another reminder

Here is another reminder to add to the series. Maybe I should make this project a priority instead of running around town in the middle of the night.

1986's ears are burning

Here we have a clear Nikon D80. I know nothing about it but that it's Japanese and it's clear. One of those you could have deduced on your own.

It takes me back to the see through Swatch watch that I always wanted. I smell a trend coming back. Yes!

[ Trend Land via Not Cot ]

vegan burger

No meat on this baby. Although you are going to have to trade the beef for some harsh ingredients. This yummy creation was created by artist Sarah Illenberger.

Quick question... if I put A-1 sauce on it is that cheating? I'm new to this. What about bacon. That doesn't count I've heard.

[ via Yay!Everyday ]

eli, no

I'm just going to come out and say it... how cute is this book? Aside from reminding me of my sometimes naughty pups it also has really great illustrations, with nice colors and stylistically simple graphics. For more images check out Katie Kirk's Flickr. She along with Nathan Strandberg are responsible for the project.

You'll note too that this is unpublished. What a shame. I'd buy it.

[ via Grain Edit ]

oldies

The other day I was looking for something. At this point I don't even remember what that something was, but of course I could not find it... and in the process I found OTHER things I had been looking for, as well as items I have plain forgotten about. As is always the case when on such a mission this little exercise went on for hours. I ended up coming across some old photos, some of which date back to high school.

Most photos I took around this time period I lost years ago. Thinking I was being organized I put all of my negatives into one binder which made it that much easier to lose them all at once. But there are few prints here and there, in shoe boxes or scrapbooks. Surprisingly I still like some of these old photos, maybe even more than I did at the time. It could just be the nostalgia talking.

For more of what I have scanned so far go here. What I'm really excited about is the 4-5 rolls of undeveloped film I found. I really don't have a clue what "treasures" will be unearthed.

how to be an idiot pt. 2

It's actually pretty sad that I'm returning so quickly to this same subject, but I have a gift I guess. Here's another way to be an idiot...

At midnight decide to walk around your neighborhood (which is in close proximity to a few seedy complexes/dwelling) and take pictures in freezing cold rain. The idiot move is not so much braving the weather, but the realization that you are being followed by a slow moving car and you are the dummy that put yourself in this sitting duck position. I decided to turn around and so did the car at which point I started running. The danger was probably greater in my overactive imagination but either way I did not like it. Needless to say my heart is still beating fast. Maybe I should cool it on the photo adventures... or at least make smarter choices. This is not a war torn country after all, where I am getting paid to risk my life for some journalistic coup.

how to be an idiot

First I have to say that this photo does not exactly represent "how to be an idiot", but does represent a piece of the day that surrounds said idiocy.

After a day in bed from some crazy allergy fit I had serious cabin fever and needed to get out of the house this morning. I figured it was a good day for some picture taking with the fog having rolled in. I drove east, randomly picking a direction as I normally do, and ended up heading towards Bastrop. And here we go...

1) NEVER check an incoming text message while entering a highway ramp, especially when the ramp has a barrier, AND it's raining. You will bust up your car, get a flat tire, and get stuck in a town you don't want to be in unless you're taking pictures or maybe getting gas. And bonus, you get to spend a wad of money you can't really afford to lose.

2) Make sure you put your underwear on the right way. Yes, it's debatable if this has anything to do with going to Bastrop, but I'm choosing to blame my unfortunate day and subsequent flustered state on the fact that I did not realize that I put my underwear on backwards until hours later.

That's really all I got, but trust me there will be more. I managed to cut my chest with a comb the other day... and NO it was not due to grooming some sort of unsightly hairy issue (which I DO NOT have) but... nevermind, it's really not even worth getting into. It's just another example how sometimes I can be and idiot. Do the opposite of what I do and you'll be fine.

Oh, and see Slumdog Millionaire if you haven't already. That's how I ended my day on a good note.

bob o'connor

Bob O'Connor has some nice work. He really knows how make the best out of seemingly bland material. Lockers never looked so good. My urge to go to Iceland is intensified as well. You'll know what I mean once you look at his portfolio.

[ Bob O'Connor website ]

parting shots

Here is a nice little blog that's paying its respects to Polaroid pictures... even if the good-bye part might not come to pass after all.

[ Goodbye Polaroid ]

googly eyes make everything better

[ photo by Angie Naron via Miss Modular ]

productive laziness

Today I had to take one day off from the depression of job hunting, but will diligently resume tomorrow. In lieu of I...

