Day 502

5/31/2008

taken : 5/31/2008

...

A few days ago Scott had, what he referred to as, a 'total estrogen day'.

This is exactly what I had today.

What I mean by that is I hung out with :

Bonesaw (The two of us went to Snarf's, although did not get a picture of her)



Anna (pictured above) & Morgan (below)

...

And Lacey of course...but I have taken a bazillion pictures of her


...

Myself, Morgan and Anna met in a calculus class. I have spent time with both of them on an individual basis but today was the day we decided it was about fucking time we all hang out together.

We started off planning on going to dinner together.

Cancel that...

Then we decided coffee...

Then I was the only person who even ordered anything.

go figure.

...

My friends are adorable.

...



...

P.S. Apparently a totally awkward place to meet a really hairy, much older man is the hot tub at 25 Hour Fitness.

Who'd huv thunk it!

...

Day 501

5/30/2008

taken : 5/30/2008

(self portrait)

...

End of Maymester.

Woo!

...

Today's class basically turned into people getting into GIGANTIC arguments with our instructor.

It was

REALLY

uncomfortable.

The most uncomfortable critique I have ever been in.


...

is it summer yet?

Day 500

5/29/2008

taken : 5/29/2008

...

LOST season finale tonight.

so awesome.

Thanks for the food Mike and Ally

...

So...

...so comes the end of another photo class at CU (Tomorrow that is...I spent a little bit of today putting together my final powerpoint).

Let me speak about it a little bit...

(the class that is...not the powerpoint)


...

I am continually disappointed with the level of incompetence shown by instructors in the the studio art classes. I could have easily taught this class much better than it was. I am not being cocky...It is just sad to see your instructor do absolutely NOTHING

...and when he did do anything, he didn't even do it right.

I marked my instructor way way way down on FCQ's. The only comment I left was

"I learned nothing from this class"

I am over this class.

...

The irony is this:

Using film is horrible for the environment. You may recall a small rant I went on a few weeks back when my film class was coming to a close.

So, I shall not repeat the problems with shooting film and the environment.

But get this...

So this class is Environmental Digital Photography

The aim was to explore current environmental issues (which hardly anyone did) through our photography...(AND YES) we (as photographers) can breathe easy knowing we are shooting digitally and helping the environment just a tad bit by not shooting film.


As you may recall me mentioning, students are to bring 30 images to class everyday, shot and edited from the previous day.

And how, might you ask, do we turn in these images to our instructor?

CD-r's.

ONE TIME USE OPTICAL DISCS.

Somene asked our instructor why we don't just get flash drives that we can use over and over again.

"I mean...Ken...this is an environmental art class"

Ken refused to accept pictures on flash drives.

It was more "convenient" for him to get CD-r's everyday from us.

How wasteful.

But alas, why not use re-writeable discs?

Ken could not get those to work???

I don't know.???

Who knows.???

Fuck this class.








...



Morning update

Last night I installed the EOS software that came with my Canon. I wanted to try out the remote capture software. It is pretty slick. You can tether your camera to your laptop via USB and control it from there.

This morning I decided to do a set up and test a time lapse sequence. There is really nothing composition wise, this was merely a technical test to see how I may do a time lapse in the future.

I set my camera up to fire every minute for about two hours. Then I placed all the images in Final Cut Pro and had each one display for .5 seconds.

I think what I may do next is a time lapse of the Flatirons (typical) during sunset...???

...



you get the idea

...

Day 499

5/28/2008

taken : 5/28/2008

Thought today about selling some guitar equipment for money...

But I don't think I could bring myself to do it


...

Karla dropped by and chatted for a little bit.

She finally came to pick up her birthday present.

...


....

Early morning update

An email from my instructor

...

Dear all,
We are closing in on the end of the semester.. fast.
As for the daily shoots, still, many of you are continue to hand-in unedited work, that is not sharp in focus or simply not thoughtfully considered images. Also, many of you still owe me for past daily 30's..
But most of all, the quality of the daily images remain a major problem for most of you.
Ken

...

My initial thoughts were:

What a jerk.

"Maybe some of the students struggle (maybe I am one of them and I don't know it) because you are a horrible teacher"

and

"I can't take you seriously when you email out 'many of you are continue...' "

Day 498

5/27/2008

taken : 5/27/2008

...

