I just found out that there is a new modeling show on TV. The concept is that they are looking for female models at least 35 years old. It’s called She’s Got the Look, and I guess tonight is it’s premiere on TV Land. I don’t really watch Cable channels regularly, but I checked out their preview videos on their website. I watched all the videos they had available because it was very interesting and entertaining. Check out Laurie in the Highlight Auditions . She’s the one all the way on the bottom. I watched that video 3 times because I thought she was just so interesting. I love her character. She is so talkative, serious, and intelligent. She seems totally different from the rest of them, and I’m rooting for her. The still photo they used in their photo gallery probably wasn’t their best edit because, frankly, it looks like a mug shot. But I think she has a beautiful face. I like how she worked her space.
Well, in her video she mentioned the Myer’s Briggs test and it got me thinking what my results are. I know I have taken it when I was at a community college in about 2005. I forgot what my results were exactly, but I know that it started with an “I” which stands for Introverted.
So it’s been about four years since, and I was just wondering what my results are currently since I know I must have changed a bit. I’m not sure if the test I took was totally accurate because I just googled “myers briggs test free”.
Yet another weekend full of parties and fun stuff…
My cousin, Michelle, celebrated her birthday with a lunch event on Saturday, June 6th around noon at Tokyo Table in Irvine. I’ve never been there before and the whole area was very Asian. The other stores and restaurants surrounding it had a very Asian theme. It was really cute with all the different font lettering they choose for their business signs. Inside of Tokyo Table, Michelle had reserved her own room that was separated from the rest of the other customers. It was really nice inside.
After we were done eating, we walked to one of those sticker pictures store nearby. I guess these kinds of pictures are called “purikura”. It’s a Japanese thing that is like sweeping the US. haha! It was a really interesting and fun experience. You get to pick different head pieces to wear then take pictures with crazy graphic backgrounds and in the end you can decorate them with cute or hilarious graphic icons!
Here are the end results of the tiny sticker pics scanned (bad quality, I know):
After that event, I got ready to go to LA to spend a nice evening with Matt.
On Sunday, June 7th, the festivities continued. Michelle had another birthday celebration for other friends who couldn’t make it to the Saturday event. This time she had a BBQ picnic at Corona Park in Costa Mesa. She provided the food and drinks, and I think that party was a big success. A lot of people showed up, and I really enjoyed myself.
I did have two major dilemmas, though. After driving 12 miles and arriving to the park, I was about to take some photos, but it just didn’t work and I realized that I forgot my memory card at home! I felt really bad. I knew it would have been okay since there were many other people there who also had cameras and were taking pictures, but I still felt bad. I decided to go home and get it. Then I realized that I don’t have my car keys. I checked and my car key was in my ignition (turned off) resting there. Nailah was super nice to offer to give me a ride to my house so I can get my memory card and a spare key for my car. So we probably missed an hour of the party, but it was no biggie. We stayed until the end. Actually it was suppose to end at 5pm, but we stayed there even over 7pm. We were all having such a fun time. We knew it was time to go when the sun was setting.
Here are some highlights from the picnic:
Michelle and Garrick hold hands while riding on their bikes fairly fast.
Michelle opens a gift from Tammy.
Michelle is surprised at some of the never before seen images I gave her.
Millie laughs at the funny photos.
Some of us decided to keep the party going by meeting up at Lucky Strike for Social Sundays $1 Bowling! It ended up being Michelle, Garrick, Ryan, Matt, and I who went bowling. I was experimenting with slower shutter speeds to create crazy light effects. It was fun. Here are some of the pictures there:
And finally on Monday June 8th, Matt, Michelle, and I went to go see Metric at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. It was really fun! It was a great weekend!
I was commissioned to come back (probably the 4th time?) on Friday, June 5th to do a different photo gig for the wonderful Sushi of Naples in Long Beach.
The owner, Sato, is super nice and generous. All the people who work there are very friendly as well. When I see them, I always see smiles.
They say that their menu is constantly changing so they need some new food photos for the display menu. Also, I took some pictures of the chefs and servers. Some of them were new since the last time I’ve been there which was a few months ago.
Here are just some of the photos that I took for them:
They used some photos I’ve shot for them in the past on their website at: sushiofnaples.com
There are some other photos that are on there that I haven’t shot too. It’s just a mixture.
Check out the restaurant if you have never ate there before. The environment and ambiance is really nice.
Wow, what a week!
My brother, Nam, graduated from Chapman University School of Law on Friday May 22nd.
I'm taking his picture as he is getting his official picture taken.
I graduated from California State University Fullerton on Sunday May 24th.
After my name was called. Photo by either Matt or Viet (I'm not sure).
My cousin’s daughter, Franchesca, graduated from Orange Coast College on Friday May 29th.
This is right after she got her official picture taken.
(I know that is a blurry photo and it’s not the best, but it’s all about the moment. There was actually a girl right before her who also had short hair and I totally thought that was her, so I was snapping a bunch of shots of the stranger. I did it too fast, and my camera needed some time to recycle. That’s when I realized that Franchesca was up at the moment. It’s kind of hard because everybody is wearing the same thing. The only thing that really stands out is the person’s face or if they are wearing flowers. But then again the people who are wearing flower leis have the same ones. haha! After this, I understood how my family had a hard time spotting me from the crowd when I was graduating.)
