Website redo

One of the things I learned from the conference in NYC was that my website needs to be redone desperately. So I've started selecting images that might wind up in the portfolio. But I have way too many images. So my mission for you is to pick the five best and the five worst images. Then tell me what 1 image you think is my best. You can post it as a comment or email me.

new site

Happy Anniversary

I've past my 1 year anniversary of my blog. It's taken some getting used to. At first I didn't know what direction to take with it. Do I talk about more personal stuff or do I stick to just my work? Then for a while, I really didn't think anyone was reading my blog. Until my friends started requesting more posts. I think I finally found my groove. And I have good news! I'm going to have another blog! At work, we decided that I should try to keep a blog from the field in Ethiopia. I'll post weekly on the progress of the field work. When I have a link, I'll post it. Also, during the time when I'm in the field, I will not be posting here. Gotta conserve my internet time.

Thanksgiving

The day went better that I thought. The heat actually worked and since my parents still used the space heater, I was actually warm in the house. My disowned stepbrother didn't make a scene. Though, I do think he felt a little uncomfortable. But probably because he hasn't attended a holiday in like seven years. So yeah, the day was pretty uneventful. Now I have to lose my money playing poker.

My twin

My stepbrother found this photo in his new house:

He and the rest of the family insisted that it looked like me when I was little.

Which led me to look for old photos of myself so that I can see if it's true. These are what I found:





Cute huh?

Let the games begin

I recieved a call from my mom early this morning:

Mom: "Do you have a space heater?"

Me: "Yes."

Mom: "Could you bring it? Our heat isn't working."

My parents have no heat for Thanksgiving. I find this sort of funny. Mostly because my mom is not freaking out about this. I would be freaking out at this point. My mom is more like: "Well the oven will be going so that will put out some heat, and I could light the fireplace."

My response was: "Yeah...that might be a good idea."

I was able to get 2 space heaters. But I'm wondering how effective they will be in the space. The house is very open. The kitchen leads into the kitchenette (where we will be eating) which leads into the 2-story, vauled living room. This is alot of space to heat.

But there is more:

Originally there was just going to be 4 of us. My parents, my brother and me. Now Chris, my step-brother, his wife and 2 children are coming (good!). And our disowned step-brother will be there. He was disowned because he can be a really big ass. This Thanksgiving has a possiblity to be very interesting.

Great sites

I picked up this great new zine at the book store yesterday:



Craft Zine

which led me to this site:

instructibles

Bring on the Holidays!

I am so ready for the holiday season. It's not even Thanksgiving and I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping. I learned last year, when I was shopping up until days before Christmas how stressful that was. This feels much better. So bring on the cookies, the snow and the tree. Let's watch National Lapoon's Christmas Vacation I'm ready to kick off this holiday season! I'm also happy because I can spend December getting ready for my trip to Ethiopia.

Rize

What happens when a great photographer and music video director shoots a documentary on krumping? He creates a beautiful film. David LaChapelle's film has so much energy and was so colorful. There weren't any of the the technical flaws that I see in so many documentaries: a subject that's out of focus, bad audio levels, and times when the story seems to lag.

This was smart, well done, and it was very obvious that the film-maker obviously cared about his subjects.

Keep in mind, the last time I bought a film for myself was October 2005 when I bought "War Photographer."

Check out the site here.

26 Up

I recently turned 26 and I have been thinking about getting older. One of my friends said that each year keeps getting better and she definatley doesn't want to go back and re-live a prior year-and she's thirty. And the same is true for me. I wouldn't want to re-live any previous year. I think just like wine, I keep getting better with age. I've become more focused, more confident in myself and my work. And my selection of friends is highly refined. Which became clear when they cleaned up my birthday party after I got drunk on tequila and passed out. I've been doing alot of good things recently. I've finally become somewhat happy with my photography. I'm producing what I feel is consistanly good work for the Museum. I still wish I was in a bigger city and shooting on a more regular basis. But these are things for me to shoot for in the future.

Hello kitty robot

I want this.

Meet Jane

This is Jane, our new Juvenile Tyrannosaurus. I shot her before I left for New York.

