032/365 - Lens Flare & A New Direction

I started this project by choosing photos that represented my day, and while that worked well (and still does), I kept wanting to branch out more and more. You can kind of see that as my entries went on. So, my next plan of attack is to branch out and (hopefully) show a photo that keeps driving me forward, or, at the very least, shows something a little different from the typical, run-of-the-mill "Here's what I did today!" shot. Let's get started, shall we?

Although this isn't the first time I've experimented with shooting into the sun and lens flare, this one is a tad different, in that the sun is almost directly behind the subject. This has been a shot I've been wanting to do for the longest time now, but with a friend... Unfortunately, none were around during my experiment, so I had to resort to my old pal, Mr. Koala! He didn't mind at all! =P

One day... I'll get the lens flare shot I want. Followed by many more sweet photos, of all sorts. I can't wait to show you guys what I have in store; honestly, most of these photos don't even come close to what I'm looking to do. ;) [I mean that in the least conceited way possible! I truly want to share the experience and spring some stories out this adventure!] Who's game for being part of them? =)

And with that, day 32 is in the books!

031/365 - First Month = Success!

"Can your pants do this?!" HAHA! =P

First month = Success! What a month it has been! It was absolutely crazy in several ways and a lot of fun in others. And often times, it was just crazy fun! ;) Been much hanging out and countless hikes. (Today being another hike, at Mt. Erie!) There are a few things I failed to mention, either because I forgot or didn't want to include it in my entry, such as a Relay For Life Angelo and I did... somewhere in June! Ha. Always enjoy doing that. =) There was also another game of Ultimate or two, one of which was an intense game this past Sunday at Fort Nugent! I haven't been there in a year or two, and I had a blast being back out on the field, in such a highly-competitive game that always happens with that group! =)

To be serious for a moment, God definitely proved, once again, why I (we) need Him during this month, too. I had a lot of wonderful talks with friends, helped with worship at the old folks home... Lead two Bible studies and participated in several others. More personal devo time. He really pulled me through some tough times and made the good times even better! And now, in less than two weeks, I'm off to San Fransisco, leading youth (What? Who thought it was a good idea to leave me responsible for the lives of youth?! O_O! Haha.), helping with a local food bank, Salvation Army, etc. I'm excited to see what He does with us there!

With all that being said, here's moving right along into month two with "Project 365!" Hiking, again, tomorrow, so I know it's going to start off on the right foot! ;) Hope you'll continue to run with me on this journey! =)

Ciao!

030/365 - Yesterday's Last Breath

I didn't do nearly as much, or anything, that I wanted to do today. =/ Didn't work today, which is what I usually do to keep myself busy. I did manage to hangout for a few hours with my friend, Kenny, at Applebees. He told me he was there playing videogames... Of course, I thought, "Wait... Since when did Applebees have videogames?..." Well... Apparently, there are videogames if you bring your own TV and SNES, and set it all up on the table! Hahaha... We had people coming up to use the whole time, checking it out. Love those random moments.

As for today's photo... I'll let it speak for itself, and see what y'all get out of it. 

P.S. I was planning on using a photo that pertained to Applebees, but this is a far more dynamic and thematic image, in my opinion. =)

029/365 - Best Friends and Memories

While I was cleaning my desk, I found two photos I had taken while in Seattle last month, when we visited Ryan. Outside of seeing him, it was a rather random adventure through downtown! We walked all over, into several stores and restaurants, and ended up at Westlake Mall for dinner. We also went to Pike Place Market, twice! Did the unthinkable there by letting Elisa run free, with no cellphone! We have enough problems keeping track of her as it is! (FYI, I almost lost her while I was staring directly at her on another adventure. I don't understand how she does it! Haha.) We (except Ashley and Brendan) went to Queen Anne Hill, too, while all the high schoolers were having their prom pictures taken. =P Mwhaha. Yeah. We had a lot of fun that day. =)

God has definitely blessed me with the best group of friends one could ask for! We're still close, after all these years, and in some ways, I'd say closer. They all mean so much to me! =) Another FYI, Brendan gets an honorary place in the group, because he's just that awesome. ;) Haha. Good job, bro.

You know the drill! See you tomorrow! =D

028/365 - No Toys Or Donuts Get Left Behind [For June 26, 2010]

I didn't do a whole lot today until the evening, other than watch the World Cup [The "Miracle on Grass" finally came to an end for the US =(! Fantastic run, though!] and a devo through Romans 4. =) When the evening came, it was off to Burlington with Angelo and Wynton to watch Toy Story 3 in 3D, after we stopped at WalMart over there to get some items... Never again! -_-

Anyway! In my opinion, I don't think the film could've been done any better! It was definitely Toy Story. You know how sequels tend to, well, suck more times than not? (I'm looking at you, Shrek!) This is not the case with this one!! Go out and part with some cash to see it! It's worth it. However, is it worth seeing it in 3D? That's up to you... The experience is a little more fulfilling in 3D, but it's certainly not Avatar. In Avatar, I felt that I was literally in Pandora, whereas in Toy Story, I felt that the foreground and subjects were just separated from the background, if I noticed it at all. =/ I still felt like I was watching a 3D film in a theater; not actually in the movie. Haha.

