untitled late night thoughts

two weeks ago, i was in fresno california. driving down the highway on the way to In-N-Out, I spotted homeless people on the street.

noted, this wasn't anything out of the ordinary at first. i've seen, met, talked to, walked by plenty of homeless people before in my lifetime-- new brunswick, nyc, philly, chicago.

but recalling the faces i saw that day-- the homeless people holding onto cardboard signs-- they were no older than 25 years old. i had just turned 23 two weeks before arriving in california.

the most powerful of imagery that stuck to my mind was the look of shame they felt as they stood there, asking others for spare change. chump change. dirt change. yet, if they didn't stand up and ask, how else would they wake up to see tomorrow? that clashing of internal sadness and yearn for survival.

and then sitting here, unsleepy, reading nytimes.com article on Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) by N. Kristof.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/opinion/08kristof.html?hp

and suddenly all the empty, exhausted, mind-wandering feelings inside of me just seemed to have left. because i realize that tonight, i have a bed to crawl into. and for that, at the very least, i should be grateful.

this being my photography blog, i might as well leave this entry off a tad bit brighter and lighter. here's a image i captured back in 2005 on my trip to Africa.

Denver Photos

A forewarning: the photos have the most rudimentary of post-processing (very basic editting). Sorry if my colors are off, the ibook G4 I am traveling with has terrible display colors.

Chchchchchchcheck it!

#1 your interpretation

#2 looking up at the ceiling in Union Station, Downtown Denver, CO

#3 side view of the seating area in Union Station

#4 fallen sign on the train tracks

#5 read.

#6 too hard to explain (wooden seats by the strange metal panels near the train tracks..)
#7 bridge cables

#8 reflections

#9 teenagers walking up this grassy hill at a local park
#10 hm.

#11 Denver, you are one smart city.
#12 in Denver too.

First glimpses of california...

yes, this one-way bridge into Hites Cove was actually 15 minutes wait.

the flower "indian paint brush"

a sneak peak at Colin + Ann's engagement session

"Goldfields" by the river

abandoned house along the river

the view as we drove out of Hites Cove

for more information on the flowers + hike at Hites Cove, check out this link:

http://www.yosemitehikes.com/not-yosemite/hite-cove/wildflowers.htm

My flight to CALIFORNIA got delayed..

the snacks im bringing along (as gifts)

the only place i get wireless internet at the hotel

a nice welcome

and they were all staring...

why was everybody staring at me?

we're at the beach. at the jersey shore. it's nearly 50 degrees. i'm barefooted and walking around in a zip-up hoody and jeans rolled up to my knees. the sand goes "crunch" between my toes.

maybe it's because i look like i'm very very comfortable.

The Run Down Shack 2/21/10

The other day, I spotted a run down shack on the side of Rt. 18 right by Busch Campus. I texted my friend Jess about what I had saw, and asked if she wanted to come along for a little photo excursion. As a cool artist/friend, of course she would say yes.

Here's some photos from our adventure.

Jess' awesome flickr work can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaunbiance

Ecological Preserve, Livingston Campus at Rutgers University 2/20/10

caught up with another photographer friend today. we checked out the Eco preserve by Livingston Campus. my friend, Will, can be seen in a few of the photos. here's a link to his flickr work: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chillitzwill123