Week 12 of 52

This past week has been the busiest I can remember, but I got my shooting done. It is amazing to me that once I set aside the time and begin to shot, time seems to melt away. I begin and just fall into it. That is a good thing. I need to do what is me, or as someone put it to me just yesterday, "You got to do you." Having just finished the Ken Robinson book, The Element, photography is one of those things that's me. It is not just photography, it is anything that allows my creative juices to flow. And there is a product at the end of it. Drawing is another. Not that I can draw, but I think about drawing something over and over in my mind and try to do it. The other thing when I'm in a real groove and rested, cooking does it too. Whipping up a new recipe, perfecting an old one or just cooking for a small group of friends is "doin' me!"

So, this week the MCP 52 Project theme was out of the jewelry box. Well I do have a jewelry box but I don't keep my jewelry in it. I keep mine in various tins organized by type and metal, earrings, rings, bracelets, etc, and gold, or silver. I remembered that my mom has a jewelry cabinet. As she used to say, "When you get this old, you'll have this much stuff." And so, she got a jewelry cabinet. It stands about three and a half feet high, double doors with hooks on the inside to hang necklaces and earrings, six to seven drawers to put other small items and a large shelf for larger items. I guess for huge cuff bracelets, crowns, tiaras and the like. Oh yeah, it is an Asian motif, which is some much of who my mother was.

Now, to the photo of the week. Week 12's theme from the MCP 52 Project is Out of the Jewelry Box and my year long theme is Structure. I decided to use my mother's jewelry box and just pulled out a drawer of white, pearl type beads and began to shoot. These beautiful beads are Out of the Jewelry Box to meet the MCP 52 Project theme. And my mom collecting jewelry for over 60 years is only part of the structure. She, like me, always wore jewelry. She always had here rings and necklaces while I feel naked without my earrings. Jewelry is a structure in my life. Please be sure to check out the other photos from the jewelry box drawer at my flickr site and let me know what you think.

Week 11 of 52

Wow, this has been some week. I am at the CUE Conference in Palm Springs and have been here since Wednesday night, it is now Saturday morning, and the conference finishes today. A conference in Palm Springs is always great, especially this time of year when all of the snowbirds are here from the colder parts of this country and Canada. I have also had the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and associates at the conference, making this an always enriching experience.

So, needless to say, I didn't have time to really shoot like I would have liked. So, I whipped out my iPhone and snapped away. When I was taking the pictures I liked the composition that I saw on the iPhone and when I was up loading them from my iPhone to the flickr website. But in the light of day, after a few hours sleep, I thought they were too grainy or noisy and the depth-of-field was off because the iPhone is not set up for that kind of shooting. I did make a choice to use the one I took as I was leaving the Palm Springs Convention Center. I love the look of this building, the natural stone, the mountain backdrop and the muted colors... The Desert in the winter is lovely.

You can obviously see the Darks and the Lights for the MCP 52 Project theme with the overhead lights shining down the strong pillars. My year long theme of structure is apparent in the pillars that hold up the roof of the convention center shading. The structure that is not seen is that I have attended this conference annually since 1990 with only a few years of interruption during that time.

Well, anyway, here it is, so enjoy. Thanks for following

Week 10 of 52

Week 10. It is getting more difficult to sustain the momentum of shooting and the photographic eye. I must admit, when I start shooting I lose myself in it. I just need to cut out the time to do it.

The theme for the MCP 52 Project this week is Childhood Toys and my is Structure. I realized that many of my childhood toys are not sold any more, Jacks and the plastic bags from the dry cleaners, both choke hazards. I also didn't remember having that many toys as a child. I usually played with my brother and his toys, like the toy plastic soldiers and G.I. Joes. As a child we made tents and terrain with blankets, Cowboys and Indians, mud pies, played the tree house and had tea parties with imaginary friends. Since children aren't in the immediate family I was going to buy something to stage a shot. That's when I realized I work with children!

One visit to the Pre School Classroom and found many toys. So I mad a little trip to Train Town. Toy Train Town is the Childhood Toys and the Structure of play is my structure. Preschool is place where children learn through playing.

The Here is the photo I submitted this week for the 52 Project. You may see the other in this series at my 52 Project flickr site.

Week 9 of 52

Wow!, I posted on facebook and flickr last week but not here. That messy because I referenced this blog for more details. Sorry followers. Here is Week 9 of 52.

The MCP 52 Project's theme for Week 9 was Express Yourself and as a reminder, my is Structure. These are the hands of a co-worker who is a very talented artist who expresses himself through his drawing of automobiles. He has a habit of going home after work, a 10 our day, get a beer, puts on a CD and draws. That's his structure. That's what he does to unwind.

Because I was down to the wire with time and needed to shoot something, he obliged me when I asked. I don't feel this photos does justice to the concept or his hands. This is what happens when I wait to the last minute to do things. Hopefully I will be able to redeem his shoot. You can see the other photos in this series at http://tinyurl.com/kim-sP52flickr

Week 8 of 52

Week 8 was rough. I only shot one day this week, the last day Friday and boy was it raining. I love shooting in the rain. I hope you enjoy this. It's not my best effort. My theme for this year, 2011 is structure and this week's theme for the MCP Project is A View from Here. The structure is the pattern of poles, rubbish cans and doors. The View from Here is a look out on to the tree. Let me know what you think.

Daddy's 90th Birthday

This was a full week eventhough it was only a four day work week, Presidents' Day off. I returned to work from being out will for four and half days, and needless to say, all of my work was waiting for me. Also, this week was my father's 90th birthday, monumental for sure. My brother, just back from a tour of duty in Iraq wanted to be here for our dad on his special day, so he and his daughter flew in on Thursday. My dad and I have not seen either of them since mother's funeral last year this time.

All that said, my dad had the best birthday ever, he just wish mother could have been here. He said, "I met this milestone before Mother. It's the only one I have, with her birthday before mine. I wish she were here." It was a special night and reminds me of all the blessings and riches we can some times take for granted.

This is a picture of my dad circa 1960. Happy Birthday Daddy!

Week 7 of 52

The past week was challenging for me because I was hit by a flu, like I haven't seen for some time. A flu with no fever, who knew? Anyway, I'm feeling a little defeated because I didn't do as much shooting last week. I met some fellow shutterbugs at the Greystone Mansion and Park in Beverly Hills, a place I've never been. I was feeling so poorly, those shots may not see the light of day. But on my way back from the doctor it was raining, a rare event here in LA, I decided to visit a huge sundial in Culver City Park. Because it was raining, there was no sun to cast a shadow, but the lighting was good.

This sculpture, sundial, work of art, Homage to La Ballona Creek, has always intrigued me. So I thought I'd visit it on this rainy day. The MCP: Project 52 theme for the week is "From the heart" and again my year long theme is Structure. I saw this as a combination of the both themes. "From the heart" is the gift of time that can only be given from the heart. Time is one of the few things that cannot be replaced. The sculpture has in several languages the saying "Time is a river." The dedication plaque says that it is a homage to La Ballona Creek a nearby water feature. Showing our connection to Nature by the daily movement of the sun tracked with the sundial. The passage of time, day to night, structure.

you can see my other shots at my flickr site Photography 2011. I hope you enjoy them and please leave comments.