The rise of the classics.

Recently, there's been an uprising of film, and the analogue age. It's like I'm almost re-experiencing photography all over again. And I'm not the only one!
Analogue cameras have now been recreated and produced, giving artists and photographers a newfound appreciation for the old age.
Companies like LOMOGRAPHY are producing analogue cameras to produce different effects, like a fisheye camera, or the "helga" camera...each of them creating more creative and artistic shots than a classic point and shoot camera.



And more so, new technology is taking photography to another level. One of the iPhone's most popular app's is a photography application called "Hipstamatic", which takes a picture through the camera in the iPhone, but allows you to choose and swap out "digital" lens', films, and lighting gels. The outcomes of which are both trendy and classic photos. And if you're like me, it's always more enjoyable to say I took this photo with the "John S" or "Helga" lens, and use infrared film...all in a digital way!



So all this to say, the film age is back...in a new light. Whether you pick up your old toy camera, poloroid, or through the Hipstamatic iphone app, you're going to be seeing more and more and more every-day photos in a new creative artistic light.

Check out some of the hipstamatic and lomography photographs:


http://www.flickr.com/groups/hipstamatic/pool/

http://www.lomography.com/photos

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Once as I sat upon the shore

There's a peaceful serenity that calms my soul when I sit by a lake.



Today is a calm day, although just several days ago the wind whipped the waves higher than some of the docks, shaking them with a force that almost rivaled a hurricane. Today, however, The waves lap ever-so-gently along the sand and I feel the warmth of the sun, which has now peered out from a string of clouds. It glows a warm yellow in the evening hour, shimmering off the lake's smooth surface.




I squish my feet in the sand, and it molds beneath my feet and squishes in between my toes, giving me its version of a foot massage. A row of smooth rocks line the shore, having been pounded by the waves of time.



Shrieks and squeals of laughter resound from the playground behind me while another little girl plucks stones from the shoreline, attempting to skip them. Too young to have the knack for skipping stones down, I burst out chuckles here and there as I watch her try.

The gentle yet ever-present breeze wafts a clean early-summer scent. The smell of burning charcoal on the grill makes my stomach growl for a good meal. Not that I am starved, by any means, but I couldn't deny that a good grilled hamburger would quench my appetite.

The beach-side, now all but deserted by the Sunday afternoon crowd, is filled with small valleys by the feet that had pounded across its' molding shore. The power and energy that thrived upon these waters has now calmed into a solitude with only a few scattered pontoon and a pair of ducks, now gliding farther into the distance.

A dark and massive cloud has now passed over the lake, but has yet to eclipse the sun from its warm rays reaching down to earth. I can tell that after the sun grows weary & falls into the night, the dark and gloomy cloud will let loose its rage.



Over the past several minutes I have been joined by families who are just as eager for summer to start as I am. The young girl has now been joined by the rest of her family, now all scouring the shoreline for the perfect flat stone. It seems as if she got her lack of stone-skipping talent from the rest of them. Several other families filter in and out, all catching a small glimpse of the breathtaking view - although none of them stay long enough for me to believe they truly breathed in the scene.

I am ready for a summer next to the ocean; Yet I am apprehensive about leaving. I will surely miss my loving family and the church that has welcomed us. I will miss the companionship they offer and our often trips to the lake.

But these words I have come to cherish: "Be still and know that I am God." Here at the lake, all my fears and apprehensions about leaving are washed away and calmed, just like the calm of the lake itself. It's here that I am still and God shows himself almighty and faithful.

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The dramatic girl in the end lounge - this is for you

This will probably be a slightly snarky post - so if you don't want to read it, then don't.

Sometimes girls just don't know how to cut the drama.
Tonight, I decided to go out for a walk. Before this, my friend had come in from outside to drop by my room. This was around 12:30. As she entered, she mentioned there was a guy and a girl on the 3rd floor stairwell - something that's a "grey area" in boundaries for opposite sexes to meet. Didn't think much of it.
Later that night, I needed to clear my head - so I went out for a walk. About 1 am. they were still there. 2 am. I get back from my walk. They were still there. He had a Bible and was talking about something spiritual. Like I said, didn't think much of it.

