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cyclesprefectpress · 20 days ago

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[image description: photos of a Breath of the Wild-themed hanafuda card deck, art rendered with hand-drawn inks and colors printed letterpress from linoleum blocks. hanafuda are a Japanese style of playing cards where the faces only use imagery, with no pips, ranks, or point values printed. there are 12 suits of 4 cards each, 48 total. in the classic deck design, suits are unified by particular flowers or plants; in this version the unifying elements for each suit are plants, creatures, or items from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. suits of horses, Guardians, koroks, dragons, ex. there are also photos of the small linocuts used to print each color, one cut for every color on each card. cards are about 1 3/8 inch by 2 1/8 inch. end description.]

🎊🎊 tadaaaaa 🎊🎊 here tis, my craftalong project for Desert Bus for Hope 2024! the event starts Nov. 8th this year, and this card deck is up for silent auction starting 6pm PST on Saturday the 9th.

hanafuda!! very very fun to get familiar with this card deck and its games. i think about doing other formats of card deck all the time and always just have to wait for a subject matter that compels me to intersect with a structure that interests me. nintendo started out producing card decks, and maybe they have made LoZ hanafuda in the past—i didn't find one but i'm truly bad at web research—anyway there isn't one available now, only a 52-card deck with alternate Zelda art.

i limited the scope to BotW for lots of reasons, big one being keeping the suits tightly defined to specific things and places, & utilizing one singular map type/environment interface. even adding TotK seemed like a nightmare for keeping suit assignments tidy. each place is a specific location in-game (with some adjustments for better composition, like, Akkala tower is there behind Foothill Stable, but i made the angles of the view cleaner), and wherever applicable, items rendered with surrounding context are done as a specific location where that item appears in-game (the sword in the rock is a real place, where you can pick up a rusty sword and see the Great Plateau Tower beyond). i'll admit to some extra heavy lifting on Satori Mountain but i only actually cheated once: Silent Princess flowers don't grow at the Springs around the statues of Hylia. but that's it!! everything else is real.

the Brights are the Master Sword, Hyrule Castle, the Blood Moon, Hylia, and the Dragons; tanzaku are shrines and towers; instead of Boar-Deer-Butterfly it's Rudania-Naboris-Medoh; instead of sakura-viewing and moon-viewing parties there are…………oh no and oh NO parties?? (guardian stalker + hyrule castle, stalker + blood moon.) in these photos, the suits are laid out in order, January to December. I made a little guide to go in the box based on the one for Nintendo's Mario Hanafuda, which also includes instructions for playing Koi-Koi.

8 colors, 88 blocks, +1 very simple reduction cut for the Sheikah eye on the back side. the classic deck is completely blank on the back, but if i hadn't done the eye i think the deck would've been missing some kind of unifying umbrella. and if you're asking yourself, hey, even with overage it’s only 5 copies of each card, why not hand color the cards? i also asked this. i tried some things and unfortunately did not like the texture at all. Only 88 little lino cuts would do for my brain worms. each card is two layers of 120# cover cross-laminated together. the drawings went down first on each copy; the back sides were printed on separate sheets before lamination. laminated, pressed, colors printed post-lamination, then each card die cut out of the 3x3 inch sheet. i very much like the color palate that came out of it; since the pen drawings went down before colors i printed the grey first to find the bottom end of the value range, bookended it with the yellow, and filled in the middle. my favorite color of the bunch turns out to be the soft brown, or maybe the "gold" with no metallic in it.

i would say this card deck was about as much work as last year's tarot deck but it wasn't all the same kind of work—i didn't have to trawl through a novel of text for excerpts and battle feelings of intellectual inadequacy to have confidence in my reading comprehension, for instance. i had to learn how to draw, like, 20 things i hadn't drawn before, and carve 88 little lino cuts, but it's just not the same kind of effort. long hours, but largely calmer. the tiny but thicc little cards are so nice to hold. i am quite happy with the style of the illustrations i found, trying to make them recognizable objects, so small, and two-color. all in all very satisfying!! (confession: i logged quite a bit of footage from my own BotW playthrough to get reference material but i still haven't actually finished Medoh myself. or fought Ganon. i keep putting it off to mess around and get armor upgrades instead. gotta get to that finally.)

wip

under the cut: the body of the little game guide that went in the box, with instructions for Koi-Koi and explainers on the yaku.

#desert bus for hope #desert bus for hope 2024 #letterpress #letterpress printing #linocut #printmaking #book arts #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #botw #loz #db2024 #finished works #long post

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mikaelalai-ardn516 · 1 year ago

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PHOTOBOOK ANALYSIS

Chen Zhe - Bees & the Bearable https://fotobookfestival.org/portfolio-item/kassel-photobook-award-2016/

I felt drawn to this book as the cover of the book is smaller and of a different colour to the paper stock that was used to print the photographs. It also has Chinese text written all over the cover but some parts of it has been scribbled over. All of these factors worked together to draw my attention and made me want to find out what the book was about. I liked how they used the covers to also separate the two parts that their book is about as it still works together and is cohesive. I liked the layout of the images. The single images on the page with the white border and the text on the page next to it, makes the layout simple and easy to read. Chen Zhe also uses a double spread to change up the layout. Aesthetically I really like it and think it all works well together.

Patrick Slesiona - Blaue Flecken

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The image used on the cover of the photobook was what had made me interested in this particular book. There is no text on the cover so it made me wonder about what sort of images would be inside. I liked how all the images were edited into black and white as I normally shoot in colour and would also like to try shooting in black and white. I liked how their images were laid out. The white borders make everything look super clean. I thought it was also interesting how they included a double page spread but the image is more on one side, it changes up the composition of images and I should consider this for when I edit my images.

Srinivas Kuruganti - Pictures in my hand of a boy I still resemble

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Similar to the previous photobook, the cover image initially caught my attention as there was also no text, only an image. What made me want to look more into this photo book was actually the title, “Pictures in my hand of a boy I still resemble”. I really liked this title as it is poetic and made me curious what sort of images were in this book. Are they staged? candid? For some reason when I read this title I instantly thought that this photo book was something that was vulnerable or intimate? It also reminded me of my own work which I had titled “words I am too afraid to say out loud.” For summative assignment, if I need to give my images a title then I must think carefully about it as it could influence the way viewers look at my photographs. The images in this book reminded me of “Men Carrying Flowers” by Ophelia Mikkelson Jones as they appear candid and have interesting subjects that make me want to know more about them. I also felt like in some of the images there was something youthful but reminiscent about them which I think represents the title of the work very well.

#Youtube

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passionate-reply · 3 years ago

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What would Great Albums be, if not for defenses of albums lots of people hate? SPK’s Machine Age Voodoo is, of course, one of those albums, being the attempt of a noisy, drony early industrial group to make synthy disco magic. Did they succeed? Well, maybe not--but at least it’s interesting. Find out more by watching the video, or checking out the transcript under the break!

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! This time, I will be once again be coming to the defence of an album that’s been very divisive: Machine Age Voodoo by SPK, first released in 1984. Earlier in the 1980s, SPK had distinguished themselves as one of the most prominent figures of the nascent “noise music” movement, alongside acts like NON and Throbbing Gristle. Just two years before Machine Age Voodoo, they released their arguable magnum opus: Leichenschrei, an album that eschewed a traditional tracklisting, featured the mutilated visage of a victim of napalm burns on its cover, and sounded something like this:

Music: “Seite ((Klono))” / “Napalm (Terminal Patient)”

With their follow-up to Leichenschrei, SPK would take their sound in a very different direction. They abandoned the harsh, buzzing textures and nauseous, whirring drones of their earlier work, and set out in a remarkably more pop direction. While Machine Age Voodoo features verses and choruses, brighter synth textures, and winsome slap basslines, it still maintains a certain “industrial” identity, tying it into the same overarching web of related styles that SPK’s earlier work fell under. This album reminds me a bit of Depeche Mode’s mid-80s output, such as Some Great Reward, in its incorporation of both synth-pop structures as well as some accents of mechanistic clangs and bangs. Depeche Mode and SPK were, of course, passing by one another after coming from opposite directions on this spectrum, but the end results remain comparable.

Music: “Junk Funk” / “Machine Age Voodoo”

Listening to the album’s stomping opener, titled “Junk Funk” on most releases but made into the title track for the US market, I’m struck by just how upbeat of a track it is. Where many industrial acts are keen to portray modern labour as a punishing, soul-sucking, miserable endeavour, “Junk Funk” seems to make it into something of a party. Given that even Depeche Mode were penning tracks like “Everything Counts” with a dour outlook on capitalism, the seemingly playful aura surrounding this single really sets it apart--though not necessarily in a good way. As I mentioned earlier, *Machine Age Voodoo* has consistently been panned by fans of the group’s more aggressive earlier work, and I think the album’s affinities with light-hearted, and perhaps even silly, post-disco pop make it all the more easy to write off as ridiculous and asinine. But much like simply being in a style you don’t care for isn’t a reason to lambaste a work of art, simply being lighter in tone is no reason to reject something. Not all great art needs to be stone-serious, after all! While Machine Age Voodoo may not be a continuation of the classic SPK sound, I think it’s an album that has plenty of appeal for fans of lighter synth-pop, and one that I wish had managed to achieve a bit more renown among those who might be a bit more receptive to its style.

Naturally, the title of the album and the themes of its sometime title track invite us to consider the role that appropriation of “primitive” themes has to play. Ever since industrialization and colonialism began to create large separations between the lifestyles of “the West and the rest,” Western artists from Picasso to Gauguin have found themselves fascinated by so-called “primitive” ways of life, found among communities of colour whom they believed to live closer to the natural or archaic state of humankind, uncorrupted by capitalism. But followers of the religion sometimes known as “Voodoo” are living in the modern world as much as anyone else is, and the use of their faith as a symbol of barbarism or the unrestrained id here is presumptuous at best, and bigoted at worst--particularly given the reference to “funk,” a music style that, like Voodoo, is strongly associated with Black culture. The love for things “primitive” has served an important cultural role in the West, offering an apparent alternative to the crushing death spiral of capitalism, and serving as an outlet for questioning the assumed status quo and the truth of human nature--but at the same time, I think we can fairly criticize it for offering a stereotyped and tokenized view of cultures outside of the West. Machine Age Voodoo offers another, very different, perspective on the Other on its second track, “With Love From China.”

Music: “With Love From China”

Compared to “Junk Funk,” “With Love From China” is distinguished as one of the album’s more plaintive and less dancefloor-oriented tracks, and, in contrast to “Junk Funk”’s joyful embrace of “high technology hoodoo,” “With Love From China” portrays the titular Communist power as something quite sinister. While a simple read of the lyrics suggests that it may be a triumphant hymn to the state, the track’s plodding, dirgelike melody makes it hang like an ominous cloud instead. Arguably the most successful state to be built upon Marxist ideals, China is a prominent feature of lots of early 80s synth-pop, where it and other Communist states saw varying portrayals as anywhere from dystopian to utopian. Like the appropriation of “voodoo” earlier, the dread romanticism applied to China by SPK on this track says more about them than it does about China itself. I think both tracks, taken together, paint a picture of a sort of “anywhere but here” ideology, defined less by any strong feelings for these particular cultures, and more by a desire for an escape to the exotic, and an abandonment of all that is sick about the West. Overall, though, “With Love From China” isn’t necessarily a fair representation of the average track on Machine Age Voodoo, as the album consists mostly of higher-energy tracks, like “Metal Dance.”

Music: “Metal Dance”

Perhaps the track most clearly aimed at nightclub rotation, “Metal Dance” feels like a logical choice for the album’s first single. Less of a pop tune and more of a floorfiller, “Metal Dance” still hums with industrial touches, propelled by clunking metallic percussion and chant-like shouts that prefigure the synthesis of machine music and club fare that EBM acts like Nitzer Ebb would achieve later in the 1980s. With its succinct title and a compelling hook that implores us to “synthesize our dreams away,” “Metal Dance” almost feels like a love letter to the sheer concept of electronic music for dancing to--a consummate paean to the discotheque, even if it comes from what may seem like an unlikely, and perhaps dishonest, source. A similar embrace of dance music qua dance music is found on “High Tension.”

Music: “High Tension”

If “Metal Dance” sounds like a preview of later industrial dance genres like EBM, then “High Tension” feels like a throwback to the first attempts to “synthesize” an electronic disco, with its dense, complex production style, prominent bass, and lyrics that promote “danc[ing] ‘til you drop” as a response to “bad times.” Despite its compelling use of a well-textured vocoder, “High Tension” veers away from the worship of the machine that was central to “Metal Dance,” and its straightforward celebration of dancing itself makes it feel like the most likely genuine crossover hit on the album--not that it really had any. It’s also worth noting that the track’s bridge contains an early reference to “hip-hop,” back when artists like Man Parrish were freely using the term to describe club-friendly electro that didn’t necessarily include rapping. Times have changed, of course, but I think “High Tension” fits right in with other works in that style--even if, again, it comes from a group that nobody would have expected to make music like this!

On the cover of Machine Age Voodoo, we see a fantasy cityscape, defined by a massive tower crowned with the band’s name accompanied by a Communist-inspired red star. It’s as firmly removed from the vile and shocking imagery of Leichenschrei as the music contained within. But, just as the music has retained some degree of industrial sentiments, the cover is not without its own sense of subversion--it is, after all, apparently enshrining the ostensibly dangerous, foreign ideology of Communism!

It’s tempting to compare this image to the futuristic imagery of Fritz Lang’s classic silent film, Metropolis, particularly given that there’s also a track on the album that shares that title. But I think that the visual style employed here, with its blocky, cubistic rendering of form and lively use of diagonals to enrich its composition, is perhaps more reminiscent of the work of the Russian avant-garde of the 1910s. Even before the Russian Revolution, pioneering abstract artists, like the “Rayonist” Natalia Goncharova, were looking towards the exciting potential of the future, and making art that celebrated the beauty of machines in motion. The early abstraction of painters like Goncharova would go on to influence the abstract art associated with the early days of the Soviet Union, which makes it a particularly fitting affinity given the themes of Machine Age Voodoo.

After Machine Age Voodoo, SPK never returned to making more melodic music--perhaps unsurprisingly, given the album’s simultaneous failure to achieve crossover success, or retain the interest of their existing fanbase. They returned in 1986 with Zamia Lehmanni: Songs of Byzantine Flowers, an album of dark ambient music that avoided slavishly copying earlier works like Leichenschrei, while still feeling like a worthy continuation of the spirit in which they had begun their career.