After we all got home and parted ways, I texted my good friend, Rick, up (mind you, this was past 12:30am), where we chatted for a little while at his house before heading out to the Donut House. We spent a while there, talking about life and photography. We didn't get home until almost 5:00am!!! O_O Well, I got home at 5:00am, for sure, because I drove around West Beach with the window down, catching the first sign of the sunrise, before heading home! =) For some, this is crazy. Why would I subject myself to driving through West Beach at odd hours of the day (or night), by myself? But to me, that's my personal time with God. It's one of the most peaceful places on the Island, away from town, where you can just sit back and enjoy His presence, and all that He's created and done in your life. So, for me, it's not crazy at all. It's Love.

Peace.

027/365 - You Are The Artist

Despite having a "fancy" camera, did you know that eleven of these photos in this project were taken with a small Canon point and shoot? (pictured) Can you tell which ones they are? Some are obvious while others may not be.

The point is is that nobody needs a "fancy" camera to take great photos. The same can be said about music, in that nobody needs a $2500 guitar to play good music.

I believe many times, we (including myself) fool ourselves into believing that if we had such and such, we'd do better. If I had a better lens, I'd take better photos. Rubbish! Society tells us that we need the latest and greatest gadget to make our lives better,* but that simply isn't the case. We are the artists. We're the ones who think up these ideas that are foolish enough that they may just work. It doesn't matter what we're wielding, let it be a pro model camera or an original Les Paul. If we don't know how to use it, what good is it? Sure, there are times when we really do need a better tool to create what we want to, but the tool doesn't define our own creativity. You feel me?

Until tomorrow!

*All we really need is Jesus in our lives! ;) Haha.

P.S. The book pictured, "The Best Camera Is The One That's With You" is another Chase Jarvis project. You can check it out HERE. As a photographer, he has a rock solid belief that whatever camera you have, whether it be a $5000 pro camera or a 3 megapixel, one-touch iPhone, that that is your best camera. Why? It's simple - You're capturing moments and inspiration regardless of what your camera is. Chase once gave an example of your son hitting a home run and all you had was a cellphone camera to preserve it. And you can insert your own example. But the bottom line is that it may not be the greatest photo, in terms of quality, but you still captured a once in a lifetime moment, which is what's really important.

Keep all this in mind, and go create! ;)

026/365 - Artistry of Light [For June 24, 2010]

I'd say today was fairly productive! I started the day off by writing my Matthew 6:5-15 study for church in the evening! Worked in the afternoon and then it was off to said study! Unfortunately, Nicole was the only one who came. =/ So thankful she did, though! We improvised and had a good talk through it, as well as some other verses and thoughts. Good stuff. =)

Afterwards, Eric and I played some tennis and experimented with light painting! We had tried once before, but this was the first time we spent a good while setting up, and attempted it for real. I'd say we did alright. ;) Eric nailed this one, for a friend of his, per her request. We were doing this in his garage, so we had some sweet reflections off the cars. Whatcha think? =D Definitely a fun concept to play around with, and will come back to this artistry again!!!

025/365 - Another Day, Another Trail!

It was back to Goose Rock today! This time, however, we (Kenny and I) hiked it different from any of the ways I've done it before. We took the long way up to the summit, and ventured down, having lunch at Cornet Bay (I'm pretty sure...). Then took "Discovery Trail" on the way back... Only to discover (Sorry. =P Ha.) it dumped us out onto the highway, so we had to hoof it back to the Deception Pass parking lot on it! Ugh. Haha. At least the terrain was level, but pavement isn't as forgiving on the joints as a forest trail is (relatively speaking).

This evening, I led a small Bible study, through Romans 2, with a friend of mine and two girls from his Sunday school class. I think it went pretty well, although it went by quick. We need to figure out a better way of discussion... As in plan for more questions. Ha. Knowing this, hopefully tomorrow will be much better when I lead Matthew 6:5-15 with a young adult group. Should be fun nonetheless!! =)

Well, I'm still in search for a real sweet shot! I cannot wait until it comes! [You're right; we'll get there, Rick ;)!] I still need to set up a Flickr. Argh. I have a lot of pics that need to be uploaded!

Until tomorrow! =D

024/365 - Search For The Interesting... [For June 22nd, 2010]

Today was pretty straightforward. I devo'd Romans 2 first thing in the morning. Started the day off right! ;) I'm also going to use this for a small Bible study tomorrow night. Before I had to go to work in the evening, Eric, Wynton, and I were gonna play tennis, but all the courts were full. So, we decided to go to City Beach and threw around a frisbee for a little while with some people we met up with down there.

Next up was West Beach, with Wynton. It was such a sunny day, we HAD to walk a beach... Except it was the foggiest day in that specific area!!! Gah! Only on Whidbey Island, right? Haha.

