Surfing with the Anti Team

Twitter

It was only a few months ago when I mentioned social media. Now that I'm working on a small business start up, I'm doing what I can to connect everywhere. Twitter. Facebook. Email. Whatever. So many things to keep up with but I'm having fun with it.

I do need to take more pictures though. And I need to learn how to photoshop an HDR photo.

No Words

Simply Put

Took some pretty awesome pictures for Simply ANTI yesterday. I had a lot of fun. It was kinda tough just figuring out how to set up the people because I've never really dealt with a on site photo shoot. It was another good photo shoot experience. Now I've taking pictures in a makeshift studio and on a site. Now I just have to do those over and over again to get better. Still no external light sources. Just natural lighting or lights that are already there. It's a natural feel, but not production quality. Hopefully people will help me throughout the year to figure out how to get better. 

Re:

New outlook on life.

I'm burdened by that though for now.

Hopefully things will get better soon.

Sudden knowledge

Unfortunately, that little piece of paper known as a degree is far more valuable than the knowledge you gained while obtaining it.

Unfortunate

Tough times. Difficult times. Big decisions.

I'm gonna handle it somehow. I'm gonna make it through.

I'll find a way.

I'm not done yet.

Mac vs. PC

Apple. PC. It's like war. Some hardcore Macheads despise PCs and vice versa. There was even this video of this girl that admitted that she would never sleep with anyone that used a PC that she knew of. That's insane. That's blasphemy.

I have used Macs and PCs pretty much equally. The first 11 years of my life, I was more about PCs, mainly because that's what I had and from what I remember, it was pretty awesome. I had this Millenium Edition Desktop from HP. But after I got the first generation iPod, I started to use Macs. I went from the iBook G3, to the PowerBook G4, and now I have the MacBook Pro. And now I'm kinda biased towards Macs. The design, the operating system, the packaging, nearly everything is integrated to near perfection. I appreciate those small details.

For all of those people who are against Macs and say that they are overpriced, pieces of junk should really realize that their PCs are actually essentially derived from a Mac. Especially nowadays. I saw this one comment stating that whoever buys a iPad is the biggest moron of 2010. How can this be true? The people who buy the iPad are only early adopters. They are investing in a company that has history of great products. Not only that, but also many companies are playing catch up, creating their own versions of the iPad. Most companies are still trying to perfect their mobile devices to match up with the iPhone. Sure the iPhone lacks a lot of capabilities, a lot of that "pro" look that BlackBerry has, but in terms of overall functionality, the iPhone is essentially the best phone out there for the masses. It's not meant for specific people. It's not specifically meant for programmers, business people, athletes, teenagers, adults, or any of the above. It's meant for everyone. And that's the whole appeal.

I'm not trying to put PC users down. In fact, I applaud PCs. I want one. I have been trying to buy a Dell XPS for a while now just because it's so versatile. I see my friends use it all the time. I want to learn the ins and outs of Linux, Windows XP/Vista/7. I want to understand those things because they are so useful. People use them because they are efficient, cheap, and highly customizable. If you don't like the processor on your desktop computer, you can change it relatively easily. With a Mac though, you are essentially trapped with the ability to only change your RAM modules, sometimes your hard drive, and switch out your battery. And even with your battery, you can't even expand your battery like Dell or Levono allows you to. Wait. What am I talking about? With the new Macs, you can't even take out the battery. It's soldered to the computer. The back plate won't open. It's essentially in there for good. Sure it gets 8 hours of battery life on a single charge, but still, it's pretty ridiculous that you can't change out the battery if you need to.

As for the iPad: people have been putting this product down so much recently. I don't understand why. It's ok to have your own opinion, but it's ridiculous to put down a product that is obviously going to change computing. It may not replace the computer, but it will make how we do things. More computers will be gesture based, touch screen, and even more portable. How is buying the iPad not a good thing? You're just helping out our future by inputing some advice to advance iPad v.2. Not only that, but it will also open up more opportunities for other companies to form and play catch up and there will be cheaper versions of the iPad that do specific things for specific demographics. I find that the iPad to be revolutionary not only because it's a beautifully designed product, but it's also a functional and efficient piece of technology that we dreamed of years ago. Apple didn't invent the tablet computer, they just made their own version of it. They are attempting to optimize an idea for the future. I find that inspiring.

Here's to the Crazy Ones.