Music: “Invocation to Secular Heresies”

My favourite track on Machine Age Voodoo is “Seduction,” which is easy to overlook as it actually only appeared on the US release of the album. “Seduction” is striking for its blatant, wantonly sexual lyricism, which, when combined with SPK vocalist Sinan Leong’s competently sultry vocal style, recalls the best work of the experimental disco outfit Gina X Performance. And much like Gina X Performance, there’s a bit of subversively queer gender-bending to be had here, as a male backing vocalist repeats Leong’s line, “you call yourself a man?” I think that may be unintentional, a sort of happy accident, but I love it nonetheless. That’s all I have for today--thanks for listening!

Music: “Seduction”

#music #spk #industrial #industrial music #great albums #album review #album reviews

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putschki1969 · 4 years ago

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KEIKO SPICE Interview ~ English Translation

Note: Once again this is a very long and icredibly insightful interview, so please enjoy it! As always, take everything you read with a grain of salt, my Japanese is by no means perfect. If you want to use this translation or parts of it, be sure to CREDIT me and LINK to this post.

KEIKO ~ Looking beyond Kalafina and finding her music as a solo newcomer, “With everyone’s help I will be able to know what kind of music I seek”

Former Kalafina member KEIKO has released her first solo album "Lantana" on December 2nd. With this work you can fully enjoy high-quality pop-music and additionally it is packed to the brink with KEIKO’s ideas and thoughts in her role as solo vocalist. KEIKO has taken the first step into her future career as a solo artist, we have asked her to share what kind of thoughts went into the making of her album. Here are her insights accompanied by some exclusive stills from the interview.

Everything that has happened this year inspired the lyrics I wrote for “Nanairo no Finale”, the song which Kajiura-san composed for me

―― On the occasion of your 1st album "Lantana" having been released on December 2nd, I would like to ask you a few questions.

Please go ahead.

―― First of all, the album title "Lantana" is the name of a flower, right? May I ask why you chose this particular title?

This album took about a year to produce, we worked without having a concept, I just chose the songs based on whether I liked them and wanted to give them a try. Additionally I received many suggestions during discussions with my staff members. So rather than focussing on the overall concept of the album we would like everyone to pay attention to the individual tracks. In Japanese the name of the flower "Lantana" literally means "Seven Changes". As the name suggests, this album represents many changes. So on the one hand the title reflects those changes and on the other hand, I just really like flowers so the name seemed fitting. Also, I wonder if we chose the name because it has a pleasant ring to it? These are pretty much the reasons why "Lantana" became our album title, it was a very quick decision actually.

―― I thought that there was a connection between all the songs of the album, the flow felt really beautiful but now that you have explained all of this to me I find the album even more interesting because there is truly so much variety, each song is completely different. is. In addition to the songs you picked to include in the album, were there many other pieces you liked among all the options you got to choose from?

Well ... This year, partly because of coronavirus, the album production was quite flexible. After it was decided that we would be doing a live-stream concert, we reconsidered a few things since we thought it might be better to increase the number of up-beat songs suitable for a live performance. Since the album production and the live performance were happening pretty much simultaneously, we made some big changes to the album to accommodate our needs for the live performance. As a result, I think it became a very well-balanced album.

―― During the MC of the live stream you mentioned something like "ff it weren't for Corona, it might have been an album with a lot of darker songs" *laughs*.

"Dark" is maybe a bit misleading *laughs*. I guess a little “more mature” is the word I was looking for?

―― But with a darker vibe?

Yeah, that’s what I had in mind but it turned into something completely different.

―― Considering all of that, has your approach to and understanding of music changed at all due to coronavirus?

I think the biggest change for me was that I could no longer sing my songs live in front of everyone ... I can't meet my fans. Not being able to meet the fans...it’s not only difficult for the fans but also for all the artists, after all this connection is very motivating and inspiring. So to have all the fans waiting but not being able to go out there and perform for them is very discouraging, you are just cut off...that was definitely the biggest change.

―― But you did get the opportunity to do a live stream. How was it? There were a few fans at the venue, right?

It was a lot of fun! When I first heard that there was a limited capacity of around 72 people due to coronavirus, I was wondering what kind of live concert it would be, but I was very happy to have at least a few people there because the feeling is completely different if you have someone actually there right in front of you listening to your singing. When I was in my early twenties I would sometimes perform in front of Cinema ROSA in Ikebukuro, back then we had like 5 fans coming to see us. I was reminded of that feeling.

―― Was there something burning inside of you, yearning to be released?

Yes ... At the day of the live I realised how many strong feelings I had suppressed before, when I was finally standing in front of the audience, all those feelings were overflowing. I truly experienced a welling up of feelings and sensation on that day. I felt excited and inspired from the early morning onwards.

―― Returning to our original topic, your album, as you said, there is a lot of variety. You once mentioned, "it's like ... like a box of my favourite chocolates."

Hahaha, that's right, I said that *laughs*.

―― I think there were many challenges in terms of song variety, but are there any songs that were particularly challenging for you?

I saw all of it as a big challenge for me. That's why I was so adamant to try as many new things as possible. With all songs I felt like I wanted to try and sing them and then later I was deciding how to use my voice in each song.

―― Did you have any difficulties regarding your singing technique?

I think the most difficult must have been “Nanairo no Finale”, I don’t even know how many takes I did until the final result. After all, this is Kajiura-san's song. It's only natural that it would feel completely different to me compared to all the other songs.

―― Well ... yes.

I have been singing Kajiura-san's songs consistently for about 12 years now, ever since I got to sing “Kaze no Machi he” for her as solo singer FictionJunction KEIKO I have been determined to do my very best, I felt like I had to give even more than before, I wanted to provide the best singing possible, I guess I was just very frustrated. “Please let me try and sing it again?” I was really stubborn like that when it came to “Nanairo no Finale”.

―― You know, I was really surprised to see “Nanairo no Finale” as the second track on the album.

Oh *laughs*. Really?

―― Didn’t you sing it as an ecore during your live performance?

Oh, that's right.

―― When I listened to the album without paying too much attention to the track order, I thought that having “Inochi no Hana” at the end was quite fitting. But to have “Nanairo no FInale” as the second track?! What? I was completely taken aback by that, it had a really strong impact on me in that particular position.

Hooray! I am happy to hear that *laughs*.

―― Regarding the song order, you mentioned earlier that you didn’t make this album with a particular concept in mind, the flow wasn’t as important to you, instead you wanted people to listen carefully to each individual song.

But I do think there is a flow when it comes to the track order. I came up with a draft first and then consulted with everyone else. Everyone agreed that we would start with "Be Yourself" but we wondered how to continue.

―― Indeed, "Be Yourself" definitely feels right as the leading track.

I had this idea of putting a very uplifting song right in the beginning, I wanted everyone to feel positive energy right from the get-go. I chose these three songs up till "Hajimari wa" as an introduction to my album because I thought they would make the listeners feel a sense of lightness and brightness.

―― “Nanairo no Finale” was composed by Kajiura-san and written by you, it has a very strong Kajiura-feel to it, even a sort of Kalafina vibe if you listen closely but it’s also very reminiscent of many of the up-tempo FictionJunction songs. It really seems to have been custom-made for you. How was it to write the lyrics for this song?

At first, I was a little surprised when I was told that I should be writing the lyrics.

―― Was that a suggestion from Kajiura-san?

Yes, the suggestion came from her. This song was a team effort, first of all I discussed it with my producer Yoda-san, then it was eventually decided that Kajiura-san would be in charge of the composition and she suggested that it would be interesting if the arrangements and lyrics were done by someone else. When I first heard of that idea I was quite shocked.

―― The pressure was intense?

Yes, definitely. When she told me I was like, “eh?” and literally froze.

―― So did she send you the song and then you wrote the lyrics for it?

Pretty much, yes. To start with, Kajiura-san sent me a song sample, at that point nothing much had been set into stone yet, the key and such still had to be decided but I really wanted to sing it as soon as possible. So I tried all kinds of singing and then suggested a few arrangement ideas to the arranger Nobuyuki Shimizu, we really thought carefully about every little detail. The arrangement changed steadily, the final result is very different from the song I originally received from Kajiura-san at the beginning, we changed the tempo and key quite a bit.

―― I see.

It was a challenge indeed but Kajiura-san told me it was very interesting to see the changes this song had gone through. As we kept changing the arrangement, the lyrics naturally changed a bit too. However, when I initially received the song from Kajiura-san I was immediately envisioning the protagonist looking ahead at a very positive and bright future, so that aspect of the lyrics hasn't changed at all. From the beginning, I had that particular image in mind, I hoped to write lyrics that would portray a positive outlook towards the future.

―― When I listened to this song live, I felt like so many things were put into motion. It's a song that feels bright but it’s also filled with determination.

That’s to be expected since the Olympics influenced me strongly. I wrote this song in the summer when coronavirus was ever present. Seeing all those athletes in the media made me very emotional. They are all so very determined to strive for next year’s Olympics even though it is still uncertain if they will even take place. I wrote my lyrics with the hope of providing a positive message for those who are working hard right now.

―― It really touches the heart.

If it hadn’t been for all those things happening this year, I don’t think these lyrics would have been written.

―― They really reflect the state our world is in right now.

Yes. Our current situation is something that cannot be ignored, it's hard to write a song that’s all fun and “yay” in times like this *laughs*. You hesitate to make something too lighthearted. But I also didn't want it to be too negative, so I wrote hopeful lyrics like this.

―― Starting to write your own lyrics with a song like that, putting all those feelings into words, I guess one could say you created something that can be left to posterity?

Yes, I felt very grateful for that opportunity.

During my time in Kalafina, my role was very clear

―― You also wrote the lyrics for the song “Yugao” in this album so I would like to hear what you have to say about this.

This is the last song we recorded. At the beginning of the album production, I knew I wanted to include something short, a minimalistic song, like a short story but then we had the live performance to think about and all of a sudden the entire tracklist had already been decided ... But I still chose this song because I was adamant about having something like this on the album.

―― I see.

For the most part the songs on my album have a pretty nice standard melody, nothing out of the ordinary so I felt like singing a sad and transient melody. It was an obvious choice that felt natural because that sort of music resonates with me. I looked at all kinds of songs for this album and in particular I wanted something calm, something you could fall asleep to while listening to the melody, vocals and lyrics.

―― Since it is in the latter half of the album, before "End Roll" and "Change The World's Color", I thought it was a very beautiful sort of overture. It’s a nice transition to two up-beat songs. Absorbing energy in a relaxed manner right before speeding up.

I thought it would be nice little surprise to have “Yugao” lead right into "End Roll" *laughs*.

―― As for "End Roll" and "Change The World's Color", I feel like your infamous strong physical presence is back with these two songs *laughs*.

Everyone, get up! *Laughs* Yes, you really feel a sense of waking-up.

―― In the middle part of the album there is a section of songs with beautiful melodies such as "Akane", "Tameiki no Kieru Machi" and "Ray". I got the impression that you really challenged yourself with quieter songs like this.

I agree. That may be the case.

―― Is that reflected in all of your music?

Yes. I have faced many challenges because this was my 1st album, I just wanted to try a lot of things. I'm sure in the future I will have a clearer vision of what I want to do. But this particular album is filled with all the things I am currently capable of doing.

―― Do you feel like you are experimenting?

Yes. I won’t know what kind of things I like and what I'm looking for without piling up experiences ... I've been doing Kalafina for 10 years, and I've been doing FictionJunction for about 12 years so I am confident in myself when it comes to these activities but as a solo artist I am basically a first-grader *laughs*.

―― So it’s like you are starting from scratch learning the alphabet all over again?

Yes exactly. But of course technically speaking I am not a newcomer when it comes to singing and being a vocalist. As for the kind of music I want to sing in the future, first and foremost this album was about trying new things and finding out how everyone around me reacts to it, ultimately I would like to make something that makes everyone happy.

―― You have obviously had a big career so far. So of course the image from that time is still in people’s minds even now that you are a solo artist. Without trying to make it sound bad but I think there are many fans out there who look at things from a biased point of view, they have these preconceived notions of what exactly the solo careers of each Kalafina member should look like.

That's right.

―― I guess there are two types of ways to handle these sorts of expectations, either you are the type that just goes ahead in a determined manner regardless of what everyone else thinks, along the lines of, “I am going to do exactly this and that. Period!” Or one can find a different approach along the lines of, “I want to try various things, how do you feel about this?" Before you went solo I actually had the impression that you would be the first type, thinking, "okay, this is the music I made and because I made it everyone should listen to it!" However, I was surprised to find out that you are actually more like the second type.

Yes. I am definitely the second type. I have zero idea what I want and I am not at all scared to admit that. I think it’s best to ask everyone around me for assistance to work through all the things that I do not know at this point in time.

―― It's simple, isn't it?

Yes it is. During my time in Kalafina, my role and my duties were very clear, we had wishes and aspirations lined up, once we had reached a certain goal and seen the results we just moved to the next step. But right now I am at a starting point and I have not seen any results yet so I think it's natural for me to go take this route.

―― I see.

Going around and asking everyone for their opinion is something we also did in the early days of Kalafina. So I thought I would start at that point once again . It's different from Kalafina though. That's why it's interesting, and the feeling of creating something together is a lot of fun. Creating sounds, creating harmonies.

―― Harmonies?

As in chorus arrangement. You can enhance the chorus pretty flexibly on the spot if you want. While working on my singing I consulted a lot with my producer Yoda-san and my assistant Asami-chan, together we added a lot more oomph to many of the choruses, I sang some parts and we also tried mixing and subtracting...I was really absorbed in the whole process of creating something together.

―― It seems to be very interesting to make so many changes on the spot.

I felt a strong desire to create spontaneous music like that. If everyone involved feels inspired while working together, then I think it’s best to go with the ideas that are born during these sessions.

―― And you will wait till the very end to share your opinion.

Yes, I am the last one. I am literally just watching everyone all the time wondering about how we should do all of this *laughs*.

I will approach the challenge of a big venue at a slow pace

―― Hearing you talk about all of this, it seems like you are having fun with your solo activities.

It is a lot of fun.

―― We as fans are also incredibly happy to see you enjoying yourself while making music. So your album contains a total of 10 songs, and at the end there is a bonus track, an acoustic version of "Akane". May I ask you why you decided to include this?

During the production, I listened to a take with just my voice and the guitar. At one point, Yoda-san had edited "Akane" in such a way that all rhythmic sections were gone. I suggested that it would be nice to hear an arrangement with only the strings, since I thought it would be very calming. Then Kosuke Oshima, who composed the strings part, dramatically changed the melody of the strings so that's why I wanted to include this version as well.

―― So once again this idea was born spontaneously in the midst of production rather than having been planned from the get-go.