I've been in a photographic funk lately. I'm not sure if y'all could tell. I'm having a hard time pushing the limits, or finding subjects to push the limits with. It didn't help that I was at a beach I knew in the pitch dark (literally), on the foggiest day where I couldn't even see the mid-day sun in the deep blue sky I've photographed countless times before. Sigh.

Despite all that, I did manage to get this shot of a large, closed up wooden box (?), partially buried in the sand. I have no idea what it was used for, but clearly it's been there for years. As I've said before, this is yet another "If walls could talk..." moment. It's kind of interesting, wondering what it could've been used for, yeah?

It also makes me wonder how often we pass by the same area hundreds of times and not even notice the littlest details that bring a place alive. So, my challenge to you is to go on about your normal routine, but find something intriguing that you've never taken the time to notice before. You never know what you may find! ;)

023/365 - The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

Today was a... Yeah, not much happened, at all, today! Ugh. However, my dad wanted to go along with me to Rocky Point, which turned out to be nice! We didn't do much for Father's Day, so I suppose spending time together today made up for it. ;) We looked for some agates (like we used to do when I was a kid!), but no luck. All was not lost, though! This was his make-shift, extremely accurate sundial in the sand. Haha. =P

Other than this bright spot in my day, like I said, I didn't do anything... No work. No hanging out. Drove me crazy! I'm the type of person who likes getting out and about any way I can; keep myself busy. That being said, I was going insane! Sigh.

Well, I guess the shadow proves the sunshine? Not everything in your day will always be a home run. Not every day will be spectacular, and not even every week will be positively memorable. But, these times only make all the others that much more beautiful! ;) These are our lives, and no matter what happens, we've just gotta keep pressing on! If a shadow is cast over you, just know that it's there only because the sun's on the other side! In other words, there will always be a better day. ;)

So, today wasn't as grand as I had hoped. Big deal. I already know tomorrow will be better! =)

P.S. I've come to the conclusion that anything Jon Foreman writes can become a topic of deep discussion. =P

022/365 - Bringing Generations Together, One Word At A Time [For June 20th, 2010]

First off, happy father's day! =) I hope everyone had a good time! I had a dinner at my grandparents' house, myself.

The rest of my day went superb! In the morning, I went to the usual Sunday school class, where I'm probably the youngest by 50 years! Haha. It's interesting. I then helped Micah and some others with worship at an old folks home. I honestly don't think it could've gone any better! They seemed really into it, enjoying the worship and our company.

This is one of my favorite things to do. Bridging the gap between generations and just talking with the elderly. There's a lot to get out of it, both for us and them. We've all gone through different things, situations, and eras, so to share all of that with one another is pretty incredible. God certainly knows how to write! ;) Billions of stories, all unique! Also, speaking of these folks in particular, they obviously don't get out much. One of them didn't even know we had an Applebees down the street! That tells me there's a gap, not only between generations, but also between the rest of the world, outside the home, that needs to be bridged, you know?

Oh man, can't you tell I love it? =) One of the countless things in ministry, and in life in general, that keeps me going. So great!

P.S. Note to self: Learn how to focus on subjects between the foreground and background better! Ha. Tried getting everything in focus and gradually blur it out, front to back. That's not always the easiest thing to do indoors, with no flash, and no tripod. Plus, trying not to look like a creeper with this camera, so I only wanted to take a few shots and throw it in my bag. Haha.

021/365 - A Brother In Seattle & A Turkey Sandwich

I had a chance to visit Ryan today! =) He's doing... better than he has been, but he's still in ICU. Poor guy's been in there for a long while now, but I'm praying the situation will get better sooner than later, so he can get on with recovery! He's certainly a fighter! Gotta give him that.

However, you may have noticed my photo doesn't have anything to do with visiting my 'brother.' =P Ha. His dad and I went out to eat dinner and this is a shot I took of one of the many paintings on the floor. Umm.... I was thinking about giving a prize to whoever correctly guessed where this photo was taken, but I don't think I can legally do that on Blogger o_O. Haha. SO... If you guess correctly, you'll just have to settle for my undying gratitude! (Which I'd never give otherwise, you know... =P) Hint: You will not regret their turkey and cranberry sandwich!

Ciao!

P.S. Three weeks and counting on this blog! =D Hope you're loving the pics and stories! =)

020/365 - Ultimate Fridays & A Little More [For June 18th, 2010]

It's that time of year again! =) Ultimate is one of the greatest games of all time. Of all time! Usually, these Friday games get a ton of people, and today was no different. In fact, some argued that it may have been too many people! Haha. But, it was so much fun, nonetheless! It made for some rather interesting plays and outcomes (As you can see by Wynton's reaction in this photo, it seems this was one of those  plays where you wonder, "What happened?!?" Haha.) Ah, Ultimate. How I've missed thee. =P

After frisbee, I went to NEX with Micah because he needed a new camera. So, it was a no-brainer for me to tag along. Haha. I got to play with a Canon G11, which is pretty much the best point-&-shoot camera money can buy right now... And, boy, do you need a lot of it to purchase it! =S Haha. It was amazing, though. DSLR functions, sans an interchangeable lens.

