Thursday, July 5, 2012

Face Painting in West Philly Clark Park



費城! 
  




Summer Solstice Festival in Clark Park, West Philly w/Pirate Pebbs







I tried to dress light, but still sweaty, n getting used to heat.

They had a cart there with THE BEST falafels EVER!

June 30th, I think this was.

We made the costumes ourselves more or less.













July 4th Art Museum Firework 費城!

費城! 
Well, I guess this is the best I could do. I had a REALLY great time!

The musicians/artists playing live:

Lauren Hill, Queen Latifa, Darrel Hall, The Roots, Jonas Brothers, and MORE. But, I couldn't get close enough to shoot any.

BIGGEST block party EVER!




The humidity was PERFECT for photography! RICH SATURATED COLORS, full atmospheric density. 52%+ humidity

 










 
I had no control over who's heads were in the frame. So, whatever. They're all shot on manual on various exposure lengths.  If you want to look at more check 'em here. 

Anyways, still learning... 

Sunset At Philadelphia Museum of Art: LOW HUMIDITY


    

So, this was a bit of a dream come true for me! Only thing is, this was a low humidity day, so the colors weren't quite as rich as if it has been HIGH HUMIDITY.

The LAST week of JUNE and the FIRST week of JULY is THE BEST time to shoot to get the specific light & colors.

I shot these on July 2nd, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in near Center City. 費城! 


 I used to live on Ben Franklin Parkway in 1999. But, from 1998-2001 and a few other years after when I was in Philly, end of June and Early July, I would take special notice of the sun sets behind the Art Museum. From about 2000-2004 there were many renovations done back there, so it's much different now. But, the sunsets are special JUST at this time, and ONLY from specific locations at the Museum.
There are 2 gazebos there. I've shot at the waterfront LARGE gazebo in 2011 for a wedding with a special permit. But, This time was FREE.




 The sunsets still look good in Spring & Fall, but this specific Solstice time is especially unique. THE COLORS! I know this because I also PAINT, and studied Meteorology in Environmental sciences, as well as 3D CGI rendering. So, I NEEDED to know this stuff.

I finally got MY chance to shoot here, since my camera is at least good enough. This project took me several hours.
I needed to bring my tripod.


I will try to make another attempt this week, during high humidity. This will hopefully get more RICH reds in the sky.

Some of these DO use filters.


























 If you wish to see more, Museum Sun Set in Philly

Monday, June 11, 2012

Posting Professional Profile Photos Online

So, I'm in the market for a new career, new opportunities, and so on. IN case you haven;t noticed, in America, it's much harder for women than men, because people judge women more on just their appearance, often before they even consider your qualifications. (Story of my life)

So.... with much frustration, I've been working on my online job seeking profile photos.

Since I'm seeking office type of work, I can;t have my profile picture looking like a belly dancer, even tho' I am a belly dancer, or an Otaku, or a Comic Con Fan Girly... even tho I kinda am, on both the business side, and the fan side...

Here are a few that didn;t quite make it:

  

 So, these just didn't quite make it. I need a new battery, because the only one I have doesn't hold a charge very long, so I can;t get enough frames fast enough.

Plus, so much trouble getting a good shot while the clouds aren't blocking the sun. Really frustrating.

These should've been good, but still didn't turn out right. The make-up was right too.


I'm not sure how I feel about black for this stuff yet. I worry about looking like a funeral going mourner... I also don;t want to look Halloween-ish, now unsightly shadows on the face. What I don;t like about these is the ugly Harry-Potter-looking scar on my face. 


Now, when it came to just researching make-up alone, I was totally lost. I've been researching for months. There's no 1 exact perfect rule. NO one agrees. Each employer has different opinions.

At 1 point I even looked up various make-up artists whom did the make-up for a number of GOP women running for office. Really weird for me to do, since I'm a Progressive...


So, the final stuff I have, I'm rather happy with... I might try some more photos just to see what I might come up with but, I like what I have here.


  

 I was afraid to shoot in red, originally, because I was afraid it was too much. But, since all my duds happened in black, and that day I felt like a RED mood, I just went with it.

Red is actually a Power Color, and it's scientifically proven that people pay attention to you more & better when you wear red. It's also been proven that even in the presence of a red light, or dressing in red, your physical strength can increase up to %15.

   
 For me, wearing red has always been a successful trick. When I interview I notice red works better, even tho' most classes I attended seemed to profess dark colors were best.

The red here worked out really well. The reflection of the light gives a rosy glow, which makes me look more lively, and not too old.

The flowers also add to it and keep a feminine feel to it.
  
 Since greens & reds are complimentary colors on the color wheel (Color Theory) it balances out just right.


The difference between the  photoshoots are totally different. I don't look like The Addams Family, The Twilight Zone, Twilight blood sucking vampires, etc.
 So... that's my process of trying to get some better photos... hopefully, I can start a new career, eh?




So, if you'd like to see some of my photos of what one should NEVER use if you're seeking a job, you'll want to look at these disasters.

Somehow, in those I look like a creepy, Gothic, pasty, vampire... which was NOT what I was looking for!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Pirate Pebbs @ Comic Con 2012 Philly

My good friend Pirate Pebbs! 費城! 

Here she is on Thursday opening up at Comic Con in Philly!


This was her Thursday Costume!
Pirate Pebbs @ Comic Con Philly 2012
Pirate Pebbs @ Comic Con Philly 2012