Yes. We just all agreed that the melody of “Akane” was beautiful with a simple arrangement like that and the strings are perfectly complementing it.

―― When you compare the two versions, the acoustic one definitely sounds more dramatic.

The strings are pretty intense and the melody lines are dramatic so I really like it! I love the final result!

―― That’s really amazing. You pretty much did that song on a whim. A song born out of a spontaneous session.

I think we have created an album that feels like a real team effort.

―― I think you had a similar working environment during your activities as Kalafina but it's the first time for you as a solo artist to bring up ideas such as, "why don’t we try to include this song?"

No, not at all. We didn’t really have that with Kalafina. This is truly the first time for me because during our time in Kalafina we only ever received a finished song which we were then asked to bring to life. But we were never involved in the recording of musical instruments or anything like that.

―― To celebrate the release of “Lantana” a live performance is scheduled for December 16 at Zepp DiverCity TOKYO. How hyped are you about that?

To say I am not hyped at all would be a lie *laughs*. But I am honestly not that hyped. However, it is an opportunity to meet everyone which is a great thing so I want to do my very best performing live. Everyone has worked really hard this year, it’s been a tough year for sure so I want to convey all those feelings through my singing.

―― It's that time of the year where everyone is busy and needs to get all of their work done.

Instead of being super hyped or nervous I want my audience at the venue and all the live stream viewers to feel a sense of relief, “ah yes, the year is almost over”. My fans should be able to relax and detox, hopefully my live will be a source of energy for them to survive the last few remaining days of 2020, I guess I just want everyone to try and escape from busy reality. Hopefully I can make everyone laugh *laughs*.

―― Sounds great.

Since I am doing my live so soon after the album release I thought it would be fitting to use a hugelive house like Zepp as my venue, I wanted to invite as many people as possible and have them sprinkled all across the hall to keep everyone safe.

―― You are pretty much standing alone and separated from everyone else. The same was done for your previous live. Of course you have the band members on stage but still... During your Kalafina days you always had the other two members next to you and in FictionJunction you stand on stage as one singer among many. How is it to stand in the middle of the stage all by yourself?

Even before Kalafina I was part of a unit so this is truly the first time for me being all alone on stage. But I always feel like I am making music together with all the musicians, so I never really felt lonely.

―― Yes of course, the band members.

If I just had a backing track. Or if I hadn’t known the musicians behind me on stage, then yes, I might have felt alone. But we all worked together during my first live to create my solo music with as much care as possible. It was like having a session with my musician, so I really didn't feel alone.

―― I think you may try to perform at bigger venues in the future.

I think it’s okay to go step by step, slowly *laughs*. It’s totally fine to take very small steps.

―― So you are not eager to perform in bigger venues?

No. If anything, I want to have fun, this is my highest priority at the moment. How do I best enjoy music with my audience? This is what I feel strongly about.

―― I think that’s great.

Rather than thinking about producing a big live I just want to create a simple place where everyone can enjoy music together.

―― When I was listening to you album I got a strong jazz vibe from your song “Tameiki no Kieru Machi”.

Oh yes, it definitely has that sort of vibe.

―― Listening to you explaining all of your ideas, this song immediately came to mind when you mentioned the “session feeling”. You kept saying in this interview how very much you enjoyed the exchange between yourself and everyone around you, how everything has become some sort of team project, was everything like that?

Before recording my songs, especially in the early days before I had recorded "Hajimari wa" and "Ray", I wasn't used to recording with a new singing style so I was incredibly scared ... I vividly remember that feeling *laughs*.

―― So there were some terrifying parts as well?

To be honest, I was really scared. It was my first time using such a voice. It was unlike anything I had done in the past. Rather than just blindly providing my vocals we created my voice together, I would constantly be asking, “should I sing like this or maybe like that?”

―― I feel like it is very worthwhile to listen to this album, no matter how many times you listen you will always experience a new special flavour. Last but not least I would like you to say a few words to everyone who has been supporting you for a long time.

I've been working as a vocalist for Kalafina for 10 years but this time for the very first time I have created an album that’s made up of songs that I really wanted to sing. I would be happy if I could touch your hearts and find a way to connect with everyone through this album. Let’s end this year with a live concert! There is also a live stream available so please, let's spend some time together, I will be awaiting you ♪ Thank you for reading this interview.

#kalafina #keiko #my translations #my translation #keiko solo work #interview #spice interview #long text post #lantana #keiko 1st album #ughh #can't believe I almost spent my entire Saturday on this T_T #I was having a hard time focusing

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thesnowinthemountains · 4 years ago

Text

NCT 127 helping you study

(a/n: i did my best but i apologize in advance if there are inaccuracies in certain fields of study, i also acknowledge that the lengths of these are hella inconsistent. oops.)

Taeil

He thought it would be a good idea to have music playing in the background while you tried to study. Tried. You kept getting distracted by a particularly good lyric or interesting instrumental arrangement until you were eventually about to crawl out of your skin. He was sitting across from you at the dinner table, your papers scattered everywhere, scrolling through his phone.

“Taeil, turn that off please.” You said it softly.

“No.”

You look up at him now.

“What do you mean ‘no’? Yes. Turn that off,” you laugh it off, but you’re the slightest bit annoyed. This is one of the biggest exams you’ll have this semester, and if you don’t straight up ace it, you’ll be struggling for the next few weeks. He shakes his head.

“Taeil-”

“I read somewhere that if you can associate sounds or music to words, it helps to memorize them. I’m trying to help.”

“Oh.” You pause. “Well, maybe try it again later, for now I don’t even have my definitions down.”

He finally looks at you.

“Fine.” The music stops and you fall back into a peaceful silence.

Johnny

“Alright, who painted ‘Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow’?”

“Mondrian. Come on, at least give me something difficult, I’m trying to pass this final,” you whine, head hanging over the side of your bed. Johnny sits at your desk across the room.

“Okay, how about some added incentive?” Your study sheet falls from his face and you realize you haven’t actually looked at him in about a half hour.

“Yes?” You lean up onto your elbows.

“Every answer you get right now is a kiss you’ll get later.” He cocks his head. You don’t even have to think about it.

“Deal! Come on, next question.” You plop back down. A few minutes later, after a lightning round of names and dates, colours and details, you sit up to find him writing on your notes.

“What are you doing? Those are important.” You frown.

“I’m keeping a tally so I don’t forget one later. We are at...” He smirks without looking up and counts his marks on the page. “Seven, so far.”

“Ah,” you blush, “carry on, then.” You think to yourself there’s no way in hell you’ll ever be able to focus on that particular page of notes again.

Taeyong

You were supposed to memorize the entire periodic table and you were absolutely overwhelmed at the prospect. This was one of those moments you wished you had some superhuman photographic memory that would require minimal effort on your end. Taeyong had you study piece by piece over a long period of time. At first, you hadn’t even noticed he was doing it - he was being sneaky.

“Hey, what’s the first row of the periodic table?”

“That’s a weird question.”

He shrugged.

“I don’t know, I just had a weird flashback to science class in high school, it was up on a wall next to my desk. I think it starts with helium, right?”

“Hydrogen and helium, technically, yeah, but that’s not really how they’re grouped.” You explained.

“Oh? So how are they grouped?”

“Well, you’ve got your metals, halogens, stuff like that.”

“Huh. And what are they?”

That’s when you started to catch on. You cocked your head at him.

“Which ones? There are a few different types of metals.”

“Well, whichever.” He shrugged, still playing his part perfectly.

Yuta

It wasn’t an exam, per se, but you had to put together a final portfolio for an art class, one you hated. It was supposed to be basic drawing techniques, but the professor was all over the place; not all that surprising for an art professor, but still annoying to follow. You were sitting on your living room floor, papers strewn everywhere, barely knowing where to begin. You had a drawing of a flower that was nice and simple, you had gotten the shading right, you liked it enough. One was of a hallway; same deal, the technique was alright, you set it aside, but you had to pick a total of ten drawings. You had dozens, some of the same thing over and over again because you, or the professor, were never satisfied. When Yuta walked into the apartment and found you in that state, he started by sitting quietly beside you on the floor.

“What are we doing?” He murmured after a minute.

“Freaking out.”

“I see. Anything I can help with?”

You didn’t answer, but held up a decent-enough drawing of a hand.

“Do you think the details on this are okay?” You asked. He looked at you and then the drawing. He liked pretty much anything you did, but he knew you needed brutal honesty if you were ever going to be finished with this. He took a long, deep breath.

“So, the index finger on this one looks a little wonky, I think this one,” he reached for another drawing of a hand, “has better lines, better dimensions. All the fingers are good.”

“Oh, I hate the thumb on that one, though…”

He shrugged.

“This one?” He picked a drawing of a desk under a window. “The light looks really cool.”

Doyoung

For your final assignment, you were to make a long, detailed marketing proposal to your class. If it was picked up, you passed, if not, you had an opportunity for a do-over, and a private presentation to the professor alone. You didn’t want the second option, you had other things to do after passing this class that did not include a one-on-one meeting with your middle-aged professor some time after the end of classes. You had been reciting the whole thing to yourself for days, you had prepared a PowerPoint presentation and a ton of visuals to aid you, but you needed a second opinion. You had gone out with Doyoung a handful of times, you both figured it was a matter of time before things between you were made official, so you had him over, sat him down, and launched into your presentation. At the end, you took a breath, then asked:

“How was that?”

He gaped at you.

“Well, hot, we’ll start there.”

“No, Doyoung, I meant would you go for this idea if you were the CEO of something?”

“Honestly, yeah. You made some good points, you had valid, real reasons for what you wanted to do and how you wanted to market this thing. I think it works.” He shrugged.

“You’re a business major, you better not be bullshitting me.”

“You’re a marketing major, you could probably tell if I was.”

Jaehyun

You had given Jaehyun a key to your apartment months ago. He let himself in regularly, and a lot of the time, he was there when you got home from school or work. This time, though, he walked in to you sitting on your living room floor, laptop on the coffee table, facing the couch. There was paper all over the floor, some crumpled, some ripped, some simply abandoned. He had to tiptoe and side-step all the way to you. Your hair was a mess, which he would’ve found endearing if your eyes hadn’t been bloodshot.

“What are you doing?”

You nearly jumped out of skin, startled.

“Fuck, when did you get here?” You asked, eyes wide.

“Just now. You know you have a desk.” He nodded to the wooden furniture in the far corner of the room. You sighed.

“I couldn’t sit there anymore, I was going out of my mind.”

“Well, what are you doing?” He asked again, picking up notes on the couch to sit, facing you.

“My final portfolio for my fiction class is due tomorrow and I haven’t worked on anything in weeks.”

“You’re always writing.”

“Yeah, I’m always writing, but I had two of these stories workshopped months ago and I hadn’t looked at them since. God, they needed so much work, Jaehyun, I can’t believe I actually submitted that. Plus, I was missing a good ten pages for the portfolio, which I’ve written now, thank god, but I have so many drafted versions, I don’t know which one I want. I wrote seven different endings. I’m not even sure about my characters’ names. Or if I want them to be named, nothing’s coming out like I want it, I don’t know what I’m going to do-”

“Okay, slow down, slow down,” he moved to sit on the floor now, facing you at eye level. “How long have you been writing?”

You looked down at the time on your laptop. You frowned, confused.

“That can’t be right.”

“When’s the last time you ate?”

“There’s no way-”

“Alright, go take a nap, I’ll order some food.”

Winwin

“I need you to play judge.” You told Sicheng.

“Judge?”

“Yeah, sit,” you placed him at the center of the couch, and looked around before handing him a spoon. “Tap that on the table if you need to interrupt me.”

He stared at the spoon.

“Isn’t that for weddings?”

“So, I’m basically defending a client accused of theft and-”

“Don’t I get, like, case notes or something?”

“So demanding.” You rolled your eyes but went for your notes. He looked them over for a few minutes before leaning back comfortably.

“Proceed.” He declared, voice loud and clear. You smiled before launching into everything you prepared for your final. He did a fine job of rebutting if possible and interrupting when necessary, though you had to stop him from objecting! about anything he disagreed with.

Jungwoo

As an education major in your first year, your big final assignment was to prepare an elementary-level language class to teach your fellow university-level education major peers. To prepare, you had Jungwoo come over and told him he’d be playing the role of a seven year old, which pleased him.

“I’m a baby, you know that. This is perfect,” he grinned, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of you.

“Yes, now shut up, we’re learning vowels.” You said in your regular voice before switching to the over-enunciated, slightly higher-pitched voice of a first or second-grade teacher.

Mark

“How’s the essay going?” Mark asked, coming into your dorm room. He plopped down on your bed behind you.

“Well, so… get this,” you swiveled around in your chair to face him, leaving behind you a handful of novels, two different notebooks, and your phone open to pictures of your friends’ notes. “I’m supposed to write a compare-and-contrast essay about James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, of all people.”

“Is that so bad?”

“Mark, have you ever read Beckett? It’s like an acid trip in slow motion. You finish it, you have straight up no clue what you just read, but now you have to write about it.”

He frowns.

“And that other guy?”

“Joyce? He’s okay, I’m just glad writing about Ulysses isn’t a requirement. There are just certain things I’m not willing to put myself through.”

“Well, mind if I keep you company?” He leans back on your bed.

“Go ahead, just try not to distract me too much, I want to get this done today.”

“You won’t even know I’m here.” He puts his headphones in and lies back against your pillow.

Haechan

This boy had arranged a whole game night just for you. He had friends over, set up a whole tournament bracket in which he was, of course, your partner, and he made sure even if you didn’t end up winning, you would end up learning, memorizing, and having fun getting ready for your most dreaded final. Food was ordered, drinks were made, and finally everyone involved in this evening was sat around the dinner table, in a heated trivia competition.

Some days later when your exam came around and you saw the first questions, your mind flashed back to Haechan shouting the answer at the top of his lungs and standing up so fast his chair fell backwards. It had been a ridiculous, slightly stupid idea, but damn if it hadn’t worked like a charm.

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carolhnd2bphoto · 5 years ago

Text

Personal Project Workbook

over the next coming weeks i will be posting a workbook for my personal project. this will include further research and contact sheets of daily shoots. my ten final shots will also be in my workbook. reflections on each shoot will be included; what i liked/disliked and what i have learned. as a result of current circumstances some work may be limited but this is something i will have to work around and improvise with.

