A 365 project: Photography in Image

New Blog

2011-01-22T20:38:00.003-07:00

I've started a new blog. greenmorethanacolor.blogspot.com

Go check it out. pleas.e

Buteo

2011-01-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Northern Harriers! These are a type of hawk closely related to kites. They have a curly beak that is used for violently attacking things. The distinctive thing in harriers is the white band on the tail. They fly extremely close to the ground, especially in marshy, lakey areas.

American Kestrel on The Rock

2011-01-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

Kestrels are so very special. They are the smallest falcon. They are the prettiest. I want to own one as a pet. And learn how to falcon with it! That would be super fun. Hopefully I can get one in June.

Red-Tailed Hawk

2011-01-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

This is a Red-Tailed Hawk, fairly common, eating some poor thing.

LOVE

2011-01-12T09:31:00.003-07:00

So I went to the Beatle's Love show in Vegas. And believe it or not I had never really listened to the Beatle's cause I was one of those "I only like hip music and stuff" people. Anyways, I went not expecting much and saw the best show of my life. It was amazing. I can't even describe it. The dances were amazingly choreographed to the music. The story plot of theme was unbelievable. It made me shed tears (not really, but close enough). I had my camera but I really don't like to have expensive things out and about in crowded casinos in Vegas because...then something is bound to happen. So I took them really fast and without aiming and stuff. So not good images, but good memories!

Also, I feel it necessary to share my favorite Beatle's Songs so you should too!

1) Eleanor Rigby (Duh, isn't that everyone's favorite?)

2) I, Me, Mine

3) Let it Be

4) Across The Universe

5) All You Need is Love

And now I've decided that this isn't a very good list cause there are like 200 better songs than these, but at the same time; not better. Its more of a confusing type of thing. Basically take quantum physics and apply it to the Beatle's, blink 3 times, clap your hand and maybe you'll understand my crazy head.

Once Again Cool Date

2011-01-11T11:11:00.001-07:00

So now it is like the 11th hour on the 11th day at the 11th minute of the 11th year. Oh, and probably if you're looking at this correctly its probably the 11th second.

11.11.11.1.11.11

That has to be good luck right? Cause when you look at the clock at 11:11 on any normal day, its one free wish or good luck. So what do I get tomorrow? 23 wishes? Extra good luck?

Who knows.

I'll make a wish though...um....here we go.......do...do...do...doo....do.doo.dodo......do.doodoo...okay, wish done now.

Happy Cool Thingy!

Epic Fail!

2011-01-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

So basically I was doing some homework when I looked outsider and saw a bunch of birds at my homemade bird feeder. So I run, grab my new camera, put on the super spectacular lens and sneak outside to snap some photos. I was so concentrated on getting the pictures before the birds ran away, I didn't mess / adjust any of the settings. There were just typical birds: Dark Eyed Junco's especially, and a couple of Mourning Doves, oh, and maybe a Western Scrub Jay. Anyways, I just imported them and this.

GRRRRRR. How dare you super nice camera that I have not fully learned how to use! Darn you to the awful abyss of evil stuff that irritates me ! They weren't that cool but just birds. I saw a Tonwsend's Solitaire and a Cassin's Finch yesterday. Those are unusual. I saw a Sharp-Shinned Hawk too!

Happy Ultra Cool 1 Day

2011-01-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

So this post was posted at 1 am in the 11th minute, at the 11th second, in the 1st month, on the 11th day, in the 2011th year.

So if I do this right...it is exactly 1:11:11:1:11:11

Cool! Fun. Awesome!

The Almighty Shark Ray / Bowmouth GuitarFish!

2011-01-10T16:10:00.002-07:00

This is one cool animal. I caught one once off the shores of Coronado Island in California. It was really funny. We weren't catching anything and then my little brother had jams from IHOP and he asked if he could dip a sardine in the jelly. We all laughed and said whatever. We caught three fish, all with jelly. Moral of the story--fish with IHOP jelly.

It was really cool. It looked like a mini-sting ray. But it actually is in its own family.

WIKIPEDIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowmouth_guitarfish

Some Bald Eagles

2011-01-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Juvenile Bald Eagle in flight! So this is a juvenile because it is super splotchy white with random weird spots on it. While it doesn't have the iconic white head.

The same baby bird perching on the ice at the Great Salt Lake.

A raven in the blurry foreground with a real Bald Eagle; the head and everything!

I've seen about two dozen in the last two weeks. They're pretty skittish though, hard to take pictures of.

Bison

2011-01-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

These are bison. They are HUGE. I'm not sure if other states really have bison, I believe they are imported to Utah because they are only on one island in the Great Salt Lake. Antelope Island. On the island there are a lot of little buffalo grills. Buffalo is pretty good. It takes like beef but a little more tender, meatier, and healthier. I really like the snow on the ground; it makes them stand out. I wanted to pet one!

Great Salt Lake Sun Set

2011-01-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

The sun majestically sets in Utah on a December eve.

2011-01-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

So I thought these pictures were cool because how simple they are. No colors. Simple Angles. Nothing really special. Just a hotel.

Ruddy Duck

2011-01-05T16:03:00.003-07:00

Ruddy Ducks are so pretty. Here's the link to their wikipedia page! Their bill is huge and blue. Its almost like a Northern Shoveler and its sky blue. GORGEOUS! The colors on the feathers are magnificent too. Also, the tail is so pointy. Amazing bird. Once again this was at Salt Lake so its kinda rare to see them in this cold, cold frozen weather.

Western Grebe

2011-01-05T15:57:00.001-07:00

This is a baby / young Western Grebe. Who look identical to Clark's Grebe! They're very hard to tell the difference but the Western usually has the black cap go upon and over the red eye when clark's black cap stops above the eye.

This is at Salt Lake. Half - 5/6's the pond is forzen so its kinda cool to see water and waterfowl!

Shark Exhibit at Monteray Bay in VEGAS

2011-01-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

I used flash to capture this octopus. He's gross!!! I took this picture and looked at it in the camera and nearly through up. He just looks disgusting! It was really dark so photos and subjects were really hard to get lighting on.

This is fun. I love these fish. He is blurred and it makes him look even cooler.

The Komodo Dragon decided to pose for me! He's as lazy as ever. And drooling. Also gross.

A white alligator. My friend has two alligators as pets. They're pretty cool. This looks like a crocodile now that I look at it closer. I don't really know but, a white reptile with sharp teeth that hangs out in water and can kill things!!!

My Favorite Place On This Planet

2011-01-03T19:11:00.004-07:00

New Year's Fireworks

2011-01-03T18:59:00.002-07:00

So these are fireworks using a long exposure. Its really cool to try to capture the entire shape of a firework. These two images were my favorite. Its almost like abstract light photos only these are random and you're not moving the camera, the light from the firework is changing!

