest cottage or office studio. It would be a nice and simple design... supposedly easy to assemble (it's a prefab building after all), and leave a very small footprint. I always wanted a separate office/studio... and I could easily modify a building like this to suit my photographic needs.
If only...
This morning I walked to work accompanied by the constant flip flop of my sandals, the hum of the traffic and the sounds of Sarah Slean. I wish that my day had been as pleasant but at least the day passed by quickly. I was called to TOC this afternoon, so the last part of my day was busy indeed. The students were loud and rambunctious, but they eventually settled down. I was happy when the end of the day rolled around though... and I returned home in a similar fashion that I walked to work, however, this time I was accompanied by the roar of traffic and a different playlist. As I turned to walk the last block to my house I noticed all the buds on the trees and I was instantly happy with the thought that summer was really on the way.
that's a made up word in case you were wondering...
I've decided to go a little minimalist on my blog and get rid of my vanity banner and replace it with something a little simpler. My new banner isn't anything exciting, but since I widened my template to accomodate larger photos I've been linking to more photos from my photostream... and I've found that the previous banner was too distracting with the larger scale photos.
that in short is the tale of the new banner which I created using Jason Gaylor's Fresh Foliage Brushes.
I've decided to go a little minimalist on my blog and get rid of my vanity banner and replace it with something a little simpler. My new banner isn't anything exciting, but since I widened my template to accomodate larger photos I've been linking to more photos from my photostream... and I've found that the previous banner was too distracting with the larger scale photos.
that in short is the tale of the new banner which I created using Jason Gaylor's Fresh Foliage Brushes.
It was just one of those afternoons. A situation came up at work that involved a little bit of advocation on behalf of a student... and all I will say is that I am tired from the ordeal. But it's only Friday Eve and I can't relax entirely. I have some photo editing to work on tonight, which I'd like to finish before the weekend so I can devote some time to some shooting for fun.
Although tonight I don't know how much I feel like editing photos. I've expanded my reading horizons and once again forayed into the realm of the male trash novel (first foray one of Dan Brown's infamous books). I'm part way through Good Omens, a book that Aryn lent to me when I was last in the Edmonton. He was certain that I'd find it funny in an intelligent way and I must admit that I'm actually finding it quite amusing. And I'll clarify, it's not quite the male trash novel in that it involves espionage or intrigue involving some secret Catholic leagues of extraordinary albino monks (here would be a good time to mention that the delicious Paul Bettany is playing Rasputin, err, Silas the albino monk in The Da Vinci Code), but I consider the genre of male trash novels to span both espionage and science fiction... and the novelists who co-authored this book (yes, I know... I wonder to how people co-author books) are known for their work in the "fantasy" genre and I must admit that I generally avoid "fantasy" books because I pretend to be a book snob. Nothing wrong with trash novels though, I've been known to read my share... and if someone recommends that I read something and then hands me a copy I usually don't refuse. Well I might refuse if you can't tell me why you would think that I would like the book. I reserve that right.
It is rainy and cold outside today so I decided to wear my wool blazer that I bought while Good Will Hunting with Wade in Edmonton a while back. It might not have been the best choice since the collar is really irritating the delicate skin on my swan-like neck.
Exciting news ahead... in June I will be attending the World Urban Forum in Vancouver.
A short excerpt from their website.
I'm really looking forward to this forum... the list of sessions goes on and on. Just by title name here are some of the sessions that I'm interested in:
These are only a few of the sessions that have caught my attention at first glance. There are still so many to look through....
ahh, decisions, decisions...
oh yes, Aryn will be there too. Yes, and by Aryn I do mean the beau.
A short excerpt from their website.
The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies. It is projected that in the next fifty years, two-thirds of humanity will be living in towns and cities. A major challenge is to minimize burgeoning poverty in cities, improve the urban poor's access to basic facilities such as shelter, clean water and sanitation and achieve environment-friendly, sustainable urban growth and development.
The World Urban Forum is a biennial gathering that is attended by a wide range of partners, from non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, urban professionals, academics, to governments, local authorities and national and international associations of local governments. It gives all these actors a common platform to discuss urban issues in formal and informal ways and come up with action-oriented proposals to create sustainable cities.
The third session of the World Urban Forum (WUFIII) will be hosted by the Government of Canada. It will take place in Vancouver, Canada, from 19 to 23 June 2006 and have as its main theme, Our Future: Sustainable Cities – Turning Ideas into Action.
I'm really looking forward to this forum... the list of sessions goes on and on. Just by title name here are some of the sessions that I'm interested in:
Accessible Urban Space: A Facilitated Discussion on Inclusive Cities and Communities Canada’s Super E House Program: International Partnerships for Ecologically Friendly, Energy Efficient Homes Designing our Future Cities - About Sustainability, Education and Action Safer Cities through Youth Development and Participation Child and Youth Friendly Cities
These are only a few of the sessions that have caught my attention at first glance. There are still so many to look through....
ahh, decisions, decisions...
oh yes, Aryn will be there too. Yes, and by Aryn I do mean the beau.
