Life Through My Lens - Hawaiian Wedding
A bit of fun employment and nice weather has allowed me to take some lovely photos over the last few months. I also have someone very special to thank for fixing my 50mm 1.4 lens. Seriously, there's nothing more annoying than being a photographer in a very photogenic environment without a lens that works. A Youtube video, a few tools and lots of patience on his part saved me a few hundred dollars and my creative sanity.So I'll be posting my life of the last few months through my lens.
First, a trip down a very green, gorgeous memory lane. I went to Hawaii's Oahu a few months ago for my friend's wedding. The talk of Hawaii's beauty is not just hype. The island is green and lush, reminding you of a pre-historic oasis - perhaps because Jurassic Park was filmed there? Despite technically being in the United States, you feel like you're in a different country, surrounded by Polynesians who come from the other side of the world - or at least the other side from New York City. We stayed in the Turtle Bay Resort on the North shore. There is something priceless about being able to stroll from the beach to the pool, to your hotel room, and then back to the beach for a wedding. It's hard to decide what I loved more - the pristine, uncrowded beaches of Tulum or hearing the loud waves lull us to sleep in our Hawaii hotel room. I split a room with a couple which worked out fine because the rooms were huge and we all got along perfectly. Plus it helped that my friends and I have the same traveling desires - mainly those that revolve around food, relaxation, water and minor exploration.
Oh. So I caught the bouquet. I've never caught the bouquet before. Usually I duck in horror like a typical single, career woman living in New York City. But this time I was surrounded by single, career women living in New York City who all ducked and consequently, the bouquet went flying into my face. I caught it perfectly, in self defense. My roommate took a picture to document the moment. Truth be told she had to take about five photos because I had trouble mustering a genuine smile when shock and anxiety were my first emotions. But months of the bouquet drying nicely in my apartment has helped me happily embrace this possibility.
Life in Photos: Colorado
I'd like to interrupt my regular writing for some photos I've taken over the last month or so. As I'm sure many others have done, I've used Instagram to quench my hunger for street photography. But recently, I've started carrying around my Canon 40D, using my fixed 50mm 1.4 lens around - because it's currently the only working lens I own.So.. here it goes. I've been fortunate enough to have gone to Colorado every summer for three years in a row. My second cousins on both sides of my father's side have all converged in Colorado. Even more coincidentally, every year for the past three, one of them has gotten married. I'm absolutely in love with the state and am lucky to have such an awesome extended family.
Cats of All Sizes
I recently watched a TED talk by Beverly + Dereck Joubert about big cats in Africa. They spent 3 years studying a leopard they named Legadema, Setswana for "light from the sky." How beautiful is that? Perhaps my emotions are running high from all the changes I've been experiencing - mostly overwhelmed with happiness, but I teared up many times during their 20 minute talk. I'm not going to ruin the video for you but I will say it was heartbreaking to learn how these big cats are being decimated by poachers and hunters. According to the Joubert's, over the last 50 years: Lions have gone from 450,000 to only 20,000 today.
Tigers from 45,000 to only 3,000
Cheetahs from 50,000 to 12,000
and Leopards from 700,000 to only 50,000.
From global warming to killing animals needlessly, we have lost touch with nature. But this is something we should easily be able to prevent. How could we, as humans, knownigly be responsible for this type of behavior? In the video, they pointed out that killing one lion disrupts an entire ecosystem. The new lion that enters the pride, kills all the cubs and sometimes even the mothers protecting them in order to establish his power. It's interesting to learn how violent nature is, and in this case - as unnecessary as war itself. But humans are causing that added violence.
Before you lose hope completely, there's a beautiful and bright side to nature - specifically an incident of motherly instincts that we see through Legadema. But I'm not going to tell you what happens. You'll just have to watch for yourself and if you're interested in learning more, you can check out this post via Roar Africa, a company that offers guided tours of Africa.
http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf
My Unusual NJ Sighting
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kekvy7gCQw&hl=en&fs=1&&w=425&h=344]
I had coffee at my usual spot this morning (Java Girl). Then headed to my parent's. During my two block walk home, I spotted two bunnies frolicking in a neighbor's front yard, barely afraid of me. Afterward, at Nordstrom Rack and Century 21, I had possibly the most successful shopping experience in record - two cute and heavily discounted dresses, an elegant shirt, and super high pair of Calvin Klein heels that have cushioned soles. On my way home, I made the quick decision to get off the highway before my usual exit and that's when I noticed the deer... let me explain folks. Wow! very cool. My home town is very suburban and in all the years I lived there and have visited, have never seen more than a squirrel.. and maybe the ocassional bunny. But today! Three bunnies, two deers and one very poor attempt to video tape the experience with my new iPhone 3Gs. Enjoy!