Doesn't it look like the sea?
PS: Still working on 3D printing. I'll have to make an update on that soon :D
Anyway, running with the idea of a friend, I want to restart this blog. However, I want to use this space to log my art projects AND my photography. I feel that my evergrowing set of interests are not fully demonstrated and I would like to display other areas of my artistic endeavors as they add and thrust themselves into my photographical creative process.
Currently, I'm *mildly* obsessed with my new resin printer so I've been making stuff. I'm learning a lot too! --- (and I will not go into details on how it took me 3.5 hours to print the first piece because the software that came with the printer is trash). *CRIED HARD IN SPANISH*.
My art goal for 2024 is to get back into art sexyness and get those creative juices flowing. I want to feel the muse. I miss that. I haven't touched my camera in months... but it's almost time. I feel it. And I'm so humbled, happy, and blessed to touch the ether again. [Thank you universe].
So here's to a wonderful 2024, filled with love, passion, and art!
I hope the same for you. :)
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I went to the Shedd Aquarium a couple of weeks ago. I almost didn't go. I had to walk a mile, get ready and inside the aquarium in an hour. I got a street cleaning ticket and my phone signal was low when I arrived and almost couldn't get in. But, even with all that I made it and I'm happy I went. My new mantra is: I made it to the museum, I can do anything!
I really enjoyed the challenge of photographing at the aquarium. The lighting, glare and constant animal movement made it hard to take photos. I need lots more practice with this so I'm glad I was able to get some here. I need to find more events where movement is constant so I can practice in manual mode and with all the different settings.
The Shedd That Almost Didn't Happen
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Those days of rushing are gone. The days of created anxiety have to disappear. I now enter a new chapter in which I have to learn how to live with myself and with what is and what remained. I am scared and excited all at the same time.
During my hiatus (the latest one), I did manage to take some shots. But mostly, I rested, tried to get better and imagined new twisted fantasies to bring to life. Don't worry, I have concocted plenty :)
Last September, I went to see some monster truck action (ooh, that sounds so dirty! LOL!). I wanted to take my camera, but apparently, taking a DSLR camera to these events... 'tis frowned upon. So, I had to made due with my iPhone (which, let's face it, at this point might be better then my camera #butwhatcanyoudo
I went by myself to this event... BE PROUD!
It was still empty, no crying child in sight :)
#agirlcanonlydream
Look 'Ma I'm on TV!
The cars did some really neat tricks.
Now, could you imagine me sitting in the back of this car hyperventilating? Because, I can.
Air bitches!
I honestly, can't even recall what the hell was happening here. Let's just say we all had fun and no one got hurt, yes?
This is my "It was in the news Ma" photo.
Clean 'yo ass kids :P
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I haven't done much on the photography front because of all this but I did manage to get and edit several shots which I will show you today. I hope this will be my return to all things photography and art.
2022: An Update
Last days of one of my places of employment. It's bittersweet but at least now I have more time to concentrate on myself and my health and that's something I really needed and wanted. It's weird seeing it all empty. Makes me a bit sad to see it this way but I know it was time. Thank you for all the good times FreeGeek.
Random happenings: I gave my dog a broth bone as directed by her vet and she licked that thing clean! I took a photo. This needed to be recorded.
One of my outings was to the marina as I was trying to find a very special shooting spot. I never actually found it but I took this shot and started messing with it. I really like the way it turned out. It's funky :)
This is my Mars exploration photo. Its part of that marina shoot but that sky looking like space looks so awesome I could not pass that up!
See? Ive been putting some effects on some of the photos. With this shot, I was looking for a older photo, 70's vibe thing. What do you think?
Here's the photo that started it all.
Sunset. It is beautiful.
Waves in the sea.
Exxxotica 2022! Imagine an adult ComicCon for people that are not body conscious.
Yes, these are dick lollipops.
Wall o' toys.
Dicks... just dicks.
Lady getting lashed. Honestly, she didn't get hit that hard. I though she was going to leave half her ass on that stage.
This kiosk was awesome! So many beautiful things :)
Wall o' dicks.
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I've been getting sick a lot. My mental health has taken a beating lately. And my physical health has not the best either. The symptoms for body and mental are similar which makes it hard to figure out what is happening. I can't pinpoint the culprit.
It's crazy, I know.
I'm planning to take the long weekend to edit. I still have to work Saturday but Monday is a holiday and it will be a great time to sit and edit. Now that it's warmer (thank you Jesus), I can move around more and plan some photo time. That said, we've had some weird 95F degree days and I am SO NOT USED TO IT! #Bringbackthecold. It's in the 60s now which is much, much better. My optimal temperature is a sunny 75 degrees. Let's make this happen Chicago! (...Please???)
Lastly, I want to explore analog film photography. I don't have any equipment and I only took one class on the subject. Ideally, I would like to build a small darkroom in the She-Shed. BF already sounded the "You're bringing too much shit to this house" alarm. It's true, but I like my knick-knacks. Besides, It's an organized chaos. My main life goal is to buy some land and build a compound where I could have enough space to create/make stuff. Have you ever seen TLC's Little People Big World? I'm the dad, but taller and less of an asshole.
Lastly Lastly (hehe), I've gotten this idea into my head that I need to find a mobility scooter, paint it hot pink and put some striping on it so I can blast White and Nerdy while I drive it around my neighborhood like a golf cart holding Rainbow like the hot boss I am.
I will get kicked out of this city, LOL!
]]>I need to focus more on this. I keep trying to divide all my hobbies into categories but in reality they bleed into each other. Also, in case you did not know, Chicago is still cold and I hate it. Eventually, I'm sure I will live in a place where there is more sunlight and warmth. I would like to see snow once n a while but not 9 months worth of it.
Lastly, started putting item on my eBay. Going slow because I working 12-hour days. But getting there. My goal is to learn the new ways to sell and the tricks. I came to the decision that all I have in my stock, then I will get the LLC. Its my personal goal.
Some cellphone photos as to not to offend you :P
I finally got that 3D printer out of the box :)
A rare sunny day in winter
Rain-Bow being cute
She met a cute puppy and started playing. Did I tell you she goes to daycare now?
She needs to make some friends.
This is how she plays, LOL!
BF made this. I thought it was awesome! :)
]]>I've been asking friends about their gear and the outside. I worry that if I take my camera everywhere (even to do tasks) I will ruin it. I also worry about carrying the extra weight. To my photography peeps, do you guys carry your gear always? I've read some articles that pretty much say yes but I am so paranoid of ruining my only camera and my lenses that I only want to have it on me if I'm exclusively shooting. But again, not having it with me means less practice and fewer shots. Any ideas, comments, suggestions? I'm all ears.
I have put together what I believe is my 14th Cellphone Photo Dump. Let me remind you guys that these are just non-edited photos that I ... just like. It's definitely not an actual shoot. All that said, I can't wait until it's warm enough to go into the forest and take cute plant photos. :)
Mama why?
Not my best but she's so adorable, I just had to!
I smell conspiracies... (inside a Panda Express)
When dibs counted. Then again, my spot got stolen twice even with dibs. To the man who took my dibs, I hope you step on a Lego :)
I finally decided to have an actual professional fix the hot mess I had made out of my hair. I just want you all to know that the last hair reiteration was brought to you by "I can fix this" and "I don't need to spend $200". Turns out, I do.
Boyfriend's plant land. I try to not get too close to them because I am capable of murdering a cactus. So my black thumb and I try to stay far away from plant life ... and humanity. :P
My friend took me to this magical place where I can purchase Beyonce's hair... which she did and I'm betting it looks amazing!
In my defense, I thought I had picked a better photo. But there's only so much I can see when picking from thumbnails.
Pictured: My BF wet dream of NOT being bald.
Also, the goth/metal band musician of my dreams, LOL!
The gas company decided to change the gas pipes. The gas company also decided to leave the street looking like a hot mess. I need to report this but I keep forgetting.
Fossils from another era. I remember those and that's the reason the younger generation calls me ma'am.
My child wants to be carried. Because the floor is now beneath her.
The official campaign pose for her 2022 political run.
I still miss you baby girl. I hope you're having a blast in dog heaven. I love you.
What'cha doing mom?
Again, these streets be trippin'
I think it's time to get my nails done. Note: That fucking hurt!
Not pictured: My dog and I looking outside and having a collective NOPE!
I finished this today from scraps. Will I wear it? Maybe. Did I put one of the skirt panes backward and in order to fix it I need to basically destroy the whole thing? Yes. Will I put a tassel on top and pretend it never happened? Also, yes.
]]>I love this little girl :)
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Welcome to 2022. It's been quite a month (and it's not over). After a tumultuous end of the year (I caught the COVID), I greet with great enthusiasm 2022 (I did already have car trouble and my vacation ended - but we're not going to talk about that :)
Anyway, here are some silly pictures I have taken and posted on IG this year. I am taking some time to concentrate more on artistic endeavors than business. I really want to develop and enjoy my artistic side. So let's create, create, create!!!
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That said, this blog might look a bit different from now on. Not only will I show my photographic work I will also use it for other endeavors including glimpses into my non-art life. In the end, this site is a reflection of me and a brief summary of my existence; and that includes my highest of highs and the lowest of lows. My hope is that in time I’ll be able to read these posts, smile and be reminded of the wonderful memories I accumulated.
If you are still reading this, I thank you for sharing these moments with me. May we have many more!
Love,
Evelyn
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The following photos were shot around a month apart. I took some self-portraits showing (and celebrating) the blue dress and the making of Death Becomes Her Halloween costume. The blue dress is part of my work at sewing class. I was playing around with some lighting and decided to show off part of the dress. Eventually I will give it the proper photoshoot it deserves but for now this is what I’ve shot. The second one is my rendition of Goldie Hawn’s Death Becomes Her dress. The making of this dress posed a challenge since I only allowed myself to use items that I already possessed. I’m doing so I curb my stash and to not buy any more material and help the environment. The only thing I did purchase was the tiny “candelabra” simply because I didn’t own one. The Total cost of the whole outfit was $6.
Eevee’s Close-up
It’s been a while guys, I know. I have no excuse. Well, I have plenty of excuses but non that matter. So I’ll move on. It’s getting colder now and Usually by this time, I’m packing it up for winter. However, I’m determined to make this season different. I would like to explore photo-taking in the cold. I’d like to once in a while to brave the elements. Lastly, I’d like to dip my toes in studio photography. I’ve already invested in some equipment and make some connections for models. Hopefully soon you will see photos of those endeavors. But don’t worry I assure you my acute hatred for Chicago winters is still alive and kicking. As I write this, I am sitting on my recliner, bundled up and using my iPad to do questionable editing work since I never use mobile apps to edit so there is a learning curve. P
The following photos were shot around a month apart. I took some self-portraits showing (and celebrating) the blue dress and the making of Death Becomes Her Halloween costume. The blue dress is part of my work at sewing class. I was playing around with some lighting and decided to show off part of the dress. Eventually I will give it the proper photoshoot it deserves but for now this is what I’ve shot. The second one is my rendition of Goldie Hawn’s Death Becomes Her dress. The making of this dress posed a challenge since I only allowed myself to use items that I already possessed. I’m doing so I curb my stash and to not buy any more material and help the environment. The only thing I did purchase was the tiny “candelabra” simply because I didn’t own one. The Total cost of the whole outfit was $6.
Eevee’s Close-up
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So, here it comes The Zone: A Lapidary Adventure p2!
I named this one Caracol (duh). I now have gotten in the habit of naming my shots again. It's good for the brand, lol.
I wanted to get this a shinny as possible. I tried my best to give it justice.
These were from their diorama series. A wonderful take on nature.
I really like this shot.
I got inspired by these works. I need to find the time to try my hand at dioramas.
I love the way the light creates a shadow essentially cutting the face in half. The shot turned out like this originally but I did try accentuate the borders.
Welcome to The Lapidary Zone... get it? Get it?
Coolest piece ever...
LV, E. :P
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So, Lizzadro Adventure p.1 :)
Look at this baby! This thing is amazing!
Its huge and so intricate. Also, those stairs are not ADA compliant, LOL!
I need to learn how to get rid of that light flare. If any of yours have any ideas, let me know.
I played around with the brightness a bit. The original image was so dark in the upper area.
I'm still learning and creating.
I'm in love with that vase and that sculpture is fantastic! I do have to edit it again. It might have stretched a bit more than I would like.
I love the lighting on this boat!
Beautiful!
The screen had some beautiful intricate design and was so well taken care of.
:)
]]>About a month ago, one of my friends from college came to visit me and see the city. We had a super fun time! I'm incredibly thankful for his visit, as COVID-19 was driving me crazy and I missed friends and friendships. We went all over the city. I showed him around and some other places he wanted to specifically check out. I took a bunch of photos (all of them touristy AF) but I did manage to grab the ones I loved most to show to you.
Hello from Chi-Town!
We went to the Architectural Boat Tour! This is the second time I have gone (the first time was with family) and it was just as lovely or even more so than the first time. Chicago is quite lovely in the summer. I wish the city stayed this lovely during winter instead of that frigid cold.
At the time, I knew the name of all the buildings (or at least would recognize them), but now. I remember squat!
The Riverwalk is beautiful at night.
I think this building is lovely! I just love all the shapes. I know this may sound weird but I want to place my hand in the front of the building and touch all the shapes and feel their smoothness. I know, weird. :P
Obligatory shoe shot. At this point, you kinda have to :)
Another obligatory city shot. Again, beautiful.
Action shot @ location. We saw a lot and learned where Bueller's dad works, LOL!
I want to do something with this photo but I'm not sure what. I love the frame shape and really want to play around with it on Photoshop. Any ideas on what I could create?
]]>My life is slowing stabilizing. I've had a hell of a couple of months and I'm finally breathing a bit. Well, I have 3 jobs so there is not a lot of breathing room but enough not to make me what to choke a bitch. In the last 6 months I've:
There's been much more which I'm sure am forgetting (as always). I have the memory recall of a mosquito. But I'm slowly settling into my new normal and I guess that's good. My mom was a big help on getting this far. She came in, helped unpack and organize my new place and did a couple of home improvements. This place looks a lot better because of her than it did 2 weeks ago. I will take all the wins I can get.
I went to the Bristol RenFair, (as is my apparently my usual now) and brought my camera along. And just as I took it out, I put right back in my bag. It was so FREAKING HOT that I just couldn't. In fact, let me show you the extent of my photography...
LET IT BE KNOWN I HAVE NOT EDITED ANY OF THESE PHOTOS...
I have failed the photography community and for that I am sorry, LOL!
I also have some shots from my adventures downtown while my friend was visiting. I have edited and uploaded those but have not posted them. I will have to find the time to write a quick post. It is my hope that I will have those up in the next two weeks as I need to dedicate some time to organize the new area. We've already painted it and it has been used as a guest bedroom for the last two weeks. Now that the family is back in Florida, it's time to setup the She-Shed v2. If you have any cool ideas on how to spruce up this space, let me know. I really want to make this a multi-functional space where I can create and thrive.
Also, as you can see I have a lot of shit. :)
But Most importantly, my friend Jarrod published a coloring book centering on positive affirmations and its fucking awesome!
You can buy it Here
and follow him @ Jrela2000 on Twitter
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I'm moving in about a week. I've packed the She-shed and have no idea where all my crap is. I counted 20 boxes! Twenty fucking boxes for the She-Shed V.2 (working title). I will be surrounded by boxes for the rest of my life. To summarize my current situation: Moving sucks. But it will be worth every penny.
I have decided that I will try my best to make V.2, (new She-Shed lingo) look awesome. I'll have a sewing station, a photography and filming area, and a reading nook. I've also decided to try that TikTok DIY where they take old CDs and stick them to the ceiling. V.2 is going to look amazing! and purple... very, very purple. I might also spend the cash and make myself a neon sign. It will say She-Shed in purple and/or pink. I have no idea how neon signs are made and I really want it to look nice. I'm so excited!!!
Let me show you my newest edits. I've been thinking about exploring vector and kawaii art. I may start learning more about it after the move.
High Art!
Flowers are in bloom! If I could change anything about the city, it would be to have more summer days. Again, I'm the only person advocating for global warming... to happen. Well, me and the oil indutry. LOL!
I may print this out for the new spot
I have a couple of shots like these. I just enjoy the texture.
This shot would be great to paint. After I'm done with my Saturnian dessert I can think of starting this one... maybe.
This tree screams to me I'm melting!!!
Boyfriend wants me to print this photo for him so he can relive the 90's like the boomer he is. LOL
I'm still putzing around with this photo. But I figured, why not!
]]>Last week, I took some photos at a friend's daughter's b-day. I also took some shots of Rain-Bow and an outing in the forest a few weeks back. I'm so excited to show you. I've also been playing a bit with Lightroom. So yay! LOL! Check them out and let me know what you think! I'd love to hear it!
Here we GO!!!
So cute shots of Rain-Bow. Look at the sweet watermark, LOL!
I simply love this shot!
As you can see, creativity was sparked.
\
All the beautiful flowers! I think they look so delicate and beautiful. Photographing them is easy. Nature does all the heavy lifting.
+
Fun at the park!
More flower power!
Exploring the trails with Rain-Bow
Rain-Bow!
The river
The End :)
]]>I've been having a hard time lately. A series of life events have put me in a rut. I rather not go into it online as these events have not ended. Maybe one day I can look back at these crazy couple of weeks and laugh. I'd really like that. I've been trying to hold on to the rails as this rollercoaster of crap speeds up and loops around the park. It's been hard, but I think the end of that ride is coming. I am grateful and look forward to a worry-free summer.
I keep thinking about this blog. I want to show you so much! I need to make this space a priority because even though thinking about what to post gives me a constant "worry-headache", I know I must not stop creating. My plan today was to edit and post the photos from my last forest trip (which I'm sure you must be sick of all these posts, sorry!), my computer decided to give me crap. For a whole hour, we played, "Let's not connect to iCloud and when we do be painfully slow to download photos". We also played "Adobe Suite Fails". So even though my goal for the day has been sidetracked, I did manage to edit 3 shots I'd like to show you. Enjoy!
OMG Why do you hate me Apple/Adobe/Computer Shots!
I love this photo of her. She looks so cute!!! When Honey died, I felt lost. I tried my best to feel better but my mental health took a dangerous dive and I wasn't sure I could get it back up. Honey was my protector and the love of my life. Honey saved me. She was responsible for saving my life and is the reason I still exist. When she left this realm I couldn't handle it. Life just wasn't the same. I miss her everyday and just thinking about her or seeing her photos makes me cry. I love her so much. When Rain-Bow came to us, I kept telling myself that we were just going to foster and I didn't need to keep her. But from the moment she was in my arms, I knew she was staying. She makes me so happy. And even though she is not Honey, I am learning that in my heart there is an unlimited space to love and that every love is different. I feel very lucky to have been given these beings to accompany me on my journey and even though it hasn't been an easy ride, I know they have my back and will never let me fall. So, thank you Honey, Hershey, Rain-Bow and Perlita. I love you all.
A very fancy photo of a fallen tree. I enjoy black and white photography. It's subtle but beautiful. Honestly, it makes me feel incredibly sophisticated.
#putthatpinkyfingerup
This root is very weird-looking. The whole root system in the area is magnificent. Nature is incredibly complex but also simple when broken down. For example, most people I've meet have features I've seen before. Almost if they come from some sort of mold. Face shapes, mannerisms, moles, etc. are duplicated a myriad of times and mixed with other molds to create people. I find it facinating!
]]>LOL! I've been feeling quite unmotivated lately. There's a lot of events happening in my personal life and things have gotten quite chaotic. That said, Chicago is getting warmer and I'm excited to start exploring again. Part of my lack of motivation is my art space. It's too small and there is just no space to create. I have tried everything I can think of to get it into shape. But it's just not happening. I'm planning on moving soon. I want to have a new space I can enjoy and feel that spark again.
Speaking of spark. I finally made one YouTube video! YAY!!! Please bear in mind I've never edited a complete video in my life and I did this on my iPad while learning iMovie. If I were to summarise it, I made some food and decided to rate it. If you wish to see me make a fool of myself for 17+ minutes, feel free to watch this video. It was fun to make. I'm pretty sure I'll make more. :)
Enjoy.
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It's been a hard week. It seems like the universe wants me to learn a lesson but doesn't know how to so I'm just here getting annoyed. It's a bunch of doctor issues and paperwork I don't want to get into. But basically, there is nothing they can do for me at this time. I guess I'll have to find another way.
