Stingy is as stingy does

I finished up with my photography class just in time to sign up for the summer class!

I guess you could say I'm addicted :)

Actually I wasn't planning on taking the summer class. I mean really... do I want to be somewhere by 8:00 AM four days a week during summer? Heck no. I want to be lazy as the day is long (and you KNOW they're longer during summer)

The plan was to take 290 in fall with my current teacher Mr. Mulno, who has been so great by the way, but no. All plans came to a screeching swirl of confusion and disappointment as he announced that the summer class will be his last class at Chandler Gilbert Community College. He is off to teach the lucky students of University of San Diego.

So if you have been wanting to take a photography class at CGCC I suggest you get crackin on that! Like post haste.

Well anyway, yesterday we had our critique on our final projects. I have pretty consistently photographed my children throughout the semester. It really came as no surprise to anyone that I chose that as my final project. When I laid all the photographs out to see what I had, it was almost like I could separate them into two distinct projects. I had eighteen prints, I whittled it down to fourteen that would be shown.

and I am showing you five.

Because I am stingy.







Do you adore that doll house as much as I do? It didn't always belong to us. I saw it sitting outside my parent's neighbors house. I wondered if they were throwing it away. THEY WERE! The man who lived there explained that they were moving and they had a garage sale earlier that day, but couldn't bear to put it out and sell it for $5.00 *insert gasp here* in front of his wife's father who made it by hand for their children. Can you believe it?!?! Me either. When we drove up with a car full of little girls he asked if we would like it.

Uh... try LOVE it!

This is classic win win.

I got the dollhouse I was lusting after. He got to feel good about sending it off to a home filled with little girls.

I only wish I knew where they moved to. I would love to send them a print.

And those masks!! Natalie and her friends made them. They were having plays out on the lawn. She is my most crafty kid. I immediately fell in love. I couldn't help but use them in a photograph. The one of Lucy standing with a mask on, my teacher referred to as 'amazing'. it's true.

I have it in writing :)

For all you COCO LOCO{s}

Yes, I am speaking to all you crazy locals of G-town.

There's something kind of wonderful happening in Gilbert and I want to tell you about it so you can join me in supporting it as much as possible!!!

Do you like ART?

me too. like ALOT. (especially photography)

do you like how I put that in parentheses as if you didn't know? me too. I'm hilarious.

There's this place I've been hearing about for months now.

It's called Art Intersection.

Honestly for all the hearing about this place I haven't paid it nearly enough attention. We all make stupid mistakes sometimes right? yes, yes I thought so. I think there was a part of me that thought it was this mythical place where artists go to dream. Yeah, because for as many times as I've driven through downtown Gilbert I have never actually seen this mythical place of beauty.

Rumor has it they have a wet darkroom there.

It took getting an email from my fall semester teacher, Mr. Williams to get me to actually look for it online.

Yep. It's there. Darkroom and all. I feel so sheepish. And guess where!!! It's right where my kids old dance studio used to be. And that would explain why I never saw it.

Art Intersection is more than just a little intriguing. Not only do they have a darkroom but they have classes! And not just for you but they have classes for kids too! not just photography classes lots of crafty little classes.

I hope Mr. Williams doesn't mind me grabbing a line from his email and sharing it with you...

"Carol Panaro-Smith at Art Intersection teaches workshops with her partner Jim Hajicek who used to be the 19th century guru at ASU. Maybe they offer something that would interest you."

uhhh ya think??!!!! Yeah, that is why I finally looked it up :)

oh and you're gonna laugh when you hear this...

Last month I entered some of my photographs in a little contest we were having at school to have work displayed at Art Intersection. (still didn't look it up)

Totally won. (still didn't look it up)

HAHA! seriously right? let me rephrase 'totally won' because that was worded mainly for effect.

Three of my photographs were chosen to humbly hang with some of my fellow students work in the show... 'Through the Viewfinder: Works by CGCC Students and Faculty' from May 18- June 30.

I considered posting the three chosen photographs but then what are the chances I can get you out there to see them in real life? Not good. Thats what I thought. So no, if you want to see you must come bring your human body parts including your pretty eye balls over to art intersection.

