Another Golden Hour

I went out for some more practice with the golden hour, this time to Pioneer's Park. WOW there were a lot of other photographers there. It was the complete opposite of my evening at Oak Lake. At the lake I was totally alone. There was the occasional car coming down the road nearby, but I had the island completely to myself. At Pioneer's, there was a pro photographer ever couple of feet and they all had way bigger cameras than me! Now I know bigger isn't automatically better, but it was still super intimidating. And to make it worse, I appeared to be the only one shooting the scenery--the rest of them had models/clients, and were probably making bank for their trouble.

Anyways, the result of the crowd was that I waited a while to really get started, since I couldn't find many spots that weren't full of people who I assume were watching, judging, and cursing me. So a lot of these shots were taken later on in the evening and are darker. It was a bit of a different experience.

 

here's the whole album on picasa:

The Golden Hour - October 23, 2011

KC Ren Fest

We went to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival on Saturday. I might or might not add some more shots later.

Here's the whole album on picasa:

KC Ren Fest 2011

The Golden Hour

I've been trying to get out to catch the "golden hour" all week, but it's been either rainy or cloudy or I've been sick and missed it. Today I finally got out. I was intending to bring my boyfriend to act as a model, but he was gone when 5:45 rolled around and I knew I couldn't wait. So it was just me and the camera and Oak Lake.

I'm super ridiculously pleased with the shots I came up with. This is my first time doing a shoot on my own since I picked up my camera again. I've done a few with my boyfriend, but it's not the same shooting a person and having a person there while I shoot. I'm not sure which one I prefer, but I definitely was more willing to experiment and didn't feel any sort of pressure.

A few of these shots aren't even edited! It's been a long time since I've felt comfortable releasing my photo babies into the wild without dousing them in photoshop first.

The Golden Hour - October 13, 2011

Everything I Own

I'm starting a project I'm calling "Everything I Own." Basically I'm photographing everything I own. Every item that is a part of my life is going to get its own photograph. I expect it to be great practice. I've learned a lot in the few days since I've started. I'm starting with small things that I can photograph on a seamless background, because that's something I've always wanted to try. The first day, I was using just a piece of poster board taped to the wall. Yesterday I made a lightbox, which has helped me soften the shadows a lot, especially after I figured out how to position my flash for maximum bounce in the box.

I was originally going to make it a set on Flickr, but of course I don't have a Flickr Pro account. That's something I will have to get if I'm going to start making money with this photography stuff, but I can't afford it right now. In the meantime, I've got them all on Picasa, and I have to say, I like me some Picasa.

I'll post some of my favorite shots on the blog a little later on, but until then, here's the Picasa album.

Everything I Own

The old house

Fall

Every year at the end of August, as I anticipate the fall, I wonder if summer might go on forever. It seems impossible that it could end. The world is so green and so alive, and I can remember so many summers. It seems like all of my life has been summer. But here we are at the end of September, and the leaves have started to change. I can smell the familiar approaching chilly days. Without realizing it, I'm leaving the house wearing sweaters.

The beginning of any season brings with it confidence. I have plans, however indistinct, for the coming months. I know what to expect. I know the pattern. Fall is especially invigorating because of the cool and comfortable weather. I no longer have to dress with the aim of achieving maximum airflow to my skin.

This is the first fall I haven't been in school since I was four. Sure, I started classes in August, but I'd dropped them all by early September, and when I left I was still wearing short shorts and sweating on the walk home. The beginning of the season has always been closely tied to the beginning of school for me, and it's nice to drop all of those distractions and look at the season a little more closely. From now on, my life is a circle. School creates a pattern of starting and stopping lines--fall is the beginning of one year, spring is the end, and summer is the space in between. Then a new line starts. Now, I'm just moving through the seasons, never really stopping or starting. It feels nice.

I'm going to start using this blog more, hopefully. I'm going to try to post at least every two or three days, whether or not I feel like what I have is good enough to share. It'll keep me working while I'm not in school, and keep me thinking creatively. I'll be posting music, art, poetry, and whatever I'm working on. So be aware that none of it is finished work, and try not to think too poorly of me, but constructive criticism is still totally welcome!

Tim

The Chinese are always very frightened of the drowned one, whose weeping ghost, wet hair hanging and skin bloated, waits silently by the water to pull down a substitue.

—Maxine Hong Kingston

My uncle haunts me
stands on the toilet while I shower
eyes ringed with shadow
looks down over the curtain.

Fog clears on the mirror
reveals his bloated face
skin tight and shiny
jaw slack, pale open
lips with turned up corners
his eyes follow me as I
dry my hair, but he
can’t blink.

When I lay in bed at night
his knock is hollow on my door
mom said not to answer
not to let him in.

They never speak his name aloud
a ghost; it lingers on the edge of lips
unsaid. I break the silence
whisper Tim
turn the doorknob,
let him in.

The Fairy Ring

This cassette tape celebrated my birth
has played as many years
its gentle whisper of piano
synth and strings the Fairy Ring
as I read myself to sleep
in the darkest hours it keeps me under
one side crawls to its end I rise
eject and turn the tape
then back again to listen
moonlight moves across the floor

Now I see where fingers eroded
text on either side the composer faded
sings unsteady the sound
it aches my lungs and wavers
weakened short of breath
magnetic tape worn thin
wails hollow loss pitch warped
my voice is hoarse

I listen but can do nothing
sleep or turn back time
eject and turn the tape
at night I can do nothing
but hold the ruined song
hum what I remember