Had a pretty pointless class today.

It ended about 5 minutes after it started.

So...wanting to try to get some pictures of the cloud cover over the Flatirons I took a hike.

(With camera in a 2.5 gallon zip lock bag)

...

Afterwards I got some good nap time.

...

Later Jen and myself ate dinner at Chy Thai.

Chy Thai is good.

Then we went back to my place so she could use my printer to make a print of a picture she had taken.

...

I made a bunch of prints for class...even though we are only required to make one.

But I don't want to be that guy...ya know??

...

Day 497

5/26/2008

taken : 5/26/2008

...

Happy Birthday Jen

...

Got rained on a lot today

...

Day 496

5/25/2008

taken : 5/25/2008

...

nothing

...

"Over here
Come slowly
Come slowly, to me
I have been waiting

Patient
Patiently

I didn't
but now I can see,

that there's a way out.
that there's a way out.
that there's a way out.
that there's a way out."

...

nothing

...

Day 495

5/24/2008

taken : 5/24/2008

...

Spent some time at the creek festival with the Lindsay's and company.

...

Bonesaw and myself sat in front of the Tea House for a bit discussing the differences between being male/female...which was hilarious.

...

Eventually we visited the greyhound rescue tent.

Those poor greyhounds looked so sad.

...

Day 494

5/23/2008

taken : 5/23/2008

...

reclusive


...

"ooooooh babe, when I pick up the phone...there's still nobody home"

...




...

My class is stupid.

...

Photography? Seriously?
Who am I kidding.

worthless.

...

Day 493

5/22/2008

taken : 5/22/2008

The long journey home.

...

I slept horribly.

I woke up every time the wind picked up

...or just because I was uncomfortable.

...

..Or maybe in the morning when the instructor for your class wakes up early and sits in the camp site making a "CAW" sound every time a crow flies by the site...


...

Last night before going to sleep my roommate and my sort of roommate discussed with me waking up early to pack our shit.

We hoped that perhaps the weather would have cleared and we could finish our hike and get some photos with better light...and straight from the trailhead head back home.

When I awoke for what I decided should be the last time (be it because I was uncomfortable or because of the bird sounds my instructor was making) I looked out of the tent to see it was...well sort of snowing/ sort of raining.

Fuck it.

We packed our shit in 5 minutes and took off.

...

Day 492

Devotchka

...(this song was stuck in my head the whole trip...no matter what I was doing)

(kind of a long post...get ready...)

...

5/21/2008

taken : 5/21/2008


...
Sand Dunes Trip

...
Wednesday marked the overnight field trip with my Environmental Digital Photo class to THE SAND DUNES. Woo.
Scott and Gordon came too.

The last time I was at the sand dunes was somewhere around 7th grade. I remember thinking the trip was incredibly stupid...and just not into it....but I was amazed during this trip.
...

Early in the morning I dropped off Lace with Bonesaw and LC. I rushed back to my place and packed up the car, fueled up, and went to an ATM.

It was a bad sign that Scott hurt himself and was bleeding in the car before we even left Boulder...hell, before we even met up with the rest of the class.

Scott was pretty positive he was going to die somewhere along the trip.

...

After a pointless meet up with the rest of the class (actually only 4 other students from class) Scott, Gordon, and myself headed out.

...

Our first stop (to change drivers mostly) was where the above panorama was taken. This was taken from a scenic overlook on US 285 looking down at Buena Vista. It was quite pretty.

...

The other group requested that we stop somewhere and meet them...but we really didn't feel like, so we just trucked on towards the sand dunes.

Along the way we passed a UFO landing and Observation deck that was in the middle of no where...we didn't stop...but the other group did.

There were also signs for The Colorado Reptile something or other...crocodiles mostly I think...

...we didn't stop there either...

...

After hours of driving we finally made it. We threw up our camp site, drank some beers and ate some food and headed to the visitors center.

We were all curious how these huge fucking sand dunes ended up here...

...and well...it's just a coincidence really...



We went back to camp and met up with the other groups. After some eating and drinking the groups split up and headed for the dunes.

...



...

The weather was not ideal. The light was shit.

...but it made for some nice clouds for a dramatic sky.

I was truly amazed at how enormous the sand dunes were. I didn't remember them being so damn big. They just go on and on and on.

