Foto Fun Friday

every once in a while, you see a photo and it just strikes you to the core.this photo of the Black Keys in Lollapalooza by Mat Ellis is one of them. (here for better quality). just looking at it makes me want to be a better photographer. the lighting is just perfect...scratch that...EVERYTHING is perfect about this photo. i wonder what Matt's reaction was when he saw this. i bet it was an amazing feeling. that's the question that's been burning in my mind. what's the reactions of these great photographers when they knew they got the shot. i've never gotten a shot of this epic proportion, but i know the moment i captured exactly what i wanted, i get all giddy inside, like there's a ton of butterflies in my stomach...maybe like discovering that you love a person for the first time...i just want to throw my fists in the air and let out a little scream. yea, like that. maybe it's different for everyone.

how do you react? what inspires you to be better at what you do?

Nostalgia

remember Vincenzo? well, he finally moved out west to Seattle to pursue his love of photography, film, music, and fashion. i must admit i'm a little jealous of his ballsy-ness. i would love to be there right now...he tried to talk me into it several times so we could be roomies...but i'm too much of a chicken.

we become photo partners over the summer and went on a couple of excursions together and while doing so, he always took clips of videos as well. here's a compilation of his summer clips.

















every time i watch this it makes me miss him more and more. follow his photographic adventures here, watch more of his videos here, and read his thoughts here!

Coast to Cote: week 25

this week's Coast to Cote is rather dark in exposure.



Pang: As I mentioned in an earlier post, a couple friends and i headed to DC to see Best Coast. At one point during the show, Bethany Consentino (vocals) mentioned that her guitarist, Bobb Bruno, will be at the merch table. I yelled out and asked if he was for sale as Bob answered that he would only cost a mere $1...but alas, Bethany had the last words when she said he would be selling for $420. Obviously, I could not afford my very own Best Coast guitarist and I was defeated.

Lacey: Yesterday I did a photoshoot with Jeremy Litten as part of our Where Can't I Chant series. We went down to the National Harbor in Alexandria at sunset and the view was absolutely beautiful. I convinced Jeremy to hop a rail and get out onto this ledge to snap a few pictures and we both agreed it was worth the risk (the ledge was plenty big enough it was just a concern of security guards!).

Which coast is the Best Coast?

last night we drove down to the Rock and Roll Hotel to see Best Coast. we met a few really interesting people (one at a nice coffee shop, Sova Espresso). none of us had ever been there before and had no idea what to expect. it was a rather nice/cozy place as far as size was concerned (H St construction is a mess though) and the volume was just perfect.

the opening band was Cult and they were pretty impressive.



i haven't been sleeping really well, so i'm off trying to catch some zz's (i just got My So Called Life Season 1 in the mail!!). promise more show pictures soon!

Foto Fun Friday: better late than never

awesome., originally uploaded by Pretty Little Fings.

i took this photo last week at the Blue Moon, one of my favorite live music spots in town. at first glance i was like "who are these people" then later realized how dense i had been for not recognizing it earlier.

drum set belongs to The Weights, a pretty awesome band from Brooklyn!

ps - HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!!

Foto Fun Friday

whoa, didn't i say i was going to try to post a little more...man, i suck at keep my word, huh? i've been busy hanging out with one of my very best friend who is leaving for bootcamp (Air Force) on Monday and this week is just flying by!

anywho, happy Friday. i wanted to post another preview from Liz & Cory's wedding...



this photo was one of my faves from the hour i spent with the groom and his team before the wedding. they are a bunch of goofballs (can you tell?) and i had a blast photographing them, with the help of my assistant, Brian.

on a totally unrelated note...tonight we went to a benefit in Harpers Ferry and met Pearl and the Beard. not only are they super nice (Jeremy can grow a mean beard!), they are super talented. the trio completely blew my mind and have hopped over to the #1 spot on my favorite bands list. my head blew right off when they started playing this medley:



Will Smith lives on!

Stuck in my head.

i know i'm a ton behind on my posts. many things has happened this week that i don't care to discuss (and i'm sure non of you want to hear). i finally have a little bit of time to sit and digest...but this song won't stop replaying in my head. i know music is contagious...

