Flickr Favorites #25

It's Friday already?!

This weeks Flickr inspiration: The Coast

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1. 12 cats

2. Lisa Wu

3. Ben Merrington

4. Shane Hagerty

When three day weekends come around, I like to take full advantage of them. I'm going up to a small mountain town called Arnold (they call people not from the mountains flat landers, no joke) and spending some time with family in my Aunt and Uncle's cabin. I plan on taking lots of pictures as long as rain/snow don't ruin my plans.

I'm most excited to go to Big Trees State Park and take pictures while cross country skiing. I feel like an adventurer when I go there and make my own path in the snow.

What's your plan for the weekend?

Printing Paper 6

As you can see, my California Parks progress digresses into a study of California Geology. This image is shale (still need to confirm) from the California coast of Santa Cruz in Natural Bridges.

Natural Bridges State Beach was originally named for a an outcropping of sand and rock that used to be a nice bridge out about 100 feet into the ocean. Over time, weather, and eventual collapse, there is no longer a bridge connecting land to sea. It's still called Natural Bridges today, though I've never seen it as a bridge in my lifetime and only in pictures. My dad has a picture he took of the bridge when he was 18 or so.

It's weird experiencing a place like Natural Bridges that is no longer representative of the original reason it was named. Now it's only a history and memory. C'mon people, let's do some deep thinking this lovely Thursday morning. Any places or historical landmarks you can think of that are like this?

Printing Paper 5

I started a project in winter for a photo class, but so many things happened to me in the last three months that I was never actually able to finish what I wanted to do. I was supposed to have 20 prints finished (not 9, like I do) and the theme was to be cohesive. Well, as projects do tend to turn on me by their own will, my project became more about rocks and California geology rather than California parks.

I'm not a great landscape photographer because I always get so hung up and fascinated by details, which is why I think this project turned the way it did. So I guess I can say my subconscious turned on me rather than an inanimate object, but I enjoy the idea of a project taking on a life of it's own.

This is a scan of I print I made, which is why there are strange streak marks on the image. This particular rock is from off the coast of California near Big Sur. I love the diagonal separation and texture of this particular wall of rock. I'm going to talk to my geology friend and ask him about why it looks this way. I want to say something about plates shifting and earthquakes, but I haven't studied much geology.

I have a degree in literature, but If I could just keep getting degrees for the rest of my life, these would be my top 5:

1. Photography
2. Geology
3. Oceanography
4. History
5. Micology

Do you have a top 5? They don't have to be degrees, but intense learning interests.

30 by 30

Before I get to 30 by 30, here is an image of prints drying in my closet. Drying the darn things is the most frustrating part of the photo printing process because it takes so long! Then you have to press them to straighten them out. I'll show them scanned and pretty soon.

So, 30 by 30. I have heard of it before, seen the lists, and didn't really think it was for me. But it's also something you can't unthink. I keep thinking of things I want to do before I'm 30, and now I can't stop. To end this madness, I finally went and made the list which you can see here.

Flickr Favorites #24

This weeks Flickr inspiration: wilderness adventures

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1. Damian Riehi

2. Malinda Fisher

3. E Mccown

4. Erica Lucy

Flickr Favorites back on Friday, at least for this week. I will be scanning a few new images to share for this weekend that are prints I made in the photo lab. Last Wednesday night was my last night in the darkroom for quite a while, but I'm hoping to some day build my own darkroom in a bathroom/garage.

I guess I'll have to go back to using color for a while! Spring is here, I might as well catch it on colorful film.

I know that I shouldn't care about numbers, but I'm kinda bummed I went from 100-99 followers. 100 is a big deal! 100 strangers looking at my blog is a neat thought. Any thoughts on how to not be affected by things like this?

Flickr Favorites #23

This weeks Flickr inspiration: Spring! But the real Spring with sunshine and cold storms.

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1. victoria smyrniotis

2. Bransen Samuelsen

The last week was quite a stormy one, so I am happy to see sunshine today in Santa Cruz.

The storm didn't stop my weekend fun! St. Patrick's was great! We had quite a spread of corn beef and cabbage. Maybe I'm just sentimental, but my favorite part of the day was eating at an actual dinner table with 3 wonderful people and sipping on Irish Coffee. I'm a sucker for things like that.

How was your weekend?

Holga on the Coast pt. 2

Some more images from the Holga during my adventure to Big Sur. Long live the California Coast!

Music

So I've been on a little film lag lately. I've been showing instagram photos, which I'm getting sick of, but still feel like I need to take pictures compulsively so I share some here. I haven't had much "me time" lately, and I really really want to share more film photos! It's getting to the point of making me sad inside.

But hey, I do other things besides take pictures like my life depends on it. For one, I listen to music.

I absolutely love Belle & Sebastian and have been trying to find something similar to their music for years. Well, I finally found it!

Well actually, it's still Belle & Sebastian, but more women sing and it sounds like their early albums (which I particularly enjoy). Plus, there are little movies to go with each song on in this new project called God Help the Girl. I love every song on the self-title album I can't even tell you.

And, Sharon Van Etten with a new album called "Tramp". I hadn't heard of her before this album but good lord I am now obsessed with everything she's done.

Any new musicians you've been obsessed with that you'd like to share?

Flickr Favorites #22

It's been a while, but I think I'm ready to bring back flickr favorites and book reviews. FYI, I'm reading Dracula right now.

This weeks flickr inspiration: Holga!

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(Twin Peaks waterfall!!!!!)

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1. Konrad Kloch

2. Arbor Lux

3. Alessio Nunzi

4. DKSTHLM!

International Women's Day

I just wanted to take a moment to remind people that today is International Women's Day. More often then not, especially in pop culture I often hear this question: "Why are there no women ____ (photographers, writers, in a certain music genre etc.)". The question we should be asking is: "Why are we not listening/looking/reading/finding them?" because women are there, in every scene of pop culture. What I am getting at is that today, if you especially like the folk-psychedelic scene in Santa Cruz, science fiction writing, stand-up comedy, or whatever it is that tickles your fancy, find the women in that scene and listen/read/dance to them.

(Both images Source: Jade Cantwell, one of my favorites from the list. She also has a tumblr)

I did that today. I took the time and I found a list of 30 amazing women photographers who make a point of crashing through the barrier of a male-dominated field and pointing out that women are relevant behind the lens and not just in front of it.

San Francisco

I had a great time in the city with my friend Meghan. We celebrated her birthday, ate tons of delicious food, traveled around the city, enjoyed the warm weather, and went to the international chocolate salon (where we drank wine and ate copious amounts of chocolate). It was pretty awesome! I snapped a few shots at the marina"

When we were walking around the Marina, we saw this really awesome kite some guy had put together. It had the Giants symbols on it (of course). The guy flying the kite hovered it just above mine and Meghan's head after he noticed we were filming. The kite guy was pretty cheeky. At the end of the video you can see the kite hovering over another group of people.

How was your weekend?

Farm Life

I love to go to the farm (Nick's parents house) after a long work week. It's warm, there are silly animals every where, farm fresh eggs, and comfy beds.

Uncle Zion.

Buster.

Heather.

Lena laying an egg.

Greta checking out the camera with Buttercup taking a nap in the background.

Chickens following me around.
They make the cutest bok-bok sounds when they think I have food for them.

I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend! I'm off to San Francisco for some girl time. It's going to be legen - wait for it - dary!