Earth Day

Taking pictures for a competition or a purpose is so hard. I had no idea. I submitted one for the competition anyway. I'm not too happy with what I came back to my dorm with after 20 minutes of shooting, but I waited too long to take a decent shot so I suppose I deserved not to get the perfect shot. Oh well. 

I didn't listen to any music while taking pictures... does that affect my ability? We'll see. 

Live Music

When life brings trouble
You can fight or run away
I have no struggle
Relax watch me float away
I'm coastin'
I'm coastin' on a dream
I'm coastin'
This one's for you and me

-Zion I

I feel as though live, raw music really defines musicians. Sure musicians and artists also have to be technically sound in the recording studio and understand audio engineering, but most amateur recording studios can produce sound that really sounds professional.

I always had a passion for live music for some reason. As much as I love recorded versions that the audio technicians put so much work into, I always look for the live version because it's so pure. There are virtually no edits. Bands or musicians that can pull off a good show or a good live recording somehow become my favorite bands. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, and JM3. I always trade between these awesome bands. I love their studio recordings, but what I love more is their passion for live sound. They always bring something different to the table.

The Chili Peppers had a great show in 2001 at Slane Castle. Occasionally, I will go on YouTube or on iTunes to listen to that album or watch them dance around stage like psychos. The filmography for that particular concert was beyond words. Everything, the music to the visuals to the lighting, fit together perfectly. The director of photography is a visionary genius in my book. But all in all, the Chili Peppers always stun me with their sound. I feel as though their best line up will always be with Anthony Kleidis , Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith. Their sync with each other is uncanny. They could be the most passionate group ever conceived. I regret never going to one of their concerts before John left.

John Mayer and JM3. John Mayer in specific is a great live performer. He has a specific sound that cannot be reproduced. Sure people come close, but it's just not the same. He has this understanding of live music. His latest recorded concert "Where the Light is" directed by Danny Clinch (another awesome photographer) is one of the greatest ideas that I have seen. Going through all of his different reincarnations, he stunned the audience and myself with his versatility. All of the songs he played that night were amazing. Some of them hits, some of them weren't, but all of them were played with his "live" side. He put in a little extra. He added five more minutes to his solos. He felt every note. I haven't really understood blues until I listened to him. Now I'm listening to the greats like Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, SRV, Eric Clapton, etc. At first I didn't "feel" his trio. But after watching him perform, and opening myself up to something new, I found that I loved that sound more than anything. The blues sound. I can't get enough of it. I try to understand it but it's so complex. Maybe someday, I'll find out what it is.

I didn't get to take any pictures today because I was busy with schoolwork, but I'll probably be out a little tomorrow to snap some shots for the Earth Day competition. We'll see how that goes.

Here's to the Crazy Ones.

School And Golfing

Today, my team for the hovercraft made a serious breakthrough. We finally got the starter engine to kick over. A momentous achievement, one that the previous group could not even do even with the immense amount of research they did. Sure when it kicked, there was a gigantic spark, and it made me jump, but we got it. Now we just need to figure a way to attach a solenoid and an emergency kill switch. And after all of that, we just implement it within the hovercraft, then we're done.

After class, I walked over to Hillside to retrieve my Simply ANTI t-shirts. I have to say that I'm very impressed with the quality and the artwork. Pretty fun stuff. Some of the guys were there and they invited me to go to the driving range up on mountaintop campus to hit a few balls. It was a great afternoon. We actually met more people up there. It was like a family gathering. I noticed that I haven't forgotten much from my golf lessons that I took a few summers ago. I'm glad that I took those. I might try golfing again this summer. It was actually pretty fun. Maybe I just have to go with friends. But friends at my level...
I brought my camera along with me, as usual, and I got some pretty fun action shots of people hitting. Some Happy Gilmore shots here and there, Gutty learning how to swing a golf club, etc. Overall, I'd say that these last two days have been phenomenal.

Post April Fool's Day

Taking pictures with people you enjoy being around on a sunny Thursday afternoon is one of the best experiences. It started off with walking down to Taylor Street and taking some Simply ANTI pictures and then it moved on to the Game up on Mountaintop, then it ended with a boxing match. All within a few hours. The sun make pictures so much more exciting. A lot livelier. It was a great day.

Here's to the Crazy Ones.

Shooting in the Evening: Sights around Lehigh

It's like night diving. I found that some things are just better in the dark. Some, are not. But what's for sure is: I need a tripod.

