When I was younger, and starry-eyed and full of poetry, I used to press wildflowers between books, especially between the leaves of my Norton's Anthology tome of poetry. I can still open that book, and find leaves or flowers pressed between. I have become a little more responsible and a little more jaded, but I still find the beauty in wildflowers.
Wildflowers have their own iambic pentameter about them. Their seeds become inevitably airborne, and if they land in a place where the climate, soil conditions are just right, they will take root, and spread their beauty in their new home. They are not pretentious, and often hide in crevices or blend in with the scenery.
I have always felt like a wildflower, and although my wildness has tempered itself a bit, my need for adventure and taking flight has not. So, we traveled last weekend to Weaverville, California, where my parents moved, to celebrate Father's Day. My mother had to write a sermon for Sunday, as she is the minister of a small, quaint congregation there; so my brother, my husband, my father and I took off for a hike and we breathed in fresh mountain air, and I stopped for every wildflower. Sure beats a Hallmark card, eh?
I think that lately I've really been craving a need to slow time way down. Anytime I'm behind the lens of a camera, it shifts my perspective. Having a macro lens shifts it even further. I hone in on light, on color, on shape, line.
Trying to stay present in today's urban world is an uphill battle. I am constantly trying to figure out where my pawn will move next so that I can get the queen out of her cave. Images become a way for me to stay focused on what's right in front of me, be it a human, an ant, a leaf, a monster truck. It really doesn't matter. People constantly want to know what kind of photographer I am. The kind that makes you feel, that makes you think, that moves your own axis a little. That's what kind.
So, take a walk. Try staying present. Notice the cracks in the pavement, and the world of creatures that live within them. Drink color, dance in contours, and find a way to come back to center. Carpe Diem.
After a year hiatus from word one...I decided (and had a little external pressure) to come back to the web to show what I've been up to.
I did get my name in print (the new phone book's here! the new phone book's here!) in the Oakland magazine, accompanied by a photo I took for class over a year ago. It's the first time I've been published so it's kind of exciting.
I almost got my act together for a show this Friday, however, due to technical difficulties, and limited time, I was not able to pull it off. The theme was recycling, and tying into how west Oakland has a lot of up and coming artists who utilize recyclable materials. Here are the images I would've put on walls in frames (and might still, just not this Friday):
I think the first principle about recycling is reducing, and then following that is reusing. I would say that ninety percent of what I own is from craigslist, garage sales or thrift stores. I buy very little new items if I can help it. I try to think of the cost-added value of stuff. All the hands that went into making it, all the petroleum and machinery for production and delivery, the hands that package it, and deliver it, sell it. It's overwhelming to think of even the path of a toothbrush that you buy, and how in the end it is contributing to the growing landfills. I even have a disposable toothbrush head!
I bring my camera with me to garage sales, as I find it is culturally interesting what people are ready to part with for a little pocket change. A lot of people are trying to actually pare down their belongings, and others are throwing out the old so that they can get the latest, baddest, newest gadget or thing-a-ma-bob. I usually shop for things that are practical, that I have an actual use for immediately. I am attracted to things that sparkle and are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, however, I don't always need those, and thus, I am more inclined to just take photos. In fact, I'm ready to just take photos of most things I own that no longer serve an immediate purpose/need and then have my own garage sale, or even just donate to the thrift stores. Having recently moved, it reminds me of how much stuff I actually own, and what a pain in the ass it is to move it from one place to another, even if I just moved next door.
The rest of the stuff I own is recycled creative supplies, whether it's fabric, paper, coins, sequins, ribbons...I am crafty and like to create recycled art.
I realize that time has been my arch-enemy of late, and it's like watching water down a drain...not sure where the water goes, but I know it eventually evaporates.
If anything, my visions have just been honing themselves, as I've tried photographing high-end knives:
And that is just one big learning curve. I have always loved a challenge, and I like pulling my hair, but not one by one over a crazy amount of time. I'm not sure if I got the job, but I now have chest hair! Lighting shiny metal objects is one thing, but when you also need to capture the detail on the blade, and also show off the blade's edge, and not catch any other reflections, then we're talking about a something other than snapshots. For anyone who wants the dirt on the details: I used a foam core box that I created (least expensive light tent) out of those white tri-fold foam core presentation boards, and added a white foam core top and bottom. I used a hotlight on a boom arm, pointed at the ceiling of the box, and then held another smaller piece of foam core, wrapped in a light gray (to bring out the blade's details). I had to hold the gray board just right, so that it wouldn't cover the blade's edge, and so that could be highlighted.
