Learning Korean

Bed - Chimdae

As some of you may know, I'm learning Korean.  Why?  You know that feeling you get when it's something your soul just desires.  I get that feeling when I see and hear things Korean.

Right now I'm trying really really really hard to learn how to pronounce and speak Korean.  However, I am terrible!  So bad!  I always forget everything.  I hear it and then 3 seconds later, I've forgotten.

My Songsangnim (선생님 - teacher) asked us the other day how much we remember after a few days.  Most of us admitted we remember barely anything (me, I remember nothing!!!).

Being the bless that she is, she gave us a tip on how to learn.  Revise a word a day. At the end of the week revise those words again and most would've been forgotten ... At the end of the month review all the words again.  And again most words would've been forgotten.

How does this help?  Well, eventually (probably decades later) we will remember those words.  

So, Papi is going to be my remember a word a day.  Let's see how well I do. I'll try to update this as much as possible.

Hello, is this Papi's house?

M.I.A

I've been M.I.A lately (not to be confused with the artist M.I.A... I wish I was her, she's a total babe). The evil and cold winter got me and held me captive for awhile.  

While I was being held against my will,  I used the only source of entertainment I could find to help keep me and my photography alive... My iPhone.  So, I created and instagram for Papi.  He's quite the handsome devil and as much as he looks like he detests the camera, he actually loves it!

I've been exploring editing apps and sticker apps and apps upon apps, upon apps to find the best editing tools.  

The only conclusion I have is that it comes down to using as many apps for the one image until you get the result you want.

At the moment, I'm loving VSCO Cam, Afterlight, Snapseed, Line Camera, and Girls Camera. 

With iPhoneography, you don't have some whiz bang lens and fancy pants camera to do the work for you.  If you're not patient and think about your images, you get an extremely boring, blurry and subpar images. 

It's a steep learning curve.  Being patient isn't my virtue, especially when I'm out photographing... let alone photographing my cat that could care less that the light that's illuminating his furry face is perfect for whatever image I'm trying to recreate.  He just keeps moving and I've gotta move with him. 

Papi may not know the skills I'm acquiring or even care about the images, but I do.  I'm learning, growing and that's all I can do.

Follow Papi on Instagram @papi_el_gato

When Life Gives You Lemons

You make lemonade right? Or tequila shots, which ever is your preferred preference.  For me I find my dark corner and I hide in it.  I'm just not good with confrontation.  I never have been.

Today's image is just something short and sweet... nothing complicated.  I was second photographer on a shoot and I just brought my Panasonic GF1 with me for quick snaps. 

I do love using this camera as in low light you get this grainy dirty look.  It's raw and can't be perfected... Well my skills can't seem to perfect it.  So instead, I work with it. 

And because I'm feeling like life hates me... This image is dark and moody... It still has some warmth, as I know my feeling of hopelessness won't last. 

It's Time For A Change

As people, we are constantly changing.  We throw out the old and bring in the new and shiny.  Well I'm doing that with this blog.  It worked well for me, but it no longer meets my needs.  I have new ones... shinier ones. 

Over the past few years I have been making some dramatic changes to my life.  Some have been promising and fulfilling, while others have been put in the dark corner to never be looked at again. 

One of my biggest regrets in life is not pursuing my dream of photography.  Sure I studied part-time for 2 years, but my life wasn't ready for it. 
Unfortunately it's not an option for me to go back and study again.  So I have to find another way to be able to help this dream grow and become a reality. 

I have massive confidence issues with my art.  I am never good enough. EVER!  I am always putting myself down and comparing myself to photographers/artist who have been doing this for 30 or so years.  And I need to stop that.  It's not good. 

I need a place where I can publish my so called crappy art... A place for this crappy art to grow and flourish and become a beautiful masterpiece (my ultimate dream) for all the world to be in awe of.  

But I can't get there if I don't do anything. 

From this day forward, this blog space will be my inspiration board.  A place for me to post something new and to learn from the mistakes and to make this dream a reality.  I thought starting a Facebook page was going to get me motivated.  It's only made me more neurotic about it.  I need a safe place... A place for me, for me and my art to grow.  Slowly.  

It's not going to be fancy at first... but it will be mine. 

I hope that one day my images will make people happy and inspire them too.  Until then, let's make really bad art. 

My man, Papi, on his 2nd Birthday