Action Plan

I plan to take my images in the style of abstract photography but through the use of incorporating various perspectives. More so that of symmetry. The reason being is that they stand out and are pleasing to the eye. Humans are drawn to perfection which brings about a sense of comfort. The beauty of this is that I am not tied to one particular object/subject. There is so much choice whether that be a building, a row of trees or even a pattern of flowers. The options are vast, however, this could be seen as a problem too, when do you stop?. I enjoy taking shots with leading lines, the images are satisfying to take and are comforting to look at. There is a sense of order and stability. There is so much to choose from in Glasgow, whether it be contemporary buildings, waterfronts.

There are several types of symmetry in photography,

Vertical Symmetry – this is the most common and is used in architectural photography as it brings out the shape and design of the building.

Horizontal Symmetry – this is most often used in landscape photography, this is similar to that of Reflective Symmetry however, a reflection isn’t always required.

Radial Symmetry – this involves circular shapes, notably wheels or domes.

Reflective Symmetry – glass, water and buildings can be used to produce a symmetrical image.

(www.expertphotography.com)

Market

As I have a keen interest in this type of photography and gives me a great deal of pleasure the first market or target audience would be me. As I have many followers on my Instagram and Facebook page that would be another suitable market. However the purpose of putting images on social media sites is for the attention. If enough attention is there it would provide confidence to approach galleries within the Glasgow area. I would even approach libraries as there are many of them in Glasgow most of which a heavy footfall and as such another audience. In the past when I have uploaded my abstract images to social media sites I have been given good feedback which is obviously very encouraging. Which is why I feel confident in doing this style of photography.

Timetable

If it were under normal circumstances, I would be using my self-study days to go out and shoot, these are Thursdays and Fridays. Other possible days to consider (if I am not working) would be weekends. Unfortunately as all my photoshoots will be on location and Britain is currently on lock down for the foreseeable future, exact details are difficult to provide. If push comes to shove my project could be done at home, but I do not wish to do that, natural light through the window could be used but I would rather be outside.

Equipment and Resources

Fortunately, all/most of my shots will be taken outside. There are many fine buildings/or points of interest in Glasgow even further afield such as Edinburgh, Paisley. As a result of there being no restrictions, buildings are not my only subject. There are many subjects to take shots of using symmetrical style. In the stores at college there are various types of equipment but as a result of current circumstances, college equipment will not be accessible. Personal equipment that I have and that I will use will be both a tripod and a monopod to help with focus and create good composition and obviously to prevent camera shake. I will use my Nikon D7100 with 18mm – 105mm lens. I will also use my Cannon EOS 700d (this has kit lens, 18mm – 55mm and 55mm – 250mm). For this camera I also a prime 50mm lens and a Sigma 70mm – 300mm. Also to avoid carrying bulky cameras with heavy lenses, I can also use my Mirrorless Canon EOS M100 (kit lens, 15mm – 45mm and 45mm – 200mm). Again with this project I do not have to use specific lenses, for instance if I was shooting small objects, I would have to use only Marco lenses. As I will be shooting outdours I will be relying on natural light which is a good thing. With natural light I have several options at my disposal, I feel that I can shoot on sunny and cloudy days. Shoot early in the morning and in the evening. Even shooting in the rain, I feel can add to the symmetrical form.

Research

The four creatives/photographers I have looked at and that I will be writing about are those who specialize in Abstract Photography. Two historical and two contemporary. Before writing about their work, a definition of Abstract Photography will be given and in my research is not one that is easy to define as there are so many areas of Abstract Photography to choose from. For me it is taking an image of part of a subject but you can still tell what the image is meant to be. Or taking an image of a subject from a completely different viewpoint. Abstract Photography can also be known as conceptual or non – objective photography (https://en.wikipedia.org). ‘Abstraction takes place when a photographer focuses in on a fragment of a natural scene, isolating it from its context’ (https://mymodernnet.com).

First creative/photographer to be explored is Alfred Stieglitz. He was responsible for photography being thought of as a fine art form (www.artsy.net). Stieglitz was responsible for having photographs and paintings shown side by side in the same gallery. In 1905, he opened his own gallery, 291 Gallery in New York, this helped to promote up and coming photographers (www.artsy.net). His series of clouds, known as Music – A Sequence of Ten Cloud Photographs is seen to have paved the way for abstract photography and are seen to be the first ever abstract work to be produced (www.invaluable.com).

(https://www.metmuseum.org)

I am drawn to this image by Stieglitz because there is an atmospheric feel coming from it. There is a dark force hovering over this small white innocent house surrounded and protected by other forms of nature; hills, trees. The eyes are drawn to the clouds because of their heavy presence and I suppose that is what Stieglitz is aiming for. It is the clouds that the viewer focuses on, there very fact that there is a small white house only makes the clouds a prominent part of the image.

(www.vam.ac.uk)

These two images are different than the above image in that they have more of an abstract/fine art look about them. I am drawn to these images for the pattern effect and how they have been shot in that they have been shot with a upwards perspective. These images also are less foreboding in comparison to the image above. There is an air of optimism about them, the clouds are lighter with the sun/moon breaking through. The aim for Stieglitz in taking images of clouds in an abstract form was a way for expressing his feelings (www.vam.ac.uk).

The next abstract photographer to be explored is Aaron Sisland. He initially was a documentary photographer then focused more on abstraction/abstract photography (www.artsy.net). His style of abstract photography was different from Stieglitz in that he focused on texture, patterns and lines. This then added another dimension to the image rather than the image having a flat look. Siskind was known for his innovations in abstract photography (www.britannica.com). What both Siskind and Stieglitz do have in common is that they both played a big part in the development of abstract photography, their work were the building blocks of todays abstract photography.

(www.widewalls.ch)

This is a good example of lines and perspective photography, there is also a pattern that works well with the texture of the brickwork. This is similar to that of Stieglitz’s clouds image due to the fact that the photography was taken looking up giving it a new perspective. I am drawn to this image because there is order to it and the linear approach it has. You automatically look up the way which takes away the flatness of it if it had been taken straight on. This image is clever in that from an abstract view, it covers texture, lines patterns and the fact that you look up middle that naturally focus on either side at the stairs. It could be argued that this particular image come under architectural photography in that it is of a building but for me it is the way that it has been shot that makes it abstract; perspective photography. This image really appeals to me and is the type of photography I enjoy.

(www.icp.org)

This image works for me as a result of the texture, there is a roughness to along with a smoothness where the lines are on the surface. What is good about this image is that you are having to look closely too, its not obvious what the image is meant to be. That is the whole point of abstract photography it keeps you second guessing. In this image you immediately see the nuts and bolts then you begin to pick on the roughness of the metal, the shadows emerging from the nuts and bolts and then the grain on what could actually be wood. So there are a variety of textures, the clever use of the shadows enables the bolts to stand out from the image giving it depth.

The next two abstract photographers to be research will be contemporary. The first abstract photographer is Ola Kolehmainen from Finland. He is known for his large colour prints and how light effects architecture (www.artnet.com). Kolehmainens’ work is a mix of both abstract and minimalism, he has a way of showing up the detail in the building bringing various colours to the fore.

(www.artnet.com)

This is a very striking image, the contrast between white and blue is very bold. Again this is another perspective style of photography in that this has been taken from ground level. The lines in this image are very apparent, very symmetrical. For me what makes this image standout is not just the colours but the fact that is minimalist. On looking at the image more closely there are a line of reflected lights running up the middle of the stairs which adds more symmetry. For me this image is very pleasing to the eyes in that the eyes are directed effortlessly from the floor up towards the stairs.

(www.artnet.com)

The style of this image is similar to that of the one above in that use of the colour red adds to the perspective of the image. The way that both ceiling and floor come into play makes the area longer than it is. This is what allows for the depth. Unlike the image above, this shot was not taken from ground level but from what looks like eye level. While it is a good image to look at, it doesn’t have the same comforting appeal as the image above.

My final abstract photographer is Angie McMonical who is both a fine art and commercial photographer. Her work is focused on architecture and the lines and texture of the buildings.

(www.angiemcmonigal.com)

This image is very pleasing to the eye as a result of the sleekness of it, like Kolehmainen’s images this is very bold, lines are obviously evident. What also makes it abstract is the distorted looked of the buildings reflected on the main building. This image ticks many boxes, good composition, leading lines, patterns and texture. This image is quite similar to photographs I have shot in the past and as such can easily relate to this style of photography.

(www.angiemcmonigal.com)

As mentioned above McMonical is also a commercial photographer. Her style of photography whether it be fine art or commercial is constant in that lines and light are paramount. This image, for me is both fine art and commercial in that in the background there is the building with the reflection of another building, again with the light, lines and patterns emerge. The actual commercial image cleverly uses light to bring out reflection and the colour of the staircase. It has a minimalist feel to it with only 3 people randomly placed on the staircase. This is another image where it was shot with the camera facing upwards giving it a style of perspective photography.

Technique/Approach

My aim, as much as possible is to get my shots right in camera at all times by using the technique of Exposure Triangle. I will use such software as Lightroom/Adobe Bridge to enhance colour, enhance/decrease shadows or highlights. I don’t like the idea of using the software to an extent the original image becomes false and lost which is why I am not a big fan of Photoshop. I still wish my images to keep to there original rawness. As much of my project will be on location, camera settings will be,

· ISO – 100 – 400, this will cover if it will be a sunny or cloudy day. Even if it is raining, I still feel that I can achieve good shots as the symmetry of the image is where the depth will come from.

· Shutter Speed – again many of my shots will be outside, therefore shutter speed will be 1/125th of a second and faster.

· Aperture – this really depends of the lens I will be using, for instance to gain good depth of field I will be using my prime lens, with an aperture setting of f/1.8, but if I were after more clarity and focus I would use a telephoto lens at f/8.

As far as technique is concerned, I will try several methods, such as shooting straight up, this will give a different perspective and a unique symmetrical pattern. I also like the idea of zoom, this is a favorite method of mine and gives the feeling that the image is coming out from the print. This technique may look quite interesting and will give another dimension. Shooting from a distance or long shot creates good depth and perspective.

Risk Assessment

RISK ASSESSMENT

Project:

Graded Unit

Location Name:

Glasgow, Paisley, Edinburgh

Tel:

Address:

Various locations

Tick any identified hazard.

o Access (blocked or restricted) o Dangerous surfaces (slippery, wet)

* Vehicle parking at location o Trip Hazards Found

o Dangerous Services (electricity, water)

o Derelict Buildings (unsafe floors, ceilings)

o Working in confined spaces oHazardous Substances (chemicals)

o Flammable Materials o Water (proximity to water)

o Rubbish/Vermin o Machinery (working, turning parts)

* Working at Height * Working on/near roads

* Driving in traffic o Noise (high sound levels)

o Weapons o Stunts

o Extreme Heat/Cold o Physical Exertion

o Using animals o Public/ Crowds

o Hostile Environment (violence)

o Special Needs (inexperienced, child, elderly)

o Other Hazards.

Please specify

HAZARD

SEVERITY

H / M / L

People at Risk

Who, how many?

Likelihood

H / M / L

Risk Control Adequate

Yes / No

Unable to park at location

low

none

low

yes

Falling from high height

low

yes

Driving in traffic

low

yes

Working near roads

low

yes

When completing the form:

· Consider the nature of the hazard

· The possible severity of the outcome.

· High = severe injuries. Medium = time off work. Low = minor, first aid.

· Who could be at risk, and how many?

· How likely is it that the incident will occur?

· Are the precautions proportionate to the overall risk?

Details of Activity

Will be on location, city centre, parks photographing objects with a symmetrical component. If shooting near a main road I will be aware of busy traffic. Will use common sense when near busy roads. When photography from a height be aware of dangers such as slipping.

Hazard / Risk

Precautions Required

Busy traffic

Risk of falling from a height

I will go to various locations at quieter times of day and only to places I know I will be safe.

I will not go to such a height where there are no safety railings

Source of safety advice at location

Name:

Tel:

Person in charge of safety at location

Name:

Carol Mckinlay

Tel:

07583358172

Signed:

C.Mckinlay

Date:

25.03.2020

College Contact

Name:

Faculty of Creative Industries Admin (Alan Carlin)

Tel:

0141 375 5555

Signed:

Date:

Session 18-19

Risk Assessment undertaken by:

This must be signed before the Shoot can go ahead.

I have read the above risk assessment and am satisfied that:

· Constitutes a proper and adequate risk assessment in respect of the programme activity.

· The precautions identified above are sufficient to control the risks.

· Adequate arrangements are in place to communicate risk assessment findings and to co-ordinate the safety arrangements of all those affected.

Name:

Tel:

Signed:

Date:

Presentation

As the class have been asked to produce 10 prints, my idea is to have 2 prints per A3 canvass. Depending on the orientation; landscape or portrait, depends how they will be placed on the canvass. I wish to have 2 per canvass in order for detail to be seen. I want the viewer to get the maximum affect from the print and be drawn into the image.

Now that I have a fair idea of how my images will be laid out on canvass, place of print is the next part. For me the obvious place is Deadly Digital where i go for all my printing needs. The prints are of good quality and the turn around is very quick. As with all my prints, the finish will be Oyster. This finish works well with portrait, landscape and architecture and I feel confident that this finish will bring out the best in my chosen images. As there will be two images per A3 canvass, the cost of these 5 prints will be (including student discount) £37.50p.

Bibliography

Abstract Photography, retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_photography accessed on 20th March 2020.

Stewart S (July 7th 2017) How Abstract Photography Has Evolved and Still Continues to Inspire Art, retrieved from https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-abstract-photography-definition/ accessed on 20th March 2020.

Alfred Stieglitz, retrieved from https://www.artsy.net/artist/alfred-stieglitz accessed on 20th March 2020.

Abstract Photography: Famous Artists, Examples and Techniques (9th May 2018), retrieved from https://www.invaluable.com/blog/abstract-photography/ accessed on 20th March 2020.

Music – A Sequence of Ten Cloud Photographs, No.1, retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/267447 accessed on 20th March 2020.

Alfred Stieglitz- pioneer of modern photography, retrieved from https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/alfred-stieglitz-pioneer-of-modern-photography accessed on 20th March 2020.

Aaron Siskind, retrieved from https://www.artsy.net/artist/aaron-siskind accessed on 20th March 2020.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (4th February 2020), Aaron Siskind American Photographer, retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/abstract-art accessed on 20th March 2020.

Aaron Siskind, retrieved from https://www.widewalls.ch/artist/aaron-siskind/ accessed on 20th March 2020.

Aaron Siskind retrieved from https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/aaron-siskind?all/all/all/all/0 accessed on 20th March 2020.

Ola Kolehmainen, retrieved from http://www.artnet.com/artists/ola-kolehmainen/ accessed on 21st March 2020.

Angie McMonigal retrieved from https://www.angiemcmonigal.com/site_v2/ accessed on 21st March 2020.

