Nevermore!

This blog is dedicated to photography. I created it so that I could have an outlet and a place to display the gagillions of images I take. BUT, I like other stuff too. I like to make things, especially during this time of the year. And since I don't want to make a whole other blog for that, I'm just going to post those projects here. Besides, I'm taking photos of these projects. So that counts, right?

Have I mentioned how much I love Halloween? As far as I'm concerned, it's the most wonderful time of the year. There is something magical in the air - like a constant feeling of anticipation. My parents are directly responsible for my fascination with this holiday. When I was a child, my mom always made Halloween feel special with homemade costumes and crafts and my dad would make our annual visits to haunted houses a big event. I think it was from their enthusiasm that my current (minor) obsession sprung forth.

So, I'm big into decorating for this holiday. Every year I add more and more to my massive collection of Halloween decor. Very often, I see something I like and think I can make that!

I saw this really cool Poe crow (hee hee! It sounds funnier than Poe raven) in a magazine and wanted to recreate it.

All you need is a birdcage (I found this one at Goodwill), a crow (good raven substitute), a twig (backyards are good for that), some moss (optional), and a little Nevermore! note that you can glue to the beak. I wanted to give credit to the creator that inspired this piece and in looking them up online I found that not only do they have an awesome store, but a cool blog as well. Check out Curious Sofa here.

 

Pere Lachaise Statues

Pere Lachaise Cemetery is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. It's romantic and gothic and peaceful (when you can get away from all the other tourists). There are over 100 acres of tree-lined, cobblestoned paths that weave through nineteenth century tombs. Almost every sculpture and monument seems to be trying to outdo the others around it in ostentation. We wandered around for hours, both humming The Smiths' Cemetery Gates the whole time. For this week's post I'm focusing on some of my favorite statues there.

 A dreaded sunny day
So I meet you at the cemetery gates
Keats and Yeats are on your side
While Wilde is on mine...

 

Header shoot

I thought I'd break up the Paris posts with the shoot I did for my long overdue blog header. These were my top 3 choices. I opted for the first, obviously (even though I really like the way the lens looks on the third). So what do you think, did I make the right choice?

Marche aux fleurs

Just blocks away from Notre Dame in Ile de la Cite is the Flower Market. The last of its kind in Paris. It was like a little oasis in the city when we were there. No tourists, no lines, just beautiful colors and smells surrounding us as we strolled through.

Notre Dame's Gargoyles

I cannot begin to tell you how long I have wanted to photograph the famous gargoyles atop Notre Dame. These gargoyles  – half man, half beast – have presided over Paris since the medieval era. They have frightened away evil spirits and carried rain from the roof of Notre Dame's Cathedral for over 700 years.

Can you imagine 700 years? The Black Death, the Hundred Years War, the French Revolution, the Rise of Napoleon, the Impressionists working on the banks of the Seine, the Industrial Revolution, the impact of two World Wars... All these events and many more have come to pass under the gargoyles' watch.

To them, whole generations pass in the blink of a stony eye. I'm a gothic romantic at heart and I felt these guys deserved a vintage look. It's sort of my homage to my elders.

Bonjour Pari!

We have returned from Paris - city of lights, city of love, city of romance. Call it what you will, but you cannot deny that this city's soul is infectious. It's a place where time slows down and worries seem to disappear. To borrow a quote from Ms. Hepburn, "Paris isn't for changing planes, it's for changing your outlook! For throwing open the windows and letting in... letting in la vie en rose."

I now understand what Hemingway meant when he called Paris a moveable feast. I love this city. Every bit as much as I thought I would. And I know that it will stay with me, wherever I go for the rest of my life.

I quite literally took THOUSANDS of pictures. Chances are good that all the blog updates for the rest of the year may be of Paris. I could think of worse things. Besides, Paris is always a good idea!

 

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Christy Found There - Part II

This is the Part II of the shoot I did where I was playing off the whole Looking-Glass/Wonderland theme. I had three concepts in mind for the header of this blog. The first one, this one, and the still-yet to-be-revealed header. Although these don't work for my header idea, I still had fun with them. The middle one is my favorite. It reminds me of the disappearing cheshire cat. How cool would it be to appear and disappear at will?