365-ish 2008-ish - Page 6 - Schmootography Photography

365 self portraits. Can I actually do it? Inspired by many others, I decided to give my creativity a kick in the pants with a Daily Photo project. With life happening too fast, quite often I lose the spark that drives me to pick up the camera. Hopefully I can maintain not only this project, but the ability to develop more as a photographer. Ideally, the majority of these will be self-portraits to help me get over my image complex and to document the most important, memorable moments of each day.

My rules:
1. At least part of myself in each shot. Every 24 hours.
2. EXIF data pulls rank. I travel and can't always upload on a timely matter, but the timestamp is as the timestamp does...
3. Try to document the dominant activity/event of the day. This is a journal-type project for me, too.
4. Having help is OK. While I always set up the shot myself, occasionally the location requires having someone else hit the shutter for me.

My current 365 Project gallery is here!

Gallery pages: << < 3 4 5 6 7 8 > >>

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schmoo > December 12, 2008

I'm not sure why we are looking at furniture today, but this space was so cool I had to shoot it.

We initially went by Su Casa because I wanted a set of Monkeys for my keys. Just a whim, but I got what I came for and my keys make me extra happy when I fumble for them at the door.

schmoo > December 11, 2008

At Brewer's Art with Matt, we ran into Keith and his friend Mike. I've never been the kind of person who was enough of a socialite to run into people while out on the town, and I'm still not. It was just funny (and fun).

Brewer's Art has always been something of a crowded hipster hangout, so I avoid it, but the grungy wine cellar does have character, you have to admit. I really hate crowds. I hate noise. And I hate not knowing what my shoes are sticking to under the table. *shiver*

schmoo > December 10, 2008

The holiday season continues.

Tonight we made chick pea cutlets, which was an interesting venture into new culinary territory. I'm not really sure I liked them, but they were sure filling. We usually don't eat at home these days, a product of me working from home and getting cabin fever. But tonight we enjoyed the time in the kitchen and even more so enjoyed a bottle of red wine in front of the TV. There are lots of little things that we take for granted, one of them being together at home. Another is John Stewart.

I really like the fact that we can be lazy and do nothing productive sometimes, especially as school is out for both of us. How naughty it feels, and hallelujah! And here's to Keen Eddie, a fictional cop with the same handsome, lopsided smirk as my husband and a future trip to London so that we can play chess on the Thames. ;)

schmoo > December 6, 2008

Although the evening was the most anticipated portion of the day, the highlight was (literally) the sunset in Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz is only 30 minutes from Mountain View, and yet I had never been there before. I found it odd that it looked like what you'd expect a typical Californian beach to look like, but it was cold. I guess it wasn't so cold for December, but with the bright sand and the waving palm trees, you expect it to be even a little warmer than it was.

Here I was shooting the guys in the reflection of a restaurant window. I have a lot of photos of myself on this trip, but since my camera got passed around between friends constantly, I have very few shots of which I can be 100% sure that I took!

schmoo > December 5, 2008

We drove up the coast today instead of taking the highway 101 up to San Francisco. It was longer, but much more interesting. On the way we stopped by Alice's Restaurant. It's much quieter here on a Friday morning than it was the Sunday brunch-time when I was here last. But it was still a great little place and we had a bundle of laughs on the rough beaches.

We spent the afternoon eating great veggie food in Lower Haight, then shooting people, then the sunset at Twin Peaks. I find new things in this city each time I'm here.

schmoo > December 3, 2008

A long but exciting day. Here we are at St Stephen's Green, an Irish pub on Castro in Mountain View. It's amazingly difficult to find a place to get a drink (or a whisky) at 12:30 AM on a Wednesday. Ivar was a super trooper for being game for a Balvenie this late, and after 15 hours of traveling. This was a particularly unique experience in that they were an Irish pub playing gangsta rap, but had stadium jumping on the TV screen.

(I am still having incredibly difficulties processing my 5D Mark II shots due to completely unfamiliar waters)

schmoo > December 2, 2008

After many very good years with my 30D, I got a new camera today: the new 5D Mark II. Once again thank you SO MUCH to my wonderful local camera shop for stepping in and saving me. I was actually on their waiting list (thanks to Trav) but I wasn't sure if the pokey local place would get one faster than the bigger store, Tallyn's. It turns out that people way ahead of me on the wait list at Tallyns are still waiting and here I am trying to wrap my head around all of the wonderful features (still and video) this camera has. Thanks again, Service Photo!

My first daily was a bust. I took a photo of the 5D box that they had shoved into a big yellow Nikon bag... but the bag was too small so the Canon box was ripping out the seams. It was so symbolic and so hilarious. The eternal battle, ahh.

Wow, this is going to be a great week. It's busy, but this is my final week of the semester and soon I will have the paper to prove it. But this means I am almost homework-free and I will hopefully have time to catch up with projects and take on bigger bites as a photographer.

