Fauxlaroids

I don't own an iPhone, but I occasionally steal my co-workers and play with it. :)

These photos were all taken around my office using the ShakeItPhoto app. It's fun.

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100 Strangers Project - #1 Debra

#1 Debra, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

#1 Debra

At the end of 2008, I first heard of the 100 Strangers project. I thought about doing it, but due to the lack of foot traffic in this city, and my own nervousness, I decided to do pursue the 365 Self Portraits instead.

As of late, I've been pondering the project again, thinking I'd start it up at the beginning of the year. However, today an opportunity presented itself, and I bit the bullet. I decided not to keep putting it off. This is a great project that can help improve my people skills as well as my photography.

The idea is to approach a complete stranger, explain the project, and ask to take their picture. You're encouraged to get their name and learn a little about them too.

I decided to put a theme to mine: I'm asking each of my participants what they're thankful for. I think it'll be interesting to look back over a hundred strangers and see what blessings they have in their lives. I think it can serve as an encouragement to myself (and to others?) to see this, too.

So, here is Stranger #1, Debra. I stopped at the gas station where she and a few others were performing "random acts of kindness" in the way of washing windows (not for money, purely out of kindness). So, I turned to her and just asked if she would do me a favor and participate in the photo project I'm doing. She was happy to do it!

Debra is thankful for "second chances".

I find that is something we can all be thankful for at one time or another.

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Meh...

Let's call a spade a spade ...

I haven't been posting regularly enough, and you haven't been reading regularly enough. I am so utterly busy in my daily life, that I can't focus on writing a blog about nothing right now.

I kind of blog in my self portraits (on Flickr) now ... in that I write random snippets about my life or my day. I am behind on blogging on my photo blog too. That one's not going away, but I think freeing myself of thinking about this blog for a while (you know, I do have a bit of guilt for not being around) will help me focus on the other places I need.

Most of you already follow me in other places. But if you don't, you've got plenty of options still: Twitter. Facebook. Flickr. Professional Photography Blog. Take your pick.

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Sauces: Tomato Sauce

A vlog about tomato sauce. Your life will never be the same. Oh wait, yes it will. (Oops, did I just ruin the ending?)

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Door

Happy Monday ...



“If your house is really a mess and a stranger comes to the door greet him with, "Who could have done this? We have no enemies."” ~Phyllis Diller

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Out in the Country

We took a drive about an hour outside of Memphis yesterday for a photo session. On the way back we stopped by a couple "Civil War Trails" spots. They've put up these new signs talking about different battles that took place, it's just a neat bit of history. You sometimes forget that the roads you're driving on were not always there, and that many other feet throughout history have walked where you're walking.

Here are a few pictures we took along the way (not of anything "special", just random spots that looked interesting).




I call this "feeling lucky, punk?".

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Jibber Jabber

It's 9:30 on a Friday night, do you know where your social life is?

I haven't been blogging very consistently lately, but I'm hoping, fingers crossed, that things will be running more smoothly now that school is starting back for the boy. Consistency! Organization! Stability! Yay!

I'm planning to make the tomato sauce this weekend. I'm a little intimidated by it. It's going to take a couple hours to cook, that's why I haven't gotten to it yet. After that, one more sauce family, and I'll be moving on to a new cooking topic. Have you guys been cooking anything new lately?

I was pretty happy with my self pics this week. (Except Monday's: I wasn't feeling well most of this week, Monday was the worst of it.) The random daily themes have really helped me find inspiration and not get bored with the project. I'm almost half way through it, if you can believe that!

Click for larger views, and details about each photo.



July was a slow month in the photography business. I have a few bookings in August. I love marketing myself. Almost all of my business has been word of mouth. Friends/clients telling friends, and some Facebook (old high school classmates, etc.). I'm passionate about it all still - the learning, the growing. It can be frustrating at times when I'm not keeping busy at it.

I think that's about all the updates I have for now. I'd love to hear how everyone else is doing! Anybody working a new project? See a new site lately? Try a new restaurant? What's new people? (And thanks in advance to the 2 people who will reply to this. Haha. I don't blame you all, my inconsistent posting makes for more lurkers than commenters!)

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