Day Nueve

Today was one of the most beautiful days I've ever experienced, but first, the kids. The kids came at all different times in the morning, so we played games waiting for everyone to get there. The california boys were back as were all the new kids from yesterday so we had a ton of people today. While everyone went into their english lesson, Sarah and I set up for teaching the kids about the flip cameras, setting up the TV to watch short clips, and teaching them about storyboarding.

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The kids came upstairs and we brought them together by playing a quick game that would allow them to practice their acting skills. It's called 'Wink Murder.' Basically a murderer is chosen at random and without anyone knowing. Then their job is to look around the circle and wink at people. If you've been winked at, you have to act out this dramatic death. The kids had some trouble with this game and most of them just knelt down on the floor when they were murdered. So Melissa was the murderer for the second round and she sort of let me know that she was so she could wink at me and I could demonstrate what a good murder was. So she winked at me, and I was strangled, and cried out, and fell to my knees just before completely keeling over. There were a lot of laughs, but people didn't really get anymore dramatic (and to top it off I had some pretty spectacular bruises blooming on my knees).

i wish that game would have worked more, I think we should have done more acting lessons with the kids. Other acting games were trying to keep a straight face while someone else was making you laugh. This one was really successful and I think a lot of the main actors were people who were good at this game.

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Then Sarah, Oscar, and I talked about different kinds of shots, how it's important to do different angles, and try new things with the cameras. We showed them my demo reel that I had made last fall which demonstrates a ton of different things you can do with a camera.

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Sarah then went through the specifics of wide, medium, and tight shots. After that we went over the specific camera buttons. I'm not sure if you've ever used a Flip, but they are the size of a point and shoot camera and they are VERY simple. Basically there is a small digital zoom (which should never really be used), a record button, a playback button, and a delete. Everything on it was super simple and it was really easy for the kids to pick them up and start recording.

We kept the technical stuff to a minimum before their eyes glazed over. I know the older ones took away more from this teaching than the younger ones but we also were ready to work hands on training with the Flips once they started filming their stories.

The kids had the task to split into groups and film one object at all different angles. This way everyone was able to hold and play with the camera and we could show them all the different types of shots and angles.

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We were also able to show the kids storyboarding and a video made from my storyboard. In Syracuse, I worked as a group of three creating a super simple story. We had about two hours to storyboard, shoot, and edit these stories. Luckily I was working with two very talented women, one who was a great actress and the other who was a wizard at Final Cut 7. We storyboarded a story about a girl who has to use the bathroom and there wasn't one open on campus. We had a subject, a problem, and a solution. I drew out the storyboard and then we set to shooting it, thinking of different angles and different positions. We showed the kids the final product so they could see what it would become.

https://vimeo.com/30031503

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Then it was everyones jobs to form 4 groups and write and storyboard a story and then shoot it. It was really chaotic, and it was even more difficult that I couldn't communicate with the kids. I ended up helping Melissa explain to a group that even though they wanted a truck in their video, it might be better to act one out. The other groups worked with Esme and Sarah and did really phenomenal jobs because they made them shoot it several times and get a bunch of angles so we had more to work with as editors.

Today was a really difficult day and we had more problems with the california boys, but it was still incredibly productive and we were all proud of them.

The girls wanted all of us to ride home with them so we did and Esme, Melissa, and Sarah got to see the beautiful countryside. About halfway there, we got stuck in this GIANT lodo (mud) puddle. We all jumped off and I took off my hoodie, shoes, and nice shirt, stepped barefoot in the mud and tried pushing it out. A few others joined in but it was super deep (something I found out when I took a step to my left and my entire leg went under. (Good thing I wasn't wearing my white shorts, oh wait). I also was the dog rescuer because one of the Ceracaly dogs had gone with us, gotten tired, and was in the truck. When we got stuck he was too scared to jump off. So I lifted him up and carried him off (and then back on when he was being too silly to get in the truck). After everyone got to the front of the truck and pushed, we finally got it out of the mud. Needless to say it was a very interesting afternoon, I ruined my white shorts, and we got the entire thing on video! So worth it! (screenshots from the videos)

Yes, we did do this on the way back home...