Ivanova T, How to Use Symmetry in Photography Composition, retrieved from https://expertphotography.com/symmetry-in-photography/ accessed on 24th March 2020.

#project

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mothmanhamlet · 5 years ago

Text

A Few Angsty Haikus

Analogical, 2584 words, high school au, fluffffffff, I don’t think there are any warnings to speak of.

Roman gets Virgil to use his services to ask out his crush. Bad poetry ensues.

Roman Prince was many things. He was a jock, a self proclaimed “Matchmaking God”, and the biggest theater nerd Virgil had ever known. Most importantly, Roman would be dead if he didn’t stop begging Virgil in the next 30 seconds.

“Come onnnnnn, please,” Roman begged. They were pinning flyers for Roman’s new “business” idea to the corkboard outside of their math class. Or rather, Roman was pinning flyers, Virgil was just there for moral support. Moral support apparently included attempts at making him Roman’s first customer.

“No,” Virgil said, crossing his arms and leaning on the wall.

“Listen, it benefits both of us! I need my services to get out into the world and you happen to be the perfect candidate!” Roman reasoned, moving his hands a concerning amount for someone who was holding sharp objects.

The services in question were a complicated list of steps Roman called a “confession session”. The idea was that someone filled out the application and Roman would plan out an elaborate display of something that he promised would be spectacularly romantic.

“No. Absolutely not.” Virgil didn’t even bother looking at Roman, his eyes were too busy scanning around the hallway. School ended not even two minutes ago, so there were still people there. He looked to see who could see him, who could see the poster. Pitifully, Logan was still there, Virgil’s super-genius crush. If Logan saw that poster, his opinion of Virgil would immediately drop. He was too good for that kind of thing.

Roman, sadly, caught Virgil looking just a little too long at Logan and got a brilliant idea. “Well I say you should get a second opinion. Oh Lo-”

Virgil’s hand practically flew to Roman’s mouth, nearly tackling him in the process. Logan, thankfully, didn’t move an inch.

“Do it and you’re dead,” Virgil whispered through gritted teeth. Against his palm, Virgil heard a muffled noise that sounded something like “But can you stop me?”. He looked back at Logan, who was still trying to fit three books and a globe into his already full backpack, and then at Roman, who was looking at Virgil with his eyebrows raised as if to say, “Your move”. At least if he let Roman do this, the embarrassment would be delayed.

“I’ll say yes if you don’t yell when I remove my hand.” Roman nodded and Virgil released his grip on his face, slight red marks where he had pressed rather aggressively. Roman pulled out his phone and started typing.

“I’m emailing you a link to the website. Fill out the form so I can make it spectacular!” Roman said, all too cheery for someone who had to blackmail him into doing it. Virgil just rolled his eyes and started walking down the hallway, trying to shake the small bits of attention that their (rather loud) conversation had gained.

****

Virgil sat down on the purple bean bag chair in his cluttered room and reached for his computer. It was a light grey color and covered in various stickers, his headphones a permanent fixture in its side. He clicked on the link and was immediately redirected to a flashy red and gold website that used hearts like they were commas and used clip art that probably hadn’t seen the light of day since the 90’s. Roman was creative, but sometimes his execution was subpar and unfortunately this was one of those times. Virgil leaned back and read over the questions.

1. What is your prospective boyfriend/girlfriend/datemate’s favorite love song?

2. What type of flower best encapsulates their personality?

3. Balloons, streamers, confetti, or all?

The rest of the questions followed suit in a similar fashion, and there were a lot. Maybe 30 or so until Virgil got to the end of the application.

“Who the hell has a favorite kind of sprinkle?” Virgil muttered to himself, trying to work through the questions. Even more surprising than how specific the questions were, was that Virgil actually knew most of the answers. He had never really bought into the whole pining-after-someone-he’d-never-met thing (pretending he even had a choice in the matter), so obviously he had to fall for his lab partner/project partner/person he sat next to in every class. Apparently the teachers thought it was funny to pair up the kid named “Sanders” and the one named “Saunders”. It was that, or just some alphabetization. Either way, it meant they had spent a lot of time together in their first three years of high school. Logan was distant at first, but after a while they opened up to each other. Which was a little weird because Virgil was pretty much the world’s worst lab partner, always assuming so strongly what would happen and planning to mess up, which in turn tended to mess them up. Now they seemed to talk about anything and everything, Virgil’s speaking ability permitted. Logan loved tea and Sherlock and classic literature (Victorianism not Romanticism) and jam and being right and debates and space. He really loved space. Whenever anyone brought up space his eyes lit up and it practically made Virgil’s heart do backflips. He was just glad one of the questions wasn’t “what do you like about them?” because Virgil could have written an essay. What was there, however, was far worse.

27. Write 10-20 poems about them.

Now Virgil was an emo nightmare of a person, but he did deviate from the trend in one key factor: He couldn’t write poems. No angsty sonnets for him, no haikus about suffering, no half-baked attempts to write his own songs. Nothing.

Virgil got up from his comfortable chair and started sifting through boxes on the floor, looking for something he’d rather forget. Underneath one particularly dusty pile of biology notes, he found what he’d been looking for, a beat up composition notebook that had served as his 6th grade English notebook. He flipped through the pages, stopping when he finally found the page labeled “poetry rules”. How he remembered this page, he had no idea, but was at least partially thankful for it.

Haikus: 3 lines. 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables. Doesn’t have to rhyme.

Well that seemed easy enough.

****

Your eyes look really nice

Magnified by your glasses

Blue as the ocean

Your hair looks fluffy

I want to touch it sometimes

So soft and shiny

****

Logan anticipated a lot of things. He anticipated his AP World History teacher to say something dull or ignorant during class. He anticipated the way his earl grey would taste every morning, bitter with hints of citrus. He even, on occasion, anticipated the perpetrator in his mystery novels, attempting to figure it out before the detective did. What Logan did not anticipate was two of his friends running towards him before he could enter school for the day.

“Logan, something absolutely delightful happened inside,” Dolos said, dressed in a peculiar combination of a suit and rubber gloves. Remus nodded vigorously next to him, munching on what seemed to be frosting in an empty deodorant bottle.

“There’s something inside your locker Nerdy Wolverine!” Remus said, making an attempt at teasing out his own curiosity while simultaneously applying a neon green fake mustache to his upper lip.

“Remus, if it is rats again, I am really not interested, especially after last time-” Logan began, thinking back to the year they had decided to share a locker.

“Of course. Because we totally put it in there,” Dolos interrupted, rolling his eyes.

“I personally think it’s a jar full of angry hornets that’s set to break when you open your locker, releasing into the school and stinging everyone but Dolos says that’s “unrealistic” because he’s no fun,” Remus said, waving his hands around to simulate a hornet infestation.

“But if you didn’t put anything there, how do you know there is something in there to begin with?” Logan asked.

“There was a sign on your locker,” Dolos said, gesturing to the door, “But don’t worry, it’s super tasteful.” With that, the two walked off, snickering. Despite the fact that school started in 20 minutes, they walked away from school.

Logan arrived at his locker, not knowing what exactly to prepare for. What he found, was his locker covered in dark blue paper hearts, “There’s a surprise inside” written on them. It was more distinctive than he would have liked, but it certainly wasn’t the worst thing he could have come across. The hearts managed not to cover his lock, so he could easily open his locker, however what was on the inside proved the hearts correct, for it was definitely a surprise.

His locker was covered along the walls, flowers, candy, and streamers occupying any blank space along the sides. In the back of his locker, there was blue poster paper with words Logan didn’t bother to read. On the small shelf he had in his locker, he found sugar cookies in the pattern of the Microsoft logo, littered with little blue sprinkles.

The most interesting thing however, was on the side of the door. Around twenty pieces of paper folded into little red paper hearts stuck with string onto the inside of his locker door. What was even more intriguing was the fact that there seemed to be words written on them. Carefully, he plucked one of them and unfolded it.

You smile so bright

Your laugh makes me want to cry

But in a good way

Ok, so it wasn’t a great poem, but nevertheless Logan thought it had a particular quaint authenticity to it. He pulled them off, one by one, careful not to rip them. In every heart, he found a haiku of similar quality and theme. Virgil would probably enjoy them, and for a moment Logan considered giving him something like this. Virgil seemed to have a certain affection for particularly bad poetry, and Logan had an affection for Virgil. Besides, it seemed that some of the poems were just lyrics from some of Virgil’s favorite songs, something about falling boys and chemistry.

When he had finished reading through the poems, Logan decided to have a better look at the poster in the back of his locker. Looking at the giant words on the paper answered some of his questions, but caused even more. Logan, I like you a lot. Go out with me? - Virgil.

It made sense, that this whole display was a confession of sorts, however what didn’t make sense was the fact that it wasn’t, well, Virgil. Virgil was a little bit extra sometimes, but from what Logan knew of him, he was far too nervous to do something like this. And if it was Virgil, then where was he? Unless he had run off somewhere-

Virgil had definitely run off somewhere. He looked at his watch. He had fifteen minutes till class started, which was probably enough time to find him.

****

Virgil was, for lack of a better phrase, freaking the hell out. He got to school really early, early enough to intercept Logan, who got to school like half an hour before he really needed to. The night before, he realized he couldn’t go through with the showy confession. Logan would probably hate it and then maybe hate him, which would of course happen after Logan rejected him so then Logan would stop talking to him because Virgil embarrassed him with it and then Roman would hate him because it didn’t work and then his life would fall apart. So instead he decided to get to school early enough to intercept Logan and confess to him before he could see the giant confession, then explain what had happened when he got rejected and got it so Logan was never surprised with whatever Roman planned. He would wait in the empty classroom Logan spent study hall in (he worked out an arrangement with the science teachers) and wait for Logan, who usually came there before his locker. He felt like such a stalker knowing that, when in reality he just asked Logan’s friend Dolos.

Which would have worked out great, except Virgil couldn’t stop freaking out. He was just staring at the clock, anxiously waiting for him to come in, all the while mentally running through every worst case scenario. He had around 13 minutes before school started, which meant Logan had to be there. It would be any minute before-

“Hello?”

Logan was there, dressed formally as always, hair slicked back with a polo shirt and tie. Virgil was there too, but he was sitting on a table, staring at the clock above the door.

“Hi Logan,” Virgil said as calmly as he could, which happened to be not calmly at all. “I have, uh, something for you.”

Virgil reached behind him for the card he had made. He painted a swirly blue sky with Logan’s favorite constellation on it. Hopefully he would like it more than the giant display.

“It’s very nice looking,” Logan commented, looking at the front. “It even has Vega on it, my favorite.”

Logan probably didn’t even know what was going on. Virgil thought he was amazing, but even he had to admit Logan was clinically oblivious. Logan opened up the card, looking a little confused and surprised. But not angry or disappointed. So that was a step in the right direction.

Logan flipped around the card to show him the inside. Logan, would you like to maybe go out with me? “Yes? Assuming you are asking what it seems you are asking, I would love to go out with you.”

What?

Virgil wasn’t sure if he was happy or confused or surprised, the emotions blending in the pit of his stomach. But he said yes. Logan said yes.

“Y-yes? Are you sure?”

“Yes Virgil, I’m certain.”

Virgil let out a breath. He was in a calmer place and honestly a little light-headed. Logan sat next to him on the table, looking like he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Ok. In that case, be careful when you visit your locker. There’s something in there that’s a little, uh, extra,” Virgil said, trying to be as vague as possible. Logan’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“If you’re talking about the confession you made, I have already seen it. I apologize if I ruined any surprises.”

“You- But- You saw it? And you don’t hate me now?” Virgil asked, it a bit of a frenzy.

“No, not at all. I particularly liked the poems.”

Virgil was surprised. Flabbergasted. Betrayed. He could no longer tell if he wanted to punch or hug Roman. Maybe both.

“It was actually Roman’s idea, but I’m glad you don’t hate me,” Virgil said, wringing his hands and looking at Logan. “I also don’t have too much planned for the actual, um, date. I kind of assumed you’d say no.”

“You do like jumping to conclusions. Fortunately, I am prepared. There’s a new documentary on one of Jupiter’s moons, Callisto, and it will be playing Friday at seven thirty. Does that sound enjoyable?”

Virgil simply nodded with a smile.

“Perfect, I will pick you up at seven. It is, as they say, a date.” Logan said, surprisingly well prepared for someone who didn’t know he would be asked out. Both of them slid off the table, standing back on the ground. Just as Logan began to leave, Virgil reached out and tentatively caught his hand. Logan’s eyebrows raised for a moment, then turned more relaxed.

Slowly and happily, the two walked out together, hand in hand.

#analogical #fluff #high school au #sanders sides #sanders side fic #virgil sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders #remus is there but just for like five seconds

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caitlinhnd1bphoto · 5 years ago

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Research for personal project

Berit atlis is an award-winning children portrait, wedding and childhood photographer who is based in Ireland. I really liked this project that Berit Alits produced. It’s called child portraits and these kinds of portraits are ideas I had for shooting. I wanted to do portraits shot in the woods or on a field. The reason I picked these photos is because I liked the composition of them all and how the models are positioned. I also really liked the use of natural lighting in them as it gives the image a more natural feel. I choose to look at her child portraits as I was planning to use my little cousin for some pictures. The first image I’ve used as inspiration is my favourite as the image is quite soft, the lighting is soft and even the way the model is holding the flower is very gentle. I really like the fact the dress and the flowers are the same as it makes the model stand out against the brown branches. I like the way the bottom left picture is shot as its slightly further back and it gives a fairy-tale vibe, I like the soft lighting as I makes the image stand out and I like how the scene has been set with the young girl in a white dress, like a run-away princess. The composition of all these images and how the scene was set has been very carefully set up and looked into and it has given me some more ideas of how I would want my portraits to look.

Stephanie Sunderland says she fell in love with photography when she was a freshman in college. She took a beginners black and white class to achieve an art credit but that’s where her love of photography came in, at the end of her course she ended up with a major in fine arts and an even bigger love for photography. Sunderland is originally from Utah but is currently working in New York city.

I really liked Sunderland’s portraits as these are close to the types of shots that I wanted to shoot myself. I love all the lighting in these images as it is very natural lighting and that’s the look I want for my own images. The thing I liked about the top middle and right image there is out of focus branches and leaves in the shot as I feel that gives a nice effect to the image and has given me some new ideas of how I could do my own portraits. The composition of these images is nice, and I like it a lot as I feel it is thought through very well and each image works well. My favourite image has to be the bottom image as I love the lighting in this image and I love how the model is laying in the grass as this was an idea I had of my own and I also like the little bits of grass that are out of focus right at the bottom of the image. The model’s clothes also play’s a huge part in making this image, her clothes look comfy and light which goes well with the soft lighting on the model. I also really liked the top left image as it’s a simple image and the model is just placed in front of the bushes but how she is positioned, the way she is Facing away but with her head looking to the side makes this image beautiful and hr outfit ties in well too as the flowers and blue go well with the green of the bushes.

