Leaving

My Thoughts 

Empty

I hope you guys don't mind this is a more personal post. But, as this is a blog, I'm sure that's why you're here.

I know I haven't posted in quite a long time. And this is going to be my last post for the next two years. So, this will be a bit longer (and more personal) than usual.

IN CASE ANYONE DOESN'T KNOW, I'm leaving in 6 days to serve a mission in Guadalajara Mexico for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Also known as Mormons. So that's what this post is about; how I'm feeling before I leave.

Assuming, of course, you guys want to know all that stuff. :)

In getting ready to go I feel: crazy, nervous, excited, anxious, stoked, out-of-my-mind-that-I'm-leaving-the-country, scared, safe, protected, and that I'm doing the right thing. I don't think that I've felt so many things all at once in my life before. But, there it is.

I'm going to miss a lot of things. A lot of people. A WHOLE lot of people. But I trust that these next two years will be the best of my life, and that I will grow a little be more into the man who God wants me to be. I trust Him. I am dedicating my life to Him for two whole years. I know that for that, I will be blessed beyond anything I can imagine. I love God, and I can't wait to serve Him by serving the people in Guadalajara Mexico.

Lately, in getting ready to go in getting things, and packing them, sorting through my stuff, I get a little sad. Sometimes a little empty, since all this is going to be irrelevant for the next two years. But I know when I get back all of this will become a brand new adventure.

Sometimes, I like to write poetry. And sometimes, I like to share it. A few days ago I tried to write out my thoughts and it sort of came out as a poem. As follows:

11/4/2016 (Journal Entry)

I'm happy.
But I'm dying inside.
These happy times,
Are all about to end.
No.
I don't have cancer.
No. 
These are happy times.
I'm leaving my home for two years.
To overcome my fears.
And talk to people. 
Share with them the gospel,
The plan of salvation,
How to be happy, 
The story of creation. 
Yes. 
I really am sad.
I'm leaving a few friends behind, 
To save a few souls.

In getting ready to go, I've been saying goodbye to people I work with, and to my friends. But I've found I can't get myself to say the words, "Good bye." So I always say, "see you later." 

In this life or the next, I'll see you later. 

Be back in 2 years. 

Parkour

My Thoughts

Rise

I wouldn't have dared to take this shot if I hadn't first learned a bit of the how and what of parkour.

The day I took this shot I happened to wake up just in time to come downstairs and look out my kitchen window to see this beautiful scene before me. But I couldn't see all of it. The backyard wall was in the way. I quickly grabbed my camera and stepped outside to stand on the picnic table. But there were still too many street signs and trees in the way.

Weighing my options, I quickly decided that my best bet was to hop atop the wall. I felt comfortable enough sitting on it, so I took a few more pictures, but the angle wasn't quite right. And I was running out of time. (You'll be surprised to find how fast the sun rises when you try to capture it.) A great friend of mine had been teaching me the basics of parkour, how to execute a safety vault, getting comfortable in high places, and becoming more confident in my abilities.

I decided I'd stand on the wall and take my picture from that point. I wasn't so much worried about my safety as I was about my camera. If I lost my balance, (which isn't too hard to do if you have your eyes closed, which, when taking a picture at a distance, it's basically the same thing) I'd probably scrape a knee on the rock landscape below. But my camera would probably get smashed. For all the cars that drove by, I'm sure they thought I was stalking them.

Something my photography teacher said to me was this: "Chances are the more ridiculous you look, the better the shot will turn out." I think there's a bit of truth to that.

And thank you, Conrad, for teaching me parkour. It has allowed me to have the confidence and determination to stick it through and take the really cool shots. Parkour is also about the creativity of movement. I've started to see things differently. There is so much beauty in this world.

The Mind's Eye

My Thoughts

Aspiration

I had a thought the day I took this shot. It was something like this: Even if we could instantly create what we see in our minds eye, it would still not be as beautiful as what we create with our hands.

Allow me to explain my reasoning. Before setting our upon the adventure to create something, our mind has conceived the idea of what it thinks it should be like. So we try to create that. But along the way, we discover beautiful setbacks and enlighting challenges. By the end, we come up with something that may be completely different from what was originally envisioned. Therein lies the beauty of it; we learn more when we must toil to create what our minds see.