I Hate Macy's

While in New York, I bought this beautiful black winter coat. I tried one on and it fit perfectly. While I was checking out, the sales clerk changed it out for one that had a tag. When I got home to Ohio and tried it on, I realized that that the lining in one of the sleeves was sewn in crooked, making it hard for me to slide my arm in. When I took the coat into Macy's here I found out that they don't carry that brand. I hoped that instead Cleveland Macy's could send the coat back and get me a new one. The manager, Michelle, was very helpful and contacted the Macy's store in New York to get them to send me a coat. After and hour and a half of arguing with the manager at the New York Macy's, we were no closer to getting me a new coat. It seems that even though I had bought the coat with my Macy's card and they had proof that I had bought the coat there, they couldn't simply exchange it because I didn't have a recipt. I find it hard to believe that if I had the tags and proof of perchase that no one couldn't do more to replace a defective coat. Yesterday, I finally gave up and returned the coat. Today, while cleaning, I found the recipt.

Return from New York

So I'm home and I finally found time to edit my photos. So here is what I did on my vacation:

Thursday I spent the day at the PhotoPlus Expo. Later, Bernard Michael and I went to the Corner Bistro for beer and bacon cheeseburgers. I was a little full so I just order bacon grilled cheese sandwich.




Friday was spent at the Photo Expo and later Adrianna came into town. The four of us went to Momofuku for pork buns (awesome) and noodles. Another night of great food.



Saturday we got up and walked to John's to get, according to Bernard, the best pizza in town. And I think I'll take his word for it because the pizza was awesome. After pizza we checked out Murray's Cheese shop:



I went shopping in Tribeca where I found a Kid Robot Store. Michael and Adrianna went to Central Park and Bernard worked on writing and coached basketball. After shopping I picked up a treat at Bruno's



Later we all met up at The Brooklyn Museum of art the check out the Annie Leibovitz show. After that we went to Freeman's for dinner.

Freeman's is this great rustic restaurant that is tucked away in an alley in the East Village. The rustic theme carries over into the food. I had rabbit and morrel pot pie. Except there were no morrel mushrooms, but button mushrooms instead.

Michael taking a smoke break outside of Freeman's



Something I found on the wall in the alley leading to Freeman's:



Sunday: Bernard, Michael and I went to Prune for brunch. I had my first mimosa. Yum! Michael and I went running around the city. First we went to Battery Park to see the statue of liberty. Next we went to Ground Zero.






After that we went to the American Museum of Natural History











Later that night we went to Buddakan. After this great big meal they brought out desserts for mine and Michael's birthdays.

First day, last image

Brooklyn Museum of Art

First day continued

Bryant Park


one girl cookies


Prospect Park

First day of New York

Looking out the plane at Cleveland

Mood:

I love New York.

I arrived in New York today. I'm spending 6 days here. Two of the days will be spent at a Photo Expo and attending seminars on photography. It will be great and inspiring. The reast of the time will be spent with my friend, Bernard. Who is funny and smart and constantly makes me laugh. Also Michael and his sister, Adrianna are coming in to visit. So it will be a reunion of sorts. Bernard has planned out the next 3 days of my or our visit.

Today we went to Mood, the fabric store featured in Project Runway, then to Bryant park, also in Project Runway, then to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Annie Leibovitz exhibit. It was a good day.

Mood was completely overwhelming. It was 3 floors of fabric from to floor to ceiling. I wanted to buy fabric but I couldn't decide on what I wanted. I plan on going back on Monday.

I love New York?

I ended up watching the reunion show of The Flavor of Love. New York, one of the ladies after Flav. She was actually on both seasons. She came on at the end of the show making a huge scene. She exclaims "Look at me, I'm fabulous!" and "Look at how beautiful I am." As she twirls in a long dress and extensions on stage. When the other girls try to question her, she claims to forget who they are because she is so fabulous and famous. This lady is obviously a train wreck. So what? VH1 is giving her her own show similar to the bachelorette to meet the love of her life. She's a jeaous, posessive bitch, and I can easily predict how this show will go. She will sleep her way through these men and when she gets down the the few men that she "really connects with" they producers with throw in some new women or ex's and make her freak out. VH1 just dropped down a level.