My Turn

I made it a goal this year to get out in front of the camera. I thought it would be a good learning experience. By doing this I would better understand all the fears that people have getting their photos taken. Hopefully after, I understand the nervousness and know how to fix it and be a better photographer.

So I posted a status on facebook asking if any photographers at UCLA would be willing to take my photo. Two days later I get a text from a friends girlfriend saying if it was all possible she would like to take me photo.  Arah McManamna is a senior at UCLA and wants to be a photographer after she graduates.

I am soooo great full to her for responding to my facebook post and for giving me this experience! I hope she likes the photos I took of her because I LOVE the ones she took of me.

Ok, awkward smile from me…

More awkward smiling…

Much better smile!!!!

gah! back to the awkward smile.

Vegas!

Midterm week is about to start and I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas! This was my first time to Vegas and I was really excited to take photos of all the exciting things in the city (gambling and good food were also pluses).

The purpose of our trip to Vegas was to celebrate Mac’s birthday. Mac was my R.A. last year.  R.A.’s are the people the school hires to try to keep order in the dorms. They are the ones who knock on your door to tell you to be quiet, to enforce the no alcohol rule and help make sure there is no roommate drama. They bring a sense of community to the one campus living environment. Mac and my other R.A. were awesome last year and I’m really happy Mac and I have staid friends. Mac is the happiest person I’ve ever met. He is also the most determined and caring. If one of his residents ever needed something, he would try to move mountains for them.

Happy Birthday Mac!!! Thanks for showing me Las Vegas!!!

Above is the Paris Hotel. Who needs to go Europe? You can go to Vegas!

These are two photos of our hotel. We staid at the Venetian hotel which is themed to look like Venice.

Below is Caesars Palace all lit up at night. Sooo pretty 🙂 We were all wondering, do you think their is a “The Hangover” Suite in the hotel now. Since the movie made the hotel EVEN more famous.

Here is the group that went!!!

and here is a photo of me with the group…yay, for being in photos!

P.S. birthday shout-out to Morgan!!!

Funny Photography Friday!

Yesterday was for the most part a mess. I’m taking a statistics class this quarter and it ruins my whole day. The one bright spot however was a couples shoot with Paige and Niko! Half way through the shoot Paige asks me if I had seen the friends episode where Monica and Chandler get engagement photos taken and Chandler can’t smile. I found a youtube video of it and I have to share! It’s too funny (and in no way reflects how my couples shoot went).

** I just posted this and I noticed you can’t watch it on the site but you can click on the link and watch it on youtube.
*** Also, what type of photographer photographs people using a tripod?!? and what the heck type of camera is that???

Arah McManamna: Anytime

Arah is a photographer, friend and fellow Bruin. She was kind enough to offer to take some photos of me. You can see one of those photos up on the top of website. I LOVE what she did. But of course I couldn’t let her take some photos of me without getting some of her!

Here are the results of that shoot. While we were shooting EVERY photographer in LA was at UCLA. This might sound like an exaggeration but it’s not. Their were about five other photographers out their shooting. Both Arah and I are newbie photographers and it was interesting (and a bit intimidating) being around professional photographers and all their fancy equipment.

I am amazed by Arah’s confidence in front of the camera! Later when I post the photos she took of me, you will see a lot of awkward smiles. Arah however was a star. She would naturally smile, pose and have fun with the shoot. She could also do a fierce serious face too!

 

laying down on the grass was totally her idea. I think it trued out wonderful!

 

 

Can I just say, I LOVE her hair!!!!!!!

 

Wanting to be Wise

“She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! Alas! She must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.”
— Jane Austen (Persuasion)

 

Andrae Russell Patrick Vigil-Romero: Anytime

Ok, so you all saw that photo of that random ladder I had to climb to get to a shoot. Well this is the shoot that was for. This is Andrae. You might recognize him from the shoot I did for UCLA radio. After that shoot Andrae asked me to take some head shots for him. You see he is also into acting. Andrae suggested the roof of the student government building at UCLA for the location of our shoot. I said “sure” without really knowing how we were going to get up there. Well, a trip to the top-level of the building and climbing a sketchy ladder lead to a really AWESOME location. It was really gritty! There was a wonderful brick wall, pipes, a black wall with a green metal gate, a rusty old ladder. So many back drops and all so gritty and wonderful!!!

