A few weeks ago, I got it into my head to try some street photography. Turns out I'm phenomenally bad at it. But what the hell, I'll never get better if I never try it, right?

I've also learned that it's much much easier to do this sort of thing in a city. In the 'burbs, there are so few pedestrians that we are shocked to encounter each other, and we all just stare suspiciously at each other (ESPECIALLY if that other person is pointing a camera at us), which doesn't ever make for a good photo. In a city, if you see someone with a camera, they're probably taking pictures of the city, and it's totally normal, and you ignore them and don't worry too much about it.

Anyway. I'm putting this up for Photoblog Challenges' "Black and White Cityscape."


Date: January 31, 2012
Where/What: Manhattan, looking over the Hudson River to Jersey City
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/400
Aperture: f/13.6
ISO: 400
Listening to: "Rhubarb Pie," by Five Iron Frenzy
Thankful for: Being able to run again!

So it turns out I'm not very good at this whole updating thing.

I haven't really posted much 'cos I haven't really photographed much. I don't usually have the time (well, I have the time to shoot, but I don't have the time to edit) or inclination to go out photographing. Plus--I have to stuff my backpack into lockers more often than I'd like, and I'm always afraid the camera's gonna break when I do that, so I've stopped carrying my camera around with me.

So.

I've got some old photos (like this one). Maybe you haven't seen some of 'em, or maybe it's been a while since you've seen 'em. But do enjoy. :)



Date: September 2007
Where/What: my feet in dancin' shoes! I used to dance; did you know that? I was never very good--I've always always always had weak quads and tight hamstrings--but it was fun. :)
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 10/17
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 100

Listening to: Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me (TISM)
Thankful for: A bedroom that's finally sort of almost organized!

Wowie. A month and a half?! In my defense, the end of the semester got really busy, and I haven't really been taking any photos anyway.

But in light of the holiday season, here is a view of Chicago's State Street (outside Macy's, which is famed for its fantastic Christmas displays).



Date: November 2008
Where/What: Uhm... State Street, Chicago, outside Macy's
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/13 (handheld!)
Aperture: 3.5
ISO: 200

Listening to: Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree (Alan Scott)
Thankful for: Not being so financially in the dumps that I have to give up my dog

Man oh man. I had my first gross anatomy exam last Wednesday. It was 60% of our grade. Holy shit.

But I passed! I didn't rock it, but it's gross anatomy. I'll take what I can get.

I wish I could spend a while defrying my brain, but I need to work on a few big art-type projects that I was putting off 'til the exam was over. Rrrrrrgh.

Welllllllllllll, nobody said this would be easy, right? :)



Date: May 2008
Where/What: my bloodshot eyes (courtesy of contact lenses) + a photo of a dissected sheep's brain
Camera: Fuji S700


Listening to: Windchester [not, apparently, 'Winchester'] Cathedral (New Vaudeville Band)
Thankful for: support, no matter how unearned it may be

I've been thinking the past few days about what it means to be a "Jersey Girl." Very few other states have entire stereotypes based around their female population--I mean, you never hear about "Vermont Girls" or "Alaska Girls" or "Arizona Girls." "Jersey Girls" has been the title of at least two movies (did you know there was one made in 1992 as well as the 2004 one?) and several songs (well, at least one song, sung by both Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen).

Aside from saying that Jersey Girls were one of the Eight Wonders of the Jersey Shore, here's something I read in the Asbury Park Press's 2008 Summer Guide:

"They tend to have these traits in common: resiliency, independence, a hair-trigger temper, strong family bonds, issues with their mothers, really nice hair, pride in their state, a lengthy list of gripes about New Jersey, a bunch of guy friends, a closet full of cute shoes, at least one hooded sweatshirt, ticket stubs from more than one Springsteen concert, a Costco membership card, a love of the Shore, a couple of points on their driver's licenses (which were totally unfair, by the way), an unbelievably high tolerance for sports on TV and--and this is important--the ability to swear like a stevedore, if absolutely necessary."

-Shannon Mullen

And here's the definition taken from the Urban Dictionary, excerpted from the Newark Star-Ledger:

“She's humble, but ambitious. She's independent, but family-oriented. She likes pizza, beer and lots of mascara, but don't think for a second that she's not sophisticated.