Sleep! :-) Wake up at 2:45 am. I hear a girl talking loudly in the end lounge. I just wanted to see if she and this guy were there. So I did. I grabbed some garbage from my room and stepped outside to throw it away in the end lounge trash bin. It was that same girl - without the guy.

But I couldn't stop listening to her convo. (Yes, I realize this was eavesdropping... but I'll use the "samwise" copout - 'I wasn't droppin' no eaves, sir, promise....nothing important...I mean, something about a dark lord and the end of the world)

I discovered she and her boyfriend named Andy were arguing over the fact that she hadn't talked to him in 3 days. (I figure something bad had happened.) I later found out that their relationship is long distance.

3 am. She decides to call her boyfriend. Can I just say that when you're upset, or when your boyfriend's upset...3 am isn't the best time to be having this conversation. Everyone (INCLUDING THE WHOLE WORLD) knows that things seem worse in the middle of the night. So at 3 am, don't call your boyfriend upset. Wait another 12 hours to have this conversation, and the light of day might bring different results. (Although, technically, the Bible says not to wait til the sun goes down on your anger. But I'm thinking that's a little bit metaphorical.)

Some of my favorite lines by her through the evening were, "I'm apologizing to you! Didn't you hear that? I just apologized to you. You're supposed to forgive me! The Bible says it!"
Ok, well, you're right. The Bible says we are to forgive - and you did just apologize to him. But you really think the best way to get him to forgive you is by calling him at 3 am to say your sorry, then tell him he HAS to forgive you? Really? I'm thinking not. My next thought is that at 3 am, telling him to forgive you is just going to get on his nerves more than anything. When you do something wrong, and you ask for forgiveness, they need to forgive you. But don't expect it to happen in a heartbeat. Sometimes it takes a little while to say "I forgive you."

She also said, "No, andy, listen to me, just listen to me...listen to me!............. I talk to YOU.....more than I talk to GOD!" Ok. Let's talk about this. Also a good point. We should talk to God daily. Not saying we shouldn't. But that is by far the worst cop-out line ever. Ya think about it, and most relationships we talk to each other verbally more than we talk to God. But we talk to God in more than one way. So, really, he wins in this one, too.

She also said later, which he later confirmed it, "What do you want me to do - forget and ignore all my friends here?" (I'm assuming most of these 'friends' are guy friends.) "You're not acting like my boyfriend right now! Cuz if you were, you'd understand that it's different! They're my friends." Now, I'm no relationship expert. But usually when you have a boyfriend (even harder when it's long distance), you need to be EXTRA cautious about who your male friends are and when and how you hang out with them, and how you act around them.
Let's dissect this further. You just spent the past 2 1/2 hours from the hours of 12-2:30 talking to a BOY in depth SPIRITUALLY about YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND. I'm thinking that wasn't the smartest of moves. Yes, you may have understand that "you sinned" by "not taking the time to be intentional about talking to your boyfriend." But I'm thinking that spending a good portion of your very late night alone with a boy in a stairwell - who wasn't your boyfriend.

"I talk to you more than once a day! I talk to you by texting. I text you all day long!" My thought: Does texting really count as talking to? Not really, for me, because you are not using your vocal chords. Nor can you sense intonation. And lets be honest. Any relationship based on texting throughout the day isn't much of a relationship.

In the end, let me just say the following:

UNLESS you WANT half of our hall to wake up and listen in on this conversation...and UNLESS you WANT your boyfriend to break up with you...
I'd start by NOT having 3 hour in depth Spiritual conversations alone with a boy in the middle of the night, and then NOT calling your boyfriend at 3 am in an end lounge, crying and yelling. Just saying.

