Tragic Tale

A tragic incident today…I had a certain little photo assignment that involved pears, you might have heard.  So, before going to work, I set up my family portrait center for my family of pairs I found at the Dekalb Farmer’s Market.  After taking a few rushed shots and needing to get to work, I moved everyone out of the sun, and noticed mother pear was getting a little soft.  I gently set her in the fridge, and left for the day.  To ruin the suspense of this story, I had forgotton that my step-father was dropping something off at my flat that afternoon.  He has a key, I tell him to come and go as he wants, make himself at home…but…..  I don’t have to tell you.  You can see where this is going.  I had just been to the Farmers Market…I had a bountiful supply of bananas, apples, sliced honeydew, and grapes.  But there was something that drew him to that semi-mushy pear, as if he knew it had a special purpose to it.  Did my pear try to hide, but accidentally sneeze and gave away itself?  Why why why, was the question after I came home from work, ready to take my final pics for class of the happy family of pears - mother, father and three dear children, to devastation.  After searching for a while, I called my stepfather for confirmation and then found the withered carcass of mother pear.  I sighed, another broken home had just entered society.

So what does this have to do with anything?  I just feel like telling my story?  kinda.  Don’t wait til the last minute to do your work?  Nah, that will never change.  Instead, in our happy little digital age, we need to remember to talk to people, communicate and not go about on assumptions.  While I was busy typing emails at work and prepping files, my pear was in danger.  If only I had left a note or called by stepfather, mother pear still might be with us today.

Cold and happy

I just wanna say how happy it makes me that it’s so cool out.  I mean, it’s April and already it’s normally almost hellish here.  Though a little too much on the gray side, it’s been wonderful weather, and that greatly improves my mood (I actually got severely depressed when studying in spain - several months of cloudless days, 100+ weather and no airconditioning…makes me gloomier than a 1st quarter critique!).  A little heat is ok, but it seems Atlanta summers never ever end…hang onto winter/spring while we can!

Yes, I know everyone on the planet adores hot weather and hates the cold, but I know there are a few of you wackos out there!  Someday we will unite and form a web-union of our own.  Sweater-lovers UNITE!

Internet Democracy in Russia

I’m rather annoyed with Mother Russia these days, and not just because Lenin is my buddy in Intro to Design.  I was just reading this article, Moscow police beat anti-Putin protesters , and it talks of Putin’s opposition groups getting beaten down when they voice their opinion.  Current protests are ending in violence, and after reading much about Lenin and demonstrations lately, violence from either side leads to no good.  Apparently Russia is also accusing the US and West of funding opposition groups - anything to further alienate itself.  Though Russia had a lot of freedom after communism fell, the political grip just gets tighter and tighter these days.  Take for instance, Channel One - the NBC or ABC of Russia.  It was once privately owned and thus there was wide control of what was shown…However, the politics began to feel a little threatened, and before you know it, the owner of that channel is now in exile in England, and the channel is now in state control (long story, of course).

I watch Channel One news regularly - I enjoy its perspective of what is going on in the world sometimes more honest and refreshing), and laugh at its silly propaganda like segments that occasionally appear.  However, my husband and I were both quite disturbed on a segment on the movie “300.”  According to the newscasters, this movie was created by Americans to show their dominance over Iraq, since Persia is the enemy in the film.  America makes a big enough fool of itself these days, we don’t need stupid interpretations like this on top of it.  And anyway, if Americans are the Arcadians in the film, didn’t the heroic group dies (though valiantly) in the end?  Good ol’ Americans want victory and maybe a valiant death in addition.  Anyway, the movie was based on a comic book, right?  But Russia wants to side with Iran ($$$), so wonderful little clips like this spreading around 11 times zones do wonders for stiring up dust.

TV may be under control, but thankfully the Internet is still fair game.  I feel that all is not lost of Russia’s free thought and speach - it grows stronger and stronger as each town and city hops onto the net.  Countless blogs elaborate frustrations and thoughts, and a myriad of diverse online groups fill the void that might otherwise exist.  While this vast country has a lot of places that are out of reach form the rest of the world, it’s more and more getting connected - even my mother is a penpal to a58 year old englishteacher in a remote Siberian town.  If grandmas in Siberia are surfing the net, just about anyone is open to a vast ocean of diverse ideas and thoughts.  So, Putin, go ahead and take over TV and newspapers…until you take over the internet, there’s still a little democracy out there…and don’t you get any ideas.

Winter 07 Folks

Gosh, you guys are the greatest.  I just thought I’d say that, I’m so glad I didn’t apply one quarter earlier or later…and not to insult those in those classes, I’m sure you’re great too, but Winter 07 is just a wonderful wonderous group to belong to….amen. 

Coffee Photography and Travelblog

So, AK’s comment on my film vs. digital photo post gives me something to write about, as I’ll re-write my slain Second Life post a little later on. 

