Behind the Scenes

Hey look, I have another job. Just another day banquet serving. And the blue shots are supposed to be blue, the whole room was up-lit with blue lights, actually pretty cool. But this is: behind the scenes of a wedding.

Scrapbooking Returns

It's been months and months but I've finally started scrap booking again with things being slow at my banquet job. Having Sundays off is magical. So yeah finally getting to my trip to Boston from September of LAST year.

I Love the Smell of Paper in the Morning

Pens made out of paper. What a world.

So I was at this technology expo. I was actually one of the "vendors," tho not technically vending anything, we were telling people about our technology services. So I didn't take too much time at all of the other booths but, naturally, what I liked most was the discovery of the pens that one of them was giving out which were MADE OF PAPER. 

So so much excitement of the existence of these. I mean, come on, biodegradable pens!? Smells like napalm I mean victory. This photo doesn't really show them for what they are but they are literally paper rolled around the ink part of the pen (okay that part is still plastic) and then the cap is a crimped tube of paper as well. When I first saw them I thought they were some kind of food (sugar packet) product. So much better.

The moral? Everyone now, who has the ability to choose the promotional materials for their company, go get these. I even looked them up for you.

What I Did Today, Day 7: Coffee Break

Finishing up the "week" of photobooth strips with one of my favorite things. I take mine with cream and sugar. And note the reusable cup. Saving the world one coffee cup at a time!

What I Did Today, Day 7: Coffee Break

Also, I like the photostrip thing so much that I'm bringing back a weekly feature! Let's all give a round of applause to the new and improved: Fotostrip Friday! Whooooo.....

Click-Click!

Not much to talk about today. I'm thrilled to have gotten back the digital version of my first set of 'real film' (as I keep calling it, as opposed to that fake film?) photos (see previous post). I know that I'm learning so I'm okay with them not being perfect, or shall we say "artistic"... Yeah let's go with that. And I actually liked a few of them. The prints should arrive in a few days and I'm excited to get those also. 

Inspired by my results I went out and took another roll of film this past Friday and will start on another soon. Then I have to go buy more! I don't yet know what different film speeds will have on my pictures. I think I'll stick to the 400 since I don't feel like needing a tripod yet. It's hard enough for me to not feel ridiculous carrying around my camera as it is. 

Anyway. Uhhhhhh? I think I don't have any other news that's divulge-able at this juncture. I am pleased to announce that I am adding two new comic strips to my list of comic sources: Pearls Before Swine and Amazing Super Powers (the latter being a web-only comic). And they are making their BYATR debut today!

That'll do it for this week. Actually, I think I'm going to move to Antarctica. Yeah, gonna go live with the penguins. I'll get a tuxedo to wear so that they will accept me as one of them.

I need a guy who carries waffles in his wallet.

The Results Are In! [Part 1 of ?]

I GOT MY PHOTOS BACK!!! For anyone who doesn't understand my over excitement, I recently commandeered my dad's film SLR camera and finally took pictures with it, sent the film away to be developed and got my results! What I didn't think about when I asked for his camera in lieu of dropping $600ish on a digital SLR is that there's no white-balance (adjusts colors so that they look right because outside light makes things look different on film than indoor light), and no preview. I wish I could white-balance but not have the preview does add some mystique to my venture into photography. 

So I got a list of ideas of stuff to take pictures out and went crazy! I tried different settings for each subject, and wrote down what they were so I could know how I accomplished each photo. I also used my digi so that if I really failed I could show you all what I tried to take a picture of. I will include them just for comparison's sake even for the ones that were pretty good on film. I also determined that I should get some more lenses. 

Oh and I want to credit everyone who gave me these suggestions but I'm at work and already spent enough time doing this so that will have to wait!

Enjoy!

Moon: digital.

The moon: Film.

Penn State's admin building: Digital

PSU Admin bldg: Film

Sundial: Digital

Sundial: Actually came out better on film!

Obelisk thing: Digital.

Obelisk: Film.

Cherry tree: Digital.

Cherry tree: Film. Played w/ focus some.

Planter: Digital.

Planter: Film. Lacking a focal point...

Fish tank: Digital. Way better than the film one.

Fish tank: Film. See. Not very good.

The digital one of this was so bad I'm not going to bother:

These don't have digital counterparts. They were actually taken first before I thought to use my digi to cheat with what f-stop to use. 

Progress!

So week one of the new and improved the blog you're about to read and I'm definitely liking the new format. I know it's not terribly different from before but still. So my stories are now going to be Thursdays except last week I was to busy since I'm training someone at work and I procrastinated too much so it actually went up Friday.  I bet no one really even noticed. Anyway.

