Photo Shoot III

I just posted some of the pictures I took in the studio on Sunday. We tried a couple new things. I think some are really good and some are almost good but those tell me what to do differently next time. This one may be my favorite.

There are candles on a ladder in the background and Christmas lights strung around Carol's hands. I used a flash for about 1/250th of a second to illuminate Carol but left the shutter open for 3 seconds to get the ambient light.
I'm still shooting on film (35mm) and scanning the pics, then retouching with Photoshop. Still saving up for a nice digital camera. Counting the days.
I have more ideas for next week's shoot so check back soon.

Photo Shoot III

I just posted some of the pictures I took in the studio on Sunday. We tried a couple new things. I think some are really good and some are almost good but those tell me what to do differently next time. This one may be my favorite.



There are candles on a ladder in the background and Christmas lights strung around Carol's hands. I used a flash for about 1/250th of a second to illuminate Carol but left the shutter open for 3 seconds to get the ambient light.

I'm still shooting on film (35mm) and scanning the pics, then retouching with Photoshop. Still saving up for a nice digital camera. Counting the days.

I have more ideas for next week's shoot so check back soon.

Pretty much done with the site update

Aside from adding some pictures of me into the basic structure of the site, my updates are pretty much done. I'll add the photos of me once I get some that I like. If I were taking them I think could get what I want but self portraits in photography aren't easy and not what I'm looking for. I hope someone in my current photography class can do me the favor.

A few changes. No more movie review section, kind of. I realized with the old layout that it takes an awful lot of energy to write a full "review" of a movie and I pretty much fizzled out from anything beyond assigning stars. Well in my Web Log section I will comment on movies I've seen and can at least give more insight than just stars without the pressure to write a lengthy essay about everything I see.

The Photos section is pictures I've taken mainly but sometimes pictures of me. I'll have a new digital camera soon so that should make adding more pictures a whole lot easier.

The Recipes section will be recipes I've created or modified. I've already found it will be a good place to keep my favorite recipes when I'm traveling and didn't bring one with. Just look it up online.

Oh and the Web Log section will just be like my old Random Thoughts section but I can add things when I feel like it without having a regular schedule or outlined structure. Everyone should be able to post comments on my Web Log entries but just keep 'em clean. Okay?

Pretty much done with the site update

Aside from adding some pictures of me into the basic structure of the site, my updates are pretty much done. I'll add the photos of me once I get some that I like. If I were taking them I think could get what I want but self portraits in photography aren't easy and not what I'm looking for. I hope someone in my current photography class can do me the favor.


A few changes. No more movie review section, kind of. I realized with the old layout that it takes an awful lot of energy to write a full "review" of a movie and I pretty much fizzled out from anything beyond assigning stars. Well in my Web Log section I will comment on movies I've seen and can at least give more insight than just stars without the pressure to write a lengthy essay about everything I see.


The Photos section is pictures I've taken mainly but sometimes pictures of me. I'll have a new digital camera soon so that should make adding more pictures a whole lot easier.


The Recipes section will be recipes I've created or modified. I've already found it will be a good place to keep my favorite recipes when I'm traveling and didn't bring one with. Just look it up online.


Oh and the Web Log section will just be like my old Random Thoughts section but I can add things when I feel like it without having a regular schedule or outlined structure. Everyone should be able to post comments on my Web Log entries but just keep 'em clean. Okay?

Movie, Tamales and Photos

Yesterday afternoon I saw the new film Identity starring John Cusack. I enjoyed it but can't say I loved it. Many will compare it to The Usual Suspects or maybe Memento but it's not quite as good but it might be the best movie out now so I can recommend it on that basis. I'd give it 3 out of 4 stars.
Anyways the movie, like all movies of that ilk, leave you with lots of unanswered questions. So last night I went online to see if anyone on the web could fill me in on some things in the movie I wasn't sure I understood. After checking the Internet Movie Database and not finding any updated trivia I googled around and came upon a Yahoo message board about the movie. It confirmed my very low opinion of message boards. The posts began with dozens of people just posting to say they were going to see the movie (ok thanks) then speculation of who the murderer in Identity was based on the trailer (everyone wrong) then more unfounded discussion about why the movie doesn't credit Dean Koontz who wrote a book with a the exact same plot (wrong again, but most people commenting hadn't seen the movie and probably wouldn't because of this affront to Mr. Koontz. They may not have even read his book.) All in all this message board like most others I've seen on the Internet have as much usefull information as a group of gossiping old gals at a Kaffeeklatsch! People stating rumor and unconfirmed information without the slightest effort to check to see if it's correct. Heck, if you can use the Internet to post on message boards, use it to educate yourself and look things up. Here endeth the diatribe.

