Inspiration

So I've been inspired lately. Not by any one thing in particular, just by life.  I can remember when the decisions I was making in my life didn't inspire me. I've chosen to include daily meditation into my life. One way I meditate is through yoga.  Yoga helps me focus on the positives in any situation. Believe it or not what you do and think makes you who you are. So If you think of negative thoughts, you will attract negativity. Lately I've been thinking more positively and positive things have been coming my way.

Back to the title of today's post, inspiration. Find something to inspire you in your daily life. Since I'm a photographer I choose my photos as inspiration to take more photos. My friend was kind enough to enlist my photography services and we had a wonderful photoshoot.

First photo challenge- over ?

Ok so the 30 day photo challenge has officially ended. It actually ended 5 days ago. Not on bad terms though. I haven't been posting everyday because I've been shooting more! I think that's a plus. So I'll be back in a few to post some of the pics I've been shooting. I love happy endings! :)

Subway ads

Taken on a random day roaming the streets of brooklyn. 

I love portraits

This picture is from a shoot I did recently.

More smiling faces

Yes I am about 30 mins late from my daily deadline. I can't even think of a good excuse! I know I was busy today but I gotta put in the time right? lol! ok anyways here is my March 10th + 30 minutes post :)

Here are two other people that make me smile. Living in New York City you run into all kinds of creative people. These two are no exception. And manage to be fashionable as well!

Something to make me smile...

T-8 days at counting until my very fashionable friend comes to visit me! :) This picture was taken June 2008 during her summer internship in new york city.

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

US Essayist and Poet (1803-1882)

Happy Monday!

January 2009

Farewell...

One of my good friends has decided to move to pursue his dream career in music. Thanks big homie. You'll be missed!

"Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment." 

-Lifebook 2010

PS. This is my real March 7 post :)

I have been posting I swear!

The last 2 days, March 5 and 6 I haven't been able to post to my computer, however I set up mobile blogging. I should be able to post from my mobile phone. Unfortunately, these posts haven't worked so I will post them as one post. But I swear I've been posting! You can check my phone log. :)

Here are 2 murals in my neighborhood that I love.

I am proud to say that I personally know this artist who painted the second mural. Tig Quest, a very talented graffiti artist. Till Next time!

"Self-development is a higher duty than self-sacrifice."

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

US Suffragist (1815-1902)

Winter Wonderland

Here is my way of enjoying the crazy winter weather we've been having in the northeast. :) These pictures were taken last weekend.

"You are a living magnet. What you attract
into your life is in harmony with
your dominant thoughts." - Brian Tracy 

Love in 2010

My friend called me the night before he wanted to propose to his girlfriend. He needed a photographer and he wanted me! He even got one of his friend's to play their song on guitar. So I cancelled my plans for the next day and headed to Strawberry Fields in Central Park for this special occasion. It was the morning after the first big snowfall in December and it was beautiful! Cold and beautiful. :) I just have to say I love doing candid shoots. Thanks Peyton and Heather for sharing this special day with me.

When you give each other everything, it becomes an even trade. Each wins all.

Lois McMaster Bujold, A Civil Campaign, 1999
US science fiction author

Wishing it was summer...

Everyone has been talking about the crazy weather and yearning for summer. These picture was taken at the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival Summer 2008.

"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you."
~ James Allen

March: 30 days of old pictures

Hello March! I have decided that every month this year I am going to challenge myself. Last month it was to incorporate yoga into my daily life. That challenge went rather well, not without a few bumps and hiccups. :) I was trying to shoot at least twice a week in February and that challenge was going well too, but I was not posting all my pictures. This month is to post everyday to my blog.

This month's theme is to post a previous picture that I have not posted to the blog or to my flickr page. I had a talk with a photographer the other day and I really need to get my photos out there for people to see and critique.  The only way you get better is to have people see your work right? Well, here I am world! :)

Here is my first picture of the March challenge. And in good fashion I'm posting this approximately 30 minutes before March 2.

