Yesterday 4.5.08

Kore
On Mine
Bill and I met Luis and Travis for a drink at Lucky's. It was good times, though Bill and I weren't there for very long. After almost two years of living in Park Slope, I think its safe to say that Lucky 13's is my local watering hole. A 711 opened just down the street recently, which leads me to believe that they opened it solely to assist in regaining sobriety post-Lucky's. I cannot wait to bring em and Chaz there when they visit. In fact, I think about that every time I go.
On Her's
The road to Julian is so gorgeous! This photo looks like a film still from an old western. The gnarled branches and the cross, against the mountainous California sprawl give off this feeling of endless barren that I adore. I keep expecting John Wayne to swagger through the frame.
Em
On Mine
Charles and I took a drive up to Julian in East County, a popular tourist destination. I am not sure why the actual town is a tourist trap, there are no historical places to visit, no museums no nothing! Just pies and shops for old ladys who like cats and hippy clothing. However, the surrounding scenery is absoloutly stunning. On the way there, we drove up he 78, detoured through orange farm country because the road was closed. We actually found A CAMEL FARM! Once we arrived we decided to drive out a different way, the same way that Karina, Bill and myself drove the first time I went up there. The drive down is far more beautiful. The rolling hills home rows of burnt oak and regrowing shrubs. We stopped at a vantage point (vista points they are called here) and found a row of crosses looking out on a mural of purple and green flowing hills as far as the horizon gave up. The clawed branches reaching toward the cross and out toward the sky were doleful and wanting, inspiring me to take this photograph. I don't know why the crosses were there, but those along with the recent wreckage that the Southern California wild fires caused, I felt that this picture was quite symbolic of the mood in the surrounding areas of Julian.
On Hers
I love Lucky's. Every time I see a picture of that bar I can almost feel myself standing outside with Karina and Bill smoking a cigarette, drinks left abandoned at one of the small tables in the dimly lit establishment. There is something so endearing about neon nights, basement grate doors and little sandwich boards outside of a bar for me. It's so New York that it hurts my brain. Bill is standing smoking a cigarette, I can only assume first two fingers pressed on the top of his smoke and thumb pinching the butt together. Everyone has unique ways of smoking a cigarette, but Bill has always had a very distinct habit. This is totally a photo of "your local bar, your local hang out, where everybody knows your name."

Yesterday 3.27.08

Kore
On Mine
To say that Bill loves audio equipment is a vast understatement. He sells high end hi-fi all day and then comes home a relaxes to the workings of his snazzy stereo system. Last night, Bill met some friends at Lucky 13's and brought them home with him. Upon being asked about his record player, he proceeded to dismantle the thing in explanation of exactly how it works. This went on for about an hour. Bill gets very much into his detailed descriptions of those wires and blinkie lights he loves so much.
On Her's
To me, this photo looks like it belongs in a comic book. I love how it almost looks painted. The way Charles is sitting on the rack, especially the positioning of his legs, seems very whimsical to me. I know I keep choosing photos of Charles, and maybe you, dear reader, are tired of seeing his face. To that I counter that em takes amazing photos of her love, and you should all be happy to see so many different faces of the great and powerful Chazwell.
Em
On Mine
I do take a lot of pictures of Charles it's true. I liked this picture because him and my mother were currently immersed in a powerful discussion on religion. Charles is a staunch atheist and my mother is a Christian, yet extremaly open minded. As you can see, it was a relaxed conversation. I only wish I had a picture of my mom, flailing her arms to pair with this.
On Her's
I think that once again our wondertwin brain powers matched up again. I love this picture of Bill, it's pseudo vintage looking and well, Bill is straight out of a page of the past. I like the way he is holding the record, my eye zoned in on that right away. I don't know who the other person it though, but it looks like Bill is probably explaining something from his vast knowledge of audio equipment.

Yesterday 3.22.08

Kore
On Mine
Last night was crazy, in a way that reaffirmed my desire to get the hell out of here. This photo has nothing to do with that though, so ill just leave it at that. I took it at Lucky 13, a metal bar a few blocks from my apartment. I think its like a visual manifestation of beer goggles. I love the effect of looking half through the pint glass.
On Her's
I think em takes incredible posed portraits. Charles oozes cool through the frame. Its contrasty and dramatic and I love it. Somehow, em always knows exactly what to tell you to do to make you look fabulous. I especially like how the black of his tattoos looks against the white of his beater.
Em
On Mine
Kore and I used to get bored a lot in NY and take pictures. Not just candid pictures, but silly dressed up, make up-ed pictures. I think everyone does this. But the results were most often surprising and became some of my favorite photographs of mine and hers. I have not had the chance to take pictures like this since I moved from NY, so when Charles said he was fine with me fiddling around and snapping some slightly more posed shots of him I jumped at the chance. I love when he has this slightly 50's era look, the pork pie, beater, studded belt and boot cut cuffed pants over a pair of jump boots. I wanted to create a more timeless feel to this photo while still retaining a bit of a candid look. I suppose the reality also is that I just wanted to take a sexy picture of my boyfriend. I tend to take darker pictures with dramatic lighting when I go through the trouble. I am happy with the result.
On Her's
I think that we both see our boyfriends as these amazingly wonderful, beautiful creatures that should be constantly documented. I remember Bill being slightly hesitant about getting his picture taken when they first started dating. It seems as though this aversion to having his soul stolen has lessened greatly, which is awesome because Karina's pictures of Bill tend to be amazing. I think it's because she tries to capture him how she sees him, in all his wonderfulness.

