I'm so ready for spring.

DSC_1935a, originally uploaded by matrixchic.


DSC_1939a, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Went to downtown Chicago this weekend. At the end of Navy Pier the frozen waves of Lake Michigan looked like sheets of broken glass.

Back to Basics

holga1, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Bought a Holga 120N as a birthday present to myself last week. Yeah me!

This is literally the VERY first photo I took (when loaded the film wound past the " 1 " before I realized it). Had it set on mountains, cloudy, and just clicked out my car window as I drove by. I'm really surprised it wasn't just a big blur.

Looks like I need to clean the dust out of my scanner, but it was snowing that day so I think the dust spots kinda give it that effect.

View from the front door

DSC_1829a, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Opened my door during a brief moment of sunlight earlier today, and can see how much it snowed.

Scary thing is the front is usually where the snow drifts away from. I'm scared to see how much has built up in the back.

Long Drive Home

DSC_1814b, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Took this while stopped at a light. I live 12 miles from work and it took me almost 2 hours. Sigh.

Nate the Great

Nate & Travis, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Welcome Nate! An early Christmas present from his Grandparents this past weekend for Travis (and his Grandfather Steve). Nate is a 10 week old Bedlington Terrier, and is as cute as a lamb.

After lots of playing, both Nate and Travis were pretty tired.

He's also got a pretty stylin' hairdo!

The Shot

I found out about "The Shot" on VH1 at the 3rd episode. The 5th airs tonight. Despite the usual reality TV drama (get to shooting already!) it's actually quite entertaining. It's a guilty pleasure watching the photographers compete (as I've had a long-time interest in high-fashion photography) and seeing what the campaigns are for each episode and their "shot." With the prize being $100k and a fashion spread in Marie Claire, I'm also a bit jealous.

The Shot also has a website were people can sign up and post images for others to critique and enter contests.

I've posted a few here - feel free to stop by and leave a critique or vote for me! Yup. It's shameless self-promotion time. :)

Yeah - I'm an aunt (again)!

My phone rang last night at 11:45pm, I went over to see at least who it was. It showed "mom" - so instantly I knew what was up since my sister was due 11/21.

Sure enough - my nephew "Xander" was born at 10:47pm. I spoke to my sister this afternoon and both are doing well.

Yeah!

I can hardly wait for Christmas holiday to go to Texas. Now if I can just get some pictures to tide me over!!! (that's a hint Brian)

Talk about timing

DSC_1466a, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

I have been driving past this location in Downers Grove, IL every day on my way to work for the last year. Sunday (10/21) I was out and decided to stop and take a picture. The next day when I drove past there was a chain-link fence up with a "to be demolished" sign.

This morning when I drove past the crew was there having completed demolition and was cleaning up the debris.

Trash the Dress!

DSC_1398mb2, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Today I met up with a group of other girl photographers and we did a "Trash the Dress" photo shoot at Foster Ave Beach in downtown Chicago. One of the models (Carolyn) is actually a bride-to-be, and the other is a photographer herselve (Melissa).

Could you believe it was 80 degrees in the middle of October?? It was fabulous and so much fun!

A huge Thank You goes to Gina DiConti for organizing it.

Back to Texas.

Raven, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

I enjoyed my trip back home to visit my family. It had been way too long since I'd been back, and the trip was way too short. I was just glad I didn't have to be the one to pack the truck and drive my Grandmother's 3,300 lbs of stuff from middle-of-nowhere Kansas to Plano, TX (nevermind factoring in the August Summer heat). The truck arrived the Tuesday before I did. But somehow I was deligated the job of breaking down boxes. oh well...

My 2 year old niece, Raven, is so headstrong and outgoing. Nothing stands in her way (hee hee, sounds familiar...) and she never sits still, what a ball of energy! She is such a doll and I can't wait to see her again. Michelle & Brian are doing such a good job.

I'm also looking forward to my nephew Zander's arrival in November.

Yeah, I'm in!

Playhouse, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Got a letter today that my above image "Playhouse" was accepted to the Chicago Art Open 2007.

OCTOBER 4-OCTOBER 27: PUBLIC VIEWING
Monday-Sunday 11 am – 5 pm

Iron Studios
3636 S. Iron St.
Chicago, IL

travis_footballw, originally uploaded by matrixchic.

Ah. More self promotion...
Submitted to JPG Issue 12 theme: Family

Please click here to vote for me now!

Red barn.
White snow.

Blue sky.

Submitted to JPG Issue 11: America theme. Please click here to vote for me now!

Yes, I know... it's shameless self-promotion.

me1w, originally uploaded by kwadephotos.

Yup. This is me. The focus this week in class was portraits, so I decided to challenge myself and include a self-portrait in the group. I feel so narcissistic...

My son obliged, but only with compensation. What a supermodel diva (or early signs of good business sense)!

Eva, whom I work with at my "day job," also stepped in and really helped me out.

For more portraits from the shoots, click on my self-portrait photo to go to my flickr account.

panned motion, originally uploaded by kwadephotos.

I'm no sports photographer, and the "motion" assignment this weekend only reinforced that. Maybe I'd have felt more creative if it were better weather, not to mention I've been fighting a migrane... making it really hard to concentrate.

My son got a kick outta watching what I came up with from his pull-back toys and remote control cars, though.

lavender2, originally uploaded by kwadephotos.

The lavender basket photo is from my latest class project "my room." It really made me remember last spring when I was at a farmer's market in New York with all the fresh lilacs. I'm so ready for spring!

m1_5x5w, originally uploaded by kwadephotos.

Last year I finally bought a digital SLR camera and since it had been back in the days of Photoshop 2.0 when I first took a Digital Photography class - I decided to take Photo 1101 this semester at COD. Even though I've been using Photoshop for awhile and have been able to figure out a lot on my own - I'm learning more in-depth about the Photoshop tools, and what CS2 has (I have 7.0 at home).

This photo of Mjesec is from my first class photo shoot "around the house." It's surprising he's not in every single photo since he kept following me the whole time...

lightroom, originally uploaded by kwadephotos.

Just got an email from Adobe that my submitted work has been approved and posted at the Project: Photoshop Lightroom gallery:

http://projectphotoshoplightroom.com/usergallery_detail.php?id=35

How exciting!

Family Time

travis_carson_w, originally uploaded by kwadephotos.

Well, definately a lot of family snapshots this week! Travis' cousins came to visit from Oklahoma, and he really had a ball having another boy his age to hang out with.

Hyatt Hotel Tree, originally uploaded by kwadephotos.

It's the week before Christmas, and instead of being home shopping and writing Christmas cards - here I am in Greenville, NC for work. Thank goodness for USPS Priority Mail and FedEx so when I get back I can ship presents on Wedensday. And I hope my friends and family don't mind instead of Christmas Cards they'll be getting "Happy New Year" cards.

Training went well. I was worried about the people that had been there a few years being bored, but everyone was enthousiastic and very nice.

The one night out the office took me to Soby's resteraunt in downtown Greenville. It was awesome! I really enjoyed the southern fusion cooking. It also didn't hurt that at the table right next to us sat Tommy Lasorda and Jim Rice.

After dinner, Barb and I went back out to the car so I could retrieve my camera. Here is a photo from the Hyatt Hotel. The only light in this hallway was the tree and what was outside, and flash from my camera would have just ruined the mood. So I just prayed while leaning against the elevator entry for support that wasn't the moment someone decided to come to the floor we were on! Times like this I really wish I had a really light weight tripod or monopod (I've been eyeing one by Manfrotto - hint, hint Santa Clause...).