the cake

The Cake
July 2008

My iTunes: A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes from "Cinderella"

I'm squeezing this post in tonight! The paper is nearly done -- I'm to the bottom of page 47 and just have the conclusion left... Back to writing!

the kiss

The Kiss
July 2008

My iTunes: Cosi fan tutte by Mozart

The wedding shots continue, as does the paper writing. I've been very self-controlled and have not played with my new actions much, and haven't even done any shooting with my new camera yet. The paper will be finished soon, I can feel it. But until then... it demands as much mental attention as I can spare (and all my loathing as well).

Jeremy was so excited about this kiss! It was really sweet.

If I ever get a male dog, I'm naming him Mozart. I decided that today, and thought I'd share it as today's random factoid.

Just realized I forgot to add the watermark. Oh well, I'm too tired from paper-writing...

groomsmen

Groomsmen
July 2008

My iTunes: Free by Ginny Owens

I decided to get the Totally Rad Actions pack today because they're having a sale -- this is the first product! I'm really loving the action pack -- check it out here. I'm hoping it will cut down my editing time significantly!

I bought a memory card this evening, so tomorrow I can play with my camera! But for now, I have to be a good girl and work on finishing my paper. I went from 12 pages to 32 in two days and now I'm just trying to finish my outline, since I've hit my minimum page limit.

old-fashioned wedding

Old-Fashioned Wedding
July 2008

My iTunes: What I Like About You by Lillix

This is one of the shots that semi-turned out from the wedding. The lighting was pretty dark, but I like the editing I've done with this, making it seem like an antique photo.

But guess what came today? My Nikon D80! Now all I need is a memory card so I can take some pictures. Perhaps I'll finish writing the paper first -- somehow I made it from page 12 to page 23 today!

little shoes

Little Shoes

July 2008

My iTunes: Vienna by Billy Joel

My love of feet strikes again. I'm sure Anna will love it.

Back to papering... July is quickly coming to a close and I still have a LOT on my To-Do List. Hopefully the camera will come soon, along with the business cards. I'll let you know when that happens.

the groom

The Groom

July 2008

My iTunes: I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston

I've been posting so many pictures of the bride and the flower girl that I thought it was time to post one of the groom. I snapped this between bridesmaids in the processional. It's cliche, but looking at the groom's face during the processional is always one of the best parts of the ceremony.

And now back to paper writing...

getting laced

Getting Laced

July 2008

My iTunes: It's a Hard Knock Life from Annie

While I was at the wedding shoot, one of my favorite things to do was to take images like this -- no faces, which I think makes them more universal, identifiable to the viewer.

I'm hitting the twelfth page on my paper now... I'm going to keep working. Wish me luck, and that I will be verbose.

clara

Clara

July 2008

My iTunes: Five by Daily Planet

This is one of my favorite shots I took of Clara, the flower girl at the wedding.

I don't have much time to write today -- I've been working on my 30-page paper and need to keep going with it. Seven pages down this afternoon... do you think I can be done by Monday?

the make-up

The Make-up

July 2008

My iTunes: Marionette by Jars of Clay

Welcome to Christy Thomas Photography! I guess this is technically the first post for this new and improved URL. If you're reading this, I'm very glad that you found your way here!

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Ever searching for a different angle on traditional subjects, I think I found a few unique angles at the wedding this weekend. This is one of my favorites -- it seems very modern, but still classy. Perhaps that's just me. I'd love to hear other opinions!

Lens #1 was purchased -- I opted for a Nikkor 18-70 mm. It looks like the lens might arrive before the camera body! I tend to take a lot of macro shots, and I'm going to miss the 12x optical zoom that my old camera offered, but eventually lenses #2 and #3 can replace the lost range.

Now I'm off to edit more wedding shots, and perhaps take a stab at the 30-page paper I've been putting off for two years...

folded hands

Folded Hands

July 2008

My iTunes: Somebody to Love by Queen

This is another shot from the wedding on Saturday, but even though it's dominated by white, this was not the bride -- this is the flower girl. She was quite the little star and loved having her picture taken. This is one of my favorites that I snapped of her. It reminds me of an Anna shot -- off center and with a slight glow!