I finally got all the materials I needed to hang my photo background from the wall. However, It seems that the part of the wall I need to drill into has brick on the inside or something encased inside the drywall I can't seem to figure out. I would hate to drill in deeper and mess something up. So, unless I can figure out what's inside (and it's definitely not wood), I'll have to leave it alone for now. Sense the joy of my words... go ahead... sense it. I dare you.
Anyway, I went ahead and quickly edited some shots for today. Next week, I will have to find an adventure. I'm also getting my 2nd shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. If I die you all can have my stereo. LOL! I think I'll be fine. But just in case, I will do my errands early. I have an inside project I'd like to do. If for some reason I can't find adventure, there are always soap shots... you'll see.
Let me leave you with...
Lost - The REAL Forest Edition
I really love these shots. I might just get them printed and hang them in the new place. (Once we decide where that is, LOL!)
Those flowers look so smooth...
I have a couple of shots of this area. I always remember as the place where Rain-Bow decided to follow her dad's bad decisions.
Another fancy shot. There's a bunch of fancy shots on this post. Maybe I just FEEL fancy.
This place is amazing. I really need to go again and explore this place without a bike. So much easier to take photos.
I want to revisit the photo on the left. It's this beautiful tree that somehow has been broken vertically in half and somehow is still standing. I need to find it again.
On the right, some branches and a sky view. I love that blue!
This is the preamble of our visit. We wanted to make sure we could bring Rain-Bow and that she would respond to us if we decided to let her loose. Thankfully, she behaved excellently and we felt comfortable taking her on this new adventures.
I mean, what can I say. Trees are groovy and great photo subjects. :)
E.
]]>I am very happy that I took the time to edit yesterday and I have new photos for this week! So, YAY!!! I felt well enough to edit for this post and get started on another. DOUBLE YAY!!! I'm still learning Lightroom so there will things that I may have wanted to do in these photographs that I still don't have the skills to do. But I'm very happy I've come this far. So... TRIPLE YAY!!!
This week has been a bit complicated health-wise so I have been moving more slowly. Also, the weather has been cold even when it looks sunny... like beach weather sunny. It's so confusing.
I'm still looking for a new place, let me know if you know of anything northside in Chicago. I will take a look at it. I need a big space where I can create. The lack of light and floor space has really stunted my creative juices. I believe that with a new place, those juices will start going crazy. It's all very exciting to me.
Back to Marvel! So, this post will be the second and last post of this series. After taking a look at all the shots, I realized a lot of them had too many reflection problems. So, I just took the ones I felt I could save and went with those. Thankfully, I took a bunch of shots at different angles so you are not missing much. :)
Marvel: Part Deux!
Marvel # 1?
It was hard to edit this as that red/orange background was quite horrible to work with. I'm happy that this shot looks as good as it does. I did notice that the black parts of the comic book are a bit off but this is one of those things that you slowly work on until you learn it. Overall, I'm happy with it.
This photo looks creepy now. LOL! I didn't make it this. Let me just say it does look way better as a 6-foot wide lighted wall piece. Still, I understand and love the moment it captures.
Captain America Puerto Rico. Also starring a person I don't recognize. Is this Bucky Barnes? Why does he look like a 2-year old? Are they supposed to look like this from a distance? Are my eyes dying???
This was a whole photo-taking opportunity area at the exhibition. I have some photos of the boyfriend hanging with The Thing. I however became a socially awkward wuss and didn't take a photo. I also was like NO COVID! I totally regret it now. LOL!
Do you remember all the times you tried to write a whole phrase in a piece of paper and this happened? Well, you are not alone.
Wakanda!!!
Black Panther is my second favorite character.
The list is:
1. Doctor Strange
2. Black Panther
3. Iron Man
:P
I love these photos even with glare and everything! I specifically want to work on the eyes in the first photo and the base of the second. It seems to me that this is more of a Photoshop situation. I don't have the skills yet to work on it successfully but want to learn. You know, this could be a very good post idea. Learn Photoshop with me! I could pick a photo to work on, discuss what we are doing and show what I did to fix the problematic areas! I fucking LOVE when I come up with ideas that serve multiple purposes! I can give you guys a post AND practice some skills!!! YAY!!! #congratulatemelikeimfive #thoughtsandideasguys?
This glare again! I also really hate how this red looks in the shot. It a mixture of poor lighting, bad angles, bad camera mode decisions (as I was lazy and did not use manual mode as a proper adult photographer should do.), etc. Kids, don't be like me.
Spiderman looks cool tho.
This piece was part of the exhibit. It was mostly used as a center divider. I can't seem to recall if it opened or closed the Spiderman part of the exhibition. I don't think it did though. Still, very photographic. I appreciate it when curators think of these things. It shows that they understand the power of design and how powerful images can be.
Cool...
M.O.D.O.K.
In the future, I would really LOVE to make a costume of Modok.
Doctor Strange!!! By far the most amazing part of the exhibit! The area where the costumes were located was made up of mirrors to give an illusion effect. Something among the lines of a house of mirrors. It was great! I wish that this type of creativity was passed on to the entire exhibition. It would have taken the whole event to a whole new level. I have the theory that this was not done because of COVID, but I have no way to prove it.
I did take a bunch of shots of Tilda Swinton's costume.
Her costume is so tiny! I mean these actors are hella tiny. Now, that said, Star-Lord's costume was... tall?
:P
]]>Last Friday we were lucky enough to have a chance to visit the Museum of Science and Industry Marvel exhibit. I really loved seeing all the costumes and learning about the comic-producing process. I did think that the exhibit itself needed more interactivity in its theme. That said, I'm not sure if that's just my personal taste or it was a decision made because of COVID-19. Either way, it was great and I had a lot of fun.
I started editing today. I'm sure that this "series" will extend into 2-3 parts. I guess it will depend on how much editing I can stand. I also went to the forest this weekend so be on the lookout for that post as well.
I'm in the process of apartment hunting, so some of my free time has been compromised. Oh, yeah, sewing classes have started again. So things will happen at a slower pace (so from forever to an infinity crawl, lol!). I want to document our moving day. Unfortunately, I don't believe that I'm allowed to photograph certain properties so I'll only document the actual day itself. Which is fine by me because I've seen some eye-assaulting apartment units. HA. HA. HA!
Lastly, I want to update you on a project I've been thinking about. I can't say what it is yet as I'm still trying to figure out how to make it happen, but it will be on YouTube (If I'm able to do it, feel like I want to, decide video editing is not hell on Earth etc.) Basically, it's a way to do all the things I would like to practice. Also, It's kind of an homage to memories. Again, I've sent a few emails, done some preliminary research but nothing concrete. I'm hopeful I can get this going, but I have to finish uncompleted projects first. I'm trying my best this year not to take on new activities until I finish the current ones. I don't want to leave a trail of random, unfinished crap everywhere I go. That sort of behavior weighs you down.
Anyway, take a look at the first edits. Let me know if you like them!
Ma-ma-ma-Marvel!!!
I really loved how this edit turned out. It's so smooth that looks like an animation! To think that the original shot was a crooked hot mess, lol! For some reason, some of my shots ended up crooked. I have no idea why. So they require extra editing...meh.
I had some issues with both of these photographs.
Iron Man was being a pest and my shot was crooked. Then Fury decided to mess with my colors. In the end, I ended up trying new approaches and learned a bit more. Could Iron Man be better cropped? Probably. Could I learn how to use Lightroom? Maybe. Am I pleased with how far I've gotten? Yes. Absolutely yes. #blessed LOL
Is it me or does it seem like Captain America's head has been replaced with a skull?
#disclosure
I really want to make that headpiece.
Taking this shot required patiently waiting for people to get out of the way. Congratulate me like I'm five.
I also have it in a bunch of colors. #hoggingthemuseum
Hulk being photogenic.
Bunch of original artwork and artist renditions. I may do a post about this. That said, my crooked shots mostly involved these pieces. We'll see.
I need to learn how to better take photos in these sorts of situations. Or better yet how to compensate for them.
Truth be told, I cheated and used the auto-setting on my camera for the whole evening. I wasn't feeling my manual and ended up paying the price. If you learned anything today, let it be: don't be lazy.
!!!
Smooth AF!
I love how colorful these ended up.
A big issue I encountered during shooting was reflection. As I took photographs, I had to be selective on what angles to shoot as I needed to minimize glare and the reflection showing up on the photograph. That also could contribute to the reason some photos were crooked. I thought I was careful not to have this happen, but all of us have our off days. I'll be fine, LOL!
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April has filled the air with many projects and enthusiasm. For that, I am glad. It has been a while since I felt this excited about… anything really. Last year was hard. Not so much because of COVID. It was just a challenging year filled with grief and health complications. I did not have the chance to stay home. That would have made things a hell of a lot easier, but it wasn’t meant to be. 2021 had me working two jobs, finishing my master thesis, trying to keep my head straight as I dealt with the death of my two dogs, mom being sick, relationship issues, and me being sick both mentally and physically. Looking back, I see how it was not a sustainable environment. But in April of 2021, I will concentrate on taking back my life and getting my creative juices flowing again.
Big ideas are coming, but I’ve decided to scale them down. It is much easier to start from the bottom and slowly build yourself up than to create a monster you can’t control and have it crash into pieces. It does mean a change in plans, but also in attitude. I take things way too seriously and take up too many projects at a time. This is my fault as I haven’t learned my limitations. It is important to understand what you can take on and what is meant for someone else. As much as I would love to participate in everything creative, I need to recognize when to say no.
Moving on, I edited some photos this morning. I am in a funky mood today so most of the images have a vibe. It cute, I am excited. So, check them out and let me know what you think. 😊
April Days and Funky Places
I keep taking these shots! Do you know that painting? The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo? Think about it.
This shot was in Humboldt Park in the city. It was dusk and it was lovely.
Green!!! I've been wanting to experiment with a green screen lately. I'm looking to buy some equipment so I can make shitty movies.
Welcome to EveManor! Honestly, this should be a postcard. I really like this photo.
See my funky tree? Oh, yes!
]]>In the last few weeks, I've been doing some soul searching about certain aspects of my life and the way I see things. During the winter months, life gets just a little tougher. But come spring, the cost is almost worth the price. The last few days have been quite busy because of a certain big project I want to create. It's been on my mind for a couple of years and I've mostly let it go because I didn't think I would achieve it. It scares me because it's the biggest thing I've ever had my hands on and I'm afraid of screwing it up. I feel that this project is my calling. That thought has been more than present in the last few days. Yesterday, I had an event happen which was very personal and authenticated that I was meant to do this project. I was very happy to receive the message. I know it was meant for only me. I wasn't expecting it and it blew my mind. Let's just say the universe has a way of making sure you get the message, even and especially in the 21st century.
The good news is, I found the way to do it. I'm very excited and told a few close individuals. It's gonna take at least two years. A long road is ahead but I'm willing to fight to see it come to fruition. I'm still in a bit of a shock, to be honest. It wasn't something I was even thinking about at that moment. It happened so suddenly. I am incredibly grateful that I was able to recognize the pattern and put the idea together. I honestly feel very blessed.
Anyway, I guess as time goes by I will give you updates. I am refraining at the moment to say what it is because I haven't put all the pieces of the plan together because I'm just starting out. When things start to form, I'll be sure to document the process.
Speaking of documenting and photography (because we totally were) I edited some photos last night. I haven't properly handled a camera in a while put I entertain myself once in a while creating. Let me know what you think!
This is one of the shots of a recent album/blog I created. I'm not sure if I ended up posting it but I really enjoyed that edit. It made me feel like a pro.
This is my child giving me the look. I believe she inherited that from her sisters in the sky. All my children hate the camera!
I got this shot with my iPhone at the park. When I look at this shot it makes me think of the Sistenice Chappel painting. You can look at it here!
Have you ever seen tumbleweed so pretty? LOL!
I'm 99% percent sure this is something else, but when I pictured the edit in my mind that was my vision.
Also, I think those were dandelions.
This edit is not a solid Black and White. I'm trying to edit more shots with muted colors and the sort. I most always deal in absolutes. They are east for me and less complicated. For me is hard to picture the end result of an image with this kind of coloration. That's why I need practice. Also, I want to be able to dream in many colors. Because, why not?
Another cute B&W shot!
Did you see what I did there? So the first photo looks like what is it is: the shot of a branch cut off from a tree. The second edit is the same... but, doesn't it look to you as a brain scan? If I look at the second edit right in the middle, it totally gives off that vibe. To the point, I uploaded the photo after my initial upload so I could show it to you!
I'm almost sure I took this at MSI. They will have an awesome Marvel
I think this is my favorite edit of the bunch! Also, That's me!!!
This is again an old edit, but I found it and fell in love with it!
Another muted edit. Am I getting better? :P
]]>I’m really interested and excited to do this. I’ve yet to come up with my first theme. Help me come up with my first project!
I have some ideas so far. I wanted to start of easy as to not overwhelm myself.
COVID wise, I’m still COVID-19 free. At this point, I don’t know if that should make me extremely lucky or damned to live in fear. I try my best to socially distance. I avoid going to crowded places and keep contact to a minimum. However, I feel that most people have forgotten that there is a pandemic. In the city, most people wear mask and make a half-assed attempt to socially distance. But in packed places like Walmart, the story is another. I hate going to the grocery store! If I need only two things, I’m not going to waste $35 which is the minimum in order to get delivery access. I understand the why of the chaos, but I’m worried that this pandemic will never go away if we stop cooperating. The whole thing is high on the suck spectrum.
In the meantime, I have picked some edited photos to show you. I think they are cool, but they are terribly random. Ideally, I would love to have a theme for each post (which I will hopefully attempt soon). That said, I like being able to pick moments out of my photo roll I enjoyed and share them with you. That’s the reason behind my “Cell-phone” photo albums.
Anyway, Enjoy!
I was playing around with Snapseed (because I edited all these photos on my tiny cellphone screen) and decided to double expose this image. I like the way the flowers cover my eyes and mouth. I would like to play more with this image. I would like to send it to print and hang it somewhere in the She-Shed. I mean, if I'm going to place photos of me someplace, might as well it be there. :P
This photo of Rain-Bow makes me feel very happy. She is so darn cute! I have come to rely on her more in these last few months in order to keep my mental health in check. She is by my side constantly and has become my little partner. I still miss Honey and love her dearly. But I know that there is a reason Rain-Bow is in my life and I will continue to care for her for as long as she is by my side. I love you Ichy!
I made this food! Please ignore that dry vegan burger. It wasn't one of my best air-fried inventions. LOL!
I love this photo because it reminds me of those recipe shots in cooking books. And BTW, those beans were the bomb!
Rain-Bow!
This is a fancy photo of my breakfast. FEEL THE ART!
Wild steps from the depths of Chicago snow! There was 4-feet of snow in my house. I needed to shovel my way out of my building. In my years in Chicago, I have never needed to do that. I told one of my bosses today that snow and geckos were part of my personal hell. AND it's STILL snowing! I'm not sure what we will do with all this snowfall. I mean, maybe it's like plastic, we can melt it to make houses... or something.
E.
]]>I’m so happy that after all that has happened in the last couple of months, I still have the strength and wanting to photograph. 2020 and 2021 have been difficult for most people. I look forward to when we all can look at this time as just a bad memory.
It’s still very cold in Chicago. January and February tend to be the coldest. I’m excited to shift out of the cold into a warmer, sunnier season as I’m craving some outside time. In the summer, I tend to take long walks and explore new neighborhoods. This summer, I’d like to bike to the Galewood area and hang for a bit there. I also want to explore River Forest and Forest Park. Lastly, in the summer I would love to join a bicycle club!
In the meantime, I edit memories, learn new skills and practice indoor photography. I’ve noticed that when It comes to this, I’m quite lost. It’s been a while since I’ve worked with indoor equipment in a serious manner. My goal last month was to get a small television that I could connect to my camera and be able to shoot some self-portraits and judge these shots more easily. I was able to purchase a TV last month, but unfortunately, it was defective and had to be returned. Since then, I haven’t been able to buy another one at the price range I’m looking for. About two weeks ago I read my monthly horoscope and it had said not to buy electronics at this time since I would have problems with them. I feel this happened sooner than what the report had said. So, for now, I’ve decided to wait it out until March. The temporary lack of extra funds has also contributed heavily to this matter.
Lastly, this “off” time has given me time to work on other projects. Currently, I’m developing an art and jewelry store as well as an eBay store for older equipment. Ideally, these projects would have taken less of my time and would be already running. However, I also want to use this season to work on my mental and spiritual health. So, if the projects mentioned take a bit more time, I’m OK with it.
With this, I leave you with Cellphone photos part … 13?
Cellphone Photos part 13!
Lil' Rain-Bow has been destroying every single stuffed toy in sight. She is adorable! I have come to really enjoy her little face and her company. That said, I still feel guilty about loving her so much. When honey passed, I was adamant I did not want another dog. But in reality, I needed one. Honey used to be my comfort blanket. When she passed, my world was shaken and a piece of me died with her. I couldn't fathom loving another being more than I loved her. I know now that it is possible to love another being again and that said love cannot be measured in the same way. Every love is different and I can love them both. Rain-Bow serves a different purpose than Honey did. Honey took care of me and I will be forever thankful to her for her dedication and love.
She gave me the strength to cake for myself and now of Rain-Bow.
December 24th was fun. I spent time at my in-laws and took some shots. I find it weird they celebrate the holidays on the 24th and not on the 25th. Many Latino families do this. Mine did not, so it always feels a bit alien to me.
I really love this shot. I especially love the way the subjects make a circle-like shape. They look so lovingly and
light. It's a beautiful piece.
I found this photo while rummaging on my phone. I have no idea how it got here as it was taken many years ago. As you can see, I was VERY skinny then. I would love to go back to this size. I have a feeling this was taken 2011-2012 ish. I did edit this shot. When I took it the light was off and just felt weird. With this edit, I wanted to give it a slight nature look inside a vacuum. I'm not sure how to explain it. But the end result looks fantastic compared to what I had before.
My new bike and trainer! I traded my blue and green bike for a more updated one. I really wanted to keep my older one. I loved it so much and it brought me many happy memories. But I just didn't have space. I took this as a sign to let it go. I believe "Lola" as I named her before donating her, will bring happiness to someone else as it did to me. Maybe, she can even change their life.
Sweet edit made of photos for my job's website.
I really enjoy these sorts of things. I wish I could do more of it on Sundays.
Slight edit of Rain-Bow's naps. I want to take more of these as well. Maybe I should get into pet photography. LOL!
]]>I found out yesterday my website (this website) is not secure. I tried to log into this account and I was having issues updating the site. I wanted to put my IG feed on the main page since I'm planning to use that account more frequently. Zenfolio (the site I use to store my photography and make this blog) is secured but for some reason, my site's security certificate was not updated. I'm working to solve this (bear with me on this one).
Photography-wise and art-wise happenings: (not in any particular order)
Finally, I have to put AT LEAST one image on this post so here is a couple so I feel like an overachiever! Whoot!!!
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I also have a bit of a rodent problem. Since it's cold out, a family of mice has been trying to move into my kitchen. So I've taken an executive decision and I have denied them entry into my home. If you are not paying rent you can't stay here. So far I haven't seen much movement. That said, I need to clean all the cabinets so I can keep my sanity.
I'm almost sure I have more edited photos to show you. I've been studying the technical part of photography on my mini-vacation. I figured if I can't/won't shoot then I'll study. I still need space for my photo studio. No matter how I accommodate things, there is just no space. If I had more money, I would rent an art studio. But, money is a bit hard to find these days.
As I write this, I've come up with a couple of ideas:
1. Make a small background and use it to practice shooting small items.
2. Work with existing surfaces and take headshots. Example: Use the stainless steel refrigerator as a silver background etc.
3. Construct mobile "headshot" backgrounds that I can store away and/or reuse.
Next week will be a busy one. Especially Friday. But I have planned and separated a 3-hour period on Saturday solely to work on art and photography. I'm very excited about that. Wish me luck and good vibes so I can make awesome things.
***NEW EDITS***
Fancy tree photo. I really like how crisp it looks. I might make a print for myself and hang it at home.
This is nature. National Geographic hire me!
I was going for a thing here. But I've forgotten what it was, LOL!
You have been cordially invited to our wedding. #mood
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How are you? I hope life is treating you well. I know that can be hard with 2020 being … well 2020, but I hope you’re hanging in there regardless. I had a couple of business ideas this last week. I’m planning on taking a hard look at them because they look most promising. If 2020 has shown me anything is that having side gigs is important. Do not carry all your eggs in one basket.