...

We had no idea where the other group went, and we just set off by ourselves...

...


We were pretty eager to hike those motherfucking sand dunes...but after the first dune...we got a little tuckered out. We took frequent breaks. We picked a couple of lines to follow to try to get to what we thought was the highest dune in the park.


...

Scott decided to get to the top of each dune as fast as he could so he could rest for a little bit.

...



...and then he's over it.


...



We sat there for quite a while taking a breather.

We were still determined to make it to the top of the highest dune we could see....but the weather started to get worse, and the wind was blowing really really really hard...and when the sand comes rolling up off of those dunes in the wind...it stings.



(okay...I'll quit with pictures of the sand)

...



So we booked it the fuck out of there (which took a while because the wind was getting really nasty) and headed back to our campsite.

...

There we drank beers (and some Crown Royal) with the other group and sat around a campfire (typical).

It cleared up a little so Gordon, myself and Scott took a short hike to take some long exposure frames...


This is the result of my attempt....






(ISO 200. f/5.6. 17mm. 1094 seconds.)



not too shabby...


............


pulling up to the entrance to the Sand Dunes National Park

Gordon : "Want to get out and take a picture of the sign?"

Scott : "...Fuck you."


...

End of extremely long post/new digital version of watching relatives slide presentation of their trip somewhere...

Day 491

5/20/2008

taken : 5/20/2008

...

The above photo is really noisy. As an after thought I snapped this photo with hardly any time on the shutter...so what you are looking at are my efforts trying to bring that photo back from pretty much nothing...I don't like it all that much.

...

Class today.

Planning the trip to the Sand Dunes tomorrow.

...

Later Jen and myself were going to go to Chy Thai for dinner...

...but things happen with cars sometimes.

So we just sat and chatted on my back porch.


It was nice.
I liked it.

Have a good trip Jen. I look forward to seeing you again next week.

...

Later:
went driving around....just driving.


...



...

Going to the Sand Dunes tomorrow until Thursday afternoon.

There will be no post tomorrow. Wednesdays post will be posted on Thursday when I get back.

Happy Trails

or

whatever...

Day 490

5/19/2008

taken : 5/19/2008

...


I decided to get some different pictures for my daily 30.
I headed for some water instead of the hills.

So I went to the Boulder Res.

...

Here are some more pictures from todays Daily 30

...





...





...

and blah blah blah

bluck.

Day 489

5/18/2008

taken : 5/18/2008

...

Jen and I went hiking around the trails behind NCAR today.

It cleared up and there was pretty decent light.

...

More pictures outside of the lonely theme I am working on.

...

I had fun.

...

Earlier in the day I drove down to Littleton to attend Megan's Grad party.

Trevor makes good food.

...

Day 488

Yann Tiersen.



5/17/2008

taken : 5/17/2007


...
This picture has not quite fit in with the theme I have been developing for the last couple days with the landscape shots for class.


...

The feeling for the last couples days photos have been to portray a real sense isolation.

I have been trying to make the photos feel a little surreal...contrasts are pushed to the limit.

...
The technique is to show really vast, open, empty areas. Small signs left from people have been in the photos (the dirt road and fence/the small string of power lines/an old run down building). It's like traveling through these vast expanses following the traces of human life, but always falling short...still always being alone.

No matter how hard you try, you will never find those actual human connections. You are just traveling through these spaces looking for any sign of life that might point you in the right direction... but somehow you never find those people.

In a sense it's like spending tons of time with a person(s), but never actually being close to them. Never actually knowing who that person is.

I suppose then it eventually becomes too late. You can't navigate out of those spaces and make a connection with that person(s). You are only aware of the threads that almost solidified those connections.

(This is actually why my girlfriend from freshman year broke up with me.)

So you go and you go through these landscapes looking for anything, but you just seem to be always end up alone.

I have been pursuing this (and in a way have been on again off again since last year) idea because it has been on my mind a lot lately.

...

On the level of environmental photography I thought it would be nice to play with the idea of disappearing landscapes. I go to these places, and choose not to show any actual people. The spaces are huge and empty. It's like no one wants to be there. So often I have been the only person in these areas.