Don't worry, I am SURE I will remind you ;)

So just to recap these are the things you should do...

check out their website.
follow their blog.
like them on Facebook.
enjoy their tweets.
sign yourself up for some classes.
sign your kids up for some classes.
come see my pretty photographs in the show from May 18- June 30.

got all that?

Don't forget to tell all your friends and neighbors about it too. Who knew Gilbert was going to get all artsy on us? Let's keep this place around!!!!!

you're the best! thanks.

<3 Jill

overlook | looking over

The semester is winding down. I was happy to have a break from the usual get up at 6 am, out the door by 7:30. Drop the kid off at grandma's house, smell like chemicals for the rest of the day routine.

I mean its fun but breaks are nice too.

Yesterday me and Lucy went with my class to the phoenix Art Museum. I was surprised she wanted to go with me so bad. Though I know it was partly because she wanted to see the 'blob' for herself... tell ya later. Still I couldn't resist such a sweet little girl begging to experience art!

We explored the dickens out of that place and then near the very end unexpectedly came upon what I like to call the hall of glorious light.


and so we played a little longer...




then I made a bad movie to share with you :)

and by bad I mean low res. - no skills.

Saturday I will be spending all day in the darkroom finishing up my final project.

Should be loads of fun.

show me your moves, I know you got em

I was online shopping with lucy at Jcrew kids this morning trying to figure out what on earth that kid wants to wear.

Everyday she asks me where the clean clothes are. and everyday I say in your closet

which is about the time she collapses on the floor in a heap of whiney letting me know exactly how she feels about the clothes in there

NOT A SINGLE CUTE THING.

I swear. everybloodyday.

So I'm clicking around on some silly looking get-ups.

she hates them all.

and then we get to these...



What about these?

no. those are curtains.

well atleast we know she doesn't want to wear curtains :)

woot.

note: She actually does have two dresses she likes to wear. and she would happily wear those two dresses every day till she's too big for them, except that I occasionally hide them because I'm mean but more because I get sick of seeing her in the same outfit every day when I can assure you her closet is brimming with pretty things to choose from.

pastels + sugarcoated chickens

or in other words

EASTER!

I'm such a dummy. I ran flat out of time on Easter this year. It was just so busy. Didn't get any candid shots of the kids enjoying their easter goods.

but I did get a couple stand over here and look pretty ones :)


They all sat their with their fierce looks for a minute and I was like uhhh whats wrong? It's Easter be happy! Oh yeah, and you're allowed to smile for these :)

haha they've gotten so used to me shooting for school projects that they forgot they can occasionally smile for the camera.


As soon as we got home from church they asked... did the easter bunny hide our eggs yet??

Not yet.



and then again before we went to grandma's house... Did the easter bunny come back yet?

nope, not yet.


And then when We got home from grandma's house... now? Will the easter bunny ever come back to hide our eggs??

*looks at fake watch on arm* I don't know it kinda late... go get ready for bed.



But then at 9:11 pm it finally happened for them! The easter bunny had come and it was a egg hunt by lantern light.

Do we have the best easter bunny or what?!

note: clearly our easter bunny is in cahoots with our tooth fairy, neither one seems to be very prompt.

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.

Let's play

you might be a photographer if...

ok begin.

You might be a photographer if you've ever stepped out mid shower to grab your camera...



k, now you go.

or if you'd rather you and a friend can reenact this mornings dialogue between me and Lu.

will be good times I tell ya.

(she/he who plays Lu must use a most pathetically tragic voice. She/he who plays me can use any voice but an Australian accent would be the preferred choice)

L: I need a drink of water, I feel like I might barf.

J: Are you going to be ok? Should I take you to the hospital?

L: I don't know. I've never had a paper cut before, I might have to get surgery or stitches.

J: I really don't think so. Would you like some toast?

L: I can't eat toast, thats the hand I eat with.

(sipping her water she uses all her fingers to grip except the one tragic finger, which of course sticks straight up.)

L: will this top of my finger fall off?


... insert defeated stares and blinks here ...


J: I'm quite positive it will.


:) see. good times, as promised.

Happiness isn't real unless shared

Sometimes when I see people walking alone, usually kind of homeless looking, definitely friendless looking...