But I have big news -- I finally decided to take the plunge and invest in my very own dSLR! I'm so thankful that I've been able to borrow one lately, but have been playing around with the idea of getting my own in order to really get a photography business going. (And have a little pleasure on the side, of course!) Anna has been one of my biggest cheerleaders all along and her encouragement finally convinced me. I came across a great ebay deal on a Nikon D80 body because the seller had upgraded to the D300, and I decided to go for it! So now I'm searching for lenses and just got off the phone with Anna chatting about it (we're both up late trying to squeeze a post in -- check hers out)! I also ordered business cards from MOO the other day -- I should have a lot of wonderful things coming in the mail next week!

the back

The Back

July 2008

My iTunes: The Mermaid Song by Haydn

Quick post -- I still have work to do and have to be up early in the morning...

The bride loved the back of her dress, and wanted to make sure we had a shot of it.

the dress

The Dress

July 2008

My iTunes: Singing in the Rain

Another Project Black entry. And a second image from my wedding shoot the other day. I have about 300 images to go through, but I'm trying not to spend too much time editting. The more I look at my pictures, the happier I am with them, although I would change things for the next time I do a photoshoot.

I think that even though this picture is all about the white, it's the black that really provides the definition. What do you think?

beautiful bride

Beautiful Bride

July 2008

My iTunes: Wedding March

Bells rang (yesterday) for Jessica and Jeremy, and I had a great time shooting the wedding! I learned a lot, and have a lot of practical ideas for what to do next time, but despite this being my first wedding shoot, I think I got some good images.

I got back too late to post in time for yesterday, but I had to edit this one photo for today's post. There will be more to come.

But isn't it great for Project Black because of Jess's black hair?

soap box derby

Soap Box Derby

July 2008

My iTunes: All You Need Is Love by The Beatles

Yes, I know, cheating again for Project Black, but I haven't had time to go out shooting and I've wanted to share this for a while. Isn't this little guy adorable?

I have good news (drum roll, please)... Tomorrow is my first wedding photoshoot! I'm going to arrive at 4:00 to take "getting-ready" pictures! I probably won't get a bit of work done for the rest of the weekend because I'll be having too much fun editing the photos from the wedding. More good news: the bride has gorgeous black hair, so I'm sure I'll be able to find a picture appropriate for Project Black!

tea kettle

Tea Kettle

July 2008

My iTunes: Own Me by Ginny Owens

It's a late post tonight -- today has been a busy day. The good news is that I finally have somewhere to live. The bad news is that a loan is looking necessary in order to make ends meet and afford groceries. I'm praying that God will provide my daily bread (and the daily servings of fruits, vegetables, etc...). That and the strength to abide by the harsh budget that I've laid out for myself.

In class tonight, the teacher spent the first two hours of our three hour class and review session talking about a legal case he's been involved in for 4 1/2 years and about the state of the economy. What exactly that had to do with the fall of the Roman Empire, I'm not sure...

checkmate

Checkmate

July 2008

My iTunes: Free by Ginny Owens

Okay, so this isn't exactly depicting a checkmate, but they are chess pieces. The coffee shop where I've been killing time between my classes has these lying around and I thought they would serve as a nice addition to Project Black. Since I read about Queen Lilioukalani today (the last queen of Hawaii), I thought I'd post this picture of the Queen of Chess, in black of course.

I'm glad so many people liked yesterday's image. Soon I hope to get to visit everyone's blogs and see all the other great Project Black contributions, but right now I can barely keep my eyes open. Must get my beauty sleep -- I have another voice lesson today!

"knowingly, deliberately, and with style"

"Knowingly, Deliberately, and with Style"

July 2008

My iTunes: C by Poulenc

Per Quilly's comment yesterday, I am breaking the rules of Project Black! I am doing so "knowingly, deliberately, and (I hope) with style". This is probably my favorite image from the photoshoot I did with my friends last week, and I've been dying to post it ever since I finished editting it. The strong blacks and whites make this photo so much more than the original color, so I think it works as a good contribution to Project Black, despite the "find black in color" stipulation. Besides, if the amazing Anna could break her own rules, why can't it?