Later on after lunch and planning, we were invited to a friends house to swim. He lives about a mile down the road and was trying to explain he had these hot springs in his yard. Then he said he had a pool. So we changed into our swimming trunks and drove down there. It was this gorgeous place with an elaborate stone entrance and a massive empty pool. Fernando was just starting to fill the pool up with crystal clear bright blue water. It was gorgeous. After laying in the sun for a bit the pool was finally full. I dipped my toes in and it was the most glorious temperature of probably 100 degrees. It was like a massive bath tub which felt amazing seeing as the air has only been around 60 to 70 degrees. It was a glorious way to spend the evening, swimming in this Godly water, which was all natural, sipping refreshing tomato juice and spices, and hanging out with my amazing friends. (Pool photographs by Sarah Wann ©)

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We went back a few hours later and drove around because we were locked out of Ceracaly. Esme and I watched the sun set over the mountains riding on the back of the truck and talking about our traveling. The rest of the night Oscar and I edited the silent films while everyone else did the work for tomorrow's lessons. It was such an intense day, but it was also one of the most beautiful ones I've ever experienced. I love seeing the beauty around me and one hundred percent appreciating it in it's entirety.

Day Ocho

Today is Wednesday which means the first week was almost halfway over. I just want to keep reminding you that we got less than two weeks with the kids, because it's much more impressive to know that they did this in literally seven days. Wednesday was the day that Sarah and I were teaching about storytelling. We drew them a story arc and taught them the key elements of storytelling. I was able to show them five minute clips which demonstrated the character, the problem, and the solution. They were able to identity each part of the story and I think that impressed the five of us.  

I mentioned yesterday that the "california" boys wouldn't be here for the second day. However, we got 10 new kids today. We were only supposed to have 25 at the most. We're all wondering what's going to happen tomorrow when the "california" boys are back and the rest of these kids come back as well. We'll have 32 kids then! We just decided to see who comes on Thursday, and those people who don't would just miss too much information to be allowed back.

Before we let them break for lunch, we wanted them to start writing a story. So we brought out these amazing dice which had characters and actions on it. They split into teams and then each team had to roll the dice and create a story using each one of the dies. The groups did a great job working together and actually writing out the stories.

 

After lunch we broke them into groups again and passed out "Kristina's cards." These were pictures I had drawn and colored that they were then to take and draw out a story. Oscar went around and sort of split their papers into 6 sections to start out storyboarding. The teams did amazing with this task and we were able to see some really great artists and watch their personalities slowly come out. Each day we meet with this kids feels like an incredible accomplishment. They are slowly coming out of their shells, especially the girls.

After we finished with the kids for the day, a huge crowd of girls gathered around me and were spouting off spanish to me, for which I awkwardly smiled and said politely, WAT?

Oscar told me they wanted me to ride with them in the truck back to where they live. I agreed and hopped in the truck. I asked Oscar to go with me so I wouldn't be alone and I might understand what the girls were all trying to say to me. They are the cutest things. I sat with my legs hanging over the back of the truck as everyone started pointing around the area and saying what things were in spanish. The scenery around us was stunning. Cerecaly is a place where it's flat but 360 degrees around you, you can see the mountains in the distance. Today there were blue skies, the grass all around us was green, and there were dozens of farm animals out grazing. Because of all the rain, parts were flooded and it definitely made the ride interesting, if not bumpy. My camera could not do the beauty justice.

Oscar and I got back and we had lunch and all of us got right into reports and planning. We're all pretty exhausted by night and we all sort of fancied a lazy night to just relax and watch a movie. It took about three hours though to set up one of our movies on our computer, to hook it up to the tv, and after ALL the trouble that it took we ended up watching a chick flick that basically no one liked (all while i convinced everyone it was a pretty good movie). Oscar said he liked it though.. kidding.

Also, meet Jerry's daughter, Allondra. She's the sweetest little thing.

The Importance of Filters

Good morning. I wanted to talk about a camera accessory that I now believe is crucial. I can't remember if I mentioned it but day two of walking around Mexico, I used my smooth moves and fell in a hole. I don't care that I embarrassed myself or that the entire Mexican community gathered around and made sure I was okay. I was too worried about my camera, my baby.

I had a scratch on the ring of my filter, but otherwise it was okay. Not more than three days later, that same lens fell from the top bunk of a bunk bed. I screamed, and scooped it lovingly in my arms.

The filter had crushed in but it looked like the lens was okay. The problem was that now my lens filter was bent and I couldn't twist it off to get of off my lens. It had done its part, but was still fighting to be a part of my camera family.