Then eventually all the land will be gone. There will be new "Manufactured Landscapes" And then people will be nostalgic about those vast open areas of beautiful land they hardly spent any time in. Only after it's gone will they appreciate it.

They will be only memories...and it is my belief that memories are very weird. Memories aren't even that reliable. It is like in Memento when Lenard is talking with Teddy about memory.

"Police go on facts...not memories. Memories can change the shape of a room...they can change the color of car...FACTS...not memories"

Thusly the surreal landscapes. I want them to embody memories, not facts. These are supposed to be like what someone might remember as a landscape...and because thoughts and memories are so abstract in themselves, these landscapes hint at exactly that.


...

Although I don't know if I am successful with either of these ideas.


...

P.S. I took the above photo while photo adventuring with Morgan and Natalie. The last time we photo adventured together as a group was 4/21/2007. 392 Days ago.

WEIRD.

That is why the daily picture project is weird.


...

P.P.S. Thanks for throwing down some money on breakfast Mike. That was nice
...

Broste out.

Day 487

5/16/2008

taken : 5/16/2008


...

( )

...

Happy Birthday Rachel

Day 486

5/15/2008

taken : 5/15/2008

...

Today I went down into way way south Boulder. I hiked around the High Plains Trail right off 93.

Most of the day was overcasted.

I didn't even think I would really even try to go out and get my daily 30 pictures for class.

...but it cleared a little bit in South Boulder...

but then I was dealing with bright harsh light.

Oh well...

...

I only saw one person on the trail.

It was a shock when I saw her.

I had been alone since I had started.

I almost forgot that other people existed out there.

...

I was standing on the edge of the slope where this picture was taken.

Tripod out. Just standing and waiting.

...

Today in class a side conversation was about the idea of going to one place and waiting for something to happen...instead of driving around looking for something that was currently happening.

So I tried this.

...

So there I was, equipment set up... F/25 ISO 250 1/100... just waiting for something to happen.

Then this middle aged woman walked up.

"What are you taking pictures of?" She asked.

"ummm....I am not sure really," I replied.
" Waiting for something to happen I guess," I followed up quickly.

"Not much happening when you are just standing here all by yourself," She said blankly.

"Hmmm"

...I turned and fired the shutter.

and she walked away.

And I stood there for a moment longer.

...and this picture was the result...


...................


.

Day 485

5/14/2008

taken : 5/14/2008

...

Took off by myself for a couple hours today.

Drove down to the East Flatirons trail head.


...

I have had a headache all day.

eff.
...

I can see from my window a car just parked in the street. The woman got out and walked away.

She left her lights on.

...

Day 484

5/13/2008

taken : 5/13/2008

...

It's hard sometimes.



But,

A friend's mother reassured me that,


"Life always works out. It's always okay. Things will always work out"



...

And so it is. And so it's always been.


...



...









...

Day 483

UPDATE
Tonight marked the "Triumphant Return of Alcohol Club"

Also celebrating Karla's birthday.

(pictured is Annabelle and the birthday girl Karla)
(P.S. This picture was shot at ISO 3200. suck it)

...

My goodness.

What a shit show.

Well, at least for me.

I apologize to everyone for being such a drunk idiot.

Vodka was a poor decision.


...

But really...I am really sorry. I was a mess.

"I'm a mess I guess, I'm turning on the screw"


...

bluck.

...
I fell over at least once.

I thought it was hilarious when I decided to knock over every single glass that was sitting on the counter.

oops.

....





5/12/2008

taken : 5/12/2008

...

First day of Maymester. I already don't like Maymester.

It is not that my class is particularly hard...

...I am just not into it already...(9:00 AM - 3:00 PM MTWRF)....???

Environmental Digital Photography. The only hard part is needing to come to class every day with 30 new images.

Other than that...not hard at all.


...

So I set out for my first adventure to capture some images for class. The above photo really has nothing to do with environmental concerns...I just liked that texture and contrast.

...

Our class will be taking an overnight field trip to The Sand Dunes next week. That should be neat.

...

Day 482

5/11/2008

taken : 5/11/2008

...

Stopped by my parents house for Mothers Day.

...

Being home is strange at times.

It's rather empty.

...



...

...


...


I found out that some people down the street from my parents house are moving out. They feel like people are letting the neighborhood go to hell. Do they not realize where they live....Yeah...Ken Caryl Valley is so horrible.