I’m still working on that photo studio. I’ve organized my art supplies and even with that I still can’t get rid of any shelving units. So off to plan B.
The holidays are approaching fast. This Thursday will be Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for. For example, I’m still alive and COVID-19 free. I have a place to call home and a good family. I encourage you to take some time out this week and make a list on what your blessings have been. Also, and in case you have not heard please stay home this holiday and wear a mask.
Lastly, take this week to something for yourself. Practice some self-care. Paint, draw, practice your photography, take a class. Remember that time on you is never wasted. #selfcare
Let's Self Care!
I love sings. I have no idea why. But I have enough signs photos to make a nice photobook. In fact, I just might do this :)
#2021goals
Still working on those closeup shots.
What do you think?
This image speaks to me. When I see it, I always think of those closeup microscope shots of cells and molecules.
I happen to think that pretty cool :P
Boyfriend being Zen
]]>Its been a minute, I know. Between work, lockdowns, and the general uncertainty of life, I’ve been slacking at blogging. To the honest, I love writing but I cannot seem to sit down to get this done.
I continued to edit the photos I had already taken. Unfortunately, Chicago’s “soft lockdown” unables me to run around and shoot. It sucks, but I understand that it has to be done. Hopefully, next year will be better… and a bit warmer.
To combat the lack of “outside”, I’m planning to make a small photo studio and use my partner as my model. I think I’ve talked about this before. That said, we have outgrown our 1-bedroom apartment, so I STILL have to figure out where to fit a background and lights. I may have to invade the kitchen. LOL!
Surfing the City... Again!
I tried to make this a Geode, It's getting there but I'm sure I will get there soon. #learning
I'm really intrigued with intricate forms like this. I always tend to gravitate to either really simple or incredibly difficult works. What do you think?
Left side: Reminds me of Puerto Rico
Right side: I think it's beautiful!
Really colorful! It almost looks tridimensional. I really like this shot. :)
A shot from Chicago Ave. I may use this photo in an upcoming show. COVID-19 permitting.
999. I always see repeated numbers. Do you do as well?
I believe 999 means that you are being call to help others. I have a plan for that :P
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Got some beautiful flowers yesterday from my family.
Thank you. :)
]]>What does everyone think of the new iPhones? I was willing to change to Apple since my phone is on its last leg but I'm offended that they would think I'll go crazy for a phone with no charger included. You can only be an Apple fan for so long! I bet that there are some fans questioning their loyalty right now... That said, (for transparency) I do have an iPad and I love it so... to each their own.
Moving on, Chicago has gotten cold, windy, and grey. I hate it. I wish the city was always sunny. It looks so beautiful when it is. But seasons, am I right? I've been actively trying to get into the right frame of mind and looking for solutions instead of focusing on the problem and complaining. I've even made myself an idea book and wrote down the areas and issues I want to concentrate on. I'm slowly managing my time better (which has been a problem WAY before this blog was created). We even brought back the idea of purchasing a home. My boyfriend and I have a lot of hobbies that require space. And my nerdy ass would love the idea of having a basement all for myself and my crap.
Photography...
Last week I had an adventure again. I walked to the next town via Chicago Avenue. Let me tell you, after the library, the street morphs into a shithole. I can't understand how the Alderman has let this happen. I mean I understand times are rough and that empty shops and lots are normal under trying financial times. And to add a pandemic to the mix will just turn everything into a steamy ball of excrement. But I'm sure that with little effort the area would look so much nicer. I almost feel like this is done on purpose to keep the residents of the West Side down. People that have been born in the area see it like this and don't bat an eye. I think that they deserve and should get more. I'm going to send the Alderman a letter. I doubt it will change much but at least it's something. What I really wanted to do is to march into her office and give her a bunch of ideas on how the area could be looking SO MUCH BETTER but that would be rude and security will be called. I guess like the saying goes you trap more bees with honey right?
I started editing some of the photos on the iPad. I made it my purpose to do so because that is the reason I bought it and not for what it's been used for since its purchase which is playing Solitaire and Bejeweled. I'm slowly learning the system and the Adobe mobile apps. There's an offer running now that for $20 you get all the apps. I might just take it. EDIT: I took it. I'm still in the process of learning and editing these photos, so in this post, you will see the process of what I'm doing. Enjoy and if you have any cool ideas let me know. I'm game.
Edits for the FUTURE!
I decided to take a photo of this dead sunflower because I thought it was beautiful. Also, I seem to like prickly things. I wanted to showcase the sharpness in the center. I'm almost done with it. Right now, it doesn't call out to me. It's missing ambiance. When it feels right, I will be done with it and it will be released to the world in an official capacity. This is a soft opening, LOL!
I changed the hues on this one. I have to work on getting the corners to look more realistic. Thoughts?
I cropped this photo a bit. I really like the way it looks. That said, I have to get the new system running Adobe so I can have a bigger screen to do this edits in.
This is another shot of those flowers. I need to stop being lazy and use manual settings...
Seriously.
I was trying to make this shot sharper in the middle, but it got away from me. So I have to re-do the edit. It was great practice but it did not give me the intended result. Side note, that middle part looks lie the Coronavirus, LOL!
In this shot, I was trying to recreate that blue sci-fi tint all futuristic apocalyptic movies get. But then I decided that I liked how that far away part looks. Then I realized that it DOES NOT GO with my intended look. It needs to be redone.
This is a simpler edit but it needs the sky to be more vibrant.
I was going for the weird local zine look. Don't judge me.
I rummaged through my phone about a week ago in order to make this post. In a perfect world, this post would have been posted about 2 weeks ago. Life has been too crazy. Just as an example, last week we thought the boyfriend caught COVID. We both got tested and it came out negative. That was a relief. I'm not sure how life would have been if we tested positive. That would have been a real nightmare.
I saw online that Dr. Fauci thinks we might be headed to another lockdown since the virus tends to spread more rapidly in closed spaces and during winter months. What I'm trying to say is that Chicago is fucked. It's always cold here and climate change is NOT helping at ALL. It seems to me that climate change is more of a game of extremes. For example in Chicago is very hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Also, the winter seems to go on forever now. I haven't figured out that on yet but it infuriates me so.
Moving on, I'm taking part in a gallery show in the fall. I don't have any details yet since planning is still in the early phases. I'm very excited about it. Its been a while since I participated in anything artistic. I forgot how time-sucking grad school can be. The show is about individual experiences with lockdown and COVID-19 in the city. I really want to do a good job. I would like to shadow an individual or organization. I think what would be one hell of a project. How feasible would that be during a pandemic with a sitting president in the hospital? I don't know.
I've been looking at my phone constantly today for updates on President Trump (saying that sentence leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth every time). When I first found out, I thought good, if he dies he deserves it. Seconds later my thoughts changed. Not because I support anything he does. I honestly think he's a fraud, a joke, racist and should have never won the election. But then I thought: If he dies Baron will lose his dad. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. That said, he's got COVID so, Karma? Maybe this experience will soften him up enough to understand and do something about the experiences of those who don't have the resources or the money to stop working or those evicted from their homes because of COVID. Or maybe those who have no or limited health insurance and are now thousands of dollars in debt, etc. I feel like those individuals have been forgotten and that I'm lucky to still have employment and health insurance. I really should not complain at all.
Let's talk about photos!
I edited some shots I've gotten between running errands and the sort. I wish it was easier just to pick up the camera and go. But because at any time I am carrying 30 to 50 pounds worth of weight, it becomes quite a chore to shoot. Don't get me wrong, I still carry it but when I do it's usually from work and back, and let's face it my life is not so interesting. Busy but not interesting. Anyway, these are my shots for this week. I'm not going to caption them this time. But if you want to comment, feel free to do so. :)
While I was Out
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I have big news! I'm on the paper!!!! The Austin Voice printed some of my photos on this week's paper. I'm so happy! It gave me the motivation I've been lacking. School has been hard and I'm not looking forward to doing it again. But I will say the thought about someday people having to refer me as Dr. Lopez entices me, LOL!
Anyhow, I leave you the article below. I want to thank The Austin Voice for the opportunity and a special thanks to Alvin for his help and guidance. Thank you!!!
Check them out at The Austin Voice
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***UPDATE: I have officially adopted her as of yesterday (08-04-2020)
I still have to write a story for the project I'm planning for this blog. Two years ago (this is the third time I've used the word "two" in this post), I started writing a sci-fi story called The Igo Box. Continuing this story is a possible option. It also kills two (see?) birds with one stone. Nothing would make me happier than being creative and efficient. Well, eating without gaining weight is a very close second.
I edited some shots last week for the blog. I was definitely in a experimental vibe and I loved the results. Let me know if you like them!
Evelyn's Big Adventure!: Now in 4K (Not really)
I went for a long walk a couple of weeks ago. I decided that instead of just picking up my food in the car, I would "gain" it by walking to the place. In total I believe I walked about 8 miles. Not bad Eevee... not bad.
Took this while walking on Cicero Ave. It's apparently abandoned (as far as I can remember) but the sign is pretty neat. I love old signs and city signals. I have no idea why.
This building had the most amazing brickwork. I've noticed it a few times before on other buildings but this one in specifically is very cool.
Took a peek at the state of the Forman Mills after the looting. The place was destroyed. It seems they decided to make some upgrades to the building as they re-asphalted the parking lot.
Never thought I would see a working one of these again...
My attempt at trying to be artsy.
I love this shot because after the editing it look like a Sims game. Look at the little car!!!
Dont loot!
Official wedding photo of 2021. 2020 is Corona themed.
Some work on Cicero. It looks scarier than what it is... I hope.
2020 in a nutshell.
Make them calls gurl!
I was trying to replicate the artist I talked about on my last blog. It definitely does not look like her work but it was certainly inspired by.
P.S.: Still learning doggy speech. As soon as I do, I will be posting a nauseating amount of puppy photos. Be warned, LOL!
]]>I take bits of my time to sneak in some much needed nap time. I’ve been keeping track of my sleep score with my FitBit and it seems I don’t sleep as much as I thought I did. In conclusion I need to take naps. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, LOL!
My plan I for Saturday is to find a new new photo spot. So basically a field day. Ideally, I would go on my bike, find a new place, take some photos and pedal home. I’m concern that my plan will be too ambitious. There is a limit to how much my body can take. Also, distance is a concerned as well. I would hate to be constricted by how much distance A bike can cover comparing to a car. With aN automobile I would cover more ground and explore farther. There is also the security concerns but we won’t jump into that rabbit hole.
I would love to visit Chicago’s Botanical Garden (the complete name escapes me it I’m sure it’s obvious what I’m talking about). I know the Field Museum will re-open soon so that’s also a contender (if open). I would like to be far from crowds (mainly because I would rather not photograph the inside of a ventilator). As I’ve said before on this blog, I need to practice moving targets so I came up with the most fabulous idea (stop me if you’ve heard this before): I would practice shooting moving targets via TV. It’s a simple and practical concept. I haven’t tried it yet so I’m not sure what kind of results it will have. It’s simple: practice moving targets by photo shooting your favorite movie. Turn on the TV and take a photo of what’s on the screen. You’ll know if you’ve captured your subject correctly if your shot is clear. In theory this will work. I’ll most likely take a stab at this on the weekend. If you’re brave enough to try it yourself, let me know how it went. We can learn fo each other.
This weeks edits are collected from my mobile phone. I had to factory reset my phone and while doing I stumbled upon some shots I had forgotten about. Don’t you hate when that happens? I’m very glad photography exists, if I wasn’t for that I would forget about the places I go and the people I meet. I believe that counts for what the 90’s expertly called: A “bummer”. Enjoy the shots!
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with an IG photographers work. She goes by @all4arrow. Her macro work is amazing! I’m incredibly jealous of her talent!
Miss Mayla is making an entrance. That day she decided I was cool enough to hang with her. Days later she let me pick her up and coddled my cheek. I know one day she’ll love me! *fingers crossed*
Attempting to recreate some of @all4arrrow work. I don’t do it any justice.
2nd attempt. I really wanted to some color. It needs to be darker, more mysterious...
I temple. <—- Typo but keeping it! It was the first visual that popped into my head. What I was trying to write was that I stumbled upon this door in one of my outings. I believe it’s quite recent and that i must had took it in Wicker Park. At first I wanted to edit it in color but somehow it just happened to look better in monochrome. I have to check my phone where I took it.
Last Friday the BF and I went into a fancy vegan restaurant for dinner. The plate was OK. I did like the potatoes!
Memories from my bike rides. There are some old train tracks close to Oak Park. I managed to take a photo of them before people thought I was a creep. Lol!
Same here. One of these days I might follow the road tracks just to see where they lead. I could also just use a map but that would ruin the adventure. I do not wish to be only individual self cock-blocking. I can’t be the bad guy in my own movie.
I took one of those wide lens auto shoots. It came out like this. My goal was to get it in one show with no deformation. Can’t expect much from a basic phone. Honestly, it does wonderfully for the price.
THE END!
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#comingsoon
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Next week will be a doozy! I have lots of appointments (medical and other) but I'm really excited. I have come in contact with some individuals that I'm excited to learn from. Any chance I get to learn new skills or collaborate with amazing individuals I'll take. It's all very exciting and I will update you on what comes of it.
As for July 4th, I'm not really in the mood to celebrate. I had this idea that I would clean the grill and have a little cookout, but instead, I cleaned the kitchen and decided to organize myself for the week. What I really mean to say is, I cleaned and I don't want to get it all dirty :)
Back to photography...
I took some shots with my phone from my bike adventure to Humboldt Park last week. I had traced my route so I would spend the least amount of time on the busy streets. Unfortunately, I missed my exit (I concentrated so hard I managed to go past it) and ended up riding exactly in the busy area I wanted to avoid. On the plus side, no cars hit me and I was able to conquer the trip. Next time, I'll look more carefully at the signs.
Humboldt Park was full. Lots of people having picnics, walking their pets and having fun. I did a couple of laps around the park and took some photos. These are the shots I'm showing in this post. I also rode to the bike shop but managed to get there at 6:14 pm. They had closed at 6:00 pm. I really need to get a drink holder for my bike. I bought one off Amazon and I swear I managed to purchase the worst item on the whole website. I returned it immediately.
Here are some shots from my park visit. I really hope you enjoy them Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your feedback.
A Bike Ride to Humboldt Park!
I really wanted to mess around with different styles. These shots were good practice. This a lovely shot of what I believe is the back of the boathouse.
When I was growing up, there used to be these picture books aimed at elementary school students that were sold with the sole purpose of being used as homework. Especially if you had social studies schoolwork and your teacher wanted a photo of the Tainos. I'm sure they are still sold in EVERY SINGLE PUERTORRICAN PHARMACY EVER. When I saw this photo it reminded me of that and I tried to recreate it. A bit farther down, there is another edit of this same shot. Did you ever see those picture books? I miss them. They were awesome.
The issue with lots of texture, contrast, lines and desaturated shots is that it is hard to make them look decent. If you ever have taken a black and white photo of food, you know what I mean. If you haven't, go ahead and do it. I assure you, it is not for the squeamish; it looks like throw up. My intent for this edit was not to have that happen. I believe I succeeded.
I got very shy while taking this shot. I had to hype myself up in order to turn my bike around and shoot. I was happy I did. Little did I know that in every shot I had managed to make the ultimate photographer's faux pas... I put my 'effin finger in the lens! ARRRGGGGHHH!!!! I didn't notice until I started editing. So after screaming at the moon, I tried to work with it as best I could. I was brave, so I'm posting it!
Next to the closed bike shop was this. It is lovely so I snapped a pic. :)
Curious Note: While I was taking this shot an older gentleman warned me about leaving my bike unattended. He was right, I was quite careless. When I was editing this photo, I kept thinking about The Walking Dead. It had that type of feeling to it when uncropped. I wasn't going for that so I trimmed it a bit.
This is what I meant. If it doesn't give you picture homework vibes, then I can't help you. LOL!
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Last week was easier than the previous one. It went by faster and didn't feel so draining. I was also able to quickly take some shots of flowers from my place of employment. I wish I had more time to do so. I'm still trying to get a feel for the old camera. I plan to use it as my every day, If-i-break-it-i-wont-cry-as-much system. I figured that if one of these suckers is going to break, let it be the old one. I'm excited about this whole ordeal. That said, manual mode all the way. This Canon camera seems to think EVERYTHING is better overexposed. (Pretty sure there's a setting I need change).
My hand is still giving me issues. I have now come to the realization that if I ever were to lose an arm, I would be useless. I can't even scratch my butt properly. LOL! X-rays claim nothing is fractured or broken but no doctor seems to able to explain what's wrong with it and why it hurts so bad. I have a follow-up phone appointment on Monday. I also have a new doctor who will take a look at it in about 3 weeks. I went ahead and bought a new wrist guard with steel plates so I can keep the area fixed. It's helping but finger movements tend to affect the wrist even though I have the guard on. Let's just say I'm not enjoying the experience.
Flowers... Many, many flowers! I swear I must be driving all crazy with them. Surprisingly, I'm not a plant person but I love taking photos of them. They are lovely but except for photography, they don't fit my lifestyle. I want to include more diversity in my photography, so if any of you have ideas, let me know. I'm in!
Lastly, I had electrolysis done on Friday. I have paid someone to torture me for 30 minutes. I hate going, but I love the result. If they could knock me out for the whole process, I would pay to get all my body done. "Here's my money, see ya tomorrow!". This should be a thing, just putting it out there.
And now FLOWERS!!!
I've been playing around with the presents on Lightroom. I tend to see what I like then edit those settings until I come up with the final result. I'm still learning and there is LOTS to study. I really loved the way it looks. There is something about muted colors that draws me to them. Mostly, I think they look deep. I can tell people "look at me, I'm a deep, scarred soul". And just then, I flip my 2002 fringe.
Again, lots of playing around. This one was a doozy! The shot was SO blurry and weird. So, I gave myself the challenge. I'm quite pleased with it. Mostly, because It doesn't look like my usual edits. It's weird but in a good kind of way. I'm sure there is someone that will agree with me.
I love both of these! The left one looks like it belongs on a wedding invitation or some sort of important rite of passage. The right on reminds me of all those nature documentaries. Does the Chicago Botanical Garden need a photographer? I'm here! I'm here!!!
Same thing, candid wedding shot. I imagine shooting for a wedding must be a nightmare. I've only done one wedding shoot. It was the majority of my friend's wedding gift. I uploaded some of those shots here (Click HERE for that blog post). Weddings, in particular, tend to be very stressful for everyone, especially photographers. You HAVE to make sure you get the shot. And you need to be able to control and coordinate different kinds of drunk. To all those wedding photographers, I salute you. You rock and I have no idea how you get it all done.
PS: Solar eclipse is done. I win!
]]>To keep some semblance of the day we actually had planned, I asked the BF if he wanted to have a picnic. He agreed this would be a good idea and thus we discovered Callahan Grove. This little patch of green stuck in the middle of the city offers a good reprieve from all the huff and puff of the daily grind. We had the tastiest pizza and I enjoyed the beauty that is the Blaze Pizza Dough Knots. God, they were delicious!
I also used my time to snap some new photos and try out that new replacement lens I bought for my old Canon DSLR. I was interested in "learning" how to use the camera again since I was already used to my Nikon. Thankfully, muscle memory kicked in and aside from a few, unfortunate twirls of the finger, everything seemed to go smooth. I decided to try out a new "technique". See, I've always heard that if you want to quickly take photos (especially if you are in a fast-moving environment), you can shoot in aperture mode and catch those quick moves. I'm not sure I've ever tried it. Actually, I have but it was a long time ago. I tend to keep myself busy with manual mode but I'm awful at catching quick-moving shots and I really want to get better at this.
I felt that this shoot was hit and miss. I'm not sure if it was me or the lens (most likely me) but all my images were over-exposed and blurry. As for the over-exposure I blame myself. I noticed on playback that my images in the viewfinder were over-exposed. But because of the sun and my overwhelming want to have this "go well" mood, I ignored it. I figured I could "fix it in editing". Two, that maybe it was just the glare from the outdoors and that they would look better in Lightroom. I was wrong. but you know that now. I was able to save some shots and play around with others. I'm looking to learn new techniques. Let me know what you think!
