Photography: Trial and Error and Error....

I LOVE photography.

I love to look at it, I love to practice it, and I love following blogs with good photographers. 

But I have yet to take a class, and I feel my skills are lacking. I really want to get good at it!

You see, I love to practice on my dog (because he is so cute), but whenever we take him out to good photography spots, he gets a little too excited, and most my pictures end up like this:

or like this

(he loved chasing the birds)

Every now and then I catch an okay one

Or a goofy one

By they are few and far between

Now I have read hundreds of tips online and such, but I want to know what really works for you!
What quick and successful tips do you have for taking pictures?
(It doesn't have to be just action/dog shots, I like taking still shots too)

We did have a lot of fun at the park though :D

Also.......

I celebrated my birthday not too long ago, and look at my amazing cake!

Yes, its a Mrs. Pac Man

And yes, that is an upside down stuffed Mario mushroom in the background.

It was a great 22nd birthday!

Anyhoo, have a great week and leave me your photography secrets!
 ( please ;D )

P.S. These are a couple of my favorite photography bloggers. Their blogs are not focused around photography, but they always include multiple excellent photos in each blog post all taken by them!

http://manditremayne.blogspot.com/

http://tracys-trinkets-treasures.blogspot.com/

http://russandselena.blogspot.com/

The Conclusion, of Facebook...

Well it has been close to a week now since I did it,

I took the plunge,

I deleted Facebook. 

I don't feel conflicted or left out like I thought I might....

I also don't feel relieved or like I 'have more time'. 

I just feels ........ normal.

And I like that.

I copied all my pictures to my computer, so there were no strings attached.

Goodbye social networking drama that I despised like so, 

Goodbye.

Simple Mathematics Folks

Yes, that's all it takes; Addition.

When did we learn that again? First...Second grade?

So please tell me why I CONSTANTLY see people adding their tips to their bill incorrectly.

A $115.75 dollar check plus a $16.05 dollar tip does NOT equal $123.05! How do you even get that??

Okay, lets take into consideration that you are a bit tipsy. So a few drinks makes you completely forget the basis of your entire math knowledge?

Let's all just slow down, take a deep breath, and actually pay attention to what we are doing.

A 'lil bit of restaurant ranting for ya. 

You.Are.Awesome

Are you ever like.....
           "Damn, I'm awesome!"


if so....
   What are you doing that makes you say that?

I wanna know what brings you to that high point. That thing that gives you adrenaline that makes you feel on top of the world.


For me its usually right after I successfully jam out to a good song....
.... or after I beat an Expert level Sudoku puzzle.

I'm pretty sure this little guy thinks that phrase every day....

Or at least he should think it....because he is!!

This is one of Snoop's favorite places in the house, with one of his beat up toys that he left there.

Have a great week!

Pacific Beach, California

I have decided to (every now and then) do a review on one of the beaches here in Southern California (mostly sandy-eggo beaches).

I am going to start with one of my favorites (so far): Pacific Beach....or as absolutlyeveryone calls it here, PB.

Recently I decided to practice my photography skillz with my new-ish camera, so I headed down to PB with our roommate to take some photos. 

There are sooo many reason's why I love it here in PB, but to some it up: They have good bars, lot's of CLEAN sand, not too many bugs, and the place is full of color. 

Now, when I say "full of color" I really do mean it. Many of the people who hang out here have very colorful personalities, and don't mind showing it off.

You may get a random person asking you an off-the-wall question here and there,

and I can guaranteed that 15 bucks will get you a 'love the free world' tie-dyed t-shirt!

But, that is why I love it so much. People come here to relax, be themselves, and have a drink or two. 

Sometimes I look into that ocean blue and just know that I could stare into it forever.

Not to mention I absolutely love the old town rustic scenery

 

Now if you are planning a trip to Southern California, and would like to make a stop at good 'ol PB,

Here are some places you should DEFINITELY check out.

 Moondoggies

Yummy food, good pours, live bands/Dj's, indoor AND outdoor seating, and GREAT prices.

This quiet little bar will also quickly turn into a hoppin' night club on the weekends.

