SMO

SMO, or the Singing Men of Ohio, is a very popular group of young, talented men on the Ohio University campus. When the president asked me to take pictures of the group I was very gracious. I had the pleasure of photographing them this past fall.

SMO is the oldest glee club in the state of Ohio. Under the direction of Dr. Peter Jarjisian, SMO had a concert this evening with the alumni of the group. I enjoyed the concert thoroughly and I was very surprised when I walked into the auditorium and was handed a program. The photographs I had taken in the fall were featured on the front and throughout their program. I was so happy to be getting the exposure that I have wanted; however, I was disappointed when I found out that I was not given credit for the photographs in the program. My pictures can also be seen on their website.




Photographs: All photographs were taken on the College Green at OU with a nikon D40. The first photograph is of the entire choir. The last three are of Section 8, a smaller section made up of some of SMO's best vocalists.

Macro

"Macro photography is close-up photography. The classical definition is that the image projected on the "film plane" (i.e., film or a digital sensor) is close to the same size as the subject. On 35 mm film (for example), the lens is typically optimized to focus sharply on a small area approaching the size of the film frame. Most 35mm format macro lenses achieve at least 1:2, that is to say, the image on the film is 1/2 the size of the object being photographed. Many 35mm macro lenses are 1:1, meaning the image on the film is the same size as the object being photographed. Another important distinction is that lenses designed for macro are usually at their sharpest at macro focus distances and are not quite as sharp at other focus distances."



Photograph: Both photographs were taken in Alexandria, VA. Both were taken in old town; one was at the pier and the other in downtown. They were taken with my Nikon D60 on the macro setting.

Work in Progress

Remember when you were in grade school and as a fun activity your teachers made you write stories together? The first person wrote a sentence, then you passed it on to the next person to write a sentence...etc. etc. Then you ended up with a really wacky story that probably didn't make sense, but was entertaining nonetheless.

I tried using the same concept with Photoshop. I don't think the following mash up is quite finished and it could use a lot of tweaking, but I like that it was created between a friend and I. We just passed the computer back and forth after our "turn" was finished. I like the product so far.

Photograph: The pictures used were from my Washington D.C. trip and from the times that I took pictures of DJs.

Mixed

Photograph: This is a compliation of two images taken in Alexandria, VA with my nikon D60. I had this idea to mesh two pictures awhile ago and I finally had the chance to put it to use. I would like to use it again in the future. The editing below is by no means flawless, but I hope to perfect the skill.
Note...if you click on the image you can see it in its full size.

Old Town

Photograph: Old people in Old Town. I think old couples are really adorable, especially when walking holding hands. It's nice to know that some people are optimistic about love and that love can exist into old age. Taken with my nikon D60 and made into B&W on Photoshop.

Old Town is located in Alexandria, VA. It is near the Potomac River. The town is full of old houses, adorable shops, appetizing restaurants and an amazing art center called The Torpedo Factory. What I liked most about this area of VA was the atmosphere. The town is eclectic and vibrant and, although you can't see it from this photograph since it is in black & white, the colors of the buildings are absolutely stunning. If vacationing, the town is a must-see; great for an afternoon stroll.

Lips

My camera was put to good use this past weekend. I took many shots in areas around Washington D.C. including Arlington and Alexandra, VA. I also made a trip to the town where I grew up, but unfortunately, did not take any pictures while I was there.

I'm sure I'll have plenty of material to post in this next week. However, I thought I would post a goofy picture first. On my way back from Washington D.C., the highway went right through a mountain. There was rest stop conveniently located right next to said mountain along with a trail of sorts that you could walk up. It was VERY windy and probably somewhat dangerous to be walking in such strong gusts, but Andrew weren't going to pass up a good photo op.

On the path up towards the mountain were these viewer things that we see on piers and such. These over looked the mountain in the picture and also the mountains and farms in the distance. I never can remember what they are really called, but I always thought they kind of looked like faces.

Photograph: Taken somewhere in Maryland with my Nikon D60. Lips added via Photoshop.

the BIG one

I have, accidentally at first and then intentionally, started a theme. I like to take photographs in graveyards; however, I'm not so sure that Athens is going provide as good of scenery as where these photographs were taken. As of last night, I am in Washington D.C. Today, despite the wind and cold, I went to Arlington, Virginia. During the day I took pictures in numerous places including the docks of the Potomac, a temple, and last night of the Lincoln and Washington Memorials.

The sky today was an amazing color blue, but I wanted to add a certain effect to the photographs taken at Arlington Cemetery, so I chose to make them black and white. I am pretty happy about the result. What I liked most about Arlington Cemetery was the geometrical lines that the head stones created. The head stones were overwhelming and I don't think the camera could possibly capture what it was really like to be there. The thing I disliked most about the cemetery was that everything was chained off. I understand why this is, but I wish I could have walked closer to the headstones themselves. The wind also made things a bit unfortunate. Because of the wind, it was hard to capture the eternal flame at President JFK's grave. The flame almost appeared to be out due to the wind.