Eevee's Day Out
The Art of Eating Pizza
Circa 2020
The Yeti Man Cometh
My official entry to the world of Tumblr
This should be part of a Tarot card set. I might play with this shot in the nearby future.
When I saw this one, I felt it screamed "wedding". Unknown "About me" fact: for someone who hates weddings and is generally ashamed or feels so awkward at said weddings, I certainly take a hell of a lot photos of flowers.
I have an older photo that reminds me of this specific shot.
^^ This one...
Look up at the sky!
To my twelve-year-old self...
]]>I am lucky in the fact that even though my childhood was not one I'd wish on anyone, my parents always made sure that my needs were met and I was never without. I see Chicago with different eyes than most. But as time passes, I slowly start to understand the almost insurmountable challenges that people of color (including me) face. It's going to be hard to fight the deep-set roots of the systematic racism in this country. An incredible challenge. But, I believe that we can fight and win. That said, there is no one-day solution. It is a constant, everyday struggle in which ALL of us have to put our part. Our system is one of unfair, antiquated directives that we have subconsciously accepted. It is time we burn the system...
Moving on, I was looking through one of my online album titled Random. It certainly lives up to its name.
Eevee's Random Album
I believe this is one of the first photos I ever took. At the time, I had just bought my first DSLR and was attending 2 different colleges. Why, you ask? Because I was an overachiever. LOL! This was taken at one of my schools' campus. Our professor would have us go outside and photograph things. I really enjoy that. I wish I would have finished that class. When things started getting complicated, I just didn't have enough funds to continue to attend. I also thought at the time that I knew more than the teacher. I know, I'm a little shit. LOL!
A few years ago (when I still lived on the island), there was a big explosion in a... I believed it was a gas refining plant. The explosion was so loud and huge that it blew off the windows of a recently built all-glass building that was miles away. It was a huge deal on the island because they were really afraid the fire would reach the gas lines buried under the nearby highway. Thankfully, it did not. When that happened a lot of people that lived around the plant woke up from the explosion and decided to drive down to the closest street to the fire take pictures and chill. #explosionandchill Police started telling people they would get ticketed a hefty fine if they came in. At one point there was so many people in the area that it was hard for the authorities to work. As you can see in the photo, I lived quite far. I believe I was three towns away and I could still see all that smoke. It burned for almost a week.
You can read more about it HERE
Another random photograph. This was a "What's in your bag" photo challenge. I have a love/hate relationship with this photograph. It seems to pop up once in a while and I'm just "eh" about it. I've been meaning to delete it for years but I can't seem to follow through.
While in grad school, I was able to go to an art fair exhibition where lots of artists from around the world were present. I was in awe at all the incredibly talented individuals I came across. I felt so inspired! I have to look through my records to see if I can find the pictures from the event. These sculptures were part of a couple sets the artist had made. I remember being so afraid to take photos. I still am. I haven't found an effective to go up to people, introduce myself and ask for a photograph. I get so shy! My photography career has suffered because of it. This should be one of my photography goals (and really life goals). I want to be able to go to C2E2 and feel that I can take someone's photo without feeling awkward.
To be honest, I don't remember where or when this shot was taken. I have a feeling its from a trip me and my friends took and got lost. I also seem to remember going to a Chinese takeout place.
...Actually, now that I take a closer look at it, I think it was from a time I was trying to take photos around my house. I used to live in a very touristy area and decided to head out during nighttime, take pictures, and confront my fears. It ended backfiring on me because there were two drunk security guards from one of the businesses that thought I was being creepy and didn't want me to take photos of their property (even though I was outside). They were bothering me and trying to take my camera away. I got scared and left. After that, it was a while until I decided to take my camera with me anywhere. I always keep thinking someone was going to steal it from me. I'm almost always by myself during my photo adventures and I feel that makes me a target. This is I'm always lacking on the photo front. Because I don't want to go by myself, It makes me feel unsafe. I need to work on this.
Pretty sure this was taken at All Ways 99. I fucking LOVE dollar stores. Around the 90's the first dollar store opened in Plaza Carolina, Puerto Rico. It was a store where everything was $1.10. It was ALWAYS packed! The management changed the format and made everything more expensive. It eventually closed. My love of cheap made-in-china trinkets is deep and unchanging. After some time, All Ways 99 stores started popping up. Almost nothing is .99. Actually, nothing is .99, LOL! but they have cool stuff and you can pretty much decorate your whole house. Since I'm going to Puerto Rico this year, I just might stop by and get some things. I already know I'll need a big suitcase.
Costco be tripping! LOL!
CONFESSION: I've been eating tuna for many years and I never knew that was its name. I honestly never bother to look. Also, I'm not picky so Ill just get what's on sale. So when Jessica Simpson got shit for her whole Chicken of the Sea situation, I acted all stupid like I knew what was going on but I didn't even know that was the brand. Sorry Jessica!!!
I've always found the cow from the Skinny Cow brand disturbing. Does anyone else feel the same way? I mean, I guess it's cool that there is a "healthier" alternative but it's just weird to me. Also, I want you to notice the $8 dollar ice cream in the back.
It's my name!!! There is a story behind that name. My best friend from Puerto Rico gave it to me. He calls me Evol. I adopted it and for a long while I used it as my art pseudonym and online store name. Shit, my email is still that name. People think it's always weird and that I'm evil. In reality, I'm probably the nicest, non-confrontational person you'll ever meet. I get a kick out of it and at the same time feel embarrassed by it. LOL!
I'm not sure when this happened. But it is quite lovely. I think I've narrowed down to two places:
A) The party of a friend I no longer talk to. (It's a long tale and it makes none of us look good)
or
B) Some fancy Asian cuisine place that I don't remember at all.
This photo was part of a set. I was doing a project for school and I went to the Pharmacy Museum. That box has pretty much that you need to prepare medicine (I think, don't remember well) I fell in love with all the tiny tickets, bottles and the sort. I live for stuff like this. I wonder if it's still open. I'd like to visit again.
Its name was Alexis, the gender-bending Lancer. I could never figure out its gender, so I decided it was ALL of the genders. Yes, this is the first LGBTQA car.
NOTE: I'm not trying to be controversial or want to speak badly about anyone. My car just marched to its own beat and I loved it.
I miss you Alexis. Your sister Sylvie says hi!
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Besides the current emotional trauma, life is good. Many Amazon purchases later, I'm beginning to feel like myself again. Now, I have a cool sitting spot for the she-shed (we moved our recliner) and much reading has been done. I also purchased a new desk chair, so I should be able to use my laptop without incurring in unnecessary back pain.
I've also been riding my bike ... a lot. I really enjoy the wind on my face, the sound of the neighborhood, and the sense of adventure it gives me. It makes exercising fun. (Never tell anyone I said exercise was fun. I have a reputation to maintain, LOL!)
Been lagging on the photography front. Well, it depends on how you look at it. I HAVE been taking photos for health reasons. I've been tracking my meals and sugar levels, so I got a lot of photos of that. But they are not really that interesting. I still have stuff from my last adventure which I don't think you have seen. I'm sure I posted some of them on this blog. I'll have to check what made it online.
My laptop's hard-drive (apparently Grammarly doesn't know what word this is) has been giving me some problems. It seems that I left the computer on for too long and it overheated taking the SmartDrive with it. It still turns on and works but it's giving me the "Hey Imma break soon" message that hate but appreciate. At least it lets me know there's a problem and gives me ample time to figure it out. So, thank you laptop for your help. Next week when I go to the weekend job I'll make sure to swing by the laptop room and purchase a new drive.
My memory is not great but I'll summarise in bullet points my month:
Silly Eevee Things
BF and I decided to go riding yesterday. We have an adventure and FINALLY found a Geocache.
It only took me 10 years of lazy trying until I finally did it!
Congrats Tiger! LOL!
*Unedited photo*
I've been seeing A LOT of repeated numbers lately... like A LOT. It happens every couple of years and it focuses me on paying attention to my life's choices. I've looked it up and it says changes are coming.
11 11 MEANING. ... In other words, seeing 11 11 is a good sign! An energetic doorway is being opened in which you will experience spiritual growth. 11 11 meaning in summary: You are on the right path and you're being assisted by your Soul, spirit guides, and the Universe to consciously grow and expand.
While riding BF spotted the art above. It that doesn't look like my dog Honey, I don't know what does. I looked at the bottom of the photo to see who the artist was and the numbers 1111 were written along with the artist's signature. I took it as a sign that my baby is looking out for me. It made me cry. I love you little girl and I appreciate the fact that subtlety is not in your game plan because your mama will miss any queues if it's not on a text message. I always ask the universe that if it needs to tell me something to write me an email. I'm slow to pick up queues. I would fail as part of the Scooby-Doo gang and they have Shaggy. So, thank you Honey. You know your mom best.
*Unedited photo*
In our travels yesterday we saw the cutest truck EVER!!! The guy that owned was really nice and talked to us for a bit. He says he got it at a car import place. They had three and he was lucky to snag one up. That said, the horn on this thing! You would think a cargo boat was approaching! It's super loud and you would never think that sound it was coming from that little truck. I jumped up when I heard it. If the 7-11 ceiling wasn't in the way, I would have landed at O'Hare.
*Unedited photo*
I bought a desk chair today... Surprise bitch!
*Unedited photo*
The year has brought up some good things. For the first time in a long while my body feels good. To the point that I've been my riding bike almost every day for about 6 miles. Last year just getting on a bike wasn't even a possibility. I still struggle some days and I'm not in control of my anxiety, but I believe that if I continue to follow this path I can in time pull through.
For the rest of the year, I want to specifically focus on positive and finding ways to make my life more joyful. One activity that always brings me joy is photography. So, now that is much warmer than before and I'm less in pain, I want to focus on making this happen. Are you with me?
I tool an old photo of Honey and use the Comica App to add the effect. I also used Snapseed for light modifications. I'm thinking of blowing up this photo and set it up as a center art piece for my apartment.
One of the struggles we've had to endure lately is Hershey's health issues. She has just been diagnosed with cancer. We have decided to let nature take it's course and just make her comfortable for as long as she's got left. This was a shot to the heart for me. We lost Honey in January and soon we'll lose Hershey as well. We have been giving her lots of love.
I wanted to make a fancy forest photo. I'm pretty sure I succeeded.
#extra
Enjoy this selfie. You know weird it is for me to be on that side of the lens. That said, this not a bad shot.
I pass through this community garden on my bike ride. I'ven been meaning to check it out. Hopefully I'll see people working on it on my next ride.
Another cute picture of the little one. She is adorable.
BF getting in sync with nature.
I feel like this photo should be put on a goth magazine... thoughts?
Left: Sings from my travels
Right: Trying to get Hershey to eat. Let me tell you, It's a struggle.
One day I hope tp move to this neighborhood.
Every time I see this shot I think he hovering on top of that tree.
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*NOTE*: I haven't edited these photos, but I really should...
Coronavirus: A Stroll to Remember
The alley. A place for poop, (It's where our garbage is collected). Actually, a place to pee. My BF found one of our neighbors peeing on the walkway leading to the alley. Tu sabes, tranquilo. *sigh*
I don't recall one of the meters being missing. I wonder if it's from the unoccupied apartment on our floor?
Maybe the meter missing was broken? In the entryway, there was always a sound really similar to a baby bird crying. It took me until RIGHT NOW to realize it was the meters. I kept looking for a hurt bird for almost 2 weeks.
#leavemealoneimnotsmart
I posted a photo of this set on IG today. As we can observe, she is tired of my bullshit.
When we went out we took my in-law's dog Mayla with us. Mayla has WAY too much energy. No one keeps up with her. She's also a bit crazy, but we love her anyway.
My thinking for this photo was: Look how beautiful is the sky and the trees. I'm sure I can photoshop that building out later. I didn't do it, friends. I just didn't do it...
#lazyphotography
I never realized how big that tree is. It's going to look so lovely once summer arrives! (It never arrives. It only visits for 3 days and leaves. This is Chicago, after all.)
#25monthsofwinter3daysofsummer
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Today I went to the grocery store and gather some essentials. I was expecting lines to get into the local and most foods to be unavailable. That wasn't the case. I was able to get everything I needed (even toilet paper) and had no issues whatsoever. I feel lucky. I've heard certain places have had issues with food shortages. After getting the groceries, I went ahead and FINALLY decided to cook that frozen turkey I've had in my freezer since the dawn of time. In 4.5 hours we will have a 20-pound turkey to munch on. That makes me really happy.
Moving on, here are some photos for your enjoyment :)
Corona Cellphone Dump #1
My time in Miami. That horse is a waste of money. I think it costs about $30 million dollars. Then again, here I am talking about it. So maybe achievement unlocked???
Here is some info about it.
There is A LOT of new construction in the Miami area. I'm sure that the next time I visit I won't recognize a damn thing.
I really like this photo. It reminds me of another photo I took years ago from a hospital parking lot. I think that specific photo was taken in 2009. If I find it, I will try to post it.
These suckers wanted to poo on us. They were beautiful but carried a dangerous weapon in their guts. That reminds me, I have to clean my car from all the bird poop it got last week. I'm pretty sure I'm a target for those bread-filled colons...
That iguana wanted to hang with us HARD. My sister and I are terrified of them. We shushed it as much as we could. Eventually, it got the message.
Impromptu photo shoot. Please enjoy my crazy face.
#branding
My cousin's dog is a Star Wars extra. Also, this crazy dog decided to jump in the canal (picture above) to follow a duck. My mom and I told my cousin that we would take care of Riley (dog) 5 minutes before the event so she could take a shower. We failed as dogsitters. Please don't hire us. LOL!
My aunt's dog Mia (pictured on the left).
The most amazing gift! (pictured right)
Rest in peace Honey. I love you.
We surprised my mom with a birthday party since she had to spend her actual b-day in the hospital.
On the left, my sister and her boyfriend trying to get my mom's new hammock to work. It did not so it was returned.
Luxury dog harnesses. Yes, it is apparently "a thing".
Many games of Jenga were played. I want to say I won. Actually, I'm pretty sure I did.
I really liked that purse. I will be in the market pretty soon for a new one. Last time I went to Kohls they had a 40% off sale. I might check their site soon.
Overly shiny building
I also have no idea who those people were.
Most awesome garage. Very cute (and expensive).
Mom wanted red things. Mom always wants red things.
Again, no idea who these people are. Social distancing was not a thing last year.
Also (and more importantly), this place had awesome food. What I'm most amazed at was (and my most remembered memory) was the fact that my sister was able to memorize all our orders, substitutions and everything and order for us.
Yaaas gurl!
My little girl. I miss her so much but I rather that she stay in heaven than to be with me in pain and suffering. I had her for almost 16 years. She was probably sick of me. Wherever you are I love you Honey Lee.
TGI Friday's meal. Before this, It had probably been 10 or 15 years since I visited the chain. We used to have a couple of them in Puerto Rico, but one day they all closed. No warning or anything. If I remember correctly, it was a sanitation issue and the franchise owners didn't want to put money in repairs. It was a long time ago. I'm sure I got those details wrong.
Trying unsuccessfully to explore Dever airport. In all honestly, it's hard to roam around these places. Not only security is tight but also I'm in need of a wheelchair most times during my visits to airports. So it's not like I can ask the airport employees to wheel me around so I can explore. That said, I did not get to see any crazy murals. I really wished I did though. There's always next time!
PS: There is totally an underground base. There way too much-unused land around the place to convince me otherwise.
I believe this was Pete's Kitchen in Dever. I had a burger and it was delicious.
I really like that purse.
Fell in love with this hand. I need it. Actually, Amazon sells them. So if anyone out there wants to gift me this piece, I'll forever love you.
Mile High Comics... I LOVE YOU!!!!
So many awesome things here! I really loved the Denver area. So wonderful!
My friend's parents were awesome! They made my stay so comfy. Thank you for showing such a wonderful time!
Also, big ups to my friend for being my Uber for the weekend and showing me around. You are amazing!!!
Pizza and toys. I loved the smell of freshly-made pizza. It smelled like home.
I should have bought this book when I had the chance. I tried to get it through my library and I'm not sure what happened. I need to try again after the lockdown.
Beautiful town at the base of the mountain. I want to live here.
Nothing says Puerto Rico like a house with Lestoil.
Oh, hi!!!
Valentine Adventures. Yes, that is my photo face.
Someone made a Demogorgon pipe. LOL!
That little lady is the subject of my painting. I've had it forever and love her dearly.
I need to get my nails done YESTERDAY! I've already lost 2 of them my left-hand feels naked.
]]>I've taking cellphone photos of my daily happenings. I'd say it's pretty normal boring stuff. I'm OK with that. I've been on an end of the world/conspiracy kick all last week and while I can understand the entertainment part of it, there's a certain part of me that is truly scared. I really need to lay off, but its EVERYWHERE!
I took a break last week and haven't dealt with any thesis stuff. I need to get back to it. I need to take advantage of this time and finish it. I would really enjoy getting that diploma. I've left it hanging for way too long. That said, here are some shots of my daily life. At some point, I'd like to do a "Day in My Life" post. Do you guys remember those Livejournal groups? I really enjoyed them. I don't know who's doing that now. I gotta check that out. I never seem to finish shooting a whole day. I always get distracted, forget what I'm doing and the whole thing dies. Bah! If I do try again, I'd like it to be a day when I'm actually doing something cool. Because let's face it, no one wants 35 pictures of me laying in bed watching YouTube videos and eating chips. LOL!
ANNNNDDDD again photos below!
Cellphone Photos: Corona-rona -rona-rona Edition
I've been making masks. My goal is to make enough to donate to hospitals or whoever needs it. I'm having issues with the elastic. I have also run out of it. I have an order coming so it will have to wait a bit. I also saw that Joanns Fabrics has another pattern that does not require elastic. I have already downloaded it and will try it out soon.
I zoomed the hell of this shot. She looked so cute! Also, my floors are hella dirty.
This is what they both love most. If it were up to them this would be a job.
"Take a photo of me painting" I did and this what came out. That lighting is horrible. I swear I can do better. LOL!
"LOCKDOWN"
I can't draw but this cat came out pretty decent. You can see that it's a cat. I am proud.
My work chair decided to die (again). My co-worker was nice enough to fix it for me. This chair is pretty awful. I got it because it was cheap and seemed to work for our needs. Don't buy this chair.
Another photo of the queen of the house. We've been giving her a new medication and it makes her eat a lot. She has the cutest baby belly. It's so cute!!!
I got these disinfecting wipes from Amazon a while ago and never really paid attention to them. But a couple of days ago I got a really good look at them and realized... that doesn't it remind you of the Sims? I am living in a simulation? Are we all living in a simulation??? If we are this particular one sucks and I want my money back. No, but seriously, Isn't Solimo a Sims brand? Like, buy this Solimo kitchen set for 20 simoleans...
I have never seen this lot so empty.
I think I took this shot the day after we all got hit with a "chancleta" by the mayor. The scolding of the century had some effects... for like 3 days. I got out of work today and it looked like a normal day. #STAYHOME
This is my Facebook shot. LOL! Actually I was trying out the angle because supposedly it hides your undereye area. I have hollow areas under my eyes. I don't really like it. But it doesn't bother me enough to get it corrected. That said, this pose does not work for my specific problem. I'm sure that If I applied makeup it would help. Also, I'm pretty sure this pose is more for people that have bags under their eyes.
If you look closely there are 2 red areas on each side of the upper part of my nose. Those are because I keep scratching my eyes. I really need to stop touching my face...
This child thinks she's a cat. (except when she's busy barking at random people outside.
I decided to start painting last week. I figured I could entertain myself while on lockdown. But then I got called to work, so yeah. I'll try to finish it next weekend.
SAME...
This is what I deal with, LOL!
#photobombed
This is the same place as the previous lot photo. It seems random but what I was looking for was a shot of the shape of the sun. Chicago is weird and I haven't seen the sun in like 6 months... bear with me.
CORONA!!!
(Excuse the shitty photography. Apparently I stopped caring)
Hi :)
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... Is this thing still on???
Anyone out there??? Not... infected?
Welcome to the Apocalypse: COVID-19 Version
So it seems the whole world has fallen victim to the flu. But this flu seems to be quite contagious and menacing. I have just found out that I am an essential worker so unfortunately, I will be reporting to work on Monday. I must say, (and this will sound quite awful) I'm kinda glad to be going back to work because this apocalypse has me bored. That said, I will be staying far away from... everyone because frankly, you can't trust your fellow humans anymore. They may not know if they have been exposed or have become carriers. So like the great meme says: Like a good neighbor stay the fuck over there!
