10 Simple Rules To English Tea Time (Because I’m English)

At 4am American time a notable moment in English history will occur, Prince William will marry Kate Middleton. So I’ll be up at 4am on Friday morning watching the wedding…and I’m going to track down some English flags.

In honor of this occasion here are 10 simple rules to English Tea Time:

1) The host or hostess must formally invite people to tea. The invitation should inform guests on what to expect at this particular tea time.
2)High tea is served from late afternoon to early evening (4pm-7pm). High tea also has place settings and serves heartier foods. Don’t call your tea “high tea” if it’s not high tea.
3)Essential items for tea time are: tea-pot, cups, saucers, teaspoons, sugar bowl and sugar tongs, tea strainer, lemon dish and fork, and serving utensils.
4) The host must mingle with their guests and not hide in the kitchen.
5)All refreshments must be placed on the table.
6)A formal table has one correct placement for a napkin, to the left side of the place setting. The napkin should be folded with the closed edge to the left and the open edge to the right. NEVER place your napkin on your chair.
7)NO smoking! The smell can affect everyone’s taste of the tea.
8)NO slurping!
9)NEVER loop you fingers through the cup handle or hold the cup vessel.
10)and remember, pinkies up!

Portraits Of the UCLA Elections Board

Student government elections are brutal at UCLA and the people that are meant to keep the candidates and supporters in line are the Elections Board (e-board for short).  The e-board are the arbiters of the election. They organize the debates and make rulings on if any of the candidates are acting inappropriately. Which is a very stressful job. Both sides call each other on bad behavior and the e-board has to rule fairly.

This years UCLA e-board is made up of five people, four of which sat down with me to take photos. Each of them are fantastic student leaders! Ashley works for UCLA’s Bruin Lobby Corps and the External Vice Presidents Office and she is an amazing person who does so much for the school. Patrick is the Former Advertising Director for Bruin Democrats and is going to Washington D.C. this summer to intern for Congresswoman Bass. Both Patrick and Ashley are graduating this year (CONGRATULATIONS)!!!

Libby is a foreign exchange student from England – Which just makes her involvement in student government all the more impressive…she won’t even be here next year and she is getting involved! Also I have Libby’s photo in black and white because I think it gives her that old English uni girl look. Like in that photo she could be attending Oxford right now and thinking of running for Parliament…lol. I just met Amna at the shoot and I was blown away by how sweet she is! She was so nice to me and everyone in group. I have no doubt she will be a fair decision maker.

So here they are UCLA, your Election Board members. May we have a fair and peaceful election!

Patrick James Ahrens

Ashley Williams Loeb

Amna Qamar

Libby Edgar

Broken Old Computers & Photoshop

Random photo I took around UCLA...and has nothing to do with this blog post.

On of my goals this year was to buy photoshop. Well, check that one off the list because I did it! Then I downloaded it on to my computer, opened it up and got completely overwhelmed.  There are so many buttons and things to adjust and click! So when I saw that the Westwood Camera Store was teaching a class on how to use photoshop I signed up.

On the first Saturday after my finials I went back to Westwood Camera. I was all dressed up (I’m trying to dress to impress here!) and I had my laptop with me. Now anyone who has seen my laptop knows it’s not a dress to impress piece of hardware. I’ve had it for four years, it’s dusty, chipped and has keys missing. However my mom worked over time for a year to buy it for me to take to college and so I love it!

So there I was, in this class. I was probably only one of two people my age (a rare thing to happen in Westwood because it is a college town). I was way over dressed from the crowd that showed up. Most people where there to have a comfortable lesson about photoshop. Also, I was the only one who brought a computer and it seemed a little out of the ordinary for someone to take notes with a computer. Can someone please tell me, if it not proper photo class etiquette to bring your own computer??? However, I made an agreement with the teacher. I would take notes and give out my email to the whole class. Anyone who wanted the notes could email me for them. I got a few emails asking for my notes, which was really cool. I didn’t get to talk to any of the photographers during class but I’ve had a few good chats with people via email!

Oh, and I’m still a little overwhelmed my photoshop…I’m going to have to learn more about it.