"She's the Jersey Girl, and she's one of the Garden State's most enduring icons- a readily identifiable personality, as much a part of America's cultural landscape as that other great Jerseyan, Frank Sinatra.

"So who is a Jersey Girl? There's a chance you're one- but residency isn't all it takes. The Girl has a specific character, both in pop culture and in the hearts and minds of Jerseyans.

"First there are the surface qualities: A love of an unpretentious good time, and a certain sense of style. Jersey Girls are about attitude. They're about eating pizza, drinking beer, having great hair- and enjoying it all.

"She's a girl who enjoys the mall, might wear more makeup than the Ivy League would approve of, and gives some thought to her hair. She's got a mouth on her. She says what she means. And she's got a nice, cheerful laugh. She's spunky and witty, and she handles competition very well. She's got that confidence- everyone from New Jersey has that confidence.

"A Jersey Girl is crunchy on the outside, and soft in the center. A Jersey Girl has the tenacity and drive of a New Yorker, but with the beauty of warmth and humility that being from Jersey is all about. Don't mistake her toughness as a lack of refinement. Don't misjudge her sometimes “brash” manners as a lack of 'classiness.' At the center of the crunchy sweet exterior, she is tuned in and knows how and what she's working.

"A Jersey Girl doesn't have to have a high-powered career, but whatever work she does, she gives it her all- and she takes care of her family at the same time. The overall makeup, if you will, of a true Jersey Girl: hard-working, family-oriented, spirited, one of a kind. And if you're lucky, she's your wife.

"Bottom line, all of them are sexy as hell.”

Am I a Jersey Girl? No, I don't think so. But I don't think it's ever come as a shock to anyone that I'm from Jersey.



Date: June 2007
Where/What: Girl by volleyball nets, Ocean Twp., NJ
Shutter: 1/5
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 100

Listening to: And Your Bird Can Sing (Beatles)
Thankful for: growing up 2 miles from the shore. not that I ever used the beach as such, but I'm grateful that I always had the option.

MY TRIP TO CHICAGO!!!
an essay by Josy
(age 8)

Last April, I went to Chicago, Illinois. It was a lot like New York City except the subways are way above the ground instead of underground. When I rode those subways, I could look in people's windows on the second floor of buildings! I wonder if they minded.

My favorite part though was the Bean. The Chicago Bean (also known as "Cloud Gate") is a really, really, big, famous, shiny, metal bean. I don't know why they decided Chicago needed a giant metal bean, but if you go to Millenium Park, you can see it.

A lot of people took pictures of their reflections in the Bean, so I did too. It was fun! I hope to visit Chicago again soon.



Date: April 2008
Where/What: Millenium Park, Cloud Gate/ Chicago Bean
Camera: Fuji S700
ISO: 200

Listening to: Sell Out (Reel Big Fish)
Thankful for: nerves. otherwise life would be pretty senseless.

Sometimes, when I am broadsided by brief moments of whimsy, I've considered dying my hair.

...Then I remember that I like my hair color. It's a neat shade of dark brown most of the time, except when it's in the sun, in which case it takes on the tones you see here.

Admittedly, though, I wonder what it would be like to be a real redhead for a day or two. Maybe I'll have fun with that when I start going gray. :)




Date: August 2008
Where/What: ma hair an' forehead
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/60
Aperture: f 8.0
ISO: 200

Listening to: On the Sunny Side of the Street (Louis Armstrong)
Thankful for: not going gray yet

My parents keep finding this blog through search engines. Mom, just bookmark the page. If you don't know how to bookmark a page, call me and I'll walk you through it.

On a note more related to this image (a NOTE! like a MUSIC note! get it?!), I found a Chicago community band that rehearses in Chicago (as opposed to the 6 "Chicago bands" I found that rehearse in the suburbs, which is no good if you don't have a car)! I went to the first rehearsal of the season on Sunday. Fun times! We're playing some good, challenging pieces--a close-to-original arrangement of the 1812 Overture, Mars (Bringer of War), Colonel Bogey--well, that one's not challenging, but it is fun--and others.

Woohoo! I don't have to totally give up trombone for two years!



