Overexposure, sushi, and a happy little Bee.

I knew this extreme light/dark lighting situation would be a problem, so I mistakenly improvised exposure.  I should have stopped down.  But, sweet bokeh anyway back there, it could be worse.

Green tea with sushi is an important part of the experience for us.  It takes the place of sake for me.

I really love the colors here, even the white-but dang, if my eyes could dismiss the overexposure...alas, it's impossible.  A worthy lesson, and sweet memory nevertheless.  

Miso soup is always soothing and perfectly balanced at Koze, the best sushi place in El Paso.

I think this is the salmon.  We also had some hamachi nigiri sushi, it's at the top left, barely apparent back there on it's uh-serving board.  It's absolutely my favorite fish in the raw.

My favorite maki roll-cucumber with crab, salmon, avocado, and asparagus.  It's refreshing!  It looks so lovely, too.  I really must go back with a proper light meter to re-shoot it.  Or maybe we could just sit away from the window.

My lesson learned: Put digital light meter at the top of my wish list once and for all. I've been window shopping around and am considering these:

1. Sekonic L-308s Light Meter (Black)

2. Polaris SPD100 Digital Exposure Meter

Also, I refreshed my photography skills by watching this eHow video:

Stopping Down in Photography | eHow.com

If I am going to be investing so much money in vintage cameras with tired meters, film and processing, I figure it's a good idea to keep a trusty device like a digital light meter in my bag, which is already heavy anyway.

(Photos shot with my Pentax K-1000, Kodak Portra 400 film)

Bee earned her balloon-and her snow cone.

We have been repeatedly saying to each other, "This is the best spring break ever!"  We started the week with Rango, which was so good.  I was very pleasantly surprised that it was so entertaining.  I just didn't think reptiles would be easy on the eyes.  I quickly forgot how much I don't really like them.  Thumbs up for Johnny Depp as a cartoon lizard!

The rest of the week was filled with visits to Barnes n' Noble, shopping for a summer wardrobe (a few pairs of shorts, t-shirts, and sundresses), and Netflix.  Yesterday we decided to stay in our pajamas all day long.  We ate popcorn, drank iced tea, jumped on the trampoline, and had the best time a mama and her little girl could wish for.  We talked about missing Disneyland, and how lucky we are to have each other.  I practiced making French braids on Bee, which has always been a real challenge.  (She has a sensitive scalp, and easy-flow tear ducts.)  I took several photos with my Pentax K-1000, too.  I hope they turn out good.  I've gotta be patient and take my time with shooting 35mm.  I have the common tendency of shooting off the roll just for the sake of wanting to see a few particular shots that seem like they will be awesome...

It's warming up here.  Any warmer and it will be too hot.  Go figure.
Life in the desert-either too hot or too cold.  Bee as airplane-yes, she is good at this.  

Must have a Polaroid of birds on a wire.  Another Polaroid of them, I mean.

I don't mean to be morbid, but my great-grandfather died on these train tracks.  He was an alcoholic.  He passed out while sitting on them, I guess.  Probably very near where Bee is standing now.  I never knew him.  It happened when he was young.

These are not in chronological order...I shot this last out of all of these.  Bee had already earned her balloon.

I decided to stop at this particular flower shop, since I liked the sign.  I wanted to photograph it.  I didn't end up getting a good shot of it, because I got distracted from my plan when Bee wanted to go inside.  (See, it's way back there, looking like it's coming out of the bed of that truck.)  She came out with an aqua balloon, and a lavender-colored rose for my mom.  Lavender roses are so pretty, aren't they?  It's a sort-of unusual color for a rose, I think.  

I really don't know why this is so slanted.  I totally thought I had it all lined-up, and perfect.  I hardly ever shoot vertical shots with peel-apart.  I got into this habit after I got a Lomo LC-A.  I just think shots look better horizontal, I suppose.  It's a quirk-when I'm drawing, I hardly ever choose a vertical composition.  Hmm.

I'm sorry I didn't get a Polaroid of Bee's super snow cone! It was mango-flavored with cream. She ate it too fast.  (Color Polaroids shot with PX-70 Colorshade Push! and the peel-apart monochromes were shot with POLAROID 100 SEPIA GIAMBARBA EXPIRED)

My first roll of Kodak Portra 400.

I thought I would just upload the whole thing so you can see what the film looks like. I love it. The amusement park photos were shot on a partly cloudy day. I overexposed the last two shots on the roll by one stop to see what the film would be able to do in a low light situation. I guess the Chemex shot didn't need it. (I used my Pentax K-1000.)

Stitched Drawing

I've been working on my portfolio this weekend.  Half of it consists of this type of work.  I've taken it upon myself to undertake these heavily laborious projects for some reason.  It doesn't make sense, which is part of the appeal.  I suppose I've been wanting to do these types of pieces for awhile now, but have been afraid to commit myself to them.  Although I'm not sure about the end results, I appreciate how the process has altered the way my hand-eye coordination works.  My mark-making has become much more intuitive.  Color and dimension problems seem to work themselves out along the way.

Even if the final images aren't that interesting, I give myself an "A" for a valuable learning experience.  I could really go on and on with these.  I could go bigger.  I want to go bigger.  I wish I had more time, but I have to resolve things for a grade.  This has been the hardest part about working on an art degree.  I want to do more time-consuming projects.  Everything I do for school always feels like practice for the real thing.

I initially planned for this to be neutral regarding color, but just wasn't feeling it.  I'll try another neutral-colored piece next portfolio.  I've been trying to limit my color palette, but it's proven to be a more difficult challenge than I thought it would be.  I want to be able to use marks without color to create visual interest.  When I can do that successfully, I believe my work will be much stronger overall.

Beginning.

Almost finished.

Close-up.

Slightly neurotic, I know.  I better not forget to wash and iron it.  Also, it still needs some finishing touches.