2-17-2010 The Most Depressing Ballons, also Madness

Look at those balloons. A whole group of them just hung up and sad on a very high power line. Poor stupid balloons. Didn't anyone teach you guys not to float into depressing situations?

Earlier today I got in a conversation about tilt/shift photography (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/16/beautiful-examples-of-tilt-shift-photography/) which led to checking out how to obtain such effects without a tilt/shift lens, photoshoppin time. I read some tutorials and got interested in some of the tools they mentioned. But I didn't do any faux tilt/shift stuff. Instead I dug through my archives and made odd things with the images I found.

I think the top left image is making fun of all those terrible inspiring/lovey captioned photographs that come out of tumblr. It'll be something like a photograph of a ferris wheel with words smacked across it reading "sometimes it's ok to break down." Silliness LIKE THIS (http://ilovequotes2.tumblr.com/). I really dig the rocks and dust, although what I was originally aiming for was my buddy Brendan jumping over me.

Bottom right is an attempt at stroboscopic imaging from a few years ago. My strobe light wasn't powerful enough. Should have had two I guess. Now it's some type of abstract nightmare. Machetes tend to have that effect when they multiply.

Top right took the longest. There's something like 50 layers going on with Cricket the demon dog. She just looked like she had something on her mind. Demons, specifically.

2-15-2011 SURROUNDED BY MARRIAGE

Although I was dogsitting for Larry and Ann for about a week, I was able to go to their marriage ceremony in the hills above Oakland. They are damn cool, and the hike-wedding was damn fun. They really don't care what the normal, accepted ways of life are.
They sent out their invitations about two weeks before their marriage.
They hiked more than they ritualized on their wedding day.
They simply like living.
And it was a privilege to be able to take photographs of such an interesting and refreshing event.

MEANWHILE. I've been petting their dogs in Davis for a week. Did some volunteer work at the local eco-living co-op place. Should've taken photographs there as well. Time tends to shoot past while dogsitting. It's a bit odd.