Why I fell in love with Columbia Heights

I had a chance to go to this neighborhood this past weekend to help out a coworker who's writing a story about this app that basically crowdsources cool public art tucked away in corners of neighborhoods that your tour guide book probably won't tell you about. We chose Columbia Heights and U Street, where every corner is stamped with some sort of history, African American history to be exact, because they have been mostly populated by blacks since 1930s and 40s. I wish this area wasn't so gentrified as it is now since the metro station was built in 1999, but it's evidently still Washington's most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood (but now, hipsters are taking over with their organic brunches and posh greaser fashion).

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.

Peeking into Georgetown

It's been a real challenge to keep up with this blog, especially since I've started working here in DC. I'll admit that I've been pretty inconsistent about uploading photos and keeping up with social media the past few weeks...when you work 10 hour days, all you want to do is go home, take a shower, make yourself a sandwich, watch some netflix and pass out early. Or sometimes I'm just straight up lazy. But I do this for my sake, for when I need to slow down and need a breather, when I need some distraction.

Georgetown is absolutely lovely.

Hello, DC!

Tomorrow marks 1 week in the capital city of the United States! Nothing too significant. But I feel as though I've been here for a month already. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss Texas (surprisingly). Of course I miss all my family and friends very very much, but I also miss my daily tacos and some amazing coffee and spending nights out in the Texas heat.
Anyways, my friend took me to the Union Market last Saturday, with which I immediately fell in love with! So many cool people and cool businesses going on here every weekend. 

 

happy monday, everyone.

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)

Sarah pt. 2: Lomography Lady Grey

I am back after a pretty long break from this blog, with some more photos from the photo shoot with Sarah last month. I really should shoot more, but film photography indeed is such an expensive hobby. I really enjoy shooting with the Lomo lady grey though - the subtlety of everything is beautiful.

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. ;)