LaRae Photography

A REALLY Difficult Week

2011-04-03T16:41:00.003-05:00

I hope you're sitting down for this one... 'cause I've been on one hell of a ride the last week. On Friday 3/25 (the day after my 26th birthday), I flew to Lubbock, TX for a face-to-face interview for a staff photographer position at the Lubbock Avalanche Journal.

At the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport - I had a two hour layover.

I spent three days learning about the city and the paper - swinging back and forth from "Yes, I want this job," to "No, I don't want this job." After 3 sleepless nights, I'd decided that as long as I could survive financially, I could put up with any and all problems I'd have to encounter working in Texas and at a paper that everyone told me (and I saw for myself) had a lot of problems.

The "AJ"

From the Press Box at Texas Tech - they'd opened a window to watch the game. I'm a reflection junkie... so naturally I couldn't resist. Would have been great to wait for a moment - maybe some cheering and game action... but I still like my reflection pics! :)

On Monday, I received the official job offer via email. The salary offered would put me short of paying my bills $500 every month. Maybe if things were different, I could tell you I've spent the last few days making travel/living arrangements and looking forward to my first day at a new job...

My responsibilities and obligations made the choice for me.

Monday afternoon, waiting for my ride home after work, I made one of the hardest calls I've ever made sitting on the side of the road outside Starbucks.

Call me a coward, but I turned down the job via a voice mail - if I'd had to actually talk to a person, I probably would have lost it.

...

I was pretty upset. When I got home from work I grabbed my camera and burned up 1/2 tank of gas just driving and stopping to take pictures I'd already taken a million times

...

Then Tuesday came... and my inbox had a message from my local paper, The Record, asking me if I'd like to go out and shoot a couple freelance assignments for their magazine, "San Joaquin Woman."

YES!! When life beats you bloody, sometimes it also sends you a band-aid. :)

I'm still working full-time doing sales/data entry/etc etc at my temp-to-perm position (which should become permanent within the next few weeks - and hopefully include a raise...).

I'm going to shoot the first assignment before work tomorrow (Monday) and on Friday I'm going to shoot another freelance assignment during my lunch break.

Turning down that job because of money made me feel like a wage slave. I know I did the "smart, logical, correct thing..." but I can't help but wonder if, in the long run, I did the "right thing...."

Anyway... some pretty pics to close out the post.

Flying home from Texas - I tried to sleep, I tried to do a cross word, I tried to listen to music, I tried to play sudoku... I couldn't do anything but sit there, look out the window and turn my brain over and over thinking about the job.

The scratched and smudged plane window distorted the image, but it's still a beautiful thing to see a sunset from the above the clouds!

Horse Detail

2011-01-29T23:18:00.000-06:00

Meet Dimples. She's been my cousin's horse and friend for many years. These two have a special relationship. We took a lot of pictures, but this first one is my favorite - it captures their connection beautifully!

Country Graffiti

2011-01-29T22:39:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I did a photo shoot with my cousin and her horse (photos to be posted soon). On the way home, I drove by this train. I was in a rush, so I could only stop for a few moments. I plan on coming back here to shoot more - how can you resist country graffiti?!

Finally Fog!

2011-01-22T12:31:00.000-06:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I give you...

FOG! (finally)

It's 10:00 am and I just came in to dump my card and recharge my batteries. Within the hour, I'll be heading back out to do my pond and sky time-lapse. Yipppeee!!

An oak tree stands alone, isolated by thick fog, in the middle of a field off of Comstock Rd in Linden, Calif. My recent fog obsession is credited to this amazing tree. Every morning, I woke up thinking about this picture. I love the tone and the simplicity of this image. My one critic - the sun is rising to the left, disrupting the evenly diffused light. If I choose to print this picture, I need to work from the RAW file to control the highlights - my computer screen forgives more than a piece of paper.

Early in the morning, a white crane flies through a foggy orchard off of Comstock Rd in Linden, Calif. These are beautiful birds - but they're a bit camera shy. White on white is never easy, so I'm especially proud of how this image turned out. I really enjoy the branches in the foreground and that I caught the bird flying. I had to crop this in quite a bit so unfortunately, the image will not print well. It's still pretty though.

A funny thing happened when I used the keyboard short-cut to resize this image... I inverted it... and I think it looks really interesting! :)

Forecast said Fog...

2011-01-08T17:31:00.002-06:00

For the last week, I've been driving into work at 7am through a blanket of fog. Over and over I told myself I'd be out with my camera on the weekend to capture the images I saw on my way to my tiny cubicle.

The forecast said fog... but what I got was just a light mist. :( Oy!

I'm coming back here when I have a cloudy sky to do a time lapse. Can you see it? Picture it this way - the sky is a deep blue littered with chubby white clouds, the land is a brighter green and I stop down the aperture so more of the image is in focus. It will be like a tiny strip of land sandwiched between moving clouds! I'm so excited to get started!

I'm posting this as an example of how important speed is to a photographer. Right before I pressed the shutter release, there was a beautiful hawk sitting here. It would have been awesome... alas, I was not fast enough.

Tilted horizon + low POV = a fun picture! If I had the fog I was looking for, or a different sky, I think this picture would have been much better. I still like it though. :)

Farewell 2010

2010-12-31T20:59:00.002-06:00

My New Year's Resolution for 2011 is to become a positive person and focus on the good more than the bad. So... I've chosen to look back and highlight the best things that happened in 2010.

Top 10 of 2010

My life:

Mom mom (left) and I smile for the camera after I ran in the 2010 Stockton 1/2 Marathon. Thanks to a fellow runner for snapping the picture.

Meredith Goodrich (left) and I give our "Rock Band" pose.
I take the drums and vocals while she rocks the guitar

Seeing my picture published in Newsweek Magazine
Running in the Stockton 1/2 Marathon
Singing Karaoke at a bowling ally in Sacramento
Dressing up like a Rock Star and taking pictures with my best friend
Making two dresses with my mother the day after Thanksgiving
Making Thanksgiving dinner (with my mother’s help)
Running 5 miles with my Aunt at the Asparagus Run in Stockton.
Going to Temecula to visit with my friend from college
Playing with my new timer on my camera (time-lapse)
Watching House with my cousin

Music (discovered):

Human Nature by Michael Jackson
Aphrodisiac by Bow Wow Wow
Get Back by the Beatles
Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin
Next to Normal (Broadway soundtrack)
Untouched by the Veronicas
Turn the Page By Metallica
This Thing Called Love by Elvis Presley
Her Name is Alice by Shinedown
Welcome to Mystery by the Plain White T’s

October

2010-10-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

A lot of changes going on in my world these days. I'm trying to redefine myself in the midst of the chaos. A very talented photog friend of mine suggested we push through the world of "no's" greeting our photographic identities, and have a monthly photo chat. So, despite working from sun-up to sun-down nearly everyday this month, I did manage to pull my camera out of the car a few times to document the holiday as it came to my home.

