Photo 365 - Day 225 (Punk Bird)

Day 225 (February 13th, 2011)
Title: Punk Bird

Lately, whenever we go to the local mall, there are always (as old folks say) "Punk Kids" hanging out.  They are just sitting around, trying to look cool (course, just hanging out at a mall all day, at least to me, automatically reduces your cool level to zero), having an attitude that only a 15-year-old who gets a $50.00 a week allowance and has their parents pick them up when it time to go home, can have.  They also have these remarkably silly haircuts ("faux-hawks" and the like) - not that I'm giving them any flack for that, I know when I was a kid, I had some epically silly haircuts.  But, I find is slightly amusing that they are all trying to express their individually and anti-establishment they are - but they all have the same $45 haircut that more than likely they got at a "stylist" (rather than a barber, like I used to back in the "good ol' days").  I'm sure, in 30 years, they'll be at the mall, see a group of "Punk Kids" with their silly Bowl Cuts (it's a look that could come back! You don't know!) and say: "Man, thank goodness I was never like that when I was a kid!" 

The more things change, the more they stay the same!...

Of course, this photo ties in with the story only because when I saw the bird, I couldn't help thinking: "I wonder if other animals in nature have the same problems..."  Here was this pigeon, standing on a rail with only one foot ("Punk Birds" always got to be doing something different), with a "avant garde" hair-do (at least, for pigeon's it is), just hanging out at the mall.  I wonder what he say's to his friends when they show up: "Sup, coo.  Coo.  Yo." ... Probably not.

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 216 (Dry Branch)

Day 216 (February 4th, 2011)
Title: Dry Branch

With yesterday's photo (Thorns), one of the elements that I really enjoyed about it is that it helps show a concept that I greatly enjoy; all nature is beautiful.  Many times, people will only take (or show) photos of nature that are "beautiful", such as a rose bloom or green leaves on trees but they shy away from other aspects of nature.  I chose both the Thorn photo and today's Dry Branch photo to show that, no matter what the subject matter is, nature can provide beautiful things for us to see and enjoy.  I know for most folks, looking at a giant red rose might be more enjoyable than looking at some dried, brown sticks, but still... Give them a chance, you never know what you might see in them. 

Ps: Yes, I know I have posted photos of said red roses in full bloom - I'm not saying that one shouldn't take those kinds of photo (heck, I love those kinds of photos), I'm just saying enjoy the rest of what's out there as well - both the roses and the sticks!

Enjoy

Photo 365 - Day 185 (Mr. Leaf #4)

Day 185 (January 4th, 2011)
Title: Mr Leaf #4

And so comes to a close the adventures of Mr. Leaf and his portraits.  It was fun playing around with my macro lens and a magnifying glass (that's what gave the shots a strange "fuzziness" to them).  It also turned into a nice display of texture in a photo.  I hope Mr. Leaf was pleased with the shots!

Enjoy

Photo 365 - Day 153 (Razor Ivy)

Day 153 (December 3rd, 2010)
Title: Razor Ivy

I'm sure there are folks out there who are much more poetic than I who could write a meaningful and deep poem about this photo.  An old iron wall, topped with barbed and razor wire, slowly being taken back over by nature.  A hard stone building, once strong and menacing, now broken - plants and trees begin to take back over the land. 

The last line will make more sense with tomorrow's photo.  I'll leave the prose to those who can more adequately do it justice than I.

Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 52 (Bug)

Day 52 (August 25th, 2010)
Title: Bug

This picture requires a bit of a back-story.  I am lucky enough to live in the San Francisco Bay Area where we don't really believe in weather.  Our "winter" weather averages around 50-60 degrees, sometimes we allow a little light rain and, if we are really brave, we might actually put a jacket on.  For our "summer", it's 70-80 degrees, foggy till 11am (so not to wake us up too early with all that sunlight) and slightly breezy.  On "hot" days it will get to 88 or 89 and basically work stops and everyone in the entire state goes to the beach.  This is why our housing is $1.2 million per square foot. 

Now, this last week we have had some, as I like to call it, "Texas Ass Weather".  Temperatures over 100, no wind, humid, and basically sucktastic.   Now, for a San Franciscan, 100 degrees is basically like WALKING ON THE SUN!  Its hot.  H.  O.  T.  Not toasty, or warm, or scorching, but H!O!T!

So, on this insanely hot day I had decided to have some sort of temporary brain embolism and go walking to find a picture.  I got my camera ready, had my hat (thinking that would help and not burst into flames instantly), and a small bottle of water.  I walked out of air-conditioned building right onto the corona of the sun.  Did I mention it was hot?  As I bolted back in (as my shoes were melting) I decided: "Perhaps I'll take a picture inside today!" 

I was looking around the house thinking of what to shoot and I saw some ladybugs on the balcony.  One was crawling up the glass door and I decided "Hey, that's all kinds of nature!  Perfect!"  So, opened the door to walk out and take a few close-ups of the little bug and that's when I remembered that the balcony was chock full of "outsideness".  Really hot outsideness.  So, that plan was scrapped and I decided the BEST picture would be from below the bug as it walked up the glass door... from the inside. 

Long story for a silly shot.  Enjoy!

Photo 365 - Day 43 (Grey Bird) and Weekly Hindsight

Day 43 (August 15th, 2010)
Title: Grey Bird

While walking, I saw this little fellow sitting on a post, just looking at me.  I'm sure he was thinking; "Uhm, yeah, so, you got any spare crickets?"  Sadly, I was out of crickets, but he didn't mind.  We just watched each other for a bit, he let me snap a few pictures and then off he flew.

I'm sitting here, trying to think of how this story/picture is a metaphor (sometimes you just need to stop and rest on the post's of life and look at others or something along those lines) or has some deeper meaning (Art is fleeting and constantly changing), but honestly; sometimes a cute little bird, is just a cute little bird.

Weekly Hindsight

Photographically, this was a strange week for me.  I did have quite a few neat ideas of some project that I am going to be working on in the coming weeks (including fire!  Woo!) as well as some other art-related ideas - including scrapbooking stuff.  But, my actually productivity was really low.  I guess there are "do-things" weeks and "think-things" weeks.  This was a "think-things" week for me, but I'm hoping that it will turn into some productive (and interesting) photos next week and in the coming weeks. 

I guess that's my one bit of advice to folks this week, is write down ideas as you have them, even if they aren't perfect.  One of the things that really started me off on my idea-a-thon this week was finding an old little notebook that I had written a few ideas down.  These ideas were from months ago (before I even started the 365 project).  Most of the idea were just little one-line thoughts ("Fire and ice?  How to picture the idea of 'hot' and 'cold'?") and some of them were more complex.  Heck, one of them I even drew something, which at the time was probably important, but now I can't figure out what it is!  So, the next time you are at the dollar store or Target, pick up a package of 6-10 little notepads and some pens and just put one in every major area you spend time (car, living room, desk, work, kitchen, bathroom, etc).  You never know when a random thought or great muse will occur!  And if you draw some strange looking blueprint, make sure to label it!

Have a good week!

Anthony