Artifice and Juxtapositions

Complete and ready to rock and roll

2010-12-03T14:08:00.003-06:00

It's been fun, but as most things go, it's time to move on. The epic redesign has been completed. For all future posts, please visit: http://artificed.wordpress.com/ Don't forget to change your subscription codes and whatnot.

Cheers!!

Narf.

2010-10-21T16:14:00.001-05:00

Hey peeps. I'm working on a re-design. Hold on to your horses, because it's going to be rad.

A taste of things to come.

2010-09-30T15:10:00.001-05:00

Brooklyn Cocktail

2010-08-29T18:39:00.001-05:00

The Brooklyn Cocktail

1 1/2 oz rye or bourbon

1/2 oz dry vermouth

1/4 oz Amer Picon

1/4 oz maraschino liqueur

New Orleans Spirits

2010-08-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

You'd think that, going to a cocktail festival, I would have tons of gorgeous cocktail shots. Well, everything official was served in tiny plastic cups so they weren't exactly aesthetically pleasing. I tried to capture some of the available libations though, when they were pretty enough to do so.

Yeah this whiskey is called WhistlePig. How awesome. It was a spicy, tasty rye.

I love this bottle design.

These were cachaca drinks made at the Cabana Cachaca competition. The "home team's" drink was the orange one in the center. It had jalapenos in it. Any drink that incorporates jalapenos is fantastic, in my opinion. I think it must have been the Texas influence brought by locals Bill Norris and Jeff Boley, who joined the NOLA team for the competition.

New Orleans Treasures

2010-08-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

I visited New Orleans for the first time last month, to attend the most exciting liquid event of the year -- Tales of the Cocktail! I will admit, I always thought that going to New Orleans would be quite frightening -- I have always harbored a deep fear of all things voodoo (which is weird because I'm not religious at all), and have been both compelled and afraid of this aspect of the city's reputation for a long time. The other prominent aspect of New Orleans is Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street, an overindulgence fest with trashy sugar drinks, boobs and beads, which I've always tried to avoid, because I'm a classy girl (quiet down now naysayers, there's no room for your banter here). So, anyway, I figured I might as well get over all these pretensions and check out the Big Easy, and what better time or excuse than a cocktail festival?

Unless you couldn't tell already, this post isn't about cocktails. This is the pre-cocktail post. The sights and smells and sounds of the city. Well, the sights anyway. New Orleans is flush with culture and a loud reverberating soul, and I found it to be quite exciting . In fact, it made me almost want to move there -- or at least move to a city with such a tangible identity and history, maybe one without the constant threat of impending hurricanes. I've always thought that Austin was unique and exciting, but returning from New Orleans made me feel like we're significantly lacking in a couple areas.

I don't get the "we've been here for hundreds of years" feeling from Austin. It doesn't have the colonial aesthetic that many East Coast cities boast. It's hard to describe the exact feeling I am trying to nail down here -- maybe it's the European influence that we're devoid of here in Austin. It feels more historic and rich to me than the wild western, "don't mess with Texas" vibrato. Don't get me wrong, I adore Austin and pretty much the entire package it has to offer (weirdness aside), but there is also a worldly part of me that misses the colonial vibes that abound in New Orleans also.

(I adored this girl. Cycling through the French Quarter, looking very "Breathless.")

Anyway, aside from the delish cajun food we enjoyed for every meal (crawfish abounds!), the city was full of tiny nooks, treasures and gorgeous architectural details that made me salivate. We stumbled into this "junk" store, and found some particularly awesome treasures. In retrospect, I definitely should have made some thrifty purchases that day...

LOVE LOVE LOVE dirty old bottles. It's like they dug them up right out of the earth!

Anyway, to wrap it up in a generic way, NOLA was completely engaging and beautiful, and if given the opportunity, I will definitely go back. I want the chance to dig deeper into the culture, explore some of the music traditions, even yes go into some voodoo shops and check that out also. More to come later!

Check out my collins.

2010-08-05T11:38:00.001-05:00

Yum.

Tom Collins
2.5 oz. gin
1 oz. lemon juice
.75 oz. simple syrup
Club Soda

More Mezcal love.

2010-07-29T23:25:00.003-05:00

The Brave
By Bobby Heugel, co-owner of Anvil Bar and Refuge, Houston
1 oz Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1 oz Hacienda del Sotol Plata
.5 oz Averna Amaro
1 tsp Marie Brizard Orange Curacao
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir in a glass without ice and mist Angostura bitters on top. Flame an orange zest above the cocktail for garnish.

Check out more cocktail photos and my recent story in the Austin American-Statesman.

Drool.

2010-07-29T22:54:00.002-05:00

Tres Coops
By Tad Carducci of Tippling Bros. for Mercadito Chicago
1 oz. Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
.5 oz. Averna Amaro
.5 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
.5 oz. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
.75 oz. fresh lime
.25 oz. fresh egg white
Pinch of freshly ground chile powder.
Combine all ingredients and shake. Strain and serve in a cocktail glass.

