365/30

I didn't blog yesterday. But I did take plenty of photos!

One of my favorite things to do is bake. Yesterday I made a Tres Leches cake for the first time.

This was only one of many photos I took. I photographed that cake like it was a newborn baby.

I will post today's actual photo later...

365/29

Easter is officially the most terrifying holiday.

Behold, the easter bunny from hell.

On sale now at your local Marshalls.

"Find the eggs, childrens...or I'll kill your family! Bwahahhahhahahahahahaha"

365/28

Out tonight.

I'm phoning this one in.

Get it?! Phoning it in?

hahahhahahahahhahahah.

Oh. *ahem* this was taken with my iPhone. I probably should have said that before the joke.

The terrible, terrible joke.

"No more Yuengling"

365/27

Today is my birthday. I don't celebrate birthdays but it does make me think a lot about getting older. About how time passes very very quickly and before you know it, you're grown up and there's no going back.

My grandmother died two and a half years ago. Her birthday is in January, too- January 23. She would have been 86.

This is a photo of her ring. She gave it to me when she was dying. She asked me to pick one from several- I picked the simplest one. I don't know if there's a story behind it, if there was, she wouldn't have remembered anyway. I'd like to think there is.

I didn't know her very well. We lived on different sides of the continent. But I miss her anyway.





































Also: I added a music player on the right side over there. I'll change it from time to time.

365/26

My widdle baby brudder plays drums at the most unappealing times.

Like at 8:17 pm on a Tuesday night when I'm tired from work and cursing my womanly existence.

Don't get me wrong. Being a girl is fine most of the time, but right now I'd just as soon forsake my reproductive system.

Someone bring me some midol...and a truckload of chocolate. Just leave it at the door and go away.

ANYway, now that we got that unpleasantness behind us, here's a photo of baby brudder playing drums!

365/25

Today's shot was taken, once again, on a Monday, with an iPhone. I'm sensing a trend here...

I brightened it a bit using an app called Photoshop Mobile for the iPhone. If you have an iPhone, try it, it's free!

For those of you without an iPhone, continue with your game of Snake.

(I mean no disrespect. Remember Snake? That game was awesome.)

So anyway, this is a photo of a warning that came with my brother's telescope that he is unsuccessfully assembling. I thought it was kind of funny. When are eyeballs on fire NOT funny? You tell me.




























EDIT: Okay so I just did some research and found a Snake game for the iPhone. Non-iPhone users: you have officially been p0wnd (whatever that means).

365/24

I saw some geese today. Man, those suckers are hard to photograph! They move so darn much!

365/23

More flowers today. I can't take credit for any of these things- my parents do all the gardening.

I'd love to go to one of the botanical gardens in my area, there is a really cool japanese garden not to far away that I'd like to visit. One day...

365/22

I really like taking photos of flowers. It's one of my favorite subjects.

Taken in my kitchen with a bit of color enhancing and one grainy, woodsy texture added in Photoshop.

365/21

Playing with my Bokeh Masters kit!

Yes, this is a Big Boy. One of two, actually. No, we didn't get them because of Austin Powers, they are original collectables from my parents vast, endless wealth of antiques.

It often resembles a TGI Fridays in my house...or maybe a Cracker Barrel....every square inch taken up by a vintage suitcase, or an old sugar and cream set, or a Big Boy, or an I Love Lucy lamp (yes, they exist) or a Norman Rockwell painting printed on a plate, or a dusty old book, or several dusty old books, or a bakelite radio that no longer works, or a house that lights up from the inside, or a picture frame that looks like a diner...(and on and on and on and on)

365/20

It's-a me! Pichu!

365/19

I couldn't decide which one to use.

So guess what? You get FOUR for the price of ONE!

It's fun to make up the rules!

365/18

Today flew by. I almost forgot to take today's picture. And it's only January 18...yikes.


So I went to the kitchen, not only my second favorite place to be in the house, but also the place with the best lighting. And the best food.

The laundry room is the second best place for food in my house. That's just how we roll.


This turned out to be the most interesting sight in the kitchen at the time. After taking some unsuccessful photos of cheetos, plastic bags, and the sink, I finally looked up. And saw this.



























Maybe it's just me. But I think the way the shadows and light bounce off the ceiling look pretty cool. The part in the middle kinda looks like the transformers logo to me. But maybe I'm crazy.

What do you see?

365/17

I'm late again! This photo was taken a little before midnight- just made it!

It's a toy plane that belongs to my widdle baby brudder. Who is seventeen years old :) I put it on top of an ikea desk lamp that is basically a glass box lit from the inside. It almost looks like it's not supported by anything at all!

365/16

No, I didn't skip a day. I've just been out all day and I haven't been home to post this.

This is a straight out of the camera shot for two reasons:

1. Joey Wills, a reader (one of a very few of a kind) said he'd like to see some SOOC shots.
2. I am so tired I could throw up. Literally. I don't have the brain power to Photoshop anything tonight.

We went to the beach today. This is a photo of me and my boyfriend. He sure is handsome, ain't he? :)

365/15

The other day I was reading this article on the MCP Actions blog, and I really couldn't help but laugh at the cartoon posted in that article:

First things first: That title is hilarious.

