When you major in photography and spend your working life in a financial institution you spend a lot of time creating beautiful images in your head of photos you hope to take. Challenges are always there and yet somehow the images turn out in the end. I have decided to join the bandwagon of photographers out there and join up on the 365 day project of self portraits. I like to title mine a little different, Project (365), but still in the end it is exactly the same. This is me over one year in an almost journalistic/documentary style that only a camera can capture. It will be challenging, fun and interesting and so I leave you with a link to the project so if you feel the desire, you can continue to follow the path that I am living. Comments and or ideas are always welcome and I hope it brings a ten second smile to your face each and everyday.
Project (365) link
-B.
10.18.2007
10.13.2007
Yellow
When I started this blog a few years ago I thought it would be easy to create ideas and stories that everyone would want to read. The exposition was delightful with the man in the wheelchair having me put a cigarette in his mouth and the rising action was somewhat entertaining with various stories about nothing going on. I feel the climax of the blog came when I witnessed a prostitute writing down a guys credit card number on the box of feminine douche on a metro train. You know you can't compete with that and so my entries became less frequent and my posts only created boredom and disgust to me. The falling action continued the same way and now that we close in on the denouement of the blog. I love writing things but I hate to disappoint with barely anything clever enough to draw a chuckle I feel drained and disappointed. Perhaps I should focus on writing a memoir of my misadventures and that would not only get my shit out there but would allow me to take another notch on the pole of life. Shit happens and I'm sure when it does I will write it down but for now maybe this lifestyle that I live will need to be summed up in a photo or two here an there. Then again this entry might just be the spark I need to get into the groove of watching my fingers scramble around my keyboard writing down ideas my brain has yet to fathom. Either way, I'm just writing to say I'm still alive and life is fair and unfair at the same time. While striving towards mediocrity I sit here and wave at each and every one of you. Take care and I will be back soon.
-B.
-B.
9.02.2007
The aftermath of 35W
ust over a month ago the city of Minneapolis was in the national spotlight with the horrific scene of the 35W bridge laying in the mighty waters of the Mississippi River. While we watched minute by minute the dust and confusion start to subside, our city became a circus for a week as every national broadcast set up tents and shipped people in and out in an attempt to make an already stressful event into one of pure drama for the world to witness. I think what topped the cake is when I was flipping through the channels only to spot Mr. Geraldo Rivera on the edge of the road spewing off about nothing. When the news hungry media started to fully understand the lackluster amount victims, they all picked up and left leaving the world to believe that everything is going to be alright.
This is where my rant really starts to begin because while the rest of the world saw the 30 seconds of hell that the people on the bridge had to go through, the rest of the metro area has to see the damage left after it is all over. Our main artery to the north has been shut down and all traffic must be deviated to the east and west before heading to the north which causes already stressed roadways to become parking lots. This headache will continue for the next 16 to 20 months as they try and build a bridge as fast as possible so they are able to reopen 35W (is it just me or shouldn't they maybe plan a little before trying to whip a bridge in the old spot?). The news sure as shit doesn't cover this but this is life after a tragedy (irk, accident, irk, disaster). I think my point here is that I'm sick of the drama infested media that we are so prone to having. 24 hour news stations? Seriously, we are getting quantity over quality and now everyone's an expert.
Okay, that is out now and I'm okay. I think I may get into my car now and plan to be in Roseville by 8:30 tonight. Grrrrr!
-B.
This is where my rant really starts to begin because while the rest of the world saw the 30 seconds of hell that the people on the bridge had to go through, the rest of the metro area has to see the damage left after it is all over. Our main artery to the north has been shut down and all traffic must be deviated to the east and west before heading to the north which causes already stressed roadways to become parking lots. This headache will continue for the next 16 to 20 months as they try and build a bridge as fast as possible so they are able to reopen 35W (is it just me or shouldn't they maybe plan a little before trying to whip a bridge in the old spot?). The news sure as shit doesn't cover this but this is life after a tragedy (irk, accident, irk, disaster). I think my point here is that I'm sick of the drama infested media that we are so prone to having. 24 hour news stations? Seriously, we are getting quantity over quality and now everyone's an expert.
Okay, that is out now and I'm okay. I think I may get into my car now and plan to be in Roseville by 8:30 tonight. Grrrrr!
-B.
8.28.2007
Rouge Cervical
Rochester, MN - Researches on Monday released some latest research results for people suffering from rouge cervical or commonly called red neck. Dr. Timothy Fulton a dermatologist and sociologist at the Mayo Clinic reports that through their extensive research into this medical phenomena researchers have come to the conclusion that this issue is both caused by heredity and poor life choices. He states "most of the cases that we studied in depth showed that these people were raised in households where at least one of the adult figures suffered from the same condition". Socially people suffering from being "red neck" have been observed being loud, awkward and even "slow in the head" as one researcher who requested to be left anonymous states. "These people have been known to congregate in large numbers together at out door festivals, NASCAR events and even have been known to commune in large movable homes together". Researches stress that the number of people suffering from this terrible epidemic grow each year the GOP is running the US government and hopes that this issue will be resolved by the time the 2008 election has taken place.