I will admit, it would still be nice to create what we see in our minds on the first try. But for now, I have learned to appreciate the adventure, because I learn so much more because of it.

Uncomfortably

Portraits/My Thoughts

LOOKS

Recently, I had to opportunity to take pictures for a group of friends who got together and went to the Spring Formal, or Prom. As we were taking pictures, I found a set of stairs. The lighting was wonderful. So in the spur of the moment, I decided to have all of the couples have one of their pictures taken there.

The results were gorgeous.

Looking up, straight up, was just something so unexpected that the expressions on each persons face was completely genuine. Put a person in an unfamiliar situation, and you will learn so much more about who they are. When taking portraits, it is vital to make sure your subject is as comfortable with you as possible. Because this allows the photos taken to be more natural.

In my case, this not-so-natural pose pushed my subjects to just a bit further from what they were comfortable with -because it was so unexpected. This brought new character forth, and I loved it.

Endings

My Thoughts

Measure

Why do we dislike endings?

Perhaps it's that the best place to measure change is at the end of something. Humans don't like change. We tend to resist it. Or maybe, we don't like to recognize it. We're safe where we are.

I think that whenever one thing ends, at least three new things can start. Why do things get so complicated when we grow older? We gain options.

Time is the unit by which humans measure change. We also measure change by the things that do not change. Otherwise, if all things were changing, we could not measure it. When one thing ends, it becomes a point within our past whereby we may measure further change from.

Endings serve to remind us that change and growth are a part of life. Embrace and learn.

Light

My Thoughts

Longing

We yearn for light.

Find it.

Hidden

Self-Portraits/Thoughts

TOLD

I took these pictures at the old Superior High School in Superior Arizona.

Sometimes, I like to hide.

As if I were like an element observing a chemical reaction, I am afraid to join in should I skew the result. Because as a photographer that is what I am here to capture.

When people see a camera, they feel uncomfortable. Sometimes they freeze up, and their story isn't told right.

You have to stand back and soak in what you see. Tell the story you see with your eyes, and pray that your eyes can see accurately.

This is a collection of hidden self-portraits. Typically, I don't include my camera in my self-portraits. But I chose to include it in order to further pronounce the message I want to share.

Framed 

Friend

Broken Peace

Eyes

Gold

Color

My Thoughts

Split

I took this picture in a basement while on vacation in Salt Lake City Utah.

Not too long ago, I watched the movie Hugo for the second or third time as part of my filmmaking class. The first time I watched it in 2011, I didn't appreciate the color of it. Now, and after the first few weeks of the Filmmaking class I'm in, I definitely see the beauty in it. Below is just one example of the gorgeous lighting present throughout the movie. 

After seeing the wonderful coloring in it again, I decided I wanted to try it myself. The picture I've titled Split is the completely unedited result. 

Alan Perlis said, "Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatics suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it." One of the genus beauties in both film and photography is how lighting and color can be used together as a median to show in simple terms the complex sides of the human existence. Different lighting's alone could be used to highlight important ideas, persons, objects, or moods, as used in Orson Well's film, Citizen Kane, but that's for another post.

Humans are complex beings with many different sides to them. Color is one way to represent that, and it truly is awesome.

Limits

My Thoughts

Wintercast

I took this picture while I was out in my backyard.

I recently borrowed a 50 mm Nikon lens from a friend to take some family portraits. Over the course of a few days, it has quickly become my favorite, and I can't wait to get my own. While I was outside trying out the lens, a plane flew overhead, and I captured it, wishing I had a zoom lens. Later, when I was looking through the pictures I took. I decided I really liked the one shot I took of that plane that flew above me.

I will admit that the above picture is a bit edited, but the feeling it invokes is what I felt when I saw the original. I view editing pictures much like re-writing an essay or a journal entry; you re-write it for clarity. As the photographer, I know how I felt when I took the picture, but as a viewer I can't grasp the full context. The photographer may edit and emphasize to explain the full story.

The picture above isn't like most of the pictures I've taken. But it proves to me the subjectivity of art. I can't think of a rule in photography that Wintercast does follow. Not rule of thirds. Not filling the frame (I literally couldn't zoom in). Not symmetry. What this picture does follow is the limits of our human experience. Maybe that is why I like it so much. It reminds me that I'm kinda stuck here, with all my imperfections. But knowing that also gives me a sense of freedom.