I want to wish everyone a great 2011! I know I'm going to try to make the best of it.

GOALS OF 2011 FOR ME:

1) BLOG. BLOG. BLOG. I've been awful the last year of consistently blogging. I'm ending that in 2011

2) Focus on school still. Keep grades up and such.

3) Make better more controlled photos. Or even just more photos. I want to shot everything.

Bricks

2010-08-10T16:08:00.000-06:00

So these are old pictures I've taken of bricks. Bricks are something I find very interesting. Their texture and appearance is very distinct and fascinating. Also, they have great symmetry. The color of the brick and the color of the mortar contrast to capture a viewer's eye.

I'm Back!

2010-08-10T11:31:00.000-06:00

So I've taken a pretty big break from this blog but I'm going to try to start it up again, mainly because I'm bored and need something to do. So....here we go!

Final Project

2010-07-30T12:33:00.000-06:00

The year is almost at an end. So...that means this is the final project. I did self portraits, it includes 2 things I wished I wasn't and 2 things I wished I was and then 8 of what I am. I took some of myself and some of other people. I just wanted to tell the story of who I am. And I think I did it well. I think I told an overall story and told individual stories as well. I made the photos interesting and attractive. I'm very satisfied with this project.

What I wish I was.

I think if the student body of Waterford saw this image, they would say "HEEEEEEB!" Really loudly, and lowly cause that's what you do when you see Heeb. Heeb is a nerd. Nerd at Waterford isn't a bad thing, it is actually revered. I would love to be as nerdy or smart as Heeb. Right now he is deciding whether to go to Duke or Cornell (though choice). That is why this image is in my project. I'd love to be as nerdy and smart as Heeb. He's so nerdy and cool! I think nerds are cool, this outfit is evidence of it.

The lighting on this is absolutely terrific, most likely because I followed Mr. Slade's advice of shooting close to a big window. Perfect portrait light. I sat in front of him and shot a couple dozens of shots because Heeb is nerdy; he likes to make weird faces at the camera. So I think this one made him look the nerdiest. This is easily in my top 5 images I have ever taken.

What I wished I wasn't.

This is me. I am eating one of those delicious mini donuts. I wish I wasn't so addicted to them. It's a serous problem. I eat bags at a time. I don't wish I'd stop eating them I just wish they were healthy. I did this a little dark because I wanted to set the mood as evil. Yes. I just implied that these donuts are evil. I even believe they have brains. They control my brain and trick me into eating them. I took a couple of different poses but I wanted half the donut in my mouth and half of it in my hand and this is the result.

I like how the counter sets a "half-reflection" and I love my facial expression. I almost look guilty. Guilty that I'm eating this fattening food. Guilty that I don't care what it will do to my body. Guilty that I let a chocolate covered pastry control me~!

Me.

I am usaully really happy and giddy most of the time. Although it isn't always. I love the lines of the bricks pointing to her smile. And also the graduated contrast filter. Those two make the eyes go straight to the facial expressions. Beautiful smile.

What I wished I was

I wished I didn't care about appearances. Jamie never washes her hair, never does her hair, doesn't change out of her uniform, doesn't take showers, she just doesn't care how she looks. The world is full of poeople that think appearance is everything and I may be one of them. How you look says something about you, and people are going to judge you by the way you dress. I just wish I didn't care that they do judge me and I can say, its pointless and unneccesary to dress up and care about that stuffs

Me

This is Jacob Silva. He's watching the Real Salt Lake play. For those of you who are reading this (no one is) who don't know who Real Salt Lake is (no one does), its a professional soccer team. I wanted to show that I really enjoy soccer and focus on it. When watching soccer I can't help but to critique players. I'll say "He shouldn't have dribbled there." outloud, annoying the other spectators to the point of suicide. I told Jacob, just watch the game, and let me take your picture. I think he changed his face a little but it captured the idea of intensity in soccer watching and the passion I have for the sport.

Editting this picture was tough. Especially the top-left corner because of the jumbotron. It was blown out and my recovery tool didn't fix it. So I put a contrast filter on that corner and made the whole image change. Everything just felt better. The focus is great and I'm glad I used a high aperture.
What I wished I was.

Me.

Awkward. Mr. Awkward. I'm pretty socially awkward. I don't really fit in with kids my own age...especially normal public school kids. I just, have never learned how to be normal. All I know how to do is do homework and play soccer. This image of Julianne Aldous shows awkwardness. The sweater and skirt don't match (stripes and chekers (there's some matching code aparently that public school kids follow)). Her eyes are off to a corner, her legs are crossed, she looks uncomfortable. The sweater is actually mine and the uncomfortableness represents how I feel with people.

What I wished I was.

Asians. I wished I was Asian. Well, I wish was like most the Asians I know. Tony and Gene who are featured in this photo are my two favorite Asians. Tony is a flippin' genius. Gene is one of the funniest kids I know. If I was a little more like them, I'd be happy. Also, Asians are more dedicated on average. LOOK AT THEM. THEIR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. Soak the image in and tell me, you don't wish you were them. They look happy.

Me.

So this is of my brother Elliott. I love birds and trying to identify them in binocs. I think the contrast in this is fantastic. I love that I love birds. I just think they are the coolest animals ever. Well, I don't know if its that or if its the idea that they are so different. Maybe its both!

Me.

I'm a tease. Not going to lie. I love just making jokes and mocking things and people. I think this picture of my other brother captures the idea pretty well. His eyes just tell me "I enjoy laughing." I would have liked Graham to change out of his waterford uniform...I don't think it helps the image, I should have done a prank shirt or something.

Me.

I'm so addicted to the computer, it bothers me. That's why this image has its darks. I wanted to set a mood of bad. However, I just accept that I'm addicted and don't do much to fix it. Although I deleted my facebook. I love how is hand is on the computer and he looks so focused into the computer! I also like the table's reflection.

Elliott looks so addicted and into it.

Me.

I hate staying up studying at night. Although I do it almost every night. I made this picture a little dark too to show I don't like, but once again I've accepted it. I just say, "This will help my GPA." Its really hard and not fun stuff. I used the timer and focused on a feild marker that marked my distance.

What I wish I wasn't.

More like what I hope to never be. My dad is obsessed with eating healthy now. We can't have anything. I had vegan cereal with soy milk this morning for breakfast. That's how evil it is. I love this photo. I like how I made him hold it above his head showing how important it is to him. I love the focus and I like how he is wearing a white shirt. It makes the DVD seem more important.

I didn't include this in my 12, although I thought about it.

