july in new jersey

i go through "phases" let's say, where i feel the passion of blogging burn though my veins and i dedicate an entire day to changing the layout and organizing my tags and feeling determined that i will blog all the photos from last semester and everything i missed. today is one of those days. i've asked my little sister to draw me up a cute header that will hopefully be up soon, but for now i've been playing around with the header and sorting through photos.

i would make this an iphone diary post, but alas it was stolen by a gypsy child in paris much to my sadness so you'll have to contend with my words.

adjusting back from abroad was hard. suddenly i was just home, almost as if it didn't happen and taken from the unknown and adventurous right back to the familiar and old. but this past month i've slowly acclimated myself back to the US and life - and everything is familiar but it does feel different because i have ~matured~ and *~*~*changed*~*~*~ * - throws glitter around-  home has been good, it might be because i've been in and out of the city the few last week - ripping my hair from it's roots trying to find an apartment with tess. (it's so stressful i can't even tangibly put it to words). and when i'm not apartment hunting i'm just wandering around and spending time with friends. the balance between hectic city and quiet home has actually made it quite good to be back. i love waking up in the morning to have coffee with my mom from her new french press and sitting out in the backyard under the shade with kira. (i've also found myself a fun sleep/night dress to swish around in so i'm never wearing pants it's glorious).

i'm reorganizing my portfolio as of now, making a new section of portraiture dedicated to the people i have developed close photographic relationships to. basically i want to get across that these photos aren't just aesthetic, random shots - but photos of people i care deeply about and almost an exploration of their relationship with me and with passing time. and now, after five years i actually have a body of work to work with. more on that later, though.

and i have been watching buffy and adventure time, and increasing have become the earl of lemongrab when i am frustrated to everyone's delight. so yes, i'm making lists and getting my life together and gearing up for the coming school year - i'm excited and happy and i feel FRESH AND NEW.

my grandma has been visiting from taiwan the last month, so these photos are from a family bbq a few days ago.

my cousin, my grandma, and me

streetlamps, snow, 2am

i miss blogging because it's honestly such a wonderful way to keep track of the 5million photographs i take. right now i'm just biding my time in new jersey, waiting for january 20th where i'll be whisked away to london for the next few months.

it's nice at home, i'm learning how to fill my time and get some sleep. i've been spending the last few days watching "lost" with my mother - we are almost done with the first season and i'm hooked. my mom knits while i sit there raptured in the dramatic/horror music and just want everyone to be happy and braid each other's hair. i also read "american gods" in a day and plan to plow through another huge pile of books.

since getting my phone, i haven't been using my mark ii for many things because my phone is simply easier and more "in the moment" - let's say.

my mom had decided that she was too tired to keep on watching, so she grabbed her blanket and headed upstairs. i am obsessed with street lamps and the nighttime. that moment when the snow first falls is one of my favorite things - it's finally quiet and literally no mice be stirrin'. freshly fallen snow in the night is for the lack of more poetic terms: fucking glorious. knowing that you're the only one awake prowling around is oddly satisfying as you watch those lil' snowflakes float down. i may or may not have sang the chorus of frozen's "let it go" no shame here.

i didn't get many stellar shots (because despite what i may believe, i too am not elsa and i am susceptible to the cold) - i just wanted to update my blog with something. i am doing my biannual blog detox, but this time it's for real (or so i say). i'm reorganizing my tags and putting those embarrassing high school posts back in my drafts and just preppin' this ol' blog for my london adventures.

home and in between

taken over thanksgiving break with a mamiya 7 i borrowed from school. (first time using it, i've been meaning to shoot medium format more)

around the house film

some film photos i have in my files i took earlier this summer. it's july already, what? the photos with the dates on the bottom corner are from a test shoot from an old point and shoot film camera a family friend graciously gave me. and they're underexposed loL MY B w/E. and some photos from school are sprinkled in there~

how is it that you can get decent DOF/bokeh on a point and shoot in film but not digital?