"We should shine a light on, a light on
And the book of right-on's right-on, it was right-on

We should shine a light on, a light-on
And the book of right-on's right-on, it was right-on

I killed my dinner with karate
Kick 'em in the face, taste the body
Shallow work is the work that i do

Do you want to sit at my table
My fighting fame is fabled
And fortune finds me fit and able

And you do say - oh oh
That you do pray - oh oh
And you say that you're okay

And do you want to run with my pack?
Do you want to ride on my back?
Pray that what you lack does not distract

And even when you run through my mind
Something else is in front, oh, you're behind
And i don't have to remind you to stick with your kind

And you do say - oh oh
That you do pray - oh oh
And you say that you're okay

And even when you touch my face
You know your place
And even when you touch my face
You know your place

And we should shine a light on
A light on
And the book of right-on's right-on
It was right-on

And we should shine a light on, a light on
And the book of right-on's right-on, it was right-on" - Joanna Newsom



i love her.

birthday prezzies

another birthday post?!?! yes, so get over it! just kidding! i wanted to share with you a couple of things i got for staying alive for a quarter of a century!



J gifted me this German Concertina! i spotted this little beauty while at a pawn shop with my mom while we were looking to get my little brother his very first electric guitar (cheaper is better, right?). i called J over (it's in the same complex as were he works) and kept on and on about how it will one day be mine and i thought he just brushed it off. i brought it up again a couple of days later and he told me that it was already sold when he went back to check on it...and i was bummed. i still thought/talked about it and i was sure J was going to do everything in his power to get one for me regardless and i was right! that bearded fellow straight out lied and surprised me with the very same one that we had seen at the shop! he walked into the apartment and started playing it when i had my back turned from him! BEST SURPRISE!! i've been playing with it here and there (Remy hates it and barks...most likely because i'm just making noise) and i'm looking forward to actually learning a song! Little Red has definitely been loved and we are hoping to get some one to fix it up a little. man, i can't wait!



the day before my birthday, my friend, Brian, took me out to lunch for a sushi feast!! we gorged ourselves on a three course meal and had dessert! i ordered a pumpkin gelati (despite our waitress' attempt to talk me out of it because she doesn't like it) and it came in a tiny pumpkin...although the whole thing was frozen solid, it was still pretty delish.



a couple of days after my birthday, i received a special package from Lacey. i was so excited to open it! in it were two boxes of little macarons!!!! i had a strage intuition that she was going to get me them, but i only ever mentioned them to her once...i think...great memory! i had never tried them before so this was a very special treat. i tore into them and gulped two down right away...yummy! i love it that they were all different flavors and colors, so pretty! i am guilty of having had three already for breakfast...i can't help it, i have a sweet tooth!

thank you everyone, for your birthday wishes. i hope 25 will be a great year!

Foto Fun Friday

Tuesday i tagged along with some of my friends/new neighbors to a show at Shepherd. a couple of my favorite local bands were playing so i was really excited...and excited to get out of organizing the messy apartment. i love shooting shows with my fish eye, so i tugged that along.



this shot was one of many from the night, but it wasn't the best. i chose this simply because of J, standing in the middle, looking completely bored out of his mind while leaning on the speakers. the crowd was really into the band, The Demon Beat, and were going wild, moshing and taking their shirts off (men only). of course, this shot shows the total opposite of how he was feeling. J is not a dancer or a mosher (not that i knew of anyway). he likes to enjoy shows quietly and closely (see how close he is to the stage?). we concluded that this was the best show from the band we've seen...and we've seen plenty, so i know he did really enjoyed it. it was just too funny to pass up. i mean, there's a picture of this guy just hanging out while everyone else is dancing...he's sticking out like a sore thumb. poor J. i still love him though!

Foto Fun Friday

HI FRIENDS! it's time for another Foto Fun Friday!! i just came back from a very lovely but short trip to NYC with J. i reserved some tickets to the live taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for J for Christmas, so we went up on Wednesday for the taping that night and stayed with our friends in Brooklyn. (i will elaborate on a later post, promise)

so here's today's photo:



coming out of 30 Rock from the Jimmy Fallon show, we noticed a couple of people all dressed up. upon further inspection (reading the sign!) we found out that Lady Gaga was playing there. I asked a couple of guys (dressed up in Gaga fashion) to take a picture with us, but they were distraught about something and turned us down. i then noticed his woman just hanging out by the lamp post, t then i noticed her glasses. i knew i must have a photograph of her. i'm trying to imagine her story: hanging out in front of Radio City pre-gaming on some Gaga tunes before the show...or was she just a Gaga fan without tickets just taking in all the craziness that surrounded her? it was CRAZY! people were goo goo for Gaga (including us). lots of people were dressed up, people asking for tickets, people selling tickets for crazy amounts of money, people getting interviewed, and buses and cars everywhere. seriously, J and i both wish that we had tickets to see it, just because we knew it would be one visually amazing show and her music is not so bad to dance to. yes, i just admitted that i am a fan.

do you like her music? i hope everyone has a great Friday!!!

i took a weekend hiatus...

my work week was pretty rough on me, so i took a little break over the weekend to spend some quality time with some dear friends and enjoyed a lazy Sunday with J. while i get my act back together, i want to share this video with you.