Shooting Playlist:
The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips
Angel - Flipsyde
The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
We Don't Care - Kanye West
Day 'n' Night - Kid Cudi
Baba O'Riley - The Who
Forever - Chris Brown
Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi
Soundtrack 2 My Life - Kid Cudi
Like a G6 - Far East Movement
Shine On - Eric Bibb

Progress

I went out today. Took some pictures. Came back to my dorm. Put some pieces together. I dunno if I like it. I'll try again tomorrow. Here's what I have so far....

Photography

After nearly a year of taking pictures, I found that the level of sophistication and complexity in my photographs have been steadily increasing, but I still have to work hard to make them even better. They're not nearly as good as I want them to be. I see many other pictures on Flickr that are much better composed. I wonder how people take such good pictures with just a point and shoot. One of my inspirations is this one photographer Kris Van de Vijver. He has such great visions and understandings of how to use a camera. He doesn't need a D700 to take pictures (though those pictures are noteworthy). He understands the whole point of composition. Unlike most photographers, he simply amazes me. There are a bunch of other photographers that use the camera to its fullest potential, such as one of my best friends Prasanth Veerina, but Van de Vijver takes it to an entirely new level. It's as if the parts of the pictures are posing for him begging him to take their pictures. It's amazing.

My next study of photography and art is more of the integration of music, photography, and computers. Essentially, I really love music, so I will try to listen to music when I take pictures to draw in some kind of inspiration. Photography and computers nearly go hand in hand nowadays. Anywhere from editing to putting up online galleries. Therefore I have to understand both in order to master but a portion of photography.

I have been learning Adobe Photoshop since January, and so far, I use just the very basics of the immense power it has. I know how to simply put a border around the picture, how to create an frame that holds three pictures, how to brighten pictures and individual parts using curves, how to turn things into black and white, how to save things as a JPEG, and how to put them onto Flickr. That is the basis of my knowledge. I don't understand what other file formats are and what they're good for. I still don't understand why RAW formatting is better than the regular Large/Fine setting on the camera. I don't know how to use a gaussian blur tool. I don't know how to edit pictures into pictures successfully. I don't even know what I don't know. But my goal for now is simple.

I'm going to understand the power of borders. I know how to use borders a bit as of now, but after seeing some of Van de Vijver's pictures, I understand that borders don't have to just be a black line capturing the entire picture. It can be two black strips on two sides. It can be almost anything. I want to learn what works for what, and what doesn't work for others.

Another ongoing project is photoshoots with a great clothing company "Simply ANTI". A clothing company founded by two guys sitting in their dorm room, one of which is on the swim team. After seeing that I had a camera and I loved to take pictures, Andy DiPietro asked me to take some shots of his clothing line so he could put them on his website. That was my very first photoshoot ever. It wasn't very good, but I got some experience with personal photography. Taking portrait shots because I had to. It was a very interesting experience in that none of us had any idea what to do. There's a shipment of newly designed shirts coming in this week and there should be a photoshoot going on later. I'm pretty excited.

One thing I am mildly turned off by in photography is portrait pictures that are way too photoshopped. To the point where it is unnatural. A major boost in saturation, a nearly cartoonish look, I don't understand the appeal in that. It may be just me, but I love the natural feel of photography. I don't mind little changes here and there, maybe a slight color boost to make to subject much more clear, but that's about it. Distorted images are interesting using a fisheye or a super wide angle lens, but when it's overdone, I am not impressed no matter how technically difficult it is on photoshop. I feel as though most of the work should be using the camera itself. It's the same for playing guitar. There are many guitarists that rely on their footwork and being able to use a lot of expensive pedals to create their sound. But most of the greatest guitarists start from their fingers rather than their feet. Same rules apply in that one should understand the camera before photoshop. Just an opinion.

Hopefully, my photography will get better through a lot of practice and hard work. I'm looking forward to seeing my progress.

Here's to the Crazy Ones

Music

Over the years, I have been inspired by many musicians. They are different from the rest of the crowd. That's what makes them stand out. They are the crazy ones. They understand an entirely new level of music and a style of playing. They fuse the techniques and styles from the past and implement their own personalities into their sound. When they are playing their instruments, it is as if they are able to talk with it. It has their signature voice. I find that to be amazing. They're not reinventing the wheel. They're just reinventing how we look at it.

