I am not one who makes believes, I know the leaves are green...

Blog Post: Week of April 15th

For lack of anything else, I have decided to post a melange of photos. I do believe these are the first photos I have posted on this blog using my 50 prime, though I have certainly posted a number of photos on Facebook. Using my 50 is drastically different than using my 18-55, and I much prefer it to the latter.I feel as though I have a lot more control over how my photos turn out as the f stop range dramatically greater, thus I have greater control over the depth of field, which is arguably second to composition in the success of a photo.

Over the Spring Break and for the past few weeks, I have been experimenting with the 50 continuously, mostly outside of school. I have been trying to figure out how to compensate successfully for a wide aperture using differing shutter speeds (demonstrated in the fifth photo, will describe below). I also have been trying to experiment with how changing the aperture, white balance, shutter, etc etc. will change the look of the photo. I mostly played around with such at the beach with my Daddy and my sister (fourth photo). Finally, I have been trying to master manual focus. Admittedly, I often just rely on auto focus because it's easy and pretty risk-free; however, if I want photos to turn out exactly as I envision them, I fully understand that manual focus is imperative (which is annoying but oh well).

I hate cats, but they're kinda cool to photograph, I guess.

Simone, Cherie's sister, is incredibly photogenic. No wonder Cherie posts so many photos of this girl.

This is my friend, Buddy the crab. I think he's dead, but I love him all the same.

I used manual focus on this one and it turned out acceptably. I really like that crab. He's a magnificent subject, I'm kind of depressed that I didn't do him justice. This sort of rude, but reasonable man told my sister and me that we couldn't take photos so near to the dock. So I caught this one and had to leave in a jiffy.

I call this one "The Lonelies" lol artsy.

For this photo, I set a pretty high aperture, creating a pretty deep depth of field, in order to try to focus on both my father and the single tree atop the hill. I do not this that this photo was nearly as effective as I would've liked it to have as I was trying to manually focus, which I suck at. I also increased the shutter and decreased the ISO to try and create higher contrast and a darker atmosphere in the photo (it was an incredibly bright day). 

I fully accept the accusation that the bokeh in this one is slightly overwhelming.

For this one, I lowered the aperture, thus creating a shallower depth of field. I did such because I was at the pond and thought that it would be perfect for a light-oriented photo that highlights bokeh. AKA, I basically just really wanted a ton bokeh in a photo and this was the perfect opportunity. To compensate for the wider aperture, I upped the shutter and the ISO settings to create a surprisingly dark and grey photo considering the amount of light reflection on the pond.

A tourist in the waking world, never quite awake...

Photo # 12
Week of February the 25th

I'm not quite sure if I have to do a blog post this week considering I did one last week, but here I am. This is my blog post.

I am a black hole right now.
What happens goes in through my eyes, my ears,
and somehow ends up
somewhere else
entirely.
But it's not
my brain
or
my heart.

Like,
What am I even saying right now?
I'm a wee bit emotionally
drained.

It is probably due to the weather. Without snow, the winter is nothing. Without the sun, I am nothing. I am suffering with Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is SAD. (LOL, see what I did there?)

According to the NIH, SAD is due to the reduced amount of natural light. It affects at least half a million people every winter. Symptoms (that I have experienced) include but are not limited to:

-Feelings of emptiness, apathy
-Feelings of hopelessness
-Lethargy
-Overeating
-Irritability

Isn't it strange that the weather should cause such drastic changes in the human body? Just goes to show that we, as human beings, have an undeniable connection to nature. Why are we destroying it, I don't know.

Anyhow, other than "light therapy," which to me seems quite ineffective for the healing process for such a depression, the only cure is for the sun to come out again. Only then will I feel myself again. The summer not only does wonders for my skin (I do get quite the golden-brown during the summer daze), but I always come back to school feeling rejuvenated.

Perhaps my unhappiness could stem from my Third Quarter Blues, but I'm positive that looking out of my window in the morning and seeing gray contributes considerably. 

So, naturally, as I do whenever I am feeling overworked or stressed or depressed, I decided to bake. I made Gluten-Free Caramel Cinnamon Buns, and they turned out really well, surprisingly! They are pictured above. That photo was taken before I slathered on a healthy helping of cream cheese glaze. You can see the caramel sheen on them, though, can't you? Yumm.

As you can tell, I have definitely been overeating due to my SADness. No regrets, because these things are ridiculously good.

Do I really have Seasonal Affective Disorder? Or does the fact that I am mentally overworked at school leave me emotionally drained everywhere else? Is it the fact that I feel like no matter how hard I try, I won't get the feedback that I so desire? Or is this feeling stemming from my general unhappiness at the weather?

