Memorial Day Events

My cousin Lisa and I had a little fun with make-up and hair product today. We wanted to try out some wild and crazy looks just for fun. I've posted a few of the pics from our hastily-put-together photo shoot in front of the closet doors. Not the best quality, but you get the idea. We had fun, that's all that matters.

Duty Free

Really, it was only a matter of time before I posted a blog on Ninja Warrior. If you haven't seen it, it's like the Japanese kick-ass version of American Gladiators. It makes American Gladiators look even more cheesy and weak than it already is. Ninja Warrior is aired on G4 pretty much every day of the week - there has rarely been a day where we haven't found it to be on. Why is this show so awesome? Well, just let me tell you....

1) Ninjas - this could be a given, but it's a legit ninja show that makes it so good. It's not an American game show playing on the Ninja fad.

2) Unbeatable - There are 4 stages at Mt. Midoriyama, and there is very few that even make it past the first stage. I'm not sure how many people have beat the whole thing over the course of the whole series, but I know of 2 for sure. Basically, not many people ever complete all 4 courses. AND they're always finding ways to make the course harder and adding in new obstacles!

3) Courses - Ninjas are assassins and have to be very stealthy and get into buildings and such by some way other than the front door. This course makes you do spider walks, where you're holding yourself between two walls and crawling forward; the Curtain Cling where you have to swing your way across a curtain, grabbing onto nothing but the spread fabric; the Salmon Ladder forces you to hang from a bar and pull yourself and the bar up to higher and higher rungs.

4) Makoto Nagano: the second man to complete all 4 stages. This humble fisherman knows how to kick ass.


5) Filmed in Japan - This show has subtitles. I love it. It just would not be the same if the Japanese broadcaster wasn't yelling out the continuous play-by-play all too excitedly in a language I don't know. What's even better though are the subtitles because the things he yells are hilarious! For example - a bookbinder was competing, and one of the things said when he fell in the water on the first stage was "It's the end of the chapter for (insert japanese name here)!" So horrible corny and they use every pun in the book, but it's so hilarious. I think it must be a rule that he has to talk the entire time because I don't know why else he would say some of the things he says. It makes the show that much more entertaining.

And I don't know if it's an Asian thing, but they all dress up in their work uniforms or something for the competition - at least the less serious/first stage contestants do. Some of the things they wear are so ridiculous and obviously are hindering to completing the course. Even one of the all-stars wears his gas station uniform to compete in! I don't understand it, but it's entertaining.

Well, if that hasn't convinced you to watch Ninja Warrior then.... maybe you're just not as cool as I thought. Just kidding.

Thanks for reading - I know this has nothing to do with photography or art.

Senior Photos: Kat

I recently had the opportunity to shoot senior photos for
a girl named Kat - one of my mom's students. We had fun bumming around Portland shooting and then got to experiment with some location lighting up at Powell Butte. It was one of the nicest days we'd had around here in a while, so we got really lucky. It was a bit windy, but made for some great shots. I played with the colors in these photos alot - I love the combination of the teal sky and yellow grass. These three photos are a few of my favorites from the shoot.

Lovejoy Vodka

I spotted this bottle in a liquor store a couple months ago and fell in love with its design. I love looking at the artwork and packaging at liquor stores - well, really I love looking at the design and packaging of anything. There was something high end but fun about this label. The bottle is also a very unique shape with a soft geometric feel. I also just found out it's a Portland vodka (hence the "Lovejoy") which makes me like it even more. I'm not one for vodka, but I'd love to buy this just for the bottle!

Lyndsay and Kali

Yesterday I had the privilege of shooting for a very good friend whom I've known since birth. Lyndsay is pregnant with her second child - her first daughter. The baby's name is Kali and she is expected to come at anytime now! It was my first time shooting "belly" pictures, but I got some good ones I think. It always helps practicing on someone you're comfortable with. :)

Palm Springs

When my mom and I went to Palm Springs, we stayed with my grandparents in a cool old RV
park. Here's a few shots from around there:


One evening we drove up into the hills to the Pioneer Town, which was the set for alot of old western films. I got some cool shots there of alot of old buildings and such, but these below are my favorites:

The White Rabbit

Over the past couple of years, we've had a little white bunny that comes to visit our yard! He was obviously a domesticated one who got loose or was released, because he's not afraid of people. He doesn't like to be pet, but he'll eat out of your hand. He's so cute and it's always kind of fun to see him come around. He just started showing up again; I went out and fed him today. The photo is one I took of him last summer. He was just chilling with his little legs all stretched out and he let me get some pictures of him. Hopefully we'll see more of him this summer.

Salton Sea

This spring I visited the Salton Sea, which has been kind of a photography dream destination. It was a beautiful but eerie place. I was with my mom and grandparents, and I don't think they appreciated the beauty that I saw. I tried getting my mom to explore the inside of some of the buildings, but she was afraid that someone was going to "jump out and get us." Whatever that means... :) I tried to re-assure her that if we DID see anyone, they'd probably be o.d.ed passed out on the floor or something. There were also pigeons living in the buildings, which was added kind of a creepy element to the experience. We'd be walking through a completely deserted building and when we'd pass through into a new room, you could hear all this fluttering. I was afraid of getting pooped on. My mom was afraid of getting bird flu. I would love to go back to the Salton Sea for a crazy fashion photo-shoot someday.

Introduction

So here I am - trying to blog! I guess I should give a little insight to who I am and what I intend to do with this blog.
I am currently doing design and graphics work for a snowboard clothing company, and a little photography on the side.
I'd like to use this blog to post photos and other artwork, along with other random things that I may happen to feel like writing about. So here it goes - thanks for checking it out!