2010-05-15T19:46:00.001-06:00

In the darkroom I took a photo similar to this. Except it was a turf soccer field with kids. I used a long shutter and made it look really good and interesting. I used that picture to create this one. One thing I did well on the last time I shot this, was the goal image. People had said they had never seen that angle before. This picture doesn't have a lot going on, but it definitely fulfills my goal of finding unique angles. I wanted this project to be all weird, unexpected, unseen, new angels. I wanted to show the world something they have never seen. I think overall this photo is solid. I could have centered it a little more...I could have made the sky whiter. I really like the texture of the cement. Solid focus, good exposure. That's really the first step, which is the hardest. Making the picture workable. Making sure its in focus and correctly exposed.

Once again, not a lot going on but fulfills my goal. Basketball hoops are often shot for this assignment. But the last time I did this assignment I had a picture of a soccer ball in the goal. It was the view of a ball after a goal has been scored. That's what I tried to recreate here. I wanted to show, if a basketball had eyes, this is what it would see. I think the blacks are correct...it could be argued flat and grey, but I believe if I raised the exposure anymore the net would be blown out and the black would not be as solid. I think photo is a lot of looking at the past and recreating a future. Taking a look at what you did wrong and what you did right. You take the right and you do it again. You take the wrong and fix it. On the soccer goal image I had a lousy background and this one is nice, plain, simple sky.

This was shot at a park thingy. Its a swing set, play ground, monkey bars, climbing wall combo. I shot this as in being the eyes of a kid. I realized while doing this assignment, I used to only see these angles. Everything seemed so big and huge and up. This may be too light, especially since I shot it into the sun and thats why we see the sun spots. I should have shot in the other direction....but I do enjoy the lines that all point toward the middle. I like the shapes and angles. I like the black screws and bolts. Play grounds are full of shapes. If we had a shape assignment, I would for sure shoot at a play ground.

This was once shooting in the eyes of a young kid. There's this foresty part of this park and kids build forts up there all the time. They get branches, sticks, and logs and make a fortress. I wanted to tell this story. So this is the idea of a kid looking at a log to see if its the right type. One thing I thought was interesting about this photo is the angle is downwards even though I was on my belly. I had always thought on you belly meant looking up, but I realized it can be looking down also. Great focus, good contrast, good attention grab by the stick.

Sometimes I go to the park and just chill there and do my homework or think and look at the sky and stars. That's what I was trying to show here. Its my place to be alone and to stop worrying about school and soccer and just look at plants and birds. I enjoy putting my body in images because I believe there is something special about having the photographer in the photo. I don't know what yet. Maybe it helps tell the story. I'll figure it out. I'm thinking about doing it for my final project. I really enjoy the contrast of this picture and I think I did a great job. I just love the composition and over all the picture feels right.

This house is so interesting to me. Just the windows and structure. This really did not fulfill my goal, which is one of the reasons I did not print it. Also, that top right window is blown out (dumb sun). The exposure is a little grey...focus isn't that great. It isn't that fantastic of a photo.

This is my room. And it is a blow up mattress to be exact. I like to do homework on it. Its comfy. Also, that's my homework light. I like it also. This tells the story of the majority of my life. Homework. And although Tracy says "I'm just a freshman", it doesn't make it easy. I take Spanish Honors, Math Honors, and attempt to get A's in my other classes. On top of that I have soccer and homework is ALWAYS done on a bed. That way when I fall asleep doing Agelbra II, I am actually in bed and can sleep.

Easily my least favorite picture of these 10. Its grey and flat. It has very little of a story, that is in black and white. I took this photo in color and it looked so awesome. She's wearing tie die socks that match the grass and her legs kinda match the sky and background. It was just one of those cool images taken from the ground. Obviously this isn't a great angle and it isn't something new..which wasn't my goal, but it looked so cool in color and just did not translate to black and white.

So so so so so very cliche, still very awesome. I shot it straight into the sun so its way blown out. This was just me trying to find that angle that no one has seen, I found an angle that's common and almost cliche. I think it could be used in an add though. It just has commercial written all over it. I like the contrast and expsosure cept for the huge sun (darn sun). Focus is good.

This is my favorite. The angle is amazing. I found this rope swing and happened to have my camera and I told Josh "We gotta get a sweet on your belly shot." I laid right underneath him and turned my camera on quick, continuous shutter and LETT'er FLY. He kicked me in the face and nearly kicked my camera too. I think the focus is so great...I had such a fast shutter and such a big aperture to grab the depth of field. Its in focus from two inches away from my face to the tree tops at least 20 feet away. Its fun to look at the rope and watch it climb. The sky is grey..but I guess that's how skies should be. I think this is the winner of these 10 photos.

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Numbers

2010-04-23T12:24:00.001-06:00

So this is the start of my book sequence. I had to get the pictures done and just needed something to take pictures of....I guess there was a pile of books that I just started to add on to. It did make an awesome sequence, that if turned into a stop-motion video looks really, really good. Maybe I will do that.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

#41. What a great number, huh. This is an aspen tree. I carved the number with my thumb nail....(yes I have rather long, male finger nails). I think I could have gotten closer to the tree, I do like the exposure and focus. I wonder why I chose 41....

This is comical. That is why I took the picture. Its a picture of swim suit bottom.....I don't know I thought it was funny. Its a bit black I think, but it has pretty solid focus. I didn't think of this at the time but its ironic that the suit costs 37$. That just seems so much for a piece of clothing.

This one was fun to shoot. It was taken at school (Ya fail me) but I had this idea to use people. So I got my friends together and said "Make me a 23." They kinda did it themselves....and I took it while they weren't ready. I took the picture and then said on 3...1...2...3... and didn't actually take the picture. This one is actually interesting just to see what the people were doing in the natural sense. They would have definitely have acted differently if I would have taken it when they thought I had. This is a portrait in my opinion. Look at Josh's arm, look at his stance, it just YELLS josh. Jamie's face is so -_- (Jamie face). Its such a portrait.

>
Printed: This is probably my favorite number picture. Before this class, I kinda had a portfolio of me taking pictures of my feet with these big black boots, all over. It was just kinda neat. That's what I tried to imitate in this photo. I started with the number 4 made of bark, but then I wanted to make my feet in the picture and I think the number automatically turned into 24, without me putting effort in. At first I editted this too contrasty and extreme, then Mr. Slade told me to turn it down. So did Julianne and Josh....I liked it contrasty...I hardly moved it down. I wanted to keep my pants black, but wanted the light parts pretty light. I guess I'm developing my own taste.

This one was my brother, Elliott,'s idea. I give him credit. It was very clever. I guess my problem was with this picture was the poor lighting. I had such a long shutter and didn't want to make it blurry. I do like the lighting however--it looks really good though....the number is just a little hard to see maybe.