Here's to goblins, ghouls, pumpkin faces and orange lights!

Horses!

2010-07-29T14:49:00.000-05:00

Nearly ever Wednesday, my friend Rami and his equestrian chums take their horses out to practice cattle sorting. He knows I've been going through shooting withdrawal, so he graciously allowed me to tag along last night and take some snaps.

I had so much fun! The light was beautiful! The horses were beautiful! Everything was perfect! I was just playing around - doing some long exposure shots, framing a horse with a horse, funny faces - the works.

State Fair - Midway Lights

2010-07-29T13:25:00.000-05:00

As a photographer, lights and shadows are pretty much my entire reason for living. My heart beats faster when I see a sliver of light slice through a crowd of shadowed faces. I jump up and down clapping when the sun sits 30 degrees above the horizon, casting the sweetest light with the longest shadows. So, naturally, sunset at the midway = a very happy me.

Lately, I've been doing a lot of detail photography - trying to use light and color to transform "real life" into shapes or textures. I kinda liked these two from the fair....

Oddly compressed image anyone? This looks so weird to me! I had to share.

New TL Project - Scene Scout

2010-07-10T02:21:00.001-05:00

Soon I'll begin my next project - a time lapse sequence from the Mokelumne River. (I know! I know! Your response is, "Gasp! I'm so surprised! She's doing another one!" What can I say - I like 'em!) I made a scouting trip there on Tuesday with my camera. I want to mix high contrast shadow/silhouette sequences with medium to close up sequences.

Examples:

Scene 1 - The water and sky moving through the dark trees

Scene 2 and 3 - Medium shot of stones with water and sky movement followed by Scene 3, close detail shot of water (maybe fish??!!!) with sky reflection moving.

It will probably be at least a week before I'll get back out there. In the mean time I'm shooting some modern cowboys (cell phones in their holsters) rounding up some cows late late Wednesday night.

Parker Family Portrait

2010-07-01T19:34:00.000-05:00

Images taken at Lodi Lake

“Portrait Photography Hell … a.k.a. Work as Usual”

2010-06-04T00:54:00.001-05:00

(The image above is a baby my cousin watches from time to time - she is not one of the kids in the story)

I spent my hour lunch break crying in my car.

Why?

An old lady wearing yellow slacks and a floral print blouse told me off.

She was a customer who didn’t like the pictures of her grandkids.

Standing outside the portrait studio, she waved her hand through the air saying, “I’m really angry right now. I know you’re new…”

I interrupted with, “I’m not new.” (In my head I was counting all 8 agonizing months I spent dealing with customers who thought they could lord over anyone wearing a nametag)

Her eyes became squinty and her voice got louder, “Don’t interrupt me! You act like you’re new! You did a terrible job! It took us a long time to get the kids ready and we specifically told you we wanted blah blah blah…”

In the name of cheap retail photography, I face these women (and the occasional men – but let’s face it, it’s mostly women). We move three paces away from each other, hold our hands out in front like swords and we attack.

They open with a death blow…

“Horrible Photographer,”

I counter the attack with an equally fatal maneuver…

“Horrible Children,”

The battle continues until one of us blinks, admits defeat and awards the victor a forfeit.

I’ve given and received many battle scars.

Old ladies are my weakness.

They deliver the hardest punches.

And so I spent my lunch break crying in my car.

Big Trees

2010-05-20T20:39:00.005-05:00

My friend, Meredith, and I drove up to Big Trees National Park last week. For years, Mere has endured the task of being my "model," posing for photographs both silly and serious. At her request, I played a bit while shooting, taking several photos while the camera was on the tripod then merging them in my computer. It's not quite my "cup of tea" but still, interesting. We've created several odd photos over the years, including a few that received awards and recognition when were in school. I think it's our combined effort that has created some of my favorite images. (can you spot all 5 Merediths?)

For this trip, I loaned her my second camera to shoot some images of her own - she shot the pic of me trying to block the path to the famous "drive-through/walk-through tree"

Senior Portrait - Vanessa

2010-04-15T19:33:00.002-05:00

I've been doing a lot of senior portraits lately - at work and on my own. I've read that the senior portrait experience is like a modern day rite of passage for American's youth. For many, these will be the last formal photos they take until they get married.
These photos are of a very sweet girl named Vanessa - I'll be designing her announcement cards as well - it should be fun putting the images together in a way that showcases Vanessa and celebrates her achievements.

Driving to town...

2010-03-12T19:59:00.002-06:00

It's been a while - things are basically the same, I'm still working at the portrait studio, doing freelance work on the side and somehow making enough to pay my bills each month. It's an ever-so-exciting life! :)

These are some shots I took on the way to and from town today. I kinda got in a "color" mood - white and green. I FINALLY got my sensor cleaned and took my camera out on a test time-lapse run. I can't wait to go back and play at it again. I'm going to do one that's made up of sequences captured within 1 mile of my house. Once I've mastered that, I'm takin' the show on the road and doing some time-lapse shots of Yosemite (or San Francisco, I haven't decided which trip to take).

Goin' Old Fashioned with New Lights

2010-03-06T20:09:00.000-06:00

I spent a bit of my tax return to buy some lights and wouldn't you know it, right after, I was given the opportunity to use them! :) I went to a country carnival event to take "old-time" photos of those in attendance. I tried to get one "normal" and one "silly" shot of each group. Without a doubt, the silly ones were the most fun to capture. These are a few of my favorite shots from the evening.

Eye Cleanse

2009-12-27T22:43:00.003-06:00

These are old snaps, they've been "gathering dust" on my laptop's desktop for the past two months. I've been working a lot lately. The overtime is great for my bank account, but it's hard on me. Thankfully, things are slowing down and I'll soon return to pursuing the things I love, rather than the things that pay the bills.

I visited a friend from college a few months back and while we were together, we went on a "just for fun" shoot. I jokingly call it an eye cleanse. We got in the car and each picked a number, my number led us to the first right, her number to the next left and there we'd stop, get out of the car, and discover an image.

Shoots like this remind me how much I love photography. The world is full of frames just waiting to be snapped. These are my favorites from the entire trip, including some from the "Eye Cleanse."

