March 31, 2005
Photo Friday: Hot
Siesta Key, Canon Digital Rebel
Photo Friday's theme this week is "Hot."
More of the Peach
Marcia, orange wall Canon Digital Rebel
Couldn't resist sharing more of the sassy miss Marcia. We met when we were 19 years old and living in Italy together on an Education Abroad program. Marcia inspired me to be a bit more visible, a little bit louder, and a bit more wild. When I think of that great quote by Emile Zola, "If you asked me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud," I think of Marcia.
I had been the perennial good girl, went to all my classes, studied until the wee hours of the night and didn't goof off nearly enough. On our first day of class, Marcia and I left ourselves 2 hours to walk to the school. Because Venice is a labyrinth of tiny alleys and cobblestone streets, we got lost over and over again and ultimately never made it to class. I'll never forget that day we sprinted around the streets of Venice trying to get to school, laughing our asses off every time we hit yet another alley that ended in a canal. I think I might have even peed my pants from laughing so hard.
Marcia is hilarious.
She taught me to loosen up, have more fun and to be more fearless. She taught me to eat with gusto, drink with gusto, love well and to devour life with reverence and joy.
She is also one of the most sentimental people I know. When I was singing in a gospel choir {a funny story for another time} she came to see me the first day I sang. I saw her there in the audience, all fabulous in her vintage dress and sparkly glitter. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at me, mouthing the words, "I'm so proud of you.."
And this is what I love most about my dear friend, her willingness to be completely herself always. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for people who cry easily.
"You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves."
-Mary Oliver, Wild Geese
March 30, 2005
Results are in!
My dear friend,The beautiful Marcia Gagliardi, Canon Digital Rebel
A huge thank you to everyone who voted for me in the Photobloggies! It was such an awesome honor to be listed among all those talented people and to win "Best Kept Secret Photoblog". You guys rock. I feel all mushy inside.
March 29, 2005
beneath the surface
Refresh, North Beach Canon Digital Rebel
After a photoshoot I did last weekend, I wandered into North Beach and saw construction going on and this sign emerging from the wall. Apparently it had been there for a hundred years or so, an old corner store buried under layers of paint and sheetrock and wood. I had passed by this corner thousands of times, but never would have known what was there beneath the surface.
An old man who I recognized from the neighborhood stopped and asked why I was taking photos of it. "It's beautiful, don't you think?" and he nodded in agreement. For a moment we imagined what beauty lived behind every wall in the neighborhood and every wall in the city.
It made me think of something Oprah once said on her show. She said that when we pass by folks on the street we have no idea what private battles they are waging. We see people doing annoying things like yelling at their kids or driving too fast or grumpily handing us our double cappuccinos and we are human which means we want to judge them and hate them, but Oprah reminded me that part of compassion is remembering this one small truth, that we have no idea what private battles they are fighting.
When I am flipping through People magazine (guilty, guilty pleausure) and looking at the celebrities with their shiny hair and perfect teeth holding their brand new babies, I start to feel really bad about myself. I start to wonder if I would be happier if I was on the Atkins diet or if I started wearing high heels and getting bikini waxes.
Why is it so satisfying when we read about the fall of one of these celebrities? Why do we love those photos of Jennifer Aniston when she's just woken up and is on her way to a cafe in her jogging suit? We love this because she looks so human, she looks more like us, imperfect and puffy with coffee breath and stringy hair, and this makes us like her more.
We think other peoples' lives must be better than ours, that everyone else has it together, that we are the only ones who are flailing and wondering and not at all sure. But really we're not seeing the whole picture, and if we did, we would probably see that we are more alike than we are different. Beneath the surface there is always something else, something we couldn't have imagined.
Only three days after this shot, the wall was built over again and painted. I was sad to see it go, hoping for a few more glimpses of its bones. It was like having X-ray vision for a little while, and reminded me of everything we don't see when we're all painted over.
March 25, 2005
favorite bits
buddha, Canon Digital Rebel
Since so many new folks are coming to the site this week, I thought I'd post a list of some of my favorite entries over the last year or so. Hope you enjoy them!
Lost and Found
Grief
Deserving
Faithless
Hawaii in Seven Colors
Dreams
You're Beautiful
March 23, 2005
not just your average water anymore
pregnant belly, orange daisy, Canon Digital Rebel
There is a scientist named Dr. Masuro Emoto who has shown {through high speed photographs of water crystals} that an ordinary glass of water will literally change form according to the name you label it with. You may have seen this experiment in the film, What the bleep Do We Know?. Emoto labeled glasses with different words such as: "Love", "war", "hate" or "joy" and then photographed the crystals as they froze in each glass. The results are mind blowing.
From the website:
"What has put Dr. Emoto at the forefront of the study of water is his proof that thoughts and feelings affect physical reality. By producing different focused intentions through written and spoken words and music and literally presenting it to the same water samples, the water appears to "change its expression".
He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors."
