You Are A Marvel. You Are Unique.

This is a poem written by Pablo Casals.  I read it recently and it stayed with me.  I can’t help but think how much better off would all children be if they had an adult in their lives who told them “you are a marvel.  you are unique.”

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe,

A moment that never was before and never will be again.

And what do we teach our children in school?
We teach them that two and two make four

And that Paris is the capital of France.

When will we also teach them what they are?
We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are?
You are a marvel. You are unique.

In all of the world there is no other child exactly like you.

In the millions of years that have passed, there has never been a child like you.

And look at your body- what a wonder it is!
Your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move!
You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven.

You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel.

And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?
You must cherish one another

We must all work-

To make this world worthy of its children.

-Pablo Casals

Dogs Don’t Care

Dogs don’t care.  I think that’s why people like them so much.  They support you no matter what.  They don’t care how you did in school, who you dated, or how much money you make.  They don’t judge your life choices.  All they care about is that you are a part of their pack.  Being part of the pack means full acceptance from a dog.  They are happy to see you when you come back home.  They want to spend time with you.

People could learn a lot from dogs.  Everyone longs for acceptance and dogs are so accepting.  It would be nice if we could get acceptance from people as well as dogs.

Merry Christmas -Charlie Brown

Jonathan & Allison

They met at UCLA.  They are both political science majors and are involved in Bruin Democrats.   Over the summer she was probably one of the youngest Congressional staffers in the country.  He interned at LA City Hall.  A college political powerhouse.  However they also bake cinnamon muffins and hang out with me and eat too much ice cream (and in retrospect that bubblegum-gummy bear flavored ice cream wasn’t the best idea).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting In Front of the Lens

I don’t often get in front of a camera lens.  I mostly like my role firmly behind the camera.  However I feel I’m at the point now where I have to do it.  I have to instruct people on how to pose and feel comfortable in front of the camera.  How can I do that for them if I can’t do it myself?  So, it’s time.  Time to get out in front of the camera.  We will see how if goes after todays shoot.  Hopefully it wont rain on me.

Sneak Peek: Jonathan and Allison

So it’s nearly 5am but I have to blog this!  I had a quick shoot today with Jonathan and Allison a.k.a. the cutest couple ever!  They are sooo adorable together.  I just had to go home and edit these photos right away.  I will blog about the whole shoot next week but I had to let someone see what I was seeing.  These two are too cute!!!

Home Again…

and no rest! My last fall quarter at UCLA is over.  I’m done with finials and I’m home in northern California.  Once home I quickly got my old job back.  That’s something I’m quite proud and happy about.

I just put all the photos from wedding I shot on a CD and I’ll be delivering them to the bride this week.  The photo above is from that wedding.  I really like this one of the flowers!!!

Mum and dad keeps talking to me about being a professional photographer.  I’m used to mum doing it but dad… he used to like that I wanted to work in politics.  I have no idea what is up with this push towards photography from the parentials…

Chloe!!!! Jokes, Finals and Photography

This is Chloe, my roommate.   A few days ago she came to me and asked me to take her photograph because of her internship with the HAMMER Museum.  I was happy to help but I could tell she was apprehensive about doing this.  She doesn’t like being in photos.  The first time we tried to take the photo was in our apartment, she had just pulled an all nighter and I had been in the library for several hours.  It’s finals season and no one is at their best.

The first time around was in the apartment, at night with awful lighting.  I had to crank up the ISO and hope for the best. I’m not that good of a photographer.  I was nervous, she was nervous and tired.  The next day was my last chance to get this.  She needed photo by the end of work Friday.  I knew Chloe was going to run back to the apartment for 15 mins on her lunch break and that’s all the time I had to get the shot.  I was nervous.  I had to think of something, some joke, some wacky thing to say to make her laugh and feel more comfortable.  This is scary, if you know me then you know I’m not a funny person.  I’m a serious person.  I’m half English gosh darn it… how many tea drinking, stiff upper lip English people do you know that are funny?!?

She arrived and I hoped I had my joke ready.  I took a couple of shots and she still looked uncomfortable.  So, time to pull out the joke… (It was a random inside joke that she and I would know and so no point in saying it).  I said it and kept my camera to my eye.  But it worked! She laughed and relaxed and I got the shot.

Note to self: Think of more jokes…

GO BRUINS!!!

Today is game day, UCLA vs. USC.  I’m a Bruin, this post I feel is mandatory.

Goal #49: Dye My Hair Red -Complete

 

So I actually met this goal a few weeks ago… but I made that 101 in 1001 list over the course of a few months so I think this totally counts.

I was grocery shopping a few weeks ago and I was in the shampoo isle and saw the hair dye and was like “why not?”  At this point in my life I don’t have a good reason not to dye my hair.  Even if it goes horribly wrong no one is going to care, I’m in college and everyone has wacky hair.

I don’t think this experiment went horribly wrong.  I think it went ok. Just ok though.  My hair is actually much darker than it seems in this photograph and I’m not sure how I feel about it being this dark.  But it washes out, so it’s all good.

Goal #49 COMPLETE