So, to recap, AK was let down by the predictable outcomes of the darkroom - which means he knew what he was doing, unlike myself.  He had school newspaper deadlines, and I was making art for art’s sake.  I will add though, just to brag, I was editor of the Feature section of the paper, so I got to yell at those people to make deadline.   ignorance is bliss bliss bliss…

So, my deep thought of the day (hardy har har….) - Digital is the Starbucks of the world.  It’s comfortable, convenient, it’s a great product and has almost everything you could ever ask for like Jackie’s Starbucks with the drive through window.  Is film (so it’s called analog?) the Intermezzo of the world?  No.  If you had ever seen or smelled my school’s cockroach filled darkroom, hell no.  Working with film is like going to Ethiopia to get the damn bean yourself.  It’s a long trip, it could be rather unpleasant, and you don’t know what’s going to happen unless you know what you’re doing.  I don’t think I need to go further into travel to Ethiopian coffee bean land to express my point.  Why would you want to do this?  Ever?  If you need coffee and need it within several months time, just go to Starbucks.  Remember, you still gotta harvest those beans, roast them, and do whatever else it is that gets done, plus get them through customs (i have lots of fun stories about moscow customs as it is).   But, after any long trip, it’s those unexpected stories and terrible memories that always make the worst trip worthwhile (though maybe not immeadiately) for the travel enthusiast.

But, someday when I have an expendable income and time, I wanna go to Ethiopia.  Not for coffee beans, actually I collect coke bottles from around the world from my travels and the travel of others (from Afghanistan to Kuwait to Gibraltar, and about 50 more…donations accepted!).  But I hope to do go there someday, because I love travel just as I hope to someday set up a darkoom because I love seeing this archaic technique bring something to life. 

 And, if you need great, phenomenal research or inspiration for travel and blogging, check out Tavelblog.  Beware though, you get addicted to follwoing some people around… Andrew Garner’s  10 month bike-packing trip from England to Singapore had me tuned in for half a year (it’s actually a memorblog from a 2001 trip, but he coincided dates to match up with 06-07 dates…his honest responses to the World Trade Center as it happens and prediction to the world’s response in his side notes are often very chilling).  Anyway, Andy just finished up his memorblog, and I’m a little sad…I’ve been with him since Ukraine, through tuff times in Mongolia’s Gobi and fun in the Vietnamese jail.

I do catch up on a few other blogs at that site, and through a couple backpackers in Africa learned that the best coffee is in Rwanda…Ethiopa is always an option (well, we’ll see politically), but maybe in a couple of years we’ll see what’s shakin in Kigali…

Annoyed

Wow, I just wrote a pretty long post, and when I hit Save and Continue Editing, as I periodically do, only the first two words were saved.  Eevrything else just vanished.  I’m rather annoyed and thought higher of WordPress.  I just wasted 45 minutes commenting on Second Life….and nothing to show. Grrr.  I know, it’s not WordPress’s fault, more likely the computer, or the internet, my pencil, or my own bloody stupidity.  I even tried writing this stuff in Word the other day to prevent this sort of thing, but it gave me a really screwed up formatting when I pasted everything in here. 

So, this is my blog, and this is my time to vent.  Grr, Grr, Grrr.

Going from hands to the screen - late ramblings.

 

I just uploaded my first pic for the self-portrait series on Flickr…I know, it’s not exactly new.  I can’t even lie and say I’m wearing a wig and put on a bunch of makeup to appear 7 years younger.  The excuse for the moment….it’s been two really late nights this week, my camera battery is dead and charging for tomorrow, i don’t have one of those fancy fruit computers with the built-in camera, and I gotta go to bed soon so I can be half-way awake when I return to corporate America tomorrow. 

But, there’s something important about this picture despite its silly content - I connect to it, I have memories of creating it…  I spent hours upon hours working on it, and watched it come to life before me.  I took picture after picture of myself, not knowing how it would look once developed, and hours in the darkroom manipulating it to my liking. 

When I studied photography in college, it was much different that what that means to study photography today.  While composition and Adam’s Zone System was discussed, time in the dark room was one of the most critical aspects of bringing a successful picture to life.  I did not want to study photography at first, but it was required for my major.  However, I fell in love the first time I took a blank piece of paper, dipped it in developer, and saw it come to life.  After spending time just developing the film, I ( not some technician!) was now able to produce an image, right in front of me!  It was an amazing feeling.  I loved the lack of control my archaic darkroom gave me, as I never knew what to expect when my pictures started to appear.  Who knew how all the images I had just shot would come out?  The standing, timing, waiting, and anticipating - the beauty was in the struggle and I loved it.

Needless to say, today I could prep that picture in a quarter of the time.  Crank up my first born child Nikon D80, set the timer, view the result, drop into photoshop, change levels and all else, hit print.  Done, ready for the next.