I can't even begin to describe how AMAZING this drink is. So I won't try. Just imagine that it tastes as delicious as it looks.

Where's all the rum gone?

2010-07-09T22:06:00.006-05:00

Mmmmmm Rum. So as my life rapidly becomes consumed by all things cocktail, so does this blog. Hope you're not thirsty, because things are about to get pretty intense. Just kidding, this one's actually fairly mild in comparison to what the future holds. Here are some shots from one of the cocktail video shoots I'm doing for austin360.com. The first session focused on the classic daiquiri, and the classic mojito. Cheers!

Here's a shot of the classic daiquiri. Real daiquiris don't involve extreme sugar, rainbow colors, or a blender. In fact, they're simply a mixture of white rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup (sugar and water). They are one of my favorite summer cocktails, because they're simple, elegant, and refreshing, and so easy to make.

The mojito!! Surprisingly, the mojito dates back to 1910. Surprisingly? Yes, because the drink resurfaced and grew to a wildly popular status during the 1980s. However, mojitos made in the 1980s sucked, and ones that adhere to traditional proportions and ingredients are awesome.

Stick to the traditional proportions, and you'll have an excellent drink. The mojito is traditionally made with simple syrup (.5 oz), white rum (2 oz), fresh squeezed lime juice (.75 oz), and club soda (1.5 oz). Some recipes suggest a couple dashes of Angostura Bitters -- which I highly recommend. It gives the light and relatively flavorless drink a spicy kick.

Love painted on brick walls

2010-06-16T16:34:00.004-05:00

I just stumbled across this amazing public mural "installation" in Philadelphia. Read more about it here. I love love love. (PS- not my pics, I found them on the website, to entice you to see more.)

USBG Austin's Julep Cup

2010-05-27T18:02:00.014-05:00

The Austin chapter of the USBG had their first Julep Cup competition on Monday at the Paggi House. Several area bartenders competed for the prestigious cup. Here are the details, for now, I'm just going to throw up my pics. I'll flush out with words later. Cheers!

Behind the bar: Competitors and Hosts

The Juleps!

After the official competition, they opened the floor, er, bar, to anyone who wanted to play around with making a Julep on the spot. Here are a couple from Adam Harris and Russell Davis.

Chicago. Where else?

2010-04-28T20:53:00.003-05:00

Stunning Shipwrecks

2010-04-05T15:18:00.006-05:00

"Jan Smith captured haunting images of abandoned shipwrecks in Mauritania's Nouadhibou Bay, which is perhaps the world's largest ship cemetery." Read more and check out the gorgeous photos. I would probably die if I saw anything like this in real life. Check out Smith's website also, beautiful and unique view of natural ruins abound. There are some shocking photos in there that seem to directly reference one of my favorite disturbed artists, Francis Bacon, like the one below. Insane! Artistically gorgeous and unsettling at the same time.

USBG Don Q Cocktail Competition

2010-04-01T09:46:00.016-05:00

So as many of you might know already, I have decided to immerse myself into the local cocktail culture in Austin. My secret goal is to become a cocktail journalist and help to blow up the scene on a national scale. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Zach was kind enough to let me shoot this event from last Monday, and I love the results so much I wanted to share them with you.

Monday night the Austin chapter of the USBG (US Bartender's Guild) held the Don Q Competition for local bartenders. The objective was to feature Don Q rum in an original cocktail. Five local bartenders competed, and the winner, Bill Norris from Fino, will travel to NYC to compete for a chance to go to the World Competition in Puerto Rico. You can also see these photos on Ausitn360.com.

The final cocktails.

Some sillyness from Bill Norris and Lara Nixon.

Garrett Mikell of Peche.

Russell Davis of Peche.

Bill Norris of Fino.

Dwayne Clark of Aloft.

Lara Nixon, of The Blue Ruin mixes her cocktail.

Lockhart, TX.

2010-03-28T16:50:00.001-05:00

Lockhart, Texas. Known primarily for it's array of BBQ offerings, and not much else. Literally, not. much. else. The "historic downtown" was more or less an vacant strip mall with a historic courthouse in the center of the square. Despite a couple odd sightings, like this mannequin in the window, and the gorgeous dead vine covered fire escape, Lockhart didn't have anything to offer visually.

However, if you travel just outside of Lockhart, before you get to Luling, you run across old Zedler's Mill. The mill was constructed in 1874, and operations ceased in 1960. Unfortunately for someone who loves old abandoned buildings (me), someone has taken to renovating the space, starting with the shiny new tin roofs. Luckily, the rest of the property is happily disheveled. Apologies in advance, this is a long post. There were so many shots I loved, I didn't want to leave anything out.