Last night I went over to some friends and had an awesome dinner of tamales, black beans and homemade guacamole. It was to die for! I made some mojitos, a rum drink with lime and fresh mint leaves. Excellent summer drink.

This afternoon I went to use the photography studio to work on some photos for my current class, "Location and Studio Lighting". I already have some photos posted from past shoots. Once I get these developed I will post them as well. Had fun shooting them. John who is taking the class as well showed up with his friends Carol and James. Carol is a model who came last time. They are all Chinese but from different parts of China. Carol speaks Cantonese, John a dialect of Mandarin, and James speaks the dialect of Shaghai. The all seem to understand each other though.
I am always puzzled why almost all the Chinese people I know have western (English) names. My assumption is they think that their Chinese names are so difficult to pronounce for westerners (or maybe anyone outside of China) and being the hospitible people they are they will make it easier on us by using English names. I say, so many things are dumnbed down for the rest of the world, go ahead and use your Chinese names and force us to grow. I remember taking a brief Spanish class in 6th grade and the teacher gave us all "Spanish" names (mine was Domingo). What's the point of that? Why can't I learn Spanish and keep my name? It just confused me at the time. If I went to Spain would I be forced to change my name? How would that work going through customs? In French and German classes I took later on I never had a different name. Maybe my 6th grade Spanish teacher went to China to teach English. But maybe I should research the answers to this type of question before writing something about it on the Internet.

Movie, Tamales and Photos

Yesterday afternoon I saw the new film Identity starring John Cusack. I enjoyed it but can't say I loved it. Many will compare it to The Usual Suspects or maybe Memento but it's not quite as good but it might be the best movie out now so I can recommend it on that basis. I'd give it 3 out of 4 stars.

Anyways the movie, like all movies of that ilk, leave you with lots of unanswered questions. So last night I went online to see if anyone on the web could fill me in on some things in the movie I wasn't sure I understood. After checking the Internet Movie Database and not finding any updated trivia I googled around and came upon a Yahoo message board about the movie. It confirmed my very low opinion of message boards. The posts began with dozens of people just posting to say they were going to see the movie (ok thanks) then speculation of who the murderer in Identity was based on the trailer (everyone wrong) then more unfounded discussion about why the movie doesn't credit Dean Koontz who wrote a book with a the exact same plot (wrong again, but most people commenting hadn't seen the movie and probably wouldn't because of this affront to Mr. Koontz. They may not have even read his book.) All in all this message board like most others I've seen on the Internet have as much usefull information as a group of gossiping old gals at a Kaffeeklatsch! People stating rumor and unconfirmed information without the slightest effort to check to see if it's correct. Heck, if you can use the Internet to post on message boards, use it to educate yourself and look things up. Here endeth the diatribe.

Last night I went over to some friends and had an awesome dinner of tamales, black beans and homemade guacamole. It was to die for! I made some mojitos, a rum drink with lime and fresh mint leaves. Excellent summer drink.

This afternoon I went to use the photography studio to work on some photos for my current class, "Location and Studio Lighting". I already have some photos posted from past shoots. Once I get these developed I will post them as well. Had fun shooting them. John who is taking the class as well showed up with his friends Carol and James. Carol is a model who came last time. They are all Chinese but from different parts of China. Carol speaks Cantonese, John a dialect of Mandarin, and James speaks the dialect of Shaghai. The all seem to understand each other though.
I am always puzzled why almost all the Chinese people I know have western (English) names. My assumption is they think that their Chinese names are so difficult to pronounce for westerners (or maybe anyone outside of China) and being the hospitible people they are they will make it easier on us by using English names. I say, so many things are dumnbed down for the rest of the world, go ahead and use your Chinese names and force us to grow. I remember taking a brief Spanish class in 6th grade and the teacher gave us all "Spanish" names (mine was Domingo). What's the point of that? Why can't I learn Spanish and keep my name? It just confused me at the time. If I went to Spain would I be forced to change my name? How would that work going through customs? In French and German classes I took later on I never had a different name. Maybe my 6th grade Spanish teacher went to China to teach English. But maybe I should research the answers to this type of question before writing something about it on the Internet.

Welcome to my newly revised site!

I've made some changes to my site and hope everyone will like them.
Please drop me a line with your comments.

Welcome to my newly revised site!

I've made some changes to my site and hope everyone will like them.
Please drop me a line with your comments.