Today, I brought my lens into the camera shop I work at (Delaware camera is the name for anyone looking for good service or just advice!).

The moral of the story is please please for the love of film, buy a ten dollar filter for your beautiful lenses.

By all means, if you can afford it, please buy the hgx filters. They are more expensive, but they are putting high quality glass over the high quality glass in your lens. It's going to reduce the refractions of light to your sensor.

Take care of your lenses. Love them and they'll return the love.

Day Siete

Today marks the first day with the kids. We have been planning so much and there is nothing else to do but to put everything to action. Basically the point of today was to register people for the program, introduce everyone, and talk about what we were there for. I had Oscar translate a small speech explaining who I am and what I would do. I also mentioned the fact that I know little Spanish. Naturally all the kids flocked to me with their questions in Spanish.  

We have a group of older boys who seem pretty close and they might be trouble. They don't seem to want to be split into separate groups and one was separated and sulked the whole time. The girls are all really shy. They barely even utter their names. When it came time for me to speak I felt a confidence in myself and talked nice and loud and smiled at the kids. I think that's why people liked me. The first few days everyone was a little nervous, so I think smiling was a good way to communicate with them that this is supposed to be a fun project FOR THEM.

Some of the kids are the cutest little things. We're teaching about 20 kids that range in age from 6 to 15 years old. The six year old is so tiny, and his name is Jose. There was another little girl who was 9 years old and she was so tiny. Most of the kids were shorter than me, which is a nice ego boost for someone who's 5'4''. Kids in the US at their age are taller than me by age 13.

I think the most important part of this day was making the Akosia map with the kids. This is where all had to brainstorm good qualities that we all supported and agreed upon. For example, respect, responsibility, confidence, courage, etc. All these words were rules. If anyone wasn't respecting someone else, all we had to do was point to the map and remind the kids what they had agreed upon. It was amazing watching them come up with the right words and share their thoughts on the map. After we wrote down all the words the kids were meant to sign the agreement which would be their agreement to come back every day and be a part of this project. There was a group of boys who won't be able to make it tomorrow but they have agreed to come back the day after.

At two it was time for the kids to leave. The five of us worked out some rides for some of the kids for the time they were going to be spending with us. There were boys from California which is a 40 minute dive or a 4 hour walk. There is also a group of 10 girls that were about two miles away and we arranged for them a ride back and forth so they weren't walking those two mile every day.

After everyone left, we ate our lunch. Generally, we eat breakfast in the morning, snack when the kids eat lunch, eat our lunch around 3pm and then have a really light dinner around 9. But I'm not used to eating a ton of meals a day so it feels like we're eating nonstop.

Afterwards we like to plan for tomorrows lesson while sitting on the roof and catching a few minutes of sunshine. The rest of our day is filled with planning while Melissa types up the reports for the day. This day we went back to Dolores Hidalgo to download some movies to demonstrate video making to the kids. The cafe we went to has guacamole that's to die for!

Day Seis

Around seven we got dressed and ready to Fiesta. It was raining again, so we dressed warm. However everyone else there was decked out. The girls were wearing fancy dresses and getting their heels stuck in the mud. Smaller girls were wearing beautiful white communion dresses.

Boys were dressed up in hats and boots. There was music, food, friends, things for sale. It was an event to see.

Men were coming up to us and chatting after they had a few drinks for courage. Melissa met a man named Gus who chatted with her for a while. Later Esme and I were approached by a guy.

He started talking to us about our cameras. Then he mentioned how he was from Texas but lost his passport. He got into trouble with the law and now he needs to stay in Mexico for 10 years before he can reapply to go back to the states. He kept telling us how privileged we were. How we are so lucky to live where we live and to travel around. We were privileged to be beautiful.

It wasn't the last time we would hear this.. but it's still running through my head today. Every time I feel lazy or I don't really want to work I think about this guy and realize that not everyone has the blessing of a job, or income, or strength. I've been able to open my eyes on this trip.

