News Photography

As an ongoing student in art, I ventured into the News Photography world via classroom this semester. The course and professor possessed excellence in the 3 E's I look for in an art-based program; enlightening, exciting and educational.

Election night myself and three classmates gathered our cameras and snapped emotions, reactive expressions and details of the Marion County Democratic Election Night Gala. Some of my images from that evening have been featured on the professor's blog: http://newsphotographyexposed.blogspot.com/

Here's the crew: (Left to Right) Myself, Dean & Jennifer

Peace! :D

Things That Make Me Happy

Most of all...his kisses! <8>

Random Things

I love my boyfriend. He’s my very best friend.

I don’t know how to swim and yet I live by several major bodies of water.

When I was little I was petrified of needles. I bit the nurse to release her hold on me and ran around my doctor’s office, pants down around my ankles, attempting to escape.

I sleep with a stuffed panda bear on my right side and a panda pillow on the left. It is my sad attempt to replace the warmth I feel when I’m with him.

I go though a lot of lip gloss. Massive amounts. I think I apply it at least once an hour or more.

I have had one failed engagement and one failed married, and though I was devastated with both experiences, I now consider them to be the biggest favors anyone has ever done for me.

I’ve never had a celebrity crush.

I strive to eat all organic and vegetarian meals…but I still love meat.

Don’t play too rough with me. I bruise like a peach.

I wanted to become a nurse when I was in college, until I discovered that I vomit at the sight of particular bodily fluids.

I can forgive when given a sincere apology, but I never forget.

I can’t live without art in my life; photography, dance, music, crayons!

My teachers used to turn my desk the opposite direction of where my friends were sitting simply because I can “communicate with my eyes”.

Sometimes I cry because friends let me down.

I drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

I am obsessed with my eyebrows. I consider them my worst feature and am constantly attempting to make them look normal. Someday I’ll just have them tattooed on.

My first CD was Boyz II Men. I still have it somewhere. Almost brand new.

I won the Rotary award for Marketing when I was a sophomore in high school. The seniors hated me for it.

I have read every book in the Little House on the Prairie series. I accomplished this task before I finished elementary school.

Three places I want to go in the near future: Arizona, Australia, Japan

I’m obsessed with history. I know more about my hometown then I’d like to admit.

I am a grammar nut but write without it sometimes just to make a statement.

I hate shopping for dresses because I am one size around my hips and another around my bust…a combination that is impossible to fit without alteration.

I want to have children one day, but just the thought of being a mom in today’s era scares me to tears.

I am a surprisingly excellent leg wrestler.

I have a secret obsession with Star Wars, Michael Jackson and Hello Kitty.

Sponges are disgusting and harbor bacteria. It makes me want to puke when I see people use them to wash dishes.

Music is essential to my life.

Three things I always have in my purse: lipgloss, hand sanitizer and an epi pen.

Rick Springfield hugged me.

Coolio personally dissed me.

Freshly baked cookies is one of the best smells in the world.

I’ve had photography published in several magazines and one billboard.

I can’t walk into an animal shelter without leaving with a new friend.

My cell phone is one of my most prized possessions. I can’t live without it.

When I am not sure what kind of music I am in the mood for, I reach for the Beatles.

I have been caffeine-free for over 5 years and counting.

I hate when people play devil’s advocate when they know I’m right.

I wish my job was more challenging… but sometimes I’m relieved it isn’t.

I love rainbows.

Spicy food is my obsession. If it doesn’t make me tear up when I eat it, it is not hot enough.

Eyes disgust me. I will never wear contacts because I can’t force myself to touch my eye to put them in.

I still harbor ill feelings towards my high school archenemy.

Litterbugs enrage me. So do people who just plain refuse to recycle out of laziness.

I hate the smell of Old Spice. Gag.

Blueberries make me happy.

I make the best French toast EVER!

I wish I was tone and fit… but I can’t stick with a workout program long enough to see results.

I love olives of all colors, shapes, and sizes.

I am always cold but warm to the touch to everyone else.

I love dark black eyeliner.

I look amazing in yellow.

I’m afraid of spiders, bees and mullets.

I drink dirty martinis, not because they make you look sophisticated, but because I actually enjoy them.

I’ve never stolen anything. (Unless you count pirating music and personal wireless Internet connections.)

I don’t drink coffee but I frequent coffee shops for lunch.

I’m very sentimental and keep everything in a box organized with corresponding photos “to-be-scrapbooked”.

I’ve not yet left the United States. (I’ve never even been to Canada.)

I want two Chihuahuas named Quito & Chito.

Arizona Memories

Instant smiles upon sight.

Sweet, sweet kisses.

Driving around with broken air-conditioning in 90 degrees.

Tasting the best tamales I’ve ever had.

Sharing strawberry ice cream outside in late October under holiday lights and serenaded by fountains.

Exploring places of the past under cliffs of red rock.

Snuggling shutterbugs while touring the land in a bright pink Jeep.

Holding hands.

Dining on rattlesnake, cactus, buffalo, venison and hot chilies while giggling at the other’s first taste of something new and daring.

