Another Drawing

Okay, so I have three drawing assignments each week for Drawing, and the fourth assignment is to critique four other students' drawings. Easy, I tell you. E-A-S-Y!! Well, I do all of my drawings at the beginning of the week or the week before so I don't have to worry so much, and then I can focus on my Photography assignments for the week. My mom saw a drawing I did for this week, and she was completely shocked when she saw it. But first, let me take you back to my freshman year in high school.

As a freshman at Brunswick High School, I took the very basic, introduction art class. Without this class, you can't take any other kind of art class in high school. I just took this class as one of those always lovable easy classes. [You know, just to get that "easy A" and help out your GPA. HA.] Man, I was so wrong about it being an "easy A", let me tell you. I had the toughest art teacher at the high school! Some of the assignments I did really well on, while others were horrible. Let me tell you, I couldn't draw if my life depended on it. I remember one of the very first drawings we had to do in that class was draw a horse from memory. O-M-G! My "horse" looked like a fat freakin' blob! It was HIDEOUS!! And, of course, the teacher put that drawing on display one day. HA. [Thanks, Mrs. K!] I was such a horrible "artist", and I swore I would NEVER take another art class while in high school. HAHAHA.

Fast forward about a year and a half to two years later. I had to spend some time in the hospital - about a week, maybe. During this time in the hospital, I started drawing to clear my mind. I remember drawing a picture with the world in my hands. After that drawing, things changed. I then realized that I wasn't as bad at drawing like I was my freshman year. When I came home from the hospital, my mom and I went to the one store and I got a drawing pad, pencils, markers, crayons, oil pastels, etc. It was too late to sign up to take art classes my junior year of high school. So I just had to stick with drawing at home that year. Once it came time to sign up for classes my senior year, my schedule was FILLED with art classes. During my senior year, my art skills really improved and I had art work on display in the halls of the school and at local hospitals and elsewhere. It was really cool and very humbling.

I haven't done a whole lot of drawing since high school, but I draw every once in a while. But now that I am taking a Drawing class, I draw three different things a week. I love it! Drawing is a lot of fun and it relaxes me.

My mom saw the drawing below, and she thought it was really good. She was on the phone with someone, and she said, "I remember years ago when she couldn't draw for shit. Now I just can't get over a lot of the drawings she does now. They are really good." I think the drawing is okay, nothing great. Plus, it's not even really finished, if you ask me. I still want to work on the shading some and add a background to it. But it was really nice to hear my mom say something like that about my drawings. Trust me, I used to be the most God awful drawer before - it was ridiculous! [And I'm not saying I'm spectacular now, but I definitely am nowhere near as bad as I used to be!!]


Bowl of fruit. Drawing done with charcoal.

Photographic Narrative

You're given one week to come up with no less than three ideas for a photographic narrative. Of the no less than three ideas you've chosen, you have to choose one. Over the span of 5.5 weeks, you will have to post 36 photos you've taken for a total of five assignments relating to that one idea you've chosen. Not only do you have to post 36 images each week for the assignment, you have to write at least one paragraph.

Let me tell you, I had one hell of a time coming up with three ideas for the a photographic narrative. I submitted three ideas, but I didn't feel that any of them were very strong. Then at the beginning of the week, I suddenly thought of an idea, something very personal, that I could use as my photographic narrative project. I e-mailed my instructor to see if it was okay that I switched my topic, and luckily he's really cool and easy going, and he said that it sounded good to him and to "go for it". I was so happy to be able to switch my topic because this one is, like I said before, personal. Also, it will give me something to look back on and really appreciate.

This first week's sequence of photos weren't as strong as I'd like, but I only had a few days to work with, rather than a whole week. But now I have some ideas "brewing" for the sequences in upcoming weeks, and I hope that I can pull them off! I am just going to have a hard time, I'm sure, for some things because I don't know how stores are going to feel when I bust out a camera and possibly a tripod. HA! But I am planning on going to stores on weekdays, during the day, so that the stores aren't too crowded and I'm not freaking people out and managers could possibly be a little bit more understanding about it. At least I hope that the managers will be more understanding. If not, oh well, call the cops because I've got a project to work on that's major! LOL.

