photography

Still Here…

admin September 28, 2016

I recently had the opportunity to go to Nashville for a conference. It was a great experience where I met a few people and felt inspired by the things I saw. I might share a bit more about it, another time.

One of the added bonuses included taking a break from the everyday. I tend to let other things take control of my life and so it was great to spend a few days surrounded by things that I love…and, of course, a camera in hand. Vancouver is beautiful but has become a little cliché. Because I don’t take pictures of people, Vancouver is too perfectly beautiful. Being in a new city is great to find inspiration.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures. Nashville, while it’s an older city, has been re-developed a lot. After a rainy Saturday, I was walking behind Capitol Hill. I took the normal shots but then noticed the reflections in the ground.

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In my photography, there are certain themes that will come out. One of those themes is reflections. Maybe it’s the idea of the imperfect view that I like.

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Ghost signs are another theme. Nashville had a lot of old faded signs on buildings. I think that’s mainly because they had a lot of brick buildings, without windows, next to parking lots. It’s as though before the parking lot there was once a building, long forgotten.

Meeting likeminded people.

admin May 12, 2016

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Likeminded has become a trendy word these days but there is something to it. Likeminded doesn’t necessarily mean having the same political views or other opinions on controversial subjects. It is more about having a similar outlook or approach to life.

A couple of times, I left Vancouver and settled in a new city. One of the challenges of that experience is it can get lonely at times. Not in the sense of dating but rather in having meaningful conversation with others, that extend beyond, where you’re from, what you do, and why you’re here. For example, one person, within hours of our second encounter, was excitedly showing me a technique he figured out in Illustrator and explained his process to solve his problem. Another told me of how he travelled through Asia for a year, spending time with local people, relying on the kindness of others.

Passion, curiosity, and kindness.

Went to Harvard

admin May 6, 2016

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I’m one of those people that always takes a picture from the plane, of a (typically) unidentifiable piece of land. It has always surprised me that aerial views really look like that!

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I’ll admit, I had a very different expectation of Boston. I thought it was an unsafe, rough and tough place. It isn’t that at all or maybe I was in the wrong areas. It was cold…I was right about that. After having one of the warmest April on record, in Vancouver, it was an adjustment to be in 3-15 degree Boston. Luckily, I packed smart and was dressed for the weather!

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While in my last relationship, I truly began to realize that I regularly needed to have alone time which was the time I took for creativity. Usually it involved either taking photographs or cooking. In June of last year, I was worried about getting enough hours in two part-time jobs to help finance a budding freelance career. Instead, I found myself with a full-time job and a part-time job where, for the first few months, I didn’t have a day off. There were some days I worked both jobs in one day.

 

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I let a couple opportunities slip because of this. By February, I stopped working two jobs in one day but then picked up a project, which I just finished. Working on this project made me realize that I can’t work a full-time job, a part-time job, and freelance…giving my clients the time and attention they deserve. So now it’s design full-time, part-time job, and side projects. It’s going to be a struggle but it has to be done.

Getting back to the things I love. One of those things, photography. My heart skipped a few beats while scrolling through my old photos. I knew it was time to go at it again.

 

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Going back to my thoughts on Boston…physically Boston is old America. It’s a blend of European inspired architecture and the New World. A lot of brick and narrow roads. But the people of Boston are quite young and academic. With over 80 universities and colleges, it has a diverse population that is (I’m guessing) more upper middle class. You would have to be, to afford school, rent, and overall living costs.

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Someone asked if I could see myself living there. Probably not for a long length of time. Although there are some schools known for their design programs, I find it to be too academic and less artistic. I wouldn’t mind spending more time there. It’s an interesting window into American-ness.

 

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