.:julie & wale:.

Today was wonderful. John, Brian and I met up in the black box theatre to try out lighting scenarios. I feel like I have learned so much since our last time in November! It feels surreal to think how far I've come at times and how little I knew before. One of the things that helped today is that we actually had a few volunteer models. I sometimes feel bad for the poor people who are guinea pigs for our lighting setups as, since we are still learning, there can often be a lot of tweaking and moving lights and checking settings, etc. But today before everyone got there we got a few setups done and played with.

Julie, a wonderful gal from my work showed up as a volunteer model and then a friend of mine from theatre also came, Wale Aliyu. Julie needed a headshot for an upcoming license she's going to get for our company and since she's so energetic and fun I invited her to come along so we could use her as a model. Wale has actually done some modeling prior to today and is so great to work with! It was so fun, every time I clicked, he moved and did something different. Maybe some people are meant to be models. I don't think I am!

I think my favorite shot has to be a tie between the first one posted above and then the second one of Julie below. Enjoy!

I don't know why I like this one above so much. It's a candid but something about it feels... surreal to me. You can see the umbrella on the left, unlit, the vague outline of someone in the foreground talking to someone else, and then the model, alone taking a breather but yet caught by light.

She's just so beautiful!

John looking somber, as he seems to do when the camera is on him. I gave him some special "effects". It's a very John photo. 2 lights, people!

And then, finally, me. Brian & John put together a setup to replicate one of a photo I'd fallen in love with. The girl was so serious, staring straight at the camera. She was in all black and her hair was a rim of angelic white light. Rather than edgy, I just look angry. Guess modeling isn't in my future!

What a fun day! (We missed you, Mike!)

.:mike's silly lens:.

On the rare occasion that I feel pooped after a long day of marketing/photoediting/general administrative tasks I do all day at the office, it's difficult to get myself motivated to do another 5 hours of photowork at home. So I give myself incentives.

Tonight it involves Mike. Mike Tsai to be exact and his ridiculous love for his ridiculous lens (mine beats the pants off yours, by the way, Mike). Photos I haven't edited from our last Columbia meetup in November. So I'm posting 2 versions of the same photo. Mike can be the judge of his favorite. = )