Here are dogs that are better dressed than you

Last October, I made myself and Ann go to a doggy Halloween costume parade at Thompson Square Park so we could surround ourselves with dogs. So this is what rich people are up to nowadays, I thought, staring longingly at a chihuahua rolling in on a giant princess castle on wheels. Anyway, it got pretty crazy and crowded quickly - small dogs needed to be carried so they wouldn't get kicked around and die. I mostly spent all day chasing around golden retrievers and big dogs because obviously the big, furry ones are always my favorite. I shamelessly took photos of dogs and their people, which took up an entire roll of film, just so I can do...what with it?! So I guess I'll just post them here. ENJOY



^ "What is life"

Catching the tail end of summer

Last summer was glorious in so many ways that were definitely not covered on this blog (sigh, I really need to be more diligent about this one) and as I look back, I realize that the days I actually decide to whip out my camera for whatever reason obviously become more vivid in memory. Over the years, documenting something with film has become a rather luxurious and stressful hobby, financially and logistically. Rolls often get lost while I'm moving literally for the 5th time in the year, scanned shots sit in my hard drive for eternity until I dig them out and manage to post a few. It's a whole process of its own. But you know, I can't seem to ditch film. Like a lot of people around me know, film is how I first learned photography and I honestly have not fallen out of love with what it can do to a photograph. ANYWAY enough rant about film (or more like what was supposed to be my excuse for posting summery pictures in JANUARY). Here is a beautiful late summer day hiking with Sarah + Allie in Virginia sometime in September. All taken with the trusty Nikon FM10.

Winery at Bull Run

Back in September on one sunny Sunday afternoon, two of my friends and I spontaneously decided to go visit the closest winery near DC. As we drove westward through the Virginia country, I became thoroughly convinced that Virginia is basically more of a farmland than I had imagined. It reminded me of home. Oh how I miss home and the Texas Hill Country. But I think I can get used to this - Virginia is full of beautiful landscape, wineries, hills and valleys.
After doing an initial wine tasting (we went through 12 different types of wine & ports!) we decided to go with the rosé for the chill afternoon.
Bull Run was such a cute place. There was also a wedding ceremony there that night, so they were setting up the entire place nice and pretty. Oh, and live music too. Definitely worth the short trip.

Raw Thoughts

So here's a bit of a personal post. I took this photo with my Nikon FM10 last year around this time. It's not the greatest photo, I haven't edited it in any way, and it's still saved onto my hard drive in the most raw form it could exist.

There are a lot of times I'd go through archives after archives of photos I've taken in the past, whether they'd be digital or on film, and I would find one that would resonate with the current state of my being. A year ago, I discovered that flowers brighten my mood without fail every time. Upon that discovery, I began to spend lavishly on buying myself a stem or two when I really needed it -- I find this phenomenon parallel to the whole hype with puppy therapy or taking a vacation into the woods. Any form of rawness, or the nature, comforts me in mysterious ways.

We live in a hyper digitized world. I can't say I'm not guilty of being glued to my apple products or having the fear of missing out when I'm not surfing on the web. But the digital presence, I've found, is not exactly qualitative nor all that significant. I often stop and find myself craving something raw, something natural, and finding emotions within myself that I haven't found a way to express.

Scraps and Pieces Leftover

So I am moving to Washington, D.C. for at least 6 months for a new job/internship/fellowship/whatever you want to call it. I'm flying out in two days. I think I may still be in some kind of denial because I haven't even started packing at all. I still haven't figured out exactly where I'm going to live. This whole thing is slightly more intimidating than I had originally thought. I'm currently occupied with saying goodbyes, throwing away some stuff I don't need, and busily wrapping up my life in Texas. So in that clean-up spirit, I decided to post all the film photos I didn't get a chance to upload before (mostly taken with the FM10 + Portra). With that said, these photos are at least 2-3 months old, so excuse this later post!

Peels, NYC

Elizabeth Street Cafe, Austin TX

Alice and backyard planting on S. 1st St in Austin TX

Random horses, Carrollton TX

My favorite pit stop from Austin-Dallas - Common Grounds, Waco TX (Lomo film)

UT Grad 2013: Sarah Pt. 1

When Sarah came to me asking for a senior photoshoot, I told her it would have to be done completely on film. She agreed without a hesitation - so I applaud her bravery and the amount of trust she put in this. Here are a few shots of my dear friend Sarah. Congratulations, and welcome to the real world. ;)

Leaving the Quiet

Stills from lomography lady gray of my lovely home, taken about more than a month ago. Even though I know I will be back soon, it's always weird leaving it behind. So much peace and love here.