Zedler's Mill.

The Details.

The mill was a playground of materials, textures and colors.

How could you not fall in love with this? The dirt and cobwebs and disarray. The textures so clear and succulent. Beautiful beautiful.

Jordan Minor at La Zona Rosa

2010-03-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

Frank

2010-03-05T12:45:00.000-06:00

Frank is the latest hip place to eat downtown. They're all about good meat.

And obscure combinations. Like the Militia Manhattan, made with bacon-infused bourbon. Which sounds like an awesome idea, but their execution fell flat. If you're going to sell a gimmick cocktail like that, at least have it taste like bcaon. Really it was just a semi-decent Manhattan with no smokey meat flavors to speak of. How disappointing.

The sausages were pretty good. Nothing stood out as remarkable though.

Really, the only thing that stands out is the excellent graphic design and interior decorating. If you're a visual nut like I am, it will be enough to keep you coming back for more.

Contre-jour; Silhouettes and Cutouts.

2010-02-12T20:56:00.005-06:00

This is one of the first posts I created (almost an entire year ago), and then completely forgot about. Haha. I've always been interested in silhouettes and their artistic offerings in the ways of photography. The french term for silhouettes, Contre-Jour literally translates as "against daylight." Silhouettes bring forms and shapes down to their most basic, but at the same time I think they are sometimes more of a bold statement than most other kinds of photography. Here are some of my favorites from years past.

"Evasive yet confrontational." Los Angeles, CA.

Estes Park, CO.

Detroit Airport, MI.

Los Angeles, CA.

The Top of the Rock, NYC, NY.

Estes Park, CO.

Lake Austin, TX

Downtown Austin, TX.

Valley Village, CA.

From Courtney

2010-01-19T18:48:00.002-06:00

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to."
-Jim Jarmusch

Witnesses of decay

2010-01-13T17:58:00.001-06:00

Took a deeper look at the wastelands of Cleveland, when I was home for Christmas. It surprises me more and more each time to find moments of incredible beauty in the way this city has fallen apart. It's bittersweet, but absolutely fascinating at the same time.

"The Guardians of Traffic"

Four giant Art Deco style statues guard the entrances to the Hope Memorial Bridge, which crosses over the Cuyahoga River, close to downtown. They were designed by sculptor Henry Hering and architect Frank Walker. The bridge was constructed in 1932, and renovated later in the 80s. They were constructed to symbolize progress in transportation.

Each one holds a different mode of transportation. They are wonderful. (And not just because they remind me of the giant statues that guard the river in The Lord of the Rings Movie, well, OK, maybe that's why...)

According to Wikipedia: the bridge "was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on October 8, 1976, after a controversy in which county engineer Albert S. Porter threatened to remove the historic pylons to widen the span, stating, 'Those columns are monstrosities and should be torn down and forgotten. There is nothing particularly historic about any one of them. We're not running a May Show here.'" That blows my mind. How could someone not appreciate the grandeur of these things? I guess you could say it fits in perfectly with the way this city has fallen apart. Walking around, you can tell there is no appreciation for the architecture or the infrastructure. What a giant waste.

Stumbled upon this old abandoned-looking gas station. These sweet old-school gas pumps look like they haven't been touched in years. Gorgeous. There are so many places in this city that feel like time has just stopped. Buildings and designs were simply abandoned and left to rot. No one has bothered to wind up the clock so the city can move forwards again.

The entire place is littered with the remnants of industry.

Lots of the older buildings and factories in this area have faded layers of numerous company names on the external sides of their brick walls. Nobody bothered to lay down a fresh coast of paint before scribing the new words. It's endlessly interesting to me because you can see the complex layers of history splattered across all these places. The wear and tear of neglect and disinterest abounds, which in the end creates a new identity itself.

In many ways, it's a shame to see a place in such dire neglect. I'm sure Cleveland is only the tip of the iceberg as far as rotting industrial cities goes, and it doesn't look like anyone will have the desire or the power to step in and clean things up anytime soon...

West Side Market, Cleveland

2010-01-07T11:20:00.001-06:00

There is something amazing about open air markets. Whenever I visit one, I wish grocery stores were never invented. Over Christmas, I visited the West Side Market in Cleveland with my parents. Check out the history here, it's actually pretty interesting.

Open markets create a strong sense of community. They are a personal, visual and visceral experience. The vivid colors and the dirt on the floor, the heckling of European and Middle-Eastern vendors, "one dollar for you, pretty lady, one dollar," create an unmatched atmosphere and experience. You actually interact with the people who make or cultivate your food. You have the opportunity to establish relationships with the vendors and other customers, which doesn't typically happen in a traditional grocery store.

And you can have a direct interaction with your food. You can taste it and feel it and smell it. I guess you can do all of those things in a regular grocery store too, but it's not a complete experience in the flourescent-lit crowded impersonal grocery store. Seeing your food come from different stalls makes you consciously think about where it's coming from and how it gets to your plate. It's so European and old world and wonderful.