Quilly's encouragement to break the rules had fantastic timing. I didn't have time today to take or edit any pictures, so it was going to have to be an archive day anyway. The great time-crunch started when my alarm completely failed to go off (yes, it was set for a.m. not p.m., and the volume was turned up) and I woke up at 8:20. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, except my class started at 9:00 and it usually takes 45 minutes to get there without fighting traffic. But miraculously, I made it to class on time. In between classes today I had errands to run, and what little time I did spend on the computer was spent researching graduate schools. (The latest addition is SUNY Stony Brook, for anyone who is interested.)

But now, since I was apparently so tired last night, I'm going to try to get some beauty sleep. Enjoy Project Black, and check Anna's blog for links to all the participants!

only the good notes

Only the Good Notes

July 2008

My iTunes: Je Veux Vivre from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette

I have spent far too much time over the last week on photos, and far too little time on my studies... I'm starting to feel a bit guilty, especially because I haven't posted any of my latest work because it doesn't fit with Project Black. After the project is over, perhaps my excess of new images will let me spend more time studying... The photos have been fun, though, and the wedding is coming up next weekend!

For those of you who are regular visitors and are wondering about the real estate shoot, it got temporarily post-poned. I'm hoping it still happens, but with my luck...

But farewell to the borrowed DSLR -- it went back to its home today. I miss it already.

Two new universities have joined the list of potential graduate schools -- Indiana Bloomington and University of Illinois. It's looking more and more likely that I will not be living in Maryland in about a year, which is a bittersweet thought. The question is will I be 3 hours away or 11 hours away? So many questions...

The piece that I'm listening to is one of the pieces in my new music books, and one of my favorite solo pieces from the opera I was in this spring. I can't wait to start again in the fall!

But now it's time for bed... then 6 hours of mental anguish later today -- torture by boredom in my two classes. Thank goodness for my voice lesson! 1:00, I can't wait!

flip-flops

Flip-Flops

July 2008

My iTunes: Oceano by Josh Groban

I did an impromptu photoshoot today. I'm in the process of uploading them to Flickr, but this is a shot with black in it for Project Black. (After seeing Anna's post yesterday, I supposed I could have cheated and used the black and white version of yesterday's image!)

stove top

Stove Top

July 2008

My iTunes: Un Bel Di from Madame Butterfly

Short post -- I'm away at a conference for the weekend, but had to sneak in a post for Project Black. I prefer this shot in black and white, but the color isn't bad, and I'm trying not to break the rules again :)

I went to a music store today (a dangerous thing for me to do) and bought 5 books. Unfortunately I couldn't play through them much because I had to pack and leave for the weekend. Now I'll have something to look forward to.

fresh ground coffee

Fresh Ground Coffee

July 2008

My iTunes: Prendero Quel Brunettino from Mozart's Cosi fan tutte

Apparently I did not read the directions very well for the last post -- I was so excited to find out what Anna's new color was for her latest project that as soon as I saw it was Project Black I stopped reading and posted something. I missed that the pictures were supposed to be in color, not black and white. Today I shall rectify what I overlooked last night.

Today was the last day of classes this week, thank goodness. After walking around campus a bit and taking pictures, I spent the rest of the in between time before the next class at my favorite little coffee shop, the Pour House. I snapped this picture while I was waiting for the first batch of my edits to load to Flickr.

Now, while I finish watching Cosi fan tutte, I am going to do a bit more graduate school research and possibly start re-reading my translations of Juvenal's satires. It'll be a late night, but I can sleep in tomorrow. Enjoy Project Black!

friends

Friends

July 2008

My iTunes: What I Like about You by Lillix

I did another photoshoot this afternoon, but not the real estate photography I thought I would. I did a photoshoot with my friends Amanda and Betsy. It was a ton of fun, helped me build my portfolio, and gave the some great shots. This is one of the few I've editted so far. How appropriate that Anna is starting Project Black! Check it out on her blog.

