Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Wedding Weekend Wreck!!!

It wasn't a wreck, I'm sorry I lied to you. My reasons are two-fold: 1, all words start with a "W" which I thought was pretty cool, I didn't know when would be the next time I would write about weddings and 2, it's getting harder and harder to get your attention, so I have to come out with creative ways of catching it, and a dramatic title seem logical.... at the moment.... sorry. I know you have forgiven me already so.. read on!

DSC_2681
I love this photo, especially the blurry bubbles all around.

Weddings are very tiring, at least for a photographer. Always up and down, picture with mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, from either side, best friends, uncle 1, uncle 2, uncle 3, uncle 4, from both sides. Take a picture with the neighbor, with their kids, now individually with each kid. Group shot, crazy group shot, another group shot 'cause there was people in the bathroom. I might hire someone to JUST do the group shots and I'll do the creative shots jejeje.

But... the reward comes, not with the money because I'm not getting paid for this one (c'mon she's my cousin you heartless people!!), but it comes when I see the photos on my Cinema display :) (huh, Raelene). I look at them while I level them, and color-balance, adjust the exposure, remove green and add some magenta, and I enjoy them, I think stuff like, "Good thing I laid on the floor for that Shot!" or "I thought I was too close but I got it just right" sometimes "Ughhh!! Misa that photo was too straight on, what happened to your creativity-ness!?!?" I honestly believe I'm not THAT good, but my computer screen tells me something else and my God says it even better.

I may hate the group shots but I love photos, so here's to a long-lasting relationship with me and my camera (it's illegal to marry but we decided to be the best of friends)


By the way, those are not the Newly Weds, I have not ask permission from them to upload their photos to my Flick (btw just click on the photo and it'll take you straight to my Flick), those are my uncles. Very cool people. He's technically our uncle but life's shown it different at times, older cousin best defines our relationship, a good one at that.

Always remember the old mantra: "Say Cheese!!"

Saturday, April 4, 2009

An Open Letter to Christian Creatives (Collide Magazine)

I found this article/letter online and would to share it with the world, and the closest thing I got to a world-wide publication is this humble blog available to everyone to read as they please. :)

An Open Letter to Christian Creatives
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about creatives who exist in the church—people who create their church’s videos, design and maintain their church’s websites, lighting and stage directors and artists, and musicians. There are so many things I want to say to you, but haven’t.

Until now.

I guess I want to make this simple statement first and foremost: After watching people like you for years and years, I want you to know that the stuff you create doesn’t matter as much as you think it does. After years of experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that the artistic designs you engage in may only marginally impact someone’s life. I know that’s a very blunt statement, but someone needs to say what everyone else is already thinking.

I wonder if it all starts at the top of the food chain? I wonder if the lead pastor and executive staff team have sold creatives (like us) a bogus bill of goods? They’ve told us that the stuff we create every week has the potential to change lives. But just be honest for a minute. Can you actually name someone whose life has been changed as a result of your craft? I doubt it.

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You awake in the middle of the night with creative ideas, mixed with the stress of deadlines you can’t possibly meet. You’ve ignored, or even dropped the most important relationships in your life. You stay late at the church office, and no one knows, or even really cares. And all for what? All to create and maintain art in the desperate hope that someone’s life will be impacted?

Really?

And what about this obsession with beauty? You uphold beauty like it’s the gateway to God Himself. God only communicates His presence through His written Word. He has chosen never to communicate through any other means - His Word even says so. Again, my greatest fear is that you’ve been sold a bill of goods that simply doesn’t produce over the long term.

And so here’s what I really want you to hear and meditate on: Easter is coming. It’s the biggest day of the church year. Over the next few days, your schedule will be taken with creative meetings that you don’t want to be a part of; with pastoral conflict at the highest levels; and with late nights away from the people you love. You are preparing for something that will come and go in a heartbeat. By the time you’re Easter services are over, most of the people will be at brunch, arguing about the choice of music, or the pastor’s sermon.

And I’ve just gotta ask this most obvious question: Why labor in vain?

Wouldn’t you be a better steward of your church’s financial resources if you didn’t put as much time and effort into one weekend? There’s a time to know when “good enough” is “good enough,” and it might be a good time for you to back off of any unrealistic expectations you have of creative beauty, and to simply declare “good enough.”

Will this Easter change lives? Probably. But do you need to take any of the responsibility for setting up an environment for that to occur? In my experience, the answer is a resounding “no.” Let God be God. He will do whatever He wants.

I openly invite this conversation to continue.







Yours truly.

Satan


The link to this article and many others are found at Collide Magazine

Thursday, April 2, 2009

US Solutions

I got the answer for the Economy :)
What is it you ask?

The Government should pay their Tithes ;)

I also have the answer for Health Care
What is it you inquire?

America should Eat healthy

:)

Monday, March 30, 2009

My new little cousin

Abuelita Party
This is a little cousin I just met this weekend
Pretty chill guy, until I aimed my camera... he got scared

Este Guy....

Esteban
Always in front of my camera...

Monday, March 23, 2009

Genesis One: Take 2

I've been doing some modifications to the original Genesis One logo. The goal was to clean it up.

IMG_0670
IMG_0671
And after drawing and sketching concepts I came up with one I'm fairly happy with:
genesis_one_2
genesis_one_1
What do you think?

Friday, March 20, 2009

Genesis One: Care for Creation

This idea of starting a Christian environmental group has been in my head for a long time. I had started doing concept logos for a name that stuck to me: Genesis One. The name obviously inspired by the first chapter of the book of Genesis:
"1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters..."
God created the heavens and the earth so I deeply believe that even if you don't believe that we are the cause for Global Warming of that such doesn't even exist, we still need to "Care for Creation."

What do you guys think? I am right? Wrong? Weird? 

Genesis One
(Not final design, critiques are welcomed and encouraged)