Wedding Moment

2009-11-02T13:09:00.005-06:00

Here's a funny one from a wedding I shot two weeks ago. Kids! Oy!

(I know - busy background, bad lighting, etc... it's still a funny pic)

2 Day Dinner: Day2

2009-10-05T12:35:00.002-05:00

Success! That's right ladies and gentlemen, I have conquered the spinch dumpling and the homemade tomato sauce. The "sauce" may have shared more in common with a paste than a sauce, but it was still a sweet and spicy mouthful of flavor. The dumplings weren't the best looking 'plings on the block, but they still landed like a moment of zen in the mouth.

To put it plainly, dinner was a success. In a word, Yum! :)

2 Day Dinner: Day1

2009-09-29T15:50:00.001-05:00

Today I embark on a new adventure, an all-out, sweat on the forehead, foray into the world of cooking. We’re not talking about the paltry task of whipping up some Mac ‘N Cheese. No, this adventure will take me to a very different, dangerous place – the land of homemade spinach dumplings and tomato sauce (for some reason, every time I write tomato I want to add an “e” – like I’m about to add Tom’s Toe to the recipe). There will be tears, there will be drama and in the end, if the stars are aligned, and luck lends its hand, there will be an amazing dinner.

With instructions like: simmer for 1 hour, let sit for 24 hours and finely chop the basil (okay, so the last may only be a challenge for me) I bite my lower lip and set out to cook. Let’s see here, let the sauce simmer for an hour… What?! An hour?! Won’t that burn a hole in the pan? Well, we’ll see – the sauce has been under low heat now for… exactly… 10 minutes.

The spinach dumplings have been mixed and are now resting peacefully in the fridge, where they will remain for at least 24 hours.

(just took a taste of the tomato(e) sauce -- Yummy!)

Weekend Guest

2009-09-27T17:27:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had a toad wave to you? ... well ... now you have :) My little cousins love to hunt for toads when they visit my parent's house. They gathered up about a dozen in a tiny white bucket and spent the afternoon terorrizing the poor creatures.

A few weeks ago, my mother's little brother (my uncle) flew down from Oregon to spend the weekend with us. We picked him up in San Francisco and spent the day sightseeing. We went to the exploratorium science exhibits and the pier.

My "uncle" should be coming to live with us this Tuesday. It will be a bit of an adventure.

Group Job Interviews: Picture People in Modesto, CA

2009-09-14T12:44:00.004-05:00

When you show up for an interview and discover there’ll be 4 other people interviewing for the position at the same time, you know two things right of the bat. 1. You’re pretty much living through the lowest point in your career. 2. These people don’t really need a person, they need about 20 seasonal robots that can form complete sentences and don’t drool excessively.

The interviewer took us to the kid’s section in the middle of the mall and began her interview.

We five sat there, our legs sticking to the plastic, stain resistant couch, with our heads bobbing up and down in time with the interviewer’s questions. I’m quite sure an imaginative passerby would have seen us as a packaged set of bobble head dolls.

“You all know we work with a lot of children.”

From left to right, we all bobbed our heads as she looked our way (like the group interview version of a baseball crowd’s “wave”). I assume this question was meant to illustrate why she chose to interview us in the children’s play section of the mall.

I bobbed along with everyone else, but as I bobbed, I watched a stupid little girl take a nosedive off a big purple dinosaur and only after she got up to try it again, did her overweight, haggard looking mother get up pull the child away.

“Okay, well, I’d like to know if you have any questions.”

“Do your photographers have any artistic control over the portraits?” (I ask this because I want to try different lighting and posing setups)

“Oh, yes!!” Trust me, I think the entire play area heard the second exclamation point. “We have so many different colored backgrounds! Purple and pink and blue, they’re so nice! We get new ones all the time!”

Mentally, I was slamming my head against the giant purple dinosaur and thinking about taking a plunge using the same technique as the crazy little girl.

I know what you’re all thinking – “Amanda! You can’t be thinking things like that during the interview. They’ll see right through you!”

Not to worry, I’ve always imagined my poker face as pretty kick-ass. I think all sorts of horrible, yet honest things while I’m interviewed, yet I still maintain a look of passive interest and intelligence…

Maybe I’m not as good as I though I was….

I didn’t get that job… This might surprise you, but at times, I can be a bit of a smart ass...
:)

Private Clubs

2009-07-16T21:36:00.002-05:00

My cousin's children created an exclusive club when I last visited them. Every few minutes they'd post a messages on their door. One message wrote "mom and dad cannot come in," one message excluding "everyone else except Aiden and Trinity and Amanda" and as I watched, they were compsoing a new sign saying, "Trin is not in the club for right now! You can come back later..." Shortly after I was blocked from the room and the girls' sister, Trinity was pulled out.
From what I could tell, this exclusive club's only purpose was to post messages excluding everyone else. It was very funny.

Reunited

2009-07-11T21:15:00.010-05:00

I'm working at Subway now - just something to help me pay my bills while I wait for my ship to come in - as they say. I work about 4 hours everyday, making sandwiches for old high school classmates and taking orders from kids ten years younger than me. It's not fun. I spend most of those 4 hours daydreaming, reliving better days. And sometimes I write silly, horrible poems while I count out the onions and the tomatoes and the pickles and the olives and the .... and the ... and the ...

I was washing when I felt the soap
run
between my ring and my fingers
squish
I was fighitng sweat
drip
when I lowered my eyes,
no
away from a memory
run
I was remembering when I cut my finger
squish
blood mixing with tomatoe juice
drip

_________________________________________

I am now foggy
I am now hollow
I am now looking into the eye of my nightmare, cowering with fear

You were so different
You were so very smart
You were destined to be here, my past and present shhhh!

You are now pair
You are now hope
You are now true, my past and present lie never again

We are all a you, an I, a we, in time
We are overexposed in our own, these unique facts
We are tarnished by today

You and I and we are done
Eaten by Today

Look at the Pretties!!!

2009-04-26T20:43:00.004-05:00

A whole batch of Rolls-Royce cars rolled their way into Midland, MI on Saturday. I've been to car shows before, but the spectators I saw at those shows never had that glassy "please Mr. Santa Claus" look in their eyes. When the Rolls rolled into town, I not only saw those looks, I'm quite certain I was also giving them! These cars are awesome! The vintage cars remind me of the horse drawn carriage and the new 2000+ ones glide about like they're on ice skates and look like the most popular kids in school. They had names like, Silver Cloud, Silver Shadow and Aston Martin. Can you imagine driving a car called the Silver Cloud?! I'd want it for the name alone - driving around on a cloud! Yep - I kinda want one of my own... better start playing that lotto!