More photoshoot pictures will appear later! But now it's time for my beauty sleep.

the information desk

The Information Desk

July 2008

My iTunes: Overture from Rossini's La Cenerentola

I spent nearly 3 hours yesterday standing at the information desk while waiting to hopefully figure out my living situation for next year. I hope that after today's maneuvering, I will have somewhere to live, but I will have to wait on confirmation for a few more days, possibly a couple weeks. Pray that things work out. It would be a real relief to finally have somewhere to live after several months of uncertainty and plans falling through.

I had both classes today (the professor showed up). The class that I didn't have last night was the most boring thing I have experienced in my life. I think I actually lost brain cells sitting there. If my current career plan continues as it looks like it will, and I eventually become a professor, I will remember this experience and never repeat it. College classes, any classes, should present a challenge to the students; they should not be impossible, but under no circumstance should there be 25-question, open book, multiple choice exams. I didn't think a class experience could ever match my Philosophy class last fall, but this class matches it easily. We'll see if it surpasses the other as time passes.

from the ground up

From the Ground Up

July 2008

My iTunes: Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven

Quick post once again right before midnight...

porch swing

Porch Swing

July 2008

My iTunes: Steal Me, Sweet Thief by Gian Carlo Menotti

Today has been a good day. I'm borrowing a friend's digital SLR to get used to it before I use it for the real estate photoshoot. I'm going to play around with it over the next few days, and this is one of the shots I've taken so far.

My classes started today, and I thought they couldn't get easier after the first one, but then the professor never showed up for the second. I should be able to practically sleep though them, which although I love learning, I have to say I'm not broken-hearted that something will be easy for once.

But the best part of the day -- I had a voice lesson. I was sightly surprised at how much I missed my teacher and having my lessons. Graduating and leaving her will be hard, no matter how wonderful my graduate teachers will be. But for now, I will just enjoy the time that I have!

In other news, Anna finally convinced me to go Pro on Flickr. Now that I'm having an increasing number of people interested in my photography, I wanted some sort of online digital portfolio. I'll be making tweaks and adjustments, but check it out here.

coffee shop

Coffee Shop

July 2008

My iTunes: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Since I'm up, I figured I may as well post the shot for July 6. I think this will be the last picture I post from my photo shoot with Betsy. But, in case anyone is interested in seeing more images from the shoot, click here and you can see the facebook album I created. (You can see the album even if you don't have a facebook account.)

Today is Sunday, which means tomorrow is Monday! I'm not usually one to get excited for Mondays, but tomorrow (Monday) I have my first voice lesson since before I went to Philadelphia. It will have been forty days between lessons. I think I'm going through withdraw. I can hardly wait for tomorrow's lesson!

back to betsy

Back to Betsy

July 2008

My iTunes: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Squeezing this post in just before the end of July 5...

Dans un delire extreme

Well, I think I may have figured out how to share an .mp3 file (thanks for the help, Robert!). You should be able to click the link below and download the file -- I haven't figured out how to embed the file here without paying fees yet.

DISCLAIMER: the microphone was about 15 feet away from me and was sitting on the piano speaker, and thus the piano is much louder than my singing. I am still learning how to use my audio editing software, and didn't have time to poke around with it this time. In future, I'll try to post some better files that you can hear more clearly. But in the meantime, enjoy!

Download Christy Thomas - Dans un delire extreme

This song was written by Nicolo Isouard in 1814, and was one of the pieces I found in the archives, but I couldn't find any recordings. There are two verses in French, and two English translations were included. I sing the two French verses and then the first English:

Dans un délire extreme / On veut fuit ce qu'on aime / On pretend se venger / On jure de changer / On devient infidele / On court de belle en belle / Et l'on revient tou jours / A ses premiers amour // Ah d'une ardeur sincere / Le tems peut nous distraire / Mais nes plus deux plaisirs / Sont dans mes souvenirs / En pense, en pense encore / A celle qu'on adore / Et l'on revient tou jours / A ses premiers amour // When faithless thoughts arise / And dim the lover's eyes / He coldly feigns to woo / And seems no longer true / He roves from fair to fair / And finds each beauty rare / But ever to his view / His first love seems most true // In rosy fetters bound / In triumph love is crown'd / For prayers and vows are dear / When passion is sincere / He dwells on some new prize / Conceal'd 'neath beauty's eyes / But ever to his view / His first love seems most true //

star-spangled banner

Star-Spangled Banner

July 2008

My iTunes: Dans un delire extreme by Christy Thomas

"Fireworks." That was the first thought in my head as I woke up today. It's been years since I saw fireworks on the 4th of July, and last year I couldn't do the traditional celebration because I was living abroad at the time. July 4 was no more special than July 5. So I was excited about seeing fireworks today and posting pictures here.