• Took that (see above photo)

• Made this and can't seem to stop myself from continually contributing to what seems like an accidental project with Photoshop. Low expecations and no pressure equals why quit. It's a quick and painless outlet. Way better than those diaries ("journal" when I became older) I compulsively used to keep (think a near decade ago)

• Took down my christmas tree (better late than never)

• Diagnosed my on-going numb pinky, semi-numb ring finger problem on the internet

• Watched an hour of Smallville furthering the notion that age is just a number and making my real age a blurry concept

• Watched The Office. There is less anticipation and glee as in years past however the story line featuring Hillary Swank's hotness brought back some of the spark. I feel bad for her. Speaking of spark, 30 Rock lately never fails to amuse. Janis Joplin eats cats and has backward knees. Yes! Liz Lemon tears her shirt off in a sign of true friendship... diabetes is caused by lying on your back... and something else that made me cry out in laughter but now strangely can't remember. Two definitive thumbs cranked up, way up (also a funny moment)

• Did laundry

• Worked on portfolio. Someday soon will hopefully have my website complete

• Finally fixed the broken out light fixture on my porch

• Ingested my weekly required portion of pepperoni. The delivery guy made sure to give me some ranch because "he knows how girls love their ranch". For the record I don't

• Jotted down some project plans

• Wrote this and something else probably later

• Ran a marathon. Ok, that one's a lie

biggie birthday

Today (actually yesterday... sorry delayed internet acknowledgment) is my other little man's birthday. Biggie Smalls, pretty much called Big/Biggie/BB, turns 3 years old. He's my bold, outgoing chunk trunks that loves to sleep on his back and to burrow. He got his name because he was the biggest of his litter and by breed is typically a smaller dog; Biggie Smalls seemed like a good fit.

He's also pimpin'. Needless to say he keeps his nose clean however and will not meet the same fate as his human namesake. Sidenote... he came this close to be named Victor. Don't ask me why but my brain was stuck on that name. I can't see it now. Love you my BB!

BIG LINKS:
Biggie Smalls [ Hypnotize ]
Notorious Trailer [ Apple ]
Official Website [ Notoriousbig.com ]

seeing spots

For some reason I can't help but think these are the cutest things ever. They are glasses that come with "freckles"... which are really little rubies affixed to the glass. I'm not sure I could ever wear them but I also can't deny that they would make me pretty happy on one of those bored nights that I play dress up by myself. Did I just say too much?

[ Kiel Mead via A Cup of Jo ]

Kim Høltermand

Here is some great, spooky and minimalistic photography I've been enjoying lately from photographer Kim Høltermand. Give yourself a healthy chunk of time to peruse his site.

[ Kim Høltermand website ]

best meal ever

I'm culling from some of the usual sites today. Couldn't help posting this though. How awesome would this have been?

[ via Vintage Photos ]

Lady Rooney

Clearly this woman doesn't know about the current peanut butter scare. Maybe that's the price you pay for being an etiquette nazi and doing bad butler impressions. She also WOULD NOT make it on a suicide hotline. She would however get on famously with Sir Andy Rooney.

As always thank you Everything is Terrible for being my daily ray of sunshine.

1 minute photoshop: democan

Optimism reigns but it's hard for it to not on a day like today. I'm realistic about the purple possibilities though.

happy obama day!

different but the same

I know this is teeny tiny... but is it just me or does Google's newest logo design look a lot like Ginny's Printing?

good news!

Why are these kids so happy that they decided to get on a pump jack and eat some watermelon? Because it looks like Polaroid film might not be dead after all. Polaroid enthusiast and Polanoid.net founder Florian Kaps has bought a film production factory in Amsterdam. Not only will they manufacture film for the more modern 600 compatible cameras, but also for the older SX-70... in color AND black and white. This is amazing news. For more on the story check out this website.

With the inauguration and premiere of Lost (yep, I'm a nerd) this is shaping up to be a good week. Now I just need a job (and maybe for this weird ear problem I have to go away).

[ link via Swiss Miss ]

unloved hurts

And for those of you that say "no thanks" to the mushy, here is a nice retort.

Ouch. Please never get this, please never get this.

[ photo by Kotama Bouabane ]

i love you more than...

Do you need a little sweetness in your life? If yes, then I recommend going over to I Love You More Than Blank and take a gander at the array of love notes on display. You can also play along and submit your own idea to love@paperwhite-studio.com.

Some standouts to me:

...more than taking pictures

...more than I did 20 years ago

...more than he ever could have

...more than everything combined

I think I might be a little upset if someone told me they loved me more than Facebook. Really? I should hope so.

[ I Love You More Than Blank ]

international shamwow

vroooooom

Now that's some pool party.

[ link ]

1 minute photoshop

Today it is half full. It's hard sometimes to see it that way lately. Job hunting is so depressing; maybe that's why I avoided it for so long.

reminders

I think it took me more time to cut all of the letters than it did to take the photos.

View larger here.

1 minute photoshop

Added to the group. I can't seem to stop myself.

pretty

I thought this was pretty and a good way to end the night. Tomorrow I go to see The Wrestler and I can't wait. Then maybe some more job hunting. And top off the evening with some live music. Have a good Friday!

[ design by Harry Gassel ]

kentucky fried baby

No words needed, except that no picture before or since this post deserves the "photo magic" tag more.

[ Link to Subvert ]

list heaven

It's a fact, I love making lists. It's not something I can control, just like I can't seem to control obsessively picking my lip or grabbing a glass of water when I'm parched. So I was pretty excited to hear about this website Listography, which is an on-line home to whatever list you wish to create. Additionally you can view other people's lists, which I'm not sure how I feel about, but has the potential to be interesting. As great as this website is I have to admit that I don't think it will curb the scrawling on old receipts, scrapped envelopes, and the giant notebook I keep. Even if I'm in front of a computer all day there is something more satisfying or natural in reaching for a pen. Less organized however.