Federico is an Italian fine art cinematographic photographer. Most of his shots are very simple but he gives them the extra power they need and that’s seen throughout his work. Most of his work is shot in nature.

The next set of portraits I have decided to use caught my eye as I really liked all this photographers work. One particular reason I chose this set of images is because there are ones with males in them and when it comes to shooting, I plan to use both male and female models. The lighting on these portraits are all pretty different as some have quite harsh lighting, and some have some softer lighting. The composition of all the portraits are all very good and I liked them a lot. My favourite image has to be the top middle one as I really liked how the berries/flowers in the top of the image are partly blurred, I also like the lighting in this image as its quite harsh on the face but there is some nice shadows on the face too which give it a nice look and I’m guessing the photographer used something for the light to shine through to get the shadows on the models face. Another image I really liked was the bottom one with the male model as its just simple, no harsh lighting but the image still looks nice. I like the leaves in front of the model as it gives me a feeling he’s hiding or watching something through the bushes. I like that even though the leaves cover his face he’s still in focus and the main feature in the image, the leaves don’t overpower the image and make him seem irrelevant. The lighting is a wee bit boring. I’d have liked it to maybe have some more brighter natural light, but the dim light does work with the feel of this image.

Daria Huxley is an award-winning photographer and professional creative director. Her photography is mainly portraits, nature and fine art architecture and she has been doing photography for over a decade.

Daria Huxley has studied and worked in Germany, Belgium, Russia, Hong Kong and Portugal but

She is currently based in Brooklyn at a creative production company.

I was really fond of Huxley’s work when I came across it as she has a wide range of different portraits that I thought were very nice. I decided to choose these ones though as they are closest to what I’m wanting to do for my graded unit. The first photo had to be my favourite as I love the lighting on the model, I feel it was possibly taken at golden hour as it has the sort of orange glow to it. I also really liked the composition of the model as she is centred. I also really liked the third image due to the model being slightly lit from the back and it’s also being taken at sunset/sunrise and I want to do that with some of my portraits. I really like the background of the photo being a fence and the grass and the sun being out of focus. The middle image has some nice soft light on it which I really liked and though made the image work. The background is very vibrant and and it helps the model stand out.

Tess Schilke is a wedding and couples photography based in western New York. Tess first started taking pictures when she wasn’t able to run anymore due to an injury and she done photography to pass the time during that period of her life, but it turned out to be something she loved and is now her career.

I really liked Schilke’s photos and again they are very similar to what I have planned for my personal project. The second image is one of my favourites, I really liked how part of the fence in front of the model is out of focus as it adds more to the image. The lighting is very soft which gives the image a nice touch. The first image is quite different from the others as it is shot from above the model. The lighting is very soft which again makes the image very nice and the grass is vibrant and stands out due to the model having a light-coloured top/jumper on. The last image is also different due to the fact its shot at a distance which is really nice, and I like the composition of the image and the fact there is leading lines just brigs your focus to the model.

Alex Ingram is a freelance photographer who is based in London. Alex mainly photographs people who he grew up with, people he has met along the way of his photography career and the people who have turned him into the person he is now. He is all about his relationship with these people and the connections he shares with them.

I really like this project by Alex Ingram as it has given me some inspiration for my own graded unit portraits. Im going to show a sense of isolation by shooting people through a window like this or have a shot of people hanging out their windows. I really like the first image as I think its dead unique to have shot through a car window and with everything going on right now it definitely shows a sense of isolation. The second image I feel is very powerful as a lot of elderly people are affected by what is going on right now due to health conditions etc but I feel this image is really strong with the composition of the model being slightly off to the side of the window. I also feel the small reflection of grass/leaves in the bottom corner helps add depth to the image. The third one I really liked due to the fact it was two people and to add some more character to the image their dog is included in the image. The lighting is really nice in the image and the slight reflections on the window make it look like a frame round the image. I liked the fact the models are positioned further back and not as close to the window. The last image is nice as you can see part of the house/hut the guy is sat in and I feel it gives a nice look to the image. The lighting is also nice and soft which makes the image a lot nicer and goes with the soft tones of the overall place

Just research for all the different plans I had :)

#personal

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worbiestuff · 5 years ago

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TIPS ON PHOTOGRAPHY

Hey guys, back once again over the weekend I had another photography assignment and I’m glad to share with you all.

I was supposed to watch some YouTube videos and make notes of all I learnt. As I made notes, I was to cast my mind to my surrounding and begin to see how objects will look beside others as in size, colour, feelings, etc. and describe how I understand seeing especially in the artistic sense I was also to describe the various elements of art and use my camera to make images that will be interesting and worthy of an exhibition. I was asked to make 2 interesting images per element and organize the images under their respective headings and describe how I made it.

Let’s dive straight in!

Photography is not just a technical exercise, but an art, application and practice of creating durable images by recording light. Owning a camera doesn’t make you a good photographer and at the end of the day, it still narrows down to being an art. Dorothea Lange said that a “camera is a tool for learning to see without a camera”. Having the camera doesn’t necessarily mean you automatically get to see great subjects and shoot “OMG’ (oh my god) pictures. It requires perfection through a lot of practical work or knowledge, personal skills and creativity-which is best described as a combination of inventiveness, imagination, inspiration and perception. Bryan Peterson also explained that to advance your personal vision, you must really practice.

We have to learn to see what is around us so we can express it in artistic ways. We’ve to train our minds to see something new and different even at places we’ve been before or things we’ve seen before. As Ernst Haas said- “I am not interested in shooting new things, I am interested in to see things new”. This short statement makes a lot of sense. We’ve to be interested in training our minds to see things in a way that people think is abnormal, in a way that even when we are paired with people in the same geographical area, we take “fire” pictures that will make or partners wonder; wow, how come I didn’t think of that or see that?

Recognizing good light is all photography is about. Hence the meaning of photography being light writing. Sometimes we just have to recognize how a particular light, either natural or artificial, controlled or spontaneous falls on a building or hits city to be able to get a good shot. We can’t get good images by riding with the bus every day or requesting an Uber everywhere we go, sometimes we need to take the risk and walk, even if not with the mindset of getting a few things photographed but just to interact with nature, and we’ll be surprised that we’ll end up taking much more photographs than we planned on doing.

Photography is not about the content of the photograph or picture, but about the compositional arrangement. Composition can be described as the arrangements of elements used. It means paying attention to what will be photographed, how it is placed in relationship to other objects in the image and how well the subject matter is expressed.

Elements of design should be your foundation for how to learn to see. They include;

· Line

· Colour

· Value

· Shape

· Form and

· Texture.

SEEING ESPECIALLY IN ARTISTIC SENSE.

Seeing in artistic sense means a lot to me. Seeing artistically, to me means that when I look at something, I don’t just simply look at it, I don’t just look, I look and ‘see’. I try to make a connection between stuff and elements that look or seem unconnected. It is how I look beyond ordinary objects and just using what I already know to create something new. More like using a ‘third’ eye. Seeing artistically to me means that going somewhere people will think is abnormal just to create new photographs or trying out new things people might see to be weird.

ELEMENTS OF ART

As mentioned earlier, the elements of art should be the foundation on how to see. It is simply referred to as the building blocks of art. They include line, shape, form, texture, colour and value.

· Line: a line is referred to as a mark with length ad direction. There are various types of lines and they have been listed and explained below.

--Line variation: this means using a variety of thin and thick lines or varying the weight of a single line to create interest.

--Contour lines: contour lines are lines that follow the outer edges of an object, like an outline.

--Blind contour: drawing contour lines without looking at the paper and even though they may look kind of humorous or funny, the drawings actually turn out to be someway somewhat artistically interesting.

· Value: this refers to the relative lightness or darkness of an object.

· Color: we all know that light source is needed to see colour. Basically, colour is seen by reflecting light on an object.

--Hue: hue refers to the name of a colour; red, yellow, green, black, etc.

--Intensity: the brightness or dullness of a colour is referred to as intensity.

· Space: the area around, above or inside an object is referred to as space. There are two types of space

--space that involves depth.

--space that involves the shape of area.

Shallow space

This is space that feels cringed, feels flat. There is not much depth in the artwork. Objects are close together without much room to move around.

Deep space

With deep space, there is a lot of depth in the artwork. Objects tend to disappear far in the distance.

Positive space

This refers to the areas of focus or the most important parts of an artwork.

Negative space

This is the space around areas of focus-usually the background of an artwork.

· Shape and Form:

--Shapes are two dimensional, having height and width.

-- Forms are three dimensional or have three dimensions, height, width and depth.

Geometric shapes

These are mathematical lines or shapes or forma often with hard, sharp edges. Circles and spheres are exceptions.

Organic shapes

These are natural or free form shapes, lines or forms often with curvy, soft edges.

· Texture: the texture of something or texture refers to how the object appears to feel. There are two types of textures;

--Actual texture: this refers to texture you can actually feel. With this type of texture, If the object looks rough, it feels rough too.

--Visual texture: this kind of texture refers to texture you can see but not feel. It I also known as implied texture. With this type of texture, the object might appear rough but smooth to touch.

PICTURES DEPICTING THE VARIOUS FORMS OF ELEMENTS OF ART

LINE

Figure 1

I find this picture depicting or showing lines because of the various kinds of lines that can be identified in it. The tree or bush has some kind of thin and thick lines in there, we can also see spiral lines from the razor wire that has gotten entangled with the bush. This is a picture I took on my way to buy porridge on Friday morning at around 6:30 am with my iPhone 6s back camera, 4.15mm with a shutter speed of 1/340 sec, aperture, f/2.2 and ISO 25. I edited this picture using Lightroom.

FIGURE 2

This is also another photograph that depicts line. There are horizontal and vertical lines that can be seen in the above photograph and these are forms of lines. I found this old racket in the store room at home and decided to take a picture of it with my iPhone 6s back camera, with a shutter speed of 1/3700sec, aperture being, f/2.2 and ISO 25. I edited the picture with Lightroom.

COLOUR

FIGURE 3

I ordered these mini cakes from Chafty Catering and decided to take this picture, not for any reasonable purpose but just because of how the colours looked so vibrant and appetizing.

The above picture is ideal to depict colour because so many different colours can be identified from the above picture. We’ve the colour of the mini cakes being brown, the marshmallows white, the skittles which come in different colours like red, blue etc. captured this image with my very own IPhone 6s back camera, with shutter speed being 1/300 sec, aperture, f/2.2 and ISO 25, also edited with lightroom.

FIGURE 4

This is a picture of a tree right opposite my house, as to say my neighbor’s house. I took this picture because personally I love nature, and I also was in love with how the sun hit the tree for it to bring out its colours. The way the rays passes through the ple wires is another besuty to behold, but that is just a plus, not where the attention actually is. This picture depicts colour in the sense that, we’ve the colours of the flowers being a shade of pink which is known as ‘fuchsia’ and we’ve some kind of off-white or creamy colour and we also have green, for the leaves of the plant! We’ve the pole wires to be black, and the blue skies, we’ve the clouds being white too. In all, we have about 6 colours in the photograph. This also was captured with my iPhone 6s camera, with shutter speed 1/190000sec, aperture being f/2.2 and ISO 25 and edited with Lightroom.

VALUE

FIGURE 5

This is a picture of a tomato I took straight out of the refrigerator and put on a yellow chopping board directly under the sun. I chose to use this photograph for the depiction of value because we all know the definition of value to be how bright or dark an object is. Again, we all know red and yellow to be very bright and loud colours, hence, using it to depict value makes a lot of sense. This picture too was captured by my IPhone 6s back camera with a shutter speed of 1/13500 sec, aperture being f/2.2 and ISO 25, edited with Lightroom.

FIGURE 6

This is a picture of the same racket I found in my store room, but this time held towards the sun. I chose to use this picture to depict value because a part of the image depicts a bright side, thus, the sun and another side depicts a darker side. Per the explanation of the element of art; value, this picture is ideal. This picture was also taken with my IPhone 6s camera, with shutter speed being 1/26000 sec, aperture, f/2.2 and ISO 25, also edited with lightroom.

TEXTURE

FIGURE 7

I decided to take a picture of my old purse and use it to depict texture. Texture refers to how an object appears to feel, and there are two types; actual and visual. This old purse can be used to depict visual because it appears to be rough when looked at but smooth when felt. This was also captured with my iPhone 6s, with a shutter speed of 1/4500 sec, aperture being f/2.2 and ISO 25. This was also edited using Lightroom.

FIGURE 8

This is a picture of a terrazzo wall in my house. I took this picture to depict actual texture because my terrazzo wall looks rough from afar, and is rough when felt too. Captured this with my iPhone 6s. With aperture being 1/1100 sec, aperture, f/2.2 and ISO 25. I edited this with Lightroom.

SPACE

FIGURE 9

This is an image I captured on my first visit to new town with my mum, to buy some fresh fish. Accra New Town is a town in the Metropolitan district, a district of the Greater Accra region in Ghana. I took this picture with no motive but only because that was my first time visiting the place. I had never seen so many canoes in my life too, and that was another minor reason why I took the picture. I decided to use this picture I captured to depicted space (deep space) because the picture has a lot of depth and the objects, i.e. (the canoes, the fishermen and fishmongers) tend to disappear into the horizon. Same IPhone 6s for the picture, with shutter speed of 1/200 sec, aperture, f/2.2 and ISO 25 and edited using Lightroom.

FIGURE 10

This picture is a composition of a glass and an orange. This composition is intentional, I had the mindset of making or creating something that could depict shallow space. And I think it works. Shallow space refers to space that feels cringed or flat. If an artwork is shallow, it means there isn’t much space to move around, hence, objects are close together. In this composition, there isn’t much space to move around since the view ends right where the orange is. Any means of trying to look farther than the orange is not possible. This was taken with my iphone 6s. with shutter speed of 1/290 sec, aperture f/2.2 and ISO 25, also edited with Lightroom.

SHAPE AND FORM

FIGURE 11

These pigeon holes depict shape. Picking one of these pigeon holes, they are rectangular in shape and putting all of them together or picking them randomly, the still kind of form a shape. Taken with my iPhone 6s, with shutter speed being 1/2500 sec, aperture, f/2.2 and ISO 25. Edited using lightroom.