Anyway, the point I was getting at to tie it all in - I think I really put a lot more thought, love and pride into my photographs when it was less automated, and there was something great about holding it in my hands as it came to life.  Don’t get me wrong, digital is great - more affordable and much better on the lungs, and the instant gratification of knowing what you have captured and how it turned out…but still, I miss a little the days of mystery and surprise, and little bits of joy in the process.  I will continue to shoot digital as now I love knowing if I’ve captured a shot, but a little piece thinks how things everywhere are leaving our hands and going to the screen.

  As Jessica said, she will always have books.  She’ll continue to read online - it’s an amaziing source for stuff beyond words…but some of us gotta hold that book, smell it, and leave it on the floor to trip over late at night (I don’t collect books, I amass mounds of them).  Likewise, I eventually bought a collection of dark room equipment.  I’m not using it, but someday when I want to watch all that silver-gelitin stuff bring something to life, I’ll have the choice…and as long as I can choose, I’m at peace with digital and the world of the past.

Happy Easter/Passover and whatever you like

Yes, happy Easter to all who celebrate..and for everyone, happy day after easter when all the candy is on sale.  And for those of you who won’t be having an Easter ham, happy Passover.  And for those of you confused by all the bunny and rabbits, welcome to the American Hallmark Holiday.

Anyway, I have a Christian mother, Jewish stepfather and agnostic husband who aknowdlges the Russian Orthodox holidays…so covering all the holidays is a challenge.  I managed to make it to my mother’s for Easter dinner, and I’ll post pics shortly…(too tired to go find my camera and wait for it to upload)  I missed my step-father’s Sedar dinner last Monday night because of a wonderful class that conflicted (see how I value Media Arts?).  My in-laws will be in town from Moscow for Russian Easter, which I’m guessing will just mean extra drinks for everyone on that day.   I’ll be sure to post that occassion on here in a couple of weeks…

Intermezzo Experience

I spent a quiet evening at Intermezzo, probably one of the oldest and  well-known coffee shops of Atlanta.  When I first ventured there in ‘98, it was unlike anything the metro Atlanta area had ever offered me.  At that time, I had never been out of the country, and this cafe was exactly what I imagined cafes across Europe should look like.  As an art major at a liberal arts school, I of course felt this was the place I should call mine.  Starbucks had yet to enter the area, and the local Caribou was were you got your big cup, chatted with your class mates that worked behind the counter, then parked yourself by the faux fireplace while delving into Max Weber.  Caribou offered me the option to wear my grungy liberal arts student persona, while Intermezzo gave me the chance to saunter around with my artsy friends and exude the aura of a future master. 

Nine years later, Starbucks abound at every corner, the local Caribou closed, and I had failed as an independant artist.  While living abroad I had visited many cafes, but Intermezzo still held a place in my coffee loving heart back in the ATL.  On my way there tonight, I passed two Starbucks, and yet I kept on going.  Was the coffee that much better?  It certainly wasn’t cheaper.  Well, yes Starbucks can’t beat the Ciocloccino and they certainly don’t have Ukrainian beers (not that they would really want to).  Starbucks has a nice modern interior, relaxing music (that I can buy right there, of course).  My seat at Intermezzo was stained and I could barely hear the music above the crowds and espresso machine.  However, this is what I love.  These imperfections and the chaotic energy deepen the colors on the walls and add a warm glow to the wood floors.  They invite me back time and again.

We’ve learned in Intro Design that these cafes aren’t selling coffee, they’re selling an experience.  And now I can greatly see this, just in my choice of how to spend the “big evening” (hey, money is short).  While my husband goes for the cakes, I want the old brick walls, variety of faces mingling about and the energy they bring past midnight.  There is something in their street sign that is warm and welcoming.  It’s not perfectly clean, yet I sense class.  I enjoy eavesdropping on surrounding conversations, from the drag queens visiting from New York, to the first date couple with the boring lady going on and on about her family’s health problems.  Gag - but joy in such diversity…and I smiled sympathetically to the man as I left - his table had been an embellishment to my experience.

Now Atlanta has a few other cafes that have blossomed in East Atlanta, L5, the Highlands, and whatever Octane land is called.  Buckhead is still a little bland, and now that Intermezzo has opened also at Perimeter, I feel it lost a little dignity.  However, I want the experience and will keep on coming…I’m a sucker for sugar cubes, alirght!

And if you recommend any other coffee shops, do tell me!

Caffeine Reference Guide

Here’s a handy reference article for caffeine dependents like myself.  I am proud to say that I recovered from a nasty diet coke addiction last year, and have been clean for a year and a half!  Now I just stick to my espresso - check out Dekalb Farmer’s Market’s Vietnamese blend for some heart pumping action.  According to them, it’s what the cafes in Italy use (but you probably also have to have the machinery they have, and be sitting at a little cafe on a quaint old street to get the same effect)…but anyway, it does the trick come studio week!