Burn baby burn

Alrighty, I learned a new super power today! I can now manipulate fire in any way imaginable. Sure, maybe you can write your name in the snow with bodily fluids, but I can write mine with fire! Muahahahaha FEEL MY WRATH!!

Intensity

So I was walking arout with my friends today, and I had my camera with me so naturally I had to take some shots. Once again, the weather was superb today (geez, I' running out of adjectives here!) Anyways, I was just really turorised vy how well the sun sun is acting too I'm hoping that this weather will continue on.

Shine on through

The weather today was simply magnificent. I decided that I ould go for a bike ride, but on my way out, I saw these dandelions, so I ran back inside to grab my camera. If there's anything that I've learned about the sun, it's that it never stays constant. It's always shifting location and colour. Long story short, if you see something cool looking, take a picture of it IMMEDIATELY.

Gathering

So I came downstairs for a drink of water when I saw this! I was overcome with bewilderment and awe! So I did what any photographer would do, I ran for my camera and took a photo!

But in all seriousness, this photo is not photoshopped or manipulated except for a few alterations in black levels. Can anyone figure out how I got three turtles in one exposure?

Barry!

*THIS POST IS FOR MONDAY APRIL 26 2010

Today was the very last day of the trip. Over the past few days, many of us on the tour absolutley fell in love with our buss driver, Barry. He's probably one of the coolest guys I know in my entire life. It's just really hard to describe him in mere words, he's just way too awesome. You know, it's people like Barry that give me the assurance that life gonna be ok. So ya, thanks Barry!

Finding work

*THIS POST IS FOR SUNDAY APRIL 25 2010

I was very delighted to hear from the teachers that they wanted me to do the group photo this year. It was really a huge moment for me, in that I was given an actual responsibilty in terms of my photos. I mean in the past, I've taken photos as per request from people, but for some reason this felt different. I guess it was also the excitement of running back from the camera to the crowd in time too lol.

Going around town

*THIS POST IS FOR SATURDAY APRIL 24 2010

Well, I guess that title is a little missleading. I was one of three people on the tour to be in all four of the performing groups. Now, if you were just, say, a concert choir student, then you would sing in your choir, and you would have more freedom for the rest of the trip. Personally, I kinda do wish that I had a little more free time to go around and act all touristy, but I guess that can wait for another trip.

Good morning

*THIS POST IS FOR FRIDAY APRIL 23 2010

It was quite unreal, waking up to see snow covered trees. I honestly just woke up, saw the tree, and whipped out my camera to take this photo. Like, the weather the night before didn't show any signs that it was going to snow. And yet, the same day, the snow all melted away. I litereally saw kids playing soccer shirtless in the sun. And then it happens, again! Night comes around, and another layer of snow engulfs the city. I have to say, Banff is an absolutely beautiful city. I know that it was built for the sake of tourism, ut still, it's damn nice there.

Gimmie a pose

*THIS POST IS FOR THURSDAY APRIL 22 2010

Alrighty, so for this post, I thought I might use a photo that really reflected the goodness in people. The bus ride to Banff was about 11 hours, and everybody on the busses was very tired. And yet, a small light of hope shines through everytime we hit a rest stop. On that note, the photos from the entire trip can be seen here. But yeah, it just made me so happy when I snapped this photo in a Timmies. I think it was in Kamloops, but I honestly can't remember.

I hate packing

So I'm leaving for the music trip to Banff tomorrow, so you know what that means. I'll hafta upload the blog entries for thursday, friday, saturday, sunday, and monday all on monday. Greeeaaat.....lol. Nah but seriously, I'm quite excited for this trip. It should be a lot of fun. As a photographer, this is a great chance for me to explore a whole new environment, so be prepared for some epic photos when I return :D

And also, I uploaded the video to facebook, but I can't find a way to get it up like I can with photo albums. I'll probs just upload it to another site when I return.

Stop

So I tried a little stop animation tonight for the first time. I really have no idea what I'm doing, seeing as I've never done it before. It's always been an interest, but I just never got around to it. I'm really not expecting anything great at all. I've tinkered a bit here and there with some movie programs, but by no means am I an expert. I'm hoping that I might be able to just work on these videos on the side for fun. Who knows, maybe I'll actually make something decent someday :P

I'll post the link in the next post too

Recording sesh

Oh man, what a night! The Sr. Jazz Choir had a recording session tonight, and it was a lot of fun. We were all a little sceptical going in, as we had never had a proper session as a group before. But within minutes, we were all having a blast. I also had my camera with me, and got quite a few nice photos. The one I've posted here is probably one of my favourites of the bunch. I didn't really think too much at the time when I was behind the lens, but after further reflection, I think I see what makes it stand out.