Recently, I had my husband Matt write "Healthy Home" in big, black, Sharpie marker on my belly. It felt good to look down and see it, and in some way, I did feel healthier and more hopeful. When I admitted this to a friend, he said, "Oh my god! I did that too! I wrote on my chest!"
Maybe there's something to all of this. Our words are powerful. The things we tell ourselves have a huge impact. Have you noticed that you say things to yourself that you would NEVER say to a friend? {or even an enemy for that matter} Yet we have no problem calling ourselves stupid and unworthy and not enough. I dare say we do this on a daily basis.
And that shit's got to stop.
"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness."
-The Dalai Lama
March 22, 2005
Supermuse
Sasha, Canon Digital Rebel
Sasha is the superhero muse! and is responsible for the design of this blog. Besides being the best of friends, she is a badass designer.
And speaking of dear friends, I also want to acknowledge Jen Gray who is up for awards in the photobloggies too! You can see her tremendous heart in her photos and writing.
Lurking Belly Hidden Tim
lurking belly, Canon Digital Rebel
I had the pleasure of photographing the beautiful Stef & Tim and their gorgeous uber-belly this weekend. {More photos to come of this shoot. We had so much fun together}
In other news, this site is a finalist for several categories in the photobloggies! and I can't thank you enough. I know you are all responsible since my parents haven't totally figured out this whole internet thing.
If I could be so bold, there is one more round of voting! Just go back to the photobloggies site and vote for your favorite finalists. I am in some really talented company, so I'm overjoyed to have come this far. Thank you folks!!
March 21, 2005
surrender
Dolores Park palms, Olympus Epic
"The cloud is free only to go with the wind.
The rain is free only in falling."
-Wendell Berry
I fell in love with this quote after reading it several times. I think it's about surrender...
Some links for you today:
Kids With Cameras
The best sidewalk chalk drawings you have ever seen.
You may have heard by now that Rosie O'Donnell has a blog? I'm a new fan. {via California Fever}
FYI: I am madly in love with my Olympus Epic point and shoot and have been taking it around with me a lot lately {obviously much less heavy and bulky than the Rebel} I am always amazed at the great results. {It's only $78!}
March 19, 2005
I-zones are still fun
feets, I-zone
I used to be hopelessly addicted to my I-zone camera. I carried it with me wherever I went, immediately pasting photos into my journal as I traveled and wrote. If you worked at a cafe in Oaxaca and you were kind to me, I would ask if I could take your picture and in you would go into my book. If you were a fancy pink cocktail umbrella, I would break your tiny toothpick body and paste you down flat, in all your pink glory onto the page. If you were a candy wrapper or a fortune from a cookie, you would not escape my glue stick.
I love keeping this online journal, but I sometimes miss the immediate experience of words on a page or how a drip of coffee or wine can turn into a painting.
I can't cry onto this screen and have the ink bleed, or show you how the pages stick together from too much glitter glue. You will not get red smudges of oil pastel on your fingers from clicking through the pages here or imagine you smell the ocean air. There are no messes and accidents here in this tidy world.
But I love it just the same. It's good here with you, all of us connecting in this strange virtual way, through pictures of our families and our neighborhoods, through the stories we tell about our lives. I am always moved and amazed by our desire to be connected to each other, to be in community.
It's good here.
And I'm glad you guys are out there, telling me your stories too.
March 18, 2005
Photo Friday: Glow
boot, Canon Digital Rebel
Photo Friday's theme this week is "Glow."
March 16, 2005
tulip
tulip, Canon Digital Rebel
"Just simply alive,
both of us, I
and the poppy."
-Issa
or in this case, the tulip.
March 15, 2005
temple of gravity
Temple of Gravity, Burning Man, Olympus Epic
I've been digging into the archive lately, fishing out images that I've never shared with you. This is one of those mysterious ones, that needs a bit of context {unless you've been to Burning Man, in which case it needs little to no context}
This shot was at Burning Man in 2002, of a most impressive art installation called "The Temple of Gravity." Each of those pieces of granite weigh several tons, and are susupended by chains.
Temple of Gravity, Burning Man, Olympus Epic
At night, a firepit blazed in the center of it, while a DJ spun old school R&B and people climbed all over the slabs. Honestly, it was terrifying to stand below the concrete slabs, but maybe that was the point. The stone seemed to vibrate with the feeling of gravity, and you were keenly aware that the only thing that kept them from crashing down were those chains. A really amazing experience.
I encourage you to see more photos and read more about the project here. This is one of those projects that stretches your mind in new ways.
March 14, 2005
Photobloggies
Mountain Home bathroom, Canon Digital Rebel
The Photobloggies are accepting nominations for best photoblogs from around the world! Deadline to submit nominations is midnight this Wednesday, March 16th.
Maybe you'd like to vote for this site! That would be so nice...
March 12, 2005
amazement
tulips, Polaroid SX-70
"When it's over, I want to say:
all my life
I was a bride married
to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking
the world into my arms..."
Mary Oliver
Gregory Colbert's photos are truly amazing. {via Shelley Noble}
March 11, 2005
Photo Friday: Faces
Sasha with teacup, Canon Digital Rebel
Photo Friday's theme this week is "Faces." Note cartoonlike steam coming out of tea cup.
