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.

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.

Film from the coast... finally

You may remember that in February I went to the coast and have been trying to show you my film from that day since I got back... well after losing the roll and finding it again, I finally have it developed, printed, and scanned! I'm sure no one is really as excited as I am, I've been looking forward to this for over 6 months! And I must say, this roll did not disappoint me at all. It's amazing to think these were taken in February, they look so summery, and if I hadn't been there taking them I might say they feel summery, but I remember the cold wind all too well. Anyway, enjoy these images as summer begins to pass (sort of, it was way too hot and humid today... it was ice cream scooping like crazy at work). I really can't wait for the 'autumn' to begin. 

Spring

First off, some nerdy camera stuff, if you don't want to hear about it I suggest you go to the next paragraph... Anyone notice how much less noise these have than other pictures I've taken recently? I do... mostly because I know why that is. I realized tonight that my camera was set on the highest iso possible... oops! This just shows that I should really pay attention to ALL the settings when I take a photo. Anyway, that's that.

Ok, not nerdy camera stuff: I know that this year is El Nino, I can even explain what causes it (thanks to a not-so-great class presentation earlier this week), but I just can't stand that spring is here. I feel like winter never happened. I think it's mostly because I wanted tons and tons of snow this year for winter and I never really got it. It's too bad I haven't been on the east coast lately, I would have been ecstatic with all that snow. Nonetheless, I still like flowers and if I get to see flowers more this year than usual, I guess that's ok. I picked these ones tonight on the way back from the pool.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm going to go on an adventure. I'm tired of being a hermit that hides inside all day. I love winters, why am I trying to hide from them? Mostly though, I need to take pictures, it's more than a desire, it is a need. And there really isn't anything I'm interested in taking pictures of inside this house.

Isn't the light in this photo beautiful?

source

Today

Today I cleaned everything, well I'm still cleaning, but it will all be done before I go to bed. Right now I am drinking chai (yes, I do somehow plan on falling asleep later) and just finished putting up some Christmas lights, even though I am leaving for Bend tomorrow. Christmas gives me mixed feelings, I have a lot of really great childhood memories from the holidays, but lately, they aren't always so great. But we won't get into that. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about gifts this year, I love giving gifts (even though I feel like I am really horrible at it) but I'm really low on funds right now. Any ideas? Anyone?

Busy, busy

It's been a busy busy week, but it's all over with now. My finals were finished with this morning, so no more worrying about getting things done and studying. It feels so nice to have it all done with, though I have to admit, I am dreading my next term. I'm not going to have much time for anything, but I have three and a half weeks to relax and not worry about it. I can't wait to get back to Bend, there is snow on the ground right now. I am envisioning a winter break full of snowball fights, sledding, skiing, snowman building, and maybe a little ice skating. I'm not really sure how much of that I'll actually do, but I can always dream, right? I'm also hoping to see if I can get that canon camera up there to work, but to do that I need to get film... which I've been meaning to do since September, but with no more school, I might actually get around to it.

Isn't it over?

It seems this term of school and all its reading has been going on forever. Luckily, I only have a week and a half or so. I can't wait for winter break to start, having a break from schoolwork will be so nice. As will going skiing... of course. I'm not going to be around much until my finals are over with.

sources: 1. 2. 3.

Winter

I know it's only November, it hasn't even been Thanksgiving yet, but I feel like autumn is over and winter is here. I think part of it is that the winter rains have started and back in Bend, there is snow. My family went skiing today... it must be winter. When I think of winter I think of hot cocoa, cozy blankets, and reading (in a relaxing, recreational way). Unfortunately, this winter I am set to take a very full schedule so the only reading I'll be doing for a while will be for school. This isn't always a bad thing, but I do enjoy my novels and have quite a collection of unread books sitting around that I want to tackle. The light that winter brings, especially here in Portland, makes me want to procrastinate and avoid my homework (or maybe I'm just making up excuses for myself). There is a stillness in the cold grey light of winter that I don't think I've ever really found anywhere else, it is quite magical actually.

Today

Today I feel like the summer weather is finally getting to me. It wasn't even all that warm out, I mean it was hot, but it's been warmer than it was today all week. I just want to be able to bundle myself up again, throw on some old beat up boots, or curl up in bed while I watch snow falling outside the window. I don't want to go back to Portland and school, I just want the weather to get cold again. I mean I do want to go back to Portland... it's mostly the school thing and all the uncertainties I feel when I think about that. Am I ever certain of anything?

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Perhaps this is all from my lack of sleep right now, though in the morning I will of had too much sleep. There is a bug flying around my room. I don't understand where it came from, it wasn't here just a minute ago.

A lazy Monday

For some reason the past couple of days I have been sleeping in even later than usual. It's a habit I need to break because it leaves me tired from getting too much sleep. It's always seemed strange to me that you get tired if you sleep for too long.

Sorry I disappeared over the weekend, I was busy watching bicyclists go in circles at dizzying speeds, working on one of the busiest days of the summer so far, sleeping, watching movies with Shawn (I've given up on the nickname idea, that is just silly), floating the river, playing horseshoes in the dark and finding fellow lovers of Pushing Daisies (which if you didn't know finished out it's second season in May and June... Why didn't anyone tell me? Oh, well I will find out the ending tonight). Sounds like a pretty boring weekend, but I think that I have come to love summer, much like this sweet girl down in California.

I wouldn't say that I never liked summer, it just isn't my favorite season, I definately prefer autumn or winter, give me cold weather that I can bundle up in and enjoy a hot cup of tea without feeling ridiculous. However, I think that summer is finding a new place in my heart. Despite that I am beginning to think my skin is biting itself I keep finding so many random new bugbites on me and the near 100 degree heat. Yes, this summer is making me reconsider the feelings I had for the season of sun before, maybe it's just that this year I am actually doing all the fabulous things I have always wanted to spend my summer doing and making new friends along the way.

Whatever the case I have to say that the colors of summer will probably never be my favorite, and that it will probably always make me long to be living in a beach house that is painted something similar to the colors in this photo. Perhaps I'm crazy, but a faded seafoam green cottage on the beach... sounds perfect for a summer getaway.

Snow in July

Last night I dreamt that it snowed... IN JULY! I was so happy about it and excited that when I woke up to find the normal July heat, I was slightly disapointed. But I have the winter to look forward to! Although, it doesn't snow in Portland, which is a little disapointing, but I will find a way to some snow at some point, I know it.

These photos are from a trip I took to visit family in Idaho for Christmas a couple years ago. They're actually some of the first photos I took with my digital SLR.

Film

I apologize for the large number of pictures today (in case you haven't noticed, I have a problem with over-apologizing). I finally got some film that I shot over the winter and spring in Portland, developed. However, I took them somewhere that I do not normally go to and a lot of them turned out with really strange colors, I am planning on getting those ones re-printed so they are what they should actually look like. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them, they definately give off a wintery-cold vibe, to me, I think it's the lighting, so they aren't something that really show anything about today, but I went without my camera today and I must say, I did enjoy it a little bit, but that was because I was busy floating down the river. Ok, that is enough for tonight, I should be heading to bed.