Have you heard about Vivian Maier?

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet!

I feel like a nerd saying somethin' like that... but it's true (so is my nerdinness)!

Vivian Maier (thanks mom for showing me this in the first place, by the way!) was a street photographer/nanny in Chicago who lived from 1926-2009. Her work was discovered way later (in 2009) after the photos had been taken, stored, some un-developed, and some still on the roll. Nobody had seen them.

Her images are amazing.

Here are some of my favorites:

There is a book and a film coming out some time soon, but for now you can keep seeing new images of the collection regularly on this blog: vivianmaier.blogspot.com

And watch a little preview of the film here: "Finding Vivian Maier" 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am having my turkey tomorrow - today is for homework! It really doesn't feel like thanksgiving yet, but it is finally feeling like Fall, and I am really enjoying it. I was treated to a trip to Chase, where we watched the Salmon run at Adams River with the boy's family. It was a much-needed break and so good to spend time with my (other) family! we stayed at a resort that was gorgeous, the weather was perfect and fall-ish, and everyone had so much fun. The Salmon were interesting... I will show you some pictures, don't mind the dead fish .... haha! Here's what its all about, for those who don't know (like me before I went!):

"After fighting strong currents and rapids, the salmon are bruised and battered and their skin has changed to a deep red colour and their heads turn green. The salmon return to the same place where they began their life to spawn. The females lay around 40,000 eggs, the males develop humped backs and hooked snouts. They both guard the nest until their death and the cycle begins again. "

The resort where we stayed one luxurious night

(4 pillows for 1 person, white bedding and down duvet = my kind of sleeping arrangement!)

The traffic director at the entrance to the park - I thought it was cute!

All of the water just looked like this...

Some fish eggs nestled in the rocks

 

Fish accross the bank.

 

This guy was huge!

Uncles and nephews a-plenty!

Grandsons can never get enough of Grandpa!

He'd point and say "He's done" ... haha funny how easily kids get it sometimes

Me and the boy's feet...

This cutie again - cuter and cuter these days!

So I am super glad I got a little break this weekend! I got my projects done for Thursday, I've posted my telephone bench here for you to see, and lots of other stuff stressed me out, I was getting sick, but now I'm feeling better already since I've had a couple days of rest! Perfect! K, back to the homework now!



Inspiration Archive

A regular customer at work who is a structural engineer and knows that I'm taking Interior Design came in yesterday and handed me a disc he'd burnt of different Architecture/Design photos he's archived for inspiration!

Nice guy, eh?! I was pretty happy.

There are hundreds of pictures, each one so inspiring and original and I know I will reach to that new folder on my desktop many times this coming year!

 Here are a few that I've found inspiring today:

There are so many equally as great, the guy has great taste (in my humble opinion) so I am excited to have an inspiration archive!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Reunited

Photography Class, age 15

I love sorting through old stuff. I seem to have a lot of it, I find out when I try to pack. This morning I found these photos from my Highschool photography class I took when I lived in Australia. We learned (I use the term lightly) to use a good old 35mm SLR camera and how to process the film and develop it.  It was a bit of a nightmare, that developing. And the reason I had permanent yellow stains all over my uniform skirt. Cute. But oh the fun of taking the pictures! Often we'd walk down to Eastern Beach and snap away... not artfully, of course, just get the job done.

I kinda love this one now, and how the water droplets from the developing (or I got on the photo paper during exposure, I don't know which!) ended up printed on the photo! If only it was on purpose ...

A very fuzzy picture of me and my friend Megan

Here is probably the only interesting thing I did in that class!

Overlapping those 2 pics to expose them like this:

Me and Dennis, who is now in London persuing his career in fashion, you can read about it here!

Oh what a mess I always made of the developing...

If you look closely there is one reasonable picture on that negatives sheet: 

Its me! So it turned out probably because it wasn't me that took it ...

Sunny Saturday Stroll

Last Saturday, February 20th, 2010, Langley, British Columbia

I <3 the shadow of me and my boy amongst swampy duck water. : )

The heat of the sun, the sounds of the splashing ducks, the sights of Spring's signs, and the scent of fresh air. . . aaaah I will revisit this day in my brain for a while.... :)

A ways away...

Leif, Laura

Moxie, Mom

Wade, Tara

I miss you all and am thinkin' of you!

And I can't wait to see what's in that belly, Tara, hopefully it won't get scared off by the face your husband is making :)

Laura, we never really got a photo together that weekend, but I did have a photo of what I made you to represent for you guys, works I guess!

Baby's on its way!

I had fun last weekend trying to creatively capture some shots of Tara's belly.

I couldn't get over how much better everything turned out in black and white, so I made them consistenly that way...

{turn on your speakers}

sorry about the "leawo.com" part but I forgot that when you make a powerpoint presentation, you can't exactly just upload it as a video. Anyways that's an online program that converted it for me. Nothing you need to be worried about, but it is annoyingly in the way the whole time, I know. (I won't do that again!)

Thank you Colbie Caillat for the tunes. (love that song)

I will maintain that it's a boy in there still though.

Anyways...

What didya think??

PS: Animoto Makes it WAAAAY easier

L&J Wedding Photos Sparkled!

Lane & Jocelyn's photographer has blogged some of their Wedding photos here

Look good so far, don't they!?

This was my surprise for them:

I thought it would make a great departure shot, and the photographer captured it perfectly!

They loved it. I had fun covering all the little match boxes with lace and paper with their initials stenciled on (my new favourite way to do lettering, if you haven't noticed my new banner!)

My Christmas Day

My Christmas pictures - finally! There are way more but they're mostly of Massey or more of the same thing you see here.

It was such a bright sunny morning and the living room was so bright; not like last year, or most Christmas mornings for that matter! Beautiful though!





Oh, the anticipation!

Massey being very efficient at handing out all the presents and stockings!

Ron openning his stocking ...

My picnic bag from Ron - so amazing! Can't wait to use it.

On the phone with his sister - or brother? :D

After the presents were openned the boys resided right here all day, with their new lego table making their new lego town!

Massey was quite satisfied with this light-up toy which was the first present he openned! Whenever I got my camera out he'd hold it up to my lens!

This is where my boy resided all afternoon. I don't know how he slept; everyone was all noisy and busy right next to him.

See, when the light-up thingy is right on my camera, it looks like this!

What a cutie! Its hard to catch him smiling!

See!? He and his uncle are the two serious boys here...

And here's all my loot (besides my bike, which I never did get a picture of but I will soon!)

My stocking was beyond full and it was a super surprise!

So that was my Christmas Day! It did not include any turkey. It did, however, include a selection of beef, chicken, and fish tacos with an assortment (beyond all assortments) of toppings. This is a Christmas tradition I could get used to! (it's not a tradition for them either...yet...just a random idea for this year!) I took pictures of the spread but they've suddenly dissapeared, so you will just have to believe me.