It is just a cycle that just keeps
building on itself.
And everything just gets bigger,
every feeling of sadness
is intensified
until all that's left
is emptiness.

Luckily, I have Cinnamon Buns to make everything better, eh?

The future's calling and I'm going to answer...

This was one of the very first photos I took with my D40. Also, I know my sister looks at this blog, who knows why. So here's to you, Julia.

Photo # 11

Week of February the 4th

Currently, my primary concern is making Silver Chips Print (or Online) Photo Staff. My sister (pictured above) was photo editor for Silver Chips Online in her time, probably about 5 years ago. She's ancient, I know. In any case, I suppose there will always be a considerable amount of competition amongst siblings. Well, not even competition. As a younger sister, I just feel the need to not fall beneath my sister's shadow, the need to keep my ship of accomplishments level with hers. 

It may seem as though the driving, underlying, motive for my applying to Silver Chips is my frivolous need to measure up to my sister- but that is untrue. I just think being on Silver Chips, an award-winning school newspaper, may give me an edge when applying to colleges....

I hope you didn't believe that, for it is only partially true. I think it is self-evident that those applying for Silver Chips are genuinely interested in pursuing a pass-time, passion, perhaps future in an area for which Silver Chips serves an an opportunity. In my case, the pass-time is photography. I am no Tolu Omokehinde or Emma Howells or Peter Berger etc. but photography is certainly a worthwhile hobby that I would like to continue during high school.

I am almost done with my coversheet and it is almost midnight, so I bid you goodnight. Wish me luck in my endeavor! My next blog post will most likely concern my success or defeat. Stay tuned!

I like to eat, eat, eat.

Yes, I ate the entire fish. No regrets. #CleanPlateClub

Photo # 10
Blog Post: Week of December 31st

            Renee Heiss’ article, Flavorful Food, details the chemistry of natural and artificial compounds that contribute to the flavors found in the foods that we eat every day.  The article directly asks answers the question of “Why do foods taste the way they do?”, “Why do people have different reactions to the same food?” and “How does chemistry relate to flavors (artificial and natural)?”  Then, it goes into more detail and asks “What are Esters and where do we find them (in foods and everyday items)?”

Heiss explains that there are four factors that contribute to a food’s flavor- its texture, its color, its temperature and its aroma.  Different chemical compounds create flavors in foods; for example, chocolate is a mixture of 300 flavor compounds. Flavor chemists use a variety of chemical compounds to create artificial flavors.  By extracting the juice of an orange by removing the water in the juice, for example, flavor chemists can create an orange flavor/concentrate used in the drink mix, Tang. 

Furthermore, the article discusses esters, which are chemical compounds that create artificial aromas, formed by the chemical reaction of an alcohol and a carboxylic acid (OH).  For example, combining ethanol (an alcohol), botanic acid creates ethyl butanoate (the ester), which eventuates with a pineapple odor.

The purpose of the article as a whole was to inform readers about the foods we eat and why they taste the way they do, natural or artificial.  Most people don’t understand the chemistry behind the flavors in the foods that we eat, such as simple fruits.  The article also educates readers about the use of chemistry of artificial flavorings and aromas.  People take flavors for granted, without understanding the chemistry.

Personally, from this article, I learned a lot about the flavor profiles of the foods I use and eat every day.  I pride myself as an amateur baker/pastry chef, so understanding the chemistry of flavorful foods doesn’t change my perspective of food, but rather makes me feel better educated and self-satisfied that I understand what I am doing when I add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to a cupcake batter. 

I learned that the aroma of foods is just as important as the actual flavor of the food.  The aroma travels from a channel between the throat and the nose which strengthens the flavor of food.  I also learned that artificial and natural flavors are both chemical compounds, though most people assume that only artificial flavors are chemicals.  Artificial flavors are actually derived from chemical compounds found in plants, fruits and animals.  In addition, I learned that artificial flavors come in different forms.  So, limonene used in lemon-lime candies is different from the mix of chemical compounds in lemon-lime drinks, such as Sprite (which I drink quite often) because limonene is not soluable in water.  I also learned that when ethanol (the alcohol found in alcoholic drinks) is combined with an acid, such as the ones we learned about in class like heptanoic acid, it creates and completely new flavor and aroma.  These esters are used in both foods and the hand soaps, lotions, and perfumes that we use every day.

After reading this article, I am left with a few questions. For example, other than the natural components from an orange for example, what compounds/chemicals (unnatural or natural) are used to create artificial flavors, such as those used in Tang or in Sprite?  Also, are there chemical reactions to create different textures in a food (the article discusses both flavor and aroma)?  