Yesterday 3.19.08

Kore
On Mine
Behold my Bilfus! Bill wasn't feeling well, so he called in sick to work. THIS NEVER HAPPENS. Bill is the kinda guy who would go to work even if his legs just got chopped off. I'm a very light sleeper, so I always wake up when Bill gets ready to go to work. This picture really captured that first 20 minutes of every day, the fuzzy sleepy warmness that we both start our days with.
On Her's
I love how alive this photo is. Raeven has an amazing smile. Hamilton's is a really fun bar, and I have some really nice memories associated with it. I'm finding that more and more of em's pics are doing that for me. I look at this picture, as well as many others I've chosen, and I feel like I'm there. In a wierd way, I feel like I'm living a pseudolife with em, and she is with me, just by the constant updating of this blog.
Em
On Mine
Charles' best friend Raeven is going on vacation and then moving to Vegas, so we have been trying to see her more than usual. Both her and Charles are bad at making plans, but she has been down in San Diego (she lives about a half an hour a way) hanging out with a friend of hers, so they decided to meet us at the bar down the street. THEY SERVE FOOD NOW! It's not bad bar food. Anyway, Charles and Rae were at one point sharing some secret best friend thing and I snapped this pic. I loved that it shows that Charles really makes Raeven laugh and that they are super close. They are a funny pairing and I definitely enjoy getting my drink on with the two of them.
On Her's
Oh man. This was a really hard choice as far as the three pictures that Kore took. I loved two of them so much (the other was a picture of just Bill) that I had to just go with my gut instinct. Kore looks so soft in this picture, if you knew her like I did you would know that as much as she can be a hard edged, NYC, firecrackin, bad ass girl, there is also a really genuinely sweet vulnerable side. This picture shows that side to me, it's a snapshot into a more intimate moment of her life. The black and white and soft lighting highlights this horribly adorable moment.

Yesterday: 3.17.08

Kore
On Mine
Bill, Luis, and I went to Eagle Provisions to buy beer for St.Patrick's day. Eagle Provisions has the largest beer section I've ever seen in a grocery store in my life. Their beer section is larger than the entirety of my apartment. Bill is a proud beer nerd, and seeing him go through the isles of obscure brews is really like watching a kid in a candy store. I bought some Dogfishhead ApriHop, Rogue's Shakespeare Stout, and Stone's Double Bastard. They were all exquisite.
Oh Her's
I'm a sucker for skulls. I really like the perspective in this shot. The camera is so close in that you can see the texture of the ashtray. The effect gives a gritty-starkness that I love. I also like how much the skull looks like a Neanderthal Skeletor.
Em
On Mine
I had a rather subdued St. Patricks day. It involved Charles cooking some amazing portabello burgers as well as a visit from Raeven and her friend Dan. I just shot a few pictures, one of them being a close up of Charles' skull ashtray. We have a thing for skulls.
On Her's
I hate not being able to drink beer. LOOK AT ALL THAT BEER! My jealousy meter is through the roof. I enjoyed this simple portrait of Bill gazing longingly, reading scrupulously and pondering his choices.

Home

Kore
On Mine
Home is a tricky subject. The word implies geography, that is to say, a specific place. But home can mean so much. What about those who do not have a specific place to call home? Surely they must feel at home somewhere or with someone. I wrote about this for my Parsons application. For the "Parsons Challenge," applicants had to pick something in their everyday lives that goes unoticed or unappreciated. I chose Home as my theme and wrote about my grandmother shuttling from Latvia to NYC every 6 months, A couple who felt at home with each other, and the plight of being homeless (or feeling at home with yourself). All of these were accompanied by photos, and I was generally pleased with what I sent out. This photo was taken in my kitchen. I've always felt most at home in my kitchen and my bed. Bill came home early from work and brought me pizza and made me coffee. How more at home could I possibly feel?
On Her's
I adore this photo. I loved it even before I realized em's reflection in the window, though that kind of made me love it more. I've always thought blurry photos look like memories. This photo seems like several memories stacked on top of each other. I really enjoy photos that tell a story. If I close my eyes, I can see em stepping into her house, jumping on the couch and laughing. Why can't all our stories have happy endings?
Em
On Mine
The old colloquialism goes "home is where the heart is" right? I am not going to claim that I love my home in any way shape or form, but I do love the things inside of it. The dog, the Charles and the kitties. The only problem is that sometimes I feel as though those things that make me happy and make me comfortable at home are blurred by the frustration I have had with living not only in San Diego but also with the apartment itself. We have had issues with the electricity since January and just now in March they are going to restore full service. I hate my neighbors and I hate my landlord. The contrast of this happy home feeling and the feeling of being trapped behind a pane of glass at the zoo are confusing and lend to the emotion behind this picture.
On Her's
I feel as though I picked this picture for some of the same reasons that she chose mine. I am often on the phone with Kore or talking to her online when Bill comes home and it most definitely puts her in a better warmer mood. There is a feeling of safety when the people and pets you live with are around and happy, when you have warm food and flowers, that really lend to a level of happiness when you are in your house or apartment. I love the smaller details of the picture as much as I like the composition of it, the coffee on the stove, the hung up kitchen wares and of course, the pizza... great now I am hungry.