Pink Haired Science

Spring break ended over a week ago, yet I am having a hard time getting back into the flow of studying, school work, and paperwork. Since I will not have another break until December, I decided that I wouldn't spend any of my break on school, and instead focused on relaxing and taking pictures. Armed with a new camera (a Canon T2i), Wil and I followed the coast and spent 3 days exploring the peninsula. It was a wonderful trip filled with laughter and smiles.

I love the new camera, I am learning a lot, especially in regards with the manual settings. I've never had a camera which allowed me to have total control of every aspect, especially aperture, shutter speed, and exposure. It's both intimidating and liberating. I've also discovered the wonders (and frustrations) of RAW files. It's been an interesting lesson in photo editing. Considering that lighting technique and editing are my two biggest weaknesses, my next big purchase will be Photoshop CS5. I am still a student, so I can get a huge discount on the program.

I'm really interested in street photography and doing portraits of strangers. I've spent the past 3 years of my life studying people on the cellular and molecular level, so I suppose it makes sense that in regards to photography, people capture my attention. However, I am very shy around strangers, making it difficult to ask if I can take their picture. Yesterday I swallowed my shyness and managed to ask not one, but two people if I could take their picture. I have the advantage of being a woman, which are usually viewed as less threatening. As a guy, Wil could come across as creepy by approaching women on the street and asking if he can take their photo. Fortunately he is as gregarious as I am shy. We work well together, each compensating for the other's weakness.

The pink hair helps too; People see the pink hair and they assume that I am an artist. I get some pretty weird looks when I explain that I am actually a scientist. Apparently pink-haired scientists are unusual.

California vs. Indiana

It should be noted that I was raised in a home that I would consider culturally Californian. My mom was always very health conscious about the food she made for dinner; meat was always lean, there were always at least two or more types of vegetables, and usually no more than one carb dish.
Needless to say my biggest culture shock wasn't France or Norway or Sweden. My biggest culture shock was Indiana, and the shock was entirely food-based.

Which leads to last night.

Last night Wil generously decided he would cook me dinner so I would have more time to focus on studying for mid-terms. Wil is from Indiana.

The resulting conversation:

Me: "What is this?"
Wil: "Chicken and rice and mashed potatoes."
Me: *looks confused*
Wil: "What? You like my chicken and rice."
Me: "Yes. But why mashed potatoes?"
Wil: "Don't you like mashed potatoes?"
Me: "Yes. But we already have rice. We can't have potatoes AND rice."
Wil: "Why not?"
Me: "Because, that's two carb-based dishes. You can't have two carb-based dishes in one meal. It's unnatural. It's like having more than one type of meat in a meal."
Wil: "See, this is why you had issues in Indiana. In Indiana, potatoes and rice are a perfectly acceptable combination. Only in California would they have any issues."
Me: "But it doesn't make any sense!"
Wil: "Fine. Mix them together; that way you have one carb-based dish."
Me: "That's cheating! Hoosier!"
Wil: "It works. Hippie."

Juneau

After three months of the Juneau hospital refusing to give my adviser a solid answer on whether or not they can take on a student, they finally confirmed that yes, I can complete part of my practicum there.

As of late May, I will be heading to Juneau for the entire summer!  I am incredibly excited; Juneau is absolutely beautiful in the summer, and my favorite family members live there. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking, with a glacier, rain forest, and endless hiking. From what I hear, the lab is a little quiet, but hopefully I will get more experience with a busier lab setting when I return in the fall. A quiet lab may give me time to study and learn new aspects about medical lab science.

One thing I need to do is go back to the Treadwell Mine ruins and take pictures. The old buildings make for some amazing photo ops.

                                                                                         (Photo by Deanna Nichols)

Flickr

I now have a Flickr account! It's pretty sparse at the moment, as I am using a free account with limited uploading. In a few months I will upgraded to the paid account, but for now I want to save up for my DSLR. And Photoshop CS5. And some lenses. And more hula hoops. And maybe a hooka. And some more poi. I could use new jeans, too.
Yeah, it may be a while before I manage to find $25 for the upgrade, which sounds pathetic, but I'm a broke college student.
You can find me at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexagrey/
Feel free to stop by, browse, and say hello!

Inspiration

First Print

I did my first photography print today! And it only took me 3 tries to get the perfect recipe of time and magenta.

35mm, taken with a Minolta X-700.
55 seconds with 70 magenta

It was a lot of fun.
I can't wait to try more on Monday

Things To Love: Hula Hoops and Sock Poi

Lately I've been getting interested in hooping and poi spinning. Maybe because winter is starting to get to me and I'm feeling restless. Or maybe this little pink-haired raver is finally growing up. Regardless the reason, it's something I've decided to pursue.

An old photo proving that before I played 

with bioluminescent bacteria, I played with glow sticks.

With the goal in mind to eventually spin fire, Wil and I began researching poi spinning. In the process we fell in love with Flowtoys, and ordered some beautiful glowing poi. While waiting for them to arrive, we made a late-night supply run and crafted our own, homemade practice poi by harnessing the power of knee socks and soft balls. We made them at Ryan's apartment. The poor guy had consumed quite a bit of vodka in an attempt to reach Ballmer's Peak, and watching two people stuff neon softballs into knee socks only added to his confusion.

My sock poi.

Between his experience in theater, juggling, and martial arts, Wil has a bit more experience with the flowing movements required by poi. While I envy his talent, he does make an excellent teacher. I also found an excellent instructional series on YouTube.

I found a hooping workshop which begins next month, and a hula hoop is already on it's way. I never thought I would get so excited over a silly hula hoop. Best of all: The hooping instructor also works with poi and can spin fire, which means she can help me out with both hooping and poi :)