Self Portrait

Kore
On mine
On her's
Em
On mine
I took this picture by setting up Charles' projector in the office and walking toward the camera while my camera was set on timer. I wanted to illustrate my longing to be in New York through a photograph. My struggle with my living situation can be directly attributed to how much I moved when I was a young child. I have never fully felt like I was a resident, living out of boxes, suitcases and always making and loosing friends. The only place I feel truly at home was in New York or in New York City. The only problem is, that I a still, in my own mind, there. I have not been able to completely remove myself from what I still consider my true home, and place myself fully, in San Diego. And in truth? I don't really want to.
On her's
I had chosen a similar picture to this one for a "Yesterday post". I think that Karina's affinity with water shows through in this picture. Maybe it's the Pices in her, or maybe it's just that she enjoys a good bath, but she looks comfortable, relaxed and strangely youthful in this photo. I love the contrast between that which is under the water and her not yet submerged face. Like part of her is hidden somewhere below the surface, we all conceal something. I await her description so I can learn further as to what this portrait portrays to her, of her.

Yesterday 4.6.08

Kore
On Mine
Yay bathtime! I've been trying to improve my self poratraiture skills lately, in conjunction with the upcoming Self-Portrait theme. This shoot resulted in almost 100 fabulous photos of yours truly. I decided to draw the line between those photos which I felt represented some aspect of myself (thus making them true self portraits,) and those which were just simply well taken photos of me. The self portraits are saved for the theme, and this was em's choice of the best of my "pretty me" photos.
On Her's
This photo looks like something straight out of Gourmet magazine, or any other prestigious foodie publication. Everytime I look at this photo, It makes me hungry. On a purely visceral level, I adore the arc created by the placement of the food. It leads the eye to more and more delicious delights! ok now I really need to eat something...
Em
On Mine
Well. Charles and I both love to cook, and my mother loves when we cook for her. We spent a lot of the day watching Food Network and later Charles mentioned that he really wanted to eat polenta for dinner. We ran out to the store after agreeing that I would cook and grabbed pre-made polenta and honey for the two parts of the recipe I needed. (If you would like to give it a shot go here!) I was very proud of the taste tangy, sweet and savory! Good texture to me as well. The spinach was crispy as it only wilts a bit from the heat, the goat cheese was creamy and the polenta was, well, polenta-y! On top of all of that it LOOKED good! I thought it was so colorful and vibrant that I snapped a picture!
On Her's
I am not really sure if words can describe how much I love this picture. Karina looks straight out of some fantasy novel, ethereal and nymph like. She could be gliding through the water or floating past the photographer suspended in the air (of course we all know she is the photographer lol). Tendrils of hair purposely kiss her lightly pursed lips. Very evocative. You can't see her eyes which gives this photograph the feeling that this window contains only a brief glimpse into a singular moment of the subject. I don't think I can go on any more about this one, I could just simply dote on this picture for a few more paragraphs, but I am sure that my adoration would get sickening. So yes, big fan of this portrait of Karina.

Yesterday 4.2.08

Kore
On Mine
So this is what people see when they walk into the Rhonda Schaller Studio on a Wednesday afternoon. I'm setting up a database for their ArtLink network. I spent most of my day entering the information in that binder to my left into it. When I'm at work, I drink tea all day. Rhonda is a fellow tea enthusiast which just makes me like her more. Self-portraiture isn't my forte, but I'm definitely trying to improve. I'm also really partial to portraits where part of the face is out of the frame...
On Her's
...So is anyone surprised that I chose this photo? I love it. Maybe this is just nitpicking, but given all the photos I've taken of em I really adore the way she holds a glass. Every photo I can think of where she does this, she emits this elegance that hits you in the face. Em's elegance hits hard. Ouchie.
Em
On Mine
Whoa. So apparently the wondertwin brain power is syncing up again. Apparently we just have this ability to take very similar pictures or pictures with very similar themes. Anyway, I took this picture while Charles and I were sitting outside my mother's house. I have always been comfortable hanging out on my mom's porch in the sunlight with a glass of wine and a book, only this time Charles had the book and I had the wine.
On Her's
Ah, once again the studio Karina works in serves for a wonderful backdrop for pictures that she takes. I love the large amount of white blank space going on in this picture, and I can't help finding it amusing that Karina, me and Charles are all facing the same direction. Spooky!

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 3.14.08

Kore
On Mine
I found the recipe for these muffins while stumbling and I had to make them. They were so so so delicious! I've been baking alot recently. I figure, if I'm gonna start a catering company, I need to be able to bake at least as well as I can cook. Anyway, the point is: tea muffins are fantastic. I set up this picture so that it would look similar to a photo em once took of her cats in my bathtub. I also just really wanted at those muffins.
On Her's
I love how strong em's arms are in this picture. Women in art are so frequently depicted with flimsy weightless arms dangling somewhere stupid. She has this incredible intensity in her eyes, which directly address the viewer. Its so graphically emotional its almost intimidating.
Em
On Mine
Charles and I had been fighting a little recently and this is most assuredly a picture of him and I making up. I really love that the picture was taken in the bathroom and you can see the day of the dead pictures on the back wall.
On Her's
I... just adore this picture. I barely had to think about which picture I wanted to use for this diptych. I also really want to eat these muffins. Kore is quite the good chef, so I liked that there were some pictures of her cooking something.