The colors and the life of the place were so vibrant, which says a lot considering that we went close to closing time, around 3 p.m. in the afternoon, when most of the vendor stands were closing or closed already, and the crowds began to thin out.

How I wish Austin had a market like this. Next time I want to go around the exterior of the building also, and try to catch some more crowd shots. The building was put up in 1912, and definitely reeks of the old Cleveland aesthetic.

Bliss.

2010-01-04T12:15:00.002-06:00

The top of the Hancock Building. Glorious silhouettes and cityscapes. My two favorite things.

Mad love for Chicago.

High Culture

2009-12-31T19:16:00.004-06:00

The Chicago Art Institute Modern Wing = a Renzo Piano masterpiece.

I would love to see how the natural light works during the day, because apparently he employs the use of special auto-adjusting lights to keep a very specific, consistent balance of light in the exhibition rooms. I can only imagine how bright white daylight would illuminate the exhibitions in a very clean and elegant way. All that aside, I have to say it was spectacular at night also.

I'm obsessed with the use of straight lines and glass in this building. That's kind of Piano's signature style, but when you're actually inside this building, everything just seems to flow together in a breathtaking way. The combination of the warm oak hardwood floors and the abundance of windows creates an interesting warm but airy haven from the freezing cold outside. Very unusual, very well executed.

Has some pretty cool art inside also ;)

I should've tried to snap a shot of this glass wall facing outwards, because it shows off Frank Gehry's curvaceous music pavillion in Milennium Park. It's a cool kind of homage from one architect to another.

Overall, it was an illuminating experience. Hehehe.

Because some things are just better in B&W

2009-12-31T15:47:00.003-06:00

"We should have framed this place, and kept it on your shelf, next to your big city dreams."

You might recognize this angle from my very first post back in February. I think I like this version better. Cool to see the ways in which my vision of Chicago has mutated and the ways it has remained the same over the course of the last year. Many of those original photos remain some of my all time favorites, but it's neat to see my perspective evolve.

Round 1 - River North

2009-12-28T19:53:00.011-06:00

According to unnamed sources on Wikipedia, the River North area has the largest concentration of art galleries in the U.S. outside of Manhattan. Cool, huh? I didn't notice lots of art galleries, because it was below freezing outside, and we were intently focused on finding the best gritty urban shots on the way back from the pizzeria to my mom's apartment. River North is, as my mom fondly says "the only place i'd live in Chicago." I will agree that it is a wonderful part of town. Decidely upscale but unassuming. We ate amazing fancy latin food at Nacional 27, delicious deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnatis, and perused the design mecca, also dubbed the "BMW of Home Depots," by Z- The Merchandise Mart. Anyway the point is, we really wanted to stay close to the apartment because it was so cold outside, so it was a good exercise in choosing a district and seeking out the subtle moments of art on the streets.

Kittens Update

2009-12-28T19:04:00.003-06:00

He looks sweet, but really he' s the devil incarnate. Check him out being all protective of his cuddle time.

El Diablo.

Izzie, on the other hand is an angel.

Sneak Peek.

2009-12-16T18:08:00.004-06:00

Get ready for the best set of Chicago pictures yet! Z and I went to Chi town right before Christmas for some anti-tourist touristing, in an attempt to get to know the city on our own terms. I'm excited to show you the kinds of things we discovered.

Art.

2009-12-14T16:09:00.002-06:00

Wicked paintings by local artist Daniel Aranda.

Thanksgiving in the City

2009-12-04T16:08:00.006-06:00

You probably think I live here by now.

Navy Pier

Austin Typography.

2009-11-12T18:01:00.001-06:00

Some local design I love, by some amazing graphic design firms.

Design & Rhetoric

Decoder Ring Design

McGarrah Jessee

Mourning in Marble.

2009-11-07T22:40:00.000-06:00

Monuments and more glimpses from the Oakwood Cemetery. Oakwood is a great example of a real wonderful historic graveyard. Somewhere that reflects the decay and aging of death. I love statues and monuments that look like they've been around forever, instead of being polished and new.

Yes, this really happened. This section of the cemetery was covered in birds, which would take off and circle around and then land again. I wanted to get a better shot, but this is the best I could do considering I was sitting in the car, and didn't want to run up to them and risk losing the entire bunch.

Everything fades.

2009-11-03T22:27:00.005-06:00

Maybe because it's Fall, or maybe because I feel like all my potential and goals and skills are fading slowly away, or maybe it's merely aesthetic pleasure, but whatever the reason may be, I am in love with rusty things right now. It's starting to become a visual fixation of mine. Here are some amazing rusty things I found in Austin's Oakwood Cemetery this weekend.