Everything I know about photography, I learned from reading books or websites, and after a while there tend to be reoccuring themes and lessons. Just from the top of my head, I remember reading about "Focusing on the eyes" "Giving the subject space to look" "Rule of thirds" "Keep backgrounds unclustered" "Cloudy weather makes for great diffused light"....I could go on and on, but the fact of the matter is that I wasn't thinking of any of that when I was taking the picture. I guess I know more than i thought, so I should start applying more of what I know when TAKING photos, instead of just ANALYZING photos I've already taken :P

iPods

The original iPod was released in 2001. Yeah, it's been a crazy decade. I'd just like to point out that all those iPods aren't mine (but the majority are lol). Anyways, the iPod has certainly had a huge impact in the culture of young people these days. I think it's one of those things that we'll be reminiscing about later on. The one thing that scares me is the lack of self control when it comes to listening to music. Used properly, iPods can be a fantastic tool. But most times, I just see teens blasting pop music through those little white earbuds. It's just such a waste, seriously. I honestly fear that my generation will be mostly deaf by the age of 40.

Bed time

My parents hosted a party tonight in the house, so naturally there's a mess in the kitchen as I'm writing this. I didn't have a chance to have a decent conversation with the guests, but I mus say, the food was excellent lol. If there's one thing about these gatherings, it's the food. There's always a surplus, whuch is usually enough to make a good lunch the next day :P

I have the best friends

Seriously. I got home, and downloaded all the images from the camera onto my computer, and found some amazing shots, some of the game, some of people just goofing around. I trust the people on the team with the camera, and in return I end up with these wonderful photographs. I honestly don't even know who took this, but I love it, and I'm sure others will too. I guess the one scary thought now, is just how easy it is to compose great picutres. Especially with the reign of digital cameras and virtually infinite memory, I can only imagine how difficult it must be for professional photographers to find work. I mean, what's to stop a consumer from thinking, "Gee, these photos I took look great! Who needs a pro? Lol!" I suppose it just comes down to me making my photos unique and interesting, eh?

Make up your mind

The weather today was all over the place. This morning, it was quite chilly outside, but the sun was shining brightly. Luch time rolls around, and it's as bright as a summer's day. But then by the time I leave school, it's getting all cloudy. I come home, and it starts pooring. But during this downpouring rain, the sun lights up these plants in my backyeard. So I ran for my camera, and took a few photos before the sun climbed back into the clouds, and the rain subsided. I was happy to find that I had successfully taken my first photo rain :D

Toasty

As I may have mentoned before, I simply love toast. So naturally I was quite excited when my parents went out to buy a new toaster oven. It's actually been a while since they got it, but I just never got around to taking a picture of it. I guess the most exciting feature is that it actually glows with this vibrant, warm, orange light. Yeah, I'm easily entertained lol

Cookies!

It's been far too long since I've had some nice, homemade, chocolate chip cookies. They're just so scrumptious lol. Working in the bakery and superstore, I've had my fair share of store made cookies, but it's just not the same. You just gotta take those little victories in life and cherish them

Doors

You know, life offers us many opportunities to make a difference in the world. I know that's a bit of a bold statement to start on, but it's just something that's been on my mind for a while. I was at the Chris Botti concert tonight, and it was just incredible. I've gone through his CDs and DVDs countless times, but this was just a new level of awesomeness. But yeah, Botti is just one of those people that look up to in life. He got to where he is today because he does what loves.

Now I've thought about this for a while, but it didn't really hit me until I got home after the concert. I was just looking in the fridge, looking for something to eat, but I didn't even consider looking in the cupboard. I guess I just never really gave it a chance, and I never approached it. So I suppose what I'm getting at here, is that there tend to be untouched opportunities hiding behind closed doors.

Signs

Once again, the weather today was amazing. I went out for a nice long bike ride, and it felt great. I came home and though, "Man it is just way too nice out to not snap some photos!" And ya, I did lol. So anyways, I guess I'm just really happy that spring finally seems to be looking like well, spring. Sure, rain is really cool and moody, but at the same time, I simply love spring time in North Vancouver. It's just like, the perfect climate. You got that nice not too hot, not too cold temperature, that nice breeze, and those lovely greens in the wildlife. Life is just good :D

One Hundred

Today marks the 100th photo of my blog. I know that this photo isn't terribly exciting, but I got a whole album of other photos that can be checked out here. You know, it's hard to believe that I'm almost done a third of a year. I still don't know if I'm going to continue this next year. As for now though, I'm having tons of fun. I've become so much more involved with photography, and so have my friends. I think light painting has really been a great way to include my friends on my journey as a photographer. I haven't exactly perfected it yet, and I really hope I never do. The thing is, once something is perfected, there's nowhere to go, and nowhere to grow.

Denied!

The weather was absolutley fabulous today, which was great for the ultimate game. It was a tad windy, but that kinda thing can't be helped. I hafta say, I'm really liking the new lens. It might not have as much zoom as my previous zoom lens, but the image quality is amazing. Well, maybe not on this blog, but head on over to the link here to see better quality shots of the game. The other thing is that some of the people on the team are also getting used to using my camera, seeing as I lend it out when I'm playing on the field. I find that when it comes to high speed sports photography, there seems to be quite a lot of dumb luck involoved. Sure, I might get all the settings all configured, but the act of capturing light for something like 1/200th of a second, and having something interesting happen in that location during that time is well, kinda random lol.