Then, I had a quick dinner and it was off to work I went! (I had no rest today!) Worked all the way until 10:40pm... Outside... Building a fence... O_O! Haha. I guess it was better than working during the afternoon, when it was toasty out, though.

Immediately following that, Angelo and I took off to the Kaffeehaus... Which, apparently, is never open anymore unless there's a concert or something!! Argh! So, after some random driving around, we eventually made it to the Donut House. ;) Yes. And God took over from there, taking us through Romans 3. Had some good discussion about that and some other related issues.

It's crazy how God works! I started Romans with a couple guys Wednesday night, Romans 2 with Micah on Thursday (Coincidentally, he was also starting a Romans study, too, and was just reading 2 himself.), and now 3 with Angelo. Who will it be tonight?! ;) Also, went through some of Matthew 6 yesterday, which is a Gospel I've always been wanting/needing to study. I feel like God's been working hard on me lately, especially this week, when I think I needed it most, and clearly He thought I did, too. I'm really wanting to see what He does with me! I feel that ministry needs to play a larger role than I've been planning for in my life. I still want to do photography along with it, for sure, but I'm beginning to feel a stronger calling to ministry. Reaching out. More hands on. That sorta thing. Hmm hmm.

Things to pray about!

019/365 - May I Have A Word With You In a Coffee Shop?

This morning, I met Micah down at Starbucks for a devo/Bible study session. We had a fantastic discussion about Christ's love, ministry, and our lives pertaining to it all. Honestly, it's a lot to go through on this blog; I have way too many thoughts on this. It sort of picked up where my discussion with John left off last night. I'm just in awe, seeing what God is doing in our lives... I don't even know where to begin!

On a related note, coffee shops seem to be  the bridge that connects our high-strung, non-stop lives to our real selves. Some of my deepest discussions, and I'm sure others can say the same, have taken place in a coffee shop. There's something to it... Like a little corner of the world that disregards everything that gets in between us and our souls. Maybe it's because it does its best to strip away what keeps us from speaking wholeheartedly. You notice that, in most cases, there's only coffee cups and the occasional book to distract us, while we're sitting there, at a small table, facing each other? And that book is usually something one holds dear to their heart, in this case the Word of God. Everything is real; our masquerades are left at the door. I'd like to think of coffee shops as being the same as handwritten letters. There's a deep-rooted, personal flair to both of these that is timeless, no matter what the world does to speed up our lives. You know?

Hopefully you all followed along. It was difficult to try to summarize my thoughts into this tight "365" window. Maybe this calls for an actual blog entry... Hmm. Later, gators!

018/365 - Through the Woods

Early this morning, before 8:30am, my buds Micah and Kenny, and I took off to the Deception Pass area in search of some great trails to hike. We began at North Beach, and besides the fact that we had to climb up and down a few steep rock faces to get around the high tide, it wasn't that epic. Less than an hour to that point.

So, after we had a quick "lunch," we still wanted to make the trip worthwhile, and thought we picked up a trail off to the side, in the campground. Flash forward a few minutes and we were out in the middle of nowhere! Literally, we were out in the middle of the woods, with no civilization in sight, and only a vague sense of direction. Oddly, it was pretty relaxing, being out in nature, untouched for the most part. (As untouched as a state park gets, I guess. Haha.) We trekked it through countless bushes, trees, and undergrowth. My pants suffered severe consequences. I slipped off a log and luckily the sharp, broken branch cut straight through my pants and not my leg as I fell! Torn apart, man! It's a good thing I had shorts on underneath, otherwise it would've been pretty awkward. Haha. I also pulled/cramped my back at one point, and fell a few other times. 

Despite the pain, being covered in dirt and other debris, and a ruined pair of jeans, it was totally worth it! =D Was it dangerous? Yes. Worst case scenario is we'd still be out there, trying to find our way out! Haha. But, being out in the midst of nature with good friends is where it's at, and that more than made up for the sometimes troublesome situations we endured today. Good job, fellas!

13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

017/365 - Life Is A Photograph

Today, I didn't have much of a choice. I had to wash my car. I couldn't let layers of salt water just sit there in the boiling sun! Which, I'm still not sure how that happened... =P. Haha.

As I was kneeling down, I glanced up and saw this sight (pictured). Thought it'd make for a cool shot of the day, so here you go! =)

Call me strange, but I go through my day like I'm taking a photograph. If I have my camera, I'll try to take an actual shot of what I see. If I don't, I see the world "through the lens;" like if I were to have a camera on me, I would most certainly take the shot! I'm not sure if this makes any sense, or if I'm coming across as having gone off the deep end, but it's the truth! Haha. I don't know...

Sorry. I'm so scatterbrain right now! This topic hit a chord that I didn't expect, and it may be too deep for right now. It would've launched this into hours worth of writing, resulting in several hundred words more. Haha. Uhh, hopefully tomorrow will be better! ;) Enjoy the shot! Until next time!

