Wednesday is Lensday: Close Ups!

September 9, 2009 by Alexa 3 Comments

So, I haven’t done a “Wednesday is Lensday” in a while, but tonight while thinking about what I was going to post, my heart just wasn’t in it. I felt like expressing myself through my photos and that’s just what I did. The fact that they are Halloween colors, well, that’s what I have laying around the house right now, so it was an immediate go-to. Go figure.

Glitter paint in my palette.

A new necklace that is made of different types of chain.

This is a close up of an orange foil gift bow. It’s not quite as in focus as I would like, but maybe that makes it cooler? Very abstract, I think.

A detail of my retro reproduction lamp. I purchased it at Deadly Nightshades about 5 or so years ago. Kinda wish I bought the double lamps. Maybe down the road…

And a little detail of my Cider Web Yankee candle.

Admittedly, when I shoot close up for a while, it sometimes strains eyes, so I have a teeny tiny headache right now. Nevertheless, I hope you found these little orange and yellow photos inspiring!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

When your photo just clicks

September 2, 2009 by Alexa 2 Comments

A few weeks ago, I took this photo at a little breakfast place in Atlanta while visiting with my friend Carey.

Being a photographer (and on Flickr), I find that so many things are subjective. Choosing what to upload and what to showcase is sometimes really hard. It’s hard to know what people will like.

But sometimes there are moments when you and the camera just click, like in this photo. I’m sure you have those photos too even if you aren’t what you consider yourself a photographer…you just feel really proud of a photo you took on a whim. It’s so nice to capture something that makes you feel good when you see it.

It’s esp. nice when you see a photo that invokes an emotion and reminds you of a good time. Even though I’m far away, the time I spend now with my friends is something I cherish and that day with Carey was really special. I relish in my moments with my far away friends even more now that I’m across the country. I’m super excited, because she’s coming next month to Laguna Beach (if you’ve been following my blog, she was here way back in February). It will be my birthday month, so I hope to get to share the week following my actual birthday (October 1st) with her. I’m really looking forward to it.

OK, I’m rambling now! I hope you have a great hump day! BTW, I have a friend who named her daughter Wednesday and I asked her if she was going to give her the nickname “hump day”. Harhar.

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Wednesday is Lensday: Pumpkin Patch Edition

October 22, 2008 by Alexa 7 Comments

Yep, that’s me above getting some air in the pumpkin patch at Evan’s Orchard outside of Lexington towards Georgetown. Much love to my friend Chris Garris (the most fabulous photographer I know) who shot this using his wide angle lens. I’m in actuality only 3 or 4 feet off the ground. His low viewpoint + that lens makes it look more like 10 feet. Probably one of the coolest pictures of me to date!

I got some pics of my own including a jumpy shot of Chris too! Here’s him!

We had a very amusing time filled with lots of photo taking….there was a petting zoo, patch, kettle corn (I got pumpkin spice), bee exhibit, apple orchard and of course lots of piles of pumpkins & gourds!

These are Chris’s shoes. Aren’t they super cool and very appropriate for this time of year?

This camel was shuttling children around. He kept mooing/yelling (what kind of sound do camels make anyway?) whenever a kid got on. I think he was a disgruntled camel. I think I would be too if I had to go around the same path time and time again.

Chris insisted that I make this shot black and white, because the sun created a lot of contrast that day!

He ended up buying one of these pumpkins/gourds. He thinks that they should be clearanced because inevitably, they are the ones that aren’t going to be sold. He liked it cause it was diseased (he thought it looked like something else that is rather communicable) and because it had more character than a regular pumpkin.

To me, this picture says fall.

Man, he can be so corny. I can be even more, just by using that bad pun.

Gourds really do have a lot of character.

And so does Chris. He insisted on riding in the wagon while I got a workout. I think the parents at the place thought we were a wee bit crazy. Such is life.

Hope you enjoyed my pics. I plan on posting later the winner of this little guy!

So check back tonight (and get your comment in here to win him if you haven’t done so already)!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Wednesday is Lensday: Zoo Edition

September 3, 2008 by Alexa 1 Comment

So today I’m feeling in one of those “Ughhhhhhhhhh….” moods. Don’t know why. My tv dinner didn’t quite satisfy me, neither did that episode of Project Runway. Feeling a bit achey and full from sweet tea. Whoa is me, huh?

I did want to share some of my photos from this past weekend at the Cincinnati Zoo. I really wanted to get out and explore and do something! Sometimes it gets so hard day in and day out in the same environment…I just had to see and do something outside of my norm and get inspired in a different way. I really would write some cute captions, but I’m feeling pooped out and have yet to do some dishes and download some more files off my camera. I promise tomorrow I won’t be in such a foul mood!!!

Oh, and this one is just funny (such humor never gets old, I swear)

Hope you enjoyed the zootastic pics Swellions! I hope your Thursday is a happy one!

Alexa

Wednesday is Lensday: Changes

August 6, 2008 by Alexa 2 Comments

I discovered yesterday that my grandmother is moving out of her house that’s she’s lived in forever (ever since I’ve been on earth). She seems ok with the move actually. She realizes she is getting older and needs more assistance than she used to. Also, the upkeep on her place is getting hard for her to do. She recently had to pour a lot of money into a new furnace and air conditioner. And the move will be easier on her and my folks. She’s going to live just below them on their property.

I guess the whole thing about it is that with her changing locations, I realize a lot of things about myself…that I must face the inevitable…death of her, death of my family, death of myself. And that things are changing around me whether I like them or not. Life just evolves like that. I just always liked the feeling I had when I went to her house and enjoyed my memories there. I think it makes me sad to know that a lot of those days are behind me. It’s not to say that good, new memories aren’t ahead of me and that my life, too, will evolve…it’s just hard saying goodbye to phases/things/loved ones and the reality that goes with it.

The last few times I visited her, I took a few pictures here and there of her place. I knew that it was only a matter of time before things would change and I wanted to have those memories documented…here’s just a few of my favorite things from her house that I cherished and loved about it.

Faded portraits on the wall…that’s me on the right and my big brother Charles on the left.