In the Dugout

2009-04-02T21:50:00.004-05:00

Picture this... you're at a softball field, it's about 3:00pm, the sun is shining, the field is perfectly manicured, the players are ready... and the stands are barely occupied. Such was the scene I met when I shot softball for the first time ever on Monday. I needed features. So, what's a girl to do? Why, hang out in the dugout with the rest of the ladies of course! :) There are times when I think you need to hear the sounds to really appreciate an event... and this softball game was one of those times. The girls would whoop, scream, cheer and congratulate each other between each play... even if NOTHING happened! Seriously, the final score for their game was 1-0 ... talk about BORING!!! I don't understand softball or baseball - Give me some crazy, fast-paced, rough hockey over softball any day... but anyway, the players were fun to hang around with before and after the game.
... even though they did loose...

Less than flattering...

2009-04-02T21:42:00.004-05:00

After the shoot is done, when I'm sitting in the editing room, pounding on the arrow keys looking for "the" shot, I always try to choose a flattering photo. Generally speaking, The Golden Rule guides my edit. However, on this one occasion I couldn't resist the upside-down, scrunched-face tumble. I must admit though, I felt a little guilty when I went back to this place the next day to shoot photos of the building... hehehehe... I kept expecting this little girl to come tumbling out of the nowhere, demanding to know why I selected this less than flattering image. Seriously, I had a complete escape plan ready in case the child decided to attack me! Guess we can't always take the high road. (FYI - I didn't run into the child... but I did see her coach. He was just happy to have his team mentioned in the paper - but I still felt guilty about the photo.)

Lansing Rocks!

2009-03-21T19:57:00.003-05:00

High Contrast Photos + Small Dark Bar = ROCK AND ROLL BABY!!! This was a really fun assignment! Of course, because I was quite literally in a tiny black box, only about 1/4 of my photos were sharp.

Sick and Bored

2009-03-18T12:36:00.004-05:00

I love my Mac - if I could, I'd write a poem to the wonders of my shiny silver computer. But despite all its many amazing qualities, it doesn't have a single brainless game on it. So, there I sat-- bored, sick and wide awake after a drug-induced 15 hours of sleep. What is a girl to do??? I discovered the ever so exciting photobooth program and ... well... the rest is history! I still don't know what's possessing me to post pictures of myself when I'm sick and literally twisted... but - I'm still working on that new year's resolution. And life just doesn't get any "funner" than posting wacky picture of yourself... ;)

This is the x-ray setting

twisted...

Glow

Color

Playing Catch-Up

2009-03-14T22:50:00.000-05:00

It seems I've come down with a very serious case of "bloggerlazyistis" this last month. It's been truly terrible - the feature photos are crying and the sports action shots just sit around counting sheep. But alas! I am cured! So... there's a bunch of "forgotten" blog posts here now. :)

The Need for SPEEEEEEED

2009-03-14T22:40:00.004-05:00

The American Cup speed skating competition came to Midland, Mich., this week. If you've never seen speed skating - you should! I was amazed! I consider myself lucky if I make it all the way around the ice without falling so watching these people skating at a 30 degree angle going fast enough to build a breeze was... what's the word... oh yeah - amazing?! Totally cool!

Sports Zone

2009-03-14T22:30:00.000-05:00

Digital TV

2009-03-14T21:36:00.000-05:00

Creepy Crawly

2009-03-14T21:30:00.000-05:00

Lights! Camera! Water???!!!

2009-03-14T21:29:00.004-05:00

This was my first time lighting swimming. As a rule, I'm always a little nervous shooting swimming (could be 'cause I dropped my flash down the deep end once...) so I was extremely nervous about having a rickitie light stand holding up the strobes just three short feet from the edge of the pool - but, luckily, all turned out okay. :) I really like the way the photos look with the extra light. I put both lights on the same side - about 10 feet apart and bounced them from the ceiling... let me know if you have any suggestions for lighting swimming in the future. I'd like to try something a little different next time.

Missed Shot

2009-03-14T21:26:00.001-05:00

A feature hunt led me to senior billiards at the community center's senior wing. These two were so funny! They kept asking each other which ball to shoot and letting the other person take the credit when the ball went in the pocket. How awesome is that?! They're pretty good too! They all try to get to practice 3 times a week. One of the guys looked and me and said "I have to get out of the house! My wife kicks me out!" and then turned to the other guys and said, "What? I'm not gonna lie like you guys!" Don't you just love honesty??

Tennis Tournament

2009-03-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

Valentines Love Story

2009-03-14T20:30:00.001-05:00

This couple invited me to share their Sunday birthday celebration. They've been together for over 60 years! Wow! I can't imagine!

Yoga in the snow

2009-01-27T16:01:00.003-06:00

Does it get any better than this?! One fun afternoon hanging out with a group of highly enlightened people! Next time I have a Sunday afternoon off with good weather - I'm totally right there with them! :)

Geo Bee

2009-01-07T20:24:00.002-06:00

Who knew they had a Bee for Geography? (haha, a little rhyming there) Poor kid, he got knocked out the second round.

Resolution Made, Resolution Broken

2009-01-01T17:53:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year!!!

... and on that topic ... my new year's resolution was doomed right from the start. After shooting at 1600 ISO for nearly every assignment I've had at The Gazette, I decided I would pledge to never again (unless I had absolutely no choice) shoot with 1600 ISO. So, you know where this one's going right? Here I am, day 1, and I'm stuck shooting inside a badly lit sports bar. I've got the flash powered up, my camera set to shoot RAW and, yep, my ISO sitting right at 1600! :( Even with these setting I'm down to 2.8 at 100 trying to capture people screaming and shouting as the University of Iowa competes at the Outback Bowl. Grain, Grain, Grain, Grain and Even More Grain! Still... this girl was really getting into the game and despite the grain, you can see the intensity in her eyes. Not too crazy about the shot, wish she was sitting up a little higher... but resolution #2 - pay more attention to the "fun" side of life, compelled me to share the moment.

My Phone's Famous!!

2009-01-01T17:34:00.001-06:00

"When you're in the Papes you're famous! When you're famous you can have anything you want!" - Walt Disney's "Newsies"

My phone is famous! yyyyiiippeee! Haha! This is an illustration I did for an article about technology addiction (i.e. twitter, facebook, etc...). I photographed my phone and used photoshop to show a woman trapped inside. This woman was a really good sport. She's a self-confessed twitter addict who was more than happy to slam her face against a large piece of plexi-glass on Christmas Eve while her two little girls ran around playing with the props in the Gazette studio -- hope Santa gave her something really nice this year!