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Animoto - my new best friend

I've recently discovered my love for a wonderful website called animoto.com
The genius' behind this website thought that America needed an easy and quick way to make videos of their photos set to music. What they created was, in fact, just that. This website is so easy to use my grandmother could maneuver her way through. And as quick as quick can be, a video with your photographs of a vacation, friends photo shoot, senior portraits, or day-to-day candids are thrust together in a great conglomeration.
There are a few down-sides, however. Along with the quickness and easiness of it all, your photos are set to the tempo of the music. So if you pick a fast song, expect them to go faster than your eye can keep up. You can change the tempo of the photo-turning, but it's either 2x or 1/2x, which sometimes seems awkward. This also means you can't change one photos' length of time, either.
The other downside is that if you want the free version, you only get 30 seconds to play with. The good news: a year's subscription to "all access" is only $30, which includes unlimited video time.
Videos can also upload actual video clips, also, but are limited to 5 seconds for the free version and 10 for the all access. (The all-access does not include copyrights, especially to their songs. If you own a company, there is another alternative for you.)
For the average person who just wants a new way to portray their photos of their every-day-lives, this is a brilliant website.
Here's my latest example:

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Go to animoto.com to begin your newest video scrapbook.

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From worse to worst - Oscars 2010 fashion gone wrong.

The 82nd annual Academy Awards filled the screens tonight. And while millions of viewers tuned in to see if Kathryn Bigelow would beat out ex-husband James Cameron for Best Director, or if Sandra Bullock could finally break through her RomCom facade and win Best Actress, the other portion of the world tuned in to see only one thing: The Fashion!

The Oscars are known as the time where the biggest designers and actors' sense of fashion either flourishes or fails. And like other favorite shows we watch (*cough* American Idol), most of our enjoyment of the evening comes from making fun of the flubs...and by flubs, I mean the biggest fashion mishaps in the year. Hence, the worst dressed lists were born.

So, my dear friends, without further ado, I give you my top ten worst dressed of the Oscars 2010.


10) Jennifer Lopez, wearing a silk organza Armani Prive.

Trying to play with textures and structure, J-lo thought these extra curves would enhance her own. The top suites her well, but all of those structural curves near her hip enhanced all the wrong places.

9)Miley Cyrus, wearing Jenny Packman.

Dear Miley - a corset-looking top does not bode your breasts well. Although I will give you grace since I liked the chiffon skirt.

8)Zoe Saldana, wearing a Givenchy Haute Couture gown by Riccardo Tisci.

The top on this dress was actually quite stunning. But once you get past the waist, it looks as if a Viking cheerleader attacked it with purple pompoms. Textures are a big trend this year, but don't expect to see this one anytime soon (although maybe by the time 'Avatar' comes true.)

7)Mariska Hargitay in Vera Wang

Although her slender bodice fits beautifully in this piece, I'm afraid Wang forgot to finish sewing the bottom of it. It looks like she took the bottom of a bedskirt, wrapped it around the bottom of the dress and just forgot to sew it across.

6)Carey Mulligan, nominated for actress in a leading role for "An Education," wore Prada.

This black sweetheart dress doesn't seem sweet after taking a second glance at the long train on such a short dress. It seems as if she couldn't make up her mind if she just wanted it short or long. One or the other, dear.

5) Matt Damon looked more handsome and chiseled than usual, but his wife Luciana's dress didn't demand as much attention.

As a matter of a fact, it seems as if the attention she gave this dress was about 5 minutes...the amount of time it takes to make a towel look that good, which is what it seems to look like. The only difference I see is that I don't see any terry-cloth nor wet hair.

4)Charlize Theron - wearing ??? (nobody wants to admit it.)

This dress could have been simple and stunning between the two shades of purple and the form-fitting foundation. What nobody seems to understand are the two circles of lavender that seem to be attacking her breasts. It demanded attention in a place that's neither lady-like nor flattering. Her hair pulled back gave us a view of her gorgeous face, but nobody could pay attention any farther up than her neck.

3) Diane Kruger is a subtle beauty, but this dress makes it even more subtle. Trying to play with the textures, this dress chops up her slender figure. As a whole, the piece isn't cohesive from top to bottom; the ruffles in that middle section are what makes this dress fly right over the edge.


2)Mariah Carey. Now, I'm usually not the biggest fan of Carey's fashion to begin with, but this one just didn't do her justice at all.

Dear Mariah,
Try a little more on the bottom and a little more on the top, next time, and you might hit it right. Learn how to cover yourself up and you might actually land yourself on the "best dressed" lists for once.

....and the WORST dressed of the 2010 Oscars goes to:
1) Nicole Richie.

