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What My Eyes See
Jun. 22nd, 2010 12:17 pmIn light of the sudden death of my uncle, comfort food is in order.
I bet you'd love to know why I was at Sing Sing last week.
Outside Sing Sing State Penitentiary
12 June 2010
Outside Sing Sing State Penitentiary
12 June 2010
SO MUCH of Me to Love
Jun. 13th, 2010 12:19 amThis ensemble and the accessories took 15 years off my mental image of myself (and added 15 pounds, hmmm...).
I love my grandmother, but I am happy to NOT dress as though I am her age. :-)
( Closeup, +1 )
I love my grandmother, but I am happy to NOT dress as though I am her age. :-)
( Closeup, +1 )
T and I spent yesterday afternoon at a bike blessing sponsored by the B.R.A.T.S. Motorcycle Club of NYC. It was my first biker event, and I had a blast. It was wonderful to be around so many African-American bikers, to see reunions as bikers from various groups recognized one another, and to see bikes of all kinds. Many of the bikers were very friendly and were happy to chat with us newcomers.
Honda Goldwings: what sport bikes aspire to be when they grow up.
When this contingent of Honda Goldwings pulled silently into the yard--these bikes run as quiet as sewing machines, no lie--all of the sport bikes lowered their forks an inch in reverence. :-) These bikes are like easy chairs rolling down the highway.
Best Seat in the House
You can see more photos of the event in my Fotki album.
Honda Goldwings: what sport bikes aspire to be when they grow up.
When this contingent of Honda Goldwings pulled silently into the yard--these bikes run as quiet as sewing machines, no lie--all of the sport bikes lowered their forks an inch in reverence. :-) These bikes are like easy chairs rolling down the highway.
Best Seat in the House
You can see more photos of the event in my Fotki album.
Riding with Mommy
May. 23rd, 2010 12:20 am
When Mommy rides, so does her daughter. Taken at the B.R.A.T.S. Bike Blessing Event at P.S. 36 in Queens, NY. 22 May 2010.
This afternoon we took Volusia to the Bronx for a cookout. One of T's coworkers gave a cookout at a friend's house and invited us. The weather was sunny and warm, so we loaded up the bike and took off.
T and Her Co-Worker
I like this photo of T. She looks so cool and mellow.
( +3 )
Now we are at home, no thanks to the megalomaniacs on the highway. Other than that, the ride was wonderful both ways.
From the Dept. of "I Can Ride a Big Girl Bike": before we first left home, I took the bike for a spin through the neighborhood for about 5 minutes. My stopping and shifting have gotten much smoother. My turns are still a little wobbly as I learn how much throttle to give depending on the circumstances, but those are smoothing out, as well. Even the car that cut me off while I was turning on a hill didn't phase me; I saw him coming, predicted his path, and instinctively applied my defensive driving skills to put a safe distance between him and me. I'm getting more confidence in my ability to drive safely, even in traffic. This is a good thing.
T and Her Co-Worker
I like this photo of T. She looks so cool and mellow.
( +3 )
Now we are at home, no thanks to the megalomaniacs on the highway. Other than that, the ride was wonderful both ways.
From the Dept. of "I Can Ride a Big Girl Bike": before we first left home, I took the bike for a spin through the neighborhood for about 5 minutes. My stopping and shifting have gotten much smoother. My turns are still a little wobbly as I learn how much throttle to give depending on the circumstances, but those are smoothing out, as well. Even the car that cut me off while I was turning on a hill didn't phase me; I saw him coming, predicted his path, and instinctively applied my defensive driving skills to put a safe distance between him and me. I'm getting more confidence in my ability to drive safely, even in traffic. This is a good thing.
While we waited for the mechanic to adjust the bike's brakes yesterday, we strolled through the neighborhood. One of the places we visited had this metal sculpture of a rose bush. If I had my DSLR, I could have gotten a good shot of the detail, but I was able to get a decent representation of it with my Blackberry.
Thoughts While Waiting for the Train
May. 2nd, 2010 06:46 pm
I have not done much in the photography realm; before yesterday, the last thing I did was make photos of myself after I cut my hair. The truth is I have felt overwhelmed to the point of feeling uninspired.
I feel guilty for not doing more with my photography talent. I am not entering every contest whose call for entries crosses my inbox. Right now I am not updating my Etsy shoppe. I am not renting booths at craft fairs, pursuing commissions and clients, or advertising. I haven't given up on marketing my photography; I simply haven't felt driven to do any of that right now. As a result, I feel as though I am wasting my talent, because I am not doing extraordinary things with it. If this train of thought feels familiar, it is because I am in danger of doing the same thing with my photography that I've done in the past with my professional life.
That is the problem right there: my belief that I am supposed to transform myself into something "extraordinary". What is wrong with developing and enjoying and sharing my talent simply for the joy of doing so? I gladly accept whatever clients or commissions come my way, but why must I push myself to seek others and berate myself for not passionately pursuing fame? Why must I attempt to have a "voice"?
What if just being myself, doing my own thing, and allowing my own voice to come through is extraordinary?
The more I think about it, the more it seems that is what most of the independent artists/bloggers I enjoy are doing: expressing themselves in their own way. In some cases fame has found them, but they were just being themselves, not actively seeking fame. The ones who became famous became so, not because they were trying to rope in fame, but because someone appreciated their normal voice.
Yesterday I went with friends to Central Park. The weather was warm and sunny, and I took my camera. I promised myself I would enjoy my time in the park and make whatever photos I pleased. I did not worry about making a statement or finding a niche. I did not worry about making myself into some kind of "extraordinary" or making marketable photos. I simply relaxed and enjoyed myself, and that was not a waste of my talent at all.
Bicycle Taxi Driver in Central Park
Hooray for Marching Outside the Box
Apr. 20th, 2010 11:46 pmWhen I was in high school in NJ in the mid-80s, there was a sharp division of girls and boys in certain roles: only girls were flag twirlers and participated in pom pom squad, while only boys played drums. (I once told the high school band teacher I wanted to play bass drum in the marching band, and he laughed at me. Not having the backbone then that I have now, I didn't mention it, again.) Since I like killing sacred cows like gender roles, I took great pleasure in the following participants in this year's NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade:
Girls Playing Bass Drum
( +3 )
You can see my complete collection of St. Patrick's Day Parade photos in my gallery.
Girls Playing Bass Drum
( +3 )
You can see my complete collection of St. Patrick's Day Parade photos in my gallery.
