Animals of Sea World

Me making out with the fishes :)

I had this opportunity to fly out to Orlando for a few days. So I jumped at it and ran...well, more like flew...

One of the places I got a chance to go to was Sea World. I was able to take some amazing photos of the animals inside and outside of the water.

Beautiful flamingos taking a snooze. 

A smiling (i know it's not really smiling) sting ray :)

A very spikey sea urchin.

A puffin :D

A real Florida gator!

And how can anyone ever go to Sea World without checking out a few of the main attractions? So I got a chance to catch a few shows :)

Performing seals/sea lions.

A very theatrical dolphin show.

And how can you not see Shamu?

Some time during my visit to Sea World I came across a big hunk of amazingness and fell in love. Her name is Sara.

Sara the Manatee :)

I seriously wanted to take her home with me. Not exactly sure how Simon or Becca would appreciate me bringing home an enormous mammal such as Sara. Alas I left her there. She seemed happy and content. But I seriously think that Simon would enjoy riding on her back every once in a while :)

At least I got a chance to have my face plastered on the big jumbo screen after Shamu performed :)

Do you see me? I'm on the second top to the left :)

Analogue photos with friends

Me trying to be magical :) Blackberry phone. April 2011.

Once upon a time in the month of March I've been feeling kind of low. So I decided to hang out with my friend Jonah one day and my cousin Laura on another day and just went around taking photos.

With Jonah I had my wonderful and very heavy Argus C3 Rangefinder camera. I call him Auggie :)

Ain't Auggie a handsome devil? Blackberry phone. Not exactly sure when I took this pic...

He's a heavy beast of a camera that was built in the 1940's. I was shopping at a Salvation Army one day with my friend and fellow photog Ali and that's where I found him. I heard him calling out my name, begging me to pick him up and take him home with me. Although he was kind of dusty, he was very trustworthy in taking photos. I did have to look up online to figure out how to take pictures with him because I seriously felt like I was tearing apart the rolls of film, but after a few tries I finally figured it out. And now look at the awesomeness that we both we able to capture...

Dried up vines. Auggie Rangefinder. 35mm film. March 2011

Metal Stucture at a park in Chicago. Auggie. 35mm film. March 2011

Jonah amongst the metal. Auggie. 35mm film. March 2011

After noon sunlight coming thru the windows of Julius Meinl. Auggie. 35mm film. March 2011

 
A week or so after hanging out with Jonah, I went out playing with my cameras with my cousin Laura in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I brought my little Samsung point and shoot and I had another film camera. I found this little love bug when I went to a second hand store. It's a cute little pocket size Canon 35mm "point and shoot." We went to a forest preserve and I let Laura use the digital while I used the film camera. This time I used black and white film.

Hi Laura!!! B&W 35mm film. March 2011

B&W 35mm film. March 2011.

B&W 35mm film. March 2011.

B&W 35mm film. March 2011

After our moment of walking along a muddy path and some tree hugging Laura and I decided to take a trip to the nearest mall. She needed to buy some sunglasses. 'Lo and behold, we find an awesome unicorn hat! She needed to buy it so whenever she was feeling down she could wear the magical thing and be happy :)

Oh yeah, she did get sunglasses too. The day wasn't a total wash :)

Catching up on blog.....oops!

Me and Aive at Poker Run for Bailey! April 2011. Canon 20d

So uh yeah....no excuse for me not updating the blog. I have been super busy with fundraisers, art shows, birthdays, work, and life. Still, no excuse!

The month of April really was a whirlwind of artistic endeavors. In the beginning of the month I finally received my awesome business cards from Moo.com. The are AMAZING!!!! And they fit me and my, "all good things come in small packages," personality!

All of these photos are mine! Taken with both digital and 35mm film cameras.

Then, I had the honor (and duty) to take photos at my niece Bailey's fundraiser. My beautiful mini me niece Bailey has this opportunity of a life time to travel to Australia this summer as a Student Embassador for the People to People program. Color Auntie Jealous!!! But, who am I to not help raise some funds for this amazing trip. Her parents and their friends organized this fundraiser where they opened up their houses, had food, booze, and lots of gambling. All the money raised went to Bailey's trip.

My mini me Bailey on her 11th birthday :) March 2011. Blackberry phone camera.

Towards the end of the month I had an art show at Maya Essence. The date landed on Earth Day so I called it Earth Day Art Show ( I know...so original right?).  Hey, it worked and we had an amazing turn out! 

