Music

Evolution

I won’t waste your time. Paul Van Dyk’s  Evolution is easily the best trance album of the year.  The music takes itself back to its roots and this trance sounds more like what we’re used to hearing in dark clubs a decade ago.  It’s a step back from the hip hop infiltrated sound but a step forward to repossessing the music as it truly is: a DJ’s genius.

My two favorites are the first song: Symmetries and the feature by Adam Young of Owl City: Eternity. Have a listen. It’s a good album to have playing while your immerse yourself into your zone.

Listen to the entire album here on Spotify or on Grooveshark.

 

June 1, 2012 by
Photography

Memorial

I had a most amazingly wonderful Memorial Day. I spent it in the company of a lot of fun people, one good looking guy, and a hell of a lot of trees.

I also immersed myself this week in thoughts about what people do on Memorial day. War is sombre.  Is there really anything to celebrate on Memorial Day? Nobody celebrates the death of a soldier or anyone in service at home or abroad. May we never forget the soldiers that went to war expecting to come back but didn’t and the shocked, sobbing family and friends who knew it was a risk but would easily keep their son, father, grandchild home instead of sending them to war had they known.

I hope one day in the future, days like Memorial day will fade into a history wrought with war and we settle into a future fueled with both tolerance and peace.

 

May 31, 2012 by
Photography

Samina & Moe

I had the pleasure of shooting Samina & Moe’s engagement shots this past Saturday.  I was really looking forward to it since I’d been absorbing all the wedding and engagement posts on every wedding photography website trying to plan my own wedding. I had filled my head with several new ways to shoot and even rented a lens for the explicit purpose of practicing even if I didn’t yet own the equipment!

Aren’t they a lovely couple?

I still have about 75% of the photos to go through but here are a few that I managed to dabble with this weekend.

Doesn’t Samina just look stunning in her sari?

Shooting in bright sunlight is one of my weaknesses but I was intent on turning it into a strength. I think I might have actually succeeded.  I was pretty thrilled that at the right angles, the sun beautifully illuminates the subjects and produces a subtle haze over the image that I love.

Samina and Moe wanted to incorporate one of the photos from when they first started dating into a couple of shots.  It doesn’t appear that Samina’s smile has diminished event a bit from their early dating days.  Here’s the proof!

We mosey’d on to old Duluth, the fountains, and the railroad tracks as well as shooting in a cafe. I had so much fun with these two and can’t wait to go home and process more photos.

Working with the crazy lighting around the fountain was tough but I found that it makes for stunning black and whites if the subjects are lit in the right ways.

Also do they not look super romantic?! *swoon*

These two were naturals. They took direction so easily I swear I thought they were pros!

 

This is one of my favorite art photos from the shoot.  A warm black and white seemed just perfect.

And didn’t Moe do just a fantastic job with the engagement ring?

I was a bit paranoid about shooting the ring on a railroad track but I just looked at it and didn’t want to do it anywhere else.  Everything was perfect.

I still have a couple more settings to work through but I will have more to share this week. I am so bad about posting on my professional site (or here, for that matter) but I plan on working on a blog section so people can see my work as I do it.

I dunno. Recognition is always nice but since I don’t do photography for the pay as much as because I am so in love with it, I am terrible at promoting myself. Jeremy gets on my case for that a lot. I appreciate him pushing me to charge appropriately and to keep my web and social presence fresh.

Why not? If it gets me more gigs where I can help capture people at one of the happiest parts of their lives as well as bust out every fresh technique I learn It’s win-win for me and the client, right?

Here’s to photography, you sexy mindsuck, you.

 

May 21, 2012 by
Photography

Badass Kitty

My coworker Steve was kind enough to let me rent his Canon 70-200mm f2.8L II lens for a shoot I have this weekend.
OH MY GOD I WANT ONE.

Look at how awesome it makes my furball.  The lens feels so natural in my hands.. like we were meant to be best friends forever.

I was verbally ogling and drooling over it on the phone and the first thing he says is that we’re definitely buying me one once we’re done with the wedding.

Do you see why I am marrying this man?