I've been taking photos of the chaos around me when possible. I wish I could take my nice camera out but for now, my phone will have to do. Also, It might creep some people out.
In the meantime, I've decided to use my free time wisely. I have a couple of projects I'd like to tackle. For example, I'd like to finish a vest I started making. I also wanted to learn how to make facemasks because I have a feeling we'll be needing those a lot more than we currently do. Lastly, I'd like to document all of the stuff that's been going on. Maybe in the future, I could show my nieces and nephews my COVID-19 years. That said, I have a couple of un-edited cellphone shots I'd like to share with you...
COVID-19: Welcome to our New Normal
I went to the store yesterday. I managed to get quite a few things before the "Shelter in Place" order went into place. Apparently, A LOT of people LOVE cereal. I still have Cheerios from the last time I went to Costco. Boyfriend in the other hand has eaten 2 boxes in the last couple of days. #theaddictionisreal
This was my nearest Walmart las week. Most specifically the toilet paper aisle. Let's just say I will be wiping my ass with cardboard for the next couple of weeks.
This is the other portion of the aisle. I was lucky enough to have found some TP on my previous grocery adventures.
This is how the "junk food" aisle looks. They even took the vegan stuff. Except for my boyfriend and me, who else eats this stuff in Austin???
1st day of self-imposed quarantine... The laptop has fallen victim of my DIY's and stickers. The world should fear me and my hoarding for Lisa Frank sticker notebooks.
The checkout line before the order was chaotic. The line extends almost all the way to the end. People were not pleased I was taking pictures. Sorry!!!
Another shot of the cereal aisle.
Day 3 of quarantine: I pulled out my coloring book and some glitter pens. I am armed and dangerous
#artistlife
So I leave you with this:
May you be blessed with plenty of Lysol and mountains of toilet paper. Take care of each other. I love you all.
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So, Valentine's Day... the boyfriend and I made our way to Wndr Museum. This place is close to downtown and it shows. I was smart enough to score a reasonably priced parking space with a new app I had downloaded. Our parking area was in a dead-end alley and a huge city garbage truck was blocking the garage entrance. After some words, we were able to have the garbage truck move enough to pass by and have a 2-inch gap on each side between the truck and the building wall.
We headed to the venue after marveling at the technology at the garages entrance. We passed by a 7-11 and some school kids. It was really cold that day. Gloves were a must-have. After spotting the place and heading towards the entrance, I couldn't load the tickets. I will admit, I had a mini-meltdown. Between all the traffic, cold and now this issue I was just not able to hold my anger and frustration any longer. Fortunately, I was able to pull it together. In the end, they didn't even scan our tickets. It was a pointless tantrum. Don't I feel stupid?
Anyway, the place is amazing and it changes constantly. It consists of 13 rooms in which you can interact with the installations inside and create wonderful illusions. I highly recommend this place. Here is the link to Wondr Musum Click Here!
Adventures @ Wondr Museum
The lighted words seemed to be a theme in this exhibition. I really enjoyed that. These particular lights were part of the last rooms. I believe I took more photos of the sets. They are shown in a later shot.
My Dalek rendition...
This is a redo of one of my earlier photos. The original photo is part of my online portfolio. See it HERE!
Boyfriend and clouds. Do you remember Slimer? I do.
Obligatory feet picture. We all have one (or several) of these.
This room was awesome. The lights were triggered by touch and would light up a beautiful array of colors and patterns. This was lovely!
Aww!!!
I really love this photo. A big thank you to the boyfriend for gifting me this rose.
Note to self: Stick all your old CDs in the walls. You will enjoy it.
I have reached my ultimate goal. I'm a part of every 90's Missy Elliot video.
Yes.
Reminds me of The Last Podcast on the left promo photos.
Hello? LOL! Funny that just a month after this photos was taken, I would be looking at this picture wondering how many people before him had picked up that phone.
#Coronavirus
HELP! LOL!
This scares me. I think it reminds me of a scary movie. BTW, a movie that I'm pretty sure I never saw.
Bow-tie cuteness :)
Yes WE are!
The END.
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Anywho, I leave with my SUPER AWESOME cellphone photos from my Miami Trip!
RRRRReeeemix!!!(You know you did the thing, didn't ya? :))
I don't remember where I took this. If I had to guess, I'd imaged it was Wynwood. That whole area is full of AMAZING art. Even the building structures play a part in the vibe. It's pretty awesome and a place to definitely check out if you wander yourselves into the area.
Ben's friends were really cool too. A bit too close to the DO NOT POOP area but overall kind dudes. Great travel guides as well. Recommend the best places in Miami. 5/5!
I thought this was a cool view. I'm sure it looks pretty neat at night.
This is the back of that area. It be neat to explore around there more. That said, I keep remembering a wall around that made shooting a bit weird. I just can't seem to place it. I'll have to ask the family.
Basically the whole flight back home, lol! My face always looks weird when photographed. So, you know when someone takes a photos and the most attractive person looks like a gargoyle and the ugliest one looks like a model? I'm one of those people.
This is what I meant when I said that the architecture matches the area. It's so lovely!!!
I also wished I had a better, more expansive vocabulary so I could say more than "This is pretty!"
Saw this car while in a car. It's like picture-in-picture. Even better! Like Inception...
I took this at the center of Aventura Mall. I must say, they had some serious Holiday Spirit. I also tried a model on my cellphone camera. It basically makes your subject look like it's much farther away than what it actually is. That's why the sides of the picture look elongated.
I make a beautiful 4th extra in a Star Wars movie. I was never much into the franchise. Now, I liked the ones I've seen. I will say that I like the newer ones more than the original. I know, bash me but I like my CGI. Actually, my favorite movie is Pacific Rim, so yeah...
One of the many, many, MANY traffic jams we experienced south. I did use my time wisely and pretty much started shooting. I must have the ugliest photographic evident for traffic. LOL!
This local seemed to be more of an estate sale than a gallery. A Lot of the pieces were items from a closed hotel. All item items seemed to be intricately crafted and interesting. That said, were really expensive. Almost, purposedly unattainable.
I posted this place in my previous post. The other shot is at night, in all its elegance. It doesn't have the same charm during the daytime. It was also a rainy day so my background was not cooperating. But I do like that the tree in the background are blurred in a trip magical way. It almost looks like they are trapped in a forcefield.
I had a vibe for this one. I wanted it to look like those '40s, 50's artsy photos. Like those you see on Time Magazine.
HDR mode on blast. I'm not in love with the shoot, but I really enjoy the fact that it looks like a memory.
I will say, that is an accurate depiction of Chicago snow.
I felt I was in a very expensive Quinceañera.
I stared at this photo for a while. I rarely take a photo. I much more rather be in the background. Like that kid that's stuck backstage when he really wants to be the star. You start studying your features and wonder if you would recognize yourself if you saw yourself in the street. Having an identical twin should be really weird.
The buildings look like toys. I find it curious. Remember those carton models for architecture class? Exactly!
Behold the dirty window effect! Well, to be fair the windows were really clean. I was just really close to them and for some reason, it didn't occur to me that I could always roll the window down. I have episodes like that. I don't think of the purely obvious choice. I'm a tad worried about that. I lack astuteness.
This is the end of the Miami trip. I do have a couple of more photos but they're repetitive so I saw no point on including them. I also have to think of a post idea for next week. I haven't done anything remotely interesting in a while. I may get more creative with this blog. I'd like to show you my learning process, how I figure out things. I also downloaded a video editor. I might try a thing or two.
]]>I started editing my Miami post (see below for progress). I thought that I had posted the cellphone photos on this site. I was wrong... so wrong. I might have uploaded them, but they certainly were never posted. Ideally, I'd like to start posting weekly again. I hate having so much time pass between blog posts. It hurts the metrics, lol!
So Miami... I was only there for 5 days but we packed so many activities in such a short period of time that it felt a lot longer. (Shoutout to my family for being my personal Uber service).
I was able to relax and just shoot instead of worrying about how it will look. I stopped trying to be so technical and just enjoyed it.
MIAMI BITCH!
Not in order but hey :)
I was lucky enough be have gone to a Holiday Fair. I don't quite remember the name but I had a lot of fun and was able to shoot many Christmas lights.
I took this photo while we were going up on the Ferris Wheel. There were a bunch of other rides you could go on. I wasn't very adventurous that night. I'm getting old and my body can't handle the rides as it used to.
While at Miami's Art District (not the same day as the fair), we found this Asian food place. The storefront sold cute things and some candy. The backend was divided into sections for different Asian restaurants. The food looked yummy. We ended up eating somewhere else but I was glad I got to see Big John's pickled eggs, lol!
Another shot of the fair.
Close to my sister's place, there is a street called Lincoln Road. It's full of very trendy stores and the sort. I spend part of my visiting day taking photos and exploring around. Lincoln Road was currently exhibiting the work of Botero (statues above). I loved that the work was outside for everyone to experience it. And there were so many statues! I took photos of the work for hours and I'm pretty sure I didn't get to all of them.
*EDIT*: I just check the Lincoln Road site and it seems the work will be there until March 31, 2020.
Go see it if you have the chance!
Check Botero's work on the Lincoln Road webpage here: Botero
FUN FACT: Fair Food is awesome until it's not. But I did get to eat some snacks and I give them and 8/10.
There we a lot of mini-holiday models around. I wonder who made them or if they just ordered them. I always wanted to make a tiny-model. It seems fun. Tedious, but fun!
These are my Uber drivers, lol!
I believe this was taken in Wynwood, Miami's Art District. There were so many people in that patio (and mostly everywhere else) that it was really hard to take photos without having a random individual photobomb you. Still, the art was very divine. (Look at me using fancy words).
Genesis... That machine will pull so far, you WILL see Jesus.
Toxic Trees?
This is the only semi-decent shot of the wheel. We got in twice. I was very happy about that.
I made a friend while adventuring... Meet Ben. lol! Ben thought I was shady and intruding into his personal space. That said, his personal space was a street corner and we were all waiting for the light to change. Sorry Ben but you bought land in a high-traffic area. Also, you are very cute. It's hard not to take a photo of you.
That is by far the most imposing Christmas tree I have ever seen. It's like BAM! I'm here. Wat up?
Second shot was at Lincoln Road. It looks a bit like my old school. Not sure how I feel about this.
I wish I could have taken a shot of this with no people around. This piece was lovely.
Magnum. See flying titties. Wear a condom.
Miami in all it's glory.
Florida AF!
Part of our fair adventure was finding good elephant ears. I had asked my trip companions what elephant ears were and how they are different from one another. I have been given the answer many times. I don't remember any of them.
Fair Shenanigans.
This is what happens when you bling your penguin.
I purposely made this phot back and white for the following reasons:
A- I wanted to cover up people's faces as much I can.
B- The sign looks awesome.
THE END, LOL!
I really wanted to play some games. However, I'm pretty sure they are all rigged to some degree. Also, I gave my sister my cash. So even if I wanted to play I could not. It be cool if they took Venmo, tho...
Tun, tun, tun, tun... El violador eres TU, tun, tun, tun, tun...
No idea what my mom is pointing at. But Hello Beautiful!
Pollito chicken...
This model of what I think is Santa's Villages reminds me of Harry Poter. It also reminds me to put salt on my sidewalk.
*NOTE* The fair's name is Santa's Enchanted Forest.
WE HAVE A NAME!!!
I can't figure out why there was a "Lover's area" at the Enchanted Forest. I have a feeling this was a Valentine's Day preview.
#downwithvalentines
#savingchristmas
#notforjesusbutforgifts
My name is Eevee and I like mechanical parts in motion...
Shoutout to the lady and her family that let me invade their personal space so I could take this shot of the Enchanted Forest.
Tokyo drift anyone?
]]>Blog Coming Soon - For now a picture of Big Joe's Balls
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See my trip below!
Colorado January 24-26, 2020
I was amazed at the many miles of almost deserted highway (compared to Chicago) Colorado has to offer. The earth felt fresh and the mountain views were breathtaking. I've never been in a place so vast yet so homey. It reminded me of home. When I look at this photo, I get a warm feeling inside my heart. When editing, I wanted to give it a dreamy vibe. I wanted to physically represent how I saw it. I think this was a job well done!
Those Pre-Historic Stones!!! I just loved them! I believe this was part of my photoshoot of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. I was really happy there. I had some time for myself and I climbed part of the mountain! I have many more photos but I wanted to pick the best ones to show. Every time I see this photo, it reminds me of the Flintstones. Do you ever wonder how they lived when the animators were not there? When we weren't looking? You know like Toy Story when they became alive when people weren't watching. My brain thinks about these sorts of things...
These sorts of views were normal at Garden of the Gods. I was in awe of all the sites. I'm reminded of The Lion King for some reason. Could it be because of that scene when Simba was just born and he's shown to the Kingdom? I digress...
This is how it felt. Those feelings you are getting? Imagine them in 3D... Exactly.
Just to show you how it looks. Ain't it great? I really fell in love with Colorado. So much that the idea of moving has crossed my mind a couple of times. Ideally, I would like to do this. It will take some planning but I'd love to have a new adventure and new places to explore.
Maybe van living???
I made this because of the old-timey vibes this photograph was giving me. I think it looks so cool!
This is the best photo EVER!!! I think It looks like a Volcano! It is not (or is it) but it's still awesome.
Pikes Peak is beautiful. I honestly never seen anything like it. Only in photos. I urge everyone to see this amazing natural wonder. It will take your breath away.
I have many other photos to show. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to edit them all. I'm thinking I might upload a separate entry with all the extra un-edited photos so they have a space in this blog as well. I might also cut down on the images so I can better manage them and be able to take my time with them.
What do you think? Let me know below!
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Honey, I loved you more than life itself. You helped thorough my toughest times. You were there when no one else was. You were my rock when I couldn't stand. You meant so much and I didn't deserve you. I love you so much! I'm sorry i had to make the descision. I'm sorry that I didn't give you all that you deserved. You mean more to me than anything and now you are no more. I hope you're doing OK. I love you and thank you.didn't
My angel.
Thank you for the memories...
Honey Lee Lopez Ramos
2005 -2020
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Moving on, back in December I went to the Christkindlmarket with friends. I had hoped to take many photos. That said I also knew the place had to be packed... and it was! Nevertheless, I had a wonderful time, ate a german Bearclaw and had a very nice cheese and salami sandwich (Raclette???). I also saw a Santa behaving a bit naughty, LOL! This year I'm planning to go again but this time on it's Naperville location (apparently there is one, who knew?).
I wasn't able to really focus on taking photos. We were packed like sardines, but I did get some wonderful shots. Also, I want to point out that it was extremely cold. So let me say it again. IT WAS EXTREMELY COLD AND I BRAVED IT AND WENT! #2019goals #Gooomeee!
As we were walking towards the event, I was able to capture some city shots. I really loved the way they look on B&W. It seems like the scenery really comes alive. It's weird since we usually think of vibrant photos when in color. But there was something about these two shots that desaturated make them classy and chic.
I have to figure out the story behind this statue. I believe I have seen some of them around but I'm not sure. To me it looks like the devil and a seahorse made a baby.
EDIT: It's a Picasso
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Picasso
More Downtown imagery
As I was editing this image I came across a certain filter that made this photo have a certain Sepian look. I really enjoyed how it looked and wanted to share it with you. When I saw it I thought it looked a lot like a Batman movie set, city mafia etc. Do you see it too?
The Grinch was present at the holiday festivities, LOL!
On the way over, I saw this fancy looking place. I decided to take a photo for future investigation. It has yet to be investigated...
Toys!!!
I just realized I didn't correctly crop the image ion the left. That's OK. It stays. I still really like the image. And the random hat reminds me to be more careful next time. Also, it's a lovely hat!
The photo on the right is where we finally got our sandwiches. Yay for raclette sandwiches??? I really need to stop calling it that and find the correct terminology.
More city views...
I didn't notice anything of the ordinary when I took this photo. There were lots of people and I was distracted by food. However, when editing I did notice one thing. Can you guess what it was?
... Is it me or there is no baby Jesus???
]]>At the beginning of the month I had the opportunity to photograph a friends wedding. It was really beautiful and the food was delicious! It was also the first time in a long while that I had gotten dressed up and gone somewhere nice. It honestly was really lovely, so if said friend is reading this, thank you! :)
Thanksgiving is upon us, so there will be lots of great food around. I may take a few photos of said events as well. I'm very happy about this. #foodporn
Lastly, I finished editing the wedding photos a couple of weeks ago. They photos came out lovely. See photos below.
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I'm currently stressing over my Master thesis and uploads are (and will be) a bit sparse. So far, I have developed an eye twitch and gained 10 pounds EASILY! Anyway, I've been taking some photos with my phone and trying to learn new editing techniques while on the go. I really miss my camera, but until December, my brain has to be dedicated to finishing this degree once and for all!
Anyway, here are some photos. Let me know what you think!
I took this photo of one of the volunteers from my job. They are in charge of tearing down stuff for recycling. In return, we teach them hands-on computer skills. It's pretty fun!
My Little one decided to imprint me.
I sold this beauty on eBay. My job has an eBay store (which I'm in charge of and we are still setting it up) but we are selling some Apple systems online. So yay!!!
Took a little side trip to Maywood, IL since I had some errands that way and fell in love with this government building.
It's so cute!
Books... I really want to read that math book.
The little one. She's very photogenic and doesn't mind a camera on her face.
]]>I had plans to stop by the "Googlefest" but the weather was not cooperating. Instead, I had the pleasure (notice my sarcasm) to wait for the exterminator and organize some paperwork. I really hate rainy days. I'm not saying that every day should be sunny and warm (although that would be pretty sweet) but every day should be sunny and warm. I hate the cold, I really do, but this year I'm going to try to be a big girl and shoot in the winter. I would really love some cool snow shots.
Honestly, I really miss my camera. I kind of hate taking photos with my phone. I feel like there is something missing. Yet, when the opportunities arrise my phone seems to save me. I have tried to carry my camera with me but adding more weight to my bag just wasn't working out.
Anyway, I dont have much photos today but I wanted to share two photos I really like. Mainly because of the weirdness of them all.
I was playing around with Snapseed filters and edits and I ended up this this. Is it just me or does this food look nasty? Don't get me wrong, it was delicious but I've always felt like shots of food in sepia or black and white make the items look... fleshy? This photo might not be the greatest example but do the test yourself. Any plate in black and white looks very unappetizing. Especially, when contrast is added.
If you look carefully inside the pen-drawn circle there are 3 to 4 tiny circles with dots on them. I can see 3 in this photo. Sometimes, I can see 4. I've been calling them my alien implant. When I first thought about it I thought it was funny. Now, as I keep thinking about it I gave myself the scares. I am now obsessed with figuring out how and when this happened. Have I experienced missing time? Do I have a alien baby on a different planet? Am I an alien? #thoughts
I can't be left to my own devices.
PD: Yes that last paragraph (and this) is on a smaller font. My phone hates me.
]]>I decided to start my day early so I could hang out at home tonight. We're having art night and I'm excited. Maybe I'll paint tonight...
Anyway, I decided to edit some of the photos on my phone and show you. Same deal as last time. Enjoy!
.
This child is a model! She was just posing like she owned it.
My little girl. Everyday that passes I love her even more.
I wanted to play with the settings a bit. In reality was a happy accident.
]]>A question for fellow photographers... How do you feel about presets? I love the idea of having a base to start off with and do my own edits. It's also a great time saver! But is it ok to use ALL the time? I dread editing because it is so time-consuming. But I also hate the idea of my photos becoming yet another Instagram filtered image.
I have the same issues with auto mode on cameras. When I do shoot on auto (which happens on occasion, mostly when I just want to get memories and chill) I feel that not using presets is even more important. I want to feel as I contributed something to this shot instead of clicking mindlessly on a preset for the sake of putting out work. Am I just kidding myself? Discuss.
Moving on, I want to try a new way of showing my shots. So let's try this: I will put the album below but I will add (either in the gallery or outside it) some comments on the image. Let me know if this is to your liking.
He is supposed to be a street beggar. I love that his bag said child support. I wonder how they come up with these characters.
This image is one of a set of photos my friend started shooting to practice with my camera. I can't recall who took this specific one but it turned out so fancy and distinguished I just had to add it to this highlights.
I like when people say hi to me :)
My friend had an impromptu photoshoot. I like this photo very much. She looks so fancy and full of European chic.
Every costume I've ever made ever, lol!