Chicago: Trip 2, Part 2

2009-10-22T16:02:00.002-05:00

More photos from Chicago Trip 2. These are more about the people; the frantic pace of the city and the fleeting moments of quiet found amidst all the noise; contrasting the old and the new styles and schools of people and architecture; and my ongoing obsession with funky bridges and food photography.

This is the view from an apartment I looked at in my mom's building. I would KILL to live in this apartment. Anyone know of any jobs I could get in Chicago? Anyone? Please?

I love the colors in this photo too much to change it to B&W. The city bridges (yeah, I know, again with the bridges...) are soo rusty and gorgeous. The beautiful burnt orange color contrasted wonderfully with the grey cloudy skies and bluish haze that rested on the city for the weekend I was there. They serve as remnants of the industrial era, and contrast nicely with the shiny new outbursts of architecture along the river.

Love this guy! Just chilling on a street corner, reading his book. :)

Finally, a delicious sandwich from the Corner Bakery. Mmmm.

He knows what's good for him.

2009-10-20T20:08:00.002-05:00

Once time I made a black and tan. Because they are delicious.

Mmmm. Guinness is good for you.

Dexter decided to taste it too.

At first he was uncertain about its flavor.

But he soon came around to realize it was the greatest thing he'd ever tasted.

The end.

More Solace in the Cemetery

2009-10-12T16:52:00.006-05:00

The Texas State Cemetery is definitely the kind of memorial grounds that you don't see every day. It feels more like a historic tourist spot, as opposed to a sanctuary for mourning and reflection. From my perspective, there's not much emphasis on the meaning of death and remembrance, as there would be in some of your lesser known, off the beaten path kind of graveyards. The setup here presents a narrative that focuses more on the founding and governing of Texas. Historic figures lie in tombs with elaborately constructed facades to cover their true identities and potentially sordid pasts. They've given up their personality and family ties, to become marble representations of democracy.

The Texas State Cemetery is too neatly-groomed, too bright and sunny for my tastes, with tombs lined in neat rows and glass cases covering some of the more elaborate caskets- protecting the memories of the dead with a truly Texan kind of ferocity. Texas and American flags line the whitewashed sidewalks, and flowers and gardens sprout up in inappropriate places. I don't necessarily agree with such a pristine representation of death and the afterlife, but I wanted to capture both the unnatural clean representations of death, and the more obscure moments that I think capture it better.

I think cemeteries should have at least a small feeling of dirt and disarray in order to feel authentic. Death and grief aren't a pretty process, and to see elements of this manifested in a graveyard seems appropriate to me.

On the whole, I like to shoot in cemeteries. I feel like they are often ignored for obvious reasons (you know, the whole dead people thing), but in reality they offer great moments of artistic beauty and usually, reflection on the fleeting nature of life. Scriptures and messages on headstones and the elaborate architecture constructed to honor the dead shouldn't be ignored, but celebrated. There's humanity here, and people should be reminded of that.

Chicago: Trip 2, Part 1

2009-10-02T16:26:00.020-05:00

Going through the photos from my second trip to Chicago, I noticed that it seems like I took a strange mishmash of all sorts of different things away from the experience- there is a distinct lack of unity and theme through the collection. Then the more I looked through them and sorted them out, I realized there are actually are a couple interesting themes going on that I wasn't aware of when I was shooting. These particular photos are going to be the first installment from this trip. They are representative of the details of the city. The intricacies and seemingly uncoordinated bits and pieces that make up the bigger picture of the Chicago. The small things that may or may not be noticed as you walk through the city streets, but nevertheless hold great importance in the grand scheme of things.

This post is actually perfectly representative of my evolving experience with Chicago. Last February was all about the grandeur- the skyline, the urban grit, the romance and excitement (and the cold). Now I'm getting to know the city better, on a more familiar, personal level (or trying to anyway- beginning to, I guess is most appropriate), and am beginning to notice it's tiny details and parts that make up the whole. I think this is an important and exciting step in getting to know a new place, and making it a home as opposed to a tourist destination. So here you go -- some of the smaller details of Chicago that caught my eye on this last visit. (As a slight disclaimer, these were kind of hurried, not entirely thought out shots-- more like shooting on the fly. Just so you know. At some point I want to venture out into the city alone and just observe and shoot things).

Chicago has lots of really neat bridges. Every one of them is slightly (or not so slightly) different than the others. I love the way they organized this -- it keeps things unique and interesting. It would have been so easy to put up identical steel bridges, but the city planners and architects wanted to give a little more life and personality to the city through a seemingly unlikely path. Creative and wonderful.

Pigeons!! There was an old bag lady feeding these pigeons. I almost snapped her pic, but was unfortunately too slow.