Perhaps my favorite part about the 50 mm lens is that because it is so limiting, it allows me to have more freedom in expression. By this I mean that I am forced to move around more, and to see things differently. Things instantly become more "real" because the 50 mm lens is the closest in width to what our human eyes perceive; a person 20 feet away will take up the same amount of space in my field of vision as it would fill up in the frame of a 50 mm lens.

Overall, I have to say that the 50 mm lens is my favorite. It has opened my eyes to new aspects of photography. Such as the picture I took above. From something as simple as a borrowed lens, I've learned a lot more about myself, discovered something more, and learned something new.

I thought I'd share that with you.

Moments

My Final in Photography

[Summery of this post for my final:] The message that goes along with this post is actually the title (surprise), it's Moments. In this collection, I wanted to capture special moments that happen in life. In order to capture this I decided to take a number of Self-Portraits. Self-Portraits present many challenges. Since I can't be behind the camera and in front of it, I can't adjust the frame, focus, or any of the settings. This means that you have to know exactly what you want before you step into the frame. This means that you must adjust for everything in your frame, and imagine where you are to be. I had a host of fun shooting these, and tried a number of different techniques, I explain what I did specifically below. 

[Note: All of these photos have been edited slightly. Mostly cropping, and adjusting the lighting slightly. However, I'm sure these pictures could still be taken the same way without editing if I were to change the setting of where I took it, and if I had a camera where I could adjust things further.]

For simplicity, all of these photos were taken in my house in Chandler, Az or in one of the few nearby parks within 2 miles of my house. 

 Waking Up

Yes, I'm starting this post with Waking Up. I think this is a moment we often take for granted. It's only on the day after a memorable event that we wake up in the morning and realize that event is now  past. I ended up shooting this scene (I'll call it that) twice on separate days so I could get the framing right enough to demonstrate the Rule of Thirds. [Lighting and cropping were changed in this photo.]

Transcended

I took this picture on a new running route I found. When I first ran into it (haha, pun) I was quite surprised with the feeling that seemed to overtake me. Just, it was something that gave me a sense of adventure, happiness and intrigue. The Picture explains it better than I. Again, the rule of thirds is present along with leading lines. [Only cropping was done on this photo.]

Up Early

Getting up at 4 or 5 am to study for finals is all too happily common for me. I wanted this picture to convey that feeling you have where you might not particularly like something in the moment, but afterwards you are very happy you stuck to it and can be proud of yourself for doing so. I like this picture because it presents a unique perspective but is one that everyone with a computer can instantly grasp. [Only cropping was done on this photo.]

Jar Full of Wonder

I wanted this picture to represent the moment when we get a wonderful idea (like I had to take this photo) and it just feels right. I used asymmetry on this photo to somewhat represent that the idea has not been acted on yet. [Cropping and changing the color of my bracelet were the only edits of this photo.]

Image to Reality

This picture is that moment when you act upon your idea, but you aren't completely sure where to go with it. It's unfinished, but you still like it. Frankly, I really like the balance in this photo and the irony that I am taking a self-portrait of myself taking a self-portrait. [Changes in lighting and cropping were done on this photo.] 

Thus Far

As the name suggests, this is the moment of the journey thus far. The plateau of time when what it is now is work, and a lot of it. The reward comes after this step. I used asymmetry again to show the incompletedness (I'll make that a word) of this moment of time. It's a moment we generally brush aside, but is hugely important. [Changes in lighting and size of the photo were done.]

Development

This is the moment when we change as a result of what we have done to act on what we've learned. We can grow as a result of reflection and of action. This photo was created to capture that. I used leading lines to lead the viewer to the subject. [Lighting and cropping were done to this photo.]

Bubbles

This is the moment of mundane life. In all reality, it is doing the simple things that we gain new ideas and decide to change as a result of what we've discovered. I used a unique perspective in this photo of me washing the dishes to represent finding something new in the mundane. [Only cropping was done to this photo.]

Reflected

This is the end of the day when you reflect back on what's happened and document it or otherwise keep it for remembrance. I decided to tilt this photo to draw the viewer in more and (hopefully) cause them to realize that simple, daily things, really are more special than they appear. [Only cropping was done on this photo. I left it yellow to add to the reality of the moment.]