It's the Magic Bar! The line for this place was miles long at all times (not pictured). But a water bottle was $4. The magic came in pretending that you were not spending $4 for bottled water.
#freewater #waterisahumanright
This feels like a fancy wedding. In reality, there were just people sitting watching people in costume sit as well. My guess is that it was one of the Queen's tea celebrations, but I didn't stick around enough to find out.
This dude made all the magic happen. He had a huge bubble making contraption (seen here as a big stick and soap) but it was like a calling for all toddlers and small children. This was Preschool Mecca. The skies filled with children and snot. It was glorious!
This man murdered a small child via disintegration. Suits it right for touching shit from the store, LOL!
(NO ACTUAL CHILDREN WERE HARMED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS PHOTO, OR EVER)
There were many snazzy dressers at the fair. People really know how to party like its 1609! (Except there was soap and no slavery)
THE END! :)
]]>I've been working a lot. I wish I was doing more creative projects. I will hopefully get the chance to do this soon. But for now, I'll slowly delve in them until I can make them the bulk of my workflow. I have this dream of merging my photography with my garment-making. It's something I've been meaning to do for a while and I will start working on this year.
Anyway, here are some finished photos from the Pilsen adventure. I experimented with some different angles but I didn't feel them by edit time, so I left out the majority of my shots. Maybe one of my next posts will be all my rejects.
Enjoy!
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As I sit at my work desk on a Monday morning while I wait for the repairman I ponder at all my lifes choices. Have I always made right decision? Have I been true to myself? Or as that famous propaganda that inspired another cycle of war promoted: have I been all that I can be?
The answer is no.
But then again, who is?
So I sit on my workdesk waiting for the repairman to come full of dreams that will never be as I waste my breath on a souless existance and hope for an unlikeky escape to worlds beyond. Beyond this desk, beyond these walls, beyond this table and beyond me.
Moving on...
I still have a bunch of photos to edit from my Pilsen adventure. Honestly, Ive been so busy that I've just haven't found the time. Lately, it feels like I have to be 3 different places all at the same time. It is tiring and soul-sucking. That said, I will try to get a move on.
I want to do move with these photos than just post them to this blog. Maybe print them out and sell? In relity I just want them seen. Its such a shame just have such beautiful images and keep in a winsows folder. I have to get more imaginative.
Photos from new phone...
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Moving on...
A couple of weeks ago I went to the Pilsen Taco Fest. For some reason, I keep calling it Taco-Taco Fest. Honestly, I don't even remember its real name. (Update: It was called the Tacos and Tamales Festival) Its been a while and honestly, I wasn't even going to post anything because I didn't take many shots. It was SO HOT that day that at most we spent an hour and left. That sun was brutal! I did have an amazing Piña Colada (on which somehow I got a brain freeze in 100-degree weather) and I tried a Mexican sandwich called Panbasos. It was AMAZING! I'm not into really spicy stuff. After I turned 30 my stomach decided it only liked bland stuff, Adobo, and Mayo Ketchup, so I was a bit scared to try things.
I'm a bit upset that my body has accustomed itself to Chicago weather. I lived on a Caribbean island for 28 years. How am I complaining about 74 degrees being too hot? Have you ever felt changes in your body like this? Is this normal? Shouldn't my Latina blood kick in? #foodforthought
In non-related news: I finally was able to successfully connect my Alexa. My boss got it for me last Christmas but for some reason, I was unable to get it to work until now. So I want to give out a big shout out to my assigned FBI agent (what up Boo!!!) You're welcome for making your job easier. Just make sure you give me a shout out at your next employee review.
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The current plan is to re-do the website and continue to blog. However, I’d like to be able to introduce a theme or more depth to my writing and curate that to the photography work I exhibit. I would also like to have a sewing area on this website, but I feel it is too off-brand for the project. To be quite honest, I don’t feel like making and maintaining another site when I already have this one. Finding the time to write, edit and post in one place is hard enough as it is.
For a while my editing and posting days where on Thursday. As I’ve acquired more responsibility at work, I’ve had to use that allotted time for study and research. I then changed my posting days to Fridays, but I’ve encountered several issues:
You know… that is a problem. I should not see something I love as “work”. It is imperative that I change the way I approach blogging and sharing my photography. The fact is, I love doing so but I am exhausted! Any recommendations on how to proceed? I could really use them.
Lastly, I want to thank you all for reading and sticking around. It makes my heart skip a beat. I want you all to know that regardless of what I decide to do with this blog, you guys are super cool and I love you to the moon and back!
E.
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Here are some flower shots from my Menards adventure. Enjoy!
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My mom came to town, car needed fixing, work, work, work etc. I'm hoping to get some good shots today at Ravinia. I also have a flower album that needs to be edited and uploaded for your pleasure. Let's just say there is lots.
In the meantime I've been using my "extra" time making (shitty, yet enjoyable) drawings. I've been making doodles in Sketch about random happenings in my life (and yes, there are lots). It's been fun.
I've also been wanting to tap on things... Im a drummer now!
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.
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Here are some photos.
Enjoy!
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Have I told you all that I am seriously considering moving out of the City? OMG this weather!!! It seems the midwest is 2 months behind everyone else. It still feels like March. It's almost June. Come onnnnnn Summer!!!
I'm hoping to do a bit of traveling this Memorials Day weekend. I'd like to go to Milwaukee. I've never been and it be a nice change of pace. Ideally, I would be in Hawaii or somewhere summery where I could wear long flowy skirts and the sun would kiss my skin. But I'll work with what I got (which coincidently is the key phrase of May).
I took some cellphone shots in the past few weeks. Some I have played around with, others I have not. Can you guess which ones?
Lastly, (and unrelated) I bought a nice journal at Walmart's clearance section and I made a shirt. #winnning.
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Stop by Saturday, May 25, 2019 @ 12pm for craft, fun and new friends!!!
VENUE INFO:
Chicago Public Library - Humboldt Park Branch
1605 N. Troy Street
Chicago IL 60647
Phone: (312) 744-2244
RESERVE YOUR SEAT!
https://bit.ly/2YfByNt
THIS WORKSHOP IS FREE THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY.
STOP BY, HAVE FUN AND BRING A FRIEND!
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I've spent the weekend relaxing and being all around awesome. I would have done more but snow. :) Why?!? But that's OK. A nice weekend at home never hurt anyone. :)
I'm going to go back and look at what I've written on this blog before because I started concocting a bit of a plan for myself. I still have a lot of planning to do but I'm on my way.
I did take this weekend to edit some cellphone photos. I think they turned out beautiful!
Enjoy!!!
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That last phrase is quite confusing. If I'm "looking" for a specific answer, doesn't that say that I already know what the answer is? Why continue the search then? It all seems... fruitfulness... Then again, I'm obviously without what I need so here we are...
The last 3 years have been really good to me. I managed to get it together enough to crawl out of my horrible mental state and make a life for myself. I am so proud! There was a point in my life that I didn't think it would be possible. I am thankful to be where I am today and I am proud of the accomplishments I've achieved. This feel like the top for me. And when you are on top of your world for a while, you start looking for other planets to conquer. This is my life now. I feel that what I needed to do here is done and now is time to move on and find something else. The thing is, I haven't found my next chapter yet. Even worse, when you look at my life there is so much to do! How can I feel I'm at the top? Loose ends much? I haven't been able to marry the two and in an effort to "get it together" I've been making myself much worse. I've noticed my anxiety rising and my Fibro pain getting stronger.
I've made lists, had lots of chats with myself and made research... so much research... and I still come up empty. It just seems that the ideas I'd like to push forward are opposites of each other. And that I'm going to have to make a choice that I'm not ready to make. I'm not ready to make it because, in the end, it feels like I'm saying goodbye to a part of me I'm not ready to let go (and that I should let go for many reasons), scared much?
As I'm writing this one thing is becoming clear: Do I want this? or Do I want this because It's what was expected of me? Is this really the route I want to take? Evelyn, What do you want?
I want to sew
I want to make cool stuff
I want to be able to support myself doing cool stuff
I want to start fresh
I want all the clouds to go away.
More soul searching is required. But I'm on my way.
Moving on... It's Easter!!! Happy Easter for those who celebrate. And for those who don't: Happy It's an off day from work and it's nice outside and we can do stuff Day!!! I was off and it was GREAT!!! OMG! Do you know people do things ON SUNDAY??? It's fabulous!!! And Chicago, the weather!!! It was SO NICE today! I went outside with flip flops and a strapless, flowy dress!!! The wind was warm and the trees, THE TREES!!! So nice!!!! Can it be like this forever??? It was like a dream and a very good one at that!
Anyway, here are some photos. I do have more but I'm still getting used to using my old camera again so they are not great. Also, this particular system has a broken lens and its colors and sharpness are WAY off. But I like it because if it falls, I'm not terribly sad about it AND I get to carry less crap when I go out since I just put in on my shoulder when It's not in use. Lastly, It's shots come out looking kind of vintage and I like it.
So away we go!!!
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That said, good news!!! I found my little camera. It was in one of my purses. I honestly thought someone at work had stolen it. I was very happy to have found it, even if it was by pure accident.
So, It's Saturday and it's time to figure out what the next week will look like. Last week I want to switch out the room and set it up to make YouTube videos. I did try to move it around but soon figure out that I had no space to do all that. BUT if I leave it as is and just move my sewing table a bit forward, it's all good! I also needed to build a lightbox. Now, I have a small one but it's not ideal. Honestly, it sucks. LOL! While I did not build it, I did buy the materials. I'm still trying to figure out where to set it. I can't really take over my dining room table (besides, I need it for extra sewing space) but I guess that when I'm shooting it will have to be used.
I've also worked on merging sewing and photography together. I've been working on an adult size tutu and I've been working again on my Squirrel Girl costume. I re-dyed it and it's so far looking great.
Lastly, I've been working on my face mold... Mostly, It's been a week of prop making. So I am happy.
For next week:
1- Finish the tutu
2- Build lightbox
3- Plan a photo Easter outing... Maybe go to a parade?
Anyway, here s sneak peek at my last couple of week hobby-wise. Not the greatest photo-taking but happy moments indeed. Also, It was a baby's bday!!!
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Moving on, I did scan those film strips I've been promising for ages... well some of them. This scanner I bought is not the best (let's just put it that way) but for now, It does the trick. I'm itching to go shoot again but this weather is savage. Chicago weather is bordering on stupid. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SPRING ALREADY!!! We had two days where it was nice for three hours and then cold. I'm starting to think this is our new normal and I don't like it. Then again, if this becomes the "new" spring, I will have to deal with it. So, I've started planning what can I do inside to feel creative (and like one of the cool girls). Here's a thought, what about making those weekly challenges again? That's still cool right, right??? Well, I'm going to try to sneak a few here and there. I might not be able to do them EVERY WEEK but it's better than the alternative. So... HERES TO THAT!!!
I also decided to write more. I really like writing. So, you might see more of that here. Some personal, some stories... and yes there will still be photos...
Besides all that, this week is more of a "Let's see what stuff we didn't get to do last week and GET TO IT !!!" (isn't that EVERY WEEK tho') I have to decide if I want to change my Evetography cover for the class I'm teaching in May. I'm thinking about it, but I really love it! It also over-complicates things and hurts the brand, so I might just leave it as-is. I also want to play around and make some more transfers. I really want to make a black and white one because It makes it look like burnt wood and it looks lovely. ANND... I want to get started on one of those weekly shoots. I really should pick something that kills two birds with one stone. I think the goal might be to set up correctly an area for products. Which helps me with business, creativity and sewing. Oooh, also sewing. I really want to make outfits I can show off here. That would be fantastic. And aside from the green dress I am making my sister, I'd ideally love to use up my scrap pile.
So, here's the plan:
1- Take a last look at Evetography Wood Transfer Art
2- Work on setting up photo area for products
3- Find green dress fabric
4- Finish Squrril Girl costume
5- Re-start Google (started a while ago but took time off because of flu)
6- Check materials for special order (and take photos when finished)
7- Research Mom necklace project
8- Plan for the week ahead
9- Stop being allergic to avocados (seriously, this just happened and I'm super pissed about it)
10- EAT! I'm hungry
...and the stills. Don't think I have forgotten :)
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Photowise, I'd like to take my camera and take lots of fun photos. I love seeing peoples' creativity in these events. Ya'll are killing it!
Chicago is getting bits of warm weather. There is hope that soon we can go outside in shorts and not die of hypothermia. It's been 7 months since I last felt the sun...
This means its time to pick a place to explore!!! I wonder if Illinois has hot springs. That would be so awesome...
Back to photography... I was able to develop that film. I do have to pass it through the scanner so I can post it here. Hopefully, I can do so at some time today.
Interesting happenings of the week:
1. Lost my phone's stylus pen
2. Was informed that boxing classes.
required exercise
3. Battled with a gate key and lost
4. Ate my weight in tacos
5. Saw Captain Marvel
6. Pretty sure Direct TV was sending
me a not so subtle message.
(which. I will ignore)
7. Found new podcasts
The End.
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I also developed some film at class. I'm really excited to share them with you all soon! I got the film scanner installed and working so those should be coming next week. Hopefully, the weather will start warming up soon and I can go shoot. I love the city but I hate the Chicago winter. No matter what I do I can't seem to get my apartment warm. I feel like it's constantly drafty and I'm an idiot who refuses to wear scarves and long pijama pants.
Moving on, I want to find new places to shoot. I'm going to do the obligatory downtown thing (I discovered [finally] - thanks Steph- Spothero and the fact that I can pay $7 for 12 hours in downtown Chicago). So that's happening. Besides that, I'm looking for interesting Chicago places, maybe forgotten ones? Oh, and I NEED to go to the World's biggest corn maze! Apparently, that's in Illinois as well. I also want to go Milwaukee. Never been. I'll probably take the Metra. Just need to make sure I don't get dizzy. I want to travel outside my comfort zone and explore new places... Any recommendations?
I'll leave you now with the last batch. There were simply too many of them. So I decided to take the better looking ones instead of retouching/editing EVERY PHOTO like I originally wanted (because I'm apparently obsessed).
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I wanted to get to the Disney shots this week, but my back is not feeling sitting on this desk too long. Hopefully, I can get this chair situation situated soon.
Anyway, here are some random photos of my friend's art show a couple of weeks ago... ENJOY!!!
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It's been ... a week? I honestly don't know what to make of the past couple of days. I just wanted them to be over so I could rest. I'm usually OK with going to work. It gives me something to do, so I don't really mind it. But this past week, the weekend couldn't come fast enough. I was over the whole week by Tuesday. Tomorrow is Sunday and my work week starts yet again. I'm not ready...
Moving on...
During this "BREAK" (which I feel hasn't even started) my mind has been occupied by non-photo matters. I need to focus on photography and less on taking screenshots. I need to get out to the "field". Maybe I'll go on Friday to the Chicago Gardens. I also have to finish posting all those Disney photos. I'll probably do one more post about it and leave it at that. There are just so many photos that it is overwhelming. I'm not sure when to let a photo go. I feel like I need to edit them ALL. But that is not sustainable. I'm a busy woman and life waits for no one.
I will also post some photos I got back from photography class. I got the negatives and the negative machine, I just need to install the software to get that going. I believe there are two rolls that I can already play with and two other rolls waiting to be developed. So that might be another post for the near future.
Lastly, I mark the days until I can get a better desk chair that won't make my back beg for mercy when I sit in it. That seems to be one of the main reasons I hate sitting in this desk. I love this desk! I love all the toys and pops of color around it. I love the way all my memories are displayed. But I hate this chair/desk combination. I've been looking around online but I have not found what I need. I'll have to do the "unmillenial thing" and actually go to a brick and mortar store instead of ordering it through Amazon. #disgusted LOL!
All I know is that after I make this purchase, there will be a big bonfire... OoooH Think of the pretty pictures!!! :)
Random photos from my cellphone
I call this piece - Work: Time spent between waking up and comic books, lol!
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So, yes. I will be selling handmade geeky jewelry at Uchi Con. Feel free to stop by! I'll be there as Eevee's Knickknacks! More Con info here: http://uchi-con.com/
Lastly, I wanted to update you about my workshop. It was amazing, fantastic!!! I want to thank all the individuals that came in. Thank you for making the event a success. I would have never imagined that it would go so well!!! I love you all!!!
This event refocused my feelings on what I want to do going forward. My dream is to own an artist space/workshop/gallery etc where I can experiment with different medium (photography included) and give sponsored classes for free, help the neighborhood etc. I'm really excited about this and will start to pursue this after my break.
This will entail A LOT of WORK! I'm scared and excited but I know I can make it happen. So off to a new ADVENTURE!!!
Shameless promo:
On Saturday January 26, 2019 at 12pm, I am hosting my first workshop at Positive Space Studios.
There will be light snacks, music and DIY. It will be lovely!
I really hope I can meet some you guys there. I would love to chat with you!
Get your tickets here:
Evetography's Photography to Wood Transfer Workshop
Evetography's Photography to Wood Transfer Workshop
Now, back to the Florida post...
I definitely need to upload ALL the photos somewhere. They will all be unedited but I had so much fun those few days I really want to share them with all of you. I'm hoping I also have the time to put some captions on them. I think that would be great! I'll try my best to get you a second installment ready by next week. I also want for you all to see my film shots. I'm really excited about them.
Now... The Orlando Holidaze...
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Happy new year and welcome to 2019!!! I've had quite a start! I got home from vacation (more on the later) and immediately got the flu and lost my health insurance. I heard a long time ago that the first 12 days of a new year mark how the rest of the year will go. I'm a bit superstitious
so having all this happen made me very upset. Thankfully, with lot of patience and help from loved ones and friends I managed to get out of my funk, (pool of my own vomit???) <--- not really- and got back on that horse!
This week has been amazing. I've tacked my to-do list like a madwoman and have managed to complete most of it. I'm very happy about this. Checked items on to-do lists make me happy. :)
Also, something amazing happened! My first workshop is a GO!
On Saturday January 26 @ 12pm we will be transferring images to wood surfaces! We will have a really fun time! There will be snacks, music and DIY!
I'm so excited! I can't wait to see you all! Did I mention someone was brave enough to let me handle sharp objects and glue at their place? Let's face it It will be wonderful!
You can purchase your tickets here: Photo to Wood Transfer Workshop
AND you can check out the amazing people of Positive Space Studios here: www.positivespacestudios.com
NEXT ITEM!
I went to Disney World the last weekend of December 2018. Let me tell you... Florida is HOT! I felt like I was constantly peeing myself... and it was still AMAZING!!! I greeted the New Year with great company and met Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck and Daisy! I will point out Daisy has great taste in clothing. She said my outfit was amazing :) I've yet to look at all the photos calmly. 2019 has given me many surprises and blessings. I've honestly have had no time. I will be making time next week for this task. Editing takes a long time when it's over 1,000 images. Do bear with me, I haven't forgotten :)
Anyway, All these images are just snaps from my phone. No editing, except for about 6-7 photos I did during my trip. I've been trying to upload these photos for ages but the app I've been using seems to be glitching. Which reminds me, I should probably send them an email about this.
This week I'll be quite the busy bee but I will be taking photos for my film photography class. So I'm hoping that after I'm done in the darkroom I have a chance to try my new digital converter and show you my progress.
Florida Trip!
E.
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I am trying to bring my photo game up. I’m also trying not to choke up my Amazon card, LOL! I do have to invest in better photo backgrounds. I know, I know I keep saying this, but I always put first rent, food and all the important necessities. Also, since I don’t have
a permanent photo space, I feel it will go to waste.
I’ve been trying to figure out how can I insert my studio as permanent feature into my tiny kitchen space. I know that I can just take it out, do my thing and store it but that
honestly kills the creative mood. In all seriousness, I need my own room.
I don’t have many photos to show you today…(Well I do since I’ve found a huge folder of unedited shots I forgot to post.) but those will have to wait until my mini-staycation. I
need to make it a goal to get those done then.
---JUST LOOKED AT THE PHOTOBACKDROPS… So far, I like a bunch of them, so I might purchase 1 or 2 in the upcoming week. I was also looking for a Holiday themed
one for my work party but no luck. Either too expensive or to slow to arrive…
These photos are just random cellphone stuff. I thought they were neat. 😃
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Moving on, I think I figures out how to put into use my photography stand. Meaning: I can mount it in the kitchen and desassemble it once I'm done. For some reason this never occured to me. Let it be known I am not on drugs (except medically prescribed ones). I also had a mini-shoot last week. I completednthe first part of my "Let's make a mold of my face" adventure. Which ironically requires I mold my face to then destroy it. It was fun.
