"View from my Toilet"

Should be the name of a book. yes?

not mine though.

I thought I would share with you my new working process, or in other words... the view from my toilet.

I recently found out that my working process needed some improvement.  Before it was, shoot > make a contact sheet > choose what to print > make final print.

I really just didn't know any better.

But along the lines of not understanding the worth of my work I also have a really hard time knowing which photographs are worthy of printing. makes sense right?

This is where my critique class has been ever so helpful. 

new process.  shoot > make contact sheet > grab ANYTHING that sparks my interest, make a proof print > live with it > make a full size test print > final print.

The moment Jim uttered these word to me I knew it was just what I needed.  

I think the key here is living with the images. In addition to living with them I will be rearranging them, looking at them in different ways, and paying attention to which images speak to which.  And all this from my cozy little toilet room. I am certain a new spot is in order, but this is it for now.

I love this. Anything that slows the process down is a very good thing.

I feel perfectly content just making proof prints to live with for the rest of the semester.  Shhh... don't tell Mr. W.

Just kidding, you can tell him. I've worked my tail off this semester and have plenty to show for it ;)

* this girl ain't worried about it *

6x7 times the fun

I got myself a new weapon for self defense...


yeah I know... you can't tell from the photo how massive this baby is but believe me when I say this camera is taking you down like a ninja.

think about it for a second. The pentaprism says ASAHI on it.

Say it out loud... ASAHI

Did you picture a ninja when you heard it aloud? Yes, I thought so.

Maybe next time I will plant my mug behind it so you can see how humongous it is. The camera, not my mug :)

I've shot 2 rolls so far. I get 10 exposures per roll and the negatives are a thing of true beauty. big. like the camera.

I decided the first shot should be a really ugly photo of myself. It was a brilliant plan.

... till I saw the photo.


I was unprepared for the ugly I beheld. Ha. Not such a brilliant plan after all.

There are very few photos I bother to give a title to. This one I fondly refer to as 'Ugly Me'

I love hate it.

Hate it because I really do look like that sometimes. Love it because I really do look like that sometimes.

I was talking to my teacher about photographing ones self and he brought up an interesting point that I hadn't previously thought of. It was the notion that people have a perception of them self and a certain way they want to be presented. perhaps the problem I have photoing myself is that I see myself as 'me' too much and not just a subject to work with. And I know he's right because I feel very uncomfortable when I look at this photo of myself.

That is something I will surely struggle with forever. How can I not?

Would you like to see something a little prettier now?

yes, lets.


I love that face.

This next image came from my last assignment. I was using the nikon to meter for the Pentax. I don't quite trust the meter on the Pentax yet. I have this one on film as well :-)


This assignment was quite interesting. We chose a poem and tied our images to it. Perhaps I will share what came of it when I get it back.

Other things you should probably know...

Today I climbed my grapefruit tree. Got the ones off the top. YUM.

also, set the smoke alarm off. Which makes Lucys legs shake, like when she sees a big dog. Is she afraid of dogs? Well I am so that would make sense I guess.

nighty night.