016/365 - "Ahhhh!... Mmmm...." [For June 15th, 2010]

Talk about spontaneity! I went out to get coffee and then chill the rest of the night... Well... About that...

It's now... Oh my gosh, I have to get up wayyy too early to look at what time it is. Haha. Anywho, I went out to West Beach immediately after coffee to grab a pic. It was such a good sunset, but the weather was crazy! So much wind, resulting in intense waves that sprayed my car with enough salt water to nullify any visibility whatsoever. 

I then called Angelo up, and got a hold of Eric and Wynton as well. We ended up going back to West Beach to experience the epic waves, where MUCH hilarity ensued =P! A couple quotes, from Wynton in particular: "Oh my God!! *starts running away as he gets drenched by a wave*" and "I HATE YOU!! *starts kicking my car because I locked him out, leaving him out in the cold wind*" LOL!! Good times...

After that little adventure, we proceeded to Wal-Mart. It was very similar to what we did there yesterday. Haha. Here's another quote, this one from Angelo: "Ahhhh!... Mmmm...." We nearly died laughing! (I know I didn't give any context to this quote, but if you've witnessed his sense of humor, you would've been cracking up for hours, too, trust me! =P)

Next up: Donut House!!! Donuts and cards ;). Wynton wasn't able to come along, though =(. 

Finally, Angelo and I dropped Eric off, and then drove around randomly. And by randomly, I do mean randomly! Through several residential streets, another drive through West Beach (that's three!), Coupeville, and a few more local roads before we called it a night. 

*Shakes head* My friends... =P.

What a crazy day... Haha.

Ok, I really should be going to bed!!! At this rate, I'll be lucky to get... 5 hours... Wait, not even! -_- Did NOT think this through, but I wanted to blog while the day was fresh!

Later!

015/365 - Small Town Shenanigans [For June 13th, 2010]

So, what do you get around these parts when you mix having a best friend (Ryan) in the hospital, in need of cheering up, and boredom in a small town? Exhibit A *points to photo*. =P

One of my other bests, going back to the high school days, Ashley, posing for the camera the only way she knows how ;). Along with her boyfriend, Brendan, and Angelo, our objective was to gather a bunch of random items that we thought Ryan might like, care package style. And, as you can tell, we had a good time with it. ;) Haha. I think we did a good job! We'll all probably see you tomorrow, Ryan! Hope you like the gifts! =)

Afterwards, we all chilled at Ashley's, watching Cake Boss!!! Hahah. Love that show. Quite entertaining, and the cakes are incredible! We're talking hundreds of pounds worth of cake. Moving pieces. Lights. Digital picture frames! Haha. On and on. So great! How sweet (no pun intended) would it be to get something from that bakery?! But, seriously, I don't know if I'd want to eat any of because the cakes are just that amazing! Haha.

Until tonight! Ciao!

014/365 - Andrukat [For June 12th, 2010]

Today was a pretty random day! Started off early in the morning. I'm all set to watch the USA vs. England match, only to be kidnapped by Angelo and Regine! Ahh!! >< Haha. It was fun times, though! Finally went into Penn Cove Pottery (A place Angelo and I said we'd always stop at, one day, for years! Just kept passing it by until now.) and also stopped by the Coupeville market. There's a food booth... "Sho Nuff," I think? Stop by for some great Southern style, heavy on the meat cooking! Just sayin'. ;) On the way home, Angelo and I decided to walk a trail through the woods... So confusing. Haha. Never again!

A few hours later, Stephen and I headed to Anacortes to see Jessica Andrukat (along with her brother, Jared) perform their second concert! It was pretty sick! A good 40~ minutes worth. I put it up on youtube, FYI, as well as her first concert, in case you missed it! What she said about it afterwards sums it up real well:

Favorite part about concert: people singing my lyrics back to me. Can't even describe how it felt.

As a music artist, I’d imagine that’d be one of the biggest “compliments” you could ever receive, especially for someone like herself, who’s just coming up. Means that we, as fans, aren’t only there because Jessica’s an amazing friend, but also because we really are, truthfully, enjoying her music! =) If I were you, I would make an immediate effort to check her out! ;) I’d describe her writing and style as being very Jon Foreman-esque (Switchfoot), which I absolutely love (her song, Sidewalk Chalk, especially), with a hint of He is We and Paramore. And when she performs, you can definitely see her love for music pour out with every line. Honestly, if she sticks with this, she’ll be up there with those aforementioned artists, sooner than later; no doubt! ;)

*Jessica Andrukat’s sites:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jessicaandrukatmusic

http://www.facebook.com/jessicaandrukatmusic

http://www.myspace.com/jessicaandrukat                                                                                         

013/365 - World Cup!

The World Cup started today =D!! I'm sooo excited! I went to a Sounders game a while back, and it was crazy how intense and dedicated the fans were! The whole stadium would chant the entire game. There was one section in particular that was just a non-stop wave of color and sound, with all the flags and yelling. That's why I'm on cloud nine right now, it being a World Cup year! I always enjoy watching, but now that I'm beginning to be a soccer (or Fútbol, more accurately) fan, it means so much more.