I have kind of planned each week to be another "chapter" in this story, and it's a bit interesting. The one week, though, might be a bit difficult because of something that should be happening to me. Hopefully I will be able to pull through and handle it.

If you had to do a photographic narrative, what would you choose as your topic?!

Drawing

So in my last post, I said that maybe I would post some of my drawings. Here are three drawing that I have done so far. I know they aren't great, but I am proud of them.


These are the tomatoes I was drawing in my current Blogger and Facebook picture.


This was a simple still life I had to do this week.


This was a more complex still life I had to do this week.

In one of my drawing classes in high school, there was this one project we had to do. It was really cool and I was so impressed with how well mine turned out!! I have decided recently that I am going to do a few of those drawings again, and I can't wait to see the finished products! Once I have completed them [although I don't know when that will be], I will post them on here for you all to see.

I am LOVING Quarter 2, Session 1!!

At the Art Institute, they run on quarters, and then they split their quarters up in to two sessions. So, like the title says, I am in my second quarter, first session. And let me tell you, I REALLY DO LOVE IT!!

Drawing has been amazing! I feel like I'm right back in my drawing classes in HS, and I did pretty effing awesome in those classes!! I find it incredibly relaxing to just sit down with a sketch pad and drawing utensils, and just draw for an hour or so. I love it! I'm already finished with this three of week's assignments and have two of them turned in, once of which is turned in a bit early. I am waiting another day to turn in assignment three [even though it'll be turned in well in advance], but I can't turn in the forth assignment because I have to wait for others to turn in their assignments so I can start critiquing. [Critiquing others assignments is the forth assignment for each week.]

Principles of Digital Photography has been great! This one assignment that I have to do for that class spans the whole 5.5 weeks. I had a really hard time coming up with my idea, but I have a pretty solid idea. This assignment isn't as simple as just picking up your camera and taking photographs. Oh no, you have to really THINK about it - and then you have to WRITE about it! I think that I am going to head out to the next town so that I can photograph for the big project! One thing I don't like about this class is that we have to shoot assignments using certain modes, and seriously, I can't shoot in AUTO. I have stayed so far away from AUTO since April that I literally get sick when I think about shooting in AUTO. ::gag:: [My thing is, I have a nice DSLR camera, and I shouldn't be shooting in AUTO. I don't find the point in having a DSLR camera and shooting in AUTO. If you want to shoot in AUTO, use a point-and-shoot camera. That's just me though....] But anyway, back to school and my assignments. The assignments are a lot of fun. I like that I get to go outside at this time of the year and photograph. Fall is so beautiful here! The colors are so vivid, and some are really bright. I love it! It's absolutely amazing!

Maybe some time within the next week or so, I will post some of my drawings on here to show you all. I am not some great artists, but I like some of my drawings. Plus, I put photos I've taken on here, why not show some of my other art work?!

Cameras, cameras, cameras!

Today, while at Borders [when I was getting my copy of The Body Issue], I picked up a Buyer's Guide for 2010 about DSLR cameras. I swore that I was not going to be looking for another DSLR camera for a long while, but you can obviously see that idea has fallen through. HA. I want something that's more "powerful" than what I have now. I know I don't need a new DSLR camera, but I think I should have something more "powerful". Mark and I discussed me getting a new camera a while back, he said I could, but I then decided that I wouldn't get it. But now that I'm in school and learning more, I think maybe I should get something more "powerful" and better than what I have. Mark hasn't said anything about me not being able to get a new camera [because I have brought it up to him recently], but I just don't want to assume that he doesn't care if I get one, go out and get one, then Mark freak out. You know?! But this Buyer's Guide is pretty nice! I like it better than searching on a store's website or on the manufacturer's website.

Well, I recently just bought a new point-and-shoot camera though. I can't always lug around my DSLR, so I got a Canon PowerShot. It's so small! I'm not used to using small cameras these days! LOL. But it's nice to have because I can take it anywhere and it doesn't take up a lot of space and I don't need to carry around a large backpack. Also, toward the beginning of the year, I got Mark one of those flip video cameras. He loves it! So about a month or two ago, I got one for myself. LOVE IT! I didn't get the newer one, just the original. But still, it's pretty bad ass! I take that with me to a lot of places.