John Mayer, by far, is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. I didn't understand the complexity and the sheer genius in his guitar playing until I actually picked up a guitar and taught myself to play a few years ago. Ranging from his Trio, his solo acoustics, to the full band, he knows how to handle a guitar. His influences SRV, BB King, Eric Clapton, and more seem to essentially talk through him and his playing. He is truly a gifted artist.
Mark Hoppus is one of my favorite bassists because of his personality. His bass speaks his personality through an amp. He has a signature tone that really does sound like him.
John Frusciante is one of the most passionate guitarists that I know. Every note he plays is full of meaning. The Chili Peppers as a whole is one of the best bands to have been formed.
Michael "Flea" Balzary is a world renown bassist that understands music to the core. I wish I had that understanding. And through that, he is able to create his own character, his own personality.
Chad Smith is an amazing drummer. His fills and his funky beats always makes me want to learn how to play the drums. He makes all of his drumming look so easy. Syncopated beats are some of the hardest parts of drumming, and he does it consistently without thinking twice about it.

There are many more musicians and artists that make me wonder. They make me think. They stir emotions within me. They make me laugh at something amazing. Because they're different.

Here's to the Crazy Ones.

Thoughts

Things are beginning to come together as other things are beginning to fall apart.

Balance. It's a beautiful thing.

Today, I entered a classroom, actually, a lab. A hovercraft lab. I don't think I will ever be really living outside until school is finished. My mind will be completely dedicated. I don't remember I was this excited about anything in a really long time. I'm working on the electronics portion of the hovercraft. Most of it is done by the group before us. But still, once my group is finished with the electronics, I can move on to other parts of the hovercraft. And, if we are dedicated enough, the hovercraft will hover by the end of the semester. I want that to happen more than anything. I want to see the hovercraft hover by the end of April.

For the last week, I've become buried deep inside my own mind trying to figure out the next step. It has been a rough, rough week. I am now going to put everything I have been thinking of into action. My thought process is nearly complete. My plan is almost set. A catalyst is required. I wonder what that is...

Swimming has become more of a burden than anything as of now. I love swimming. But not here. Not right now. I love the team. I love the people I met because of swimming here. But it's just that I'm not feeling right about somethingIt has been so difficult to pair academics with athletics here. I'm just having a tough time with all of the changes. Sometimes changes are not good when they are too great to handle. And for me, this change was too great to handle. I need to take a step back. That doesn't mean I'm giving up anything. That just means that I need to reassess my goals. My priorities. My dreams.

I just need a moment.

I'm following my gut instincts. I trust that somewhere in the future, the dots will connect. I can't connect them now, but I will be able to when I look back. I'm just in "dot making" mode.

Here's to living life positively and to the fullest [20/365]

Here's to the Crazy Ones.

Kodak Moments and Some Thoughts

I went back to all of the pictures in my iPhoto library. So basically any picture taken since my freshman year in high school. That totals up to about 22,000 pictures. So many memories. I took some time and edited some pictures, mostly portraits, from summer sectionals 2009. That was the first time I took pictures and had some sense of how to actually use a dSLR. It lead to nearly an entire year of taking pictures of things that I found interesting, things that I enjoyed, just kodak moments. It was just amazing to see how people changed over the years.

California sunshine. How I miss it. The pictures are so much more colorful in the sunshine. Just a happier feeling.

I have been pondering my next step for a few weeks now. Maybe even a few months. I dunno where my interests lie. I will find it soon. Even if that means changing everything that I do. Whatever it takes.

Daniel Fremont just emailed me with a drawing that took me back to sophomore year. I laughed so hard I cried. I almost forgot who I was. Thank you Mr. Fremont.

Living positively [16/365]

Here's to the crazy ones.

Thoughts

I'm back at Lehigh. Spring break went by way too quickly. I miss home and I've only been gone for about a day. I'm sure the next two months are going to go by faster than I expect.

So many things are going on in my head right now. I have so much to think about. So much to ponder.

I haven't taken many pictures over spring break. I don't know why. I didn't see anything worth taking a picture of. Or maybe I was just oblivious to things that were worth it. I suppose, everything is worth it in the end. 

I can't wait until summer.

Still trying to live positively. [15/365]

Here's to the crazy ones.

Thoughts

Hmm. The start of spring break has been a bummer. It's only Monday night so things will get better soon. 

No driving. 

Rain.

Kinda cold.

No good pictures so far. 

It's been a while since I took a decent picture. But I have to stay positive. Because it's my year of living positively. But then again. It's been pretty rough lately. Oh well. I'm just going to deal with my problems. 

