Guardian Eyewitness

I like this photo iPad app Guardian Eyewitness. It is put out by the UK newspaper the Guardian, in partnership with Canon. There are many great photography apps out there, but what sets this one apart is its simplicity plus functionality. It's one daily picture, usually tied to a current event. With the educational/informative iPad apps it can be tricky where to draw the line of information overload-- it's unfortunate when an app has great content but users can't be bothered to find it (can apply that to many other things in life but I digress...). And often as beautiful as a picture can be, having context makes it much more engaging.

Here's the basic set up. It has a little blurb at the bottom about the picture, and also a blurb from Canon about what makes the photo work. These are some of my favorites that I have pulled from the app, along with their blurbs (and my unnecessary thoughts along with it):

A man works on a construction site in Hanoi, Vietnam. (I would blow this up and put it on a wall.)

Terraced rice fields of Laohuzui in Yuanyang, Yunnan province in China. The blue strips are vegetable greenhouses, the black are trees and water embankments. (I have a thing for terraced rice fields...)

Ugandan opposition politician Olara Otunnu is shielded by his supporters as police fire colored liquid at protesters from water cannons during a march through Kampala. (This is a good example of a great picture accompanying a current event... the color and image is amazing even if it's superficial to be thinking that of a picture of a political protest...)

Wild stallions fight for supremacy as spring replenishes the plains below the Cincar Mountains, west Bosnia. (I know, this picture is so cliche, but I love it! Horses and soft green fields! Although I thought they were prancing gaily to the sound of a pied piper, not "fighting for supremacy." I would fit right in here, in terms of confrontation.)

Volcano eruption. (raaaarrrrrrr!!!!!)

I looked back at the past year and realized I had hardly pursued any of the interests I had wanted to pursue. Time to accept the silver lining to my clouds and re-focus.

The eternal question

Sometimes the impact of images are more effective simply because they're BIGGER. But I like this picture because the expanse of the sky still makes it seem small. It's that familiar friend and foe-- relativity.

This random building in SF I passed by asks a question that is very appropriate for the moment. and relativity is a very appropriate issue at the moment.

Hibernation

Some people like to eat when they are sad. Or drink. Or shop.

I like to sleep. Sad hibernating bear.

At least the lights from the towers allow my mind to wander. Makeshift stars. They are isolating yet comforting... Or vice versa. A good bedtime companion.

I dreamt more than usual last night. Part of it was a nightmare, which is unusual. Some cloaked figure had come into the apartment. I couldn't see his face as it was dark and his back was against the window, but he tried to stick a very thin needle in my arm. I think I woke up when my mind went, "seriously?!!" I am going to try to learn how to control my dreams. Lucid dreaming sounds crazy. I would try to see 30.

Blogsy

Testing out Blogsy for iPad. I think I enjoy finding and downloading apps more than I actually use them -_-*. Anyway if you are looking for a good blogging app, this already seems much better than the apps Blogpress and Wordpress apps. There is this cool sidebar where you can link your Picasa, YouTube and Flickr accounts or search google and simply drag and drop pictures and videos into your post. Very convenient.

Here is are some random recent Picasa pictures...

Was trying on nail polish, thought this random mix actually looked cool together. And he thinks so too :)

An installation at LA Live...

Ali!

New brewery downtown. Kind of an awkward space right now but should get better once they actually get real fixtures in there. It's huge.

things up close

some things look better from afar, some things look better up close.

i want a garden.

The sky in city of angels

I wish I could see stars in the sky where I am. Not just the five or so that manage to stubbornly shine through the haze, but really see the complete expanse of stars that I know are there. Instead I just see a thick cover of deep murky grey, almost brown. The color the water turns as you dip your brush when painting. I wonder if it means anything that when all colors are mixed together, the result is a rather depressing dark grey brown.

I remember the first time I really saw the night sky as it was meant to be seen, or at least the first time I was conscious of it. I remember only a few experiences in my life with such a strong memory of how it felt. I was in Catalina for our eighth grade trip. We had hiked up a mountain in the middle of no where, in the middle of the night. It was altogether unromantic and unremarkable in every other way except that I had never seen the raw sky before. It was incredible. True to my city nature, I did not imagine that it could look that way. I felt transported, like I could see into another world. Things were so clear. I wish I could have that feeling right now.

I sometimes think about how the sun is always shining, but the clouds are just in the way. It's not that the sun isn't out. But that is what it seems like, and ultimately that is what matters to those experiencing it. Now it's the same with the stars. Of course they are right there, filling the sky beyond the shroud that surrounds this city. If only this cover was lifted, I could see them. But my reality is that they aren't there. This realization feels almost suffocating, blinding. How can I get past this barrier of haze?

.:: mobile post

Alone in the light

With AR at the Getty on Sunday. I will spare you from all my macros of succulents... For now.




The moment of solitude in this picture was forced (ie I waited for 5 min before I got a clear shot), but I do love the feeling I get from it. I am happy.

.:: mobile post