KimberlE Spins: 2011

Saturday, January 15, 2011

365/15/Jan. 15

Ellie the friendly St. Claude Gallery dog.

This is still Munchkin's favorite painting at NOMA.

365/14/Jan. 14

The Art Cops (Generic Art Solution: Tony Campbell, Matt Vis) at NOMA about
to inspect the collection.

During the inspection of a piece of sculpture.

DJ Matty spinning records.

365/13/Jan. 13

This is my friend Amber's very cool jeep. She does funny things to it.
Something doesn't work right in her head but that's okay.
In fact, that is one of the reasons that I adore her.

365/12/Jan. 12

This little fellow was "scolding" me outside of the University Center. He's cute but loud.

365/11/Jan. 11

But then he went home and I was very sleepy, and it was time for bed.

365/10/Jan. 10

On Monday Michael bought me "Just Because" flowers. By the way, Mondays are the very best days for "Just Because" flowers.

On Sunday we went out in the cold and the rain to take pictures of the beautiful old church that burned down Uptown just a couple of days before. It was so sad to see this once beautiful old building reduced to rubble and I was glad of the weather. This loss could only be accurately photographed under rainy, dark, gloomy skies.

Afterward we went to the Border's on St. Charles. By the way, the perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday is in your favorite bookstore, with some of your favorite magazines, with your favorite person with hot chocolate that comes complete with a gingerbread man.
It was warm and wonderful.

Monday, January 10, 2011

365/8/Jan. 8

We spent the day at Chalmette Battlefield for the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. That night we went on the lantern tour. I had such a good time.

365/7/Jan. 7

I was sick with a really bad migraine all day so I didn't venture out or feel very creative- but I still took a picture. Here are the spoils of the very fun night before.

(I was hurting so bad that Michael was a sweetie and ordered us pizza but then I could only eat ONE piece- he thought I was dying.)

Friday, January 7, 2011

365/6/Jan. 6

Joan of Arc Parade in the Quarter and then the Krewe of Phorty Phunny Phellows.
One of the very best nights ever, ever, ever.

365/5/Jan. 5

After we brought Mama Jo to the airport, a Krispy Kreme stop was in order.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

365/4/Jan. 4

The Myrtles and Greenwood Plantation in St. Francisville, LA

One Word

I finally have my one word. Compose. The Thesaurus says that other words for compose are: create, invent, arrange, order, calm, collect, organize, unwind. I say yes to all of these words.

My life is composed like music- high notes that lift the soul, middle notes that carry the song forward, and low notes that will break a heart. My life soars and falls and changes tempo at the most surprising moments. I want to be an active part of my own melody this year- helping time compose my song and still finding ways to gracefully play the parts that were pre-written without any input from me.

I want more calm and order. I want more deep content in the beauty of daily life. I want time to go slower, the good moments to last longer, my mind to be more peaceful, my life to be more organized. I want to create and invent both memories and art, beauty and balance. I want to compose. I want to be composed. I want to walk through this year as though it were sheets of music to be played. I want to become a part of it and it a part of me. I want this year to begin arranging my life in positive ways that will affect it always.

In photography I spent quite a bit of time composing a shot. I want to make sure the horizon is even, the angles are complimentary, that nothing important is left out but also that nothing not important is left in. I tend to shoot in a straightforward manner that still leaves room for creativity and this is how I intend to approach 2011. Taking the time to make sure that the finished product is built upon my intentions, that nothing important is left out, and that much of the unimportant is excluded from the frame. I want to compose this year as much as I can so that at the end of this coming December I’ll have a finished product that I am proud of. There will be plenty of things that happen in the coming year that I’ll have little to no control over but isn’t that they way with photography as well? Sometimes you can’t arrange the scene only how you compose the shot. It takes attention and intention- two other words that make up the full definition of “compose.”

And so, my word is compose. What is your word this year?