Beautiful End

Well, I didn't quite make my 365 goal but I'm still happy about the blog project.  It's been a labor of love.  I stopped because I was completely overwhelmed with our move...something just had to give and the blog was the easiest thing to push aside.  I am not sure what I'm going to do in 2013 but I really want to continue to improve my photography as well as write more.  Since the hub and I will be geographically separated for a year, I have a unique opportunity to write about our time apart.  We'll see  how it goes.  More meditation required on this subject.  Any ideas are welcome.

Happy New Year and enjoy your own journey as the new year presents new opportunities for you too.

Namaste,

Kristin

Be careful what you wish for...

Here's one just for giggles...I caught my friend's cat in the tub tonight when I was at their house.  Apparently, it's his favorite source of water but he hates getting his paws wet so they trickle the water in for him and he laps it up.  I can't tell you how tempting it was to turn that water on full blast...is that wrong?  

Daddy's Spot

I'm sure this is how many of my nights will be spent over the next year...

Love Letter

Here's a new image for my series "Separation" (aka 'coping')...I am calling it Love Letter.  I wanted to capture that moment when I'll be writing letters in the morning sun while Siena is likely flittering about (or glued to the TV).  I usually do my best thinking then...

Scratch-N-Sniff

There's nothing like the scent of fresh pine to bring wintery, holiday thoughts to mind.  Smells are so amazingly connected to our memories, it's fascinating.  When I go on a big vacation I am very careful to choose my perfume, lotion and hair products to ensure they are smells I want to remember fondly.  Unfortunately, smells remind you of bad memories too, sometimes things you just can't shake but hopefully, the good will always dominate your mind and you're able to find that special scratch-n-sniff that keeps you smiling...

Bird Feeders

Tis the season to make bird feeders!  Do you remember making these?  Our birds LOVE them and it's fun to watch the little ones chirp and snack and the fatties sit on the grass below waiting for the pieces to drop.  Is that mean?

Yummmmmm

Today, I felt like a child in a candy store when I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with my friend a the Bagel Cafe.  While her head was turned for a second, I quickly walked over to the glass of deliciousness and just oogled at the yumminess before me.   To be completely honest, this image was taken at Mike's Pastry Shop in Boston and since I was in Boston again this week I thought it would be appropriate to post this image...especially since our local Bagel Cafe is a whole lot of goodness...much like Mikes!  Enjoy!

Coach Seat

Another crummy coach seat today...an exact duplicate as the one I warmed for nearly 8 hours yesterday.  The perma-crack was there to greet me again today and as I sunk into the pleather seat and felt the familiar nudge of the seat in front of me with my knobby knees I didn't mind as much that the seat felt like a concrete block under me, because I knew in 8 more hours I would be home.

Recipe of a City

Sorry, no image today...nothing yesterday either, geez.  Yesterday we drove home from Los Angeles and I immediately went to my friend's house to babysit her 4 lovely daughters.  Today I flew to Boston for a quick business trip (home tomorrow).  

So, I am staying at a hotel in a trendy part of town with tons of shops, it's very hustle bustle and lively (very different from my life in suburbia).  When I walk through a busy city it seems they are all made from the same recipe, the ingredients include countless cross walks and traffic, a few homeless people on park benches, hotels and shops, a guy leaning against a building holding a coffee cup, another guy playing his electric keyboard on the sidewalk for tips, a couple meeting outside a restaurant for a first date, a person sleeping in front of a church with a sign that reads "one of many homeless veterans" (only it was spelled "vetrans").  (I can't help but correct this as a vet myself.)  I'm sure I can go to any city in America and find the same ingredients, it makes me curious about what attracts these people to cities and also tells me why I don't feel happy in them...it's not my scene.  I much prefer smaller towns where people are nicer, kind to each other, where nature is the centerpiece, not the traffic.  The older I get, the more I adore small town life...but I do have a soft spot for the culture of this city, it has a soul, you can see the history all around you and when you're here, you enjoy the culture and energy.  Maybe the ingredients seem the same, but each city is tweaked with a different flavor...enjoy yours!

We Are SPARTANS!

Today, my friend Lesa and I conquered the mighty Spartan Sprint!  It was a woman vs mud adventure but we rocked it and may even do it again someday!  You never know what you're capable of until you go for it!  WE ARE SPARTANS!!!

Skyping

Here's a new image for my series on separation.  I call it "Skyping," I think you get it.  I'll be doing a LOT of this over the coming year...

Push and Pull

Here's a fantastic image taken by the hub of some sweet Vegas architecture.  I love the way the colors pop and give that push/pull effect.  Love it!

18b in Neon

Here's a shot of the beautiful 18b sign on Art Street at twilight.  I chose to remove the high rise condos that I thought detracted from this fun sign.  I hope you dig it.