The Civic Opera Building

Chicago is known for it's awesome architecture. We went on a boat tour this time around, which opened up lots of new sights and stories for the architecture buff (aka-me). For those of you who aren't already aware, Chicago is known primarily for it's Art Deco buildings, which stand out strikingly against the new post-mod buildings and skyscrapers that are still being built downtown. I love the integration of the two. It's visually interesting, as well as historically curious as well. Austin kind of blends older historical buildings with modern ones, but in Chicago, the sheer scale of all of the older buildings is mind-blowing, and enough to send you (me) into aesthetic fits of joy. The Deco buildings are almost more grand and impressive than the cold steel and glass-based erections that have sprung up in the last 20 years. I've never been the kind of person who adores the old classical architectural styles in the way that previous professors and real architects usually do, but seeing the contrast between the old and the new in person is a completely different experience, and one that has definitely made me question my previous tendency to favor modern building. And here I've gone on a long tangent. I have some photos that illustrate the contrast I'm talking about that I'll post soon. Could even turn into a new project. Probably. Anyway, back to the details.

The old abandoned post office.

An AMAZING building. I can't believe it stood abandoned long enough to decay into its present state. Luckily, it just auctioned off for 40 million, so hopefully the new owner has some extra pocket change to restore it back to its original grandeur. Until then, I hope I get a chance to get back there fast enough so my brother and I can sneak in and take all sorts of cool pics.

Reel

2009-10-02T15:54:00.003-05:00

This is the first cut. I've been working on it awhile. Feedback is encouraged.

Solace in the Cemetery (teaser)

2009-09-06T15:08:00.001-05:00

"You said the cinders are falling like snow. There is poetry in despair, and we sang with unrivaled beauty, bitter elegies of savagery and eloquence. Of blue and gray. Strange, we ran down desperate streets and carved our names in the flesh of the city."
-A.F.I, "But Home is Nowhere"

My muse in this particular chapter of the series is my little bro, with the photos taken during the family's time living in San Angelo, TX. They represent kind of a double entendre, because for him, moving to West Texas was kind of like being buried alive. I think he does a good job of looking despondent here.

I'm going to try and dig up some of the early prints I took, from way back when in good old Colorado Springs sometime soon.

Second Street District Sights and Signs

2009-08-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

For those of you not familiar with Austin, compared to South Congress Ave., the 2nd Street District is the yuppy younger sibling. The 2nd Street District is rapidly becoming the place to see and be seen. High-rise luxury condos and hotels, art museums, and trendy restaurants are sprouting up left and right. The older, more "traditional" Austinites have expressed great disdain and fear in the face of this new Austin Urbanist movement. I on the other hand ADORE the area, and can't wait to see it finished and fully inhabited with the young and beautiful upwardly mobile hipsters of Austin. These photos aren't the most comprehensive look at the area, they were taken on a mutual day-off, wandering around looking for some yummy brunch.

In some ways, the district reminds me of driving down the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. Whenever I would run errands for the development companies I interned for, it seemed like this part of town was always dusted with this bright pure white light. Everything was shiny and breezy and oh-so L.A. Second Street is like that in a way, or at least I believe it will be like that when all the construction finishes. Gleaming bright sunny light will cascade through the streets, reflecting off the finished surfaces of the city, begging you to hang out and revel in it's trendy glory.

Signage.
I am becoming more and more obsessed with the graphic design and typography trends that are going on in Austin right now. I'll expand this more in a later post. I'm still gathering evidence right now, but this is a decent start to give you a taste of what I'm talking about...

It's a mixture of old wild west and up-and-coming urban trendiness. If that's possible. A blending of old and new.

Isabella Janzen

2009-08-22T15:19:00.005-05:00

Gorgeous little Izzie.

Urban NYC

2009-08-16T14:38:00.004-05:00

More urban pics. From December 2007, when Zach and I went to New York City for Christmas. There were tons to choose from, but these are some of the highlights.

I'd love to live in a city that has real public artwork, instead of kitschy painted guitars and bat statues. It makes such a difference in one's daily experiences to see art in everyday places and be encouraged to create and improve the urban core.

Central Park. I was so tragically obsessed with the bare winter trees, as I'm sure most photographers are. Cliched? I guess so, but who could resist? They're so dramatic and wonderful.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum. Unfortunately the exterior was under construction at the time, but the interior was just as awesome as I had imagined.

There's something about New York City streets at night in the middle of winter. The lights sparkle a little brighter and the people move about with a little more spunk in their step. The promise of Christmas automatically makes everything seem slightly more alive, I guess.

We spend lots of time investigating interesting bars, because it was so freezing outside we needed to escape the cold whenever possible. ;)

I took so few photographs in Chinatown. I regret that now, of course. The colors were so vibrant and the people so interesting. Even though I didn't want to buy any Prada handbags. I guess I felt awkward taking photographs, because it's such a touristy thing to do. Should probably get over that.