An excellent list of radio stations you can stream on the internet {Down with sucky mainstream radio!}
And Hay House radio {via Island Fever}
March 10, 2005
orange face
Camie, looking suspiciously like a Paul Frank t-shirt, Canon Digital Rebel
For those of you feeling blue today (myself included) I offer you my friend Camie. This photo makes me so happy. {note fiance in background looking concerned}
To see the entire series, click here. This is how my friends and I entertain ourselves.
P.S. Camie normally looks like this and this. She is so pretty.
March 08, 2005
blossoms
Spring has sprung here in San Francisco!, Canon Digital Rebel
I read this quote today:
You have a saying, "to kill two birds with one stone."
But our way is to kill just one bird with one stone.
-Suzuki Roshi
I've been looking at my relationship to time these days. I somehow never think I have enough of it, always racing to the next thing, never quite sinking into the moment. My friend Gene {who ordained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand this year} said to me, "Even when we are eating a bite of food, we are not present while we are chewing. We hardly even the taste what we have in our mouths because we are already looking for the next bite to stab."
Yikes. That is true.
So I have been watching myself these days, noticing when I RUN LIKE HELL for the bus, or run up and down the stairs in my house, or race for the phone or check my email while catching up with said person on the phone, and just generally not paying attention. We call ourselves multi-taskers like this is some wonderful new skill we've learned, when really it's another way we've mastered of being out of the moment, of not experiencing our lives fully. Maybe we should try killing just one bird every once in a while.
I know we know this.
We nod our heads and say, Yes, yes. But we are humans and we are Americans and we are programmed this way. We like our zippy red cars and our T1 connection and our burger our way. We want it fast. We want it now. We don't like to wait.
My friend Sasha told me about a friend of hers who lives in NYC and refuses to run for the subway. Even when he sees his train pulling in as he is paying his fare, he has promised himself that he will never dash for a subway car.
As I trotted down Mission St. last week, a bit late for an appointment, I thought of him and slowed down. I watched the 33, my bus, the one that NEVER comes, pull into the stop a half a block ahead of me. I forced myself to slow to a regular clip and sure enough the bus pulled away in front of me. I used my mantra, "There is nowhere to get to. Everything is perfect."
And you know what? As I sat and waited for another bus, my dear friend Sasha saw me and pulled up in her car to give me a ride. It was SO much better than the bus and in the end, I arrived to my appointment on time.
Everything is perfect.
"You yourself are time-your body, your mind, the objects around you. Plunge into the river of time and swim, instead of standing on the banks and noting the course of the currents."
-Philip Kapleau
March 04, 2005
Photo Friday: Obsession
weight, Canon Digital Rebel
Photo Friday's theme this week is "Obsession."
Weight is something I am actually not obsessed with {I gave that up when I hit 30} but the photo seemed too fit the theme well! I am however, obsessed with some other things.
I am obsessed with serendipity, the color orange and the number 9. I am obsessed with old-fashioned photobooths, stories of childhood and the smell of fabric softener. I am obsessed with mochi & jam, buddhist quotes and toasted green tea. I am obsessed with yoga, Rachel Naomi Remen books and gospel music.
I am sometimes obsessed with checking my email.
I am obsessed with peering into the hearts of flowers, finding notes left in the street, and dreaming about something before it happens. I am obsessed with large bellies, ink-stained fingers and cherry red and apple green. I am obsessed with clouds and the way they puff up like a Maxfield Parrish painting. I am obsessed with my basal body temperature.
I am obsessed with storytelling, finding the right pair of boots and learning to roast a chicken. I am obsessed with birds on a wire, cats in windows and the unabashed enthusiasm of dogs.
I am obsessed with learning how to lighten up.
I am obsessed with pink dahlias, romanesque broccoli and the way downtown buildings look when you look straight up at them. I am obsessed with Amelie and the way her hand dips down into the barrel of beans at the produce stand. I am obsessed with gospel music on sundays, farmer's market on saturdays and the fortune cookie factory in chinatown.
I am obsessed with finding beauty in tucked away places.
I am obsessed with the way colors juxtapose, the way a discarded orange peel hits the damp grey sidewalk and how the lemon tree is framed by the big blue sky.
March 02, 2005
girl
vintage found photo
I found this vintage photo at a flea market and love it for all its light leaks and sepia tones and the car that looks so enormous from the perspective of the camera.
And then it's fun to wonder about the girl leaning against the car. What was her life like? Why was she in the woods? Who was on the other side of the camera? Was it a man, a woman, a lover, a friend?
Why was her image discarded in a bin full of dusty old things?
....
Some wonderful photography sites I've been soaking up lately:
One of my favorite photos I've seen lately
A trip to Myanmar
and some really gorgeous photos from lightpainter. Especially this
candied forest
beets
Maria with beets, Canon Digital Rebel
This is my friend Maria at the Farmer's Market with some very large beets.