check it out!

I took advantage of a Shutterfly Photo book deal and my fellow photographer friend had the good idea to use it as an opportunity to create a portfolio. I decided I had enough material to just focus on Japan, so here you have it!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Turn your favorite photos into a photo book at Shutterfly.com.

Shutterfly

I recently finished creating a personalized photo book on Shutterfly. If you don't know what this is, it's basically online scrap booking that you can then have published into a book. It's a great way to personalize and share photos and especially fun for creative types like me.

It has been recommended that JETs take plenty of photos from their live back to combat homesickness. Is it just me or does this seem counter intuitive since usually photos make one nostalgic? Who knows, maybe I'm just more of an out-of-sight, out-of-mind kind of person.. Anyways, that coupled with the fact that I've had one of the best years of my life starting from last August (2010) till now (July 2011) made me decide, sure why not?

I received an offer for a free Shutterfly book when I bought my new camera last year, but only recently realized the expiration date was fast approaching. I initially thought to use this opportunity for the Miami Photo Project since the main intent of that project is to share it with others, but my car sold insanely fast and has left me mostly stranded at my house. Thus, I decided to just take this free offer and make something special for me.

I would say the process took a total of twelve hours between selecting pictures (taken over the course of a year), figuring out the layout of the book, and then playing with the picture placement. This may seem daunting or a completely waste of time to most but I really enjoyed the whole process. Ironically, I had a friend in high school who was really into scrap booking but couldn't get me into it. All the tools, stickers, pages and other nonsense to just put one picture on a page? Kill me now. But with online scrap booking the whole process was so much better - plus the option to scrap a whole page the next day without any waste! This process also made me feel like the yearbook editor that I never was in high school (something I kind of regret). At the time, I had been asked to join the yearbook staff but they would meet before school at 7:30am and there was no way I could make it at that time. As it was, I was routinely late for or missed first period altogether because although I get up early, I'm a sloth in the mornings. Looking back, I probably would have been the best yearbook editor in EVER.

When I look at the finished pages, there is a balance and symmetry that will never be appreciated by the majority of people who see it. I am very methodical in my creativeness. For example, on my family pages, I essentially built my family tree with every cousin, aunt and uncle, and immediate family member being within perfect proximity to each other. On the second page I was a little more liberal, but the everyone is still there. On the third page, I limited it to just my immediate family. I wouldn't say I'm OCD, but I will say that I'd be pretty upset if I forgot to put someone on page or something similar. Like I know I'd be reminded of it each time I look.

So trust me when I say there was a methodology applied to each page and at least I appreciate it. The pictures may be too small but you can click on them for a bigger version. I was highly amused by this project and find it more aesthetically pleasing in general to look at pictures this way than by clicking through them on a computer folder. Enjoy!

miami photo project

I have A LOT to do before I leave for Japan, but one task I have given myself is both for my benefit and for the benefit of my future students. I have dubbed it the 'Miami Photo Project' and have drawn up a list of 50 pictures I want to take that will represent me, Miami, and my relationship with my hometown.

This compilation will remind me of home as seen through my eyes and get me through those homesick days when all I will want to see are familiar sights and faces. For my students, I will most likely be telling them about myself and where I come from, so I believe these pictures will come in handy to keep them interested.

Some examples of my selections that represent me will be pictures of my room, my family, my friends, my dog, my car, my office, and my school. Some examples of Miami would be the beach, a sunset, palm trees, alligators, iguanas, and the skyline. My relationship with my hometown would definitely have some Cuban highlights like La Carreta, cafesitos, calle ocho, and Little Havana. I made references to my Cuban heritage in both my application and interview as a kind of two-for-one bonus that my students would learn about since I can describe both American and Cuban culture in my lessons. I'll make Cuban coffee drinking, salsa dancing Japanese kids my legacy in Japan!

If you can think of other things in Miami that I should take a picture of, let me know! My good friend and wonderful photographer is going to accompany me on some of these photo-finding trips so I'll have more time and eyes on the lookout for any suggestions.

Till then, keep being amused!

a picture says it better: series 1

the beginning of the end.