Pineapple

This pineapple has been sitting there for a few days, and now it appears to be ripe enough to eat. I learned this little trick a while back, and it's been quite useful. Pretty much, you just take a hold of one of the leaves, and pull on it. If the leaf comes out with ease, it's ready to eat. If not, let it sit for a while longer.

Now as cool as that may be, it's only one little factoid out of the billions available on the internet today. As I was writing the LPI in school today, I started thinking about our school system. Ever since I was in elementary school, I've always kinda questioned the school system as a whole. I'm not just talking about how certain teachers are being unreasonable or unfair; everyone does that. I'm talking about the fundamentals of education in our society. I don't want to get too far in depth about it, since I still have things to do before going to bed. But in short, schools have been teaching with the same methods for decades: shove information down students' throats, evaluate memorized facts, and give out sheets of paper with numbers written on them.

It made sense when people didn't have access to knowledge aside from schools. Then came the library, but it acted as more of a supplement to the existing system. But now the internet shows up, and everything changes. Theorecially, the internet has no limits in terms of storred information. Every fact that can be learned in the average classroom in a year can most likely be found somewhere on the internet. It also happens to be free and accessible anywehre in the world. For that matter, all of my knowledge of photography has come from everywhere except the classroom. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'm growing more and more frustrated with school, not from the coursework, but from the school system's refusal to advance with the rest of society.

Faces

I was trying out some things with my camera today on the coffee table when I noticed this candle. Well, candle holder to be exact. If I remember correctly, it's hand made, as in like, the shells are collected from the beach by people. I guess the thing I love most about it is the fact that it has these hearts on all four sides. It makes me think about all the different kinds of love in the world. All in all, they come back to a single flame in the centre. Kinda cute, right?

Beaver power

I remember when I made this little fellow. I believe it was in like grade 3 or 4. We had this First Nations expert come in to show us how to make these animals out of soapstone. It was really neat, since it was the first time I had worked with tools such as the chisel. I guess it's nice to know that even as I grow into adulthood, I'll still have these little keepsakes to remember my childhood.

Easter has passed

Fortunately, there is still a bit of easter chocolate left in the house. I had a pretty good long weekend, and got quite a lot of stuff done. Well, maybe not so much school work, but it was a nice little break. I mean, I went ou to lunch in Vancouver with some friends, saw two movies, went biking, and much much more.

You know, I realized something very important this weekend though. Is there purpose to life without purpose? Just think about that for a second. In a few months, I'll be out of high school, and life's going to change forever. Technically, there is the option to just stop my education and do the absolute minumum amout of work possible in life to just barely get by. But honesty, that's the stupidest thing anyone could possibly do. Going back to what I was saying yesterday, I really want to acheive something in life. I don't know what that something is yet, but I just can't bear the thought of knowing that I could've done more with my life.

Ripples

So I went out and saw Hot Tub Time Machine with some friends tonight, and I must say, that film was quite incredible. I'm onbviously not getting paid to say this, I just thought it was really good. Basically, these guys are in their 40s, and life isn't going all that well for them. They decide to head out to a ski resort they went to back in the 80s, only to find that it's all run down. However, everything changes when they get in a hot tub time machine that sends them back to the 80s. Point is, crazy stuff happens, but it's a good kind of craziness. One recurring theme in the film is effect of our choices.

I know that the movie isn't supposed to be all sci-fi and stay true to every little aspect of temporal physics, and I'm totally fine with that. The movie really got me thinking about my own choices in life though. You know, we can only live life once (under regular circumstances). Doesn't that mean that everything we do is just that much more important? I also watched an episode of the Sarah Silverman Program, which is a pretty ridiculous show in itself, but still made a good point. It was about how happiness can be found everywhere, but it's often because there's nothing else to be happy for. Maybe instead of making the best of a bad situation, look for a better situation.

Reach

I thought I might experiment with a mirror today. I ended up with this shot of my own hand reaching for itself. The thing is, I feel like I'm losing inspiration in my photos as of late, so I should really push myself into new ground. I'm thinking of getting out a bunch of candles sometime soon and seeing what I can do. I've seen some pretty crazy stuff out in the world whe it comes to candle lit photography

Never too old

I was very pleased to see that my parents had made some mac and cheese today. I haven't had it for a while, and it felt great eating it. Sure, I know it's not the healthiest option for my body, but whatever lol. I guess this is just the kinda thing I needed after turning 18. The thing is, I still don't know what I'm going to do, and it hasn't stopped bother me. Ugh, why must life be so difficult? :P

Application forms

...are horrible. On the table there are the application forms for this summer jazz intensive program I was thinking of trying out for. I honestly haven't even started on post secondary applications yet, and I'm already annoyed. It's just one of those things in life that I tend to leave till the last possible second, and it's a terrible habbit lol. Anyways, I suppose I should get on finishing them eh?