Date: July 2007
Where/What: Bucks Mill Park, Colts Neck, NJ; members of the Colts Neck Community Band
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/85
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 800

Listening to: She's Actual Size (They Might Be Giants)
Thankful for: being in a dissection group of people who are just as slow as I am.

A few months ago, I was going through my old film negatives, and I came across this self-portrait that I didn't remember taking. I found it kind of fascinating--mostly because it's so different than anything else I normally produce--and I have left it in negative form for your enjoyment and mine.

...Well, mine, mostly.

On an unrelated note: what a depressingly soggy day it is today!

On another unrelated note: Google Picasa has just been overhauled, and it is now even more difficult to navigate. Thanks, Google.



Date: July 2007
Where/What: self-portrait in NJ
Camera: Canon Rebel 2000
Film: T-Max 400

Listening to: Dance of the Lame Duck (Casa Loma)
Thankful for: fedoras

I'm in Chicago!

This is the view from my room. It is the crowning jewel of an otherwise very sad dorm room.

I think THREE separate photomemes all have a "self-portrait" theme this week. And since I haven't taken a decent self-portrait since December, I figured it was about time, anyway.



Date: August 2008
Where/What: My dorm room in Chicago!
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/28
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 100

Listening to: I've Been Searching (Chicago)
Thankful for: People who tell me how to work the freaking shower! Don't laugh--even when you think you've used every permutation of knobs, levers, switches, and handles to turn a bath into a shower, there's still one out there that you won't be able to figure out!

What's a more public display of affection than a wedding?

The gentleman is my cousin; the pretty lady is my new cousin-in-law.

The ceremony was maybe 10 minutes, which was awesome. Weddings are usually chock full of all sorts of unnecessary fluff.

And the cake was tasty, which is really all you should ask of a cake.




Date: June 2008
Where/What: my cousin's wedding, North Carolina
Camera: Fuji S700
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 200

Listening to: Why Can't We Be Friends? (War)
Thankful for: The people who actually work up the guts to get married!

When I took that photo class last summer, one of the assignments was "people/portraits." Because it was a summer session, I had about a week to shoot two rolls of film. Of people.

I am not a people person.

But you can get kind of chummy with people once you've shared a darkroom with them. When I saw this fellow student outside, reading, waiting for her mom to pick her up, I up and asked if I could take her photo. We were all pretty uncomfortable with the people/portraits assignment, so I think she understood. And didn't think I was creepy. I hope.

On the other hand, I think my creepiness points just doubled for posting her portrait on the internet without her permission. (If you are the subject of this portrait, and you see this, lemme know, and I'll hide your image so no one can see it.)



Date: July 2007
Where/What: outside the CVA at Brookdale Community College
Camera: Canon Rebel 2000
Film: T-Max 400

Listening to: Low Rider (War)
Thankful for: not having been in a major accident (YET)

Ah, the good old days of film.

No, wait, I hate film.

The good old days of film annoyed me so much that it took me a year or two to shoot my way through a single roll of film... plus, often, another several months before I got my act together to go get it developed.

Last summer, I took a photography class. The first time I tried to get my film onto the film reel (for film developing), I was trapped in that pitch-dark closet for nearly an hour 'cos I couldn't get the damn film on the damn reel. I was near tears.

Eventually someone noticed that I'd gone missing. The aide knocked on the closet door and asked if I needed help.

"No!" I said, all choked-up and weepy and clearly just hanging around in a tiny pitch-dark room because I enjoyed it. "I need to learn how to do this myself!"

Things are always funny in retrospect.



P.S. This is how all my negatives are transferred onto the computer. I don't have a scanner, so I just have to hold the film up to light, macro-photograph the images, invert them in GIMP, and mess with levels. Usually I try not to get my fingers in the shot, though.



Date: August 2008
Where/What: Look, that's me with my white eyebrows in the rear-view mirror!
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/250
Aperture: f 4.0
ISO: 100

Listening to: Green-Eyed Lady (Sugarloaf)
Thankful for: cool shade on a summer day

The Shutterday theme this week is to "post an image that defines your country of origin" in preparation for the "Shutterday Olympics" coming up.

I was tickled by the idea of Amateur Photographer Olympics, so in order to participate, I shuffled through my archives.
And shuffled through them again.
And again.
And found myself somewhat at a loss.