Taking the opposite approach as Carey, Richie thought that dressing from head to toe (almost literally) would make her hit the best dressed lists of 2010. Looking more like a better designed piece of sheet metal or chain mail, this dress would have been better served being in the best costume category for "Joan of Arc."

So there you have my top 10 worst dressed - Do you agree/disagree? Who did you like the most? Were there any in my worst dressed that you liked? Anybody you thought I missed?

.....stay tuned for the BEST of Oscars 2010!

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Snow!

It's peaceful. It's magical. It's beautiful.
Ladies and gentlemen of the world...it's snow!

Tonight, it started snowing. Sometimes it was gently floating, and others it was fluttering along with the wind.

Snow! Charming, graceful, falling white puffs. Every year, when the first snow comes, I grab my music player (from cassette tapes, to CD's, to an Ipod now), and I take a walk. I listen to my favorite Christmas album ("A Christmas Story" by Point of Grace) as I watch the snow glisten and glitter on its way down to earth. I look up and see a sky plastered with white fluff-balls coming at me. Then I look down and see the street glittering and the cracks in the sidewalk filled with the glistening snow.

Giggling and skipping down the path, I bounced along the sidewalk, walking through a sea of swimming white fluff. When they landed on my jacket, I would stop to study them.

Have you ever looked at snow? Not just watched it fall down, but actually take a close-up look?
Snow is beautiful! It's exactly like we used to draw snowflakes in kindergarten, or cut them out of coffee filters.

To some, snow is a nuisance that just adds to the stress of rush-hour traffic driving and makes them mutter as they bundle up, not wanting to deal with the cold.

Not me! I embrace the cold! I'm not saying I don't have times where I loath going out in frigid temperatures. But really, I love the cold! It's the chance to bring out classic fashions, like the scarf, mittens, and earmuffs.

Even without the fashion of winter, there's a romance and magic about the snow. Grinning from ear-to-ear, you can't help but just stop and stare at the beauty that surrounds you.


Snow!
It holds an piece my heart that nothing else does. I get filled with so much excitement I tend to squeal, giggle, laugh, and sing.

The only thing I could think of tonight while on my walk was just simply "Snow!"
My God is so great, and gives us this gift every year, whether in bucket-loads of it, or, like tonight, just graceful and simple quantities. No matter the amount, His beauty is always there, and all you have to do is look and enjoy it.

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Emotions Autumnal

Autumn brings out a subdued, nostalgic, and subtle side of me. It's a rarity, for sure, being as that I tend to reside on the crazy, loud, and quirky side. But come the time where leaves turn pretty colors and the temperature grows closer towards freezing, I become quieter. I become less overly-enthused, and more towards appreciative and relaxed.
I wonder why this is, much of the time. It's not that I enjoy life less, or that I don't like the autumn. It's just a different phase of the year. I feel a little more sadness, but still mixed in with a smiling heart, somehow.

I love the vibrant reds and oranges that surround me, with the still-green evergreens that are interspersed between. I enjoy walking through the crisp, cool air, reminding that winter is just around the corner. I still like the feel of crunched leaves under my feet, although lately they've been soppy and wet.

But there's something in my heart that feels like it's missing the warmth and energy of summer.

It's always around this time that I start yearning to go back to so many places...the places I've called "home", whether temporarily or permanently, in my heart.

McGregor is one of them. Specifically my grandparents. With their many acres of pasture, ponds, dirt and gravel paths all enclosed within a beautiful forest, it's hard to stay away...especially during the autumn. And although my heart yearns to be up there, I know it's not the same as when I was 15, and stayed there...just me and the grandparents. So quiet, peaceful, and serene.

Bismarck is another. I think it comes from the memories of my senior year, which I have concurred was one of the best anyone could ever hope for. I long to drive up and down River Road, even though most of it's closed currently for construction. I wish desperately to just feel like I am home again, cuddled in my own home out in the country. I miss being in high school, going to "the bowl" for football and soccer games, and just plain being at Century High with all of my friends.

It's a mystery to me, but this time of year I always feel this way. Maybe it's God's way of quieting my heart, I don't know. And in feeling this way, I couldn't help but write about it, just wondering if maybe other people feel this way, too?.....

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