Hike Up To The Hollywood Sign: Check

Last Friday Chloe and I completed goal number 6 on our L.A. bucket list, we climbed to the Hollywood sign. It was a epic climb. The first 1/3 of it was really steep and over whelming.  But it was really nice to see this cute little welcoming sign that said that the worst of the hike was over and we had made it.

Becca Barrett Photography

The views along the trail was amazing! You could see so much of L.A. and lots of beautiful fields of flowers.

Becca Barrett Photography

There where so many flowers!!! It was really pretty (once you got over the intense walk). From the 2/3 point of the trail Chloe and I stepped off the path and ended up in a restricted part of trail. From this point we got a great view of the front of the sign. You see, from the real trail you go to the back of the sign and we wanted to see the front. We succeeded!

Becca Barrett Photography

An Interview With A Photographer: Emily Nguyen

In pursuit of trying to learn as much as I can, I have had many great conversations with many fantastic photographers!!! I especially love talking to photographers my age.  I admire them so much, being able to risk everything to start their own photography business.

This is Emily Nguyen. We went to high school together and she is now a full-time student and photographer! We have been talking about photography with each other for a while. We’ve been on shoots together and check out each others blogs. And one day I decided to ask her if she would be kind enough to answer some formal questions for a blog post. I’m so excited that she agreed to do so!!! I hope someone out there finds her answers and advise as interesting as I do!

Questions:

Hi Emily, thank you for agreeing to do this! Could please just introduce yourself and tell us three fun facts about yourself?

I’m Emily Nguyen. I’m a photographer from the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in portraits and model portfolio. I love Japanese culture, definitely a anime/manga fanatic. I’m actually learning Japanese right now at DVC. I like to play World of Warcraft and Munchkins in my spare time. I also love to bowl! I bowl on a league every Monday, but I’m taking this season off due to school.

How did you first start in photography?
My interest in photography started in fifth grade. I used to take my dad’s Canon EOS 350 to school and take photos of my friends by the school’s garden and playgrounds. In middle school, my best friends and I would dress up and go to random places to take photos of each other all the time. I was always taking pictures. It was the same in high school as well. After high school, I took an interest in modeling and started working with a lot of photographers. It was a great experience. I learned so much from the photographers, like what sort of camera to buy, what type of lens to purchase, how to work with lighting, etc. I even had a photographer teach me how to edit photos. He walked me through step by step while editing my photos. If I didn’t model, I wouldn’t have had the experience that was necessary for me to start my own photography business.

I started the official photography business in August 2008. I started out with a Canon EOS D60 and a Quantaray 55-200mm lens. I made a Myspace for ENPhotography, started spamming friend requests, and posted bulletins for free shoots. After three months of free shoots, I started charging. I rely heavily on word of mouth for advertising, and I also advertise on Craigslist and Facebook.

What do you mostly like shooting?
I like to photograph models. Models, primarily because I get to be really creative. I love the different looks that goes into modeling. The locations are really cool too, like the Byron Hot Springs Hotel. I always go to the thrift store and buy outfits that I think would look good for a photo shoot or sometimes I would try to make outfits for the shoots. I love coming up with ideas for photo shoots and exploring photographs for inspiration.

How would you describe your style of photography? What drew you to that style?
My style of photography is portraiture with a vintage/retro touch. I have always loved the look of vintage and retro. The colors are vibrant yet dull. It’s a unique combination. I love browsing around the internet to find actions and textures to work with, and its fun to create my own as well.

What type of camera do you use?
I am currently using a Canon EOS 40D but I really want to upgrade to a Canon EOS 7D or 5D. If I had the money, I would buy the 5D, but I’m most likely getting the 7D since it’s more affordable and it’s still very high quality.

What is your favorite lens?
My favorite lens is the Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L lens, primarily because I like to shoot mostly full body and I like the ultra wide angle. Though sometimes, it does distort the body depending on the distance between the subject and I. I would prefer to use a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L lens, but there is no way I can afford that yet. I will probably get the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens in a couple of weeks though, which would be great for macros and portraits. I love the bokeh effect that it has.