It's amazing how one sport appears to stop the world for a month. Everybody is watching, cheering on their country, waving their flags.* The world is a tough place... It's nice to see something bring people together in a positive way. I don't know. It hits me on a deeper level; much deeper than simply being a fan of the game. It's a great feeling =).

*The official anthem of the World Cup is "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. There's a live version, which is incredible, if you click here. There's also another version featuring David Bisbal here. I LOVE it! The song pretty much describes the feeling I get when watching the World Cup. I've also been getting into world music recently (all this inspiration! haha.)!... There's an endless passion that runs through it... Okay, I have to stop myself now, because that's another blog entirely! Haha. Bottom line: Check this song out! Watch the World Cup, if you can! Enjoy life =)!

Later on!

012/365 - Flickr-esque & an Unusual Source of Inspiration

This week has been slow! Real SLOW!! I haven't worked since Monday... And have been going crazy in my house ever since. I don't think I can ever enjoy a vacation... Haha. Maybe if I worked an absolute plethora (Yes, I used a big word. Deal with it. =P) of hours and days, I'd appreciate it. But, not at this point... It's only been three days and I am not a happy camper...

So, there's been a lot of inspiration building and Flickr browsing lately. Today's photo, for example, is seen throughout Flickr; taking a photo through another lens. (That answers a potential question - No, my cat, nor anything else, has been photoshopped  into the image.) Although it's been done many times before, it's still a cool idea to try, if you're able to.

Man, I have been drawing inspiration from the weirdest places, though... For instance, hip-hop & rap... Normally, this is not my style... But, there's this raw side to it, and I'm speaking especially about the... I don't know if you'd say the indie side of it... Is that the right term? I do have an ignorance about the genres, clearly. Haha... But, there are real stories of struggle and a fight to pick yourself back up that intrigues me. And, it's something that I'd like to express in photography, and, like I mentioned before, in film. Don't sugar-coat anything, you know? Sure, the photo has to be done right; has to look good. But, the story needs to be kept intact and fully shown in the end-product. I'm not talking about specifically struggle and redemption. Even success. Or the theme behind a song, if I'm doing music work. Whatever the story, I want to make sure it's expressed, fully, uncut in my work.

Hopefully that all made sense! I know I jumped around a bit. Haha. Until next time!

011/365 - Bring the Rain

When I awoke this morning, I looked outside my window and noticed the shiny, damp street. A little while later, I hopped online to see what the rest of the day had in store for us, and saw some green on the radar to the south. I was hoping it would travel up this way, and fortunately it did!

I've been in love with the rain lately! =) Hiking in it has become one of my favorites. I'm not sure why... It's summer, right? Supposed to be sunny!! I don't know. Something about it recently... I enjoy every second of it!

This evening, in fact, while huge rain drops were coming down hard, I decided to get a Blizzard (summer in a cup =P), rolled the window down, and proceeded to drive along West Beach, rocking out to Sanctus Real* ;)... On second thought, maybe I should've actually stopped and ate my Blizzard while walking the beach... in the rain... just because I could... Haha. I can be ridiculously random and spontaneous sometimes... I probably have ADHD, not even kidding. =P

So yeah... Enjoying the rain =). I wish more people felt the same way. My friend, John, and I were talking last night about how we used to play Ultimate in the rain back in high school. We played in a lot of adverse weather conditions! Not only rain, but wind, snow, and just out in the bitter cold. Wearing only tshirts and shorts. The only thing that stopped us was when the ground was frozen and John couldn't get his cleats to stick. Haha. We were so hardcore about it. It'd be awesome to get the 'ol team back together. [which would mean getting the whole group back together!... August, yeah?! ;)]

Anywho. That's my story of the day, along with some reminiscing. Hope y'all didn't die of boredom here =P. Back tomorrow!

*Sanctus Real: Listen to their song "Forgiven" (starts @1:46)! Been addicted to this one all day... Their whole album its from, "Pieces of a Real Heart" is great, by the way... As is "The Face of Love" album from years past... Oh, and.. Pfft, just listen to all their songs =P. Haha.

010/365 - Lazy Tuesday? Or Inspirational Tuesday?

My cat certainly believes it's a lazy Tuesday! This is a photo of her as she was getting ready to crash out after getting too hot in the window.

It's been one of those days, I guess. Not much is happening today. I'd like to take a lot of sweet photos, but I'm in desperate need of subjects. Not to mention nearly everything around these parts has seen my camera... 

I've been talking photography and scanning various photo blogs and sites all day. Another sweet endeavor I'd like to partake in is videography. It's weird. Everything that I want to do are things that are out of my comfort zone. I don't know the first thing about video, but it always interest me. Concert photography is one of my goals, but if I could fit some video in there, too, that'd be awesome! ;) Also, to do it with an indie flair... A real raw feel... Songs for Eating and Drinking has some good examples. (Note: I'm not a fan of all the music, but just the raw look, ya know? I'm liking The Blakes, though.). FYI, this is partly a Chase Jarvis project, surprise surprise =P. Or something like this: "I Won't Back Down" (cover) by Switchfoot. See how the focus/depth of field is, and the clarity? I do believe, as little as I know about shooting video, that this and photography go hand-in-hand. I've found myself drawing inspiration from both mediums in my photography (or what I'd like to do, especially). My camera is capable of shooting HD video, actually, but I haven't used it a whole lot. The lenses I have will give a similar feel to what I just linked if I did it right... I'll have to play around with that some more ;).