Earth Day Art Show. April 2011. Canon 20d

The artists that participated with the Earth Day Art Show had to showcase recycled art, affects of people population, or nature themed art.

Here's my stuff! I chose my bug photos :)

Kym Thomas

Dave Parker
Dave ParkerDa

Alison Downs

I'm so happy that I get to do this on a regular basis. It's the best!


Stay tuned for my goings on for the month of May. I already have stuff lined up :)

i love art :)

Me at I <3 Chicago Artists art show, Maya Essence. 02.12.11

So February's art show was a blast! So many artists representing Chicago and lots of people!

I actually didn't get a chance to take as many photos as I would have liked, but I have to thank Vince for taking over the job...and bartend at the same time :) Here are some of the artists that participated.

Alex Puryear

Tiffani Kuhn

Antuoine Adams

It was great fun! We even celebrated Oscar's bday :)

Make a wish Oscar!!!!

Even my cousin Laura came!

I got me so cousin love :)

My awesome friend Paula also helped out and wo-manned the Affordable Art table too!

Couldn't have done it without you Paula!

All in all, it was an amazing turn out. The people that run Maya Essence agree too! In fact, they are allowing me to curate an art show every month! I'm super excited with this next chapter of my artistic life. Can't wait to show you more of what I have to show you all!

Woohoo!!! Go ME!!!

Now I just gotta get some business cards together......

Until next time :)

My artist bio

Window shopping. Black and white 35mm film.

It took me forever to work on artist bio. I had so many that I've used, but they didn't really include anything about photography. This art show that I've curated at Maya Essence is on tonight. TONIGHT!!!! Can you believe it? Trust me, I can't. Yesterday was great! I had so much amazing help with everything that I feel alot more calmer and I'm actually looking forward to this. I even got some business cards too!

But anyway, back to my bio. I always made fun of the ones that I would read that sounded so uber profession and were like 4 or 5 paragraphs long. Even when I went as far as making artist bios for other people I always kept them really short. As I started typing mine out, I came to realize that I had a lot to say when it comes to my art, the reason why I love it and why I always came back to photography. This is the first art show that I've ever been in that will have my photography and only my photography. I can't believe it really.

So without further ado, here is what I came up with. I hope you like it :)

My first picture I have ever taken was when I was 4 yrs old. I took pictures of my Mom’s flowers in her garden and a few pictures of my dolls. My first picture I ever developed was when I was 5. Here I was, standing on tip toes on a stool, wearing a hospital mask (my dad was trying to protect me from the fumes…even tho it still stuck pretty bad) with adult size rubber gloves up to my armpits moving around a piece of paper in what I called “special water,” trying to make magic. To be honest I don’t remember what I developed that day and I’m pretty sure those pictures didn’t come out very well, but it was just nice to be able to do something that my Dad did for a living at that time. 

I have been dabbling in every kind of art for many years. Sketches, painting, speed ball and a bit of typography, but I always came back to photography. It’s second nature to me.  I always felt that with a snap of a button I can create a memory that will last a lifetime for some and tell a quick story for others.  I consider myself a person that’s, “75% film, 25% digital,” when it comes to taking pictures. I will always have rolls of 35mm film in my bag and some kind of camera in there as well (camera phone is not included in this confession).

 My main focus right now is to help other artists portray their artwork no matter what type of media it is in venues that are open to allowing them to express themselves in a place where there is no judgment or scorn. Artists deserve to have their work displayed and have people enjoy it. Their art is their voice that needs to get heard and to be seen by everyone.  

Window shopping for flowers. Black and white 35mm film

First art show of the year :)

Me with Ms. Beasley :) January 2011

I'm finally getting together a bunch of my local artsy fartsy friends and put together an art show called, "I <3 Chicago Artists." I'm super happy and excited for this. I'm looking forward to showing some of my photos since I usually put up paintings. Here's a sneak peak:

Simon with rose. 35mm film. 2008

Earwax cafe. 35mm film 

Chicago River from the Brown Line. 35mm film.

I'm mostly excited for the Affordable Art table. There's no way that any of us artists will not sell anything as long as they participate in that. I'm selling magnets, postcards, and prints. Another fellow artist makes her artwork into earrings and other pieces of jewelry. This is going to be great!

Hope to see you there!