The Cone of Shame

This is my sweet friend, Indy.  She wears the cone of shame because of a nasty ear infection.  She is probably one of the most gentle, loving dogs I've ever met.  Sorry, Indy.  Feel better soon!  

El Cortez

Here's a little piece of Vegas history...El Cortez on Fremont Street.  This vintage hotel and casino was built on Fremont Street in 1941 and has been operating continuously ever since.  It's a classic!  Can you imagine if the walls could talk?  

Embrace Childhood

Childhood rocks!  You can wear what you want, climb on stuff, eat candy and not gain weight, wow...I wish I remembered more details from mine.  My favorite quote du jour was when we were sitting at lunch, my daughter was sitting in a way that completely hiked up her skirt (knees to the chin sort of in the chair) and although she was wearing shorts under her skirt I said, "Honey, that's not an appropriate way for a young lady to sit." and her response was perfect, "Mom, I'm NOT an adult, I'm a kid, I don't have to sit appropriately, I'm supposed to be a kid and have fun."  How could I argue with that comeback?  I just smiled and told her she was right and she could sit like a kid.  

Thanksgiving Mustache Fun

I'm thankful for silly girlfriends!

Zuca

Laura, this one is for you...

I went to my daughter's classroom today (after our Thanksgiving Feast) to see a virtual Zuca Store!  No wonder the poor kid wants one.  Reminds me of when I was in 7th grade and begged my mom for Nike gym shoes, Jordache jeans and Converse tennis shoes to wear for basketball.  It was a banner year for me, I got all three!  I do remember the giddy feeling I had when school started and I carefully placed my shiny new Nike shoes (the original white ones with blue accents and a red swoosh) in my gym locker.  I was over the moon.  She's still quite a few marbles away from the Zuca but I'm excited about it for her already.  

Please Do Not Disturb

Here's a strange scene I found today as I drove around the Arts District.  Unfortunately, this is indicative of the surroundings...full of down and outs and homeless people.  It's really kind of funny that someone hung that out of scale sign under the formal "NO TRESPASSING" note.  I like the irony.  I can't imagine who took the time to create this rather impressive artwork of a sleeping man on a bench.  I quietly took my shot and left...I don't think I disturbed anyone.

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

Here's one of my favorite walls in the Arts District.  I'm sure every photographer in town knows about it while not too many others have seen it.  It's a fantastic mural that has been painted on the side of a random building for years.  Whenever some jackhole tags it or tries to paint on the black it is soon repaired by a local artist.  I love this sign so much more than the tourist trap on Tropicana...it has the grit that remains part of this town.  Welcome!

Tea Party

Tea parties aren't just for little girls, they are super fun for big girls too.  

Overwhelmed Part Deux

Here's the second image in my series "Overwhelmed."  I'm trying to show how sometimes, as much as we try, we just feel like life is too heavy and we must relent.  I often feel this way and I'm sure so many of you do too.  It's not enough to play the piano and escape, sometimes you just collapse.

Marbles

To an adult, this might just look like a dish full of marbles but to my daughter this is a growing pile that will make her wish come true...she will get the thing she most wants once she fills the jar...a ZUCA!  What is that?  It's the newest thing in kid school bags and it's stupidly expensive, completely unnecessary and nearly classified as luggage, but she wants it more than anything.  So, the marbles pile up with each good grade and her ZUCA is getting closer and closer to reality.  But for me, it's a photo op.  :D

Message in a Bottle

Busy day!  Getting ready for a move really can be insane at times.  We are finding more things to do, creating lists and piles everywhere and this means Momma doesn't have as much time to shoot!  Dang.  So, for today, I am sharing two images I took about a month ago when we went on a family hike in Mt. Charleston.  It was the craziest thing, I told my daughter to keep her out for treasures and not 5 minutes later she literally found this message in a bottle!  I opened it first, just in case, and was delighted to find this picture that said (on the back) "finish me."  It was probably left by some drunk hippies (this was quite far off the trail or camping area) but I liked it so much that we rolled it back up and left it for someone else to find.  Things like this make the world seem so small and our relationships or connectedness to each other seem so close.  Who knows who left that message but I sure enjoyed finding it.  What message are you leaving for someone to find today?

Shoes and Feet

Sometimes it's just the little things that amuse me.  Tonight it was shoes and feet.

The Smith Center

I snapped this one with my iPhone as I was entering the amazing new Smith Center tonight.  A sweet friend bought us tickets to see Jim Brickman in concert and he was fantastic (thanks Sheryl).  It was a fun show in a beautiful venue.  We had a wonderful time.  This building is remarkable, it's completely art deco, you feel transported to old New York when you see it in person.  Every detail throughout the Center is designed to maintain that theme.  It's such a wonderful addition to Sin City...something a little classier than neon. 