I attended an event  a couple of weeks ago that spoke on black and latino relations within the the Americas. This is Rosa Clemente on the left. She is a hop hop activist, journalist and entrepreneur. She does numerous college tours and talking with her I realized that she had been invited to speak at my college some years ago. I swear I have a knack for remembering faces! I would also encourage you to look at her wikipedia page.

I've also realized that I have been neglecting the quote of the day that I said I was going to incorporate in each post.


"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." 
- Elbert Hubbard


Until tomorrow... paz y amor :)

Photo Nuts and Bolts: Book Review

The best way to improve your photography is to practice. Another way that is helpful for me is to read, read, and read some more. I'm obsessed with reading other photography blogs to help me on my journey to a successful career as a photographer. One blog I came across is Digital Photography School created by Darren Rowse. Last month I purchased one of their e-books, Photo Nuts and Bolts: Know Your Camera and take better photos, by Neil Creek.  This book is very informative for the beginning photographers who want to get more creative and advanced with their photos. It gives a general overview of photography basics such as Exposure and Stops, Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and white balance. 

Because it's an e-book, the authors have links to their blog for more in-depth reading. At the end of each chapter there are assignments that you can do and they encourage you to share your "homework assignments" on their forum. I enjoyed reading this book. It clarified alot about basic photography that I had learned taking a class here and there but never really grasped.

I would highly recommend checking out the website and blog for helpful dSLR tips as well as tips on how to improve your photography.

Haitian Benefit

Here are some pictures of the benefit I went to in Brooklyn in Mid January.  I took these pictures before my last post and I shot in auto mode so I wouldn't miss a moment.

My neighborhood

January 21, 2010: 35 degrees and sunny, 1pm-3:30pm. I had to run a few errands so I decided to walk around and shoot my neighborhood. For each photo I have posted the information so that we can see the best outcome. Every photo was shot RAW but for blog posting purposes I had to convert each photo to jpg. I do have to mention that I am going as amateur as possible. Meaning that I have not altered these photos in any way. I do know how to use photoshop, however I do not have photoshop in my computer, yet.  Gotta get the picture right in the camera lens first. Those are the best pictures. A very good photographer does little editing afterwards.

I was reading Jasmine Star's photography blog and she posted this because a reader asked her how to improve thier manual exposure abilities.  So I took her recommendation and chose to start my camera the same way.


"I was given for shooting midday in full sun with my 70-200IS 2.8 lens was the following: f/2.8, 2500, 100 iso. All of a sudden, I felt like someone had given me a lump of gold. I finally found a place to start!"  ~Jasmine Star

I love getting this kind of information from a professional because it can give you a starting point. As much as I love taking pictures, I have never been tech savvy when it comes to camera manual settings. And with that said, I have absolutely no idea what she means! :) So I figured out from my camera's manual that they shutter speed should be 2500 and the aperture should be 2.8  What is the Iso number?  Frankly I have no clue! After this photo session, I'm actually going to do some research so that I can learn to shoot better manually.

My camera couldn't get an aperture of 2.8 so I started at the lowest, 3.5. From here, with each picture I took I made sure that my camera registered the right exposure for each lighting situation.  Looking back at the pictures, they were all taken with an Iso of 100 but I have no idea how I did it!

Here is the very first picture of the day.

Camera settings: 1/100 3.5 iso 100

This one is soooo much better! Camera settings: 1/400 3.5 Iso 100.

There are many murals in my neighborhood.  My goal is to photographs as many murals in Brooklyn as I can.

I love how the colors pop on this one! And the handwritten addition makes it even more fun! lol! BTW I did not write that. lol! Camera settings: 1/400 5.6 Iso 100

I'm a huge fan of graffiti as well. I would have loved this photo if there were more light. This wall was shaded because the sun was behind the building at this time. I have to catch this one early in the morning to get the right light. Camera settings: 1/160 5.6 Iso 100

I'm also a sucker for fashion.  Had to make my way to Soho to pick up some art supplies and came across this boutique window. Camera settings: 1/50 4.5 Iso 100

These are the last two pictures I took.  I don't really like either. The first one is too light and the second one is too dark.  I'm assuming that in order to get a perfect shot with this one, I'd need extra lighting since not all of the areas that need light are reflecting the light.