I stood outside their house today while walking Lacey.

The sun was shinning.

Birds chirping.

Green Grass.

Blue Skies.

...

What?

Weird.

...

Day 481

5/10/2008

taken : 5/10/2008

...

Grad parties today.

...

Pictued is LC.

...It started snowing at her party early in the day...?

...

Weird.

...


...

(sigh)
...

shit.

...






...

I have met a lot of people's parents recently.


...

I always feel awkward during those types of things....

shit.

...

Day 480

5/9/2008

taken : 5//2008

...
Went to Tsing Tao for Bonesaw's grad party.

...

pictured is a blurry version of Janey.


...



The always lovely Bonesaw

...


Afterwards, LC and I went to Conor's.

Then we went to Catacombs.

Then that bar with the bull.

Then The Walrus.

...
Amy

"I'll text message stating to come here. HAHA what if I change 'come' to 'cum'. Haha, no just kidding."

"Yes....Spell it C-U-M"

"haha no!"

"Do it"

"okay"


...

Tired.

...

bluck.

...

totally sideways

...

.................. . . . . . . . . . . . .

...

Get up. It's time to go.
...

bluck.

...
eff.
...




"I'll build a wall and we can keep them on the other side"

Day 479

5/8/2008

taken : 5/8/2008

...
Ate lunch @ Lucile's with Morgan and her Mother.

That place is good.
...


Played disc golf with Gordon.

The weather was intense

...

Fairview students (Fairview is directly behind hole 3) were out on the course for physics class. They were launching rockets made out of 2 liter bottles.

It was hard not to hit them. They were everywhere.

I almost accidentally took some kid out with my disc.

...

But ah yes...the Canadians seem to think there are no such things as accidents.

Below are public service announcements that aired in Canada.

Brutal.



way brutal.

Day 478

5/7/2008

taken : 5/7/2008

...

I was up front with my bosses.

I told them I just don't feel like working right now.


I need a break.

(even if it does allow mind wandering)

...

They asked me to come in anyways.

...

More couch time today.

...

I woke up to the sound of rain.

It was nice.

I remember when this happened on

Day 148

It had been effing hot that summer.

I was almost half way through with my summer class (and half way through my first art class).

I awoke to go to class and my room was cool.

I could hear the rain outside.

On my way to class I snapped

Day 148

in a landscaped median in the Mcgukin's Parking lot.


...

"Haunted...when the minutes drag"

Day 477

5/6/2008

taken : 5/6/2008

...

I found this while digging around in my freezer.


I placed a bunch of PBR in the freezer a week and half ago because drinking needed to start ASAP.

I forgot about this one though.

I am surprised it didn't burst.

...
It is absurd how much my life has slowed down with the semester being over.

I laid on the couch and listened to sides 3 and 4 of The Wall on vinyl at least 5 times today.

...

The weird thing is that I don't like it.

...

By all means...this free time is nice

But all this open time leaves too much time

for my mind to wander.

Maymester starts soon though...

...so maybe my mind wont be all over the place then.

.....

I think I can sometimes feel my heart slowing down during these times of rest.

...

Day 476

UPDATE

The Rio with:
Bonesaw, Janey, LC, Michelle.



Then to the Sundown with LC.

Ran into:

Dave, Grant, and Thomas.

And Mike.

...
It was nice to see my friends, and it was nice to talk with LC...


...but overall
(I'll actually just come out and say it)

Tonight was rather depressing.


bluck.



...

How do I proceed?
...









..........................











Nine Inch Nails - Lights In The Sky

5/5/2008

taken : 5/5/2008

(Happy Cinco De Mayo)
(on second thought Ween's Cinco De Mayo should have been the song...oh well...
...

Last final today.

Woke up @ 6AM to study more.

eff that shit.

It wasn't horrible...

...but she is a hard grader...

...

My wish came true.

At 1:00 AM Trent Reznor released The Slip.

Brand spanking New NIN album.

...and he gave it away for free.

"Thank you all for you loyalty and support over the years...this one's on me"

What a badass.

All you people check it out. It's free!

nin.com


...



self portrait.

(for the strobists)(by that I think I only mean Scott)

(Sunpak 383 firing @ 1/4 power placed camera right, 45 degrees bouncing that shit off the wall)