18b Continued

Here's another shot from the Las Vegas Arts District, aka 18b.  I have walked past this building so many times trying to figure out how to capture it and still keep that tactile feel of the brick, the dilapidated sign and the bright, red bars on the windows.  I had to crop it tight to get the feel I wanted, I hope it speaks to you and makes you curious.  I want you to wonder what's in there...is the door locked?  Can you see inside through the windows?  Who is Beckett?  Enjoy!

Overwhelmed

Here's the first of a new series I'm doing called "Overwhelmed."  It's all about coping and trying to cope when you feel absolutely spent.  It's (obviously) more solemn than my "I'd Rather Be..." series but it's an exercise in capturing emotion and soul...we'll see how well I do.

Now I'm off for a girls night out of ridiculousness...the other way I cope with stress!!!  :)  LOVE MY GIRLS!

Color By Number Kid

If you enlarge this image it could be a color-by-number!  I love it!  Fun with Photoshop tonight.  I love posterizing images to see what I can get and this one is slightly posterized.  

The image itself makes me smile because this is my little monkey having fun with her Girl Scout troop on her first camp out.  As you can see, she had a blast just hangin' around.  :)

Slow Day on The Strip

I ran downtown today to buy tickets to a show for Saturday night (had to get them in person to get the local discount--what a PITA) and was shocked to see how dead it was on a Thursday.  The tables were nearly empty, the slots were equally sparse and it just felt eerily quiet.  Not good for the local economy, people!  Come on out and gamble!  We need you!

Arts District

Here's another fun shot from my favorite Arts District.  I love the pops of color and the plasticity here.  My series on 18b has been coming along and I have a good direction now, thanks to my wonderful instructor and class.  I'm going to keep the images tightly cropped and colorful.  I dig it anyway.  

I've been really slacking off on my blog lately because I'm heavily distracted in my busy life.  I felt crummy too, which didn't help motivate me to break out my camera.  This should be my stress relief but it's been another thing on the pile this week.  I'll do better next week.  I hope.

Sticker Fun

Am I the only one who thinks it's hilarious that grown-ups walk around wearing their "I Voted" sticker like a badge of honor?  Don't get me wrong, voting is a privilege that I don't take for granted (especially as a woman); however, I do not understand the need to wear a sticker announcing the fact that one voted.  It should be an expectation, not an accomplishment, right?  Am I crazy?  Now, I have a sincere appreciation for childish enthusiasm in nearly any respect but there's something smug about this one, or am I just over thinking it?  In any case, I guess I just showed mine off in an even bigger way, eh?  Now, let's see who won!

Lightroom Preset Fun

This week I have been trolling the internet for Lightroom Presets and found a few cool ones.  Here's the sight I used: 

http://www.flickr.com/groups/presets/discuss/72157612664073371/

You can see what a simple preset can do to elevate an image.  I really love the ease of using Lightroom and you can't beat the cost (compared to PS).  It's worth the money...trust me!  This is a great program for anyone--not just artists.  I love what I can do to my family photos now.  Have some fun, download a new preset today (it's easy to add...even I can do it).  Smile.

Desert Dining

We just enjoyed a lovely dinner at our friend's house around her cozy fire pit.  These really are a "must have" when you live in the desert, they make everything so nice!  Loved it...thanks, Sheryl.

Me & Z

Often times I just want to throw everything to the side and just hang out with my dog...she always makes me smile and forget about stupid human things.  Animals are great at that...

Olive Fingers

Some things are just in the blood...black olives on the fingers are sooooo part of my husband's family heritage (if I can call it that).  Whenever there is a family gathering, someone ends up with olive fingers!  It's something that my daughter loves and continues to do every time she can.  Tonight, she had her mouth full of them as I snapped this shot!  Hee hee...sometimes, it just takes olive fingers to make your night fun.

The Great Pumpkin

Dear Great Pumpkin,
I'm looking forward to your arrival on Halloween night. I hope you will bring me lots of presents. You must get discouraged because more believe in Santa Claus than you. Well, let's face it...Santa Clause has had more publicity. But being number two, perhaps you try harder. Everyone tells me you are a fake but I believe in you.
P.S. If you really are a fake, don't tell me. I don't want to know.

"On Halloween night the Great Pumpkin rises out his pumpkin patch and flies through the air with his bag of toys for all the good little children. Wouldn't you like to sit with on Halloween night in the pumpkin patch and wait for the Great Pumpkin?"

"Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere with presents for all the children of the world. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see."

Alien Jerky

I just couldn't resist stopping in Baker for this shot.  I knew it would probably be the last time I passed through (although, I just remembered one more trip to LA) so I figured I pick up some Alien Jerky, just to say I did.  If you know me, you know I love kitsch and this is about as good as it gets.  

