Heartbeats - The Knife

Dear, dear Friday, it's so good to see you again. Here's some music for you ...

Sunday at the Park of Roses

My dear old neighbor Ted sent me an email the other day. There was concern. "People," he said, "have invaded your photostream. Who are they, and what do they have to do with rusted hinges and voluptuous tomatoes?" almost suggesting that I've been hanging with the wrong crowd, which is entirely possible.

I realized I had to recuperate my reputation pretty quickly, and while there are no voluptuous tomatoes here, I hope that a few shots from my walk on Sunday at the Park of Roses will do for now.

Oh, and here's some broken glass and a rusty handle thrown in for good measure.

Lynda DePompei Design

So, I'm ready to tell you about one of the secrets I've been keeping from you. A few weeks ago, a designer friend and I got together and spent the whole day shooting her magnificent garments. To say this woman is talented would be a serious understatement ... she created my wedding gown (no small feat) from a picture I gave her, and to be honest, I credit her for how I looked on my special day. Don't get any ideas, though; I was quite lucky. She rarely does wedding gowns, but she'd be happy to dress the mother-of-the-bride. Or dress you for your next social event. Or, for that matter, round out your fall wardrobe with some one-of-a-kind jackets that will make you the envy of the office.

And now she's blogging! Here's a sneak peek of what you'll see on her blog. Now, go to her blog (http://lyndadepompeidesign.blogspot.com/) and start following her. And be her friend on Facebook. And send her an email about something special you have in mind for yourself! You simply won't regret it. Carry on.

Animal - Neon Trees

Here we go again ... I've had this song bouncing around in my head this week. Everybody gets something different from a song and from a band. I was surprised when I saw what the musicians looked like. I guess I didn't expect the classic punk look. Can I have that military jacket the female singer is wearing?



Thank you, Nicole, for finding the owners of this song!

What's Going on Here?

So. I was walking around the neighborhood, taking a break from getting caught up (I'm SO behind in everything!), when I saw this. On one hand, you know what the creative intent was. I've painted on glass before. It's a curious thing, painting backwards. It must have hung above the mantle, or near the door, don't you think?

I'm working on a creative project of my own; transforming last week's furtive street shots into an art piece. It's rather involved, I'll admit, but I'm almost done. And I'm rather excited about it, if I can say that ... just a hint: everyone should have wings. Visit again soon and I'll give you some music to listen to and reveal my little art piece.

October is Purple

I'm a bit reticent to admit it's already October. I've not yet committed to putting away my summer things. I realize I'm behind a bit, but I've decided that October is purple. Or plum. Or eggplant. I don't know how much purple I'll be able to deliver as I really don't see that much of it around me.

You have to realize, I come to assigning a color to each month by a very scientific method. I give a numerological value to each letter in the spelling of the month (a=1, b=2, etc.), and then add up the numbers. I then multiply that by the number the month falls under (October=10). I use the Gregorian calendar, though we all know that the Julian calendar had it right giving about five days to August. I then refer to the Pantone color chart to determine that month's color. Pantone 780C (I prefer coated over uncoated).

Okay, so I lied. Everybody knows that Pantone 780C doesn't exist.

Have you seen some nice purples lately?

The Panera Project

I mentioned the other day that I had to go out and sit in one place for one hour and just shoot, right? Well, I don't particularly enjoy shooting people. For one thing, they tend to move around a lot, so getting your subject in focus is a bit of a challenge. They also don't like it when the person holding the camera is a total stranger. That being said, you can find some interesting people if you just hang out at a café with the camera on the table. This may help me get over my squeamishness in shooting people.

While my instructor cautions against lamenting the 'missed shot,' I still regret that I didn't capture the young girl wearing elf ears, and the cheerleader in high heels.

As we were leaving, I whispered to my husband, "Watch out, there's a chick in that window taking pictures of people's butts."

Lily Allen - LDN

Hi friends, how's your week been? It's been a sprinty kind of week for me. Have you ever had a week when the mere idea of an honest-to-god weekend is so tantalizing you can hardly stand it? Even if it just means doing laundry, restoring order, and running errands without heels on ...
I have a fun photo assignment though; to find a place to sit for one hour and just shoot, letting the images come to me rather than hunting them down. Where would you go?



I've been listening to the latest British invasion a lot, and this is the only family-friendly Lily Allen video I could share. Enjoy!

Absence

My new photography class presents numerous challenges. First is to find fifteen minutes a day to meditate, or think about nothing. I admitted to the instructor that I don't have a quiet mind, and to date, I've failed that assignment outright. Another is to create a journal of sorts; not one that records the minutia of my days, but records those fleeting moments of interest or inspiration. Again, failed.

My first photography assignment includes (but is not limited to) the challenge of responding to a Pablo Neruda poem, Absence. I happen to be quite fond of Neruda's poetry, particularly his Ode to Common Things, not just because of the poems themselves, but also because of the exquisite drawings that accompany each poem. But I wasn't sure how to approach Absence.

Absence

I have scarcely left you
When you go in me, crystalline,
Or trembling,
Or uneasy, wounded by me
Or overwhelmed with love, as
when your eyes
Close upon the gift of life
That without cease I give you.

My love,
We have found each other
Thirsty and we have
Drunk up all the water and the
Blood,
We found each other
Hungry
And we bit each other
As fire bites,
Leaving wounds in us.

But wait for me,
Keep for me your sweetness.
I will give you too
A rose.