Observations

Okay, so in between moving and studying, I had to go to my nieces birthday party -- now, my brother, step-dad, and uncle all ride motorcyles. Each a different brand -- Triumph, Harley Davidson, and Victory respectively. When motorcyclist get together, especially when they are going to ride (it's not raining or snowing and above 32, it's riding weather) must wear t-shirts depicting the name and logo of their bikes. :) At least the guys do.

Photography Wrap Up

So, this coming Tuesday is the show and tell for my photography class. I'm nervous and excited. I can't wait to see what other's have been doing, but I'm not so sure I want to share my stuff. I spent 5 hours in the darkroom Friday and 4 hours on Thursday. In total I printed 6 photographs and two proof sheets. And I still have a lot to do yet. Ugh. But that'll wait. Warning -- my brain is slowly turning to mush because finals are next week. All on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. So, ooooh shiny is so in effect right now. Anyway. I printed 6 photo's and mounted 4. Two I mounted were the topic the prof chose (hot dog art). Personally, I didn't care for either of them (hot dog matches and hot dog, food, and my dad's flag). The normal hot dog one, the food is out of focus because I was focusing in on the stars on the flag and not the food. So depth of field plays into it and there is a slightly blurry photo. I'm NOT reshooting hot dogs again. NOpe. Not gonna happen. So, I then printed a photo that eventually will go to my friend C, because of what it looks like to me (it's a tree in the shape of a man) and how it ties in with a story she's writing (it's really good, but not mine, so I can't tell you -- send good publishing thoughts and maybe you'll be able to read it soon). My other friend, one of her characters has a house in EGR that I wanted to shoot for her, but she couldn't remember the address or anything so, I didn't get to do that one, yet. And so, at the last minute I decided to print one last photo, even though I hadn't done a proof sheet and I didn't have time to do either. But, I did. And it is my favorite photo. I didn't do anything to it, but it'd be interesting to see how it'd look if I did. My Best friend and I and her fiancee and DD went to dinner last night, and he wants a copy of the print. And suggests that I submit it to the GR Festival of Arts. I'm considering it, but I don't know. I'm doing the "I'm-a-beginner-what-chance-do-I-have-of-even-getting-in-let-alone-winning-anything" attitude going. We went to the bookstore so I could get a gift for a friend of mine in need of me time, wait that's all of my friends, but the gift is for one of them, but they didn't have the book I wanted -- it's another friend's book, and really good and light (humorous). We were looking at photography magazines and I made the comment that I wanted to learn more about B&W photography, as I was pawing through some of the mags, and was told I didn't need to learn more, I already knew about composition. To which I looked at him like he had four heads and blue skin. I said no, I didn't. Because the one's he liked, and a lot of the ones I liked, arent' the ones I set up, they're the ones I basically point and shot, which since I have a manual (Thank you John and Stasha) camera, isn't that fast, but still, you get the picture. So I was told I should try large or medium format, which I admit to wanting to learn -- but, at the moment, I'm not in a position to know anyone locally who does either that I can learn from, and while I love to read, I don't learn very well from it. Hands on application requires hands on learning. Sometimes, it's a bad thing, but it's how I work. Gotta love my brain -- it's wired wierd even for creative people. And while I did point out that when it comes to depth of field and motion I still have no clue, it was brushed aside. Now, I'm thinking that might just matter. But he and my best friend want me to enter the one print (stone table in a foresty setting) into the contest and said people would buy it. I laughed. It's one thing to want my photo's on my walls, it's another story to want them on someone else's walls. Pardon the ramble, but I just moved into this new apartment, and I was looking for art to put on my walls, and decided, that while I liked the photo's, I'd rather have my stuff on my walls, because it was mine. So, I will. My SIL rescued DD from after-school care last night and when I pulled up to their house, DBro's brand new Triumph was sitting at an angle (a bad one too. :( ), and I talked later, he's going to give me money for a roll of film (he's like how much does it cost, I said I didn't know I bought six rolls at a time -- really need to find a place to buy in mass quantitites, photo stores ran out of the film all photo students in GRCC's program use. That sucked.) so that I can take photos of his bike. I want to get his bike, my SDad's bike (new Harley), and my uncle's bike (Victory) all together, too. I will be becoming a member at the UICA so I can rent space in their darkroom. Because, right now, I have a bathroom that I can use as a temporary darkroom, and while getting the trays and chemicals is reletively easy and inexpensive, I'm pretty sure the enlarger and the lightbulbs are not. And if I do manage to learn large or medium format (can you say more cameras than people and creatures) will it work for the larger negetive? The one's at school are set for 35mm film. But they are removable, so maybe, but not necessarily, and I don't have a lot of extra storage space. And it is the only light tight room in my house -- apartment. So, I learned that I love photography and that I need a cheap point and shoot for color family events that I want to scrapbook (it's too much work -- right now-- to print 24 pics that I'm going to cut up and stick in a photo album and with my manual, I'm never happy with the way family photo's turn out, well maybe if they sat STILL, I might, but that's not ever gonna happen -- my mom has 9 grand kids -- hehehe -- so point and shoot with color film), a digital because it'd be cool (OMG, did I say that outloud? and yes, I realize that I can use the digital as a point and shoot but you missed the part where I cut pics up to scrapbook them -- and I'm not going to buy a special printer with special paper for several hundreds of dollars when for $5 ($7 if I want them on a CD too) I can get doubles of my roll of film that I don't have to replace the ink on, and they're archivable), more lenses (wide angle and zoom at least) for my camera, and I want to explore larger formats. And I still write, go to school, and work for indie film company. NOt to mention wedding attire to sew for this June (and I still don't know what I'm going to be making -- very scary) and I've been asked to make costumes for another indie company (not Doodle Doll, which I helped to found) but another one, which I think might have bitten off more than they can chew given their resources (less than ours). Really, it's a good thing I graduate next Friday (Associates in Arts and and Associates in Sciences). No classes this summer. Good thing too.

Where Else?

Where else but Michigan can you experience all four seasons in one city without driving anywhere in the space of a workday?

I woke up to it raining -- typical, usually, in the spring. Just before lunch time it started snowing. After lunch it was windy but no snow or rain. And at 3 the sun was out and it was warm. Gotta love it.