Day Cinco

Day Cinco We slept in a little bit today and went downstairs for breakfast of eggs and sausage with tomato salsa, and beans on the side. Everything Chuy has made us has been delicious. After breakfast we dove right into work and planning. We found games to play and tested them out. We planned schedules, correlated our notes, and I drew up some flashcards. I learned a ton of Spanish but I’m not sure what has actually stuck yet. After a while we stopped and had some lunch. It was soup, rice, and more beans. The food is healthy here despite the cheese and carbs. It’s like China’s cuisine, better in the country than its version in the states. We went right back to working on stuff and planning. There’s so much to think about when teaching kids.

At around 8 we left to visit a town and get some dinner. We drove to Pozzo, this town that was supposed to be filled with art and museums and a great view. When we got there it looked more like a ghost town. There was no one out, it was already dark out, and nothing looked like it was open. We drove around and through the town and finally Oscar hopped out of the car and asked someone if anywhere was open for food. They said it was Sunday, and pretty much everything was closed.

We chalked that up for experience, saying that perhaps Sundays are better nights to stay in. Still we forged ahead and drove into another city, San Luis de la Paz, that was 100 times more lively than the last. Everyone was out, there were stalls selling cakes and corn on the cob, and everyone stared at us like we had stepped out of a space shuttle.

So the girls bought some cake and we walked around, still looking for a place to sit and eat, while taking photos of this lively little town. It was getting later and later with no luck, so we stopped at the grocery store and picked up some food to take back to Ceracaly.

Day Seis

Today is a long day and I actually took a ton of photographs. So I decided I would split the two events even though they are from the same day.

We thought that Monday would be our first day with the kids, but Mauricio mentioned that Monday was a fiesta day. We spent the morning continuing with planning for the arrival of the kids tomorrow. Part of today was also communicating with the people of Ceracaly why we were there. Six weeks ago I skyped into London and talked to Esme, Melissa, and Sarah. We trained on dealing with people and different thoughts and feelings. We all talked about our fears, hopes, and times we were brave. As a thank you for trusting one another, we all received a bracelet to remind us how courageous we all can be.

We were supposed to do this training with them, and I will respect everyone by not mentioning what they talked about. I do want to say that I was the youngest person there; and I'm not saying I've had a good or bad life. My life is what it is, but talking to these people opened my eyes to others problems and priorities. It made me reanalyze the hardships that people go through and it made me realize how much shit people can deal with. Everyone will have something go wrong in their lives, but proof that someone is a good person is all about how someone deals with those hardships and overcomes them in the end. The best thing about this project was asking some questions and having the people say "no one has ever asked me that." It made them think about themselves and reflect everything they have accomplished.

I loved watching the emotions on their faces. This trip is awe-inspiring. I can't believe I get to work with these people and be a part of this project. I hope the people that take the time to read this realize the hardships others go through to get where they are. I hope you see that the things you go through aren't stronger than you.

*Note: I am still sorting through my photos. I know I took photos from Day Cinco, but I just haven't found mine yet.

hola mr Macro,

On it's own little note, I recently was able to obtain an incredible lens for an incredible price. I work in a little camera store, and someone traded in a 105 mm f/2.8 Macro lens. I was ecstatic and snatched it up before anyone could take it. It's an incredible lens because of the long focal length and the fact that it's macro. It's amazing for portraits as it compresses people and doesn't make them look wider than they are. You, as the photographer, are also not in their face taking photos which can cause the subject anxiety (unless you're taking photos of peoples eyes, then it's terrifying).

Esme's 

Sarah's

My eyes (taken by Esme Brandon ©)

Obviously distance is a factor in depth of field (DOF), so the closer I get to an object, like a flower or a bug , the less is in focus. I had to learn that the hard way when I photographed an object at school close in and didn't realize that some of the object would be out of focus. I needed to close up my aperture if I wanted more DOF.

In mexico there were a few really massive bugs we would see during the day, and I got really excited the day there was one right outside our room. So I got this lens out and got right into this giant bug's face as it climbed around the stairs. I think I really ticked him off because he tried drowning in a puddle.

Anyways, if you're a Nikon user, and you need a macro, I would HIGHLY recommend the 105 f/2.8 Macro lens. You won't have buyers remorse.

