Happy List, Weeks 30 and 31

Well... it's been a busy time (the busiest I think I've ever been) at work, so just about everything but the show got my attention. Thusly, these two weeks have blendeth together and I didn't feel like trying to pry them out.

So here's two for one:

Weeks 30 and 31:

1. Photo time. I took 3 hours out of my already show oriented week to take some photographs with Photo Flood St. Louis. Well worth it on many counts.

2. Caffeine. Without Starbucks Iced Black Tea, I would not have survived the last two weeks.

3. RP. Without her, I would not have survived the last two weeks. Or more.

4. Friend/Colleagues. There are those colleagues who are friends as well, and without them, I would not have survived. They know who they are.

5. Audience response. Hearing the cheers from the crowd on opening night made it worth it.

6. Seeing them onstage. Seeing this cast that worked so hard for so long onstage at last... priceless.

7. Unexpected help. We received some unexpected help from various people at various points along the way and for that, I am grateful.

8. Kleenex with lotion. I have come down with a severe case of allergies, a cold or just a regular post-intensive show something that has caused my nose to run a lot.

9. Flexibility. I am grateful for the flexibility of my job to lend me a little time to try to beat whatever this is...

10. Colleagues who understand. And don't laugh too hard when one has worked an 100+ hour week and therefore cannot form complete sentences 100% of the time. I'm looking at you, AS.

I shall be back to my normal blogging self shortly... one hopes!

Happy List, Week 29

Happy List, Week 29

1. Photo opportunity. A friend & colleague handed me an opportunity this week and I had tons of fun doing it. Very grateful.

2. Low light photography. I love the challenge and I'd like to think I'm getting better at it.

3. Street Festivals. I enjoy the occasional street festival. They are often worth the parking hassle. 

4. Food trucks. I am really glad this has become a popular thing. They're very much enjoyable. Sometimes I just wish more of them had bricks and mortar stores as well.

5. Exhibit progress. I finally figured out something that has been mystifying me and I am grateful. Every week a step closer!

6. Mimosas. Found a new mimosa-style I enjoy. Yay for Sunday Fundays and brunch.

7. Rain. Because it is wonderful when it brings a cool front.

8. Cool temps. It feels like early fall in July. How glorious.

9. Arts as Therapy. I made a linoleum carving in class of Tommy. I cried after making the print. It was wonderful.

10. Gin & Ginger. This might be my new favorite cocktail. A good unwinder at the end of a long day.

28/52 - Photo Project 2014

I actually had three photo ops this week but I've only got choices from two of them. The other one, I haven't had time to fully process them yet.

Here's the winner - the interior of the Compton Hill Water Tower:

Very close second, because I love this photo a lot:

And I can't forget my first attempt at lightning photography:

I have a Photo Flood next Saturday, but I'm hoping that I have other impromptu photo ops during the week!

Happy Shooting!

Happy List, Week 28

Happy List, Week 28

1. Fireworks opportunities x 2.  I had not one, but two great opportunities for fireworks.

2. Short week at work. Summers are busy at work, so it was nice to have a shorter week. It was still jam-packed.

3. Leftovers. Culinary camp leftovers were extremely yummy - they created two full blown menus - italian and seafood.

4. Unexpected weather. This Fourth of July weekend brought some unexpected for July in St. Louis weather. It was gorgeous out, and you weren't sweating waiting for the fireworks.

5. Attic fan. Aforementioned weather led us to throw open the windows and turn the attic fan on. Glorious.

6. Days off. Yup, they're on here again. There were moments where I was absolutely restless and didn't know what to do, but the moments of sheer unbridled laziness were delightful.

7. West Wing. In honor of Independence Day, I started re-watching West Wing again. This show is awesome from top to bottom. I just watched the cliffhanger from Season One to Season Two. Even though I know what happens, I can't not watch them back to back.

8. Block printing. I had the opportunity to continue experimenting with block printing in my mixed media class. I think I've found a new art to enjoy!

9. Lightning. We recently had a storm with an incredible lightning count and RA and I tried to capture it Monday night. We semi-succeeded (it was dying down by the time we decided to do so).

10. Starbucks. I don't drink caffeine often but when I do, I prefer it to be tea vs Diet Coke. When one has a late night, a little caffeine helps the next day.

27/52 - Photo Project 2014

As seen in this post, I've had quite the photographic opportunities this weekend between the Fourth of July and the Fifth and July.

Thusly, it was a pretty tough call. This is the winner of the week:

Close second:

Close third:

I really do love Fireworks... I can't wait until next time I get the chance to shoot them!

Next week, I have a Flood with the group, so that will be fun!

Fireworks in St. Louis - Fourth of July Weekend

I love photographing fireworks. I don't get to do it that often because... well, they're not set off that often and they can be hard to capture. You can't fully predict the composition of the scene unless you know the precise location from which they are being set off and the height of said fireworks. That's part of the fun.

The big Fourth of July party in St. Louis is Fair St. Louis (fka the VP Fair). This year, it was to be held in Forest Park instead of downtown due to construction around the Arch. I, among others, was less than thrilled because of my relative proximity to the park and pretty much wanted nothing to do with it. Thusly, my parents and I headed to the Webster Groves Community Days for the first time. We haven't attended fireworks as a family for awhile and decided to give this gathering a try.

We arrived before sundown and snagged what turned out to be a relatively decent spot from which to view the fireworks. It wasn't overly crowded and the traffic wasn't half bad.

                          

I think it was worth it, yes? For more, click here.

Then, yesterday, a friend posted a video from Fair St. Louis, except he had a unique vantage point. He shared with me his 'secret' location and I convinced my roommate to join me. There were NO crowds where we sat, we could mostly hear the concert and the only crowds we encountered were on the way home - when we decided to walk back to the car instead of taking the Metrolink 2 stops back to the car. Our seats were AMAZING. We literally had front row seats with a wide open sky and I have NEVER been so close (yet safe) to the fireworks. They were HUGE. They filled the sky - I often felt like my lens wasn't going to capture it all. But it did and it was totally worth it. Check them out below:

                                       

For more Fair St Louis, click here.

I cannot wait until the next fireworks opportunity... unfortunately, I will probably have to wait until the New Year. But by then, I will hopefully have my wider angle lens. And I will be ready and waiting!

Happy List, Week 27

Happy List, Week 27

1. Cocktail hour. I'm not a heavy drinker by any means, but I have participated in several cocktail hours at different venues this weekend and enjoyed myself. Happiness in moderation.

2. Time with a friend. I spent an afternoon with a friend and another via FaceTime. It was very much enjoyable.

3. Meeting new people. Went to a workshop on Thursday and it was definitely worth it. And I met more artistic colleagues as well.

4. Exploring new places. Went to a new place this weekend with Photo Flood St. Louis. A hidden secret of St. Louis.

5. Puppy time. At the park, I met the cutest little puppy. Had a little playtime with her... she was such a charmer.

6. Picnic time. We traditionally go out after our Floods and this time we had a picnic. It was a lot of fun. I wish more of us had been able to make it!

7. Quinoa stuffed bell peppers. I mustered enough energy to bake these and they are worth the effort. YUM.

8. Leftovers. Sometimes I complain about eating the same thing all week. Not this week.

9. Painting class. This Monday, we experimented with printmaking. They may have created a monster.

10. Exhibit. I had some major progress this week on this. Hooray!