It Gives Me Warm Fuzzies...

2008-12-27T11:55:00.000-06:00

Small note on recent blogging (or lack thereof)... life sometimes goes a little crazy (and cruel neighbors password protect their wireless internet), for one reason or another (I've been working on a big 5-piece multimedia project) obstacles get in our way (my computer has been sick) and we just don't get to everything on our list. (all excuses aside, I have missed blogging and it's good to be back)

Tis' the season to be giving... and this year in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the giving is going on all around me. Nothing like a disaster to remind people why we give to charity. I've been to several Christmas give-aways in the last few weeks, but one in Palo, IA had an unexpected outcome. I photographed a mother, overcome with gratitude, holding her little girl as she helped her child pick out a Christmas gift. The photo ran as lead art a few days later, and then the calls and emails started coming in. People wanted to know more about the family, many asking for an address so they could send money. I felt like a big bundle of warm fuzziness. The next Sunday, the paper re-ran the photo and published an article about the family. I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present, maybe, just maybe, my picture made a difference in someone's life. :)

State Volleyball Tournament

2008-11-12T23:40:00.002-06:00

Day one of the Iowa State Girl's Volleyball tournament in Cedar Rapids. I never realized how fast the volleyball really flew until I tried to follow it using a video camera set to manual focus. Not an easy task. :) The athletes and fans seemed to have a pretty good time though. I shot for about two hours and edited for 3 to create this piece. It's just over a minute long. Some of the cuts could use a little more attention, but I think it still does its job -- show the atmosphere of the Vball State tournament.

2008 Iowa state volleyball tournament, Day 1 from Gazette Sports on Vimeo.

3 Months at the Cedar Rapids Gazette

2008-11-10T18:25:00.007-06:00

These are a few of my favorite photos and memories from the last three months at the Cedar Rapids Gazette in Iowa. They're not all great photos, but they are great memories.

Williamsburg High School's Curtis Stochl, 18, plays the sousaphone as his school competes during Bands Across the Prairie at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008.

Incoming Coe College nursing student, Brittney Woodford, 18, of Mechanicsville, shovels debris outside the window of a flood damaged house on Third St. NW in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008. Woodford and other incoming Coe College students helped clear the homes to fulfill the college's required 20 hours of community service. "It's sad," Woodford said about seeing the damaged homes.

Annette Marsalli, 8, of Hiawatha, reads to therapy dog Guinness during the Reading to Dogs event at the Hiawatha Library in Hiawatha on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008. The program is designed to help and encourage kids to read. "I never imagined you could talk to dogs like a human," Marsalli said of the event.

Buena Vista University's (left) Jared Boysen runs in from the side as Coe College's Robert Welborn misses the pass from Coe College quarterback John McCarthy, allowing Buena Vista University's Andy Jacobson to intercept, gaining control of the ball during the first half of their game Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, at Coe College's Clark Field in Cedar Rapids.

Cedar Rapid's Washington players (left) Dan Krotz, Saxon Dolan, Devon Reese and Jerome Strong prepare to tackle Linn-Mar High School's Jer Garman as he's pulled to the ground by Cedar Rapids Washington's Larry Johnson during their game Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008, at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids.

A bee flies over wildflowers growing outside a field of soy beans on Campfire Rd. in Walker on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008.

(clockwise from left) Walker Bilden, 4, of Cedar Rapids, Peyton Boeckenstedt, 4, of Martelle, and Griffin Wisehart, 5, of Cedar Rapids, all future students at Cedar Valley Montessori School, play on a toy on Friday, Aug. 29, 2008, at the First Baptist Church/Church of the Brethren in Cedar Rapids. The Cedar Valley Montessori school will relocate to the First Baptist Church/Church of the Brethren after their building was damaged in the June 2008 floods.

(left) Morgan Elliff, 4, of Hiawatha, Marissa Bills, 4, of Marion, and Luke Schrock, 2, of Cedar Rapids listen while Erin Thomas, Education Director at the Cedar Rapids African American Museum, reads "We All Went on Safari," by Laurie Krebs, to a group of children at the Hiawatha Library in Hiawatha on Friday, Sept. 5, 2008. During the class, which was held in the Library due to flood damage at the African American Museum, the children learned to count to ten in Swahili, make paper plate snakes and dace to a Swahili song. The African American Museum in Cedar Rapids celebrates its five year anniversary this year.

(left) Riley Grignon, 2, points off to the distance while his mother, Marie Grignon, and sister, Noel Grignon, 5, share a kiss on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008, in Cedar Rapids. The recent flooding destroyed the family's home, forcing them to split up, living in two different homes.

Linda Sanders, of Cedar Rapids, sings during Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church's installation service for their new pastor, Damian Epps, on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2008, at their new long-term temporary location on 2nd Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids.

Earning first place in the men's varsity race, Lewi Manirumva, 18, of Washington High School, crosses the finish line followed by Iowa City West High School's Frank Canady, 17, during their cross country meet at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008.

(from left) April Keegan, 18, of Victor, Eric McElroy, 19, of Elberon and Brandi Collins, 18, of Belle Plaine, sit in the King Theatre foyer watching "Eagle Eye" as they wait for their friends to arrive on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, in Belle Plaine.

Coe College's Lacey Ganske (#15) jumps up to block the ball after Loras College's Natalie Roling (#2) hit the ball over the net during their game Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008, at Coe College in Cedar Rapids.

Illustrations

2008-10-31T19:36:00.003-05:00

Here's something different... a couple October illustrations...

It's All About the Shoes

2008-10-25T00:16:00.005-05:00

This one's from a "media day" at the University of Northern Iowa. Media Days are these strange other-worldly type experiences. The universities invite the media to a one hour event where they can hear the coach talk about the upcoming season, and then the media gets to spend time with the players.
So... what that REALLY means is... 4 TV crews, 10 writers and 5 photographers meet for an all-out-to-the-death battle over the same 2 or 3 players. After I fought for my 3 minutes with this guy I moved on to the next one, only to come back and find him doing an interview by these really awesome purple chairs - that just so happened to match his ginormous shoes. I like his one. Yay purple! I hereby proclaim myself the victor in the "War of Media Day UNI" :)

It's me!