Thanksgiving was amazing! Lots of food, foods of family and lots of leftovers! I really enjoy leftover. Its like reliving the magic all over again. I also need to get those edited and uploaded as well. I should be easy enough. I didnt bring the camera and I didnt take as many photos. In total I drove around 4 hours. It made my tailbone cry. So I was in a non-bending mood.
Lastly, Ive been thinking about life in general. Have you ever felt in a pensive mood? What do you think about? Let me know.
j
Yes, it's a lot but I'm in no hurry. Next year will be wonderful and full of new opportunities.
I've been having problems taking regular photos with my phone for months. I try not to spend much on cellphones because I tend to go through them quite fast. Lately, I've been getting an "SD card corrupted" message and the only thing that seems to fix it is to format the card. I've also been getting random pop up ads even when I'm not using any apps. I have factory resetted this phone more times than I care to admit and still have the same issues. Also, it lags, opens random apps and generally does whatever it wants. I'm starting to think this phone is starting to become self-aware just like Alexa.
Anyway, I managed to put up some photos from the last week. Enjoy!
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Anyway, the cold weather means more portraits and lighting practice. I see this as a good thing as I can get more creative (and it lets me play with paint). I might ask some friends to model for me. I also need to come up with creative backgrounds (which I love doing).
Oh, if you are wondering, doggy holiday card photo project is still going. I already found half the items I need. But the real test is getting my dogs to stand still for more than .001 seconds. All dog owners understand this dilemma. Wish me luck.
Lastly, I have bought all the items I need to make a mold of my face. Which means I'll be doing more FX makeup. So I'll be taking lots more interesting photos.
Lastly # 2: I possibly fractured my tailbone rollerskating. I am officially calling this my first AND only sports related injury.
Calling this FB photshoot: Reasons Not to be let Unsupervised ...
Today, I am in pain. I've noticed that as the weather changes my body changes too. I have decided not to let it get the best of me and carry on. If I need to take a break, I will do so but then continue. I will not let this thing beat me. Im too damn pretty. :)
Anyway, this week's adventure was at the Morton Grove Arboreum. I had so much fun and the Troll exhibit is amazing! It's a must go! I really want to go back. They have so many wooden areas great for photo sessions. And I almost felt like I was back at home. It was lovely. Seriously, take the time to visit. You wont regret it.
Next week's challenge: Start planning this years Holiday photos.
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It was a crazy day today. I went to the doctor, then the museum and afterwards a multi-hour search for some skates. I ended up going with Amazon. It's getting quite hard to find affordable sporting goods in Chicago. At least this was my experience.
Tomorrow, I will hang out with my friend DS. We're supposed to be looking for our Halloween costumes but mine might be too complicated to pull off in such a short amount of time. I will have to figure out a work-around. Thoughts?
Anyway, these are the photos from today. Yes, I actually did edit on time, LOL!!!
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Aaaaaanyway... This weekend I'll be going to see a girafe. Well, this is what I've been told... I'm really excited. Weather permitting this will happen.
I also have to edit a mountain of photos. (Yes, I've been saying this forever and it will happen someday...) plus I need to start setting up my online jewelry store. I used to have a semi-successful store back home called EvolMusings (shoutout to those who remember the old-school days), Im thinking I should go back to that. Thoughts?
Lastly, I got a sticker-making machine. Everything is dangerous... 😀😈💓
***EDIT*** SAW THE GIRAFE! PHOTOS BELOW!!!
Anyway a peek of whats to come...
I wanted to create something kind of fantastical. Also, I really liked the pink hue upping the saturation gave the photo. Mind you I did this on my phone.
But you get the idea. I would have liked to edit the big trees back to their original color and a bit less of that white sheen but I'm just thankful my phone didn't crap out on me while doing this. LOL! Let me know what you think!
]]>I feel like I should give you an explanation of my absence. It seems only fair that I not keep you in the
dark as some of you have told me of your investment on this blog.
For the most part I try to lead a normal life. However, I have certain health conditions that prohibit me from
functioning at a 100% the better part of the day. I'm often tired, anxious and in pain. I have tried to cope with
all of this since my childhood years. However, as of lately this has been an impossible task. I have tried
relaxation, organization, some exercise, music, countless medications and I'm still in pain. In fact, it seems the
pain gets worse the more I try to alleviate it.
About 2 weeks ago, I decided to go a different route. This route seems promising. But it is a
financial burden that I can't cover. But at this point my level of pain is such that I will bite the bullet.
In addition to this, last week I was unfortunate enough to get food poisoning while eating at McDonald's. That
triggered another flare up of my condition. I was in extreme pain, I felt alone and very, deeply depressed. My
weekend was fantastic! *insert sarcasm here*
I tell you all this because I feel that this blog is an extension of me. Yes, it is a photography blog, but in it's
unique way it tells my story and it lets me feel closer to all those come across it. I hope the sentiment is
shared.
Today is September 20th. Exactly 1 year ago hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico. Since then, my
little piece of heaven has been battered by waves of misery, inefficiency and racism. Although, I was not there and
did not experience Maria, my heart goes out to those who did. I cannot even begin to comprehend the level of pain
and desperation those in the island underwent that September day. I hope from the bottom of my little heart that
you all have found your peace. To those 3,000 (and counting) souls that left this world, We love you and we won't
forget.
Anyway, back to photography...
Illness has made me take a step back in the last couple of weeks. I've had to drop out on an art show and I've had
to postpone some engagements. That said, I am feeling up to par today so I am taking the time to re-organize and
move forward. This weekend, I will be creating some items for my store. I haven't decided if the store will carry
the Evetography name or if it will become something different. I have a feeling it will be a mixture of both. I'm not
sure how that will manifest. I also want to get in one last hurrah before winter. I really want to see the gnomes
and there is a Chinese lantern event that seems wonderful. I'll have to do more research. Do you know of any cool
places in or around Chicago I should hit? Let me know!
E.
Photos below:
Another black and white gallery. I feel as the is a delicateness to B&W photography. Am I the only one that thinks so? Let me know.
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Anywho, this next week is an intense one. I need to get ready for my art show. I am also incorporating new merchandise and I want to make sure its all ready to go beforehand and I dont have to scramble at the last minute. Art will take presedent next week no matter what. I must say, I am legit excited!
Photography wise, this week has been a t bit slow due to illness. However, when I have taken photos it has been of random happenings. So thats the theme for this week? Random Chi-town happenings. Enjoy!
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September is going to be a busy month. I have an art show at the end of the month which I have to prepare for. I also have to submit photos for approval at certain locations. Adding to that, I have doctors appointments, sewing classes and Google courses to finish. I have to figure out a way to get myself into the habit of studying everyday without burning out. If any of you have any tips or ideas on how to do this do let me know. I can use all the help I can get.
Photography-wise I’ve been taking random life photos. I find them exciting. I have been challenging myself to take something that otherwise would be seen as boring/ugly and making it interesting and beautiful. If someone were to see my phone’s photo gallery… oh the looks I would get! LOL!!!
Lastly, I wanted to give an update on my future online handmade crafts store. It’s coming I swear. But, since it will have more than one product, I have to plan it correctly. Also, there is lots to learn. I’ll start slow and small and expand as I go. That said, I need to come up with a name for this new project. I want something cute, positive and nerdy. Any ideas? Send me a message. Let’s chat! :)
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Photography-wise (if this is even spelled right), Ive edited some very cool photos. I really like them. My next quick adventure (besides the Morton Grove gnomes) is more portrait photography. I'm going to save some money and buy some backgrounds. Also, I want to set up my equipment in a permanent spot. That is quite a feat as we've pretty much outgrowned this apartment. I feel there is a fall-cleaning coming... mostly 'cause I dont want to sweat in Spring.
Check out my newest shots below. Let me know what you think! I love hearing from you!
E.
Photography wise, I've been slowly been editing photos. I really want to go shoot a couple of times more before it gets cold. It's already August and time goes by so fast! I'm thinking about making my next adventure a trip to those big gnomes outside the city. I need to get more info about them. But, I need to do so soon. It's an outside activity and you all know how I feel about the cold, lol!
I've yet to plan next week. I'll probably do so after I finish writing this blog. But I'm sure that Saturday afternoon, after the exterminator leaves I'll have an adventure. Pretty sure there's a meetup happening. If there is I'd like to go.
Anyway, these weeks photos are part of my vacation series. They mostly center on the Architectural Water Tour and the beginning of the our park adventure. Thinking about it, I should start separating better these series and show one event at a time. I will try to do so next time.
Enjoy!!!
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I will say, the only bad part of it (through not fault of the fair and its management) it rained and it was humid AF! I was afraid of ruining the camera, so I opted to leave it in the car after the first drizzle. I did end up taking some shots, not a lot, but some. I will try to get to those soon.
Anyway, this weeks album is the second part of the family vacation. We were at Navy Pier and took at boat tour. We had a blast!
So without further ado, Eevee's Adventure! (Now with Influenza). Enjoy!
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Tomorrow, Saturday is a photo day. I'm really excited about this. So do expect a post about tomorrow sometime in the near future. I've gotten a lot better at organizing. I've found out that if I plan my week ahead and check/update my schedule everyday I'm able to work more efficiently.
Anyway, I made a gallery about the Logan Square Art Fair. I spend the day with Cari, my sister and her boyfriend. It was a very interested interaction. It's never been just four. So without further ado, here it is!!!
Let me know what you think!!!
E.
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There a little recap of what I've been up to:
I leave you now with some of the stuff I've been working on. Nothing drastic, very little editing. I'm pushing myself to learn more advanced Lightroom program settings. Let me know what you think :)
Family ♥
Funny Park Pic
Fun Summer Shoot
E.
]]>1. Met Cari. I love her.
2. Got sick. Still sick.
3. Gotba Master's in house cleaning :(
4. It was hot as balls
5. Fireworks were crazy. Chi-town sounded like a war zone
5. Got a laptop
6.Bought some cute clothes
7. Still haven't edited ... ANYTHING!
8. Went to a Gnostic mass
9. Spent time with boyfriend
10. Printer ink buying as an adventure
Love,
E.
]]>1. Signed up for a Google/Coursera certification. I've been meaning to do this for a while now. That said- I thought it would happen on a more traditional platform. But I must say I'm very happy with the class and my pockets are as well.
2. Family came to visit. It was wonderful having them here. I wish we could spend more time together like this. It was lovely!
3. Got sick. While the family was here I started getting allergies and for some reason Ive yet to understand my right cheekbone started to hurt. At first I thought I hit my face while sleeping. But as I turned out it was the beginning of what I call 2018 Eargate.
4. Took lots of photos! In the last 2 weeks (before Eargate) I was able to go to lots of places specifically for photo taking. I also made sure to take advantage of my downtown adventures during my family's visit. My SD cards are full and I am happy.
5. Kathy Griffin! Today will be a super exciting day!!! After I'll be heading to the Kathy Griffin show. I am beyond excited. I've watched her on TV for so long and always wanted to see her perform. OMG!!!
6. This weekend is phototime as well. Beach on Saturday and an "investigation" at night.
7. Forth of July... Im expecting lots of fireworks and a fantastic spread of Great Value products. There will be pictures!!!
In the meantime, take a look at some unedited photos. I figured that it was time I show you how it all looks before "the magic happens". Look at the angles and the color. What would you change? Would you leave it as-is? Let me know!!!
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I wan to apologize for the lack of updates. I usually try tp keep you guys informed of all my current projects. Lately, Ive added a couple more to the mix and it seems to be more I can properly handle at one time. Dont get me wrong, I will manage and Im really excited to do them but it will take some adjustments in my time management.
That said, today Im heading out to a photo meetup. After that I can either go to dinner or do more errands. Tomorrow is a workday so Ii must be ready. Anyway, once I get everything settled, well have a long chat on what Im doing. But for now, enjoy this statue from the Bridgeport Art Center.
E.
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Ok, that's enough complaining. What I realky want to talk about is how sneaky I've been lately. Not on purpose of course. But I the last couple of weeks I've managed to get my butt off the couch and take photos. One of my recent outings was to a light spinning meetup around Diversey Beach. It was so much fun! But most importantly the shots were beautiful. Im really happy with them.
I also went to a food truck fest, date night at the Bridgeport Art Center and a pool party. Really getting my moneys worth on that camera.
Next week I'm planning to go to another meetup. Originally, I was planning to the one tomorrow but my family insisted I'd not go alone. But you see it's very hard to find a willing human who will get up at 3am on a Saturday for some photos. So I'll just skip this one.
Oooh!!! Did I tell you I went downtown today? I did... with the puppies. No photos wete taken... Lets just say the girls need to learn to behave better. Also, I can still hear the barking in my ears. Crossing my fingers hoping its not permanent... But damn it! They are both so cute!!!!!!!!!!
Ballz!
Sexy Fire! Lol!
Definitely one of my favorites photos ever! I feel so lucky to be able to experience so many beautiful things!
For some reason this shot always reminds me of Disney World
Does anyone else get it?
Activating the Kundalini
Ninja in Training
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Speaking of next week, I might try to sneak another photoshoot next Saturday. I'm also I'm thinking about a new photo project. It's tentatively called Meet Humans. We'll see. I'm waiting to hear back from a couple of places and I started doing my collages again. You might see those soon as well.
Lastly, I was thinking about making this blog a bit more personal. Still photography based but to include other subjects from my daily life as well. Let me know what you think.
Beautiful shot of neighborhood flowers. It felt like summer. Today, not so much. That's Chi-town weather for ya!
Ye Old Bridgeport Art Center?
Enter West Belmont...If you dare!!!
*cue thunder*
Owl Freedom
Wait Your Turn!
Traffic at Belmont
We're a couple. We're so gross. Lol!
Cit-Go...
Whatever happened to this photo???
]]>I'll be going to a food truck festival with a friend this Saturday. I'm really excited to capture the crowd's energy. Also, I want to eat... a lot.
Below my latest shots. Enjoy.
I was going for a dream vibe, almost like a memory (first person)
I used this shot to experiment. I wanted to see if could recreate a some time of Lomography. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I think the center lighting is too high. But, at the same time I think it does capture an old Lomography printed photo vibe. What do you think?
Honestly, I just wanted to show my baby off. :)
But I do love this photo. Feel free to use it as your cellphone background image because this precious puppy needs to be shared :)
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Tomorrow might be another shoot day. I will take my equipment and see how the day plays out. The only thing I know is that Wednesday promises to be a very interesting day. So here's to the good times!
I managed to "hospital" like a boss
It's Spring!!!
#finally
I love how perfect it looks!
Another park pic
I mark my property with my ✋
Not sure if I've shown you this already but mini golfing has never been so amazing!!! 💖💖💖
]]>By the weekend I was feeling a lot better and did manage to go out and enjoy the evenings with friends. Edited photos below:
Batgeek
Creepy
Heart
Instagram Self
The Weekend Job...
Yummy Food!
Cheshire Cat
Managed by Gloria..
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My week was filled with lots of work, new friends, the world's most beautiful wig and movies. I need to remind myself to whip out my phone more often when I'm out. I really struggle with that. When I'm doing anything remotely interesting I'm usually with someone and I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. You would be surprised the amount of people that don't like a camera pointed to their face. Can't say I blame them though. I don't like it either. I much rather be behind the lens. On a much positive note, I did manage to get some shots. I will add them below as always.
Tomorrow is my photo adventure day. I originally wanted to spend it at C2E2 but it was financially impossible. My backup plan was to drive to Naperville for a festival. I really want to go. It's one of those events where people throw colored powder at each other. I SO want in on that! However, I don't want to mess up my nice camera (which is not much of an issue since I can always take my backup gear) but also the event is outside and tomorrow is going to be colder than usual. It seems Chicago is going through it's last Winter leg so mother nature is going all out before spring (but that's another topic for another day). Did I also mention that it's messy and I will not submit my only decent winter coat to that abuse? Yes, it's mainly that. Lol. My current plan is to meet some new friends at a wig store (again) and continue the search for the perfect wig. Yes, I will take pictures...remind me yeah?
The joys of watchng movies on a weekday ❤❤❤
I believe this was on Paulina and Milwaukee. Originally, I wanted a photo of the passing train but I was too late to get the shot. I did take this. I like it better because I was able to take my time with it.
I leave my vehicle in haunted places...
Walmart adventures. Also, I feel this shot screams abductee...
#Goals
#shitfountain
#poop
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I've also been thinking about making videos. I've always joked that I wanted to be "YouTube famous" but it is actually true. That said, I settle for just sharing cool stuff with other people and making friends. You know, like I do here :) Anyway, photos below. Enjoy!!!
City Suburbia
Donors...
Dorothy Doll
Sunset Walks. I love this photo.
Marriage
Night Wilds
Nope
Photo Buddy
Worms
]]>Remember how I whined last post about my back and how I wanted to go to Oz Park but didnt? Well, I got off my butt (pain and all) and went. I needed a bit of encouragement (and an adventure buddy). Pictures coming soon.
So, now for this week I need to come up with another outing/project. Sewing class is on spring recess so I have a week off. I do have sewing homework but I dont think it will be very time consuming. I was thinking about going to an occult store and explore. But I highly doubt that the employees would like that. Though I'd still like to go out of curiosity. I have a list in a unknown part of this apartment where I wrote down possible places to visit. Need to find it STAT.
Lastly, I just realised that I started writing before uploading photos to the platform, which means I may have to rewrite ALL of this. So, if you see this post it means I've succeeded in awesomeness. Also-hi mom!
Unofficial Tittle: Jarrod picks the coldest day ever for outside activities. :p
I absolutely loves this shot. Flowers are so delicate and precious.
I really enjoy nature photography. I wish I would get paid to travel and take photos. It would be wonderful...😍
This is my Discovery Channel Documentary shot.
#foryourconsideration
Next Ubuntu Wallpaper
#foryourconsideration
Boyfriend says this photo reminds him of an alien. I kinda see it, but also see a kind of beauty that can't be manufactured.
You made it!!!
Bonus:
1- Got a new, less shitty phone
2- New phone has a stylus and I feel hella fancy
3- Got holographic nails for $3.
4- Spent time with some very cool people today
5- I keep watching surgical videos. I'm obsessed.
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Anyway, I had a change of plans today. I was going to spend the day at Oz Park then a work meeting and then some light shopping. As my back was bothering me, I opted out of the park but I will still go to the work meeting and shopping. These are inside activities. I like inside activities... That might also have something to do with me staying home... :)
I did managed to upload some photos to this site last week but was unable to publish them since I didn't have time to write a blog. Photos below.
A view of the UIC Health Campus
The hallway where my doctor's office is located has these beautiful windows. I was in love.
I posted a similar photo last week. But this one speaks to me.
Another shot of the Green Line platform.
'
]]>I've been super busy this week. Photos were taken, it was awesome! Yesterday, I went to the Field Museum for the first time. It was so exciting and interesting! I will be back! I've yet to edit those photos or the ones from the Conservatory but I'm hopeful it will happen this next week. In fact, it WILL happen next week.
I've been taking my camera out with me lately. Its been nice to have impromptu photoshoots with random objects. Also, took it to work. I did cheat by shooting in auto, but I loved playing with angles and capturing some really cool moments.
Besides editing this week, I will plan my next weekend escape. I might just head over to Oz Park. I've been obsessed with going ever since I found out about it.
Lastly, has anyone noticed how cold it is today? Freezing...
The Cicero Green Line
Tweaked this photo and made it really bright. It's weird but I kinda like it.
Accidental artsy photo. Very in love with it.
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I had this whole "Week in the Life" blog I wanted to do. Took all the photos and managed to transfer them to the computer. As soon as I was trying to choose and edit my photos, it all got so overwhelming. Lightroom was glitching, I couldn't find the folder, computer was slow, etc. I ended up just chalking it up to "one of those days". But before I did that, I transferred some files and then proceeded to delete EVERYTHING! It still hasn't hit me yet. I will say everything looks so much cleaner now!
Today, I finally sat down to edit. I took some of the photos I'd saved and proceeded to do my thing. I must be going crazy because it was almost impossible to finish this post. I couldn't get the effects I wanted and to my surprise I have forgotten how to use the damn program. My memory is failing. I AM OLD.
I am chalking this whole experience to "I've been 3 days cooped up in the house freezing and it took almost 2 hours to get my car out of the snow". Needless to say I took a snow day today.
