365.2014 - week 17

365.2014 - week 6

day 19:30 - 30 day challenge

i don't miss that logo... that's for sure day 19: something you miss
as weird as this may sound... i sorta miss college.
no, not in the "hey, let's spend a ton of money to get a degree that feels useless in the end" sort of way, but in a "give my week a purpose" sort of way.  i would go to school 4-5 days a week, then go to work after that.  busy day meant a tired, but happy emily.  i'm not fond of sitting around the house and doing nothing - which is in part why i've been picking up as many shifts as possible at the play center.  i'd rather fill my time being busy, getting stuff done, and having something to show for my day.  if i could go take college classes for free, i totally would.  i enjoy learning (providing the delivery isn't horribly boring) and take any advantage of it that i can.
i miss the college years for some of the friends i made.  not so much the sierra college years, since that was all basically high school all over again.  same people, different campus.  at sac state, i got to know some girls that were great to talk photography with (whoot whoot second to back row group) but now after graduation are kinda all over the place.  riley is in san diego, emily is in canada... actually i think she's in anaheim right now, katie is in roseville (yeah, no excuse there) and more.  we had some fun hang out nights for sure.
i also miss college a bit for the photo classes.  i had a reason to be regularly using my camera and doing what i love.  it gave me a project to be creative with, come up with a way to execute it, and then completing it by the deadline.  i think i've let myself focus too much on the wedding & family client aspect of everything, and forgot to take time for myself to shoot what ever i feel like shooting.  which is why i plan to take my holga with me to disneyland next month.  bust out some fun random film shots and just enjoy it.  plus it would remove the instant gratification of digital and raise the excitement for waiting to see the final products.
i miss my ballerina project.  throughout all my "big" projects over my 5 college years, this one was by far my favorite complete project.  i love how it all turned out, and am quite proud of myself for the effort i put in for it through the semester.  i have thought again and again to do another one of these as a personal project, and while writing out this post, i'm thinking that perhaps this summer will bring on ballerinas 2.0.  maybe it will be digital, maybe it will be film.  i don't know.  i guess you'll just have to stay tuned and find out.
to see the last round of ballerinas, head on over to freeze frame blog, conveniently linking the ballerinas tag just for you :)

day 6:30 - 30 day challenge

day 6: a picture of something that makes you happy
i'm steering clear of people & places with this one, since those appear to be coming up in later days.  the word for today's something isn't limited to one specific "thing" but instead it is a verb.  something that makes me happy is the ability to create.  i'll now break things down in my two main forms of "creation" and why they make me happy.
sewing
i've been sewing off and on for a long time.  like, i took my first sewing class when i still lived in rio linda (pre 1999) and still have the quilt from it.  my sewing years died off during jr high and high school, but once i hit my senior year, it came back and in action.  my senior project ended up being making & donating small quilts to shriner's hospital, and that's generally about the time i started sewing again.  the ability to take things from just a bolt of fabric, and turn them in to something new and exciting is a thrill, and the hard work that goes in to it totally pays off.
honestly, i don't craft much for myself.  i used to make skirts and stuff for me, but never wear them.  i guess i'm just picky... or know they aren't as cute as they would be if it was in a 3-5 year old size.  things are always cuter when they are smaller.  instead, i've taken to crafting for friends, family & those in need.  my friends are all at that point where we are starting to get married & have babies, so being able to create them a personal item that nobody else could have done for them makes me feel way better than it would have been if i got them yet another toaster.  my family (primarily my sister) has received a handful of crafted items. i made that avengers purse for aileen, a tie for josh, and i have some plans coming up for a markham project one of these days.  and for those in need, much like my shriner's quilt donation in 2006, these monthly stash buster quilt tops has made me feel like my efforts are being put to a good cause instead of just hoarding things for myself...  like my giant box of fabric...
plus... all this sewing keeps me off my computer.  haha.  much like today, where this is being written mid fabric cutting.  i NEEDED a break from sitting on the floor!
and now part two, as you could guess....
photography
where to begin?  i think i could summarize the feeling i get from photography after a long wedding day.  from the start of the day where everyone's nerves are going through to the grand exit, i absolutely love every moment of it. knowing that i was responsible for creating and capturing those special images that will last forever and be passed down from generation to generation is an honor that i cannot even being to explain.  the trust that goes in to selecting the perfect photographer is phenomenal, and when you're chosen...  it's a rush.
i love building connections with my clients, turning them in to more than just a "client" but someone i can connect with.  whether it's over music, movies, or something like the love of all things mexican food, i love being able to have these new faces in my life that become friends over the duration of our time together from engagement session to wedding day and beyond.
basically, it's more than just taking photos.  it's about creating memories, sharing laughter, and building a trust relationship.  and i couldn't ask for a better plan for my career... if this second part of the creating explanation made no sense at all, that's because i'm a photographer.  lewis hine said it best.
"if i could tell the story in words, i wouldn't need to lug around a camera."
 :)

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

sf quick trip

on monday, i took a quick trip to sf to meet with a photographer from the [b] school to discuss second shooting opportunities. since jenny had to work and couldn't come with me, i opted against a lengthy stay in the city since i was alone. here are a few photos of random things and people, just because i could :)

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

del oro winter guard 2012 - time lapse video

when my dad and i went to vegas, apparently one thing he heard about that he REALLY wanted to try was time lapse photography. my older brother did something like this in the past of his drive from home to school in utah (or the other way, i can't remember) but my dad decided to try it using people. my sister had a winter guard competition last friday night at a local high school, so he dug out the sturdy tripod (that the 4x5 camera was still attached to) and set it up in the bleachers. the camera was started the moment they stepped in the door, and kept shooting until the last person from our school walked out the opposite door. the post processing is where i came in. the loading, organizing and compiling of the images in to the program, then getting the right pace to make the images look continuous, but still look like individual images. lastly, i loaded in the song that their performance is actually to and added a title and credits. there you have it! i'm still working on the set from the percussion show since i currently don't have any of their music to add to it, but as soon as it's done, you'll see it here!

wordless wednesday

what's happening: feb 18-22

well, as i mentioned before, i'm heading out of town this weekend for the wppi convention in las vegas. i'm not planning for any katy perry situations to happen, so don't you fear. this girl is still on the open market for all you hunky dudes out there. oh i crack myself up. anyways, here is the general run down of day by day:
saturday: driving. driving. driving.
saturday night: potential for recycled percussion show
sunday: first class at 9am (zach & jody gray)
followed by doug gordon and the photographers ignite bash
monday: kicks off at 8am with jerry ghionis
a little trade show wandering, then it's off to see my girl jasmine star and a favorite of some of my other fellow photographers, tamara lackey
tuesday: breakfast with some of my photographer friends i met last year
a bit of trade show wandering, and then crashing whichever platform classes i can get in to :)
wednesday: a little more trade show wandering, platform class crashing, and then last stop is dane sanders before beginning the voyage home after 4:30
i'm sure i'll take some time to wander the vegas strip with a few people here and there. last year i only got as far as the coca cola store, and even that wasn't too exciting. now the m&ms store, that was pretty cool. anyways, i've got some totally random posts set up and ready to go for you. music, video clips, funny haha pictures. tried to shake things up a bit, but not everything was set to go. i'll be sure to try and post a snapshot collection when i get home :) have a great weekend, and i'll talk at you soon!

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday