Touch

So.. a little bit ago.. I blogged about the concept I wanted to use for my "YouBook" assignment.. about how Solitude doesn't have to equate to loneliness.. but.. it turns out that the book needs to share something personal about us.. it needs to somehow reflect something that makes up an essential part of who I am. So.. I had a flashback to a ad campaign that I absolutely adored. There were a few commercials.. but I mostly appreciated the print ads that were posted on the subways in New York. Here's a collage of the pics from the print campaign,



and then there's a link to a blog.. that discusses how the campaign encourages us to Reach Out and Get Together... which includes this quote: "Author Desmond Morris says, 'Something special happens when two people touch each other physically, whether it be a handshake, a pat on the back, or a slap on the face.'"

http://blog.guruofnew.com/tag/make-face-time

So how does this reflect an essential part of who I am?
1) My mom's #1 love language is touch.. and she spoiled me and my brothers with backrubs and hugs.
2) In Costa Rica, we greet with a kiss to the cheek, my grandmother will pat my hands while she speaks with me, and my cousins will braid my hair as we catch up on life... its in my DNA. :)
3) I love observing and analyzing all forms of communication... and physical touch is definitely one of them.
4) I'm a mushy romantic, family-love, lovin kinda girl. I smile when I see an elderly couple holding hands and love to see a little girl with her arms wrapped around her father's neck.
5) And finally, I'm addicted to the cyberworld.. as are most people I know.. and I think that touch and physical connectedness are quickly going the way of film, VHS, and answering machines... and I'd like to use this project to make a statement about its importance.

Seal Beach Storm Aftermath

Fuzzy Flowers

Bought these at Pavillions.. and I just love them. Just wanted to share the gorgeousness!!

In Class Studio Lighting

So.. we were asked to bring in an object to shoot using studio lighting. And last night, Chelle was so sweet and helped me out by lending me some of her keepsakes because I couldn't think of anything to bring. Then this morning as I was leaving my room, I spotted my Little Women.. and grabbed it and I'm SO glad I did. I have such an emotional attachment to this book.. mostly because it was one of the best gifts my mom has ever given me; but also because I've read this particular edition MANY times.. and I love how love-worn it is!

For some of you.. you might not get why I would make such a huge deal about this.. and thats okay. For me.. this blog represents a merging of my passion for photography with the essential knowledge and skill. And that makes me incredibly happy!!

So here is a pic of it taken with the classroom lights on.. no flash.. no studio lights. In the past I would have thought.. alright.. decent product pic.


Then we turned on the spider light.. which obviously totally changed the image.


Next one of my group members held up my fill board for me.. and I knew my eye for photography was never gonna be the same..


And then I turned on a hotlight.. to create gradient in the background..


And because I couldn't get enough of this assignment.. I decided to try to shoot it from a different level... and I wasn't loving it.


Fortunately.. my professor was walking by.. and he threw out "Make Little Women BIG" - so I lowered the tripod.. zoomed in.. and this put a BIG smile on my face!


None of these have been edited or cropped at all... and on Tuesday we're gonna be using LightRoom to look at them and work on them if necessary.. Can't wait to see if anything can be done to make me love these even more!

Term Project

So for my photography class this semester.. we've been given a term project. We are to create a "YouBook" which we will print using MagCloud.com. We were given the assignment to spend this weekend coming up with the main concept behind our book, and I just wanted to share what my concept is going to be. I think this last year of my life, especially the time spent in New York.. taught me the importance of Solitude.. and even more so.. finding peace, serenity... and even happiness in the midst of solitude. And then that thought brought to mind this photo that I took of Michelle on our recent trip to Northern California.. and I realized that a photo of someone sitting by themselves can be made to represent a positive and peaceful moment. In a world in which we can be bombarded with noise 24/7, where even when we are physically alone we can still connect digitally to people all over the world via text, phone, email, Skype, etc. I think its essential to find time for ourselves.. to renew.. reconnect.. "We live in a very tense society. We are pulled apart... and we all need to learn how to pull ourselves together.... I think that at least part of the answer lies in solitude." ~Helen Hayes