But it makes a good point. I've had a lot of people look at my photos and say things like, "WOW! You have a really nice camera" or "Your camera takes really nice photos!" and at first it doesn't seem weird to say that but if you really think about it, it's like saying:

-To a chef who just prepared you a gourmet meal: "Wow, you must have really nice set of pots!"

-To a painter who just painted a beautiful masterpiece: "My goodness, you have awesome brushes!"

-To a seamstress who just created a gorgeous suit: "Gee whiz, your sewing machine is great!"

-To a pianist who just wrote and performed a breathtaking piece: "My god...your piano sounds amazing."

-To an athlete who just completed a marathon: "Those must be some nice running shoes!"

Do you get the point? It's not just about the equipment. Yes, good equipment helps. But that's not even the half of it.

Now, in no way am I comparing myself to the above chef, painter, seamstress, pianist, or athlete. In fact, when people make that kind of comment to me about my photographs, maybe they are just being polite and looking for something they can say to be nice.

But would you ever walk up to Ansel Adams and say, "Ansel, the photographs your camera takes are amazing. You're a lucky guy"?

No. No, you would not.

(now that I got that out of my system...)

365/14

I realized today that I don't have a lot of black and white shots. Back in the day I would shoot ONLY in black and white, with my dad's old Canon AE-1. And guess what? I loved it. And I still do. Some of those shots are my favorites.

But since I got my Nikon DSLR I haven't done much of anything in b&w. These days, all I want is color. Rich, vibrant, shocking, bright, saturated colors. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing...I think every photographer (or, "photo enthusiast", if you're modest) should find what they love most and just go for it! I love color a lot these days so I just go for the most I can get, and then bump it way up later in post processing. BUT...I really should branch out and try some black and whites for a while.

But not today. Today, my offering to the 365 gods is this:





























An adorable clown fish in a super saturated and textured photo.

I will try to make it a goal to do some black and whites. But for now, please look at this photo and say "OOOOOOooooooooo pretty colors!"

365/13

Very tired. I feel like this photo is a cop-out. I could have done something more creative. I just sat it on my dresser and hung a green tee shirt behind it as a backdrop.

This is an old AM pocket radio that a friend of my parents sent them, and I immediately claimed. I love this little thing. I will probably use it as a subject in more photos to come, when the weather warms up and I can stand being outside for more than 12 seconds at a time.



















































Here's a link to the shot straight out of the camera (or, SOOC as the nerds call it). It really was not a bad shot on it's own. But I can never leave well enough alone, can I?

365/12

Driving while taking photos is dangerous.

Do not try this at home.



























I'd like for you to view this in a larger size. Click here.

I also wanted to share this. Please view larger size here too. I took this photo a couple months ago in California.

Addicted to Photoshop

To say that I'm a Photoshop addict is the understatement of the century. I've been hooked for years and I just can't ever get enough of it. Lately I have been really into textures. I found wonderful FREE downloads here. Take a gander,  you might find something you like!

Here's a couple examples from the past few days:

365/11

Another iPhone shot on a Monday!

It's been unprecedentedly cold here in South Florida. Usually around this time of year it's in the 50's, maybe 40's, and when we gripe and whine and cry and complain about how cold it is, the Northerners make fun of us for being such pansies and then they go swimming while we turn the heat up and put on another sweater.

However, it has actually been pretty cold around these parts. The last few days have dropped down to about 35 degrees and with the wind chill factor, takes it down in the 20's. It's legitimately cold!

But us humans are not the only creatures that are affected. Our cold-blooded reptile friends don't like the cold either. Difference is, we can bundle up and drink hot tea when it gets cold. They can't, so what happens is, while they are out walking around in the cold, naked, they just sloooooooow down and eventually get to a state of suspended animation of some sort.





























My boyfriend found this little guy outside of my office. Poor thing can't move! He took him home and is warming him up. He'll make a cool little pet :)

By the way, if anyone knows what kind of lizard he is, let me know. I thought it was a baby iguana, but what do I know?

365/10

I made it to day ten! Yeehaw!

Just a little story about this. This is a photo of an artist's palette that I have hanging in my room. It's pretty massive, as far as palettes go. Years ago, when I lived for a brief time in New York with my family, my brother and brother-in-law were walking around in Brooklyn and came across it in the garbage- discarded by a local artist. It was clean and dry so they took it home. I eventually claimed it because it was just too darn cool to let anyone else have it.

I am the "artistic" one in the family, anyway. If anyone's gonna have the old garbage of an unknown artist hanging in their room, it's gonna be me.

365/9

I'm really tired.

Guess what happens when I'm really tired?

That's right. Crappy self-portaits taken in the mirror.


















































By the way, this nice person linked my blog in his. How cool is that!

Pretty soon those checks will just be rooooooooolllin' in.








Anytime now.










I'll just sit here and wait...










...







..........







.......................






Hello? *tap tap* This thing on?

365/8

Phew!

Shopping is exhausting!

Like my new shoes?

