Archive for the ‘Stories’ Category

Yellowstone: Feeding Time

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Feeding time is a sacred time in the snowy valleys of Yellowstone in the winter. Here, every chance at a meal is essential to survival. We were lucky enough to watch a coyote hunting around in a small valley.

Just got to say, check out the pink little feet on that vole…

Anyway, we waited around for a long time watching this coyote roaming about when he started to stop and was clearly listening. It was adorable, he would freeze and then cock his head to either side and wait then swivel to the other side. It was amazing to watch this creature hunt.

The take off jump!

It was extremely amusing watching the coyote pouncing in and out of the snow. It reminded me a lot of my dog who does the same exact thing… except to rocks. She has amazing survival skills. Anyways, I digress. I must say I was rooting for the coyote the whole time. It must be so hard just to find a couple of meals a day out here where the snow covers everything. I just wanted him to find some food so he could survive. We all practically cheer when the coyote  snagged something.

He snatched a little vole out of a hole in the snow. He seemed to really be reveling in his victorious catch. He played with it for at least fifteen minutes.

I would also like to mention at this point about how I am getting these shots. Previously I was using a 600 lens, but that was when the coyote was lying down taking a nap. My dad got to use it when the coyote was hunting. …. No I am not jealous 😀 But at this time I was using a 400 lens… minus a tripod. This was extremely difficult because that thing gets heavy after holding it for a while. So I resorted to using a rock and my arm at a 90 degree angle as a tripod. Nifty huh? Still when we left my arm was so dead, but it was worth it.

As mentioned, the coyote was playing with his food like in this picture. He would pick it up, drop it, or spit it out like here. Also in the first picture he was tossing the vole into the air and catching it. It was really amazing to watch, but I did feel bad for the vole.

A moment of silence for the vole.

…. And we’re done. Hey, the coyote deserved to play with his food, even if it was bad manners to play with his food. He worked hard for it. If I worked that hard for my food I would play with it too. Anyways we left the coyote in peace with his prize and moved on with our day. Just another day in a winter wonderland where survival is earned every snow trodden step of the way.

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Art Show: My pieces

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

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Art Show

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

This was my first year taking part in the Scotts Valley High School Art Show as an art student. I had three pieces in the show, my cigarette made out of matches and Marlboro Light packs, and the two pieces from my pencil shavings series. The whole week before hand I was just a nervous wreak and I am glad it is over. During it’s course I remembered why I do art or anything creative that I share with the public.

I was explaining my pieces to a group of people at the art show and when they walked away left over was a little girl standing there. I asked her if she wanted to hear my explanation and she said she already had, then she just walked forward and hugged me. I had never met this person before in my life but here she was hugging me. When she let go I asked what it was for and she just said

It was for sharing with me something beautiful

That meant so much to me, not just to hear someone compliment my work but to understand that the meaning behind my pieces were understood. All I ever wanted from my art is to share with people a perspective that they are not used to seeing like I also do here on my blog. This little girl is why I do art, I do this so I can help people see the ordinary things of everyday life in an entirely new and beautiful way.

I don’t care what people think about my work, whether they say it is weird, ugly or just nonsensical. All that matters is that I can share something with people. I just wanted to say thank you to that little girl. I wish I had asked your name, but you helped me. I hope I really did help you too.

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Posted in Shout Outs, Stories |

Travel Update: Yellowstone

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

So here I am in wonderful, snowy, freezing, beautiful, wild, Yellowstone. Let me just start out by saying I haven’t seen snow since seventh grade so me+snow= crazy child jumping in snow banks every time I see a puddle of snow. I swear I have been reduced to a five-year old. I have been to Yellowstone twice before this, both in summer but opposite sides of the park. Never before have I gotten to see Yellowstone in such a beautiful way as this. This is my first time visiting anywhere in winter time. Let me say this:

It is beautiful beyond compare here.

There is a majestic quality to everything around here, the air is crisp, everything is so bright, and everything here fills you with awe. Side note: I haven’t even gotten to see wolves yet, and I am already totally stoked out of my mind. It is cold though, I am not used to having to wear layers let alone snow and high altitude.

For the wildlife sittings of the day: Bald eagle, lots of deer, and a whole pile of elk grazing in around the buildings in Mammoth Hot springs.

We poked around Mammoth after quickly settling into our hotel and did a tiny bit of exploring before the sun went down. This is only the beginning, for the next five days there is much in store. Hopefully lots of wolves and beautiful days full of photography, snowshoeing, and fun in the snow!