[ Listography ]

1 minute photoshop

Speaking of Photoshop and what I can or can't do... here is a recent example. Let's just say this is not intended to represent the heights of my abilities (although at the same time I'm not trying to pretend I am any sort of master).

This little guy is called "Equation" and it's part of a project I just started called One Minute Photoshop Thoughts. Just rolls right off the tongue don't it. Or not. Each "creation" is a piece of unfiltered randomness from my brain that I have decided to translate as quickly as possible into some sort of graphic image. Think of it as wham-bam-thank you ma'am... empty-ish ideas meet crude artistic execution. In retrospect this was probably not a good follow up to my Photoshop Disasters post. Oh well. Enjoy.

photoshop disasters

Now here is a site that I have followed for some time. It's called Photoshopped Disasters and each day it features, well... a Photoshop disaster. I'm not sure how I have neglected to share with this everyone, although you may very well know about it already. I have to admit that my eye is not always so keen and the mistake or poor artistry escapes me, but then there are some examples like above. Seriously, someone has a job doing making this crap. Hire me! I'll be better, promise. I will not repeatedly use pictures of coked out looking guys.

[ Photoshop Disasters ]

stairtown

As just recently mentioned, I have been doing a little sightseeing lately. Yesterday when I was near Lockhart I saw a sign pointing towards a town called Stairtown. For some reason the name of this place swiftly drew me in and I thought it was a good excuse to quickly change direction. I went down a side road to a side road and after passing an out-of-nowhere forest of oil pumps I hit what is best described as five inhabited houses and four abandoned houses. True to my nature I succumbed to the allure of a seemingly failed economy and the mysterious state of paralyzed structures. After some snooping I left with these thoughts:

1) Why do people sometimes leave everything IN their home when they leave their home? The outside of the homes read "disaster" but the things left in and around them said "we were abducted by aliens with no warning". I am fascinated to no end with this phenomena.

2) Who can possibly live next to an oil pump EVER? The smell was one of the most disgusting scents ever to shake hands with my nose and definitely overstayed its welcome, even hours after leaving its origins.

3) People can be disgusting. I firmly believe that half of the discarded items of the world are living on the hidden streets and fields of rural America.

4) I am afraid of black trash bags full of the unknown. After seeing probably one too many horror movies I'm convinced that body parts live in these scary guys.

5) I get the heebeegeebees ways too easily. My body locks up and gets all prickly any time I start poking around deserted places. I fear any minute that someone will jump out and accost me.

polaroad '08

I put together another little booklet. This one features some of the Polaroids I took over 2008 along the way to somewhere.

You can take a look at it here.

the road to recovery?

For the past several days I have been taking to the road, cruising the lonely pockets of rural highways (why does that sound so creepy?) for whatever photo worthy scenery I can find. These daily endeavors are due partly to trying to make better use of my ample time off (i.e. unemployment) and also an amped up sense of urgency in padding up my portfolio. It's all actually part of a master plan, as "a" = "b" = "c" and so on. To be more specific (and sound less vague/nuts) the idea is to FINALLY get a job and also take another step forward in trying to be a real-live photographer.

So I need a body of work to point to. If you have looked at my Flickr you surely know that in order to navigate it you would need a map; there is simply TOO MUCH on there. I have only just now discovered the art of self editing. There is a little domain and empty website that I created almost two years ago to be a web portfolio, among other things. This has been collecting cyberdust. I'm doing my best to translate ideas into something that will simply yet professionally display some of my work. It's slow going. Anyway... I feel like in order to better promote myself I need a better portfolio. And to have a better portfolio I feel like I need better photos. In other words this all means that I wish there was more time in each day and I could whip this all out and get it over with so my list obsessed/need-for-total-completion brain can move forward.

In other news, I took a mini-timeout today from photo tunnel vision and enjoyed some time with my boyfriend. Here's to coffee, Mexican food (which I think I should eat more often), and the movies. Go see Milk if you haven't already.

and for something better...

I don't care if this photo is fake... it totally made my day. Ah... smile.

[ photo cred Worth1000 ]

jpg mag r.i.p.

If you follow my blog then I'm sure you know that I am a longtime fan, follower, and contributor to the JPG Magazine website. I also just recently acquired a few back issues of its printed counterpart. So when I read the news last night that the whole shebang is folding (site included) I was surprised and saddened. I definitely did not see that coming and also did not expect things to unravel so quickly, as they will be pulling the plug in a matter of days.

I am truly going to miss JPG. It's been a constant source of inspiration, a great community of photographers with a range of talent and ideas, and a terrific way to motivate me. I seriously credit JPG with helping to reenergize my passion for photography in a time in my life that I needed a creative kick in the ass. Thanks to everyone that befriended me, left comments, voted for my submissions or without even knowing it encouraged me with their own work.

I know that are a ton of other outlets and avenues still out there for the photographers of the world but I truly think this is a considerable loss. You can read more about this sudden development here.