2008-10-16T00:02:00.003-05:00

My dad requested a photo of me and my car. I set out in search of the perfect backdrop - corn! It took some serious searching but I somehow managed to find some corn in Iowa. ;) So here I am with my car and my guitar. I'm a little worried about driving the car in the snow. I drove over a puddle earlier today and the car very nearly got stuck, I can't drive faster than 40mph on gravel or the car starts driving itself (very badly!) and making right turns on wet roads ... well ... let's just say I'm really glad my brother took me drifting in his car so I knew what was going on! Like I said, I'm a little worried about driving in the snow. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Harvest

2008-10-15T23:34:00.001-05:00

Soybean harvests are VERY dusty - my gear and I were covered in dust. I really had fun shooting this. The combine operator even let me have a ride inside! Looking down at the blades it was like watching popcorn popping. :)

...also... the Boston Globe used this image in their online photo gallery! How awesome is that?!

Silent City

2008-10-04T01:35:00.000-05:00

This is a project that's all my own - it won't be published anywhere but here. Since I've been in Cedar Rapids, I've really missed using my own equipment to capture images - the cameras I use for work feel awkward, really dull, and the computer is horrible. So, on my days off I would grab my wonderful 5D and my 14mm lens and just drive to a spot and walk around. It was like spending an afternoon with an old friend, a welcome feeling here in this place where I really don't know anyone. There aren't any people in the photos and most are full frame. My goal was to show the devastating flood damage and my own isolation. So here it is... my work so far...

"Silent City" - an outsiders look at a devastated city

Boomtown

2008-10-04T00:22:00.001-05:00

So... I've been really bad about updating my blog lately... these shots are a little old. They're from an event put on by the Iowa Pyrotechnic Association called "Boomtown." I have to say, it was the best fireworks show I've ever seen! They had fireworks of every shape, size and color - all perfectly timed to music. It was like the fireworks were dancing to the music. Very cool!

Golf...with everything in its place...

2008-09-12T23:56:00.001-05:00

Let me start by saying that I have never, in my life, EVER seen a real game of golf. (unless you count the unforgettable "Happy Gilmore" and a 2 second channel surfing glimpse). I shot this practice like a little silver ball in a pinball machine, bumping back and forth from one player to the next, desperately trying to get a shot with more than two people in the frame. Just moments before they finished, the heavens opened up and some great god of kindness brought all 4 of the varsity players into my frame. I love this shot just 'cause each player is exactly where I would have placed them had I set up the shot. (I'll have to sacrifice a beach ball to the gods of golf for giving me a lucky hand with this one) I was so lost!

Some Scenery

2008-09-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Ironman

2008-08-25T14:20:00.001-05:00

His name is Ron Ottaway, he's 71 years old, and he's the 70+ Amateaur World Ironman Triathlon Champion. Mr. Ottaway is quick to tell you he hasn't missed a day of running in 19 years. He jokes about how he's gotten slower with age, but then so has his competition. Words like 'dedication,' 'discipline' and 'commitment' creep into his casual conversations. All at once, he inspires and confuses me. Why would anyone, especially a semi-retired 71 year old man, voluntarily put themselves through this degree of physical strain? The three hours I spent with him wasn't really enough to convince me of anything... but I'll let you judge for yourself.

The video feels a little like my old a + b interview assignment but who knows... maybe I can continue this project and go with him when he competes in Hawaii this Oct.... ;-) (I know, it's a VERY LONG long shot)

Ron Ottaway, a 71-year-old triathlete from Jason Kristufek on Vimeo.

Flood Flowers

2008-08-25T13:58:00.000-05:00

Sunflowers are sprouting up all over the once flooded neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids. I sloshed around in the mud and garbage while the rain poured down to take these photos. It was the most fun I've had since I've been here! :)

New Car, New Guitar

2008-08-15T23:21:00.000-05:00

It's official, I have everything I need. Freedom in the shape of a new (used) car, and peace in the form of a new (used) guitar. Love may not have a price tag, but freedom and peace do. They even come with a payment plan! I've driven through an entire tank of gas and played until my fingers turned black. Ah! What a wonderful day!

Iowa!

2008-08-09T18:49:00.000-05:00

After two days of travel - flying across the country and driving through endless cornfields - I've arrived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Much of the city has a worn, functional feel to it. There's very little about this place I'd call "decorative."

Two hours ago the sky was a big beautiful blue - in just a few minutes, storm clouds came in and its been pouring ever since. I can't believe how fast the weather changed!!! My new neighbors probably thought I was insane staring up and the sky, shaking my head in disbelief. Can you believe these storms clouds?!! And in August too!!!

So - here's a bit of Iowa. This is a wildflower I discovered during my walk yesterday. I put it in an over-sized vase and completely forgot to water it -- hehe.... :) I kinda like the feel of this photo.

Monday's my first day at the Gazette. Wish me luck!

Pages from the Past

2008-07-17T21:50:00.001-05:00

I finished my scanning project. It took longer than I thought and, honestly, I don't want to scan another image for at least a year! :) Despite the scanner issues and wrestling with 30 year old sticky plastic album pages, I kinda liked being the person who preserved these images for another generation. A word of advise though - always write down the person's name and info on the back of the photo, and NEVER EVER use any kind of tape in a photo album - some pearls of wisdom from someone who spent hours trying to peal tape from photos and compare faces to figure out names. :)

There's something incredibly charming about old photographs - their hazy image quality, yellow tint and completely out of focus faces unknowingly telling a story. I watched time speed by every time I turned the photo album pages. I think I learned a thing or two looking at all those faces. Even though the clothes and hair styles changed, it seemed like I was watching the same life playing over and over again. These are some of my favorites...

A Break From Scanning...

2008-07-02T20:25:00.001-05:00

For the last month I've been working scanning and labeling old photographs - it is both an intriguing and frustrating job - I plan to post some of my favorite scans when I finish the job in a few weeks. But today, I took a break from an endless day in front of the photo scanner, and visited with my cousin Kandice and her 3 kids.

By now, the kids are used to having "cousin Amanda" come around and take pictures with her big camera (the one they know they're not ever ever allowed to touch). They're so used to ignoring me, it was a little difficult to get them to hold a pose (but then, when is it ever easy to get kids to hold a pose) I've attached a small "photo reel" of the shoot and my 3 favorite images from the day. The video is really cheesy and the photos aren't that great - but I think it's kinda fun - good for a few smiles.

Graduation Day

2008-05-31T14:18:00.000-05:00

Went to my cousin's graduation last night. It was like looking for Waldo in a haystack! But... after a few minutes... we found her! I thought this shot was kinda fun - and it totally shows how crazy it was to find her in the crowd.

Happy Graduation Dena! Congrats!