I swear, if it's some sort of camera, I want it! LOL. I've got a Sony Handycam, a flip, a Canon PowerShot, and Sony a300 DSLR camera. Crap, let's face it, I just love all technological devices! Along with my cameras, I love my BlackBerry and my iPod! Technology is my best friend!

ESPN Magazine: The Body Issue

Today was a day I have been counting down to for about a week or two now! ESPN magazine came out with The Body Issue. This afternoon, I got ready and went out to Border's and got my tiny hands on one of them! The issue is hot, hot, HOT!! I'm not going to lie, there were quite a few HOT bodies in that magazine!!


But the main reason I got it, is because of my favorite athlete, Ryan Lochte!! YES, his body was featured in the issue!! I got to see the photo the other day, but having the magazine that contains that photo is even better!! If you're a Ryan Lochte fan, you have a GREAT LOVE for that white Speedo he's wearing!! I definitely love that white Speedo!! I know I'm a married woman and have two children, but you can't deny that Ryan Lochte is HOT! But let me tell you something, he's even HOTTER in person!! ::fans self:: WOOO! HA.

But something that's really cool is that a swimmer was in this issue! I honestly think ESPN would've been beyond stupid to not include a swimmer. I mean, HELLO, they have amazing bodies!! Plus, it's not Michael Phelps that's in the magazine, it's RYAN LOCHTE!! [Yeah, Phelps is a great swimmer, there's no denying that. But I am just so happy to see someone other than Phelps. And since it's Ryan, all the better!]

Also featured in The Body Issue is Dwight Howard, Serena Williams, Carl Edwards, Lolo Jones, and just a bunch of other athletes from other sports. I highly recommend getting this issue of the magazine! It's not expensive at all [I think I paid $5 for it, maybe]. So go get one...NOW!

Here's a link to a video about the issue: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4536943

Fall

Yesterday, I walked a little bit around town with my camera, camera bag, and tripod. [Yeah, I'm sure I looked like a freakin' weirdo, but oh well.] It was nice to walk around and take photos. I went out for a photography assignment and had a fun time. I don't like that it gets cooler [I am such a summer girl], but I absolutely love the colors of fall!!

Here are some photos I took while I was out walking around.

FOR-EV-ER!

Holy moly! It has been so long since I have posted anything on here - over 2 months!! O_O So let me give you a short update on what's been happening in my "photography life."

I've been going to school since July 13th!! I finished my first quarter one week ago! YAY! I got an A, a B, and a dang C. But I will say this, the class I got that C in really kicked my butt!! Like, REALLY kicked my butt!! I would literally spend over 6 hours most days working on assignments for that class. It was torture! HA. But I am very proud of myself for getting that C because I could've done worse in that class, like I'm sure a lot of other people did!! I start my second quarter on Monday, and I can't wait! I will be taking Drawing and Principles of Digital Photography!! I've already completed a few of my assignments for Drawing. HA. Go ahead, call me a nerd, over-achiever, whatever. LOL. I love drawing! I went to a store today and spent $62.99 on drawing supplies - pencils, blenders, erasers, sketch pad, etc. I would draw all day if I could! My Dig. Photography class, though, is going to be some SERIOUS business, let me tell you!! I'm used to having assignments be less than 50 points each, but the assignments for this class are 200-300 points each!! IN-SANE! But it's going to be a lot of fun! I can't wait to go outside with my camera and take photos of new scenery and such.

My mind and heart haven't changed at all - I still want to be that sports photographer!! And pretty soon, I am going to need your help!! [I'll let you know about that later on though - when the time comes.] And you know, I should post some of my photos from the USA Swimming Nationals back in July and baseball photos on here - as well as other photos that aren't related to sports. I need to start showcasing my work on more than just FB, and the occasional MySpace and Twitter.

I've been put in touch with higher ups in some major sports companies, and it's been great! I love having that connection! The people I have talked to are wonderful! And I have even had a few tell me that they can't wait to one day have me work along side them. That's definitely a major confidence booster right there! I want to be a sports photographer so badly, and I started networking a couple months ago. Networking is insanely important, especially if you want to make it in the field you're working in.

Hopefully I will get back into blogging and keeping this up-to-date. A LOT will be happening within the next few months, and I'd like to keep you all "in the know"!!