Day Cuatro

I'm happy to say I survived the night. We all did. We woke up to the bright morning light, stepped out of our room to see birds flying around the corridors,  dogs barking, and good smells coming from the kitchen. Melissa had already tried out the shower this morning and gushed at how amazing it was despite the fact that it was outdoors and there really wasn't any privacy for changing after the shower. We decided to walk back to our rooms for changing then and there (I only had a few awkward moments of walking past strangers in my towel while living there). However, a shower this morning was going to have to wait until after breakfast for me. We came downstairs where Chuy was there (the woman from last night). She was cooking tortillas with ham and cheese in them, there was a massive bowl of cantaloup and papaya, there were hot sauces, and a hot water with lime juice and honey. Melissa was downing those like there was no tomorrow because her voice had gone missing from the night before. We had breakfast with the other guy who greeted us yesterday, Aender, a man named Manuel, and Gerry, who helps out around Ceracaly and brings his wife and adorable one year old daughter.

Everything was delicious and we stayed and "chatted" with everyone for a little while. I say "chatted" because I basically sat there and smiled while everyone around me spoke Spanish.

Just at the moment I was going to shower, it was insisted that we take a tour of the place, so we saw the library, computer rooms, bathrooms, and the gardens where they grow all these different vegetables. Right after we got back inside, we met Mauricio. He basically was in charge of everything or anything we needed at Ceracaly. He's 28 years old and plays the guitar and smiles like a little kid on Christmas. We all instantly loved him. Not to mention he had the coolest dog ever named Orpheus. I'll keep coming back to Orpheus and I only have about a hundred photos of him.

During the meeting, we were brought a snack called Tuna. Tuna is the fruit of a cactus, it's magenta in color, and it's got a bunch of little pits that you just swallow. It didn't taste like much but we still liked it.

Anyways we went over our schedule for the first week with Mauricio and he told us a little bit about Ceracaly. After our talk with Mauricio,  after so many photos and meetings with all kinds of people, I was able to shower. We all got ready and packed up our things to go into Dolores Hidalgo to use the internet and get some supplies for the two week stay in Ceracaly. At this point we met the famous Oscar, who was the only person to work on the project last year and came back this year. We loaded into the car and Aender, Mauricio, and Oscar got into another car and we drove about 20 minutes to get to Dolores Hidalgo.

It's actually a beautiful little city filled with bright colors and we took some time to walk around and explore the little shops. People were selling all different kinds of food and there was also famous ice cream in this city that we were on the hunt for.

When we finally found a stand that sold ice cream we approached it and were instantly given all different kinds of free samples of the ice cream. I tried beer, avocado, chocolate, and some fruity ones. They were so weird, but the avocado one was surprisingly good. After some sightseeing we decided to get a drink and get some internet to contact home. We found a place that had two for one drinks and thought it was as good as any place.

Me and my beautiful friends.

At this point I had my first taste of mexican tequila. I had declined a beer because I'm not a fan of the taste. I like girly fruity drinks. So the waitress suggested a margarita. Now, I've had margaritas before; you can barely taste the alcohol in them because they are filled with different fruit flavors. I ordered one and it came without a fruit flavor. It was basically tequila. It was really difficult sipping it because it was really strong. We chatted around the table and then the waitress brought everyone their second drink. Remember, I mentioned it was buy one get one. Well I had forced the first one and I really didn't want the second. I offered it to Melissa who claimed she had to drive. No one else wanted it. I decided if I could just get rid of it fast it would be better. I took larger gulps of it, and voila, it disappeared…as did I a little.

We did some shopping and headed back to Ceracaly. It was about 10 when we got back and we played some cards and hung out with the guys a little longer before we sunk back into bed.

Day Tres

Day Tres Today was the day we were leaving Mexico City to finally see Ceracaly and meet the staff we'd work with for the next two weeks. So we packed up and got breakfast across from the apartment.

After half an hour, Maria Jose graced us with her presence. She's been working nonstop for the city ever since the elections and it was really great to see her and thank her for everything she had done for us. She did the unthinkable and offered up her car to us, which really saved us a lot of suffering later on.

I had my first taste of Chocolate caliente (hot chocolate) and papaya with limes. I ordered a spinach omelet that came with hot sauce. We talked and got to know everyone a little better. We went to pay and we saw the fire inside Maria Jose when the waiter swiped her credit card twice and did nothing to fix his mistake. She got really angry and it was kind of awesome to see this petite woman stick up for herself. She's got a lot of spitfire in her. We also met MJ's dogs. Paco was one of them and he was adorable. The other one had walked down to the market, which he does frequently. He either comes home or she has to go pick him up.

