great things ahead

I used my post title in a tumblr post last night. I spent my day designing and putting together a real portfolio site. I'm using Virb, which makes it really easy for me to connect my tumblr and Flickr. I don't have to think too much about coding or anything. I'm currently scouring my old photographs for series that I can post of my absolute best work. The photograph above is actually from my trip out west back in 2008, as I took the ferry in from Bremerton, WA to Seattle. I've recently loaded those on my computer, I'm sure I've mentioned that. If I haven't, whoops! It's always fun to go over old photographs to see new gems that you never noticed before when your photographic eye was less developed. I can see growth in the way I see things and the way I shoot. These are all good things. So I'm just trying to keep on this to shave down my work to the best of the best, acquire a domain, and VOILA. Site that I can finally put on a business card since I've been meaning to get new ones printed. To quote Almost Famous: IT'S ALL HAPPENING.
Speaking of Almost Famous, such sad new plagued my day yesterday with the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman. It saddens me when people succumb to their demons. In case you don't remember, PSH played Lester Bangs in the movie. So many roles. I always root for people to overcome their vices, I genuinely do. Sometimes, the pain can just be too great that the only way to cope is through numbing. (sigh) I sure brought this post down. I'm sorry.
Is there anyone else working on anything fun out there? New years projects that are going well? Could use improvement? I'd like to hear what folks are doing. If there's anybody out there. HELLO? ARE YOU THERE? ARE YOU BREATHING? Send me a signal.

experimental phase

taken October 2008; Nikon D40

I transferred a bunch of old photos from my PC to my MAC. With it came a lot of experiments I did while on a cross-country road trip in 2008, such as the photograph above. I've been so focused on my 365 and am almost done with it, but now I'm starting to experiment outside of things I normally do. Writing with light? Oh, there will be more of that. I'm getting friends to do shoots with me in exchange for food and/or booze. I also found a small mirror that I'd like to find ways to include in shoots in a surreal way. My photography teacher in high school would get frustrated that I had pages in my research notebook on Magritte and Dali. "They don't relate to what you're doing!" Well, it may have taken me six years, but I'm going to use their influence to have fun experimenting with my photograph. They take surrealism to the next level with painting, I'm going to paint with light.

three hundred seventeen through three hundred nineteen

national park dork

If there is one thing anyone should know about me, it is that I am obsessed with National Parks. It all started in 2008 when my boyfriend at the time, Alex, and I drove cross country to live in Seattle. When that didn't work out, we made the best of our trip back to Wisconsin by stopping at many National Parks and taking in the beautiful vistas. Fast-forward to 2010 when I went to Yosemite (photograph above is from said trip) and it reconfirmed my love of National Parks. One of my managers usually takes a trip once a year either out of the country or checking out National Parks. I'm always jealous of his National Park stories and photographs.
Matt doesn't understand my love for National Parks. That's fine- just because we're in a relationship doesn't mean we always have to like the same things. I'm not a fan of Drake, whereas Matt, for some odd reason, loves Drake. I'm sorry but Aubrey "Drake" Graham will always be Jimmy from Degrassi to me. I can't take him seriously as a recording artist. Went off on a tangent there, sorry. But I hope that someday, I can show Matt the beauty of the National Parks that has captured my heart and soul. There's no way you can visit Yosemite or the Grand Canyon and just be like,"Meh." And if you are, then check your pulse- you might be dead.

These were shot when I had a Nikon D40 and Nikon D3000.