It’s because he sees my real wants and desires and wants to step in and help me get them even if they have no real personal value to him.  <3  God help me to not sprint down that aisle in September.

May 18, 2012 by
Photography

Moth

Since summer is pretty much here, the insects have arrived in droves. My carefree, spiritual walks in the park are now mottled with an unsavory word or two as I bat away something that’s interested in sinking its proboscis into my flesh.

Fortunately at least half the world of arthropoda are tame and interesting and my phonecam keeps me busy! This guy was on a door frame this morning.

Every weekend has been booked with a shoot for me. This weekend I’m shooting at my favorite park: McDaniel Farm Park. Since I’m there at least 4 days of the week I know it like the back of my hand and can’t wait to shoot there! On top of that I’ve “rented” a coworker’s 70-200mm 2.8L II so I can get a little creative.  It’s also nearly 2400 to replace so I’ll also be SUPER PARANOID with it this whole weekend.

I’m always impressed by how all these really technical people are also really creative! Quite a lot of good engineers are also fantastic at the liberal arts.  My own Jeremy comes to mind. He’s got a natural eye for things, for sure.  I believe people have many talents and you don’t have to sequester yourself into the stereotypes society places on you. If you have a multitude of talents develop them to whatever extent makes you happy and also to whatever extent makes sense for all the rest of the goals in your life.

Trust me when I say the best things in life, the ones that made me, aren’t the ones that make me feel the emotion ‘happy’.  They’re much more profound than that.

You’re not a label. You’re not a wife, you’re not a runner, You’re not a big brother, you’re not a photographer, you’re not an engineer.  You’re labeled those things but you’re NOT those things. The day you lose your legs, who are you? The day you become a widow, who are you?  The day your camera falls into the ocean, who are you?  What is you cannot be diminished by things outside your skin.

The only label I ever want is my name. Sunira. I’m Sunira.  If there’s a problem, I like to solve it. If there’s tragedy, I need to embrace it.  If there’s a beautiful thing, I like to absorb it.  I am inspired by my world and I just want to express it in whatever way I fancy.  The end.

May 17, 2012 by
mobile, Photography

Back on Track

I had been so busy last week I barely even knew where the days went! Saturday I was officially betrothed to Jeremy! This is a south Indian ceremony where we do a lot of stuff that looks like it belongs in a wedding but actually doesn’t.

My mom looked happy, which is pretty much all I wanted out of the entire thing. :) Also Jeremy looks pretty hot in a suit. My friends all came and family too, from everywhere. I really appreciate my family. They always go the extra mile.  I know how lucky I am.

I ate like a piggo though. I got awful looks from Dez yesterday when I showed up to boot camp. :] I wasn’t reporting my weight the entire weekend! That’s all over now, though. I was back in full force yesterday with my diet and my 2 hours of exercise. I am going to dominate the next few months! :)

Here I act like a creeper following these 3 guys until they arein the perfect light at the park.  Phone creeper Sunira 4 LYFE suckas.

May 15, 2012 by
Photography

Deepika and Varun

These guys know how to have fun. They were engaged in a small family ceremony at the Sai temple in Suwanee this past weekend!

Funny faces, lots of laughs and even a Bollywood pose or two made this occasion a real pleasure to shoot. :) Deepika looked lovely in her Pink and Teal Sari.

It was a beautiful, simple, family affair!

They’re getting married the Saturday after I myself tie the knot! It’s wedding season for my friends!

May 11, 2012 by
Photography

Rima

I know I’m not posting much. I am slammed.  My betrothal ceremony this weekend is like a small wedding! 100+ people, food, a ceremony, a ring exchange.
I’m getting married twice almost. :) This is like a practice run.  My mum’s taking care of the majority of the work thankfully since I have to work. :) It’s nice to have good family.

Also nice to have cute family. Like this one.

She’ll be one of my flower girls in a few months. She’s much older than this now.. grown up so fast!

May 8, 2012 by
Photography

Summer

The weather has been indecisive this past week. It was freezing Monday and then mid-week and today it was like 70 degrees outside.  It’s alright, it keeps life down here interesting. :)

 

April 27, 2012 by