memorial square

Memorial Square
September 2007

My iTunes: Hometown Boy by Over the Rhine

This is one of the shots that I'm submitting today for my Digital Photography class. Every Tuesday we're required to submit a contact sheet of 20 of the best pictures we've taken for the weekly assignment, and on Thursday we bring in three prints of our three favorites. I like this one because of the angles. The rock/plaque is barely noticed and sits on the edge of the center square on campus (Memorial Square, better known as Red Square because of the color of the bricks), but it looks monumental when seen from this angle. I like the phrase on it as well: "Consider that I labored not for myself only, but for all them that seek learning."

windmill

Windmill
September 2007

My iTunes: Good Night by Julie Doiron

Yes, another picture from the sunflower farm. I promise, I'll do some different ones soon -- I haven't had time to upload the newest pictures that I've been taking, but I'll do that soon. I like the different colors and shapes in this shot, and how it's a little backlit. I like being able to see the light come through the petals on the sunflowers, but not penetrate the windmill's blades. It's fun to play with light!

xixi

XiXi
September 2007

My iTunes: Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin, performed by The 5 Browns

This is my friend's 3-year-old daughter, XiXi. She was adopted from China over two years ago, and will light up a room simply by waltzing into it. She has a lot of spunk! She is very friendly with people she knows, but regards strangers with "sharp vigilance." Needless to say, this was not a moment of sharp vigilance! She had so much fun at the sunflower farm, and it was really neat for me to watch her enjoy herself so much!

butterfly

Butterfly
September 2007

My iTunes: Pretty Dress by Rosie Thomas

Butterflies are so lovely, but it's hard to study one because they tend to move from place to place. This one stayed still long enough for me to take this shot, then it flitted away.

Happy Labor Day!

rebirth

Rebirth
September 2007

My iTunes: Secret Love by Mandy Moore

As I walked through the sunflower farm the other day, the first thing that drew your eye was the bright colors of all the flowers. You had to keep a weathered eye out to notice other little details around the flowers, like this dying sunflower. In a few weeks, one of my assignments for Digital Photography will be to take pictures of things that are symbolic of death. I like the idea of a dead flower with its seeds reminding one of death, as well as what can come afterward -- new life.

bouquet

Bouquet
September 2007

My iTunes: Sunny Days by Jars of Clay

I had just sat down to write this post when the smoke alarm went off. It was quite loud. Thankfully, the house wasn't burning down. There wasn't even smoke. Or a fire alarm. Or a prank. Apparently, there are heat sensors in the ceiling, and when you cook pancakes, they think the house is burning down...

This was a bouquet that was at the sunflower farm yesterday. I thought it made a really nice still life.

sunflower farm

Sunflower Farm
August 2007

My iTunes: Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield

My classes are done for the week, and even with taking 21 credits, I somehow managed to have Fridays off. In 2 weeks I'll start work again, but for today and next Friday, I am a free woman. This morning I went with a friend and her daughter to a sunflower farm that is about 15 minutes away. A local farmer loves flowers, so he has a large flower garden that he opens up to the public and sells flowers -- $8 for as many as fit into a 2-liter soda bottle cut in half. It was a really neat place and I got some great pictures, which will be appearing here over the next few days...

1895

1895
August 2007

My iTunes: Silver Road by Sarah Harmer

I just realized that I haven't posted nearly all week. It's been a busy first week of classes. I think I'm going to really enjoy my digital photography class -- I hope to learn a lot about editting pictures and using Photoshop CS3 (which I've already fallen in love with...). This week, our assignment was to take pictures of buildings around campus. There is a lot of brickwork around, and I liked how this one spot looked. It's right at the center of campus.

sunlit snooze

Sunlit Snooze
August 2007

My iTunes: Feelin' the Same Way by Norah Jones

Day one of classes for this semester, and here is a picture of a pretty significant part of the university experience for most college students -- naps! I thought I would be proactive today and instead of waiting until tonight to do my daily post, I'd get it done early since I don't have class until 3:00 on Mondays. Most of my peers would consider my preference odd, but I would rather have morning classes and just get them out of the way. I guess I just break the molds. I also don't nap.

castles

Castles
August 2007

My iTunes: Head Over Heels by The Go-Go's

As I sit here in my non-air-conditioned house and melt, I think back to my one and only visit to the beach this summer. The weather seems reversed -- at the beach I was cold and wore several layers (even though I went in early July) and now as school starts I can't seem to stay cool.

Some of the kids that went on the beach trip to Bournemouth built a sandcastle fortress. It used to be one of my favorite things to do, when I was not allowed the the water that is. Although building castles with molds was fun, my favorite kind were drip castles. My mom taught me how to make them, and they always ended up reminding me of Lord Licorice's castle in the Candy Land game. These castles were much more traditional -- appropriate for an English seaside holiday, I dare say.