Another Saturday night and I ain't got nobody...

Blog Post: Week of December 3rd
Photo # 8

I don't even know what that photo is ugh. She's a pretty dolly, though.

This week, I went to the Kensington Antique Open House! My mom bought me antique Kintama! They're gorgeous. Other than that, I didn't get much. I, of course, found a lot of vintage clothing that I wish I could have; but alas, no money in the bank for such things.

I took a few photos while there (as the one above); however, my camera's white balance has been screwing up. For some reason, the auto white balance makes every shot too cool toned, and attempting to manually set the white balance is way too time consuming to change every time the lighting changes (especially as I entered at least 8 different shoppes last night). As a result, all of my photos look a bit off, though I did try to edit them a bit.

An update from last week's post: I ended up getting the 50mm! I'm quite excited- it is, after all, my sister's favorite lens.

I am sorry this post is so short. I have done truly nothing this week. Nothing of importance. And no event has attracted my attention. I've been admiring Cecil Beaton, of late. That is all.

Have you ever seen the indecision of a man while he's standing by the fire...

  

Blog Post: Week of  November 26th

Photo # 6

Photo from literally 6 months ago. I haven't taken photos in so long, my goodness! This is with my first 18-55mm lens. Now, I am getting a new one!

My dilemma is what lens to choose for Christmas seeing as, no matter the cost, I will have to go months without any allowance. So, in the end, the price shouldn't matter too much, right? 

I am choosing between FOUR LENSES, and I have to decide by the end of this weekend. Quite the mission. Currently I only have the 35mm and the 18-55. The 35mm is essentially the most basic lens and quite honestly, it bores me and is somewhat difficult to work with in a variety of different situations. My sister owns the 30mm, 50mm, and the 70-200mm (which she rarely lets me use). The lenses I am choosing from are the 40mm, 50mm, 55-300mm, and the 70-300mm.

The 40mm is a Macro Nikon lens, so it's made to shoot up-close, with a small depth of field, and in stunning quality. The 40 has great reviews and it is a lens that neither me nor my sister owns. I imagine that I would ideally take this on nature walks, hikes, and antiquing (my favorite activity other than eating)! But the lens seems useful in a variety of situations, so I would love love love to have it! Definitely one of my favorites out of the four.

The 50mm (which my sister owns, but I love it, so I want my own) is ideal for portraits, from my experience. Seeing as my favorite subjects are people. People tell stories, and in turn, the photos tell stories- and that’s what photography is about to me. I personally love the 50mm already, so it is definitely a contender.

The 55-300mm is a beautiful zoom lens and I want it badly! A friend recommended it to me, and all of the reviews are good too. So far, I have barely any zoom capabilities at all and I need a zoom lens if I want to pursue anything other than portraits. Zoom lenses are great for animal life shots and candids. I NEED A ZOOM LENS, CASE AND POINT.

The final lens is the 70-300mm. It is by far the cheapest option. There are flaws in it that I do not feel like going into, and the reviews are not ALL positive; however the price is almost irresistible!

Right now, I am leaning mostly toward the 40mm and the 55-300mm. I cannot decided if I need a Macro lens or a zoom lens. If someone would like to help me choose, I am welcoming ANY SORT OF AID to choose. I am literally the most indecisive person I know.

The arc light on the hillside and the market in the hay...

Blog Post: Week of October 29th
Photo # 3

I took that photo during my friend Sophie's birthday party. It was in a corn maze...obviously.

The party began at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, which is a lot cleaner and prettier than Montgomery Blair. We all boarded the Party Bus and drove for about an hour to get the farm. There, we got into groups of six and started our journey in a corn maze. We were supposed to find eight mailboxes and get stamps at each one to complete a map that would lead us out of the maze, but my group and I ended up finding the exit before finding even two mailboxes. No other group had found the exit yet, so my group and I relaxed atop a tall hay stack formation.

Photo # 4

Once everyone had found their way out of the maze, whole party group congregated and explored the farm. Some stayed on the haystacks, some went straight to the slide as we waited for our hayride vehicle to come. When it did, we call got on and got pumpkins!

Photo # 5

Finally, we all sat down and ate pizza, salad, and cake as we sipped Hershey hot chocolate (the type that comes in the little bags). I must say, it was an altogether relaxing and satisfying day for me.

Another plus, while at my friend's party, I not only took a ton of photos, I also took a lot of footage for my Capture the Fall video!

Please Say You'll Stay, Sandy

Blog Post: Week of October 22nd
Photo # 2

Hurricane Sandy is abrewin' and the birds can tell. Nothing special, old lens, grainy photo, but I thought it worthwhile to post.

