What holds it all up

Being this close to something makes it hard to focus and concentrate. I just have two papers (one pretty short and the other comparatively long) until I'm finished with school. Most everyone I know is done with the term though. I miss taking photos, but I can't let myself get that distracted when I'm so close. 

This photo is from when I was out taking landscapes last term, I found the remains of something out in the snow and took a few photos of it (after I moved it onto a stump). I love the way they turned out.

News

I have some news....
I suppose pretty much anything I post would count as news since I've been so sporatic on this space lately. School and work and life have been keeping me really busy lately, but anyway, on to the news (there are several items, actually):


1. In just over a week I will have graduated with my Bachelor's of Science in Anthropology (if you know anyone who needs an anthropologist and is willing to pay let me know...)


2. Two days after my graduation, I will be going to China for two weeks with my grandma and cousin. I still can't believe this is actually going to be happening.


3. Portland (the entire state of Oregon, really) seems to have finally figured out that it should be summer right now and is finally having some nice weather. 


4. I'm finally, very slowly, getting around to scanning all my black and white film from my photo classes (the photos above are from a landscape project I did this winter).


5. Hopefully, I'll be getting a car soon... which means I can go camping... which means this summer will actually feel like summer.


That's really all that's been happening in my life (or at least all I'm willing to share on the internet). I'm hoping that now that I'm going to be done with school for a while, I'll try and post here more regularly.

It's been a while

I've been busy with school this term. It's just going to to keep happening next term too. I'm not sure what's going to happen with this space. I'm happy with my life right now. These photos are from the summer. I can't wait for next summer, for freedom. 

Rain

In September, as my black and white photo class was ending it rained a few days. I realized how beautiful the rain really is and how great it would be to capture it on film in black and white. I have been waiting (rather impatiently, to be honest) for the winter rain to hit Portland and this month it really has hit full force. Part of this project is to capture the actual physical phenomenon of rain but I also want to capture some of the moods that rain and winter in Portland brings about. I want to do some portrait work for this eventually, but the opportunity hasn't arisen. I want these to all be photos from my everyday life, things that I am actually experiencing and seeing. All the water I have to endure as well as the cozy interiors I retreat to when it's too wet to be outside. 

These are shots from the first roll of film I've shot for this. I really wanted to develop and print the film myself but I don't have access to a darkroom right now and honestly, I don't have time. Eventually though I do plan on printing my favorites of the series myself. 

On a more practical note, this project has made me hate the rain a little less. But I'm still more excited about snow... which may be coming to Portland soon (and if it does it totally counts as being part of Portland in the winter, right?). 

Let me know what you think of this project. There are more photos from this roll on my flickr.

I don't really have anything to say. I've been busy with school and work lately. I'm getting sick of Portland's weather already but at the same time I'm excited for the rain. Sometimes I think I just need to start over.

Firsts

There have been a lot of firsts in my life (everyone can say this, really). Most of them have led to something else happening. For better or for worse there is a first time for everything. This summer I shot black and white film for the first time and then at the end of the summer I got to develop and print that film. I finally began the long process of scanning all the film I took in that month or so. I feel like I really got something amazing added to my life with this particular first and I have what I think is a pretty cool idea for a photo series. I'll have more on that in a few months or so, for now, here are some of the first black and white photos I took on film, from before my class started, when I was just experimenting a little bit to try and get the hang of it.

It was a black and white summer for me, I feel like it in more ways than one.

Night

When I get tired I tend to like repetition. I repeat words over and over when I'm speaking or writing something and the same thoughts or bit of song will repeat in my head over and over. I try to avoid going to bed sometimes because of this, I don't want to give my mind time to settle down and find whatever is going to start repeating itself in my head. Especially when they turn out to be thoughts, because the thoughts that come around at this time of night, are the ones I spend the whole day trying not to think.

I started my photography class on Monday, I get to use the darkroom and actually develop and print my own work. I like it, I like seeing things all the way through a process, I like turning science into art. It's like magic. 

That is a pretty old photo up there.

Black and White

This is a really old picture... I bought some black and white film today, I've actually never shot black and white film, so I thought I should try it before I start my black and white photography class next month. I am itching to get out and use it, but I've been to busy to take many photos lately.

Time

I've been playing around and falling in love with black and white photos lately. A good thing since I'm taking a black and white photography class later this summer. I really can't wait for it. I don't have a whole lot to say right now, just a lot of thinking and school and work going on.

Softness

Rain makes the light so soft. And me so sleepy.

Calm

I really love the stillness of black and white photos right now. I'm exhausted right now, but after trying to sleep for an hour, I just can't get my mind to be quiet. There are too many things swirling around it right now. It's raining out. It started just as I was getting back to my building. I had to wait for the train earlier, I'm glad it wasn't raining then, even if I did have an umbrella. I've been tired and a little grumpy lately. Not too grumpy though, just the "I don't really want to be around people for so much of my spring break doing things that are exhausting over and over again" kind of grumpiness. (I'll bet you didn't know that was a type of grumpiness - it totally is) My knees are bruised. I feel like I've been beaten... but really, it's my own fault for letting myself get so out of shape. I'm going to try and sleep now. But really, I've been so so happy the past few days, I keep singing and laughing to myself while I walk by myself to the train station at night. Luckily there isn't usually anyone around to think I'm crazy.

Colorless

I have never been much of a fan of self-portraits, but I found that there was no better picture available to show my exhaustion today, but one of myself. I don't know where this exhaustion has come from, but it feels like it is in my soul today.