Photographs: These were taken on my nikon D60. The first is of the part of Arlington that people don't necessarily pictures in their minds. The head stones in this part of the cemetery are much like the ones we can see in Athens, but larger. The second photograph I really like because it somewhat shows what it is like to witness all of these grave stones. The graveyard in Arlington is very geometric and it seems endless.

long exposure

Photographs: These pictures were taken without a flash and with a long exposure on my Nikon D60. By not using a flash, one can document motion. These were taken of Andrew while shooting hoops with Kramer. If you look closely in the first photograph, you can see the basketball which was less in motion than Andrew's body.

Pizzas

It has become a weekly tradition of mine to concoct a new pizza. It started with me having friends over for dinner. Now, I've started to get the input of others on what kind of pizzas they like and then the inventing begins. Last night, Kramer and Andrew helped me to make hot spinach artichoke dip pizza and macaroni and cheese pizza. Kramer was the master of the semi-homemade crust and Andrew of the cheese sauce. Both pizzas turned out really well.

Previous pizzas I have made include ham and pineapple pizza, zucchini and caramelized onions pizza, basil and tomato pizza, bbq chicken pizza, buffalo chicken pizza, and my personal favorite and invention...the chicken pot pie pizza.

I tried to get pictures of the pizzas last night. I am not particularly happy with how the photographs turned out, but I want to practice taking pictures of food. The lighting was not ideal for food photography last night.

Photographs: The first pizza is the mac&cheese pizza. We made the crust, added our own cheese sauce, then baked the noodles on top. The second pizza is the spinach artichoke dip pizza. We bought fresh spinach and artichoke and made and heated the dip before we baked it in the oven and added fresh Parmesan . Both pictures were taken on my digital SLR.

Maryland

Maryland is probably the best place a child could grow up and I am very grateful that my parents raised me there. Growing up there allowed me to learn to be open minded and accepting of other cultures. I liked that weekend trips consisted of driving a bit over an hour to the beach or hoping on the metro to go see a museum in downtown Washington.
The best part about living there, by far, is that I lived only a street away from my best friend, Rachel. Rachel and I have been friends since the first grade. I haven't been to visit her in over two years, and haven't seen her since last winter when she visited OU.
As of last night, I learned of a great opportunity to go to visit Maryland THIS WEEKEND! I'm very excited. I hope to spend some time with Rachel as well as use the scenery of the city to take some awesome pictures.
The pictures above were taken on my last trip there.

Photographs: These pictures were taken at one of the few art museums in D.C. on a film camera. I like that, through the eyes of the camera, the statues seem to come to life. I took many pictures on that trip...some of the beach, some of other things downtown...but these are by far my favorite.

Bobcat Basketball

Ohio University is known for its journalism program and its beautiful campus, not its sporting teams. This, however, doesn't seem to phase the students on this campus. Basketball games and football games alike are crowded with members of the "Ozone". The students of the Ozone have creative cheers and a lot of team spirit. The Ozone contributes to the excitement of the games. Without the students, the basketball games would not be as fun. For one game, I decided to borrow a friend's camera to capture some of the people who are important to the bobcat basketball game experience.
Photographs: These photographs were taken with a Nikon D40.

DJs and Lights

Athens Pyramids is a hookah bar owned by students of Ohio University. It's an ideal place for cool cats to hang out on the weekends. There's good music, dancing, drum circles, and good company. It's a chill place to hang for the evening with friends or a happenin' place to go to continue your party after the bars close. DJ An-log and company play every Friday from 11-2.

The light at the hookah bar is very poor for taking photographs. If you add the flash, then the figures in the photographs are washed out, but if you take the flash away you may not be getting the effect you desired. This last trip to Pyramids, I wanted pictures that were realistic to the colors that I see when I am there. In some, I wanted a blurred, streaky light affect. I think I accomplished this to some degree, but would like to see improvements the next time I shoot. Also, I would like to play more off the light that is present on the DJ's turntables. I did this a bit in the first photograph. You can see the light reflecting on top of the record is very white. What is more interesting about the first photo, however, is the green light.
First Photograph: The green light was from Andrew's phone. I held it up to the turntables and then used the reflections from the side of the turn tables to create what I think is an interesting affect.
Second Photograph: I like the blurring in this picture, although I must admit it was somewhat unintentional. I took several pictures like this that evening. I wanted to focus on Andrew's headphones as well as the crowd. The difference in color between Andrew and the crowd is very different and I'm glad that I was able to capture that.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day (tomorrow)!

A lot of people are very bitter about this holiday. I, on the other hand, have always enjoyed it. Valentine's Day isn't just for couples- it's for everyone!