Staying up late snuggling in front of the television.

Pouncing on and kissing him awake in the morning.

Learning to eat (like a Mexican) eggs and chorizo with nothing but a tortilla.

Hour long traffic jam and a detour towards Mexico.

Walking in the footsteps of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.

Giggles & Kisses.

Sharing chipotle pasta and feeding each other chocolate cheesecake.

Listening to childhood stories from el padres.

Strolling the fair hand-in-hand.

Deep fried everything and margaritas.

Playing the midway games and giggling at my lack of ability to throw a baseball.

Getting personally dissed by Coolio.

Jumping out of our chairs and dancing to songs

Kissing at the top of the grand ferriswheel.

Singing to him in the car to anything that came on the radio.

Shopping with “deseester”.

Sharing a pizza in a rainforest.

Cheering on the Oregon Ducks to a complete slaughter…I mean…victory.

Making faces at “deseester” as we sit together one adorned in ASU gear and the other in UO.

Watching anime until we fall asleep.

Spending quality time with his family.

Being the only one at the table eating Chinese food with chopsticks.

Holding each other under a sunbeam.

Exploring the mall and finding a Hello Kitty wonderland.

Hugging a cactus.

Parading hand-in-hand in the building in which law is made.

Sitting next to John Lennon’s jacket, humming rock classics while eating a sammich.

Not wanting to look at the time knowing that it is running out.

Tears, kisses & a sad goodbye.

I left my heart in Arizona...

I have returned...from the land of waterless rivers.
I left my heart...in Arizona...tight between his arms.

Writing with Light

I embarked on a new adventure...

* * * * * *

pho·tog·ra·phy
the process or art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy, as x-rays, gamma rays, or cosmic rays.-in more generalized terms-to write with light.

* * * * * *

I’m unable to pinpoint the exact moment when snapping a simple photo became lit with passion for composition, color, contrast and creativity. All I know is that it lives inside part of my soul and must be expressed.This is a collection of images some with a purpose and most without direction. I’m opening the window into the expression that my mind would like to call “art”. So this is the world as I see it, through the view of my lens…

http://write-with-light.blogspot.com/

Bubbles

I had every intention of writing here before this date. I meant well, honest I did. I also didn't mean to eat some bad sushi and almost die from it either. Well, almost die is an exaggeration of sorts, but it felt like that. Oh well right?

Recovering from food poisoning took me; 8 bottles of gatorade, 3 bottles of pedialyte, 2 cans of chicken noodle soup, 1 bottle of peptol bismol, 4 tabs of immonium and 4 days. After all of that I've walked away with dark circles under my eyes, 19 lbs lighter, fluffy hair, pasty skin and less sick time on my next payroll check. Another...oh well right?

You know that look your room has after being sick for a few days...the smell, not the stink, but just the smell of almost death? Yeah, I had that. Today I mustered all the energy I had and straigthened it up. Fresh vanilla cotton sheets on my bed to snuggle into. The almost white carpet fluffy from just being vacummned. Every deadly dust particle swept up by my swiffer. The open window brought the fresh fall air whispering into my room. It feels like someone is alive in there once again.

My bubble bath steamed with the fresh scent of watermelon as I crawled into it. My face was green from the avocado-oatmeal mask I put on just minutes before and my teeth painted with my plastic whitening strip. My baby fresh shaving cream letting the razor float across my legs. Bubbles of shampoo...glorious, heavenly, orgasmic bubbles of shampoo...to be clean again!!!

I'm healthy now. Clean. Recovered.

Watch out world. *grin*

Fall

Fall is here...and I'm in love.

Just a couple weeks away from seeing my love once again. I can't keep my mind organized for a second to gather the floating topic ideas in my head and put them on paper. I'll get there eventually. I'm posting a few here for future reference...maybe they will come alive once I can clear my mind.

Topics to explore:

The Squirrel Lady
1929 Revisited
Plates of Sushi
Jellyfish Attack
Crayola Crayons

Coming soon...I hope. Until then...I'm going to be lost in my daydreams off 23 days and counting.

Another Year...

Another year older...here I am...27.

Here is how I spent my first day at my new age:

Adorned myself in a new dress, heels, jewelry and curled my hair to perfection.
Fought traffic on the Marion Street Bridge during the morning commute while delightfully chattering away to my boyfriend and listening to Z100’s morning show’s segment on War of the Roses.

Weeded through the pound of confetti on my desk to begin preparations for the governor’s executive appointments.

Grazed on some delicious pineapple. Nomnomnom.

Was thoroughly embarrassed by two senators who chose to serenade my during lunch to the timeless birthday classic.

Had confetti picked up off my desk and tossed at me all day. I think I still have evidence in my hair.

Talked to my fantastic boyfriend via MSN all day.

Felt displaced about something that I choose not to discuss.

Munched on some more pineapple.

Listen to the senate in session and smiled because I’m not in their shoes.

Drove home…greeted my martini shaker and the rest is history.

Beautiful

He tells me I'm beautiful...

...and it's the best part of my day.