Printed: Mr. Slade said in class "Who took a picture of a scar that looked like a 7?" He said it jokingly. But I really did have an image of a scar of a seven on my wrist. And no, I am not a cutter--I was born with this (Ask my dear mother, God bless her heart.) At first the seven didn't really pop out...you could hardly see. So I added that gradient contrast to make it work a better. It makes the 7 pop more. Its not a super interesting picture.

One thing I was upset with during this project is how long it took. But I did fix it via my book solution. I also didn't like the stories I made. The numbers project didn't allow me to write and create a story as much as I normally like to. The blurry books kinda does get the idea of Waterford illustrated. So many books they just kinda blend together and make confusion and make me head hurt. I guess the lesson I learned from this assignment is to get things done and get some images. Also, life's too short to be a perfectionist....well maybe its not.

2010-04-15T10:46:00.000-06:00

I did not print this picture because of the lack of story and the crappy execution. Obviously this is way to dark, and blurry. I did enjoy the blurryness because it seemed to give the portrait a certain feel. I really kinda feel connected to Bono (the bird) even though he bites me 24/7! He hates me, yet...I feel connected to him. He can sing cool songs and dances like a Lil' Wayne! That's what he was doing in this picture. How does one dance like Lil' Wayne, you ask? By bobbing your head and shaking your booty!

I wish I printed this one. It spent me a long time to get and it looks pretty cool. What I did is turn off all the lights in my room and attach my reading light to my book. Set my shutter to 60 seconds and let it fly! I turned the pages and texted a bit. I honestly think this is a cool image. It also tells a story of the Waterford life. I'm always staying up late to do homework, by myself in the darkness of the night.

Printed: This is our good friend Thatcher. At first when I took this photo, I thought to myself "This is a junkie shot." But sagely I did not delete it. This image tells such a great story! I love how can't Thatcher's face isn't present. It leads to mystery and wonder. Also, his sitting position is kinda awkward, or different. This even makes me wonder why he is sitting like that. It may be because of the checkers board on the table in front of him. Maybe he has lost to me (yet again) in a solid, fierce game of checkers. Or maybe he's out of lemonade. The sigh of his face shows disappointment. Only Thatcher and I will know why he was frowning.

Printed: This facial expression is super cool. Although Mr. Slade might say this is not a portrait, I think it totally is though. His cheeks and face and eyes tell something about him. Even his hair. They all say, this is something interesting about my brother, Elliott. This image was a bit gray so I had to increase exposure and bring up blacks.

Printed: Once again you could argue this is not a portrait. I honestly don't think this one really is. But it looks pretty darn cool. And it kinda does tell another story about my brother. We love just doing stupid tricks on the trap with a basketball.

Same with the above picture. Not really a portrait, but pretty sweet if you ask me. Now, here's my questions, can an action-sports photo ever be a portrait?

Printed: This is my favorite portrait I took for this assignment because of a few reasons. One, it took my FOREVER. My family doesn't believe in being nice and didn't help me shoot this. What I did was take a waste basket, turn it upside down, sit where I wanted to be in the picture, focus it on the waste basket, place camera on waste basket facing me, put a 10 second timer on, press shoot and then get into position.

Two, this picture has a pretty cool meaning. The song I'll These Things That I've Done by The Killers was an inspiration to this photo. If you've heard the song, you know they main lyrics to the song are as follows "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier" (You might also know there is a Nike commercial featuring this song and its friggin sweet). These lyrics explain this picture. I wanted to somewhat show this idea of having the work, effort, passion, soul for something, but maybe not being the most talented at it. The word 'Warrior' on the hat illustrates soldier and the idea I look sad or depressed is that idea of wanting to be a solider, while being unable to, although I have the soul to do it.

Now, this is suppose to be something I'm not. So am I illustrating myself as someone who has soul? No. I'm saying I'm not a warrior, I'm not that soldier. Thank you, The Killers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Printed: I printed this one also, I do not know if I'm going to turn it in. This tells a pretty good story. First off, I would like to say--LEGO's ARE RACIST AND SEXEST. They are all the same race and sex, and that is completely and unconventionally not fair. Anyways, let's actually get to the picture. The story behind this is a guy and girl are holding hands, in love and then there's a guy on the left side who is sittin' there quite awkwardly. He has his hand in the air, cause I was showing how awkward it is in this situation. Its just plain out awksauce.

The composition of this picture is two white posters used to make a make-shift background. I didn't have any girl lego's cause lego's are racist, so I drew one. I boosted up the background exposure and made the charectors a little blacker.

Printed: Similar story as to the one above. I like this technically more though. The exposure is better, the focus is more direct. This tells another story of a guy and girl in love, holding hands. Can I just say I hate holding hands. I find it annoying. I love this lego's face. Its just hilarious. Just stare at his face....stare....his beard is funny.

Printed: This is a stuffed dog of the Dog Collection. I wanted to take a picture of him because his eyes and huge nose. They just tell such a story of innocence and cuteness and childish. I kinda had problems shooting people because my family doesn't like to get their picture taken, and I had technical difficulty because of bad exposures and blurryness. So I resorted to a story I wanted to tell, via a stuffed animal. The focus and detail on this is pretty intense.

Printed: I thought this would be a cooler picture than it was. I thought it would tell such a sweet story of this crazy person that represents who I am. A lost, crazy, one eyed, chocolate weirdo. This image kinda reminds me of the Madhatter in Alice in Wonderland. The lighting is cool, because I used florescent lamp. It might be a little dark, but I wanted it to be a low-key shot because I thought it fit the picture nicely.

Once again the shirt off, adds to the image. It makes it seem more gloomy, which was my goal. This is suppose to be something I'm not, in this image I wanted to show an idea of depression, giving up and failure. Which is something, I do not want to be. At all. I try really hard to never give up and complain, I try to go threw somethings and just get past the nasty falls. I really like the exposure and focus (once again I did the same focusing technique as the other self-portrait) although I think it could be a little darker because it matches the story and idea.

More Work From School--Belly Shots

2010-03-31T12:07:00.000-06:00

This assignment was a lot more fun than the last one. I think it was because there was less restraint..I didn't have to shoot with a complete white background or a complete black background. During this assignment I had to shoot everything from the ground and portray how their meaning might be interpreted differently because they were shot on the ground. On your belly is also known as the "Heroic Position" which means shooting from this position can change the meaning of a picture, making it more important.

These are the four I printed and turned in.

This is my favorite picture I've taken in this class. During this assignment I wanted to show how important and big soccer is in my life. It's like all I do. ALL I DO. 24/7. Even though its just a game, where a bunch of losers kick a ball in a square, it means more than that. Its the language every nation speaks, its the tie between peoples. It manipulates minds, twists thoughts, changes the world. Its so much more than a game.

