Honesty

As I have grown into photography I noticed that I like taking photos of people in all variations of moods. I also noticed that in becoming more of a photographer people began taking less photos of me. I realized that most of the photos I have taken of myself are on the Photo Booth app on my computer. So I decided to turn my inquisitive nature on myself and share some of the photos I have taken of myself over the past five years.

One of the very first photos I had taken using Photo Booth. 

Me: "Mom, let me show you how this works"

Mom: "Where do I look?"

I ended up using this photo as a jumping off point for one of my art projects in college. I was upset because at the time a dear friend of mine was in the hospital battling cancer. I was using the art project as a way to work through some of my fears. I had worn the ring to my grandfather's funeral a year earlier. I took hope in the symbolism of the bird being a carrier of souls to the heavens. Thankfully, my friend made a full recovery. 

I've always liked this photo because of the way it emphasized my green eyes. The color seems endless because the reflection from the window in front of me lightens my pupils. 

I generally gravitate towards blue and green colors. At this particular apartment I was living at I had painted two of the walls teal and my bed sheets were dark blue. I don't wear a lot of pink except for this one sweater that I own. I found it so comforting and I just wanted to be surrounded by it. 

I took this photo of myself shortly after my dog passed away. Her life and death had a profound impact on me and I never wanted to forget how much I loved her. 

This photo was taken during my printmaking class. For the majority of college I was making digital art for my Graphic Design classes. During my last semester I took a printmaking class and I forgot how much fun it was using my bare hands to make art. Even though I constantly got splinters from carving the wood and the black ink would stain my skin for weeks I refused to wear gloves. I proudly displayed my hands like a badge of honor. 

Coming home from a DRIP show covered in paint. 

I was upset one day but I don't remember why. I think when the camera is pointed at you your immediate response is to either smile or look away. I chose to do neither and be completely honest with myself and my emotions at the time. 

I loved the warmth and light that filled my room that day. 

Fresh out of the shower. 

I was all dressed up and ready to go Swing Dancing. I decided to take a photo of myself because I usually don't wear much makeup; let alone eye shadow. I took a bunch of pretty photos but I always liked this one best. 

My crazy hair in all of its untamed glory. 

And then there was the day I rescued a turtle in my apartment complex. 

Simple and sexy. 

Returning home from the Indian Holi Festival absolutely covered in pigment powder. 

This is me getting all dressed up to see Daniel, one of my coworkers, perform in the Orlando Ballet. I love this dress because it makes me feel like I stepped out of the 1940's - classic and glamourous. I went to the Ballet with my friend Matt who showed up in his work clothes from Starbucks and an accidental cut on his face from shaving. We were quite the odd couple that day and I wished we had gotten a picture of the both of us together. 

Me stilling in front of the computer eating an apple slice. Sometimes I like to make fun of myself. 

Me sitting in front of the sliding glass door of my apartment.

The Sacred Space

My aunt got me a candle for Christmas. It was one of those candles that burn a small votive at the bottom which heats a bar of scented wax at the top. I had it in my apartment for a while before I got around to using it. I loved the way it lit the room so I decided to turn off all the lights and really let it glow.

It reminded me of some ancient Mayan artifact. In the flickering light the candle seemed to accumulate age the same way a storm gathers clouds. 

Simple cut out shapes echo large carved forms still lost in some foreign jungle. The meaning almost lost but the beauty never diminished. 

The candle's curved arch become a warm embrace in this sacred space. One single flame shelters us from the dark. 

Little Cupcake

Blue Bird Bake Shop has become one of my favorite places to get sweets in Orlando. Every once in a while I will stop by to grab a cupcake on my way home from work. One of my favorite flavors is Peppermint Bark.

With cupcake in hand I made my way to a seat near the window. The little cupcake was almost too pretty to eat. Soft, ruffled frosting with crunchy peppermint pieces, the glossy plate on top of the loosely patterned marble table. A composition rich with texture.  

But my favorite thing about this photo is the reflection of the lights. Tiny golden flecks that dance across the table highlighting the shine on the plate. 

For more information on Blue Bird Bake Shop please visit there website: http://bluebirdbakeshop.com/index.html

Blazing Reflection

One day I decided to go to Dandelion Tea for lunch. I ordered my food and picked a table outside on account of the beautiful weather. I placed my glass of water on the table a proceeded to read the Orlando Weekly. I was beginning to get annoyed with the bright sunlight reflecting off the newsprint so I searched around for a spot to rearrange myself. When I looked up I saw this:

Stunningly simple metallic reflection made even more brilliant by the pristine lack of ice. The sunlight that was bothersome only a few seconds ago was blazing over the table artfully creating a natural grey scale ranging shimmering whites from to charcoal. Suddenly I'm no longer waiting for my lunch; I'm stretching my arms and maneuvering in my seat trying to hold on to this perfect timing.

My favorite photographs have a way of sneaking up on me.

Lake Ivanhoe

Sometimes getting up early is worth it.

I took this shot while driving to work for a 7:00am shift. Even though I was rushing to get there I still made time to pull over and enjoy this moment.

Facial Planes

I made this self portrait with the goal to define facial planes. Facial planes are the areas that the skin changes direction based on the underlying bone structure. It is an interesting way to compose a picture because you are not necessarily depicting what is there; you are constructing an image based on shapes and forms.

This was a valuable illustration because it became the basis for my digital portraits. To see examples of my digital portraits please visit the following link:

http://currentsandcolor.blogspot.com/2010/08/digital-art.html

Grounded: The Art of Looking Down (Part 4)

This photo was taken during a tour of my friend Matt's apartment. I was climbing down from the attic when I took this photo. The view extends into Matt's bedroom looking at the piano he received as a gift and a chair that had previously been in the attic.

Cool blue toes in the jade pool at Wekiva Springs. 

Sitting on the dock at my aunt and uncle's house at Thanksgiving. 

At some point I was taking out the trash at my apartment when I looked down and noticed how colorful my feet were compared to the dead fall leaves on the ground. It my have been cool outside but my feet were still in summer. 

Ankle deep in some delightfully messy DRIP photo shoot materials. Coincidentally, my toenail polish happen to match the dye we were using. 

These feet actually belong to my friend Freddy. He swears by his toe shoes and wears them all the time. He is usually in the wilderness off on some adventure, but on this particular occasion we were shopping downtown for a Christmas gift for a friend. After we left the store I remarked at how funny his feet looked. I love the juxtaposition of his shoes, still covered in burs, on the pavement of downtown Orlando.