Lessons learned from the Videos

So, I think that I learned the most from the first video, because I get that thought a lot. That I may take a cool shot of something that many people may find distasteful. When I show them an image, they like it. Then I tell them what it is, and they start talking about how they don't like the subject. When you look at something, you should judge it by the actual image, and not by your interpretation of the subject.

Egypt and Jordan

So this is a bit late, but over spring break last year, me and my family went to Egypt and Jordan for a few weeks, and here are some pictures I took.

This was a gigantic statue of Ramses II, the supposed Pharaoh during the time of Moses. That statue was almost 100 ft tall when it was standing with the feet and crown.

We would see things like this all the time, whether it be camels, donkeys, water buffalo, or horses. It was very funny. I mean, when do you ever see a line of water buffalo walk down the street. Actually, one of the funniest moments, was when we were driving on a freeway in Cairo, not only did we see a bus stop, but like 15 camel heads swaying from inside the back of a truck.

This was the view from our hotel room balcony. That is the Great Pyramid of Giza the others are behind it.

This was a really cool place, these columns are about 6,000 years old. They lead to the oldest pyramid in Egypt, The Step Pyramid at Saqqara.

This is the Step Pyramid itself. Designed by the architect Imhotep for the Pharaoh, King Djoser, around 4,000 B.C.

I love this picture, this is a road side vegetable stand. those are carrots and other vegetables.

It's very colorful and has cool textures.

This is one of the Great Pyramids, I was absolutely dumbfounded at the sheer size of them. Here is one monument to ancient cultures that still towers above the cities. In Paris, Rome, and London, the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and Big Ben are all dwarfed by sky scrapers, but here in Cairo, the Pyramids are still the kings.

This is the solar boat, it was found buried, in many pieces next to one of the pyramids. It was a funeral barge for the dead Pharaoh. For the crew people, imagine rowing that thing. It was gigantic.

I think that most people can figure out what this is, but it's the Sphinx that guards the Pharaohs as they journey through the afterlife. His nose was shot off by Napoleon's men when they conquered Egypt.

This is Cairo, it doesn't really capture in a picture, but it really is a cool sight in person.

This was a shop that sold nothing but different spices. I loved the different colors and smells. This was one of my favorite things about Egypt, all the exotic smells. I also thought that this a pretty cool picture because of the different textures.

This is the ceiling of the mosque of Mohammed Ali, and no, not the boxer. I thought the colors were just amazing. I love Muslim art for this reason, it is always so intricate and colorful.

This is Mount Sinai. This is supposed to be the mountain that Moses climbed and saw the burning bush. Me, my dad, and my sister climbed it all throughout the night and reached the summit just in time for the sunrise. It was beautiful.
Camel!!!! Camels have got to be the funniest animals on the planet. With they're weird moaning sounds, their knobbly knees, and they're droopy eye lids. Wow, they are uncomfortable to ride though. It's kinda fun, but it makes you soar, and it's awkward. Totally worth it, though.
This was a feluca on the Nile River at sunset. I thought that they were very beautiful. If I couldn't have a gondola, I would take a feluca.
These were statues of Ramses II in Luxor Temple. Very forbidding, I thought.

This is Petra, it is in a valley city in Jordan. Petra was featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, so you might have seen it there, but it was amazing, you come out of this canyon and there it was. It was definitely one of those WOW moments.
This is the gateway of Jerash, one of the best preserved Roman cities on Earth. The amphitheater still had seat numbers visible. It was really cool. Huge mozaics and totally intact pillars.

This is an overview of Amman, Jordan. It was the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Rolling hills covered with buildings all made of the beautiful white limestone. Unfortunately, very little of it's beauty captures in a picture, but I could just drive through Amman all day, and I wouldn't be bored.

Assignment 2

I liked this assignment, I thought it was creative and interesting. What I didn't like, is that we had to shoot this assignment sequentially, so it took forever. I had a fairly busy weekend, one of my sisters had a Soccer game, so I that there were probably going to be plenty of numbers on the back of jerseys, so I took my camera. That same day I had to go to my other sister's Figure Skating competition. There weren't that many numbers, but I made do with what I had. I happened to have a pack of cards, so I shot a Blackjack 21, and my mom, her friend, and her daughter, and my cousin put 16 fingers on a purse. On sunday, I scrounged around the house for random stuff to shoot. Out of these pictures, I liked the one of the 36 on a waffle, because i got to eat it after. The 33 was fun too, because it was of two 3 Doors Down CDs, and they are my favorite band. On monday, on the way to and from my cello lesson, I shot pictures of realtor signs, street signs, and garbage can numbers.

Cool New Image from Lightroom

This image is of sunset in my neighborhood, but I changed it dramatically in Lightroom.