365/7

I had Pei-Wei for lunch today. I will never pay to eat Pei-Wei, for three reasons:

1. Pei-Wei is a poser restaurant. It is not real chinese or japanese or anything asian, in my opinion.
2. Pei-Wei gives me tummy aches. Seriously. My belly makes noises that sound like mating buffalo.
3. I'm pretty sure that's not real beef they're serving. Meat is not supposed to sting when you eat it. Maybe it's buffalo...

But every Thursday at work, they buy us lunch. And it's usually Pei-Wei.

I don't like to complain. So I eat it. I just avoid the "beef".

But...they do have fortune cookies. And today's was particularly nice.



























I would never say that I'm a musician. But I do like to play music and have been playing for years, piano since I was about 5 and guitar since about 14, and along the way I've picked up little bits of drums and bass and whatnot. So I really liked that little fortune and I'm somewhat attached to this photo.

What I like about it: I had this shot planned exactly how I wanted it from the second I read the fortune. I'm seeing shots now in my head and executing them, instead of blindly shooting and hoping something comes out looking decent.

On another note: my boyfriend thought I should post a before and after of my photo from day five, to show the difference a little Photoshop can make. So here you go.

365/6

Know what I like about cold weather?

(I know I live in South Florida...shut UP, it's COLD, okay?!)

Nice long warm socks to wear under your boots!

The funkier, the better, baby!






















































Also...I got a package in the mail today. JOY! :D

365/5

I can already tell that the days I work, Monday thru Thursday, are going to be difficult. But no matter! I will try my best. I know I'm late on this entry but I did take this on the correct day so...it counts! What happens when I'm on vacation? Or if my internet doesn't work? The point of this project is to take a photo a day and work towards improvement. I will do my best to post before midnight but I can't guarantee that I will. I can, however, strive to take a photo each day.

I took this shot tonight, waiting at the gatehouse of the community where my boyfriend lives. I live in South Florida, and I always thought that the winter/holiday decor seemed a bit out of place in the tropical
suburbs.

I did a bit of post processing*- the photo was a bit dark because I refuse to use the built-in flash.  But I think I did a good job. I like how the colors came out. It's not as artsy as I'd like it to be. That's something I'd like to concentrate more on.

What this shot made me learn, though, is that having your camera with you everywhere you go pays off. I took this shot, like I said, while waiting in line, in my car, with the window rolled down and the camera resting on the car window- a makeshift tripod. If I hadn't brought my DSLR I wouldn't have gotten this photo. And if I didn't have this blog to motivate me to pull out the giant contraption in the first place to even take this shot while looking like a total weirdo to everyone in line, well, I probably would not have done it.

But that's the whole point of this. To learn and push and improve and experiment.


























*Just a quick run-down on the post-processing:

I did it in Photoshop CS4, first I ran it through the Reduce Noice filter at full strength (the photo was taken at 1600 ISO so it had a lot of grain) and then brought out more color by converting it to Lab Mode and tweaking the channels (check out this tutorial- I followed it and then turned it into a custom action so it's easy as pie!), then converting back to RGB and setting that layer to Screen. This is a great way to make a dark photo brighter. This depends on the photo itself, of course. You can set the layer to Overlay or Soft Light if it's not so dark and it'll just boost the colors.

365/4

Yes. Yes, it has.

Sorry to cop out on today with a measly iPhone shot. But, it's Monday.

And I'm tired. And cold. And I've been at work.

And at lunch I bought holiday candy half-off only to later realize that it was half-off, not because the season has passed, but because it had all melted and then at some point re-solidified and they realized that selling it half-price was the only way a dummy like me would buy it.

This is a picture on my desk of a rabbit giving me a thumbs-up (duh. I seriously underestimate the intelligence of  whoever is reading this blog).

I drew it a while back so that whenever someone is...well, let's say, less than pleasant with me, I can look at him and think, "Hey, everything's gonna be alllllll-right. Look, he's giving me a thumbs up! I must be doing something cool."

365/3

My parents like to collect antiques. I don't like most of them. But some things I do like a lot. Like this vintage clock radio, for example. They have a few really cool old ones that still work.

I hope they realize I'm totally swiping this when I move out.



























Thoughts about this shot: I wish I had a better setup for lighting-some of the reflections in the clock face drive me crazy. I used PW's "Seventies" action on this along with a few tweaks of my own- and I'm diggin' it. Thanks, PW! You're the best.

I also wanted to share this one too. I took it yesterday. I found these awesome textures for free and used it on this...I love how it came out.





















































One last thought: I'm adding a watermark to all my photos now. I don't really know why. It's just fun and cool to look at for me :P

365/2

My baby niece Micaela. In between helping my mom prepare the house and dinner for tonight, I managed to snap a quick one of her and dress it up in Photoshop. I wish the focus was a little sharper around her eyes...but oh well. She moves so much it's nearly impossible. I will try harder!

365/1

Day one of my project 365.

Aside from this project, this should be an interesting year.

My niece's pet lovebird, Oliver. He's less than a year old. I like taking photos of this little guy because it distracts him from biting my fingertips.