For this picture, I used the re-touch tool on some of the scratches in the ball. I left some of them because I wanted to keep it in the realm of reality, but I felt they were a bit distracting. Also, I wanted to make the contrast high, especially on the ball. I used the color tool to do that. I lowered the reds to make them darker. I love the composition of this photo--its sharp, the background is solid, and the contrast and exposure makes it interesting.

These are my cleats. I love them. They are "super-duper" light and really easy to play soccer in. Once again I wanted to show the idea of the cleats being more important than they are interpreted. I wanted the underscore the sun coming off the boot. So they label of "F50" and the top left corner. The label is less light than I wanted to and I should have used the paintbrush tool to make it lighter (Stupid Avery. Think before you print it.) I really really really like how the light bounces off the shoe in the top left corner.

I didn't have to make a ton of edits for this picture. I lowered the exposure and raised the whites and yellows.

This is my second favorite. I tried to take this picture from the angel of the ball in the net. One thing Charlie said about it was "I've never seen this angle from a soccer goal before." I almost agree. I've played soccer since I could walk and I've never thought of this before. I've never thought of a soccer ball having eyes and I've never wondered what it would see inside the goal. I think I did a good job of portraying this in this image.

I took a couple different versions of this picture. I focused on the actually base of the tredmill and other spots, but I chose this one because I felt it was the most interesting and told the better story of texture. I was worried this would be too dark, but I like the tredmill being black because it is black and I love the lightest parts of this picture. I love how light popped off of the top left and in the middle.

This doesn't tell a great story like the rest of them. I was just shooting different angles of the ball. But this image kinda shows how the ball "feels". Its all beat up and scratched and torn, due to my poor accuracy on goal. I have missed so many times, I have killed two trees in my back yard because I break their branches.

This image has great focus and textures and contrast. I really like how I printed it.

This was me playing with the paintbrush tool. I kinda wanted this feel for the picture above, but this is too dramatic. I wanted to label to be this bright because, this is what makes this cleat special. Its not just a cleat, its a special boot. Its the greatest boot ever. I wanted to highlight that.

These our girl scout cookies. Enough said. Super Important to my life. Super duper uper foshuper deliciouso! This is totally my least favorite picture. The focus isn't super good...its kinda gray. It doesn't tell a super sweet story, but it fits the assignment.

These are also delicious (I really like food, can you tell.) I did want to show delicious food. I wasn't on my belly for this one, I'll admit it. I was on the counter. I do love the focus and exposure in this photo! es muy bien. Kinda a lame story however.

Famous Person Day

2010-03-30T09:08:00.000-06:00

Feeling Good (Prior to 5 Hr Ride)

2010-03-28T12:12:00.000-06:00

75 Mile Race

2010-03-28T12:11:00.000-06:00

Stuff From School

2010-03-25T10:39:00.001-06:00

Man, these are so hard as Mr. Slade said. But I think I did well at telling a story compared to last time. But I had some computer calibration problems. So the following are what my prints should look like, but they came out of the printer different.

So obviously this is a wii controller. I focused on the "A" because my name starts with A. And I just wanted to show that. Also, I had a family wii tournament and I was like "HEY! This controller is white. Let's show I like wii via a photo."

I think the image works well with this assignment, I like how it blends in with the background. But I also think there are enough darks and shadows to make the image interesting and not bland.

These are Jelly Bealies. This is a fantastic story. I was taking pictures downstairs on my desk...pondering what other things I could shoot that were plain white and black. At the time I was very happy because I had a great big bag of yellow lemon jellies. SO GOOD. Then I remembered I had a bag of white jellies upstairs. Brilliant. I gleefully and gaily (gay-ly)skipped up the stairs to retreive my jellies. So this image tells a story of the wonderfullness of jellies.

I had some focusing errors on this image....because it was in focus in color but when I switched it to greyscale it looked less in focus.

P.S. The lemon jellies are better than these white ones.

This is a speaker I used probably six-gagillion times a day. Its my best friend. I do homework with these speakers on, I sleep with these speakers on, I shower with these speakers on. So it seemed fitting to take a picture of them. They are my favorite. AND also I wanted to show they were a big part of my life so I made them large, aka I took a close up picture.

This is the one I finally realized my computer was miscallibrated. I wanted to make this as dark as possible because I wanted to highlight the Logitech symbol because Logitech is so awesome.

This is a wallet, my wallet. A very empty wallet. This tells a story of my poor poverty. I have no money and its stinks. It just so happens to be that my wallet is pure black.

I really like the composition of this photo. I just like the waves of the fabric.

More Snow Canyon

2010-03-24T09:49:00.000-06:00

Snow Canyon Utah

2010-03-24T09:48:00.001-06:00

Jenny's Canyon

2010-03-24T09:48:00.000-06:00

Barging In

2010-03-24T09:47:00.000-06:00

Shake It Up

2010-03-24T09:46:00.000-06:00

Too Tired Today

2010-03-24T09:25:00.000-06:00

Old School

2010-03-23T15:40:00.000-06:00

Worn Steps (150 Year's Old) at Shattuck-St. Mary's

2010-03-23T15:39:00.000-06:00

Bottlecap Decor at Harley Davidson Burger Shop

2010-03-19T18:28:00.000-06:00

Into The Clouds

2010-03-18T18:26:00.000-06:00

http://feeds.feedburner.com/GreyscalegorillaPhotos

Queens Cemetery

2010-03-16T15:09:00.000-06:00

Extreme Advertising

2010-03-15T15:01:00.000-06:00

View of Times Square from My Room

2010-03-15T15:00:00.000-06:00

Piggy

2010-03-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

I regret that I was not able to get my camera out fast enough to
record pigboy shoving an entire candybar in his mouh at one time...

Hookie Day Skiing at Alta, UT

2010-03-11T15:05:00.001-07:00

Photo Contest

2010-03-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Don't forget about the photo contest!

Oh Conan

2010-03-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

I MISS YOU CONAN!!!!!!!

Here's a tweet he tweeted on his twitter account

Today I connected all the freckles on my arm with a Sharpie. It spells out RIKSHAZ9LIRK. Clearly I am The Chosen One.

New Favorite Quote?

2010-03-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

I think so!

“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we’re apart.. I’ll always be with you.”

~Winnie The Pooh

Get Your Groove on Coach!!

2010-03-06T14:31:00.001-07:00

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Marquette-s-Buzz-Williams-shows-off-his-dance-mo?urn=ncaab,226155

New Project

2010-03-06T14:24:00.002-07:00

At the moment I'm working on a high-key, low-key project. My goal is to produce pictures featuring black objects on black backgrounds and white objects on white backgrounds. So far I've taken pictures of all sorts of things from wii controllers to just rocks. But I haven't exactly found an object that tells a great story....any ideas?