FYI, I didn't buy the jerky (I've been spoiled by the local jerky boys at Jo Jo's Jerky, it's amazing), but I did by garlic and onion flavored pistachios (I used the bathroom, so I felt obliged).

Parting Shot from Irwin

Good-Bye, Ft. Irwin...this is the way I will always remember you.  It would have been nice to have working toilets while I was there but...whatever.

I'd Rather Be...Texting a Boyfriend

I sweet talked this awesome Marine into being one of my subjects for my thesis project!  She was so great!!!  :D
Thanks, Laura

Tank at Twilight

I was enjoying the magnificent twilight hour tonight.  The sky is beautiful shades of blue, vanilla and pink and suddenly this tank comes cruising through the desert leaving a dust trail behind him like a teenager with a new convertible.  It really is an image of boys and their toys because what you can't really see here is that it is two guys sitting in that turret.  I imagine they are smiling as they take this baby top speed, they probably don't know I'm even watching...

Hermit Crab Tanks

As I watched this endless line of tanks "moving out" today I squinted my eyes and imagined them as tiny hermit crabs running across the sand on the beach.  So, squint your eyes and try to imagine the same thing...that this dirt is really sand and the blue sky is really the blue ocean and these massive tanks are really hermit crabs, moving along, across the sand...

Cool Toys

Here's one of the MANY cool toys I've seen today.  I thought it would be fun to share.  I would have given anything to have had one of these in hot pink when I was a teenager...ok, now too...FUN!

Fitness Center

Yes, I'm still embracing banality...can you tell?  I constantly find myself looking at everyday places thinking about how it would look through my lens at different lights.  This particular image would be much less interesting in daylight, it's amazing how the lines pop in the darkness.  I really enjoy scenes like this, dimly lit, lots of rectangles and a destination that forces my eyes to travel down the sidewalk.  When you pass an everyday place tomorrow, imagine how it would look at night, or at sunset...would it be more interesting?  

Embracing Banality

As an artist I feel that it's important (for me) to explore every genre of photography as I also explore every part of myself.  I was researching banality in photography and found this great article, "Embracing Banality" and wanted to share: http://photoartsmagazine.blogspot.com/2012/07/embracing-banality.html
It's hard to take pretty pictures when you don't feel pretty...although, I found it rather easy to embrace my banal side today because I feel crummy.  I have a nasty cold, my eyes are tired, my butt is sore from sitting in a cheap rental car for 4 hours driving through the desert, it's windy and cold (did I say I hate wind?) and I am ready for my NyQuil and a junky magazine now.  When you're feeling crummy why not explore your own banality?  It's something...right?

Arts District The Attic

Here's another image from our local Arts District.  It's the original home of The Attic, before it was destroyed and left for dead by the local energy company (apparently).  What I find remarkable, is that in the year this has been here, no one has tagged it or graffitied it in any way (save the original sign on top).  In a town rich with graffiti artists, there seems to be a sort of respect for another artists' work.  Interesting...love it!

Meet Dolly

Who doesn't love a petting zoo?  This is Dolly, the very fat but adorable sheep.  She was one of a dozen of friendly animals at a birthday party today.  I wish adult birthday parties had baby animals, ponies, sheep, goats and funny looking chickens, no fair!  The people who ran this gig truly loved their animals and I can tell you that the animals loved them too.  As soon as the woman stepped away, Dolly here began to bleat as if to say, "come back, where are you going?"  She stared at her just like my dog stares at me when I walk away, it was pretty sweet.  Enjoy an animal near you soon, they make you smile!

Bowling

I'd Rather Be....Bowling!  That was today's assignment anyway.  I think it turned out great, I love how Casey looks like she's actually having fun here, in spite of the fact that her fingers are killing her after 20 takes with a 16lb ball!  I have the most amazing friends.  ;)

Wishes

Photography really is capturing light...not much more than that.  Art is capturing light with intention.  I saw this dandelion in the setting sun tonight and it actually grabbed me.  I felt so compelled to photograph it, with all the intention it deserved.  What a beautiful thing nature is, so sweet and so strong in the same wind.  In case you're wondering, I didn't pick it, I wanted to leave this wish for someone else.  I have so many fulfilled already, it felt greedy.

My Distraction

What do you do when you "should" be doing something else?  I do really cool things like clean house or read...oooooh, I'm living by the seat of my pants, I know it!  Ok, sometimes, when I'm really feeling wild, I cook.  Here's my reading pile du jour...yes, I have devoured each one this week alone and I'm hungry for more...in spite of my workload at both um, work, and 3 classes, shit.  But, it's reading, how that's a good thing, right?  What's your distraction?

PS. I have even contemplated taking a bath to avoid schoolwork but just can't bring myself to enjoy that level of relaxation.  It's too decadent!