Something old...something new

2008-05-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

Not long ago, when I first discovered that photography was more than just blurry shots of smiling faces, I started playing with images. For mother's day, I made my mom a medley of yellow roses. It was fun tweaking my photos beyond all thoughts of normal. So... I dug around and looked at my 'early work' as a photographer.... I don't know what other people might think of this stuff, but I think it's kinda fun so... I present to you - "Medley of Yellow Roses," "Little Life," and "Orchard Spirit"

Visit from the Neighbors

2008-04-25T17:05:00.000-05:00

Today, book in hand, I set out to enjoy the sunny weather and read a little. Using a blanket I made myself a little "picnic" setting on the front lawn and sat down to read. Ten minutes in, I'm attacked by allergies. I run inside, sneeze 15 times and make my way back outside.... only, there's something about the front lawn I didn't notice before... something... not right... something... not good

My friendly (by that I mean scary as hell) neighborhood snake

had come out to enjoy the sunny day as well. Naturally, I followed my first instinct -- ran inside screaming, slamming the door and jumping up and down while rubbing my arms just to be sure no snakes had miraculously attached themselves to me - that done, I got my camera.

With great courage I stepped back outside (a couple car lengths between myself and the unwelcome neighbor). I watched that snake for a good 1/2 hour as it ssssslowly turned around and dissappeared into the dirt.

Now I'm sitting inside, wondering if I have the courage to go back outside and get my blanket... awwww hell! Blanket be damned! I'm not going back out there!

in case you were curious - I think this is a gopher snake (harmless to humans). But they look a lot like rattlesnakes - We have those here too! Eh!

Flower Afternoon

2008-04-10T22:37:00.001-05:00

The weather's getting warmer, the wind is starting to blow and flowers are blooming all over the hills of Central California. That's right! It's Allergy Season again!! (also known - by a select few - as Spring). While I clutched a kleenex in each hand, and reminded myself not to rub my itchy eyes - my little cousins were enjoying the beautiful afternoon. In between sniffs and sneezes I shot a lot of silly, out of focus shots... and a handful that I really liked. These 3 are my favorites.

Monkeys n' More

2008-04-07T22:38:00.001-05:00

I went to the Sacramento Zoo today. The animals were amazing!

In the last week I've posted animals and babies... uh oh! next thing you know I'll be posting silhouettes and cliche's.

Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

2008-04-02T18:07:00.000-05:00

Since coming back home, I have learned many many things... about babies! Old friends from high school carry these small people on their hips like I carry my cameras. Family members spend hours talking about the complexities of sleep patterns and growth rates. At times these conversations even turn bloody and focus in on pregnancy issues. Ugh!

In the midst of these "talks" I move my eyes from side to side, desperately seeking someone with whom I can share a "What the f***" glance. I find myself asking questions like: "Is he supposed to be making those noises?" and "Are you serious??!! ... Really?? That can't be right!" My Red Cross baby sitting class never prepared me for the infamous "baby discussions." But... to be fair to my new cousins (the photos are of my cousin's baby, Aiden) and my new nephew... they can be cute. (when they're not screaming or throwing up or smelly) :-)

It's Done!!!

2008-03-25T15:47:00.001-05:00

Yay!! It's done! It's done! It's really all done! My website is completed! What I thought would be a week long project turned into a month long project. Oh well, that what happens when you bite off a bit more than you can chew. Haha... Check it out and let me know what you think.

www.laraephotography.com

Family Honor

2008-02-16T14:53:00.000-06:00

We said farewell to my grandfather yesterday after four years fighting lung cancer. I've taken a break from my website this past week, but I'll soon be back in front of the computer putting together the final touches.

Auf Wiedersehen Michigan

2008-01-31T01:19:00.000-06:00

Sadly, my time in Michigan is at an end. I flew back to central California today (actually, I flew to Chicago, Vegas and Sacramento -- you've gotta love Southwest Airlines!). I think that this shot is in Utah... but... who knows, it could be anywhere. I thought the canyons looked cool. The world always amazes me when I fly.

About ten minutes into the flight this little guy called out to his mother, "Look a butterfly!" I expected to find a flying insect when I looked up, but instead I saw him pointing down to the earth. With his young eyes he saw the shape of a butterfly in the four circles formed by freeway exits. I though it was funny - We usually find hidden shapes up in the clouds but this little boy looked down from the clouds to see shapes.

I'll be working on my new website during the next week. Hopefully, something amazing is heading my way. Until then, I'm going to work my a** off to make that "something" happen. :-) I think I'm going to start a piece on the modern day California Gold Rush - it could make a cool documentary/photo story. Wish me luck!

Prairie Wind

2008-01-25T21:44:00.000-06:00

Meet Mr. Tom Horney of Raisinville Township in Monroe, Mich. He's going to receive the "Friend of Conservation" award for the work he's done planting trees and preserving the prairie grasses on his land. I spent a little over an hour driving around with him in his big red pickup, ("The Beast" he called it) and enjoying a rare winter glimpse of pure sunlight.

When I spoke to him on the phone he joked about how I should take a picture with him far away, behind the grass... and... well... that's kinda what happened. While we were driving he'd spotted a rooster so he got out of The Beast to try and find him in the high grass. I loved the way the prairie grass looked as the FREEZING wind blew it so I snapped a few shots before my eyes started to water.
The combination of sunlit grass in the foreground and storm clouds in the distance really made this photo pop. It's one of my new favorites! I wonder what he thought when he saw the paper and realized I took his suggestion. ?? (fyi - we never found the rooster)

Bring it on Bedford!

2008-01-23T17:29:00.002-06:00

Bedford, Mich., is home to a group of very jumpy girls... the Bedford high school competitive cheer squad. I spent a few hours with them at their practice, and after the shock of being around so much pink wore off, I realized that it's not easy being a cheerleader. In fact, I think its the most difficult "sport" I've photographed yet.

The girls were quick to tell me they weren't dancers - they were there to tumble and shout using what they called "their manly voice." Every member of the team had to learn to do jumps, forward flips, backward flips and some painful looking flip I've never even heard of before.

To say the least, I was impressed - and I didn't expect to be impressed.

9 degrees!

2008-01-15T23:52:00.000-06:00

Cold winter weather brought ice and snow to Monroe County January 3, 2008. I got to experience the cold first hand as I drove and hiked through Monroe taking pictures of a world so cold even the trees turned white!

That's ice hanging down from the basketball net!!

Mayor C.D. "Al" Cappuccilli

2008-01-01T15:52:00.001-06:00

To see the multimedia piece go to :

monroepublishing.com/multimedia/mayor

Amanda Goes to Jail!

2007-12-21T21:48:00.000-06:00

So... Yesterday I went to Jail...