Photo Contest

2010-03-05T07:42:00.002-07:00

I'm going to host a photo contest. So I'll be accepting photos starting now through March 15th. I'll be the judge and basing my judge system off creativity, set-up, execution, and editing. Email me your photos at averyjs@gmail.com

Arboles

2010-03-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

I just really like this image. There's just something about it that makes me drool.

Dusk in Hawaii

2010-03-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is so cliche. Sunset. Two people kissing. Beach. Hawaii.

BUT

Here's the thing, although it seems like they are kissing, they aren't. Its actually two girls just standing next to one each other.

But oh how I miss Hawaii

Commerical

2010-03-01T00:32:00.000-07:00

I swear I could get a commercial gig. ATT--raising the car

:'(

2010-02-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

This image properly describes my face. USA has just lost to Canada in hockey in the finals of the olympics. Drat. Drat. Drat. I want to say I am disappointed, but that is not true--I was truly satisfied and surprised by the US team. They played their hearts out and made these olympics interesting and fun to watch. That 6-1 game against the Fins was A-MAZ-ING! I'm proud to say I am American today.

FYI..

2010-02-28T20:59:00.002-07:00

Fyi....

It is a myth that gum takes 7 years to digest in your stomach

Bigfoot does exist. I've seen one of his many forts.

If facebook was a country, it would be the 3rd most populate country

I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Sun Set

2010-02-28T12:29:00.002-07:00

Oh I miss the days in Hawaii! I'm feeling rather sick right now as I'm watching the Olympics. Can't wait to see the finals of the hockey on Sunday! Its going to be exciting.

2010-02-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

ARGHHGHGHGH I miss that beach! I had dreams about that island in the distance. It was always covered in clouds. I made up stories of mythical creatures living in the clouds above the island. Speaking of mythical creatures, whatever happened to the show Dragontales. It was my favorite cartoon ever! I think I'll buy a DVD of it on ebay right now.

Numb3r5

2010-02-27T00:36:00.001-07:00

Umbrella

2010-02-26T23:14:00.001-07:00

This is just outside my house. It was one of the first pictures I ever edited. It was taken with just a normal camera and I went a little overboard in iphoto edits.

Think.

2010-02-26T16:51:00.001-07:00

something to ponder.

If you woke you this morning with more health than illness, you are more

blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of

imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are

ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,

torture, or death, you are more blessed than

three billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead,

and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish

someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are alive and married, you are very rare.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful,

you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

via http://haclarke.blogspot.com/

*

2010-02-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Scratch that. 6-0 now.

USA! USA! USA!

2010-02-26T13:24:00.003-07:00

I'm watching the USA vs Finland hockey game and the US are winning 4-0 in the first 10 minutes! WOAH. I'm so excited. We're going to the finals! Well, I guess they can come back. But as of now we are going to the finals. Miracle-esk.

Top Talent Experience at Shattuck in MN

2010-02-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Low-Key Image

2010-02-18T10:51:00.001-07:00

This is my low-key image. It took me a long time to get this one right compared to the lego horse high-key one. I think I did this right. I wanted to make sure it looked real and I wanted to highlight the light that was bouncing off the ipod.

I printed two, too dark they looked like this.

I think its too dark. I want to be able to see the square on button easily. The top image also highlights how the light bounces off the ipod more. Which I believe is part of this assignment. To show the shadows of the high-key image, and to utilize the highlights of the low-key. And I think I did that with my lego image and the ipod image.

Overall, I think I had a successful project, although I didn't fully enjoy it. Even though both these images are really black and really light and the opposite of gray; most of the images I've seen of these are bland. Even the examples Mr. Slade showed us. I guess its my personal preference. I really like contrasty images.

But its by far better than film. (no offense to film)

First Digital Print

2010-02-17T15:50:00.001-07:00

At this moment I'm in the digital lab. Its after school and I'm the only one in here, it feels pretty cool. I just printed my first print that I will turn in. Here's the results.

Before

After

This is just a simple picture of a lego horse with a white background. I made sure the focus was sharp and then bracketed from pure black to pure white, to ensure the correct exposure. I came pretty close, but then had to add a little more to the exposure to make it a little more white and less gray. Gray = DULL!! I also wanted the horse to blend into the background a bit. I didn't have any blacks, so I didn't force the image in lightroom to have blacks. I think its a pretty good image.

Shooting Today

2010-02-13T16:53:00.003-07:00

My teacher gave me an assignment to shoot high key and low key images this weekend. I'm suppose to take pictures of black on black backgrounds and white picture on white background. I've been shooting in RAW so I can't upload my images into my own computer, I have to use my school's computer because it has lightroom and lightroom imports RAW images while my iphoto does not. Anyways, I just wanted you guys to know I'm shooting and will upload some images Tuesday.

Knock Knock Joke

2010-02-07T20:12:00.002-07:00

-Knock knock...
--Who's there?
-Banana
--Banana who?
-Knock knock...
--Who's there?
-Banana
--Banana who?
-Knock knock...
--Who's there?
-Orange
--Orange who?
-Orange you glad you're not taking film anymore!?

; )

['ô ] @L

Update

2010-02-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

So I've officially started my digital class at school. Yay. the adress is www.smithiscool.blogspot.com, but I'm going to try to import that blog onto this one.....let's try.

UGH

2010-02-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

The photo gods are punishing me. I was just out shooting in a local park when I found the shot of the day. Then I went to wipe my nose. Out of no where, blood starts to pour from my nose. No pickin', no scratchin' it just started to bleed. I tried to use snow as a tissue, but as you might have guessed that didn't really work. So I tried to tough it out and hurry and take a couple of pictures of the shot, but it go to bad. I packed up and tried to not get the blood on my clothes. Then I take a step to my left and see this giant pile of SOMETHING. I'm not sure if it was salt or something. But it was cool, I unpack take a solid pic. Then walking home, a dozen year run right next to me. IT was pretty. I wanted a picture. The photo gods are mad.

Remizxinnnnn

2010-02-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is FO SHIZZLE MISSES NIZZLE ROCK THAT FIXZZZELLLELE except its easy

Another Before and After

2010-02-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

After

Before

Before and After

2010-02-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is the after.

This is the before.

I did not adjust the exposure, but I did want to make the top-left corner a little less brightly, white. So I put the recovery at 100 and it still did not make all the pure white go away, but it was pretty close. Then I thought this picture needed more black so I put that at 50. Pretty simple.

Rebounding an Earful of Wall

2010-02-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Another picture cool huh

2010-01-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Jacob Is.....IDK

2010-01-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

Wow.

Look at him. LOOK AT HIM. RAW made this color. I want it in black and white. Cool.

Boom I'm cool. I posted.