A few weeks ago I announced that I was finally going to get started on my photo project. It totally helped that when I posted saying I was starting it, Smile Soup (don't think I know your real name...) told me that she's been eagerly awaiting my results which motivated me to actually do it!  Or at least start it. I finished off my first two rolls and sent them out to be developed and should have them back by the end of the week. Oooo! Hopefully I can use them for Foto Friday! So that took care of about half the list of things I was given to find. I'll try to get out and work on the rest of the list this week.

And I believe that that should about do it for this week.  Ciao ciao!

Diamond in the Rough

Today I am excited to bring you the 2nd edition of  Guest-Photo Monday! Today, I am thrilled to be host to guest blogger, Sarah from Was That Awkward. Check out her blog. It's awesome and awkward. It's aweskward. I know. Best word ever.

Khayelitsha Twps, South Africa

The Khayelitsha townships are about 45 minutes away from Cape Town, South Africa. The conditions people lived in there were beyond comprehension. Even though I was looking right at it, I couldn't believe it. And yet, even though these people had so little, they were some of the friendliest, most welcoming, most community-minded people I have ever met. 

I met two different women who owned Bed and Breakfasts in the town. One of them started a program to try to feed children before school. She can only feed them twice a week; she said if she tried to do it every day, there wouldn't be enough food for everyone. She also started a Christmas program so that every child in the township can receive at least one gift for Christmas, even if it's very small. The other B&B owner tries to employ people from the town as cooks, cleaning services, etc. She said she could probably do all the work herself, but she wants to give other people the chance to earn money. 

This woman studied abroad at one of the top entrepreneurship programs in the world. She probably could have gone anywhere to start a business, but she chose to return home, where she felt she could make the biggest difference. The people I met in Khayelitsha were probably the most amazing people I have ever met, and we could all stand to be a little bit more like them.

You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone

Welcome to the first Guest Edition of Photo Monday! I am thrilled to be host to guest blogger, Katherina from The 100 Miles Highway, who sent me this beautiful photo and description for me so that I have some photos on here that aren't just of my trips to Japan (I should really go more places). Anyway, here it is!

Tenerlife
by Katherina

Tenerlife, Canary Islands

You never get to really appreciate where you come from, until you leave it. I remember spending days complaining about not having anything to do, about being trapped on an island with the same faces. During my time at University, flying back to the island meant going to the beach all the time - which after a month, started to be boring and repetitive. It was when I started my first job, and stopped having the possibility to go back home for longer periods of time, that I realized what I had been missing out. Sure, the beaches are great. But it's not all it has to offer - mysterious forests,  the highest volcano in Spain surrounded by lunar landscape with fantastic hiking trails, and a impressive coast line that can only be appreciated hiking or from a boat out in the ocean. Now, whenever it's time for me to go back to where I come from, I feel excitement and wonder what new surprises Tenerife has got for me.

For more of Katharina's photos and world adventures, check out her blog:  The 100 Miles Highway  and follow her on twitter @100Mileshighway.

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P.S. Please excuse the grammar in the title, it was from The Counting Crows' Big Yellow Taxi:

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Today's post almost could have been used for Photo Monday, but it's not gonna be, so suck it. Okay, that was out of line. I apologize. Anyway.

SO here's the deal: two months ago I commandeered my dad's film SLR camera and I really want to practice using it. In case you missed it, no it's not digital.

Two problems: a) since it's film, not digital, I have to take full rolls of film worth of pictures and then get them developed before I can see how I did. 2) I don't have anything to take pictures of.  You understand the conundrum.

What I want YOU to do is leave a comment with something I should take a picture (seriously, nothing dirty), and anything that I can find I will then take pictures of! I have 3 rolls of film which means 72 photos so do your worst! (and by worst I mean best).  I will try to also take pictures using my digital camera, in the event that my photos look super shitty from my lack of knowledge in using the SLR.

Oh, FYI, I live in PA so don't suggest things like "beach" or "palm trees." And keep in mind that its' still winter.

A Photo About Nothing

"Monk's" Diner, AKA Tom's Diner

Blog Post Titles, Like Email Subject Lines, Are Hard.

I'm swapping Tuesday's and Thursday's themes because my schedule will better accommodate them this way.  The 2" of ice I drove to work in an hour ago... SUCKED.

Expecting Two Feet of Snow

Found on:

More paper animated videos by @ericpowerup found here.