Rachael's Wedding

I was finally able to organize and edit some of the photographs I took at Rachael's wedding! Being a wedding photographer is a difficult job, but always rewarding, and I have always learned from photographing weddings. Rachael's wedding was intimate and fun, and I know she'll have a long and loving life with her new husband, Scott. 

Extra Reading:

Iain Crawford: Crawford uses props to create images with magnificent texture, color, and shape. Each photograph is layered and multifaceted because of his smart use of props. It takes a talented artist to use props in a successful way, and Crawford definitely does. 

Car As Sanctuary

My car has always been a kind of sanctuary for me. I enjoy the space between being in one place and being in another: a time where roads and trees and skies and people zip by, and all you have to focus on is the road and cars in front of you. Then when you get to the place you need to be, you can still sit in the car if you are afraid to get out, you can lay down and take a nap if you get tired, and you can use it as a little shelter from the rain. You can listen to music while you sit in a driveway and think, and you can just enjoy what is going on outside of the car. I have many memories, good and bad, from being in the car; I have used it for road trips, talking through issues and gossiping, getting to work and friends' houses, and for all the things I mentioned above. It has served me well many times. 

Extra Reading:

Finbarr O'Reilly: O'Reilly is a photojournalist who is based in Senegal in Africa. He started as a writer, but began a photographic career in 2005, and has shot for many magazines and newspapers since. O'Reilly's photographs are expansive and each one reveals a powerful story. I also love the way his website is formatted, which makes it easier to enjoy his photographs.

Making Art And Being An Artist

I have missed taking time to photograph. Lately other things have seeped into my life, and I have become more social, which is a good thing, but I miss taking time to make art.

Being a photographer is a funny thing. Many photographs I have taken that I am the most proud of are from moments that are fuzzy to me: I don't remember what I was doing with the person I was with, and I don't remember what was going on around me. Instead, I remember... taking photographs. Sometimes it is difficult to find a balance between enjoying the moment and making images. Of course, I'll never stop, but being an artist is a challenge. 

Extra Reading:

Ahn Jun: This woman has made some very interesting self-portraits atop tall buildings. The perspective she uses in many of her pieces creates the sensation of falling, vertigo. Down, down.

All Good

Today was a completely lovely workday. I took it easy, having long conversations with anyone I pleased, picking up on their perspectives on life. Doing that with strangers is one of my favorite things in the world. There were so many people I talked to today that made my day special, and I laughed and made new friends and relaxed into talking.

Unfortunately only a couple photographs were taken. Tomorrow will be fuller with them.

I hope you all had a great day like I did.

Extra Reading:

Matt Eich: Eich, who is a documentary photographer, is able to capture grit and purity, making images that leave a lasting impression, almost becoming your own memories. I easily got lost in his work. It is both dynamic and creative; Eich is a photographer that appeals to a wide range of viewers. 

Fuzziness

Today was that kind of day where you have a looming headache all day, and so the whole day is a little bit of a blur. Everything is slightly fuzzy, everything is slightly hurting, and lights and sounds are a thousand times brighter and louder. I did, however, enjoy getting serenaded by a lovely fellow in the park blocks! :) He was pretty zany and scared a poor woman away.

And here is the rest of my day, already fuzzy to me:

 Table puddle, so Portland, Oregon:

 At least we have someone to greet us:

 Grass patterns:

 Part of a girl:

Paint in crackles:

Extra Reading:

Nirrimi Hakanson: I love other young photographers because the images they make almost always have a quality in them that is so familiar, representative of youth and exploration. Many of Hakanson's images tell quick and youthful stories that I can relate to, and that is something I look for in a photographer. She also shows photographs that her family have taken of surrounding life, which are filled with nostalgia and love. Art should always be partly, if not all about love, in my opinion. 

Little Special Moments

I love that moment you wake up with someone; it's in between being half asleep and being fully conscious. You whisper something to that person, and it is barely audible. Even though you didn't say anything important, they still respond with a loving grumble. That is how I started my morning, and it made my whole day better.

Then, work, work, work,
seeing an old friend
can I have your autograph??
sushi, charger
a new friend
guilty pleasure television
another newish friend and roses
running
this
bed again.

Days can be a revolving door, mostly the same process each time.
But
pull out the little moments, and days become something you can remember
in particular.

:)

Little rusty treasure I found:

What happens?:

Open curtain:

Flower and plant series:

Self-portrait, sitting in the driveway, listening to music loudly:

Extra Reading:

Olivia Bee: I love this girl! We are the same age and both Portlanders! Miss Bee captures teenage spirit perfectly in her photographs. She has also worked for several well-known magazines and publications, including, but not limited to, Harper's Bazaar Germany and Nylon Magazine. The work Bee produces is raw and amazing, and so worth looking at.

Goodnight, lovelies. :)