Apples and Oranges

Guess what? I happen to be typing this on my new laptop, yay :) Again, I hopped on the bandwagon and went with a MacBook Pro. Even though I've never owned a mac before, I'm liking it so far, and I got a free iPod touch with it, which is always a good thing. A few nights ago, I was transferring over all my photos and music from our main computer, and it was kind of cool to see all the photos that I've taken with my Nikon in the past 13 months. So, without further adieu, here is a sampling of some of my photos since August 2009...

August 2009


September 2009


October 2009


November 2009


February 2010


March 2010


April 2010


May 2010


June 2010


July 2010


August 2010

S0, uploading those took way too long. Clearly, I am not quite use to this mac yet. And I know that these might not be my very best photos (and not all months are there, because I didn't transfer all my photos over), but they are some of my favorites, for sentimental value mostly I suppose.

So, I got my camera on July 31st, 2009. What was I listening to at that time? Well, to be honest with you... a lot of Taylor Swift. And Jason Mraz. On an unrelated note, here's another chill song...
Under Pressure, by Queen & David Bowie

I've always had a soft spot for this song

Ga-ga, oh la la

So, I know it's a little after the fact, but on Tuesday (four days ago) I went and saw Lady Gaga in concert. To say the least, it was absolutely freakin' fantastic. Not only was the music sweet, but Gaga is a genuinely great entertainer, interacting with the crowd and getting so into the show that, in between songs, she was often at a loss for breath, panting to try and recover before the next song. Also, the costumes were (obviously) over the top great, and the whole atmosphere was so energenic and awesome. My sister went with some friends the night before me, and I tagged along to their pre-concert drink(s) at Cafe Crepe to take photos of them in their sweet Gaga costumes. This one, post editing, is one of my favorite of the bunch.
Now, for my favorite Gaga song:
Speechless, Lady Gaga (I got this picture on a shirt, no big)
And, another just kinda catchy one:
Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say), Lady Gaga

Anyways, little monsters, have a good day!

North Vancouver Boyz ('Sup Deep Cove?)

So, as you can see, these pictures all have one thing in common: they were all taken in Deep Cove. I happen to work right in the cove, and I've taken more than my fair share of pictures there. Why all the Cove pictures today? Well here's why:



This parody of California Gurls by Katy Perry is just about one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. It's shows an almost perfectly accurate stereotype of North Vancouver boys, especially Cove kids. I got a good laugh out of this, so hopefully you will too!

Oh yeah, this too...

Surprise!

This is my (in-camera edited) first successful night sky shot! This was at our campsite in in Ellison Provincial Park in Vernon and, after seeing all these stars and wanting to capture them on my camera, I eventually ended up with this using my fish-eye and a 30 second exposure. I have two others, and the unedited version of this, but they seem to have disappeared into cyberspace/refuse to upload. Anyways, this is just another example of a) my use of the wide angle lens and b) how I'm learning to actually apply technique to my photos!

Looking at things from a new angle

So, for two weeks, I had an awesome time and really made this summer a memorable one. Not only was there the sweet vacation, the fun activities, much (MUCH) festivities, and meeting the family, but those two weeks were really cool because I got to experience things in my life that I found totally normal through the eyes of people who had never seen these things before. Whether it be the island I've spent just about every summer of my life on, the (yes-exceedingly awesome, which I didn't really notice til then) house of our family friends, or even just my good ol' North Van mountains, seeing people react to these things in such an amazed way was really cool. I got to travel my beautiful British Columbia, and I actually could feel myself seeing these things in a whole new light. In these two weeks, I not only realized how lucky I am to have the family I do, but also to live the life I do in the beautiful province I was born in.

Lookin' at things in a new way.

Home, by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

This song was the first dance song at my cousins wedding. So sweet!

Back in Vancouver!... Temporarily.

So, I just got back from a week away at my favorite place in the world, where I was busy reuniting with family I haven't seen for most of my life, spending time on the beach, and absorbing lots of music. Oh, and taking pictures. So many pictures. It was probably (no, definitely) the best Hornby experience ever, and I've had a lot. I'm off to Vernon tomorrow for a while for my cousins wedding, but I'll leave with a play list, "Hornby 2010".
Jasper- Aidan Knight with Dan Mangan (Most catchy chorus ever)
Sigh No More- Mumford & Sons (give it some time to get better and more intense)
Fake Plastic Trees- Radiohead (Always a classic)
Look At Miss Ohio- Gillian Welch (I couldn't find a non-live version)
Tik-Tok- Ke$ha (I'm not saying it's good..)
Sexy Chick- David Guetta (Fist Pumpin')
False Creek Change- Said The Whale (Again, only a live version)



So many pictures, but I think this is one of my favorites. (with my new lens! That I have used quite a bit, and am totally happy with)