I've already elaborated on how this year is the start of something new, but conversely it's kind of the beginning of the end of for a lot of things also. But it's ok, I'm learning to embrace change. I used to be a person that was reluctant to let go of anything, good or bad. I've learned though that some things mean more when they they are left in a certain time and place in my heart instead of being dragged into something new. I guess this is part of the true meaning of ichi go, ichi e 一期一絵, a Japanese proverb meaning 'one chance, one opportunity.' Maybe this is why I've always been attracted to photography, even back in the day when it was with disposable cameras ones...

A picture captures a moment in time and everything about that moment holds true because regardless of where you are in life, when you look back at the photo, what was true to you then is still there looking back at you. In a seemingly paradoxical fashion, this is the reason why I delete photos that no longer hold meaning to me. Looking at those photographs might remind me of how naive I was or make me feel like the people in those photographs lied to me with things that I know now. It's all very strange to some people who can separate the photo from their current reality even if it has indeed changed. I don't like to dawdle on these things so I simply "alter my memories" and delete those moments of time that I once captured from sharing space with the truly special ones that dwell in my heart and mind. That's the idea anyway, because in reality I have an impeccable, photographic memory. Well, that was some insight into my logic. Twisted? Maybe. Wrong? Not so much. Sorry if that was confusing. I warned you that my random thoughts would be arbitrarily dispensed in here.

Speaking of ichi go ichi e, one of the reasons the Japanese love sakura and hanami is because the short window of time that they are in bloom reminds us of the impermanence of life. Believe it or not, we even have the smallest of hanami in Miami. Some of the fledgling sakura have bloomed at the Japanese Morikami museum and garden where I'm currently doing an internship. The window is short, but I was able to capture them for all time.

一期一絵

One Chance, One Opportunity

to end the year.

I want to see beauty in all things, that is what I strive to do

I started a blog this year and have succeeded in making in an outlet for my thoughts - go me! - so I just wanted to add one more post before the year is up. I don't know how to feel about this year. Most people are ready for the year to be over to get a chance to start fresh again. I definitely want to start fresh and made necessary steps to ensure that I leave some unpleasant things in 2010, but altogether I mostly remember the fun I had in 2010...

• I went skydiving!
• had my two closest Japanese friends visit me
• finally went to Ultra Music Festival and loved it!
• lived the life a New York City girl while spending time with my brother who I hardly get to see
• went to the legendary Hogwarts!
• met some awesome people I really connected with
• applied to JET (one of my lifelong goals up to this point)
• took the JLPT (one of my goals for 2010)
• was thrown a surprise party by the love of my life
• was surprised by one of my favorite people ever all the way from Japan.
• and last! I finally made a big step towards one of my other lifelong goals - becoming a professional amateur photographer (taking pictures of overturned lawn chairs and such, haha!)

Embedded are some of my favorites shots that I took the other day when I was just trying to figure out the settings of my awesome new red camera. In reality, I know nothing about the subject of photography but have been told that I have a natural talent and a good eye so I want to nurture that since I already know I can be great at anything I put my mind to.

At midnight tonight I'll be shouting 'Happy New Year!' and thus starting what I see as the next chapter in my life. I will (finally) be done with schooling for the first time in my life and will get my first full-time job. I'll be moving out of my house and have my own place (doubly exciting and scary is that it will be in Japan!). I'm going to sell the first car I ever had which will be hard. I'll be away from family and friends on holidays for the first time ever which will also be hard. I'm going to travel to new and exciting places and hopefully take that Eastern Caribbean cruise I've always wanted to take! I'm going to see three of my favorite performers in concert and am SO excited for all three of them. I have a condition and if that condition is met, I'll be getting a tattoo. I've also decided to, for the first time, do a serious diet and exercise regime. I know my boyfriend and some friends say I have the "perfect body", but I don't agree since we all have things about ourselves we want to improve on. I mostly want to feel healthier - have more energy, look more rested, etc. I'm not going to do anything drastic, but at the moment I'm not doing anything to achieve this so my baby steps will hopefully show results in about 2 months time. Maybe some before and after pics? haha! That a BIG maybe.

Well that's all for now. Another resolution of mine is to blog more. It really lets people know more about me and allows me to see how much I've grown as a person (as well as laugh at my past-self for being such a dork). Plus considering how much I view this year as a turning point for my life, I want to document it as much as possible.

So long 2010, here's to 2011!