...
...
...

...to take pictures!!

It was incredible! I went to the Monroe County Jail to photograph the inmates as they received gifts from one of the county's many church organizations. I was really excited to take pictures, but a little nervous about the rules I might encounter at the jail. I knew I couldn't photograph any faces without a legal consent form. I was afraid the prison guards might have to search my gear. But... no worries! There was no search and one of the guards gave me a tour of the jail when I got there. I actually brought my keys w/ my pepper spray key chain right into the prison without a problem. Of course, I don't think they knew that... hehe...

I spent a couple hours inside the jail and walked with the church people as they handed out gift bags to every single inmate and guard -- they even gave me a bag (it had some cookies/candies a couple religious advertisements and a pair of socks inside). When I left I felt like I was walking out of a strange and different world.

I just have to say this... being a Visual Journalist totally Rocks!! It's the coolest job in the entire universe! I've shared Christmas this year with people with Down Syndrome, inmates, little kids, Santa Claus, Gun Enthusiasts, ballet dancers, rappers and hundreds of people at a small town parade. It's been great -- and I've even had snow!

Oh! What a week!

2007-12-17T16:57:00.000-06:00

What a crazy week! Today snow is covering Monroe county. On Monday I had to feature hunt for photos to run later that day in the paper. As always, when I need to shoot something and have no clue where to begin -- I panic. But -- after 15 minutes of driving around and finding nothing, (it was about 7:50am! - even the sun was still asleep) I stumbled upon these two. The little boy was home from school due to the weather. While his grandmother tried to shovel their driveway, he insisted on playing with snowballs!

This week I also shot at the local community college. It felt really weird being at a college and not being a student - for a moment I wanted to run out of there. I had to give myself a lecture in the bathroom - tell myself I was being stupid. Guess I just miss being one of the kids. This kid didn't make it any easier for me - he really didn't want his picture taken - especially not around his classmates. So, I improvised and took him to the library... fyi - the story is about how he's the first international student to graduate from the college.

Bedford, MI really takes wrestling seriously. During their final tournament they used a spot light on the mat. It made the photos really interesting and the shooting a challenge.

Doesn't this guy rock?!! It was freakin' freezing out - my face went so numb I had a weird accent when I talked! The event was "Wreaths Across America" - a program where current and retired military members put wreaths on monuments. This guy was amazing! No pun intended - but he was a real trooper! :-)

Is it just me or does anyone else think that it can't possibly be 8 days till Christmas! Seriously??!! Dude - we just barely had Thanksgiving! Anyway - I'm still working on my story about Monroe's Mayor and I'm headed out now to photograph his last city council meeting - wish me luck!

One Fun Assignment

2007-12-14T00:11:00.000-06:00

Today I got to hang out with hall of fame rapper "Prince Whipper Whip" (famous for being a Puerto Rican rapper from the Bronx) as he and his sons worked recording Christian rap in Toledo, OH. I spent about 1 1/2 hours in this tiny basement studio watching them create their music. It was fun - definitely something I'll remember.

Things I've learned about WINTER

2007-12-09T18:09:00.000-06:00

So -- I've got a recipe for you:

Take 2 snow storms

1 ice storm

1 day of rainy drizzle

1 frozen car

add daylight that only lasts about 6 hours

Stir it all together and add 1 clueless kid from California -- I guarantee you'll create something unforgettable.

Before I came here I was warned -- people looked at me out of the corner of their eye and shook their heads saying "I was in for a surprise." They told me I would freeze, that I'd hate it and offered me advice like - "Drive Slowly" and "Buy a big jacket" So -- I was reasonably prepared ...... for Autumn! ..... NOT for Winter! (and they're telling me that it will only get worse)

So, for my friends and family back in Sunny California, I've created a list - A list of things they don't tell you about living in freezing weather.

1. Icicles are cute - but not when they're hanging from the sides of your car and side mirrors

2. The sun no longer equals warmth

3. When the sidewalk is shiny -- DON'T GO THERE!!! You'll find yourself ice-skating without the proper footwear. (My fall count so far is 1 and about a million arm waving fall recoveries.)

4. Getting ready to go now includes 15min of scraping the ice off the car and putting on about 4 layers of clothes. (who knew scarves were for more than just accessorizing)

5. Everything gets wet!

6. Wearing a warm hat is worth every second of horrible hat hair later.

7. SNOW TOTALLY ROCKS!!

8. Snow covers up EVERYTHING -- even that hole you didn't expect to find when you took that step. (yeah, it wasn't fun)

9. Driving becomes an extreme sport

10. Did I mention SNOW TOTALLY ROCKS?!!

I'm learning a lot -- Literally, something new everyday. Last week I learned what Sleet was and how to scrape snow and ice off of car windows (when you don't have a scraper you use a CD case -- who knew?) Today I learned about ice and how you walk on the grass, not the sidewalk.

It's been fun - and filled with bruises ha ha! I bought my plane ticket today. I return to Sunny California on January 30th. Hope everyone is keeping warm.

Stuck in the Cheese

2007-12-09T17:14:00.001-06:00

You know that great, adored business book "Who moved my cheese?"
well, I've got something to say to them --- I've got the D*** cheese and I can't get it to go away! Okay, so I know this doesn't actually have anything to do with that book but I seem to be stuck with a lot of cheesy photographs (Imagine for a moment, what its like to be stuck in a tub of cheese -- ha ha that totally made me laugh! - I knew these blogs were good for something!). I'm in a funk. I tell myself - today I'm going to shoot something edgy, something artistic. I pull up my camera look around and all I can see is cheese. Cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese, cheese! In the last two weeks I've only had one assignment where I feel I didn't totally choke. Here's some photos from it. I don't know - I just want so badly to make amazing photographs - it bugs me when my work isn't up to my standards. Like I said - today, it seems, I'm just stuck in cheese.

3 Months at the Monroe Evening News

2007-11-18T21:59:00.000-06:00

This Tuesday will mark my 3 month anniversary living and working in Monroe, MI. I've looked over the images I've created and picked out my favorites to post (some of them aren't the greatest photos- but are the greatest memories).

It's a Brand New Blog!

2007-11-15T15:40:00.002-06:00

Hey,
so... ready? set? 'cause here I go... it's my very first Blog!!! Yay!!! Weeee!!!

Please excuse the enthusiasm I just had a huge cup of coffee from Tim Hortons -- I'm typing like a mad woman. Which officially begs the question: Who does have the best coffee? Hmmm... that's one I'll have to think on.

Here's some pictures I took recently at the Monroe Evening News. Cross your fingers...