I've taken a few trips out with the camera, but mainly, I've gotten one of those prized "iPhones" that people will beat you up to own. They definitely live up to the hype in a lot of ways, but I think they should have an app for bringing breakfast in bed. Or finding your car, when you can't remember where you parked it! I didn't think I'd become a cell phone photographer, and with such a wide angle and only 3MP, it's laughable, as the images are really only worthy of being posted online, or at best 4x6" images. Here's a few highlights:
I think quality is definitely something that can't be compromised when it comes to imagery, however, when you're trying to convey a moment, it could be blurry, grainy, distorted, or whathaveyou, and it wouldn't matter. Essence always trumps.
The digital age has made all of us a photographer. I'd like to think that all my studying has given me an edge, but I've seen some exquisite photography by people who have no concept of how light works through a little medium called a camera. Beauty always lies in the beholder, I say. It doesn't matter if you haven't harnessed the craft of an artform, if you're able to express it, in a way that moves someone, then it becomes art.
There is definitely something to be said for sharpness and high res images....where you can see every pore on someones skin (notice that those pores have been glossed over in Photoshop by the professionals who deal in fashion photography, or any images you see in magazine advertising!). I used to always love shooting black & white at 3200 ISO, because it created a dreamy graininess. I thought sharpness was overrated. I think that focus and detail are important to conveying your message.
Ah, well, time has again gotten the upper hand, and I must resume floating down the rushing river...thanks for visiting my mind and soul...
I met Dan & Dit both a couple of years ago outside under the fresh air of Tilden Park. They have both enriched my life in many ways. They asked me to be the photographer for their wedding, and I really was honored to be the ambassador for their love. I was the one who was blessed to witness such a beautiful ceremony and capture their memories.
Dan is a wonderful cook, and very caring and giving. He loves the outdoors (as does Dit). He has a positive outlook on living life, and seems to take it by the reigns.
Dit (Dierdre--apparently, Dit was a nickname that her mother gave her as a young child, but I never got the story of how it came about...) also shares a passion for life. She has a deep sense of spirituality, and works as a gardener. Nature seems to be a common thread that has woven their lives and love together.
It seems only apropos that they planned a handfasting ceremony to commemorate their passion for each other. This ritual comes from Scotland, known as the Lughnasa festival, where the couple "ties the knot." In their case, their wedding party helped them tie the knot. They really had so many details that were so thought-filled and lended to the beauty of their love for each other. Dit is incredibly creative and had made her veil and the "broom" that they jumped over, symbolic of leaping into new adventures together.
Dan & Dit have an incredible community of friends and family who truly demonstrated their support and love for them, in all the hard work, and delicious food that was provided through potluck and BBQ. I was truly amazed at how everyone really lended to the day, despite the tremendous heat. I think the strength of their love, and the love from their community is testament to a long life together. I wish them the best, and feel such deep gratitude for getting the opportunity to commemorate this amazing day. Cheers!
guerrilla love, spiffy driver, eccentric photographer, san francisco, splendid friends, fog and sunshine.
= success.
They met on craigslist.com. I met Judy through a temp job, which turned permanent for me, (although a myriad of circumstance and insanity caused me to leave) and we got to be friends; the best thing that happened to me there. And I'll leave it at that. Over a million lunches together, and talks about our relationships, she ended up being my bridesmaid four years ago for my wedding. And now, exactly four years later, she and Brian are blazing new trails on the nuptial front, and she asked me to take some photos pre-wedding.
Brian is quite the grassroots industrialist, with a warehouse in Oakland full of projects, and an encyclopedia of knowledge of all things mechanical, engineered, electrical or otherwise. He and my husband play chess while Judy and I do retail therapy, or jump in pools at open houses together on 110-degree days.
Judy is a painter, a crafts guru, a seamstress, and downright one of the funniest people you'll ever meet. Brian is quite the wit, too. 'Round these parts, if you don't do funny...you just don't. I mean, don't bother entering the establishment. We only take funny 'round here.
I love Brian and Judy, and know that this wedding is going to be such a fabulous celebration of all things guerrilla, gorilla, eccentric, fiery, and otherwise. Cheers!
post script...if you ever feel like getting lots of attention in San Francisco, try dressing up as a bride and groom and promenade through lots of touristy areas like North Beach, the Embarcadero...you never know what you're going to get: drunks belligerently picking you up, people in wheelchairs humming that damned wedding song, and cars honking.
A traveler, a student, a teacher. I love to spin yarns and impart my knowledge and my curiosities. I share my stories through words and visual arts. I love to make people laugh. I find that even the most mundane moments can be hilarious. It's all perspective. My camera provides that different angle. Narrow the focus. Hone reality. Extrapolate the marrow. Yes.
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