Ended

This is the moment after the one you would oft remember. When your special date is over, and you are left back within the confines of reality. I decided to shoot myself straight on to give off the idea of how blunt and brutal life can be at times. [Lighting and cropping were changed in this photo. I had a really high ISO which adds to the grainy feel of the photo.]

Hope (Javert) 

This is my one highly edited photo. I wanted to represent the feeling of hope from the depths of despair. Our un-surety, and wanting to find something more. Our Javert moment. The Picture explains it much better than I. [I'll just say a LOT of editing was done on this photo.] 

Project 10

Photo Manipulation

Created

This photo was taken at a friends house in Gilbert AZ.

In this picture, I essentially merged the two pictures below so as to have the shadow and some of the art in focus, while having the rest be blurred. Interestingly enough, I didn't have the idea to merge them until after I took the two and compared them. Of all the photos I edited, this was definitely the hardest to create.

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Filtered

This picture was taken on a hike to the Wind Caves in Mesa AZ.

For this landscape, I decided to alter one of my prior photos to have more feeling by enhancing the colors to be "too good to be true." For Arizona, the above picture definitely is too good to be true, but I think there are definitely some places where you can get this coloration. The original photo (below) is pretty washed out because it was taken at midday. 

...

Square One

This picture was taken at a park in Gilbert AZ.

In this particular shot, I really wanted to get the feeling of it being a still frame from a movie. (All of the edited pictures in this project are cropped to fit in a widescreen shot.) I decided to make this photo more realistic and engaging by editing out some minor distractions I failed to notice when I took the picture. Mainly, this was cropping to let the viewer fill in their own story, and eliminating some very annoying distractions in the picture such as the highlight under and on the umbrella.

Project 9

Candid Photography

Island

I took this picture while on a hike to the Wind Caves in Mesa Az.

In this picture, I like how real it looks. Because it's candid, their expressions are spot on accurate. I also don't think that having them pose that way would turn out with the same result.

Turning

This picture was taken in the same location as listed above.

With candid pictures, the body language is always totally accurate and always matches the expression and thoughts of the subject. I think this picture demonstrates that. 

Dull Wonder

This picture was taken in the same place as all of the above. 

I like this picture because it really creates a specific feeling for me. Just one of the things I love about candid photography. I had tried to utilize the rule of thirds for this picture, but after several attempts, I found that it just didn't give off the same feeling. 

Perspective

I thought to include this one as I did take some landscape shots as well. This was definitely my favorite. 

Project 8

Still Life & Movement

Info

I took this picture in front of a window at my house.

This photo is characteristically a still life because the subject(s) is not a plant or an animal or any other type of life form. Also characteristically, there is a very plain background. I decided to only have one of my subjects in focus because I thought it might be more interesting. I'll have to play with it further.

Transition

I took this picture just a few blocks north of my home in Chandler Az. 

This photo demonstrates still movement because although the subject is moving, there is no blur in the picture. Personally, I like how under and over exposed this picture is. It was actually taken under a bridge which is what caused the subject to be so dark. Since the rest is in direct sunlight, it is overexposed.

Mundane Life

This picture was taken just a few minutes north of the one above it. 

This picture demonstrates movement because the subjects are blurred. I think there is something appealing about having nothing in total focus in particular pictures. With everything blurred in this picture, I would say it may be one of them.

In my personal opinion, I like each of the photos above. But I'm definitely going to keep trying to get even better pictures demonstrating the same concepts. Movement is hard to capture, but when you can get blur in a picture and have something in total focus, it's awesome. I can't wait to post when I get it! 

Project 7

Portraits & Landscapes

Red

I took this photo of my brother in my backyard in Chandler Az. 

This picture demonstrates one way of using a shallow depth of field with a midshot. Having only the hair in focus creates a more interesting image, and allows the viewer to "fill in" any bits that are missing. 

Someplace Called Home

This picture was taken from a high point in a park just down the street from my house.

This photo of a landscape uses a deep depth of field to incorporate the full landscape and uses the rule of thirds very well. 

Tilted

This is the view directly out of my front door.

This picture combines both a portrait and a landscape by showing both the subject, and the subject's surroundings. A deeper depth of field was used so that the viewer can get the full picture.

Close

I thought to add this one as well. I have always wanted to take a picture like this, and I finally have. I personally think it would be an awesome project to photograph as many people as possible using just this viewpoint.