Ahhh! My head is spinning with ideas, both with photos and now video... I need to put these ideas into motion! =)

009/365 - The Golden Hour [For June 7th, 2010]

Photographers are always chasing the light. Whether it be getting up super early and traveling several hours just to catch the sunrise, or waiting until the final few minutes of sunlight, we're always searching for the golden hours. The colors are warmer and tend to be more vibrant in these fleeting hours. It's not the harsh, blinding white light we get from the mid-day sun. Each time has its place, but more often than not, it's at these golden hours where light is at its best.

So, that was my mission tonight. Grab a shot right at sunset. I've been watching some videos on http://kelbytv.com/dtowntv/, and they've been talking about shooting into the sun recently, which is one of those things you're told not to do when learning photography. What they (instructors) don't tell you is almost all of the rules are meant to be broken =P. Haha. Anyway, I was at City Beach last night, and saw some sweet sunset colors reflecting off the lagoon. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera on me (genius move... Ha...), but I wanted to go back and get that shot. Well, tonight's sunset was a tad different, and I ended up with today's photo instead =).

On a related note, I've been thinking and taking a few notes of some photos I want to create! I hope I'm able to pull some "models" together and get these shots. Some are specific to certain people, while others aren't. Regardless, all of them will be radically different from anything I've ever done [in a good way ;)!!]. Hopefully I can achieve the level of quality I've set for myself in my head! Hehe.

008/365 - Hiking in the Rain Part 2

I really want to upload some portfolio-quality photographs, but I've either not been getting the shots or they just haven't been representing the day. Or maybe I'm just too hard on myself. Meh, whatevs. Here's today's photo! =)

Angelo and I ventured out of town, looking for anything and anywhere to go on this drizzly day, and we stumbled upon Ebey's Landing. It was the first time I hiked the trail. It's not a difficult one (Well, this portion, at least), and you get some good views of the surrounding landscape. It's a win-win ;). Definitely check it out if you're in the area. Oh, and yes, my clothes were pretty soaked, again. Haha. I wouldn't say it was raining as hard as it was at Goose Rock last week, but we were out here longer.

On another note, I hope all of you guys are enjoying this blog! =) It's really pushing me to always take my camera with me, and I'd say that's a good habit to get into if I want to do this professionally, yeah? Haha. Also, it's forcing me to always share something, even if it's not that great (in my opinion). Keep the creative cycle spinning! I'm glad Rick talked me into this project; Everyone should do this, I think. Doesn't have to be photography... Could be music, drawings, writings... You don't even have to be a master at any of it! (I'm certainly not! Haha.) Just get creative and share ;)!!

007: Keep Walking (For June 5th, 2010)

Honestly, I'm pretty dissatisfied with my photos today. Sorry to be a pessimist. (I promise it'll get better! Skip ahead if you must.) Yes, I took photos of what I saw, but that was about it. I had great difficulty trying to find anything to take a "good" photo of (well, when I did have my camera, at least!). I tried several things, such as decreasing the depth of field, taking a different angle, etc. to make a "better" shot. However, none of that matters if it doesn't capture what you're feeling.

Ironically, one of those "failed" pictures led to this blog entry. Today's shot shows a generic, painted image of a person walking, indicating the beginning of the new Maylor's Point trail. (It's a pretty cool and relaxing trail, btw!) You know, we all have our off-days. In fact, the last few days have included several instances of things not going my way. It happens. We just have to keep walking! Can't let all that junk get in our way, holding us back.

I'm a firm believer in the fact that there will always be a better day, and the only way we'll get there is if we keep moving forward, even if it's just a tiny step. Whatever that distance is is that much farther away from where you started ;).

Keep walking.

006/365 - My brother... Sorta! (For June 4th, 2010)

A few days ago it was Lora, and now it's Ryan's turn! =) I went with her and their/our youth pastor, Justin, to see him. We spent several hours in his room, just hanging out.

Ryan's been through SO much since his double lung transplant well over a month ago. At first, it looked like he'd breeze right on through and get on to rehab... But, I guess having a double lung transplant isn't as easy as we had originally thought... (How hard could it be? =P Haha.) Anywho, so Ryan will be in the hospital until further notice. Hopefully not too much longer!! Please keep Ryan in thoughts and prayers! =)

Like I've said before, their family has been my family, thus Ryan has been my brother, so to speak. A real close friend of mine since high school! It's tough seeing him laid up in a hospital bed, knowing he's meant for so much more. And, I've caught more than a glimpse of what he can accomplish, before things slowed down for him. But, this is his second chance at life!!! There may be a lot of medical hurdles right now, but I know things will really start happening quick once he jumps over them! I'm excited to see where God's going to take him from here!! It'll be awesome, for sure!!! =)

005/365 - A Camera's Journey

Ahh, this is getting tougher trying to decide which photo to post! I'd love to upload one of my better shots of the day, but it wouldn't be the right shot... It wouldn't truly represent my day, and that's what 365 is all about, for me. So, here's a shot of my Minolta Maxxum 650si Date film SLR camera!