From the Beginning

I've renamed my blog to fit the theme of being an amateur photographer. I've been struggling at this blog since I started it. I wanted to write about being a professional photographer. This seems pretty normal since I'm NOT yet a professional photographer. Hmm...How can I write about being a photographer? Well, I can start from the very bottom. This is where my skill level is: amateur, beginner, not yet professional. So my whole thought process was that I wanted to write about the stuff I know.  This is not very much in the photography world. Why don't I write about the stuff that I learn everyday to make myself a better photographer?  This sounds like a plan!

So today I have devised a plan! muuuaaaahahahahaha!!!!!!!! I will go outside and shoot.  I know that I can't shoot everyday but a girl can try can't she? lol! It is 35 degrees and sunny.  Seems like a perfect day to shoot. ;)

Resolutions

So as I'm seeing the end of 2009 come to a close, 2010 is creeping up faster than I expected. Not going home for the holidays has me here, alone in my apartment, listening to my thoughts. And I must say those thoughts are loud as hell!

There is the thought I have of my income. It's pretty rocky right now. Nothing steady but what do you expect for an unestablished artist. Well, yet to be established is a better phrase.

And then there are my career goals. My ultimate goal is to be a successful business owner. Making my money selling my art and services as a photographer. I have been searching for my confidence for most of my life and I have become in tune with it as I grow in New York City. I've met more people here to bring out the best in me and it's a good feeling.

But in my search for what truly makes me happy, I tend to spend time making others happy and neglecting my needs. Now I can only speak from a woman who is in her mid 20's, childless and career driven's perspective. At this time in my life all my priorities should be on me. But I am a people person and always let other's, good and bad, consume the time that I need to spend on myself. Now I'm not saying that I want to be totally self consumed. Not at all. I'm saying that I need to focus on my career. Cuz let's face it, bills gotta be paid! :)

So with that said I am focusing more on keeping up with this blog about my life and "pursuit of my happiness as an established artist. I will be giving myself weekly assignments to make my photography skills stronger. As my dad would say, "You gotta take baby steps." I have just realized that I have never been a patient person. Patience is keep to make anything successful.

I'm thinking of two quotes to end with that fit this situation. The first is Langston Hughes and his poem "A Dream Deferred":

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

And the last quote is about from Saint Francis de Sales about patience:

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - everyday begin the task anew."

Brooklyn: The Young and Reckless

So Angie, my roommate, and I have decided that 2010 should start with a BANG And that bang is our BLOG. It's about the Haus of BAM, our lives in new york city. We always have something funny happening to us or just meeting people. The things that unite our two crazy lives are our love of music, and our beloved sorority where we met almost 5 years ago.

It's official people!

I am making 2010 better than 2009. And I'm not into New Year's resolutions, but life resolutions. Yes I know that the New Year is a starting point. I'm not arguing that fact. I'm just saying that I don't just want this year to go well. I want the rest of my life to go just as well, if not better than the new year. So this is my 2010 life resolution, turning my thoughts into reality! After we publish our first day as the fabulous brooklynites we are, we are going to the local watering hole to celebrate! The bar angie has never been to and it's 4 blocks away!

www.hausofbam.blogspot.com

Today has been a good day.

And I think that I would like to end all of my posts with a memorable quote of some kind. So today's quote is by Mother Theresa:

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread."

Regaining steam

Hey all,

Sorry for the hiatus. I've never been one to stick to one thing because I'm always thinking of other things to do. Anyway, my roommate Angie and I have decided to co-write a blog about our experiences in crown heights. We are always creating hilarious scenerios that end up in a notable quote. Talk about a house full of inside jokes.

We are setting it up right now so I will come back with the link. Soooooo excited!

Be back in a few!