If you could photograph anyone in the world who would it be and why? 
Hmm, if I could photograph anyone in the world, it would be Audrey Hepburn. I love her style, and she is so gorgeous. Actually, I would love to photograph anyone from the 50’s and 20’s jazz era. I love the fashion from both those eras.

Thank you Emily for agreeing to answer my questions!

If you are interested in shooting with Emily you can contact her at ENPhotography@rocketmail.com

Reading Lists and Being Zen

Becca Barrett Photography

It’s my last quarter at UCLA. Last. Done. Finished with school! and for whatever reason, this is the quarter were I have finally learned to manage my life. I’m doing my reading, staying on top of work stuff, finishing homework, having fun and even…relaxing! I’ve taken to going outside, sitting in the sun and reading.

And I’m not only reading school books. I’m reading books I want to read. I’m half way done with Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter.

I can not tell you how proud and excited reading for fun makes me! You see, I’m really dyslexic (if someone is reading this they are probably thinking “no, duh”). But I’m like, really dyslexic. So dyslexic that my 1st grade teacher told my mom to put me in special ed and not expect me to graduate high school. Apparently my teacher didn’t think I was the “academic type” and my parents should try to encourage me to go into a trade. Being dyslexic has effected me in many ways. I am embarrassed by my reading and writing skills. I sit looking at simple emails for long periods of time, trying to look for errors. I use spell check, I read everything twice, I slow down and think about what I’m writing – and it will still be wrong. My writing will probably always have mistakes and their will always be someone out there who points it out. Which intensifies the embarrassment.

So I rarely read for pleasure. I’m slowly trying to change this and I’m surprised to find it relaxing. It’s good to get caught up in the stories and take some time out from worrying about school, work and life after college. For the first time books are providing me pleasure not stress. I hope it continues.

Please let me know what other good books are out there! I really like biographies 🙂

T.E.A.M =Together Everyone Accomplishes More

I have always secretly admired athletes. If you saw me in high school I was probably the kid who was “to cool” to care about sports…was sports ever going to change the world? Well lets look at the qualities playing sports provides lessons in: teamwork,  persistence,  work ethic, confidence, leadership, pride, and discipline. All of these are great qualities to have and can be used to make  positive change in our community.

I had the pleasure and privilege of being able to photograph a NorCal girls soccer team called the Concord MOB. I watched them train, warm-up and play. I have been able to listen to their sports stories and their life stories. All of them have the great qualities I listed above. They worked together and supported each other as a team. They are amazing girls!

The amount of comradeship I got to see from the sidelines will stay with me for a long time. Everyone got to play and everyone was supportive of the girls out on the field. Girls who were on the bench handed water to girls who were playing during breaks. When a girl came to the bench to rest the other girls would all cheer and support her. Really, it was an amazing sight.

I’m so glad I got to see them play.

Becca Barrett Photography

It was a cloudy and cold day. This made the lighting really nice to take photos but also made it super cold. It didn’t rain during the game I watched but it did during the other game of the day. Wearing shorts in those conditions must have been horrible!

Becca Barrett Photography

Becca Barrett Photography

Becca Barrett Photography

This is them doing warm-ups…I know it’s the last picture and if I was listing the photos in any type of timeline it would be first…but that’s okay.

Running Back Into the Rabbit Hole

I haven’t been blogging lately.  Even worse, I haven’t been shooting. I don’t know why this happens but sometimes I just get into a funk. I like to think of it as “running back into the rabbit hole.” You see, with blogging and photography I feel like I have to put myself out there a lot. It’s kinda like creeping out of my hiding place….Which makes me feel super uncomfortable. In return for feeling mass amounts of uncomfortableness, (is that even a word?!?) I hope to become a better photographer. And I do see that happening. I can go back to old posts and see a evloution in my photography.

But then I get scared. I realize how bad of a photographer I was and that I might have gotten two steps better. That realization freaks me out. What if I still actually suck? What if, to get way better I have to totally commit to photography and leave other interests behind? What if I always suck?

Those question swirl around in my head for a long time and it makes it difficult for me to pick up my camera or blog. I’m going to try and push myself out of it though. I’m hoping to post more about photo classes I’ve recently taken, shoots that I’ve been on, books that I’ve read, future post-college life plans and again lots more photos! We will see how this goes.