I acquired this camera a while back from one of my mom's coworkers. She didn't use it anymore, and at the same time, she didn't want to sell it, nor was she looking to give it away at a secondhand store, either. Out of the goodness of her heart, she wanted to give it to somebody who loved photography, and didn't want anything in return. One thing led to another and here it sits, in my possession. I still can't believe she didn't want anything in return! I was willing to buy it or something... But, I guess my passion for photography is more than enough for her. That was such a great gesture, and I most definitely appreciate it to the fullest! =)

Anywho, she brought this camera to Africa and India during her time with it... Can you imagine what this camera's been through?! I've never seen any of her photos, but just knowing that its traveled thousands of miles, in different adventures (I know an African safari is one of them), is incredible. And now it's going wherever I go! That's pretty cool, yeah? [FYI, it only made it to Coupeville today. Haha. I did run through a roll of film, though! ;) I may put those pics up at some point.]

I tend to talk about photography as capturing a moment in time. Preserving it forever, and recalling the emotions and memories you felt when you first snapped the photo. But this is one of those "If walls could talk..." moments. Fortunately for us, cameras are able to "talk," in the form of photographs ;).

P.S. Does anyone know what lenses (or other accessories) work with this type of camera? Like am I able to use manual Minolta lenses or just autofocus ones? Which Sony lenses work with it, where do I find such items, etc... Anything and everything helps! I currently have a standard Minolta AF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, and would like to find a wide aperture (i.e. f/2.8, 1.7, whatever) 50mm or maybe an 85mm (for portraits)? Thanks for any help! =)

004/365 - I Dare You To Move

"The dirtiest secret in photography: shoot a [heck] of a lot of pictures to get the ones you want." Chase Jarvis, photographer.*

Ain't that the truth! I've gotten a lot of compliments about my photography [and I can't thank you all enough for the support =)!], but the fact of the matter is good photographs just don't happen. If one should, I got lucky when I took the shot. Haha. However, that's not to say I'm a terrible photographer, or that you're a terrible *insert your hobby/career* if most things don't go the way you originally intended.

What I'm trying to say is that you have to work hard for whatever you're doing. Things just don't happen in life. Honestly, this is something I struggle with (but I'm getting better at it!), especially because I'm a Christian. I have faith that God will pull me through, but at what point has He given me the opportunity and I didn't take it? Then, I go on to wonder when an opportunity will come and the cycle repeats.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can exactly give sound advice on this matter, for those who also struggle with this. But, I can say that we need to always be prepared and be willing to keep pushing forward. The song, "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot says to move "like today never happened." Jon Foreman describes it as every day beginning with a blank page, and we have to decide where to go from there. What story do we tell, or what does God want us to tell? If we sit idle on that blank page, where have we gotten ourselves at the end of the day?

I Dare You To Move

*If you talk to me about photography, it won't be too long before I mention Chase Jarvis. He's one of the biggest names in the business right now, specializing in commercial photography, but he has various other projects as well. He's also a VERY transparent photographer, as in he's willing to take us inside the "black box" (as he puts it) of photography. Countless behind-the-scenes videos, live webcast photo sessions, etc. I truly admire his work and his openness about it. You can check out his blog and some of his work here: http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/.

003/365 - Family... Sorta!

This is Ryan's sister, Lora, with myself for a candid shot!

Over the years, I've become real close with their family. Well, their father is my eye doctor, so I actually knew their parents before I knew Ryan, and then Lora! Haha.

Currently, Lora is home from McCormick Seminary in Chicago, and this is the first time I've seen her since she's been back. It was great to catch up with her, a little bit at least.

Honestly, it felt pretty awkward, catching up with Lora... I'm usually over at their house constantly, sometimes more often than my own! So, I either see her myself, or hear about what she's up to through Ryan and their parents. In fact, just being over there felt a tad strange, simply because their lives have been completely rocked, with Ryan FINALLY receiving a double lung transplant! Nothing is as it "normally" is over there, with Ryan being away, obviously, and at least one of them being with him at all times. The house seems to be a general rest stop, at least from my perspective, rather than a home at this point.

But, we're all so thankful Ryan has been given a second chance at life! Despite all the medical setbacks, it's pretty remarkable! I mean, he went through a double lung transplant! Seriously, all things considering, what all he's had to go through on his road to recovery, it's amazing to see how much fight Ryan has to push through! I've never seen anyone fight for something so hard. Yeah, he has his off days, but don't we all? Keep it up, bro!

I can go on forever about this family. My family, really. They're pretty much a second family to me, and in some ways, my first, and I'm so blessed to have them in my life! =)