I like to make homemade valentines or pass out those cheesy cartoon ones that you used to give "one to every person" in your elementary classes. I used to devour conversation hearts and look forward to Valentine's Day parties where you could decorate your own cookies or boxes for all your treats.

I have several good Valentine's Day memories. One of my favorites was of the valentines my grandpa Tom used to send me. I swear that man only bought one box of valentines in his lifetime because every year I would get the SAME valentine. I remember them well. Superman was on the front. Every year it was Superman, but different words of course. Some said "crazy about you!" and others just "will you be my valentine?" They were all signed the same too. "Happy Valentine's Day...love Grandpa Tom and Cookie".

I miss those valentines and I wish I would have saved them because they make me laugh, but this year I got an even BETTER valentine. In the mail my mom and dad sent me a lifetime supply of sugar cookies along with a card that made me smile ear to ear. It made me chuckle a bit, because it's kind of like my parent's nice way of saying "you're weird, but we love you anyways".

This is what it read...

Daughter,
You're one of a kind. It means so much to see you spreading your wings, trying new things, and discovering what a unique and beautiful person you are. It's a special gift to watch you grow, to see you dream, and to love you more each day.
Happy Valentine's Day.
Love,
Mom and Dad (appropriately signed in red ink)

Photograph: I LOVE to play Scrabble. It's an almost daily routine at home. I was very happy to find someone at school who likes to play it as much, if not more, than I do.

Lucy, the dog.

My sister has a mutt for a dog. Her name is Lucy and at first I thought she was a little too rambunctious for my taste, but after babysitting her when my sister was on call, I grew quite fond of her. She is a very well behaved puppy and she's the best cuddle buddy a person could have. She spent a lot of time with the family over Christmas and even made the trip back to school with me.

I won't tell my sister this, but I sometimes think the pup likes me more than her because she gets to sleep in late when she hangs with me.

Photograph: Lucy rests her head on Katie's knee while watching t.v.

Tracy

Photograph: I am getting used to my new camera. One thing I would like to do in the future is take portraits or headshots for people. One of my roommates was very patient with me and let me use her as a model to practice. This photograph was taken by a building at The Ridges.

Dreamlike

Last night the fire alarms went off in my apartment building at about 3:00 in the morning, right in the middle of a dream that I was having. In the dream was married to a non-pot-smoking Michael Phelps and was expecting. After I went out of the building to make sure there was no fire (which there wasn't) I went back to sleep and ended up having a nightmare about fires. I don't have nightmares that often anymore...at least not as much as I used to when I still watched Forensic Files every day. However, I do have dreams with a lot of re-occurring themes.

There is one thing that happens a lot in my dreams that sticks out in my mind and that is that I lose my teeth a lot. I was curious as to if losing your teeth in your dreams has any significance, so I searched for the potential meaning. This is what I found...

Dreaming of teeth falling out may represent insecurity. These dreams often occur at a time of transition between one phase of life and another. The dream could also highlight your worries about getting older or your sexual attractiveness.

I think dreams are the images from our subconscious. If they really are, then losing my teeth would make sense. I've been told over and over that I'm too insecure. It's true...I do have a lot of insecurities, just like everyone else, but refuse to admit them.

Photograph: This photograph is of my mother. It was taken by a film camera last summer in Covington, KY. I like the effect that the film had on the photograph, because to me, it looks very dream like.

Angels

A continuing theme...

I would like to visit each of the cemeteries in Athens. So far, I have walked through three. It may be considered morbid, but I find it to be kind of a worthwhile experience. Each cemetery is unique in its own way. Some are on hills, some on flat land. Some are part of the famous "Athens Pentagram", and some are just lonely bystanders. Some have graves from the 1800's, some more recent. However, I have found that at each of the cemeteries I have visited, at least one grave has an angel.
The significance of the angel on the grave is somewhat foreign to me, as I cannot imagine I would ever place such an ornament on my own grave. The angel (or cherub in some cases) fascinates me not only for their photographic and artistic qualities, but for their messages. Each of these angels means something completely different to the person who was buried there or their family and friends. Some of the angels are frightening and some are peaceful. Some are religious symbols, and others just arbitrary.

The reason they were placed there in the first place has no significance on the following photographs, but I suppose their purpose is still something interesting to ponder about.
Photograph One: This angel is placed on top of a grave in memory of the unknown who are buried there.
Photograph Two: This angel sits in a stone pot next to a grave stone.
Photograph Three: This angel is an ornament made for this particular grave stone. Unlike the other angels I have seen, this one is laying down. Again, noting the change may not be significant.

Inspirational quotes.

I stepped outside of the building where my language classes are being held this quarter and was welcomed by a very nice surprise.