-B.
-B.
8.19.2007
Rain
Not much you can do when it rains all weekend so I have learned to take photos from my bedroom.
-B.
-B.
8.04.2007
Artistic Nude(s) Memories
The other day I was talking to someone about the subject of nudes in the arts and it made me remember the two instances in my life that I got to work with artistic nudes. I find each one a little on the humorous side so I thought why not try to make an entry about something like this.
I think it was my sophomore year of college when I took my first drawing class. The teacher reminded me of a very dirty version of Bob Dylan (and I think anyone who have seen him would completely agree that my description fits him to a "T") and really wasn't cut out for the whole world of teaching the youth. He would rather sit with his dirty fingernails, his ceramic coffee cup and smack his gum than try to motivate the young minds into created something new. I disliked the guy so much that I often opted to sleep in than try attending his class. Sure my D+ that he gave me clearly reflects my lack of interest in his class and my inability to draw but that was disproved later when I retook a the class with a different teacher and pulled an A. Back to the subject, on the first day after he hands out the syllabus it states we will be having a female nude later in the semester and so this got me thinking. After watching depictions of art classes in movies and television, one would expect a petite attractive freshman girl to walk through the doors in a silk robe looking to make a few extra dollars for her education. I later found out that all the freshman girls sold their blood plasma to support their weekend drinking issues but that is another story in itself. The first day of the figure study comes and in walks our model. Trying to describe her is going to be challenge but I will do my best to do her justice.
The door opens and in walks a women draped in a woven housecoat that was circa 1984 or 87, when the Twins still sported a winning team and we still cared about baseball. She had a bag over one of her shoulders and in her other hand was a 7' bamboo "pole" (I guess the strip clubs prefer the metal over the bamboo but that could be for sanitary purposes rather than esthetics). Upon placing my eyes on her I knew that this was going to make for a long semester of drawing so I plug my iPod headphones firmly into my ears and take a deep breath. She is asked to de-robe killing any predetermined hopes that this lady was the mother of our model instead of the model itself and as the robe drops to the floor you realize it is time to get to work. We start with some quick figure sketches to loosen our arms and than are asked to post the work on the wall for a quick evaluation. Looking back I think it was to poke fun at the few of us that don't draw so well but off she steps from the podium and instead of placing her robe backs on decides to walk around the drawings naked. She gets to mine and as I see all the little hairs on her legs raise up she continues to walk on. At this point I think I should describe her a little more into detail; Age: 50, Body Style: Thicker than thick but not obese, Hair: She mullet, Hygiene: Dirty hippie with hair everywhere and the smell of ¿BO? protruding out of her pores. I saw the same lady as everyone else but my brain couldn't comprehend it correctly because by the time my arm was making the motion my paper, she became a petite woman with curves all the right places. She was idealized with a capital "I" and I couldn't change it. I was asked a few times throughout the semester about it but I could never draw her the way she was suppose to look. I blamed my poor drawing skills on it but really I think I just wanted to make her prettier than she really was. To this day, I still think her and the drawing teacher were bonking on the side.
My second nude experience isn't very funny now that I think about it but it was pretty early in my photography education. It was in the middle of the woods in the mountainous portion of North Carolina. There was a snake pond and the model was such a rockstar that she volunteered to get into the pond for me. Who was I to argue with a halfway cool idea? I have looked at the images a few times since my return and just wish I could shoot them all over again now that I have a larger knowledge of how composition, lighting and everything intertwine when photographing a subject. I think I could NOW do the model some real justice.
Okay, this was pretty long and not that good and I'm sorry that you had to read it.
-B.
I think it was my sophomore year of college when I took my first drawing class. The teacher reminded me of a very dirty version of Bob Dylan (and I think anyone who have seen him would completely agree that my description fits him to a "T") and really wasn't cut out for the whole world of teaching the youth. He would rather sit with his dirty fingernails, his ceramic coffee cup and smack his gum than try to motivate the young minds into created something new. I disliked the guy so much that I often opted to sleep in than try attending his class. Sure my D+ that he gave me clearly reflects my lack of interest in his class and my inability to draw but that was disproved later when I retook a the class with a different teacher and pulled an A. Back to the subject, on the first day after he hands out the syllabus it states we will be having a female nude later in the semester and so this got me thinking. After watching depictions of art classes in movies and television, one would expect a petite attractive freshman girl to walk through the doors in a silk robe looking to make a few extra dollars for her education. I later found out that all the freshman girls sold their blood plasma to support their weekend drinking issues but that is another story in itself. The first day of the figure study comes and in walks our model. Trying to describe her is going to be challenge but I will do my best to do her justice.