The last night, a couple hours before we had to be at the airport, we went to the top of the Rockefeller building. If you're ever in New York City, I HIGHLY recommend doing this. Even though it had to be negative degrees up there because it was the middle of December and the wind was enough to turn your bones to icicles, the view was one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen.

Dexter Rose

2009-08-01T23:11:00.004-05:00

Kind of obsessed with "cats in the shower" pictures right now. My beautiful boy kitty. Pictures of Izzie most likely to follow. (Just played with the contrast on these a bit, obviously.)

Austin: South Congress Ave.

2009-07-24T17:48:00.021-05:00

I rarely get out and shoot in Austin anymore. Somehow photography has either become a tourist delight for me, or my home-base just isn't as exciting as it used to be when I came here as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed sophomore at UT. Either way, living on South Congress Avenue has it's perks- lots of interesting photo opportunities within walking distance. So last week we finally took out the camera to catch some of the flavor of the strip, and share it with you.

South Congress used to be the "seedy" part of town, littered with prostitution, drugs and crime. The city only recently (within the last 10-20 years) decided to clean up the area. Now it's one of the trendiest areas of town; a delightful melody of technicolor pedestrians and quirky antique stores. Cute little boutique shops offer a variety of homemade gifts, and there are more than enough high-class and low-class (trailer-based cuisine) feeding options to satisfy the pickiest eaters. Still an example of urbanism, but less aggressive as previous posts; a more trendy version of what the city has to offer.

The famous "Austin Motel" sign. While I don't think anyone actually recommends the hotel itself, it's sign is part of Austin's quirky iconography. That, and it's shaped like a phallus, like so many other American icons. Hmm.

There are a couple cute little interior-Mexican shops mingled amongst the other retail choices along South Congress. I still haven't really looked around any of them, but I like looking in the windows. They're usually full of delicately painted skulls and flying creatures hanging from strings. These creatures are the perfect example of the diversity you can find in Austin, which is conveniently condensed and amplified along SoCo.

Chicago: Another Examination

2009-07-04T10:53:00.029-05:00

As most of you probably know already, I have an insatiable fascination with cities. Urban centers of prosperity and culture are endlessly interesting to me. Since shooting in the rail yard in Cleveland, I am becoming more and more interested in the dirt and the grime of the city. The gritty nooks and crannies that are often noticed or acknowledged in passing on a daily basis, but rarely given your full attention, let alone be considered artistic or beautiful. There is so much art and history and interest in the bits and pieces that make up an urban metropolis.

So I would like to introduce a new theme, if you will, that I will revisit whenever I have the opportunity -- a focus on the urban components of American cities, industrial ruin, and forgotten or abandoned American architecture. I've always been more interested in highbrow European culture and art but am quickly beginning to see the endless possibilities for exploring the darker side of America right in my backyard (sort of). America is supposed to be so progressive and technologically superior to the rest of the world, but how can a country that neglects certain aspects of what made it great in the first place be a place to respect?

This installment is focused more on the urban bits and pieces of Chicago. The things that make a city a city, and in this case the trademark components that make up one of the country's biggest and most exciting urban cities. These photos were taken back in February- the same trip as the previous Chicago post.

The Underground.

Mmm, the underground. Subway tunnels are the most iconic parts of major metropolitan areas. Dark networks of snaking tunnels create a virtual labyrinth beneath the bustling city streets. In Chicago, subway stations are more than merely a going-to or coming-from point, they are more importantly a brief shelter from the freezing biting wind that whips through the streets.

(** Zach actually took this one. But I thought it fit so well that it must be included. So shout out to budding photo pro. That's me and Leif at the top of the stairs. )

Ground Level.

Art can be found in the most obscure places in the city. It lives in glass cases in museums, but also on street corners and alleyways.

Detail and intricacy breathe life into otherwise utilitarian structures.

Above Ground.

A uniquely Chicago feature -- the elevated train. Otherwise known as the "El" or "L."

It is the third busiest metro transportation service in the nation, next to the New York subway system and Washington D.C's Metrorail. I have a guilty fascination with public transportation; mostly because I really want to live in a city that has such a historic and streamlined approach to transportation. I'm done with the automobile. I want to live in a place with some form of subway or rail system.

There are so many opportunities in public transportation to see interesting people, and focus on the world bustling around you instead of on your stick shift or turn signals.

The Skyline.

The city of Chicago is made up of shades of gray. At least in the dead of February.

Architecture builds the identity of a nation. Chicago is an eclectic mash-up of various schools of thought and design. All beautiful in one way or another. All various shades of gray.

Cleveland: They call it a wasteland...

2009-06-20T18:30:00.021-05:00

Cleveland has always been one of the ugliest places I've ever visited. It's all urban waste and rot: rust, smokestacks, soot and grime. The hollow remains of America from it's era of industrial prosperity and glory. Today it lies mostly ruins, like the American equivalent of the European remains of the once magnificent temples of Rome and Greece. Even the fully functional operating factories and mills look ghostly and dangerous. Breathing monsters that threaten the 'green' way of life everyone is so fanatic about right now.

