[ grand canyon ]

A few weeks ago (okay... like three weeks... so I'm a little slow posting), my mother and father were visiting for their spring break, and for one day, we went up to the Grand Canyon. We took a really nice tour, so didn't have to do anything but sit back, relax, and see the big ass canyon. None of us had ever been there before, so it was pretty awesome to see it.

I took some of my fun cameras with me, but don't have those pictures yet, so you'll just have to enjoy some digital ones!

Now, I knew the Grand Canyon was big. The word "grand" is in the title. But seriously... it's HUUUUUUUUUGE. I was in complete awe.




Possibly my favorite picture that I took digitally. I'm a dork, I know:







For about 50 more images, check out my Flickr Page!

[ the many skies of arizona ]

Arizona has the best skies ever. (Says the broken record). Here are some shots from various drives to and from work over the past couple weeks.

Fabulously colorful sunset:


Misty mountains in the distance in the morning:


Yet another insanely colorful sunset:


The absolutely bizarre fog from this morning:


This was the type of fog that completely surrounds you and makes you feel like the only person in the world. The whole time I was driving in it, I was thinking about the big battle scene in the movie King Arthur. When the magical misty fog rolls in and Arthur and his five or six horsemen manage to defeat hundreds and hundreds of people because they can't see where they are. And then the people completely painted in blue shoot arrows.

That was the insane image running through my mind. It was early. And I hadn't had any coffee yet.

Happy Wednesday :)

[ photo post ]

Just some images today. Beautiful Arizona skies. Love 'em more and more every day.







TIATF:

Photography.

It gives me peace. It gives me passion. It gives me memories. It gives me motivation. It gives me clarity.

[ fair photos ]

Some photos from this weekend. I still maintain that AZ has the most beautiful skies ever!








For a whole lot more, check out my Flickr.



TIATF:

That I work from home two days a week. Along with getting work done for Brenda, it gives me time to myself, to work on various projects: organizing, designing, etc. Mondays and Fridays are good alone time. I love having Jesse home, but I also love my alone time!

[ jesse is the best ]

Yeah, my boyfriend is pretty much the best. Tomorrow is our one-year-anniversary, and tonight he came home from work, with a freakin' awesome surprise: two GORGEOUS red sunflowers. I loooooove them. And him. I definitely love him.






They are beautiful. And they look awesome in the teardrop vases.

[ apartment vignettes ]

Took some time to photograph some of my favorite corners of the apartment today.

My 100% Italian leather Carnevale mask sitting on some books, and my Golden Hen award for being "Most Likely to Become the Photographer Whose Work We Try To Steal and Sell on EBay."

Jesse's menorah from Israel, a brightly colored Buddha from Marielle, an empty wine bottle from Israel, surrounded by fantasy books: Harry Potter & the Robert Jordan novels.

A handful of my art books. The Polaroid Book and Individuals (GAP ads) are my favorites.

Green beer bottle on a green coaster from last nights dinner.

Buddhas on Books! Little classics, perfect for travel.

Brightly colored candles on awesome silver discs, all from Ikea.

Our coffee table and couch, with some fun accessories and a punch of green.

[ signs in the sky ]

I don't see much beyond my drive to work. I think I need to explore more.

[ in the middle of the pouring rain ]

I've been away for a couple days! I'm such a slacker. Well, not really, because the reason I haven't been posting is because I've been working my butt off, and I'm always exhausted when I get home.

[ plus Jesse got me re-hooked on Civilization IV... my English civilization is kicking ass! ]

Anyway, slight change in my work life. I came to the conclusion that shooting in the studio with Brenda wasn't going to work for me. I'm not a studio girl... not in the traditional sense, that is. I find no passion in setting up lights, and posing people. I want to catch people doing what they do best: being themselves. So, instead of being a second shooter for her, I'm just going to be editing and designing albums. And instead of being paid hourly, I'll be paid by project. And instead of working at her house on her computer, I'll be working at my apartment on my computer.

This is all very very good, as it will save me time and money, since I won't be driving all over the Valley for work five days a week. Now I'll only be heading down to Avondale three times a week, instead of five, as I'll be doing three full days of work at Stuart's, instead of four three-hour-days and one full day.

It'll be different, but good.

In my not-work-related-life, I've been futzing with Photoshop a lot. Just fiddling with settings, seeing what everything does. The following two images have come out of my futzing:

[ kelly with flowers ]

[ marielle with trees ]

Both are photographs that I shot, with other photographs I shot added over them. I like 'em. It's fun and different, maybe even a little grungy. But they're making me smile.

And no, the subject of my post has nothing to do with the post. The song was just stuck in my head.

[ walking in memphis by marc cohn ]

[ like a candle in the wind ]

Well, more like just a candle. No wind involved.

[ gray is the color i see around her ]

I'm working on getting together new images and a new layout for my portfolio website, and I'm rediscovering work I did. I forgot about the paper negative effect images I made, and I'm loving them more than ever.




They just blur and distort and texturize so beautifully. I've GOT to do some more of these.

They also got me missing using a Holga (the last three are double wammies: Holga negatives, with the paper effect). Which is funny, because I remember loathing using a Holga in class two years ago, and now I'm dreaming longingly of one. (Good thing they are cheeeeap). I simply must get one. It's not even a question.

[ green and gray by nickel creek ]