Plus, tomorrow we are flying to CA (again) and I get to see some of my favorite people in the universe (again) and go shooting with them (again.) I have no complaints at all, that's for sure!

Tonight we went for Ethiopian food with Matt. Here is me testing ISO 6400, and while it looks great on the LCD I'm not sure the graininess is really a look I'd go for. Still playing, still learning. Gotta RTFM too but I have a 6-hour flight tomorrow, so I have time.

One more sleep to go...

schmoo > November 29, 2008

Blurry but effective. We adventured all day in NYC, shooting people, places, and things. We found a wonderful noodle place in the West Village that really hit the spot, so cozy and warm and had hot chamomile/lavender tea. The day was rounded out with sunset and dusk panos of the Brooklyn Bridge, cuddling to keep warm, and stiff, invigorating beverages on Water Street.

Pretty good day, and it makes up for having to have spent the holidays apart.

schmoo > November 27, 2008

This holiday, I spent a lot of time in cars.

schmoo > November 24, 2008

One great benefit about working at home is that there's no question of whether or not someone is available to receive deliveries during the day. I remember when I worked on campus at the hospital, Trav tried to send me flowers. For two (maybe three?) days they were lost, trapped in an endless loop of arcane building/room numbers and security guards. By the time I finally tracked them down they (a) weren't a surprise anymore and (b) were wilted.

Even though we share a private joke about the vapidity of flowers and how potatoes are a much more romantic gift, I do get surprise flowers from time to time. They are, indeed, so beautiful. Today I have a bouquet of orchids, roses, and Calla lillies. They do brighten up my desk in a month where very little is bright outside.

schmoo > November 22, 2008

A beautiful, perfect winter day! It's cold but lovely outside, all crisp and clear and clean. This morning I (as usual) got up early to finish homework, but the afternoon was spent scouting potential locations for an upcoming photo shoot.

Near the Jones Falls is a little bike path, and of course, a little red bike rack. I haven't ridden my bicycle in a long time because it's been so cold (and I don't have the proper equipment) but I couldn't help but hop up on this one. Sort of. I've never ridden this type of bicycle before and I'd probably fall on my butte if I tried, but fortunately this one wasn't going anywhere.

schmoo > November 21, 2008

Our first "real" snow of the year! It snowed briefly on Tuesday but today it actually stuck.... at least for an hour. It's gone now, but heck that's what cameras are for.

I can now say the word "Snow" in 4 languages:

- Snow
- Schnee
- Sneeuw
- Snoi

Eh, well it's a bit of a personal joke. Maybe you had to be there.

schmoo > November 20, 2008

This is the first night all week I've had Trav to myself. We ran a couple of errands after work, enjoying the evening and having Indian/Nepalese food in Towson. I took this shot coming out of the restaurant, barely making it due to sudden IFC (Indian Food Coma) but determined to make it work.

Not sure it did, but I'm way too chicken to get the shot I actually wanted... that is, to have the camera inside the (busy) restaurant and shooting out at the steps. I have all these grand plans but just not enough nerve to pull it off.

Cajones: the secret to great photography!

schmoo > November 19, 2008

"A message sent, and no reply
Did you receive the last transmission loud and clear?
I'm standing by
Just waiting for a sign beyond this atmosphere"

-- "Satellite" by The Dignity of Labour

I have no idea what they're doing on my street, but the power company has had a lot of trucks coming by during the day with lots of blinky lights and traffic cones. Consequently, they shut off the electricity in my house on a regular basis now, which is pretty annoying considering I work from home. Sigh.

My backup "office," the cozy coffee place downtown, has really unreliable wireless. I spent most of the morning trying find a consistent signal, with no luck. Eventually I gave up and came home, and fortunately by then things were normal again. I get so distracted with other people around and I certainly don't miss commuting into an office every day.

The last time there was a lot of mysterious, annoying construction going on in my neighborhood, we ended up with FiOS. So I'm going to pull through and be patient with... well, whatever it is they're doing out there.

schmoo > November 18, 2008

This evening we met Keith and a new friend out at Waterfront Hotel for dinner. Today was monumental because it actually snowed this afternoon - the first time I'd seen snow before Thanksgiving in MD in the 10 years I've been here!

I wore my mittens out. I actually call them "muttons," thanks to Trav, and I do have one better photo of them already the week I bought them from a random boutique shop in Ueno district of Tokyo. I miss Japan so much, and I promise to return. But for now I'll wear my little muttons and complain about how hard it is to use the opposable thumbs I take so much for granted.

Ah, fashion over function!

I have to say that I am just so flattered and astounded at the response I got from everyone about my photo from yesterday. Given how little time I have to comment on others (and maintain this Daily Photo project) you guys rock so hard. :)

December 12, 2008

I'm not sure why we are looking at furniture today, but this space was so cool I had to shoot it.

We initially went by Su Casa because I wanted a set of Monkeys for my keys. Just a whim, but I got what I came for and my keys make me extra happy when I fumble for them at the door.