I imagine myself walking beside them listening to their story.

and I think how annoying that might be for them and how lucky they are that I'm driving really fast past them not affording either one of us the opportunity.

but even still...

I want to hear it.

Life moves too fast. I just want to corner people into wasting time with me.

Nothing weird about that.

When the evening pulls the SUN down

I hate it when the old fella at costco charms me into buying 4 pounds of jelly bellys. And how? Did you know Ronald Reagan used to keep a dish full of these on his desk his entire presidency.

Oh man I'm such a sucker for old people. Seriously I heart them.

but then the real trouble comes when I break that seal and make it my personal quest to come up with new and exciting jelly belly recipes. all. night. long.

I do alot of testing.

I hate jelly beans btw.

HATE!!

It's a strong word... and that would be why I chose it.

Later I will tell you my favorite flavor, which is tutti frutti so if your only here for the super rad jelly belly convo you may now be excused ;)

but if you want to talk about film, come on in, stay for a while :)

I'm always surprised when people ask me about film because...

A. They talk about it like I'm crazy for going near it,

and B. They think I'm making movies!! haha! You guys make me laugh.

remember 35mm film? you'd load it into your camera and click the shutter button until you reach the magical 24 or even more magical 36 then it would rewind and you would drop it off at costco and see it in a few days, or an hour if you're super spendy?!?!?

yes,yes. I thought so.

Hello... My name is Jill, I shoot film.

for now.


When you look at the above photo do you see that her arms are stretched out long and dainty as if mimicking the long delicate tree branches? And/or are you thinking it looks like a bad hallmark card? If you were in my class for critique you just might.

And I'm ok with that for arts sake. But for my purposes (me being the mother of that adorable child) I kinda love it.


I saw a couple of film shooters at WPPI last week. Something they both seemed to keep mentioning is how film slows you down. It's true. I can attest to this fact.

And that is one of the things they like about film is that it does make you stop and think a little more.

For me it's been good and bad. You have no idea how many shots I missed because I metered it for the ump-teenth time just to be sure sure I got it right before I click that shutter. Oh yeah, I totally pulled out the ump-teenth card. Because that is exactly what I do. For real. come shoot with me, you will see.

With digital you can shoot like 90 miles a minute, a little glance to the lcd screen on the back tells you if you're in the neighborhood of where you want to be and if the expression stinks, it's cool you got 20 more JUST like it... minor variances only. You can move quick like and the person standing before you doesn't end up looking at you like you're an idiot when your still standing there ten minutes later getting your exposure and or timing right, because you're not still standing there ten minutes later!!!! And with sky's the limit cards you never have to worry about whether or not what you just captured matters. And what matters when it comes to photography anyway?

That is something I ask myself every bloody day.


Today while I waited for my prints to wash, I expressed to my teacher the disappointment I feel about not really having direction in my work. (honestly this is a true source of frustration for me, wanting to have images that mean something but coming up short)

and then he said something that made alot of sense. This is not a quote... don't not, I repeat, do not insert air quotes here :)

He said that I will come to learn that the most interesting photographs aren't really about photography at all. It's a person that has an interest or love for something and they use photography as their story telling medium.

He said it better. Next time I will record it. haha. just kidding,, that'd be weird.

It was a DUH moment for sure. Not that I didn't know that already but sometimes I get so wrapped up in getting my assignment done I forget what I'm shooting for which ultimately is myself. What I love. What I see and dream. My own interpretation of what is.

occasionally it happens to be a thicket of tree branches dipping it's tendrils into the glassy drink below.


{ this is the first time I've told anyone that the tree is dipping into water. It's not super obvious just by looking, but without that little element this photo would just be a bunch of sticks }

The good thing about slowing down is the contemplation that goes on. I still get plenty of stinky shots and to tell the truth I don't usually love what I get on film so far. I feel frustrated, like alot. But that is ok. I like it. If theres one thing I've come to know, it's that working through frustration pays dividends!

I've been here before. It's a good place.

now pass me a tutti frutti jelly belly would ya. I do also like the peach ones.

RECIPE:

vanilla bean + berry blue + cinnamon + island punch = vomit.

definitely not a keeper.