The door opens and in walks a women draped in a woven housecoat that was circa 1984 or 87, when the Twins still sported a winning team and we still cared about baseball. She had a bag over one of her shoulders and in her other hand was a 7' bamboo "pole" (I guess the strip clubs prefer the metal over the bamboo but that could be for sanitary purposes rather than esthetics). Upon placing my eyes on her I knew that this was going to make for a long semester of drawing so I plug my iPod headphones firmly into my ears and take a deep breath. She is asked to de-robe killing any predetermined hopes that this lady was the mother of our model instead of the model itself and as the robe drops to the floor you realize it is time to get to work. We start with some quick figure sketches to loosen our arms and than are asked to post the work on the wall for a quick evaluation. Looking back I think it was to poke fun at the few of us that don't draw so well but off she steps from the podium and instead of placing her robe backs on decides to walk around the drawings naked. She gets to mine and as I see all the little hairs on her legs raise up she continues to walk on. At this point I think I should describe her a little more into detail; Age: 50, Body Style: Thicker than thick but not obese, Hair: She mullet, Hygiene: Dirty hippie with hair everywhere and the smell of ¿BO? protruding out of her pores. I saw the same lady as everyone else but my brain couldn't comprehend it correctly because by the time my arm was making the motion my paper, she became a petite woman with curves all the right places. She was idealized with a capital "I" and I couldn't change it. I was asked a few times throughout the semester about it but I could never draw her the way she was suppose to look. I blamed my poor drawing skills on it but really I think I just wanted to make her prettier than she really was. To this day, I still think her and the drawing teacher were bonking on the side.
My second nude experience isn't very funny now that I think about it but it was pretty early in my photography education. It was in the middle of the woods in the mountainous portion of North Carolina. There was a snake pond and the model was such a rockstar that she volunteered to get into the pond for me. Who was I to argue with a halfway cool idea? I have looked at the images a few times since my return and just wish I could shoot them all over again now that I have a larger knowledge of how composition, lighting and everything intertwine when photographing a subject. I think I could NOW do the model some real justice.
Okay, this was pretty long and not that good and I'm sorry that you had to read it.
-B.
Five Things I Hate To Do
1) Move into a new apartment
2) Poop in a public bathroom
3) Fill my car with gas
4) Sweat
5) Listen to ignorance
This is my first entry after the move so things are still a little on the wack. I will try and write about the important things in our lives (35W bridge issues, post photos from the apartment, turning 27, etc.) coming soon but I hope all is well with everyone.
-B.
2) Poop in a public bathroom
3) Fill my car with gas
4) Sweat
5) Listen to ignorance
This is my first entry after the move so things are still a little on the wack. I will try and write about the important things in our lives (35W bridge issues, post photos from the apartment, turning 27, etc.) coming soon but I hope all is well with everyone.
-B.
7.28.2007
7.25.2007
Worst Pickup Lines I Have Seen on Flickr (As Comments)
1. I see (feel) that love at first sight exists because of women like you
2. That left nipple of yours is working overtime, all right. Looks like a Scotch ad from the 70s.
3. Beautiful work once again. You do have a flair for this phtography stuff ;-)
4. Nice tits and ass ! (smooth as you can get)
5. love it, and its not becaause your nude
6. creative elegant and classy work...talented, beautiful lady...perfect recipe in my mind! Love it!
7. Yup. I too dislike when you get simple body focused comments like that. After all, I am more than tits and ass. I have a personality. A warped sick little personalilty that likes to play with matches, but a personality the same. 8. Good morning to you too. Just woke up and saw this pic. Now I know I will have a good morning.
9. With a view like that every single morning would be a good morning for me
10. excellent capture..of the cheeks :P...
The leg humping gets kind of old.
-B.
2. That left nipple of yours is working overtime, all right. Looks like a Scotch ad from the 70s.
3. Beautiful work once again. You do have a flair for this phtography stuff ;-)
4. Nice tits and ass ! (smooth as you can get)
5. love it, and its not becaause your nude
6. creative elegant and classy work...talented, beautiful lady...perfect recipe in my mind! Love it!
7. Yup. I too dislike when you get simple body focused comments like that. After all, I am more than tits and ass. I have a personality. A warped sick little personalilty that likes to play with matches, but a personality the same. 8. Good morning to you too. Just woke up and saw this pic. Now I know I will have a good morning.
9. With a view like that every single morning would be a good morning for me
10. excellent capture..of the cheeks :P...
The leg humping gets kind of old.
-B.
7.23.2007
IQ Test, Please take it and help me out.
Please help me debunk this IQ test. I took this test online on Sunday and after I got my score I was blown away by what part of the bell curve I belonged to. It is pretty fun and I would love it if people would take some time (I think it took about 15-20 minutes), take the test and then post your scores here. I know I'm surrounded by smart people and want to see if this thing is for real or not.
LINKAGE
-B.
LINKAGE
-B.
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