FIGURE 12

This is a picture of my portable Bluetooth speaker I use in school. I’m a music lover so I guess it makes a little bit of sense. Well, I photographed this mini speaker because I thought It would be ideal for a form, since forms are three dimensional; height, width and depth. I captured this image with my iPhone 6s again, with a shutter speed of 1/2100 sec, aperture, f /2.2 and ISO 25 and edited using Lightroom.

DOREEN AKWORKOR WORBIE

PHOTOGRAPHY II

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guitarmains · 2 years ago

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Skyrocket juniper for sale near me

SKYROCKET JUNIPER FOR SALE NEAR ME FULL

The Tree Center offers carefully chosen Junipers, which will ship quickly to most locations throughout the United States. Then, carefully read the specifics about planting and caring for Juniper Trees in the proceeding sections. Read about the essential facts on the Juniper Tree below. Juniper Trees are adaptable to sunny and drier climates, and they are perfect property privacy protectors and shade providers. It is essential to learn about the Juniper Tree before planting a new sapling, as the tree’s needs, the effort on the part of the planter, and the benefits and concerns around any new tree change from species to species. In USDA hardiness zones 3 through 10, Juniper Trees can offer shade, privacy, and adaptability. For this reason, Junipers may be called redcedars or whitecedars, the lack of space noting the inherent difference between these and true Cedars. Oftentimes, Junipers are commonly referred to as Cedars, though true Cedars fall under the genus Cedrus. The other most common species are the Spartan Juniper and the Hollywood Juniper. There are 12 species within the genus Juniperus which grow well in the United States, including the privacy screen or hedge known as Juniper Wichita Blue. These evergreens can reach as high as 130 feet tall, though some varieties offer low ground-cover instead. Juniper Trees are native to several regions throughout the world, including North America, Africa, Central America, and Asia. With every size, from a low-shrub to a tall tree, Junipers will fit the needs for most homeowners. See store for details on specific container size availability.Juniper Trees are diverse, with between 50 and 70 subspecies. * Not all container sizes may be available at this time. This is a selection of a native North American species. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water.

SKYROCKET JUNIPER FOR SALE NEAR ME FULL

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. Skyrocket Juniper will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Skyrocket Juniper is recommended for the following landscape applications It has no significant negative characteristics. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone. Skyrocket Juniper is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. The peeling gray bark is not particularly outstanding. It produces silvery blue berries from late spring right through to late winter. The flowers are not ornamentally significant. The scale-like leaves are ornamentally significant but remain powder blue through the winter. Skyrocket Juniper has attractive powder blue foliage. An extremely narrow, rigid tall evergreen shrub, with soft blue-green needle-like foliage all season long use with caution, can be rather abrupt in the landscape, makes a curious, almost formal tall evergreen hedge when planted in a row

#Skyrocket juniper for sale near me

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mortalgabby · 6 years ago

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Movie Review-- Annihilation

Directing/Shot Composition

There were lots of beautiful establishing shots throughout the course of this movie to showcase the environment inside of the shimmer, which help give the audience really get an insight into this world, as well as the genre and aesthetic of the film. The use of panning also helped to show the amount of intricate detail and danger of the world. I really liked the composition of some of the shots, in particular this one:

I really love the symmetry of it, and how Natalie Portman is in the very centre of the screen which demonstrates her importance as the main character- and how she appears as a silhouette - helping her stand out a lot more against the background. The background itself is also really pretty due to the wide range of colours utilised in the shot. The use of symmetry can also be seen across the film- the important features of the scene are often placed in the middle so that they’re more eye-catching. I think that this works really well and is aesthetically pleasing. There is also a range of colours in this film - from the bright jungles to the rainbow shimmer to the desolate school - which I think look really pretty and are a nice contrast from the dull plot and drab reality of the film’s plot. Even though I didn’t like the film, the directing was one of the nicer aspects about it.

Acting/Line Delivery

I don’t like the choice of actors they picked for this movie - the main characters are all women (which i’m fine with) but it definitely seemed like a movie in which they picked women because they were women - not because they thought they’d be fitting in the movie, (like the second ghost-busters film). This made it seem like they were trying way too hard to have the film be about empowering women, which didn’t work as most of them were just annoying and somewhat useless during the expedition. I think that the acting was okay but could’ve been better, and some of the line delivery was definitely lacking in emotion.

Writing/Script

I really didn’t like this movie because of the way it was written. While the visual aspects of the movie were very impressive and appealing, it still didn’t make up for the story-line and extremely boring narrative. The way the film was arranged non chronologically was a very poor choice, as it was extremely confusing. There were 3 different parts in the narrative shown during the movie: Before Portman went into the shimmer, after Portman came out of the shimmer, and while she was in there. The film randomly had these non chronological scenes throughout - including where Portman admits that everyone died except her. While this sort of had the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ trope effect (where it’s meant to be more tragic to the audience because we know that the characters will die despite their actions) it mostly felt like I didn’t have a reason to keep watching the film anymore since we knew the end.

Furthermore, there was hardly any character development, a lot of things initially addressed in the film were never brought up again which I thought was annoying, and there were so many unanswered questions. It seemed the writers were trying to go for a mysterious ending but it was actually really infuriating not knowing about why anything happened.

Special Effects/Cinematography

The special effects used in this film was the only thing that made it worth watching as it was simultaneously beautiful and horrifying. This film had a very high budget and it was clearly put into the visual effects department. The shimmer in particular was very interesting to look at - it looked realistic and almost magical which I really liked. The creatures that appeared in the movie were also very intriguing and really well designed, as well as looking incredibly life-like. I think that the creature design and animation really stood out in this movie, my favourites being the deer with the flower horns that are seen briefly. I also really liked the plants which had the human DNA that grew into the shape of the humans. Overall, the look of this movie was really stunning - especially during the glowing explosion at the end when Natalie Portman destroys the shimmer. The CGI was really impressive and combined with the creative character design and world-building made this film slightly less awful to watch.

Set Design/Costumes

The costumes of the film didn’t really stand out too much to me as they were all fairly regular clothing - however the uniforms they wore did fit the genre, and seemed appropriate for the mission they were on, which helped make it more believable. One of the only other things I liked about this film was the set design, particularly the plants inside the shimmer. The set designers did a good job at creating the impression that the world inside the shimmer was abandoned - as everything looked overgrown and destroyed (especially the buildings) yet also peaceful. I think that two of the most well done sets in this movie were the lighthouse and the swimming pool with the corpse. the lighthouse in particular was covered in some kind of alien structure which looked really organic and almost natural - yet also really disturbing, which I liked. The swimming pool corpse in the wall was easily the most horrifying part of the movie for me due to how scarily realistic it looked, and really portrayed the horror sub-genre well- showing off just how gruesome the rest of the deaths would be.

Overall, even though the movie was really beautiful, it still didn’t make up for the absolutely poor writing. It left me so unsatisfied and angry at the end that it was actually really memorable because of the amount of things wrong with it.

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alyjojo · 3 years ago

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20 memories & isms I love about you.

1. He sent me flowers at work. Twice 🥰

2. He left work to help me fix my tire, outside my ex’s house. Never drove on a highway before that day. (no I shouldn’t have dated the guy, but that particular Gemini is the asc degree of our composite chart, he’s the reason we ever met at all, and hubby is the reason we broke up so...lesson learned)

3. He made me eat his mom’s food. Not only that but excitedly. He’d be like “mom is making hot spaghetti and you’re gonna come over and have some”...I’d say no thx 20 times but he wasn’t hearing it. Hot spaghetti day. I felt weird having someone’s mom cook for me. She probably felt weird too tbh, but he was so over the top happy about mom, food, and me, that it didn’t seem to matter and worked out fine 😆

4. He’s so forward, and bold as hell. I’m irritatingly shy and very guarded. Literally the only way he got me was because he’d act before I could really even think about it or think myself out of it. Winners mind.

5. He moved me into his moms house. I was not ok. Not not not. My pride is...well it exists, and burns like fire whenever help is given. I will never ask in all my life and idc, feels better that way. Will gladly die first. My rotors were broken though (I could write a book just about car problems fr), I needed two and it was gonna take awhile. I’d be in the city and he’d be way out there. He’s like nah. You stay. He insisted...and I stayed. Staying was not a me thing, he changed that.

6. He gave me a baby. After all of the years I didn’t have periods, needed pills to have a normal body, all of the times I talked myself out of that sort of life altogether because I clearly didn’t have the guy (ex was not a kid guy) or the working body parts to even do that, must not be for me. First time in our new apartment, boom baby.

7. First time in our slightly bigger and nicer apartment, boom baby 2. We started actually using protection after she was born. Clearly we can.

8. He worked stupidly long hours and put up with so many people that just had no fn clue, it put a strain on everything, most of all him. When he got the offer for Indy, I pushed it. And pushed it. And pushed. May as well have pushed him right out the door, we were going, because those people suck and you’ll never get the chance to be seen while you’re doing that glorified delivery guy’s job for him. We’re going. So, we did, and he got me out of this damn state. At least once.

9. He loved getting lost with me, and it was my favorite thing. Indiana is a beautiful state and I encourage anyone to get lost there, on purpose.

10. I forgot work. He caused some serious change. Everyone else lost their job, including hubby’s favorite person ever, Jonathan. Today he’s the sole survivor of a mom and pop shop, and I’m so unbelievably proud of him. The best part though, is two of the guys from work used to come see me at my new work all the time, with all their bar bitches 😆 They were my favorite people, I was always so excited to see them. Hubby tried to get them back on, and did for one of them. And when the bigger boss needed a new smaller boss bc hubby was leaving the state, hubby fought like hell for Jonathan. Like Highlander, there can only be one *sksksksksksk* They looked at a couple and hubs was like no only Jon knows the ways of the force. They hired him back, Jon has sent him some of the sweetest thank you messages...it changed his life, and hubs still loves him very much. It’s adorable.

11. Screamy baby Shmoo, she was a screamy baby, and so very beautiful. Baby Bam was like a dream, she was the perfect baby in every way. My screamy baby Shmoo was also a perfect baby, with a pitch that could break glass and sometimes she just wanted to practice for hours. Usually I got her to bed with mama snuggles & milk, singing Alison Krauss and rocking. Sometimes though, on the roughest nights, it’d be over an hour before I’d open the door with screamy baby still in a fit, and he’d take her. He’s so warm and calm, he’d win every single time, and I’d be like...zzzzz tysm ily tyty zzzz....

12. His jokes. He’s not funny (yes he is don’t tell him). He thinks he’s funny. He jokes all day every day about everything always. The girls know when dad says something to be skeptical bc he said they gotta go outside and till the land with tiny shovels, and when I roll my eyes they know he’s full of it. What’s funnier, his mom was the kind of person that took things literally always. Every time him and his goofy dad were being sarcastic, I’d have to tell her that because they’d have her believing crazy stuff. My kids share a lot of her isms, that’s one. My son absolutely does not joke, he is quite literal (so far), and I always have to scold hubby or tell lil guy nooooo he’s kidding. I don’t talk about his silliness nearly enough and I should, that’s him ❤️

13. His relationship with his mom. His mom was always on the...I wouldn’t say weaker side, but older, regular pain, on disability. He was her BABY. Her eyes lit up like Christmas when he entered the room. She loves him so so much. His sister... You know the kind, or...just imagine, probably close. He hated it. He got his job pretty young and just kept it. Always had money, always offered to help his mom, always was like IM FINE MOM. She just wanted to do for him, and he’s always been the kind of guy that wants to do for himself. And she was so funny, she’d slip $20 into the diaper bag and tell me “don’t tell him”, putting it on me. So we’d get in the car. And I’d be like there’s $20 in the diaper bag, knowing he’s gonna be pissed if he finds it (she needs it). And he’d get it, run into the house, set it on her table, and run out the door while she ran after him hollering protests 😆 Lots of other stories too. I miss her so much, I can’t even imagine how much he must.

14. His relationship with his sister, and other whirlwind people. He’s like a rock. I’ve spent lots of time with his sister, but not at once. The one day I did, I came home and my brain was so full of her bazillion ideas and impulsive let’s do this and just one thing, opposite thing, different subject, back to the subject, hey let’s do this, omg I have an idea. I love her to death but I had to sit and just...dump my brain. Ask myself for my own input bc I’d lost wtf...what were we doing again?!? Him though? Doesn’t miss a beat. No...no...no...I’ll think about it...no...no..change subject. No issue saying no. Back then I was like thank god, girl would have me on a cruise to Aruba tomorrow with costume jewelry and black face before I could even think to protest. Not him.

15. Making up. The difference between Taurus moon and Sag moon is that Taurus moon stays mad for the rest of their lives (hello...) and Sag moon wakes up in the morning like nothing happened in the history of ever. This was something that irritated me THE MOST. Don’t make me laugh, I’m pissed at you. Over the years, it became the only way we’d talk at all sometimes. Is certainly the only reason we made up, countless times. He never stopped trying to make me smile, even if I wanted nothing to do with it.

16. Acts of Service. Is not mine, which is either words time or touch and I really can’t decide which. All. He speaks a whole other language. He will let me nap, or take the kids somewhere, he will spontaneously clean or go grocery shopping, walk the dog, mow the lawn, hang out at the birthday party. It didn’t start right away, more and more as he learned my isms. He’ll make me coffee as I’m coming down the stairs. I rarely have to ever ask for any practical thing. He knows my orders for anything, recently there’s been twice that he literally read my mind before I spoke. I try to do the same for him as much as I can, because I know that’s his language and I really appreciate him.

17. Bedroom games. The man knows my body like a map, no, an Excel spreadsheet 😭, and how to get every reaction he’s looking for. He is the only man to ever satisfy my insatiable ass. He made me a whole new person in that regard. He says the same about me. Never an issue there. It’s this far down the list cuz it’s not the most important, but it’s pretty important too so there that is.

18. We share the same goals. We judge the same way, like why did they wrap this like that it looks sketchy. We parent the same. We decide the same. We critically think and weigh ideas the same. We walk the same line in the same direction. If anything he’s too negative sometimes, but that’s his own personal thing. Can’t be full of Capricorn and not lean more toward pessimism (not “realism”) sometimes I think. If it’s worth it, I’ll try to coax him to middle ground. Sometimes it’s a battle, but only if I’m really sure. Usually, he’s right, so I just let him lead.