What exactly defines the USA? While "freedom" is one of our overused mottos, we're not the only country that doesn't legally persecute for, say, believing in a different God than the one we're expected to believe in. What else are we known for? The Grand Canyon? Being unfavorable tourists when we go abroad?

I've been mulling this around in my head for nearly two weeks.

The USA, I've finally decided, can be defined by loud, obnoxious, patriotic, attention-grabbing hats... that still sometimes manage to make you smile.

Interpret that as you will. :)




Date: July 2007
Where/What: Bucks Mill Park July Fourth Celebration, Colts Neck, NJ
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/85
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 800

Listening to: Stars and Stripes Forever (John Philip Sousa)
Thankful for: living in this country

This is the, let's see, one, two, three, four, FIFTH time I have featured my hands on this photoblog. Out of 38 photos total. That's 13% of all my photos. Man. For having such ugly hands, I sure do seem to like 'em.

(This image is also available as a desktop wallpaper.)



Date: July 2008
Where/What: I have collected little bouncy balls for as long as I can remember. I usually end up getting those ugly multicolored swirl balls from the vending machines, but I keep trying. Sometimes I do get lucky and get a ball like this. (And sometimes I just find them. I found a green one in the street last week.)
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/80
Aperture: f 4.5
ISO: 200

Listening to: Lucky Ball and Chain (They Might Be Giants)
Thankful for: bouncy balls!

Making this photo freaked me the hell out. I had to put my camera on a low tripod, kneel on the kitchen floor in almost pitch-darkness, try to focus on my hand in almost pitch-darkness, light a match (in almost pitch-darkness), quickly frame the shot (in the tiny dark viewfinder--this was a film camera), hurriedly hit the shutter with my non-dominant hand while being very sure to keep a dish of water underneath the match for safety purposes, hold my hand very still for 2 or 5 seconds (while FREAKING OUT that the match was going to BURN ME), and frantically extinguish the match the second I heard the shutter re-click.

I had to go through this process multiple times for multiple shutter speeds.

Sadly, it did not help me conquer my fear of fire.



Date: July 2007
Where/What: me & a match
Camera: Canon Rebel 2000
Film: Tri-X 400

Listening to: Light my Fire (the Doors)
Thankful for: not setting the house on fire during the making of this photograph

This stupid contraption is why I rarely get to bed before 2AM--even though I fall asleep around midnight. I'm looking forward to not having a TV next year.

...okay, honestly, not wanting to move the cute little dog that's fallen asleep on my lap is the REAL reason I don't get to bed before 2AM. But it's easier to blame TV.



Date: July 2007
Where/What: watchin' television
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 2 sec.
Aperture: f 6.3
ISO: 100

Listening to: Money for Nothing (Dire Straits)
Thankful for: having the time to watch this stupid contraption (tho' I wish I spent that time more wisely)

35mm fun.

Side note: Crayola washable markers don't wash off as easily as you'd think.



Date: August 2007
Where/What: Photograph I people/portraits assignment
Camera: Canon Rebel 2000
Film: Kodak T-Max 400

Listening to: Model (Balanescu Quartet cover of the Kraftwerk original)
Thankful for: family (...sometimes)

I went to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in April. To my delight, there was a little observation bridge on the eighth floor that allowed visitors to peer over the edge and watch everyone else hanging out in the commons area below.

(I AM NOT A PERVERT. But I do like peoplewatching-- don't you?)



Date: April 2008
Where/What: the MoMA, NYC
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/50
Aperture: f 3.5
ISO: 200

Listening to: You Will Go to the Moon (Moxy Früvous)
Thankful for: the temporary 6-cent drop in gas prices

(Be sure to scroll down all the way)

I don't really understand all this hullabaloo about saying "I love you." Lying is easy, especially when it's A) subjective, B) difficult to prove, and C) gets you what you need. I dunno about you, but I find it much more difficult to tell the truth--especially when it's not so poetic.



Date: June 2008
Where/What: for Macroday "handwriting" prompt
Camera: Fuji S700
Shutter: 1/125 and 1/160
Aperture: f 5.0 and 5.6
ISO: 100

Listening to: Paradise by the Dashboard Light (Meat Loaf)
Thankful for: my right hand