We left around noon starting on our journey. It was a gorgeous car ride. We were constantly seeing different rainclouds and storms. There were mountains all around us. We all took turns listening to one anothers iPods and talked a lot about ourselves. Melissa started out driving which gave me time to watch the scenes of rain evolve. A couple of times we hit some really bad patches of rain and it was unnerving; but Melissa was an incredible driver through it all (and I can't forget to mention the amazing Esme taking on the navigating role!) We traveled well as a team and around 4 decided to stop for some food at a place on the way.

I just want to say, it was Friday the thirteenth. We stopped in a bewitched city. It's nicknamed the wizard city because of the spirits in the city. It was rainy and we walked around the little town scoping it out. There was this massive gorgeous mountain that looked over the city. It was really beautiful. Everywhere we went we were stared at, and it was a little ridiculous. I'd like to say I got used to it by the end of the trip, but that's not true. I'm not used to standing out so much.

Anyways, we ate at a little place that had amazing guacamole and of course el baño. This was the day I learned to ask for a bathroom in Spanish. I won't try and spell it yet, but I am teaching myself Spanish.

We spent about an hour and a half in the town and then started back on our way. By the way, MJ had told us it would take three and a half hours to get to Ceracaly, Melissa's friend had told us it would take five hours. If you can calculate we've been in the car for about three to four hours and we still have a bit of a trek ahead of us. I started driving at this point, which was another accomplishment, driving in another country. I had no idea how fast I was going because it's in Kilometers. It seemed to get dark quickly because of all the rainclouds. In no time I was driving in the dark. About 30 minutes away from Ceracaly, it started DOWNPOURING. So we were driving around trying to find signs and see where we were going. Around 9:30 we found the dirt road that I almost jumped a curb to get to. We drove around the holes in the road that were rapidly filling up with water. Luckily, my boyfriends driveway is pretty bad and I happen to be an expert on avoiding potholes.

We came across a sign that said Ceracaly, and there was a little house next to it. Sarah was convinced that this was the place, she had seen it in a video. So Melissa stepped out (into a massive puddle), i honked my horn a few times, and this small mexican man came up to the window of his house as Melissa shouted a jumble of Spanish and he just waved us away. It was awkward, because Sarah was still convinced that this was the place, but Esme told me to keep driving a little ways and see what we came across. About a mile down the road there was a building on the side of the road. People were outside and we asked them if they knew the place we were looking for. They said this was it, so we walked inside, into this dark building. It was still pouring, there were places where there was no ceiling in this building, so it was raining inside. The people who were waiting for us, said the power had gone out. So we took a few candles, got our sleeping supplies, and pretty much went straight to our room.

We found out there was no cell phone reception, there was internet, but not without the power, that the power might not come on until Monday morning, and that the first night in Ceracaly without light, is very creepy. Melissa decided to really freak me out by putting the flashlight under her chin and talking about creepy schools at night. The best part is that she scared herself and she couldn't sleep that night. I slept with a small flashlight, ready to bash any ghosts, and we slept with furniture in front of the doors just to make me feel better.

*note: This post isn't finished. I'm awaiting more information and hunting down some photos!

Mexico Day Dos

Day Dos Today we woke up and looked out off the balcony onto the grey day. We dressed in somewhat warm clothes. Now, literally a day before this trip I was told that it wouldn't be as warm as we thought it would be. I had flown out to visit my parents before this, so all my pants and sweatshirts were back home in NY. I went out the day before this trip and bought a hoodie which saved me so many times.

Anyways, we walked around Mexico City this morning looking for a place to eat. We settled on a place called condesa Origenes. It was a healthy natural place. I ordered biscuits with mushrooms, spinach, and cheese melted on top. It was so freaking good. Meals during the trip ranged from 50 pesos to 250 pesos, so everything was actually really affordable.

After breakfast we had marked a couple of places that we wanted to see in the city so we started walking around, exploring. We passed shops that sold anything and everything. Eventually we came across a giant square that hosted a MASSIVE flag, the metropolitan cathedral which is the oldest and largest church in latin america, and some other great architectural buildings. The church was like a regular catholic church, massive, gorgeous, and filled with natural light. We were able to climb on the roof and get a tour (in spanish) on the bells and bell tower. The view at the top was incredible.