I like inspiration quotes. It's kind of a cheesy thing to enjoy, but sometimes it's nice to take time out of your day to just reflect about something other than your school work or your social life. It was nice, for a change, to find quotes where I least expected them. This time, the quotes were not in the book I am currently reading or printed on the right hand corner of the pages in my daily planner or in the bathroom stalls in the English building. These quotes were engraved in many different languages on a stone picnic table outside of Gordy Hall, which is appropriate because it houses the foreign language and linguistic departments on campus.
I hope to find more things on campus that provide a bit of a distraction.

Photograph: The quote reads "Lack Of Charisma Can Be Fatal"

Flowers in Perspective

Photographs: A vase of white roses sat on my dining room table for about a week. They were beautiful to look at from a distance, but more interesting up close. I thought I was able to capture their intricacy quite well.

Coffee Shops

The atmosphere in a coffee shop has been a long standing social phenomenon. Coffee shops were originally extremely elite. They were places where (mostly men) would go to drink coffee, talk politics, and smoke cigars. Authors used to go to coffee shops in order to meet editors and publishers and talk about the deeper meanings and philosophies of their works. The earliest coffee shops also acted as post offices.

Now, the purpose of the coffee shop has shifted greatly. Each one strives to create a unique atmosphere where both men and women and the hippest of hipsters can drink, dine, listen to music and use wi-fi.

Athens has many coffee shops, each with its own personality and it's a big debate as to which one is the best and for what reason.
The Front Room is located in the student center, is convenient, and one can use his/her "bobcat cash" in order to purchase drink or food instead of cash.
Perks is located on the corner of two main roads in town, kitty corner to two bookstores, serves fair-trade coffee and amazing smoothies with real fruit and yogurt in the spring. Also attached to the coffee shop is a cigar shop, but there is no stage for musicians to perform.
Brenan's serves a large variety of specialty drinks as well as AMAZING sandwiches, but seems to be a prime spot for older adults and frat brats.

Donkey, by far, is my favorite. Free refills, local, well-known employees, and a great location to fill your acoustic music fix. Their muffins are superb.

Photo: I decided to take a study break to consume a cup of dark roast and a delicious muffin from Donkey coffee. The environment to study is ideal. It's comfy and cozy and well lit with quirky little lamps with feet.

Athens

Class was out at 3:00 and the light was amazing around campus. Andrew encouraged a small "photo adventure" in order to take advantage of the light and the scenery off campus. We ended up walking past some fantastically interesting (yet nearly abandoned) houses and ended up in one of Athens County's many cemeteries.


It is a well known fact by the people living in this area of Ohio that Athens is extremely haunted. A student on campus can experience ghosts in their dorm rooms and creeping eyes at the Asylum (more on that later). What I think is most interesting about Athens hauntings is not the ghosts and the buildings they haunt themselves, but what surrounds those buildings. It is said that the five largest cemeteries in Athens form a perfect pentagram. In the middle of the pentagram is a dorm building, Wilson Hall. One room in particular in Wilson Hall has been closed off by University officials due to its "inhabitable nature". Students who have lived in this room have claimed that books would fly off the shelves and doors would open and close frequently. These phenomenon happened after a girl violently committed suicide in the same room years before after believing that a spirit was haunting her (or so the story goes). If you go to the room today, it is said that you can see a demon's face within the woodwork of the door.

I'm too much of a chicken to look.

Want more information about the Athens Pentagram? Check out this site...
http://www.forgottenoh.com/OU/ou.html

Photo One: Along the walk to the cemetery, I came across this beautiful house. It appears that nobody lives there, even though it is surrounded by houses that are not vacant. I liked how the setting light peaked right out from behind the roof. I'm sure, at one point, this was a very charming house.

Photo Two: While walking through the cemetery, I found this tombstone. Unlike all of the other tombstones, this one appeared to still have visitors as it was not empty of flowers or other ornaments. Unfortunately its ornament was damaged (most likely due to the heavy snow and ice).

Snow Days

This past week Ohio University closed down its campus due to a severe snow and ice storm. Many people were without electricity, my roommate's cars were frozen to the ground, and class syllabuses have been altered to accommodate for the cancellations. The snow has begun to melt and I am no longer slipping and sliding on my way to class. What is left are beautiful landscapes and chilly students.

Picture: A statue made of bone is erected on top of a hill near a science building on campus. The eeriness of the statue reminds us of the haunted history of the grounds it sits on.

First Post

“I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew so well. Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience.”

-Henry David Thoreau, Walden

I am indeed confined by what I know presently, what I have experienced in the past, and what I will learn in the future. I hope to share with whomever is interested my life through a series of both words and my pictures.

Enjoy.

Picture above: Athens blocks torn up from unfinished construction at The Ridges (Athens Insane Asylum). These blocks are seen on my daily walks on the brick side walks and roads of the Ohio University campus.