Sunday, February 24, 2008

oscars, and pictures of my own

The Academy Awards were just on, out of twenty-two categories (did I count right?) fifteen were ones I 'voted' for-- as if it would count. I'm very glad Juno won best original script, I thought it was very clever indeed.

Anyway, since I have no way of making my own movies right now due to inadequate/outdated hardware, and since I've been a little more into photography lately anyway (since I have the means for that), I've decided to share (with thanks to Kevin's scanner) some of my favorites. I hope you'll like them :)


I really like how shadows are accented with black & white film... This was taken at Leucadia, probably my favorite CA beach so far.


Guajome Lake Park, the first picture I took to test out this close-up setting. It turned out really well, I say.


This is probably my favorite that I've taken so far. Even though it's blurry, I like the old-timey feel of it. Those are Kevin's feet, by the way. And Leucadia sand.

So Kaitlin came down from Idaho. I just saw her standing there like this and it was so...poetic? You can tell she misses California. Kevin's brother Thomas was in the corner of this one doing karate moves and/or model poses (as he was in a lot of the Leucadia shots, actually), but I edited him out of this one. The ones that I actually took of him were really good but didn't turn out well because of the light.


I just really like this one. The foam was at the edge of the tide-reach (if that's a term), but it slipped away just as I took the picture.


This was the last exposure on the color roll that was still in my camera from before. I love the light and how Kaitlin is hanging over the surf just before it overtakes her. I don't like the pink discoloration in the bottom right-hand corner though.


I really like the ivy and the stone wall and the white "marble" bench. They make for a nice combination. Taken in the "valley" on the Irvine's ranch.


Another shot in the "valley". It was too picturesque and interesting to pass up.


This is underneath Portugese Cove somewhere on the Palos Verdes peninsula a few minutes from Long Beach that my Geology Lab went to on our first field trip. It was very Mediterranean-feeling, so I loved it of course.


I'm so glad you can see the moon in this one, as that's pretty much the focus of the photo. 'Twas almost a full moon then, I think.



I like how the huge bent branch leads right up to the hollow-type thing in the tree. It's almost a perfect setup in that department.



This one was taken somewhere at Guajome Lake park off the 76 between Bonsall and Oceanside. I don't think the shadow cast across the path is very good, but oh well. It was sunny.


Okay, so that's Thomas jumping into the air. I like that he's directed as the focus of the photo by the tire tracks, as that pretty much happened happened by accident. The sand is a little busy with all the footprints, but all in all I really like this shot. There was a profile I took of Thomas next to the cliffs, sort of in the style of a vintage shot in Vogue of some old actor or "somebody". I'll say "I knew him when".

Kevin learned to tie a double-Windsor knot in his tie today and is doing it over and over again in front of the mirror to commit it to memory. I have to do some last minute studying for my Archaeology test tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes I guess.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Settle down, children. It's time.

So I'm not married. But as many have pointed out to me, one doesn't need to be married to have a blog. So here I go.

After the crumminess that was my Friday, my mom and I wanted me to have a better Saturday. I was blessed at the train station with a crinkly $20 bill "To help you have fun" mom said. When I got back to my apartment, Kevin was in a terrible mood, so I proposed a walk to CVS. He consented, so off we went. I got my two rolls of film developed (one black and white, one color) and a bottle of temporary hair dye in Auburn (a vague description indeed). We stared at random products until the film was done then began our journey back home.

Half way there it began to rain. I pretended I every sentence I spoke was one from a nineteenth-century Reader. It was fun until I couldn't think of a word for "a walk" that I hadn't already used. So I gave it up. After that we stopped near the ancient Native-American burial ground to rub dandelions on our chins to see if we were in love. My chin turned a bright yellow while Kevin's was more of a "jaundice" yellow (his own term mind you) because he didn't rub very hard. Needless to say, we were both in love.

In the neighborhood somewhere we stopped to laugh at a sign someone had posted on their front door: "Do not disturb-- Meditation in progress". I cautiously made my way up the person's walk to take a picture with my phone as quickly and slyly as I could, and we both ran away laughing.

When we finally got back we made mac & cheese (a tasty meal on any day you get wet). I then dyed my hair while Kevin practiced his saxophone. If he wasn't so good at it, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to tolerate it as well as I do. Kudos to him.

Now (even though we're not married! And we haven't been tagged!) Kevin and I are going to do that thing that's all the rave right now on blog thingies. Here goes:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

Kevin: I was in fifth grade, hanging out with Charlie and Shaun, by the tires on the playground. We walked around the track a lot. Whenever we sat down by the tires we talked about weird dreams.

Shannon: I was 8, counting down the days until my 9th birthday and asking my mom how many were left about every other minute or so. I remember her getting annoyed. I was also learning how to play handball and learning to hold my breath for 30 seconds, sing 'Happy Birthday' backwards, and other important things.


2. Things On My To Do list?

Kevin: Practice, finish Shannon's song, finish Zelda Medley (ew, says Shannon), finish tenor sax quartet, and then get some cookies.

Shannon: Pass my Archaeology test on Monday, finish editing my dress straps, do the dishes (ugh), take the trash out (sick), get food maybe, do my dumb laundry!


3. Bad Habits


Kevin: Making a mess, not putting things back where I get them, being late occasionally (always, says Shannon :D), and not practicing as much as I should.

Shannon: Putting off laundry til after the last second, not showering every single day sometimes, procrastinating semi-important things, listening to the same songs over and over again. BAD posture!!!


4. Places I have Lived

Kevin: San Diego, CA; Okinawa, Japan; Fallbrook, CA; Long Beach, CA

Shannon: Fallbrook, CA; Long Beach, CA. Tres exciting.


5. Things Most People Don't Know About Me
Kevin: I'm gay. I'm just kidding. I'm romantic. I have ADD-- I AM Attention Defficit Dissorder.

Shannon: I have a fetish for movie montages. I sing (and talk) in weird voices. A lot. I secretly love it when people ask if my hair is dyed (only now it is! :( boo) and/or say my hair is pretty. I don't like food but I love to cook. I want an Oscar, but I don't deserve one yet. I want to talk to George Lucas. AND, I plan things WAY too far in-advance. Like my wedding reception. And classes for my senior semesters.


Kevin wants me to go put my laundry in. I suppose I will. By the way, if anyone wants to give me a digital camera, it will make for a much more interesting blog!

Note: Please ignore the following photograph. It's completely irrelevant and was actually put here like two years after this entry was originally posted.