We also spent a good portion of the day trying to figure out our phone situation and trying to get a working phone with minutes on it. (the best part is we got one, and once we were in Ceracaly, it didn't work there. HA)

We viewed another building that was adjacent to the church that was filled with art murals of when the europeans overtook the land. The murals were huge and it was amazing to see the representations of the european culture. They painted them deformed looking to emphasize their evil-doings.

At this point we had walked a ton so we searched for a place to eat. I fell into a hole in the concrete on the way, falling onto my camera (thankfully it was okay), and it was shortly after this that we just found someplace to sit and eat. I opted for pasta and learned what chorizo is (sausage).

The rest of the time here we spent walking around the city, trying to get back to the apartment. We walked through an incredible market browsing for gifts and making plans to come back to buy our souvenirs. We took the underground which was only 3 pesos and was applauded by some locals for trying that experience; but honestly it wasn't bad at all. I was quite impressed with our navigators, Sarah and Melissa.

For dinner we got dressed and met with a friend of Melissa's who's going to grad school with her in the fall. He brought his friend, I tried a strawberry margarita made with mezcal (to die for), and we ordered some food. FINALLY, at long last, I met the last girl from our Akosia group, Esme.

After we got home we all wondered what would happen next, what the place we were staying at was going to be like, and how this journey was going to fold out. Tomorrow, we set out for Ceracaly.

Mexico Day Uno

So, I've had the opportunity for the last two weeks to embark on a journey to teach kids about multimedia storytelling. I came across this opportunity from a facebook post on my schools facebook and applied on a whim. Sure, I know storytelling, of course, I can edit. Do I know Spanish? no. So now that I have internet and to soothe my sadness of leaving, I'm going to be posting about my journey, posting photographs, and trying to illustrate the amazing experience of Mexico.

Days Uno

My trip started with me leaving my parents house in St. Louis and flying to Texas. The flight was slightly delayed so I rushed right onto my flight for Mexico without even a second thought. Our plane took off and it was about halfway to Mexico when I realized I didn't have any address for the place I was staying at, no excuse for being in Mexico, and I wasn't entirely sure I was going to find Sarah, who was scheduled to meet me in the airport.

I got to customs and told them I was just visiting Mexico, and like magic, I was let in. After fumbling around because my knowledge of Spanish is non-existant, I finally found my bag and the exit. Luckily Sarah found me right away. Glad she knew what I looked like because I didn't recognize her at all.

We took a cab to our host house in Mexico City, took one step into her apartment, and fell in love with it. It's a one bedroom with two bathrooms, an entire wall that's a glass door and leads outside to the small balcony. It was gorgeous, in a fantastic neighborhood, and was modernly decorated. We all fell in love with the place.

Sarah and I then went out for my first taste at real mexican food. We each had a few tacos, I had one with mole sauce, pollo (chicken), and a third one. The difference was the corn tortillas instead of flour. After we asked for the bill, the waiters brought out complimentary rice pudding. We paid, and they brought out six small cups each containing a different liquid. One was fermented oat juice, another was fermented cactus juice, one tasted like mud, two were fruity. They were really odd but it was great tasting all these new things.

Finally they brought out one more free thing. It was a margarita but it was made from mezcal and not tequila. I couldn't even bear to take more than a few sips it was so incredibly bitter and weird tasting. We left with barely drinking it, and left a good tip for the guys who brought us all the free food we tried. I know they got a kick out of our attempts at spanish too.

Sarah and I went back to the apartment and met person number two on the trip: Melissa. She had our leftovers and we enjoyed her overabundance of energy because she napped for her whole day flight into Mexico.

Melissa on the left and and Sarah on the right showing off their courage bracelets.

Shoot More!

This semester has flown by. I can't get over the fact that there are only two weeks of class left. I have been working my butt off these last few days to really do as much as I can so I'm not having 15 panic attacks a week like last semester. The problem is, there's too much to do. Video work, another video, photos to edit, photos to shoot, events to go to and shoot, flash to learn, create, and code. On top of all of this, I'm working for my professor from last semester getting ready for a Multimedia Immersion Seminar. I also meet with countless teachers, students, and nonprofit people. In short, life is crazy. In one of these meetings, I got my professor to look at some of my photos so he might see why my photos weren't coming to life last year in my one class. He took a look at them and concluded that I was shooting or at least choosing the photos based on what my professor would want. So my assignment for the last few days has been to go out and take 15 minutes at a time and do a little surprise shoot. Shoot everything. Flowers that catch the sunlight in the morning, shoot at least 100 photos of a person and figure out the features of them that make them unique and beautiful and captivating. My professor is always very inspiring so I left the meeting with high hopes that I might go back to the simple beauties I used to capture before I got buried in the avalanche of school work.