Here are some of the results from the shoot. Thank you Andrae for showing me this great location and for being such a relaxed, funny and AWESOME model!!!!

Andrae just has a wonderful sense of funny. I think he put me more at ease than I did for him. Seriously Andrae, a million thank yous!!!!

 

 

On a side note this would probably be a good time to announce a little gimmick I’m doing on the blog. See, I really want to hear from people who read the blog (I know, I know, it’s mostly my roommate and my dad who read this blog). But just in case other people read it too, I would really like to hear from you all. Do you like a particular shoot? Do you like a certain photo? Should I be doing something different? Should I post more quotes? More landscape photos? If you have an opinion post it in the comment section! The person who posts the 100th, 250th, 500th and 1,000th comment will each get a prize 🙂  I’m not sure how this will all work out but I figure it’s worth a try. It’s a nice way to thank people who do read the blog. Because really, I am so grateful to everyone who does read it and everyone who agrees to model for me. You are all so helpful in making me a better photographer!!!!!

Much love
– Becca

Late Night Lists!

I AM … staying up late because I didn’t do my homework sooner.
I WANT… a job after I graduate UCLA.
I HAVE … a really great roommate!
I KEEP … champagne corks.
I WISH I COULD … stop being a picky eater.
I HATE … alarm clocks.
I FEAR …  cockroaches!
I HEAR … water dripping from the sink.
I DON’T THINK … I will finish all my homework tonight.
I REGRET … not doing my homework sooner.
I LOVE … Cadburys chocolate.
I AM NOT …  tactful.
I DANCE …  in private.
I SING … but you don’t want to hear me. Trust me. I’m doing you a favor.
I NEVER …  say no to exploring.
I RARELY …  eat vegetables.
I CRY WHEN I WATCH …  old home movies.
I AM NOT ALWAYS …  great at time management…clearly.
I HATE THAT … I don’t have cake right now. Or Cadburys chocolate.
I’M CONFUSED ABOUT … why Justin Bebier is so popular.
I NEED … people.
I SHOULD … do homework.

I Did What???

Yes, internet.  I climbed that ladder.  All in the name of photography.  Yesterday Andrae and I met up to take some head shot photos.  See Andrae is a bit of an aspiring actor, along with actually being a radio host, student and political activist.  We talked about places to shoot and he really wanted to use the roof of a building…I just didn’t know that climbing that ladder would be part of getting there.

Needless to say, this scarred-y cat is quite proud of herself for climbing that ladder.  Andrae’s photos will be up next week. Happy Friday everyone!!!

Daddy’s Prayer

Last week my dad had a little health scare.  He is fine now but he had to spend a night in the hospital due to a heart condition.  Anyone who knows me or my dad knows we worry about his heart, all the time.  It’s interesting dealing with something like this so far away.  I live in L.A. and my family lives in the Bay Area.  I first found out via text message from my little sister “Don’t know if mum told you. Dad’s in the hospital, I don’t know much else. Mum is with him.”  Text messages went back and forth that night and the next morning but Sarah (my sis) still had no news.  Of course everything turned out fine. My mom called later that afternoon with a tone of “I know Sarah told you already and you must be worrying…which was something I was only trying to avoid by not tell you” – a tacit I’m not sure I agree with mom…but I know you do what you think is best.

That twelve-hour period was a worrying one.  All I knew was that my dad was in the hospital.  News of the shootings in Arizona only compounded my wired mood for the day.  Those shooting hit a little too close to home as well.  The people shot were people doing the same job that I do  – it was all just a little troublesome of a day.  And days like that lead to reflection.  My dad is the person who takes the most pride in the fact that I want to go into public service.  He is a very proud American and impressed upon all his children that public service is a noble profession.  I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without him and I can’t image what it would be like if he where to suddenly leave.

With all this going on I had a vivid memory running through my head, the prayer my dad would say with us every night before we went asleep and the little handshake that came after.

God Bless Mommy
God Bless Daddy
God Bless James and little Sarah
God Bless Grandma in America
God Bless Nana and Popa and Great Nana
God Bless all my Aunties and Uncles
and all my cousins and friends
and most of all dear God, Bless me, Rebecca Faith Barrett
and keep me safe through the night
Amen

After dad would stick out his index finger to meet mine and he would say “Beeeeeeee good.”  Our little handshake I found out later comes from the movie E.T.

“Imagine” – John Lennon – Tucson Tribute – (Sam Tsui / AHMIR cover)