In a way it just goes to show America is somewhat of the innocent child still (as far as countries go), throwing away old toys that don't work right in pursuit of the latest and shiniest gadget or fad, and leaving workers and potentially novel ideas in the dust. Cleveland is the America that still hearkens back to an older time, without enough trajectory towards the future. That's why it lies in a dirty mess.

But there's always a certain amount of beauty in ruin. Here's a look at a "point of interest" in Cleveland. AKA- an abandoned rail yard next to an abandoned factory. I obviously touched these photos- but only a tiny bit - played around with contrast and temperature mostly. Cleveland: Part 2 will follow shortly.

Babies!! Updated.

2009-06-11T19:40:00.009-05:00

Yeah, sorry. Can't help myself. They're too adorable to not take dozens of photographs. Just feel fortunate that I don't share ALL of them with you. They're 8 weeks old now...

Dexter!

Dexter and BevoDuck. One of his favorite squeaky toys.

Dexter and Morris the Mouse. His fur looks brown when the sun shines through it.

Izzie!

A study in Gingerity (photos to follow)

2009-06-07T17:29:00.000-05:00

The girl pranced out into the busy street without a side glance to the left or right, purposefully ignoring the restrictive city-ordained pedestrian walkway, a mere 100 feet from her current location. The driver of the compact vehicle slammed on her brakes to avoid hitting the waif. "People that thin shouldn't leap out into the middle of the road like that," she thought angrily. Yet when the driver caught the girl's eye for a brief moment she couldn't help but be captivated by the fawn of a woman presented to her in the middle of the street.

The daylight highlighted her smooth milky-porcelain skin, shimmering like a doll's freshly painted shell. A light dusting of cinnamon freckles danced across her nose and shoulders, as if her God decided that he needed to illustrate the fact that her soul is just a touch more sweet than her brunette counterparts. Glittery orange hair sighing in the sunlight, the breeze played softly with the strands, wispily falling around her delicate face.

With a glance and a smile, the driver's anger melted away, and she secretly wished for a fleeting moment that she too could be a Ginger.

Feast your eyes on this: El Chile

2009-05-23T22:40:00.018-05:00

A trip to my favorite restaurant, El Chile, resulted in images so tasty you could consume them.

With a spicy orange salt kissing the glass, The Chilango Margarita is a mouth-watering tequila-infused orange masterpiece that would knock the boots off even the toughest of cowboys.

Drink one while crunching on tortilla chips dripping with roasted salsa, a smoky recipe that you can’t match anywhere else in the city (and a recipe that I am avidly trying to crack in my own kitchen,) and you might forget that you still need to order a meal.

(Mmm. Salty chips.)

That's not to say that their food isn't outstanding. The Enchiladas Camarones (not the best on the menu, but nevetheless...) were a colorful and creative gooey pile of glory.

A trip to the farmer's market

2009-05-23T18:40:00.002-05:00

Babies!!!

2009-05-18T17:45:00.005-05:00

Oh Canada!

2009-05-01T17:37:00.015-05:00

"They all call it Canada, but we call it home!!!!"

Embers and Envelopes: Mae at Emo's

2009-05-01T17:18:00.007-05:00

These were taken with the point-n-shoot, so they aren't quite as epic as they could have been. Nevertheless.

SxSw 2009

2009-03-24T21:54:00.020-05:00

Dear and the Headlights

Silversun Pickups

Paper Route

Janelle Monae

Brightwood

Grizzly Bear

Future Clouds and Radar

Datarock

The Windy City, and All That Jazz...

2009-02-22T17:31:00.035-06:00

A facade of skyscrapers facing a lake and behind the facade, every type of dubiousness.

-E.M. Forster

The Introduction

2009-02-12T20:45:00.000-06:00

This is my attempt at creating a space for my work. I realize that beginning a blog in 2009 is kind of behind the national trend, at least for digitally savvy people; all I can say is that I don't have any excuses, just several strongly-upheld beliefs about blogs....

1. I hate the word blog.
2. I feel stupid writing about myself or things that I have done on random blank pages of the internet for people who I may or may not know or care about to read. I've kept journals and endless scraps of writings since an early age, but I have never had the desire to share these things with other people.
3. I don't like templates. Please, stifle my creativity as much as possible, thanks.
4. I hate the word blog.

Alas, I feel like it's finally time to put aside my judgments, and just do it. So here it is. A place for me to keep a portfolio of sorts, to include photo projects, video projects, inspirations, and ramblings. Hopefully it will help me develop my work and sense of style, and give you some interesting tidbits to ponder. Thanks.

The Beginning

2009-02-01T11:32:00.000-06:00