Kabuki Sushi

If you like sushi, this place is cheap and delish.

(right across the street from Moondoggies)

And the Lahaina Beach House

This place has been here for years. You can go inside, order a burger, fries, and a pitcher of beer, and then sit on the patio that is just feet from the ocean blue. 

Great drinks, good prices, and an AMAZING view.

I remember my parents coming here when I was a youngin'. Defiantly a great place to hang out, BUT cash only so be prepared.  

Another great place to go in PB (that I do not have a picture of) is Miller Field. 

This place has tasty food, good prices and a nice bar.

Now....where NOT to go.

Awful food, service and prices. 

Don't even waste your time.

(this is really the only place I have had an awful experience at)

The rules in PB are similar to rules at most all the San Diego beaches

And although the parking can be a little rough at times, 

it is totally worth it. 

Because in MY OPINION there is no better place to put your toes in the sand and just relax.....

<3

How Old Are You, Really?

and How old would you be, if you didn't know how old you were?

I have been thinking about this ...... question.....over and over again for a while now.
What is with our country's big obsession with age?

You have to be a certain age to legally do certain things (drive, drink, smoke, vote, gamble, etc.).
Children are grouped by their age and are stuck with the same people to socialize and interact with for their entire childhood. (I could go on and on about this one)
You can receive money from the government, at a certain age.
Your car insurance goes down, once you are a certain age.


but, who is to say you will learn best with the other twelve year olds in your 6th grade class? And what if you're not ready to drive when you're 16? What if you know more about our government, and the current election when your 17, then most 40 year olds do? They still get to cast their vote, but you do not.

Is this system really fair??


Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm 21 and I feel like I'm 35.

Or maybe I'm going through an I'm.only.going.to.be.young.once.I.must.capture.my.youth faze of some sort.

All I know is, at my place of employment, my two closest friends are 18 and 50.

And in my professional opinion, you gain knowledge with experience.......not age.
(because we all know there are some old ass baby-boomers out there with an IQ still stuck in the mid 60's)

To me, your age is the number of years you have been alive, and that's it. So why does everyone make it so complicated?

What are your thoughts on age?

Empathy of Dreams

Hello friends and followers.  

I have something new that I have been working on, and I believe I am ready to announce it. 

See.... when I sleep, I dream. And I mean I dream CRAZY dreams. And I have always wanted to record them down somehow, but every time I started to write down dreams in a journal, I lost interest. 

SO.....

I am recording some of my dreams in my new blog Empathy of Dreams.

The dreams are written in short story format, and they are all real dreams that I have had. 

I am excited to write this blog because: 

1. It will help improve my writing skillz.

2. I can record my dreams in a fun and interesting way.

3. I can finally share my dreams without nagging people to listen, and then getting blank and confused stares in return. :D

So HERE is the link to my new blog:

http://empathyofdreams.blogspot.com/

NOW for some fun sleep facts to get you in-ze-mood:

1. The average person in my age group (19-55) needs 8 hours of sleep. I get like 10 every night. 

2. Dreaming is perfectly normal! People who don't have dreams usually have personality disorders. 

3. 1 in 4 married couples sleep in separate beds. 

4. You will die from sleep deprivation before food deprivation. You can go 2 weeks before starving to death, but you can only go 10 days without sleep. 

5. Within 5 minutes of waking up, 50% of your dream is forgotten. Within 10 minutes, 90% is gone. I believe this is not the case for me. I remember my dreams days after I have them. Sometimes even weeks/years. 

6. When we sleep, our cells repair themselves, our brain recharges, and our body releases important hormones.

7. When dolphins sleep, only have their brain shuts down so they can continue breathing cycles. 

8. People who are blind can see in their dreams. 

9. 12% of people dream only in black and white. My only dream that is in black and white is my reoccurring dream. 

10. Men have dreams of other men 70% of the time, but women dream about men and women equally.

11. We can ONLY dream of faces we have already seen, whether or not we actively remember them. 

12. Koalas sleep 22 hours a day. Giraffes sleep 1.9 hours a day. 

Now come and join me through my journey of dreams.......