2010-01-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

2010-01-27T15:31:00.004-07:00

Russian Boar Hunt on Maui

2010-01-25T18:24:00.001-07:00

Eight dogs--pit bulls and pit bull mixes.

Boar we were tracking had recently passed this tree and tried to sharpen its tusks...

Tracking the lead dog via GPS (dogs had collars with GPS chips)

Once the boar was field dressed, the guides tied the front and back legs together simulating a backpack--a 150 lb backpack! They carried the boar out a couple miles up very steep terrain.

Time for a ham sandwich.

Arshavin

2010-01-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

Best game in the history of the Russians???

I THINK YES

Star Wars Image Test

2010-01-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

HAHAHAHAHHAH ABOVE

Check This Fella Out. Kinda looks like Josh Warner. Just sayyin'.

HAHAHHAHAHAHHAH BELOW

Test Post

2010-01-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

Random Letters. Re-WIND

Beach

2010-01-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

Digital Photo

2010-01-23T17:50:00.002-07:00

Finally, film photo is over for the year. Now I get to start my digital class. Wa-freaking-hoo. I'll have new pictures Mondayish

Bubble Gum Homerun

2010-01-16T09:04:00.001-07:00

Text Some Help to Haiti

2010-01-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

YOU MIGHT THINK YOUR $10 CAN'T HELP. BUT IT ALL ADDS UP--NOW UP TO $10 MILLION!

NEW YORK – U.S. cell phone users have contributed more than $5 million in $10 increments to the Red Cross for Haiti disaster relief, by far the largest outpouring of support via mobile devices in history.

The response to the devastating earthquake produced the highest amount of mobile donations "that we have ever seen," said Jenifer Snyder, executive director of mGive Foundation, the nonprofit group that is working with the Red Cross and wireless carriers to channel the donations.

To donate to the Red Cross, mobile users are texting the word "Haiti" to the number 90999. Snyder said the money is coming in at a rate of roughly $200,000 an hour. As of Thursday afternoon, people had donated $5.1 million.

"We could be handling more," she said. "We are not at capacity."
Red Cross spokesman Roger Lowe called the outpouring of $10 donations by hundreds of thousands of mobile users "nothing short of awe-inspiring." But he said the largest donations the organization is getting is still coming in online.

So far, the Red Cross has released $10 million for earthquake relief in Haiti.
On Thursday morning's "The Early Show" on CBS, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton asked Americans to contribute to the Red Cross via text donations. And on social networks Twitter and Facebook, users continued to urge one another to text money as well.

Other charities, such as singer Wyclef Jean's Yele, were also collecting mobile donations. To send $5, donors can text "Yele" to the number 501501. The William J. Clinton Foundation was accepting $10 per text from users sending the word "Haiti" to 20222.

Verizon Wireless said Thursday morning its users have pledged more than $1 million to the Red Cross through text donations. The outpouring easily surpassed earlier records for mobile giving.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Red Cross collected $400,000 from mobile users. A year earlier, following the Asian tsunami that left 230,000 people dead, the organization received $200,000 through text messages, Verizon Wireless said, citing industrywide figures.
Jeffrey Nelson, a spokesman for Verizon Wireless, called mobile donations a "new stream of philanthropy."

"So many folks who are texting $10 now might not have been at a place to write a check, or call a toll-free number or send mail," he said.

Wireless carriers, including AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, said they were not charging regular text-messaging fees on top of the donations.

T-Mobile USA Inc., which is also waiving texting fees, said Thursday it is enabling international calls to Haiti free of charge through Jan. 31 and will retroactively credit accounts for such calls made since Tuesday. And T-Mobile users in Haiti will be able to make roaming calls on local networks Voila and Digicel thorough the end of the month, the company said.

10 Pounds of Bliss

2010-01-15T09:02:00.001-07:00

We had a party recently, and one of the "appetizers" was Jelly Bellies--the original gourmet jelly bean. We bought 10 pounds of them, and curiously, that's about the amount I gained over the holidays. No coincidence.

Audi Interface

2010-01-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

Audis' have a avery cool red interface on their controls when it's dark. Very simple yet refined interiors. And the new Q5 is a great form factor match offering great power, reasonable fuel efficiency (but we do need to get the diesel version in the US), and very responsive feel. I has beaten every small SUV in its class in all the reviews...

Car and Driver

US News

Motortrend

Happy New Year

2010-01-13T08:53:00.002-07:00

These balloons are a little feminine for my tastes, but I like the texture of the colors.

A Lovely Couple...

2010-01-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

Better than ebony and ivory: lace wood and mahogany...

Dr. Siegal's Diet Cookies

2010-01-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

How can any good cookie be a "diet" cookie. Going to try them and I'll let you know...

Instant Facial Hair...Even for Eight-Year-Olds

2010-01-09T03:58:00.001-07:00

Again, mad skills. I'm so proud.

Edible Fork Holder

2010-01-08T03:56:00.001-07:00

Ingenious boy creates a fork handle with half a hotdog bun. Mad skills.

Selective Color

2010-01-07T03:53:00.001-07:00

Just edited this photo I took this summer. Did it fairly pain-free with an iPhone app.

H1N1 Sucks...

2010-01-05T15:50:00.004-07:00

Paper Hanging Don'ts

2010-01-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

To pay for college, I was a paperhanging tradesman. It paid great and gave me a lot of autonomy and a powerful sense of accomplishment to be financially independent. And, I learned the trade from my dad. Pretty cool. One of the cardinal sins of hanging wall paper is not being aware of the opacity of the material you're working with. This photo captured with my iPhone while staying at a Marriott recently shows that it's "65 1/2" inches from this point to the corner. This qualifies and a very niche insider joke.

The Life of A child

2009-12-31T16:15:00.001-07:00

I love this picture so much. My mom didn't really think it was special, but I love it. The focus and detail is just fantastic. I give all credit to my camera though. I like my camera. Anyways.

Custom Indoor Soccer Shoes

2009-12-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

Real Kangaroo leather and the club mascot.

Box Shaped House

2009-12-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Wow. The quality of this picture isn't that great. Probably because I copied it from another blog of mine. I'll have more pictures of this house in about 2 weeks. Its a very interesting house....

Essay

2009-12-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

Oregon was beautiful, only slightly less serene than my hometown of Sandy, Utah. The rosy oranges and sunglow yellow of the sharp Wasatch Mountains, the ice-capped Lone Peak, the broad sagebrush fields full of grouse; Sandy was supreme when it came to splendorous scenes. I had now been in Oregon for 68 long, blistering hours now, but I was just beginning to comprehend what Oregon meant to me. Oregon didn’t mean gorgeous, lush volcanoes, dark-blue, crystal-clear lakes, or endless evergreens. It didn’t mean prominent vineyards or the world’s largest airplane. It meant Linfield. A small red-brick college just outside of McMinnville, a drunkard town, full of ageless, ivy cinemas and broken-down diners and faded pubs where friends were made and memories recalled. Linfield started my dreams, but ended them as well. All within five days.