I have so many problems. It's frustrating. 

I'm going to take some pictures tomorrow. I'm going to get out there and do something. Maybe, then I'll be happy. 

Music

Without music, life would be an error.

A year of living positively [3/365]

Calvin And Hobbes

I always identified with Calvin as a child (I suppose you could say I still do), and this strip pretty much sums up what being a kid like Calvin is like. Constantly feeling out of sync with the rest of the world, and thus retreating to the world you create for yourself in your mind. If you think about it, Calvin was really quite an anomaly in popular entertainment -- not just in comics, but in anything, be it movies, TV, etc. He has no friends, and no extracurricular activities; the only people he ever sees are his parents, who he has a strained relationship with, and Moe, Susie, Rosalyn, and Miss Wormwood, all of whom he detests and all of whom detest him. The only person he ever has any real interaction with exists only in his head. He is, for all intents and purposes, completely alone. And he's fine with that. The kind of kid most people would entirely ignore all through school is not generally the kind you make the star of your show, and yet the strip became hugely successful.

A Year of Living Positively

I just stumbled upon this group on flickr recently called "A year of living positively".

Today is day one.

March 1st.

[1/365]

Morning Walk

Practicality

What would the world be like,
if everything had to be practical?
Would there be a place for cotton candy,
or amusement parks?

What would the world be like,
if composers were told to be more efficient,
and poets had to keep to the facts.

And in this world, where would we live,
how would we live?

What would give us joy?
And the car? Would the car give us joy?
Or would they too only be built to satisfy a need?
What would the world be like,
If everything had to be practical?

What would happen to men with dreams,
Crazy, impossible, unbelievable impractical dreams
Of building something that no one has said they need
What would the world be like if everything had to be rational?
Would there be room for a dreamer?
Would there be a room for a company of dreamers.
A place where inspiration comes not only once,
But again
And again
And again.
And where everything they build is a culmination of everything they know,
and everything they are.
So perhaps, it's time, once again,
to look around and be thankful that we live in a world that we do,
that allow little boys and the rest of the world, to dream
as impractical, irrational, and unnecessary as that may be.

Masterpieces

Not everything man touches instantly becomes a masterpiece.
What a bore if it did.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.
And sometimes, nobody notices.
One thing is for sure, it helps to be a little different.

To make your own rules.
But let's face it, if we had a style like Picasso,
would we have gotten good grades in school?

What makes a couple of words a poem?
What makes a couple of tones a symphony?

Sometimes, there's only one thing to do:
Stick to it, and discover that one standout idea,
that changes the world a little bit.

That makes a work,
into a work of art,
that touches us,
and the generations after us.

Thoughts and Quotes

I'm starting to lose faith in the freshness ratings on rottentomatoes.com. Either that or I really enjoy crap movies.

I want an iPad so bad I'm pretending I already have one by holding my iPhone really close to my face.

"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." - Lao Tzu

Try not to be a man of success, try to be a man of value.
-Einstein

Keep true to the dreams of thy youth.

The countdown to spring break (going home) begins. I wonder if home has changed any since winter break.

A blizzard/snowstorm has hit Bethlehem, PA. It's pretty exciting. Lot's of snow = sweet pictures.

Calvin And Hobbes

Thoughts

The iGeneration.

That's what they'll call us.

Social networking nowadays. Facebook, Twitter, etc.

After two weeks of cleansing myself of Facebook, I have found myself asking myself more questions.
I found myself imagining. Dreaming.

Like a computer, sometimes, I need to just shut down, and restart.

I wish there was a restart button on life. I would do so many things differently. And I would do so many things the same.

I wish I had a psychedelic dream that makes me realize what I'm doing now will lead to failure. 

I haven't doodled in class recently. I haven't even drawn anything in class. My notebook is just filled with notes. I haven't been thinking. I've just put myself in autopilot. I haven't learned anything this entire year. I haven't done anything right in a few months. Maybe even years.

But I'm noticing that I'm changing ever so slightly. Everyday.

I'm beginning to think about crazy ideas. I'm beginning to go insane. It's wonderful.

I've fallen so far down a hole, I can't even see the light. But it doesn't matter.
I'm learning from my mistakes.

I'm evolving.

I'm restarting.
     Because it's not allowed.

Here's to the crazy ones.

Patriots 2010

Lehigh Men's Swim Team 2009-2010 Record: 10-1. 

4th at Patriot League Championships.