19. When I was pregnant with my son. Initially. It was hell. His car was trashed, mine was broken and thousands of dollars to fix (this particular car in this particular year has this and what a coincidence it was particularly my problem...cars, I’m telling ya). I was two feet out the door with his shit, but his sister’s issues led to my heart. Because her kids. I love them very much, of course they can stay here and not with some strange person hell no. I cannot describe how angry I was at him. HE strapped backpacks onto his back and walked to the nearest store. Hauled so much crap in a huge backpack and just his arms. Over the course of two months. He quit drinking. He went above and beyond to do get offer or provide anything I could even imagine. More romantic then I think I’d ever seen him before. At least...it had been some time anyway. Of course...he was lying to me. The whole time. To what extent idk. Regarding the work shit, idk. Thus the question and the dream and the crazy and the...crazy 😞 Wanted to piss me off boy he got that tenfold. His actions during this time period are 💯 why I stayed. He was clearly trying like hell to prove to me he could try, and it’s more than anyone I’ve ever known has even bothered to “bother” with. I was impressed, and proud. Respect counts for a lot more than love sometimes, and at the time I respected him.

20. He’s an amazing father. There are so many stories I couldn’t possibly write them all. Our son though, he chose daddy, right from the start. Nothing like our daughters, nor any kid I’d known. He’d scream, FOR his dad. He’d only sleep on his shoulder. Hubby held this baby for hours on end. If he didn’t baby would demand it, but it was very natural to them both. Baby wanted a bottle, and hubby to give it to him. It blew my mind. Hubby got his little teammate and together they’ve changed my life and perspective in ways I couldn’t have ever imagined.

I’ve spent so long sporadically venting on here that I don’t think I’ve ever posted the sweet things. So many great memories and daily...everything...are missing, so many years and little moments. That would take forever. Its always been my frustrations, which was the purpose. This is my heart. No matter what happens, all of these things will always be true.

#I love him with all my heart

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mielikki-austin · 3 years ago

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06182021

Another week in beautiful Austin Texas. Enjoy these pics from the last week...

1. Moon a few days old- the Sun is setting pretty far north now that we are so close to the summer solstice (Sunday!) when it sets at its northernmost point. So when the Moon is close to the Sun a few days after it was new, it's farther north too- standing in my driveway, when I look at Moonsets at any other time of the year, they appear to happen between my house and the southern neighbor's house, but now it's happening over my garage. I'm still amazed that my phone camera can take these pictures of the Moon. Here you can even see that the dark part of the Moon is faintly lit up- this is because whatever phase the Moon is in, when you're standing on the Moon the Earth is in the opposite phase. So while we're seeing a slender crescent on Earth, the Moon's sky has an almost full Earth- and that lights up the lunar landscape so much we can see it here. It's called, unsurprisingly, Earthshine, and it's one of those common beautiful things that a lot of people don't always notice but I love it when I spot it.

2. Dumb mural in the pediatric room- I apparently developed a food allergy, which seems to be something that happens to adults occasionally. My throat started swelling up so I took some Benadryl, but I freaked out and went to an urgent care clinic where they told me that what I probably needed was Benadryl. When I told them I had just taken some, they suggested I wait and see if it kicked in, since I was still breathing fine and wasn't showing any other symptoms. Sure enough, after hanging around for about twenty minutes my throat felt a lot better, and they sent me home and suggested I go see an allergist to figure out exactly what I was allergic to. Of course they asked me what I'd eaten recently and the answer was pad thai, which is one of those dishes that can have eight thousand ingredients in it, everyone makes it differently and there's no way of telling what in that dish I reacted to. I sure hope it was shellfish (which I don't like anyway) rather than peanuts (which I love). I'm seeing my regular doctor for a yearly exam in a few days and I'll ask for a referral to an allergist then, and avoid pad thai in the meantime. Anyway, for some reason the urgent care clinic put me in the pediatric room, and I was HIGHLY OFFENDED by the inaccurate representation of animals on the wall mural there; zebras and lions are from Africa, and bears are pretty much everywhere *except* Africa. Well, maybe it's a zoo, you posit- who puts a zebra, a lion, and a bear in the same enclosure? Look at that poor zebra, he looks terrified. It gave me something to focus on instead of panicking about my condition, so that was something.

3. Roadside flowers- I took this one while I was waiting at a light near the taco place where I get lunch sometimes. In April this roadside meadow was all bluebonnets, but after they fade there's a million other flowers that follow. I can recognize a couple of them- the purple clusters are prairie verbena, and I think the one on the lower left that looks sort of like a toilet scrub brush is a bee balm. The yellow ones could be anything- botanists refer to those kinds of flowers as "DYCs" which stands for "Damned Yellow Composites" because there are so many different flowers that look like this (yellow petals in a daisy configuration) it can be really difficult to tell them apart and figure out the exact identity of any particular one. Anyway, it's been a rainy, warm spring so we still have a million flowers everywhere, so that's nice.

4. Austin FC scarf- Austin is getting its first (as far as I know, but I could be wrong) professional soccer team. We've built a little stadium on the north side of town, only a few miles from my house. My sports friend Joel, the Aggie who takes me to Aggie football games in the fall, is super excited about this and has been trying to support the whole endeavor by doing things like buying season tickets when we didn't even have a team. The stadium has been getting ready for the team to start playing in it, and the time is fast approaching! I've learned that new soccer teams play several away games when they're first born so that they can kind of have their shit together for when they play their first home game. This will happen Saturday, and I'll be there with Joel. It's happening at 8pm because it's *outside* in *Texas* in *June* and any earlier would probably have a third of the fans dying of heat stroke. Anyway! The team is named in the common convention of soccer teams all over the world- "(City name) Football (what everyone outside of America calls soccer of course) Club", so we're the Austin Football Club. Our colors are black and green, and there's a crest/emblem that is two stylized live oaks. Apparently it's become traditional for soccer teams to have scarves that they wave around like flags- this makes a lot more sense in England, where soccer is as popular as American football is here. And we're trying to be international here, so we're looking at everyone else's traditions to get people in Austin fired up and excited. So when Joel got a swag bag as a reward for supporting the effort it included two scarves, and he gave me one, which my cat has thoughtfully deposited a ton of cat hair upon. The scarf has the words "Verde Listos" on it, which is Spanish for "green" (one of the nicknames for the team is 'Verde') and listos means "ready" so the sentiment basically means "Go team!" I'll be in attendance, so you'll probably see a picture from the stadium next week.

#weeklydadletter

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violetsforkino · 7 years ago

Text

‘riveriver’ vol. 17 ☾ march '18 ( translated by yutopia )

pentagon violet moment

delicately beautiful heart-broken love song to color the street into violet

the great ambition of self-produced idol

pentagon debuted with 'gorilla’ in japan in march last year recorded a good sales result with their 2nd japan original mini album 'violet’. started with 'violet’, a hit song handled by member kino for the first time, it also included 4 original japanese songs, and shone with the weekly no. 1 ranking in all tower record branches.

the perfect 10 members cherish team work and take care of staff. they will check out videos of overseas artists when they have time, and face music seriously every day. they understand themselves better than everyone else, and the strong ability of members to produce in their own directions is the biggest advantage of pentagon.

which song is your favorite one in the album 'violet’? kino: 'love’, since i feel like it is a song we sing for fans. yuto: me too. it’s a song that’s easy to remember. yanan: should be the title track 'violet’ (japanese version). it’s a song full of kino’s love. jinho: yeah, i think so! it’s also a song written by our adorable brother. wooseok: the melody is good enough to get you goosebumps. shinwon: it’s in a very painful and sad vibe. hui: i’ll choose 'up up up!’. it’s very delightful and i’ll feel better as i sing. e'dawn: me too! i like the song itself, not to mention the performance making it even more enjoyable! hongseok: i’ll choose 'wake up’. i like japanese anime very much. i think it will be very catchy as a theme song of anime.

please appeal to us any point in the title track 'violet’ to listen kino: same as the korean version, that yuto saying 'yuto-da’ before his rap. it sounds very sweet and i’m satisfied. i’ve never thought that this phrase will be so suitable in such a delicate song (laugh). yeoone: it should be the harmony between the sad lyrics and the beautiful melody anyway. i usually like this kind of song. e'dawn: my own part (laugh), because i rap wholeheartedly. yanan: i think so, probably. you can’t be unconfident to your own part. wooseok: no matter how many times kino sings, 'yeah violet yeah,’ at last, i still like this.

korean version is co-produced by kino, e'dawn, yuto, and wooseok jinho: the lyrics are very nice itself, especially kino who is used to reading a lot of books and i think he is emotional. we’ll be happy if you listen to the song while paying attention to the lyrics. kino: i always want to compose a song in the theme of my favorite color purple. but it’s a bit different to express love or emotion with purple… anyway, i wrote the lyrics with the thought of having more people feel empathy. hongseok: it expresses a painful feeling gently. i like this kind of view of the world. shinwon: 'your words are as pretty as a flower’ (korean lyrics). the lyric is a point as well. it sounds very dramatic.

how’s the choreography? hui: in the 2nd chorus, there’s a dance presenting the image of flower. please check out that part!

kino also took part in composition. after it’s finished, who’s the first one to listen? kino: shinwon hyung. he told me that 'it’s a very nice song,’ and i was very happy.

'violet is a kind of flower’ what is your favorite flower kino: digitalis (foxgloves). as i mentioned before, i like purple the best. therefore i think purple digitalis are very good. hui: mine is usnea. i think the color is very pretty. hongseok: mine is hibiscus syriacus (korean rose). it’s the national flower of korea hongseok: yes. flowers in pink are very beautiful. anyone who choose in the reasons other than color? yeoone: rose! since it’s the most passionate flower. e'dawn: camomile. it’s very cute. yuto: i like dandelion. wooseok: my favorite one is saffron. yanan: i prefer trees over flowers. jinho: i’m… not interested in flowers (laugh).

'beautiful’ one of track list is composed, written, and arranged by mr. jung ilhoon from btob in the same company. yanan: he is a senior who always supports us. i learned a lot in the opportunity to spend time with him. wooseok: it’s happy to have a further relationship with ilhoon hyung. hongseok: he also told us that 'let’s compose together if there’s a chance. jinho: he gave us direction nicely during the recording. what advice did he provide at the site? yeoone: he said 'if you sing confidently, it can be conveyed to the fans for sure.’ kino: during the recording, although there’s many difficulties, he praised us, 'you did well,’ and we became more eager to do better. e'dawn: when we are praised, we felt more natural and got more power. hongseok: he praised me, 'your voice is very good.’ hui: these praise gave us a lot of confidence, and he gave us many advices as well. yuto: such as, 'try your best to be aware of the strong and weak of the song. wooseok: 'try to imagine the image of each word one by one,’ he said. shinwon: he gave us detailed direction of the atmosphere of the song, and we could complete the recording safely.

each of you participated in the production including lyrics and melodies. when and how do you usually compose and write? kino: once there’s a melody or lyrics appearing in my mind, i will arrange the compositoin immediately. jinho: when a melody or idea appears, instead of working alone, i will discuss with others when i am writing. hui: i compose songs according to the mood of the day. wooseok: i also brainstorm lyrics in the mood of the day. e'dawn: i’m not the type of 'in the mood of the day.’ i always keep processing composition every day. yuto: when i am producing music, i always have myself bear in mind to explore my imagination broadly. hongseok: i’m not quite used to doing it myself, so i foten do it with kino. i will discuss concept and theme with kino in the process.

which artists or producers are you influenced by?hui: i’m influenced by mr. yoon jongshin greatly. kino: mura masa, a producer from the u.km and a singer-songwriter troy sivan. i feel like i share similar emotion with the two and i am also influenced at the production aspect. e'dawn: i want to produce music that gives others power like michael jackson does. wooseok: for me, it’s american hip-hop artist joey badass! shinwon: i’m much influenced by one direction member harry styles. i’m thinking about trying to compose with guitar like he does. yeoone: i’m not influenced by particular artist. i just listen to new age music a lot.

not only pentagon’s songs, hui also handled wanna one’s 'energetic’ and 'never’, showered in the spotlight in the name of 'composition idol’ in a leap. hui: i am sincerely grateful to the attention towards my music, i feel honored. i will work hard to present music in different genres hereafter.

2017 is a very compacted year. look back then, how do you feel> kino: since we did a lot of things, i think we really worked hard as pentagon. jinho: i feel like all the things i wanted to do were achieved, so it’s a proud year. shinwon: it’s a very good standing point towards 2018. wooseok: but i think we are still at the starting line. e'dawn: i think it’s a year that we have ot be thankful to those who support us.

if you praise yourself at this moment? yanan: we shouldn’t praise ourselves, because we’re still not good enough.

then, if you give yourself a yell, what would you say other than 'what a hard year! fighting for this year too!’? hui: i want to say 'don’t forget your initial resolution this year!’ e'dawn: 'don’t forget your thankful heart’

other than yourself, if you have to choose a member to give out some messages, to whom and what will you tell him? yuto: i want to tell yeoone hyung that 'what a hard work for drama shooting!e'dawn: i will tell yanan that, 'thank you for being the mascot of pentagon’ wooseok: i will say to yanan hyung as well, 'let’s work hard hereafter!’ kino: i will say to hui hyung. although 2017 is tremendously hard year, he put so much effort in for pentagon. 'don’t feel stressful from now, huiting!’ jinho: i want to say something to hui, too. 'for being a leader, and writing songs for us, i am always grateful!’ shinwon: i want to tell hui and e'dawn hyung who participated in triple h that, 'here you have run without any rest in 2017, it’s been really hard!’ hui: i want to tell all the members that, 'you’ve worked hard this whole year. from now on, let’s do our best as happily as we do at this moment!’ yeoone: i also want to say, 'what a hard year,’ to all of us. hongsoek: we have overcme a lot of difficulties in this year. yanan: i want to praise us, but we may have feel self-satisfied, so i chose not to praise! (laugh).

what’s your personal target this year? kino: i want to give out better songs. hui: i want to compose many songs. jinho: i want to compose good songs! yeoone: i still want the group to shine on the 1st place of music program. hongseok: i want to try on dramas, movies, and musicals, etc! yuto: to train up my ability in rap, lyrics, and composition. shinwon: i want to have myself grown more. e'dawn: i want to show a better me! wooseok: i want to work out harder and build up my body. yanan: i want to work hard in order to be able to have promotions in china.

finally we’ll have leader to tell us pentagon’s ambition this year hui: we hope to have more meeting with universe who loves pentagon, and to deliver our music to more people. to get more love, we will do our best hereafter!

after going through mnet 'pentagon maker’, they debuted in 2016. they are a 10-member group with multi-nationalities included korean, japanese, and chinese. they debuted in japan in march 2017. the members share a strong bond with each other, and their biggest charm is that all of them are able to compose and write. the japan 2nd original mini album 'violet’ released on 17 jan became a good start of 2018.

#pentagon #ot10 #interview #translation #riveriver

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