Sandy came at just the right time! I was close to panicking about how much work that needed to be finished. Which brings me to the topic of this blog post- public education in Maryland and the United States as a whole.

Firstly, there are these standards and expectations that put a mental and emotional strain on students. This is understandable, of course, the drive that pushes us students forward in our educational careers is, after all, the stress. But to add onto the stress of needing to finish schoolwork to have acceptable grades in the present, there is a not-so-unspoken idea that students need to go to college, need to know exactly what they want to do with their lives as they enter the eleventh grade if they want to have an acceptable life in the future.

I know that my own parents remind me every single day that I need to get exceptional grades, I need to get a scholarship, I need to get into a great college, and I need to find a career that pays enough to somehow pay for their retirement. A lot to put onto a 15 year old girl's shoulders, I think.

Secondly, and probably more statistically backed, and I think that teachers can agree with me on this one, standardized tests and Bush's No Child Left Behind Act create a deathly circuit. The tests implemented in schools make for an unhealthy impact on students' understand of what's really important. It links students' intelligence to the inaccurate results of the test. It then links this false representation of the students' intelligence to the quality of the teachers. The circuit ends and restarts with a decision that could make or break a school- how much federal funding the school will get based on the unreliable, untrue tests scores.

Now, we all know what this leads to- teachers teaching to the test, students cheating on the test, etc. To me, this just leads to a lack of motivation, and overall negative impacts on the schooling system. I'm in no way blaming my parents, the teachers or the school for any sort of petty disinterest I feel regarding school. No, I am making my commentary on what I think is leading to the unheard of drop out rates. I mean, 1 million students drop out every year, 6,000 students every day, and one student every 26 seconds. There's got to be a reason, right?

The first thing that most adults seem to tell me is to find a career that I am in interested in, something that I will enjoy doing every day, hence the drive that pushes us students forward in our educational careers should be motivation and excitement to follow a certain path. Yet, recently, I find that the nature of the education system is rushing me to pick a path before I can develop interest in one. I shouldn't want to go to college simply because of the threatened imminent failure and poverty that will come to those who choose not to. Furthermore, my intelligence shouldn't be scored based on tests that really show no evidence of such.

Please don't take this blogpost as an uneducated little girl complaining about the school system. My mother is a teacher and I simply thought that it would be healthy for me to let out my own opinion on my education seeing as I hear about my mom's opinion night and day. I obviously don't know everything about public education in the United States, but I know that the path that the government is taken now can't be the best direction for the future.

No Light in your Bright Blue Eyes...

I never knew that daylight could be so violent.

Blog Post: Week of October the 8th
Photo #1

I took this photo of Andrea a while ago, last year, to be honest- before I got my new camera and before I got Photoshop.  It's pretty mediocre, but for lack of anything else, I figured I might as well post it.

I am interested in photography, though I do not think it will become anything more than a hobby for me.  So, for my weekly blog posts, I decided that I will post a photo per week.  I've always wanted to do the 365-Day Photo Challenge, but I know me, and I simply cannot rely on myself to do anything every single day.  This blog will give me somewhere to post my photos weekly where very few people can see them.

I really enjoy capturing moments of my life that I otherwise would forget.  Before I die, most likely when we all meet the Apocalypse, I would like to remember all of those little moments that made me smile.  Cheesy, I know, you guys are probably chortling to yourselves.  But when I'm looking at all of the photos I've taken as my end draws near and most people struggle to remember all the little things they took for granted, well, we'll see who's laughing. I'm sorry, that was rude and morbid, forgive me.

I suppose I became interested in photography right around when my sister began her college career, around two years ago.  As she was leaving, I found myself feeling a bit lonely and unmotivated.  At right about the right time, my sister said that I could take her old camera, and thus began a beautiful relationship.  I found photography to be quite enjoyable and even freeing in a way.  After entering middle school, I found that my motivation to be creative and the possibility to be creative greatly diminished.  My opinions on the school system is a blog post for another time, however.

In addition to digital photography, I do enjoy film photography.  My sister first became passionate about film photography at camp, as did I.  At our camp, there are photo programs in which the camp lets campers take their own film photos and use the camp dark room, otherwise known as "The Apteryx."  It is a lot harder, however, to pursue as film costs so much and access to a dark room seems almost impossible.  I do not have the time or money to enjoy film photography as much as I would like.  One of my goals for this year is to put my film camera to good use.  I wonder if I could use Blair's dark room...

In any case, I hope to continue photography as I grow older, and I suspect I will.  Whether I make a career about it is if-y, but it is an important aspect of my life that keeps me sane, so I plan on holding onto it for as long as possible.

Stay tuned for more photos and blog posts!