Thursday, June 30, 2011

Conception

Once you have a thought in your mind, it can be extremely hard to get rid of it. It just grows and grows and you may think it's gone, but then it will come right back when you're not even expecting it.

November 2010 - Blue Man Group performance
It's especially true of doubts. Which are tied to regret. They're really like pre-regret, right? Regretting what hasn't even happened yet. We know ignoring the thought doesn't dissolve it. Mostly, we try to accept risk and uncertainty if we're ever going to get on with anything in life. But there are specific situations in which we do so... we suck it up and throw our cold feet into the fire.

June 2011 - Starbucks, Dallas, TX
(You're still following, right? Doubts- cold feet- ducks- ) which brings me - sorta playfully - to the Duck vs. the Rabbit illusion that was popularly debated in an episode of How I Met Your Mother. You might think you see a rabbit, but then one day you see a duck (or so Ted argues).

That's the thing with doubts. What makes you go from seeing a rabbit to seeing a duck?


Edit: both photos in this post are camera phone shots, so quality = poor. What is this blog turning into - a camera phone zone??

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

A wrought and a hard place

Right place, right time.
No camera.

Again!

Just after a beautiful, dense summer rain... dusk... evening street lights... quiet... shining, wet cobblestones... and a monument with a gorgeous wrought iron fence:


June 2011 - Mt. Vernon, Baltimore, MD

All - unfortunately - presented by camera phone.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Shared thought

A rare non-photo-centric post -


As I mentioned in my "monkey" post, I really wanted to get into Penelope Trunk's blog at some point. Mostly, she writes about controversial topics (some argue it's only for the sake of controversy and to get more hits on her blog). She writes about women, families, career advice, having Aspergers, and about her recent decision to move from the city and subsequent life living on a farm.

Enough about Penelope (this is my blog, right?). Point is, I really want to share what she says about being lost in your twenties.

Not only is she figuring out photography and trying to improve her skills (like I am), but she really struck a chord... she says:
Here is the key to getting unlost when you are in your twenties: Get married or make a lot of money. Don't tell me I'm shallow. I don't care. Life is shallow, really, since we have no idea why we're here.
In your twenties you feel like you need to get settled, and find your place. Some people need to have a special person in their life that they are connected to and making a home with. These people are caretakers and fusers. Other people need to make a lot of money, not because they want a BMW (although many do) but because it's a way to measure how valuable you are as an adult, to the other adults in the world.

Maybe for some people being lost isn't a big deal or isn't how they view their lives. To me, it's elemental to any introspective life. I think sharing photographs and thoughts here is one way I'm finding my way.

So, here's to getting unlost (hopefully). Or maybe just figuring out how to live my 20s.

August 2005 - Korakuen Garden, Okayama, Japan

Monday, June 27, 2011

<< Si quelqu'un aime une fleur qui n'existe qu'à un exemplaire dans les millions et les millions d'étoiles, ça suffit pour qu'il soit heureux quand il les regarde. Il se dit: "Ma fleur est là quelque part..." Mais si le mouton mange la fleur, c'est pour lui comme si, brusquement, toutes les étoiles s'éteignaient ! Et ce n'est pas important ça ! >>

June 2011 - Dallas, TX

<< Que vous êtes belle ! 
- N'est-ce pas, répondit doucement la fleur. Et je suis née en même temps que le soleil... >>

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Drive

















A serendipitous fork in the road led to my discovery of a new path - an overlooked oasis.


















Though camera phone pictures do it no justice, there was just something about driving this road, alone, feeling completely far away from everything else for an hour.


June 2011 - somewhere along Maryland Route 108
































Green. Calm. Perfect.

.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Can't see the forest... for the (monkey in) the trees!

August 2006 - Dallas, TX


I don't know about you,
but I do believe there might be a monkey in yonder tree just hanging out overhead this pondering woman....















Ta da! You see? Monkey?... Tree??

No?
You're all disappointed that it's not reeeeaaally a monkey and you're all "But you promised monkeys and possibly even forests" (yeah, that's right, I just linked to "UsingEnglish.com" because that actually needs to exist).

Okay. Fine. You want to see animals so badly, how about a cat? The internet loves cats (more on Penelope Trunk's posts some other time).

I introduce, Niko:

October 2007 - Baltimore, MD

Niko is very into the whole writhing on the Ikea carpet thing.

But you're still not satisfied. Cats are clearly just too mainstream for you (you hipster!). You want exotic? Fine. Here is a camel for you:

September 2004 - Lanzhou, China


Beat. That.
Happy weekend!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Awesome blog!

Ahhhhh!!! Have to share. Have to share... I love this woman's concept and execution of daily levitations. gahhhhhhh and her blog title (yowayowa) makes me go yowa!


Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Maybe I should try some "flyer" photos as YowaYowaCameraWoman (Natsumi) calls them.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sunny snooze

I was reminded of this photo today when reading a Summer post on Mochatini. Something about bare feet in the summer sun just evokes relaxation and the slow, quiet tempo of a breezy afternoon. 

June 2006 - Vali Asr Street (formerly Pahlavi St.), Tehran, Iran


The pace and feel of Summer abroad is just so different... I think I tend to remember those travels with the faded, brown tint of a 1960s photo.

July 2006 - Yazd, Iran

So much more of this season to go! Check out the snapshots over at Mochatini, too for your taste of the bright colors, pinks, whites, and light, airy feel of this year's American Summer - filled with luncheons, poolside lounging, and beach vacations.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Once upon a Goodbye

Out the car window. A warm summer breeze. A dawn... and farewell:

Somewhere in TX - August, 2005

Flying away after any visit home always gives me the exact same feeling I had when I took this.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Deep in the heart

Happy Father's Day, y'all!


Fort Worth, TX - May 2007

If you ever visit Dallas/Fort Worth and want a taste of rodeo fun, then you have to visit Billy Bob's The World's Largest Honky Tonk.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Monday, June 13, 2011

Light drifting wind



Light captured in tree branches at sunset. Bright, sunny days can make all the difference on my mood! That and good company. Thankfully, this picture and this day certainly had plenty of both.

November 2010 - Marina Park, Emeryville, CA

Although it's a pretty sad song, I keep thinking of Ellie Goulding's "Lights"



Eerie and beautiful vocals... but I also just like the beat!

Mustard and Ketchup on Pickles


I love how the yellow blooms almost seem to be floating or butterfly-flitting above the little patch of cacti.


May 2011 - Tempe, AZ

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Quiet Beginnings


Certain moments remain forever vivid. It's these captured minutes of elegant calm that I'm recalling tonight. 
A favorite snapshot -- though the feelings and thoughts of then seem so distant now.

April 2006 - Loch Raven Reservoir Park in Maryland



Looking forward to this new project and sharing my dabbles in photography!