Tag: favorite things

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Music Monday: lets start the week off on a good note

I’ve been going through some personal-life stuff that I’d rather not discuss, but I’ve sorta been relying on music this past week to help me cope escape since I’m not quite ready to get outside and go shoot some rolls- plus its been 100 degrees all week. But this week the forecast is 80s and much happier, bout friggin time. Anyway, here are some of my favorites from this week, some are old some are new some are… well just give them a chance– they may not be profound but they got me through this crappy week. Happy Monday.

Katy Perry – “E.T.” (Johnson Somerset & John Monkman Remix)

City and Colour – “off by heart” (honestly anything by city and colour is amazing, I just picked this song for you to listen)

DJ Fresh – “Fight”

Eyedea & Abilities – “Smile”

Phantogram – “When I’m Small”

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50 Things, Part 2…

Happy Monday everyone! In an effort to make my Monday a happy one and as part of my 50 Photography Related Things That Make Me Happy, here go the next 5 on the list:

6.  When you get back a roll of film and every shot is exactly what you had in mind when you shot it. The hardest part about photography is capturing the feeling you get at that moment, and when you do its a wonderful thing.

7.  Polarizing Filters. These things are a godsend, they basically allow you to see through things that normally reflect stuff, like water or glass, just by a simple turn of the filter on your camera.

(via todd mclellan)

8.  Since we’re on the topic of filters anyway- Red filters. I almost always use a Red filter when shooting black and white, it basically ups the contrast in your photos, which I am a huge fan of.

9.  Managing to blog for the whole week, which is what I did last week. I honestly didn’t plan on it, it just so happened I had a lot to say last week! But I loved it.

10.  Seeing your name printed in a publication. Best feeling of accomplishment ever…even if it is for something relatively small. who cares!

What are some things that make you happy? In general or artsyfartsy wise…

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50 Things, Photography Edition

window decal, selectively focused @the cupcake parlour, new zealand

In honor of the 50 things that make me happy list I started over at my personal blog after being inspired by this post, I decided to make a list exclusively for my love of all things photographic, starting with the first five…

  1. the satisfying feeling of after taking a picture, the sound and feel of advancing your film to the next frame. its just one of those things
  2. selective focusing, anything using any distortion of depth of field in general- I’m all over that.
  3. early evening/late afternoon light, its just so warm and the sunsets are almost alwayyyyyys beautiful.
  4. FILM GRAIN, need I say more? Thats like our [film photographers] bread and butter. Sometimes you’re feeling extra grainy and you go out and get some nice high speed film or push your film a couple stops, or you’re feeling extra fine and go out and buy a really expensive roll of film that has the tiniest softest grain you’ve ever dealt with. Its just [another] one of those things.
  5. when your print is so well made you don’t have to spend over 5 minutes spot-toning (the analoge equivalent to removing dust spots with a clone tool, we just fill in the white spots with pigment to make it blend into the picture)

What are some of your favorite things/things that make you happy about photography?

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Favorite things pt3: Ghost Bikes

taken by Brian Eyler

I know, I know…how morbid, she likes stuff revolving around death…but its not all about the death part, its about remembering them and raising awareness.  Ghostbikes.org is a website that I came across a couple years ago that serves as a directory to a rising trend in white painted memorial bikes stationed where cyclists have been killed on the road.

Maybe its just me, but there’s something artistic coming out of these tragedies and I don’t know about you, but I love this kind of stuff.  Yes, its extremely sad why its happening, but its raising awareness that more cyclists are dying on the road due to negligence behind the wheel (and cyclist overconfidence in some instances) than we may realize.  They can be found in cities all over the world, some are taken down some stay up.  Sacramento had one when a biker was killed on L street near the Downtown Plaza by a bus.  These roadside memorials serve as  reminder to share the road, and to always be careful when riding or driving.


Ghost Bike, taken by Barbara Monroe

Maybe I love these ghost bikes because they remind me of what I’m working on for my book project.  They are very similar in theory.  A memorial to a lost loved one on the road.

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Favorite Things pt.2- Scott Saw

Scott Saw is one of the first painters I really got into and started following on myspace/twitter whathaveyou.  I love how whimsical his work is and I love the life and death art he does… It may seem like simple work but he spends hours in his studio perfecting every detail and I can appreciate that kind of dedication, plus I love his work.  I’ve wanted to get one of his paintings as a tattoo for a while but I’m still trying to decide exactly what.

These are just a few of my favorite paintings of his.

What are some of your favorite paintings or painters? Send your links my way, I’d love to see them!