Let me explain why Linfield is such a special college. Linfield takes the finest 18 soccer athletes from each state (in Region IV(states west of Colorado)) and brings them up to Oregon for something called Region Camp. At Region Camp the states play each other and scouts select the 40 best players. Those best 40 players form the Regional Team and make National Camp where the process is repeated, only instead of states playing each other, regions play each other. I had been fortunate enough to make Team Utah and fortunate enough to go to Region IV Camp.

Our first game was against New Mexico, a powerhouse. We weren’t supposed to win, but we did. It was a massive upset in the billowing eyes of the staff and the rest of the campers. I didn’t start, which was expected, but something I thought I deserved, after all I was the leading scorer in Utah, right? Alejandro had already scored once and he was now racing down the field, he beat one kid with a scissors, another with a kwrafe till he got to the keeper. He shot, the keeper blocked it, and the ball fell to my scratched, blue, kangaroo-leather cleats. A small, chiseled grin fell onto my splintered, chapped lips, the cold sweat rolled off the back of my buzzed head. I knew I was going to score. I picked up my left foot and swung it like a pendulum, back and then forth. The connection between my foot and the ball made the loud boom when the ball is stricken correctly. Goal. This is the moment my dreams commenced. I had just scored on against New Mexico at Region Camp. This week was my chance, I could get a seen by a coach, I could let my name be heard…these five days could change my life.

We played Idaho the next day. My coach started me for the first time ever. The statement of my name in the starting line-up sent a rush of excitement creeping down my spine, walking on each vertebrate as if they were steps. I figured I could score again today because of Idaho’s weak defense, which meant I could prove I was the best. But we tied Idaho 0-0 that day and I didn’t realize it then, but I know see the instigation of my brutal awakening of my fantasy-full slumber.

I didn’t start the next two games. I didn’t score either. I didn’t really do anything…but that’s just because my coach didn’t play me enough, because Gerry was playing with me, because I didn’t have the opportunity. I ignored any advice given, even from our team’s Region Trainer. He spent 15 minutes of his life giving me an evaluation and I didn’t listen to a word he said. I didn’t care who I offended, I just wanted to score; if Jesus was playing out there on the field, I would have found one of his faults. The success of the team didn’t matter.

Day 5, the last day, included the final assembly where they would announce the Regional Team. I knew I didn’t make it, but at least one kid from Utah would make it. The head director walked up to the podium and started to say words no one understood due to his bromken english. He started to call names of campers whom had made the team: Mike Hassel, Dave Bocker, “Tree”, when their names were called they would line up on the stage. Alejandro. That was obvious, Alejandro had played the best for us. Hookiadad Ajebro, Sam Weston, then Josh Chavez. The name amazed me. Josh had been injured for half the camp; my mind ran with the ideas of jealousy and unfairness. Then Trase Stapley’s name was called. The name stung my brain with a throbbing brand that was stamped into my conscious. Trase had scored less goals than me in Utah League Play. If my mind ran when Josh’s name was called, my mind flying was now flying in a F35 Bomber. I should have made it over Trase.

The thought of Trase making the team pained me to think about. It was like a Giant Water Beatle sucking the dead life of a gold fish. I asked, “Why didn’t I make the team?” I had led the league in goals that season for club. And I hadearned that prestigious title. I ran sprints in the blazing hot sun that summer; every single day, till I couldn’t run anymore. Then I went home and did pushups, till my arms gave out. I had deserved to make Regional Team. I had worked harder than anyone.

The tears smash into my filthy keyboard as I am typing these very words because I haven’t learned a lesson from this experience. As of 400 minutes ago I lost in the semi-finals of state cup. This time I had experience from Region Camp to know what it feels like to fail. I didn’t want to feel that pain again, but I let it happen. The emotion I felt when I heard that game-ending whistle blow is indescribable. The best way it can be explained is this: I haven’t slept. That’s why this very word is written at 3: 14 A.M. I can’t stop eating, I can’t type a history paper, I can’t function correctly. You only have so many chances to make your life unique, to make your life worth living. And I don’t know to say or to think about how to take full advantage of these. I can only say one thing. Arete, a Greek word, best described by an old pal of mine, Mr. Bennet. His definition is a quote from his nephew. “I’m not losing to these assholes again.”

Epic Fail of Colors

2009-12-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

My family has this mini village and the colors change rapidly. I wanted to experiment with these colors; obviously it was a failure.

As you can see, the lights pretty much just went pure white. Which actually makes sense, black is the lack of colors and white is excess of colors...? Maybe. That's what I've taken from these pictures. I also took the same type of pictures with my film camera. So I'll tell you how those go.

A 365 project: Photography in Image

New Blog

Buteo

American Kestrel on The Rock

Red-Tailed Hawk

LOVE

Once Again Cool Date

Epic Fail!

Happy Ultra Cool 1 Day

The Almighty Shark Ray / Bowmouth GuitarFish!

Some Bald Eagles

Bison

Great Salt Lake Sun Set

Ruddy Duck

Western Grebe

Shark Exhibit at Monteray Bay in VEGAS

My Favorite Place On This Planet

New Year's Fireworks

Bricks

I'm Back!

Final Project

FOLLOWERS

BLOG ARCHIVE

ABOUT ME

Numbers

More Work From School--Belly Shots

Famous Person Day

Feeling Good (Prior to 5 Hr Ride)

75 Mile Race

Stuff From School

More Snow Canyon

Snow Canyon Utah

Jenny's Canyon

Barging In

Shake It Up

Too Tired Today

Old School

Worn Steps (150 Year's Old) at Shattuck-St. Mary's

Bottlecap Decor at Harley Davidson Burger Shop

Into The Clouds

Queens Cemetery

Extreme Advertising

View of Times Square from My Room

Piggy

Hookie Day Skiing at Alta, UT

Photo Contest

Oh Conan

New Favorite Quote?

Get Your Groove on Coach!!

New Project

Photo Contest

Arboles

Dusk in Hawaii

Commerical

:'(

FYI..

Sun Set

Numb3r5

Umbrella

Think.

*

USA! USA! USA!

Top Talent Experience at Shattuck in MN

Low-Key Image

First Digital Print

Shooting Today

Knock Knock Joke

Update

UGH

Remizxinnnnn

Another Before and After

Before and After

Rebounding an Earful of Wall

Another picture cool huh

Jacob Is.....IDK

Boom I'm cool. I posted.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Russian Boar Hunt on Maui

Arshavin

Star Wars Image Test