I still haven't taken enough time to be shooting (partly because this professor gave another assignment which is taking up all my time) but I really hope to keep doing what he says. Always keep shooting. It's hard to when life is in the way and you have 38896 things to think about, but I know I have to do this to one day be great.

It takes 10000 hours to become a master at something. That's only 2.7 hours a day for 10 years. Is that all? Ha. At least I'm on my way.

Here's a few photos that caught my eye. They are a little boring, I promise to take more dynamic photos in the future. Enjoy for now.

-K

Vintage photos

It's been pretty crazy lately in school, plus Easter just happened and I got to go home and see some family, which was pretty amazing. I wanted to talk a little about vintage photos and over-editing. Now I am a person who has been immersed in photoshop for a good five years. So I know some really cool things and I'm actually learning a lot more things at Newhouse. For one assignment we have to design a workbook whether it's for a specific company or a made up one. The topic is anything we choose. My partner, Ashley, is really into vintage things and old photo frames. I really loved the idea, plus I can get inspired on pinterest or flickr.

So I took some photos of a girl I went to high school with, Caitlin. She had brought a lot of different clothes to choose from and even had a dress that emulated the 1800's. I took photos of her in the studio for almost 8 hours straight and it was playing with the lighting on her. It was also nice to see an old friend and meet her little dog, Harvey.

After I took these photos, I edited them fixing her hair and her skin a little, and then posted those on facebook. After  two weeks, I finally found a tutorial on how to make photos look vintage. I tried it out and really liked it.

http://veerle-v2.duoh.com/blog/comments/photoshop_vintage_effect/

Here it is, if anyone wanted to try it. I think the photos change a lot, and I think for this project, it works. However, I got a lot of comments on how the vintage effect really took away from her blue eyes. I'm still not sure I would choose to do this to a normal photo of mine, but for a project, or to go with a theme, I kind of liked how these came out. Thoughts?

This weekend should be vintage still lifes to finish up the project. Excited to try some different lighting techniques that I learned last semester.

For now, I should get some sleep. I haven't slept since Monday night! Crazy grad school.

food photos first attempts

Hi again.

So I have dabbled in many different types of photography, but this week was pretty much the first time I really tried food photography. A few weeks ago I got to visit Beth Galton's studio in New York City and she was incredible! Her images are beautiful, and if you've never seen them you should google her right now. 

Her trick is using natural light and of course her studio is filled with it and mine isn't. So I used speedlights. I think I got better as the day wore on. My assignment was baked goods and another assignment that I shot later was food that is good to eat if you have kidney disease. (Long story short, I'm working with a nonprofit for school and taking photographs for them for a calendar. 

So I pretty much stuck with shooting above in the beginning and I struggled with the lights being too hot and overexposing my photos. After some adjustments, I started to loosen up a bit and shoot different angles. The trick with Beth's food photos is the different layers, textures, and her sparkling cleanliness. So my partner, Genevieve (she's the graphic designer on a catalog project and she's awesome!) brought some cute plates and different fabrics to put with the food.

For the last two photos, I thought there was definitely something missing and we decided to go outside and look for some flowers. I picked two from the school grounds and I'm really happy with what they added.

So, here's some of my favorites from today. Enjoy.

-K 

March 30, 2012H...

March 30, 2012

Hello world.

Let me introduce myself. I a 22 year old grad student studying photography at Syracuse University. I should finish my masters by the end of 2012. I enjoy art, singing, crafts, books, my guitar, kind people, tea, cooking, and of course, photography. 

I first fell in love with photography when i dipped my first test strip in d-76 and my pinhole photo of a milkcarton magically appeared. Ever since I have evolved through high school, fine arts photography at Buffalo State College, and now, at Syracuse. 

I have been wanting to do a 365 project for a while now, and while I don't quite have time yet, I thought getting a blog in the first place is a positive start. 

So get ready for a look into my head. I'll post my photos that I'm working on soon. 
If you're reading this, welcome. It will get better. 

-K