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Posted in Stories |

Yellowstone Photography Trip

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

For the next week I will be in northern Yellowstone on a photography mission. We will be following wolves and other wildlife in the snow from dusk till dawn each day. I will be updating hopefully with pictures and stories of my days, stay tuned. I am planning on posting some good stuff, you will just have to wait and see.

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Standing Downhill

Friday, February 12th, 2010

I find myself standing downhill sometimes and feeling that the way to the top is so very far. When you stand at the bottom of the mountain everything else just seems so much bigger. Everything gets out of perspective and it is during times like these that we need to remember that things can seem out of your hands but nothing ever truly is. You just have to be up to the task. You have to start walking up the mountain at some point. It will be a long and hard journey, but the top will be insight eventually. Laying at the bottom of the hill doesn’t make it seem any better and won’t get you any closer to the top. So get up and climb. Let the journey begin.

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Posted in Photos, Stories |

California Redwoods

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

One of the best parts about living in California are the magnificent redwood trees. They are so beautiful and they just make the nature in California so much more enjoyable. I go on hikes and runs with my mom and our dog Gracie all the time. My mom is the true redwood lover in this family. I just have to say

With trees like these, who wouldn’t be a tree hugger?

They are just amazing and majestic. When I am out in the woods I am just filled with awe by this green giants (or red I should say) because they tower high above us all and you can hear them whisper in the breeze. They are nature’s skyscrapers. It really makes it a joy to live in California and reminds me how lucky I am to live in a place like Santa Cruz.

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Scotts Valley Winter Concert

Monday, February 8th, 2010

I just wanted to congratulate the amazing students at my high school, Scotts Valley High for doing an amazing job raising money for people in Haiti with their winter concert. I am so impressed by my fellow students, there is so much talent at my school I never really knew about. Raising money for this great cause and watching my friends and fellow students performing was so inspiring and I just wanted to say

BRAVO!

A special shout out to Maiya Moncino and Chris Youmans for hosting this wonderful event. You guys are amazing!

Keep it up everyone, I am proud of you guys. If anyone needs photos of the event I photographed it so just email me or leave a comment if you want any.

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Posted in Photos, Shout Outs, Stories |

The Final Bow

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

Why is it that right before some plants die they become so beautiful? Like this one, it was so colorful yet so close to its death.

Is it to remind us what we will be missing when it finally is gone? One last bang to always remain in our minds. It is like a person’s final bow as they look at the audience, with a wide grin that speaks miles. It says

It has been a good run, through the ups and downs, the good and the bad, it all turned out. It was a good long run and now it is over. A final goodbye.

Or maybe it is a desperate plea to hold on to life. A denial of the next step. Its beauty blossoms fully, trying to make up for all the time lost and spent on other things.

But my question is, did it work?

Did all your beauty, all your effort change that the end was so near? And if not, then what was the effort for? Was it for yourself? Trying to cling on what you know you will miss forever, or one last laugh at all who laughed at you. Tell me your secrets, I am listening. To the young, the old, the living and the dead. I am listening and waiting for your answer always and forever.

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Posted in Photos, Stories, Thoughts |

If Only it was that Simple

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

All the things we see around us everyday we start to take for granted after a while. One way I combat this is trying to look at things in a different way. Here is a simple recipe to remind you of the greatness of everyday things (or things you simply become very acquainted with) :

  1. Look at it from a different angle. Whether it is standing only centimeters away from it so you can see the dust standing on the tip of a needle, or in this cause a cactus, or looking at it upside down. The world can be viewed through a million different angles. Pick one and use it to change your perspective.
  2. Every person sees from a different angle, so maybe just try looking through another persons eyes. Have a friend or just some random person describe the object in great detail while you have your eyes closed. Is it the same as you would have described it? If it isn’t think about it, why would that person see it the way they do rather than the way you do?
  3. Think about why you come in contact with this object so often. Just choose a random object you deal with in your everyday life, and think about that object. How different would life be without it? Would you miss it? Or do you need it at all? And if you don’t need it then why are you using it?
  4. Look closer, not just physically moving closer but look at what it is. People take things for face value way too often. Everything is made out of smaller things. Understand that what you see is not a single object but many. Look at all the tiny details you always look past and fully appreciate how complex life truly is.

Instead of just accepting things the way they are, question. It is the only true form of living, to seek knowledge and awareness. You can only have this if you make the effort though. So tomorrow look at something right up close or lie on your back and look at it from upside down. Appreciate what you have, appreciate every detail that is put into life around you. Nothing is as simple as it seems.

How do you ensure that the things in your life aren’t taken for ranted, share your methods for appreciating and understanding life that happens everyday all around you?

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