Blind Pilot "Go On, Say It" from Team G on Vimeo.

i love the simplicity of this video. and i especially love the colors and the softness of it. the song is good too!

hope you have a great Monday!

instrumental.

a few months ago, my friend Chelsea commissioned me to make her some banjo plushies. she commissioned six banjos for five six of the kids she nannies and one for her niece. Chelsea plays the banjo so she thought it would be a perfect combination/gift for the kiddos.



i was a little apprehensive at first (honestly, i didn't think i'd do a good job), but i took the challenge and ended up really liking the whole process and how they all turned out. we had talked about personalizing the banjos, so i embroidered the first letter of the kids' names on a fabric heart and sewed it onto the back of the plushies (which i forgot to photograph). the banjos are rather simple compared to the real thing, but since most of the kiddies are on the younger side, i knew they would get lots of love and didn't want anything that they could choke on.


smiling face.


ready for delivery! this banjo in the front is for a lone boy in the mix.

so yea, i was very pleased with how they turned out. and making them really taught me that i shouldn't be scared of custom pieces. i have one more custom piece to finish (kitty cat) and then i'm taking a break for a week!

Foto Fun Friday

(isen't she just the cutest?!)

if you're wondering why Remy has a yarn pom pom on her head. it's because i'm actually working on a side project (slowly). i was reading the Bleubird blog (hearts, hearts, hearts!!!), and feel in love with the cuddly D.I.Y. pom pom wreath. i mean, look at it!! i just want to cuddle with it!!

(originally uploaded by bleubirdvintage.)

Ms. James made the tutorial SUPA easy!! so really, anyone could do it! i am working on it a little at a time (making the pom poms at the restaurant while we are slow)...so i should be done by Christmas...ok, ok, by Thanksgiving.

well, i hope everyone has a good Friday. i am feeling under the weather, AGAIN, so i'm am keeping myself medicated. it's going to be a busy weekend for me. tonight, J and i are treking down to Baltimore to see Dan Auerbach's solo show (frontman of the Black Keys). J is super stoked because he loves them ...he has been talking about this show forever! i am excited about his opening act Jessica Lea Mayfield. i hope i feel better by the time we get there. who wants to feel lousy during a show! i know i don't!!! Sunday, my cousin Kelly is coming over! and i am scheduled to have a photo shoot with my friend and her dogs. CUTE! i'm a little nervous because i've never had to deal with people and pets at the same time (except J and Remy, but they are easy).

my shedule is hectic right now with work (s), crafting (Handmade Holiday Shop-n-Stroll), and photography (totally taking off, i just booked another session for the following weekend, and i think i will be helping my favorite local photographer with her shoot the weekend after that! woo!), but i feel so blessed! i feel thankful for the support system that i have and the opportunities life has been throwing my way. tired and stressed or not, this is good for me. (sorry to get so mushy all of the sudden)

thanks to all!

have a great/safe weekend!

hello Seattle

yes, yes, a couple of weeks later and i'm still raving and ranting about Seattle...i just loved that city! J and i were able to enjoy Seattle's breathtaking view on a beautiful day as we walked around the Space Needle.

i've been figiting with my camera's HD video mode for a while now (and found the perfect song) and thought you'd like to see why i (we) fell in love with Seattle.

disclaimer: i know it's a little amateur-ish and a little boring going around in a circle...but it gets better at the end. we are goofy for sure.



oh! and i can't forget to credit Owl City for the perfect song. i love this one man band and i can't wait for J to take me to their show in January...i see tickets for Christmas prezzies in the horizon...wink wink!

Dead Man's Bones

i love Dead Man's Bones and their old horror movie feel/sound. been listening to their stuff all day (full album comes out Tuesday!!! woo!). they are officially my new favorite band thanks to J. and if i play my cards right, i will be seeing them live REAL soon.

ps - i HEART Ryan Gosling even more!

Matt & Kim

here are a couple of photos from the Matt & Kim show:


(Amanda Blank was hella good!)


(Matt is adorable!)


(one thing that i love about this band is how much they seem to love their fans. they both performed with huge grins on their faces the whole time. crazy amazing show!)


(crowds...surfing)

Foto Fun Friday

last night we went to see Matt & Kim at Sonar in Baltimore. the show was crazy amazing. the crowd was wild. i got some great photos since we were right up front (i was kneeling on a set of speakers). it was sooo good!!

we all met 1/2 of the band. she was such a sweetie and a killer on the drums!

hey you!

did you know that i'm a huge fan Kings of Leon? this song is my (and J's) favorite!

One Love

awesome!

can i haz these?

the pop up books are AH-MAZING!! ..and the song is good too. Thanks for sharing Johanna!