Then it rained. And rained. And rained.

So, now that I'm certain I will not catch sight of any fireworks, I'll go to my back up. I really like the texture of this shot. Often when I envision our flag in my mind, I picture flat expanses of color, and not the textures of the fabric. I like that this shot shows off the texture, as well as the good old "red, white, and blue."

I finally converted the recordings I made from the performance in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the microphone was a bit too close to the piano speakers, but it's still a half-decent recording. I'm still trying to figure out how to post a sound file -- if anyone can tell me how to, I'll post one here so everyone can listen if they so desire.

In other news, I registered to take the GRE today. I think it is completely unethical to charge such an exorbitant fee to take an exam -- $140! Not only do I not want to take this 4-hour test, but I don't want to study for it or stress about it, much less pay to take it! Really, it's ridiculous to charge students such a price. I hardly have any money in the first place! (Okay, I'll get down off my soap box now.)

Happy 4th of July!

feet

Feet

July 2008

My iTunes: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by W.A. Mozart

I have good news -- I am setting up my first official photo shoot for sometime next week! A friend is moving and has asked me to take some real estate photos. I'm excited for this first step on the professional photography ladder! In the meantime, I'm looking for tips online (if anyone has any suggestions, pertaining either to photography or to real estate) and hoping to track down a D-SLR with a wide-angle lens to borrow. Perhaps I will take my earnings and put them aside in a fund for an SLR of my own...

But in the meantime, I will continue posting shots from my photo shoot with Betsy. Poor Anna has already seen them all, but hopefully she will be patient and put up with them for a few more days! And in honor of her, who first inspired me to make my photography something more than just a hobby and showed me definitively that taking "artsy pictures" was a good thing, contrary to my mother's (old) belief, I post a picture of feet, a subject for which we share a fondness. Here's to you, Anna! :)

p.s. June -- I keep trying to comment on your blog, but none of my attempts have been successful for days! I'll keep trying!

half-portrait

Half-Portrait

July 2008

My iTunes: Violon by Poulenc

Hmm, which picture of Betsy do I post today? Since several people (not just on the blog) have commented on the striking vibrancy of yesterday's shot -- one person said it made his eyes hurt, and I'm not quite sure he meant it jokingly or negatively -- I thought I would post a monochromatic shot today.

This shot came out of a desire to do some fun angles and framing. I found that I had a lot more difficulty taking shots with good angles than I used to before my back surgery. I don't bend the way I used to, and it's harder to get my eye to the viewfinder for certain types of shots. (I feel so old now!) But the more I've learned about the physiology of the back and how it's supposed to work, the more I've realized that few people treat their back properly. After learning so much about how our bad habits affect our back, it's little wonder that low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability! So perhaps it's good that I'm learning how to care for my back, even if I have to be extra cautious about my mobility.

And in closing, a big congratulations to Robert, who has taken some giant leaps toward making his photographic hobby something more professional! See some of his shots from a recent wedding here!

jumping for joy

Jumping for Joy

July 2008

My iTunes: Just Showed Up for My Own Life by Sara Groves

Move over, Ross -- this blog has a new star! My good friend Betsy and I were able to spend time together this afternoon for the first time since my back surgery, and we decided to do an impromptu photoshoot at a nearby lake. Betsy is a great sport, and a ton of fun to work with! And she's always been really supportive of my photography, so she's as excited as I am to take photo outings! I think I'll keep her :)

There were so many great shots, it was hard to pick which one to share first, but I think this one is the winner.

Can you believe it's JULY already?!?!