Tomorrow I will try again. Why? Because that's life and there is no point in feeling sorry for myself. I shall brush up on my Lightroom skills, I will re-check my computer, I will take more photos, I will fight the snow. I bought a shovel today. I am prepared!
This weeks work. I'm most proud of it because even when life was kicking my ass, I kept on going. So GO ME!
I was going for a Walmart photoshoot. Yes, I stole this idea from the internets...
Mr. boyfriend contemplating how get gets caught up in all these situations
Honestly, I don't even how how to call this but I liked it so it's staying.
*edit* I think I called it Winter snow or something...
I took this one a while ago, but again I was in the area a couple of days ago so it made the cut.
I call this Artsy Fartsy (not really)
This one I titled Winter Grey. I think we all know why.
P.S.: I'm trying very hard to make my updates every Thursday but it seems it might not be a great day. I might change this to Saturdays. I will keep you all posted in what I choose.
E.
]]>Last week I used my cellphone to take pictures of my daily life. I did not post last week because I wanted to finish the whole week and post all at once. I finish today. I'm hopeful that in the next few days I will have enough time to edit and post. In the mean time enjoy this shots... STAY TUNED!!!
Yeah, I don't know what happened here, lol!
She claims she was drunk but I think she was goofy and lovely!!!
Chi-tartica at its best!
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I managed to transfer my cellphone photos to my computer start editing the best ones. Below, never before seen, super new, cellphone pics (remastered)
Memories of my precious children
Today. Someone is nosy.
New boots!
Meet Nina, the cutest little puppy in the whole world.
Autumn to Winter change literally happened overnight. This is the result.
Forest flowers.
]]>In the meantime, I'll continue to take photos with my phone of my daily routine. It's something I need to become accustomed to. Also, I feel like I need work with my angles. I want to be more creative when it comes to my shots and angle are a very big part of it.
Let's make a list of what's in agenda:
Photos below:
Went to Ikea and had delicious vegetable balls. I figured I would share :) FULL DISCLOSURE: This photo is from a previous trip to Ikea but seeing as what I had this time was pretty similar I figured you all wouln't mind. :P
I took this photo a while ago but edited it recently. I've been fooling around with Snapseed and its filters. I was going for a vintage feel not sure if I achieved it but i do like the result.
I never thought that I could make a banana look scary. LOL!
Going for another vintage look here. I think this one is closer to what I was envisioning. Well, the border might be a bit much but I really wanted to try a border out and this one seemed to match the most.
]]>Yes, it is that cold! I stepped out today and regretted it immediately. I also discovered my car was covered in snow, victim to the angry force of Mother Nature (or a very mischievous child). You all know how I feel about the cold. And if you are asking why did I move to Chicago all Im going to say is I ask myself that question too.
I was quite busy last week. I started my sewing classes, fixed our heater (yay), got a car alarm and remote starter, work, more work, doctors, errands... It's been crazy! Photography has unfortunately taken a backseat. Im hoping to change that this week. I have an outing tomorrow and hoping to take advantage and sneak some photography time. Also, I have a Zathom project and a show soon so photo time HAS to happen. The weekend also seems promising I'll have to plan something for then as well (if it's not too cold).
I found some old photos on old online accounts. Id thought id share. You will see more of them in future post as well...
I love this flowers! Im not sure when I snapped this but I have a feeling I was already living in Chicago. It might have been in the Conservatory. I'll have to check the metadata to be sure.
This little guy was found in a dog park. I thought it was adorable. Did I ever tell you about my cute things obsession?
I called this Rosebud. Yes, I know they are not roses but the color is. I love this pic because it makes me think about the world we dont see. Do you ever wonder how an ant lives? Do you know that one human step can be a world for another creature. Crazy huh?
Crazy creepy edit. I took a shot I hated and turned it into something wonderful. I feel that this photo has a voice now. I'm pleased.
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Cold aside, I did take some photos of my families' Christmas Eve party. I already edited some of my favorites. I still have some more shots to review but since my computer is close to the door and our heater is broken I can't stay in this space for too long. For now, it is comfy blankets and Battlestar Galactica.
I don't usually like taking shots of people drinking. But I really like the way this photo looks. Besides,
I can always pretend it's water, lol!
Doggy Glamour. That's all I can say.
I love this photo. She was so excited to get the Wonder Woman sword for Christmas. I appreciate having family members that are as silly as me.
P.S. If you are a Spanish speaking individual follow my Twitter @Evolmusings where I post sarcastic comments about life around me. I do it for the lolz! :)
]]>Photography wise I don't have a lot to update. I'm still on my macro kick, so I've been looking at everything REAL CLOSE. I've taken some photos but nothing spectacular. Most of my time has been spent on holiday mode. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I plan to take my gear to my sister-in-law's house and harass my family. At this point I have no shame. LOL. I really want to take photos of all the gift openings since my boyfriend will be working all day and will miss the celebration. So, I'm officially writing it in here so you all can hold me accountable. So, hold me accountable. :P
I've also been thinking of making a bigger lightbox. I really don't feel it's a good investment to buy one, so I figured I could get crafty. I saw some foam at the dollar store that would be perfect. I would have to find a way to keep it clean though. Maybe I can make a bag for it. I certainly have enough fabric for this.
I started experimenting with a laser pointer an my cell phone. I really liked the outcome.
It almost looks like a star... or a butthole. Your choice. :)
I taken photos like this before. I loved the clean lines and the simplicity of the shot.
I really didn't do anything to this. #nofilter #zerolightroom
As you can notice, I love my babies. I adore this shot of Hershey. She just cares not for my photography.
I could summarize this photo as: That moment when your pets are over you...
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Flexing Chlorophyll
I almost feel like this shot mimics human muscles. Funny to think this a dried up flower.
Flower Heart.
Continuing with the human body, this shot reminds me of a human heart. At first this shot was horrible looking and blurred.
Not, not so. I wanted to crop it a bit so it wouldn't show that random spot in the back but ultimately decided not to.
Tell me what you think!
Rango...
'nuff said :)
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Wish me luck!
My Little Princess
I never get tired of taking photos of this beauty. She is my life.
I've been collecting stills from work. This is one of them. I've yet to edit all the shots but I feel like my best moments from these series have been captured with my phone.
Another moment from the office.
The Impossible Birthday.
We went to try the Impossible Burger for the boyfriends birthday. It was delicious. Happy birthday honey!!!
]]>Life post mom has been interesting. I miss her and I wish she could have stayed longer. We talked on the phone for 2 hours today. Its been a while since I've talked to another human for 2 hours on and about anything. Life is slowly coming back to normal and that familiar feeling of homesickness is starting to rear its ugly little head again. When she was here, I felt whole. I miss that.
The post mom world has brought also a relief to my cold. Each day I feel stronger. Especially now since I stopped taking flu medicine. I appears that a certain cold & flu brand I recently bought was doing more damage than good. Since I stopped taking it, I feel much better.
On Monday, I fired up my trusty desktop and edited a few photos. I've been slowly posting them on IG. Check them out @evetography if you wish to see them and my other work.
One BIG problem I have is to remember to incorporate the creative areas of my life into day to day tasks. I am quite task oriented. So, if I am asked to do something, it is very rare that I'll stop for a photo. Which in turn means I will probably forget in its entirely to actually take a shot.
I have to force myself to remember to stop and take in the scenery. I know that with time I will be able and conscious enough to record a digital memory. Life is not about the grand, boisterous events. In fact, it is made up of tiny, repetitive tasks. It is up to us to find beauty in them...
I titled this photo "'A Way Out" Because it reminds me that even thought the path to a better situation might be scary and lonely it is still doable.
Enter Dimension. when I look at this shot, I always feel life I'm entering the world of Alice in Wonderland.
How far the rabbit hole do YOU want to go?
Out to Sea (and far from the land of broken dreams)
There is always another day.
Searching...
This piece I really like. It reminds me to stop looking and dive right in. If you want your dreams to come true, don't stay in the shore. (Advise that I myself should be heading).
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I made an awesome turkey. People, I made a turkey!! It was so good, Ive been thinking about making some YouTube cooking videos. It was that amazing!
In better circumstances, I would have taken lots of photos, but sickness ruined my plans. I will make up for this. Two weeks without photos is quite shameful.
This next week I plan on working really hard on everything photo related. I have a project Ive been meaning to start. All I can tell you is that its about eyes... Stay tuned for that.
My moms bday was this week also. I made her a cake. Video soon.
Turkey!!!
]]>My mom is in town so things are moving a bit slower. I've managed to show her around my area and see Justice League. I'm hoping that tomorrow we will have a bit of time to fiddle around with the camera and take shots.
So, stay tuned for updates!
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This week has been super hectic. I've said this before, it's still true now. Lots of meetings and new opportunities await. I have a couple of leads... Maybe you'll see me on T.V. soon 😊.
We got cable today...finally! So I took a bit if a break today. But, tomorrow it's back to work!
Tomorrow will consist of lots of editing, doctors appointments and some day-job work. I'll also work on those leads.
Now some photos for you... Enjoy!
I call this one Greetings from my Lonely Place...
When I saw this shot, it reminded me of a postcard and of depression. Of the place we all go when we are sad. What does it remind you of?
El Capitan! Shot reminds me of the Pirates of the Caribbean. It mixes this gritty, city, urban vibe and Disney. I really like it.
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I've been meaning to post since Wednesday but my lower back has a limit of 4 consecutive sitting hours. I was working from home and by the time I got to work on my own stuff I had to lay down. I did however upload some photos to share, just never got around to actually posting them.
It's been a pretty busy week. I seem to be saying this a lot lately. Not mad about it. I actually prefer being busy. It keeps my mind from wondering to not-so-pleasant memories.
I will use today to get better organized. I cant seem to function without a plan so today will be the day to hash this all out. I think that if I make an effort to do this every week and follow through I can pretty much handle life/adulting.
Let's get to the real reason for this post: MY BIRTHDAY!!!
I've decided to have a low-key birthday with friends. Going to a buffet place and then to see the new Thor movie. I was lucky enough to get an early b-day gift from my sister. She got me the original Nikon remote. I had acquired one of those non-brand ones but it never worked, FAIL! I'm pretty excited about this since it will allow me to be my own subject. Also, I'm sure it will be an enormous help with those shot there you need to have steady hand.
I should also get a new phone but after seeing the sales this month I'm not sure I can afford it. But I'm hoping for a miracle... or Black Friday deals, either one. :)
Anyway, I edited some photos this week. Let me know what you think!
Part of the Pilsen Photo Walk. I really like the ambiance of this edit. It's honestly not as creepy during daylight. But then again, I don't know the history of this piece so I'm really not the person to tell you.
Sewer top had this drawn on. I really like the way this piece looks.
I
I titled this "Dear Mayor". A friend suggested it and quite honestly its pretty fitting.
I love taking shots of street signs. I find them so interesting. I believe they gauge the feel of the people. I look to them for societal information. Memes serve a similar purpose. Think about it.
Pretty self-explanatory.
I always thought churches were pretty. I guess they do possess their own kind of magic. I went to catholic school for 10 years. I never drank the
kool-aid but I will admit that when a group of people but their minds together great things can happen... or very evil things.
This photo is a shot of the walkway on Montrose beach @ night. It reminds me of the Moon. I find it very interesting. Also, if you look at the mid-left side of the shit you see a small white dot. That's the Earth.
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On Saturday there was another meetup by Pilsen and I went to that one as well. I loved looking at all the neighborhood art. So much culture! I was so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet so many new people and take great photographs. It was a lovely weekend.
I've only started to edit the photos I shot. I'm a slow editor. When I see a picture, I have a vision and until I am able to transmit it successfully I can't spot editing. So, It takes me a while. That said, I am very proud of what each shot becomes. The photos from both events that I've already edited look amazing. I'll try to make time today to put them on my shop as I'm working (again) on this site and its social media. Let me know what you think. And if you know of any other spots I should hit in Chicago, drop me a comment or email, I'm down!
Here's a sneak peek!!!
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Check out my galleries to see recent adventures. I will be uploading more photos soon!
]]>Lots of stuff happening! I don't even know where to start!
First of all, I'm on the process to return to school. I've started getting my papers together and I have a meeting next Friday with an adviser to talk about this. I hope all goes well.
I was supposed to go exploring today around Chicago since this weekend the city sponsors private architectural buildings to open to the public. Unfortunately, the rain was way too strong and I decided to not to go. I didn't want to get sick and I didn't want to risk my gear getting wet. I felt bad. I really wanted to go.
Since I have a feeling we will be having more rainy, cold days, I've decided that it will be a good time to experiment indoors. I have a vague idea of a project I want to do, but it involves building a set. I want to work on this. I'm rather excited to see what I come up with.
Lastly, last Wednesday was my sister-in-laws birthday party. I completely forgot to bring my camera but I did manage to take some cell phone photos. Well, when I said cell phone photos I meant I played with the funny camera settings and started making experimental funky shots. Enjoy!
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Sitting or pooping?
Finally!!!! With this post I should be up to date with daily events. Video and photos were taken with not so great equipment and not really looking at what I'm doing (to be completely honest). I will try to caption what I can so as not to lose you. But most is pretty self-explanatory -- I think.
Also, it will be already Friday when I post this. I really wanted to get this up sooner but i got sidetracked attempting to book at flight (in which I was unsuccessful) and sort of (let's call it "fixing") my computer.
My attempt at a crowd video. It was a pretty chill night.
This one looks more professional. I'm not a videographer, lol
My friend and I decided to exhibit together. We met lots of awesome people those two night. We will be back!
My babies!
Moving on...____________________________________________________________________________
Went to the forest preserve 2 weeks ago. Had an amazing time and filled me up with inspiration.
Candid photo of the boyfriend and little Hershey
We decided to have a picnic here next time!
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Let's talk about today...
This day, October 2nd 2017, will be marked by a tragedy we can never forget. Many innocent people lost their lives by the hand of an angry, sick person who committed an act of domestic terrorism. A lot of us are lucky never to understand what is like to lose a child or spouse or a friend. I know I could never comprehend the level of pain not only the survivors of this incident but what their friends and families are feeling right now. My heart goes out to you. Keep strong. We are here for you.
I rarely make any sort of political statement or share my views on important issues. I tend to avoid these kinds of conversations because it riles sentiments and emotions (two things I'm not very good at). But also because I believe that I'm not verse enough on these topics to produce an informed opinion. However, this time I must say something because I can no longer keep quiet. We cannot let this kinds of horrendous incidents become the norm. We cannot let a group or groups control our peace. We must speak up, we must do better. We deserve better and our children deserve better. I urge you all to take a step in the right direction. I urge you all to critically analyse what life you would like to live. I ask you to look within yourself and find the courage to take action.
Organize a protest, collect signatures, write an essay, contact your congressman etc. Let everyone know where you stand. Let the world know that this cannot happen again. Demand change. Because today is them but tomorrow may be you.
Let's talk about this month - Hurricanes, Earthquakes. the world is crumbling!
September was a busy day for mother nature. Between hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico and Earthquakes in Japan, Mexico and others. Let's all face it, we're all running a bit more cautious these days. Eventually, I'd like to write an essay about all this but at this time I will just say: Hold on, help is coming and we love you.
If you can donate to the cause, I urge you to do so. I know that there are a lot of people still in need of food, water, gas etc. Also, keep in mind people were not the only ones suffering from this tragedy. Keep all animals in your prayers and if you can help their cause pitch in. Remember that even just a can of food can feed a dog for a day.
Moving to happier thoughts...
I went to Medieval times!!! I had already experienced it last year for the first time, but it was just as magical the second time around. I wish I could have taken photos with my nice camera but as a gold star member of the FAT club and having 2 pledges at each side with me, it would have been hard to properly manage such an expensive piece of equipment. That said, I did managed to get some cellphone shots (which I will share with you in this post). In all, it was a very needed trip to Schaumburg. May it be repeated again and again and again...
The Muse is Back!
After a final battle between my artist block and me, I came out the victor. I am filled with new ideas and concepts I want to explore. I do need to sit down and properly write down all my visions so I can start working. I will probably do so in the next few days. I will tell you, I'm planning to do more art shows, experiment new concepts and bring back some old styles. 2018 will be filling with a lot of creativity, new creations and great art! I'm very excited. Can you tell? :)
Others...
I'm known for taking a LOT of nature photos. Nature inspires me and fills me with joy. Since I started living in Chicago, my time with nature has been dramatically reduced. (I used to live in a mangrove, I kid you not!). So, I've made it my mission to regularly take time out from the city life and return to nature (whatever form that may take). Last Saturday I was lucky enough to find some time to walk and explore my area's forest preserve. Again, I had taken the dogs so I was not able to get all the shots I wanted but I did manage to get a photo of my dog which I loved. For some reason it spoke to me. I guess my baby was happy and I was happy for her. At home I quickly Instagram edited the shot and uploaded it online. I was happy to see that it brought joy to other people as well. Sometime this week (most likely Thursday since I've made it my official "work on photography day") I will update this site with fancy edited photos of my trip. I want you all to fall in love just like I did.
I will now close the longest blog post I've ever made with the following: Follow your dreams, fall in love with yourself and be joyful!
Be safe, I love you all.
E.
This is me @ the Pancakes and Booze show. I had some works for sale at the event. I will make a post about this soon.
I made this!
Photos from the best day ever with the worst camera ever. I buy cheap phone because I break them in about 12 weeks average.
I "fixed" this one!
In love! I do need to photoshop that leash out of the way. But still in love!
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Lucha Libre at the Park was an event held at Unity Park in Chicago Illinois. I went with a friend and decided to take some snaps of the day. I originally wanted to use some photos for my art show, but after looking at the images decided against it. Mainly it was due to the fact I felt these images do not represent me. Nevertheless, it was a great event and I had an awesome time. Take a look at the photos below.
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Hello Everyone!
In case you haven't heard, I had partner with Society6 to bring my digital photography to life! click on the link below to see and purchase some of my most loved prints!
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Hershey
Lately Ive been forcing myself to come off this awful artist block that has taken over my life in the last few months. Next week, Im planning to spend some quality time in the woods and Im taking my camera with me. Ive also noticed (which should have been obvious to me) that one of the many reasons Ive been feeling uncreative is my workspace. My ¨office¨ area in which I do most of my edits, consists of a very old, very battered second hand computer desk. Its broken in a few places and in all honesty make me puke in the mouth a bit. Ive been looking for a new desk for a couple of weeks now. But Ive yet to find something that fits my needs and is not $200+ dollars. So, yesterday I decided I was going to give it a makeover. I will sand it, I will paint it and I will give it a new top. (Be on the lookout for a photo dump of this DIY). The best part is that Ill use the money I had set aside for the desk and invest in a good office chair (which I badly need).
This last week I also had a mini-photoshoot at the house. I mostly played around with my camera and explored some settings. I still have to go through all the shots (I mostly have to decide what to make of them) but I did edit 2 that I found adorable. Enjoy!
Daddy Love
]]>Ill probably work on some shots tomorrow, so there might a photo dump on some past events. I just need to get over this artist block.
That being said, Ive been fawning over this girls designs!!! Follow her, Trust me you need to!
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I took this photograph almost a year ago. Im not sure if I ever uploaded it to this website. It was taken at the Chicago Library downtown. These ¨chimes¨ are solders dog tags hanging from the ceiling of one of the main staircases. It was a powerful experience.
Now updates: As you can see this website has still not been updated. I decided to go to the Logan Square Art Festival instead of updating last Saturday. Those will be my next uploads. I will hopefully get to them on the weekend. Also, Im hoping to get some nice Fourth of July firework shots. Wish me luck!!!
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My friend King.jay.pix and I took a much deserved roadtrip out to the Chicago suburbs. We passed through Northwestern University and reached our destination in Wilmette, Il. We took this trip to photograph the gardens of the Baha'i temple. It was a lovely sight.
We originally planned to photograph the architecture of the building at sunset. Unfortunately, cloudy weather conditions prohibited us from doing so. Nevertheless, we did get some beautiful photographs of the building. I will hopefully be putting those on this site after its redesign.
Speaking of, I plan on starting said undertaking this weekend. That is if all goes as planned and I don't go out to shoot. 😀
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As I start to write this post I feel like a child taking their first steps. I haven't written a blog post in such a long time! But enough about that, let me update you on my future plans...
Lastly, I'd like to say welcome to the family.
Xoxo,
E.
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