——————————————————————————————————————————————–
*Click here to view Nam’s graduation slideshow.
It includes the begining of the ceremony, the end, and the reception with free appetizers and open bar! Nam had the support of family, friends, and his girlfriend. We all had a good time as you can see for yourself in the slideshow. I tried to get a lot of candid moments, because this was a celebratory event for Nam.
Photographic Notes: I rented the Canon 580 EX II for the weekend, and I used it in some of the photos. I think I was using it too fast and too much in a small amount of time. So, at times it did not recycle fast enough for the next shots. I took the hot batteries out and let it rest for awhile. I then just open my aperature to it’s widest and set my ISO to it’s highest for the low lighting situation. In some of the photos, I switched my lense to a 15mm fisheye lense so that would explain some of the distorted photos. It’s all for fun.
I took all the photos unless I was in it. I was wearing a red top. Don’t mistake me for my mom, because she was also wearing a red top. haha
——————————————————————————————————————————————–
The general ceremony for all CSUF graduates took place at 8am, and I wanted to skip that and go straight to the major ceremony. I started driving about 8:34am with a goal of lining up outside the Titan Stadium at about 9:15am. It seemed like all my classmate friends were already there, so I felt like I was late or something. I was kind of rushing but my brother, Viet, wanted me to stopped by a coffee-drive-thru to get him coffee. Since there is a Starbucks like on every corner, I stopped by one that was convienient. I stated what he wanted to the speaker box. The barista asked me if I wanted anything else. I said, “…no, that’s all.” Then the barista replied with, “Hi Van!” I was totally shocked, and I asked who it was. The barista said, “It’s me, Franchesca!” Then she pointed the camera towards her face and I saw her at the speaker box. It was a plesant surprise because I haven’t seen her in person in a long time. Also I was amazed at this 2-way-camera technology at the drive thru. haha! So when I pulled up to pay, we had some small talk. I told her that I was on my way to my graduation. Then she invited me to go to her’s. I only had a maxium of 6 tickets, so that was all used up by my family and Matt. Well, I think it’s kind of like torture for them to be there because, there wass a lot of waiting around in big crowds, I know they were hungry, and the weather was just so absolutely hot!
Anyways, here are some pre-graduation moments for me:
Surprise! I took an unsuspecting photo of you, Franchesca!
Photo by Matt
When I arrived on campus, I had my little Canon 550 SD point & shoot camera on me because I knew I had to be separate from my family after awhile. They were using my SLR camera to take pictures of me. While I was waiting with fellow graduates, we were killing some time with taking some pictures.
xtine = our photocomm advisor (Photo taken by Stef)
It’s a good thing I saw xtine and got my picture taken with her before the ceremony, because after it ended, it was just so chaotic and crowded.
Photo by Pat Lim.
We took pictures of each other at the same time! Here was my view:
Allen on his phone, Pat taking a pic, & Stef daydreaming...
Oh yes, you can see DSLRs owns Point & Shoots. LoL!
That's where my family was sitting. Click on this image to view it bigger.
I'm always a photographer, even when the spotlight is on me. (Click to view bigger)
Haha, the last 2 pictures are kind of similar to what Pat & I did.
I did a short video clip with my cell phone when all of us graduates were together sweating in our black cap & gowns as the sun hits us.
*Click to view my graduation slideshow of pictures from the DSLR. We went to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant, Kim Dung, after the ceremony was over. I wanted to get away from crowded Fullerton and into cozy Little Saigon.
Matt & my Mom taken with 15mm fisheye lense (hence the distortion)
I recently downloaded a few CD albums such as:
Metric – Fantasies
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
The Bird and the Bee – Please Clap Your Hands (EP)
The Bird and the Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just For The Future
Minus The Bear – Planet Of Ice
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
Katie Melua – Pictures
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night
Ciara – Fantasy Ride
Metric’s Fantasies album is awesome! I love all the songs. Some stand out more to me than others like Help I’m Alive, Twilight Galaxy, and Gimme Sympathy, but all in all I love the whole album. I plan to go see them next month at the Wiltern. Who wants to go?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ It’s Blitz album is likable. It’s enjoyable to listen to. My favorite song in that album is track #5: Dull Life. It’s a high energy type of song.
The Bird And The Bee’s EP came out in 2007, but I just recently discovered them. Track #5 on that CD calls out to me. The song is called How Deep Is Your Love, and it’s actually a cover from the Bee Gees. I just found that out when I read a comment under a youtube video. I do like the Bee Gees’ version, but The Bird And The Bee put on a feminine twist that I just absolutely adore. I also downloaded their Ray Guns Are Not Just For The Future album because the song Love Letter To Japan was on there. That is the song that I heard on XM Satellite Radio that intrigued me to look up more songs from that band.
I downloaded Minus The Bear’s 2007 CD, because I never heard it before. It’s funny because I went to their concert on November 16, 2008, I did not recognized a lot of the music they played because I had only been listening to their 2002 Highly Refined Pirates CD. Anyways, they are a great band. I love them. One of my favorite songs from them is We Are Not a Football Team (but the acoustic version). I haven’t been able to get that acoustic track from them, so if anybody knows where I can get it, then please let me know. Here is a short video that I recorded that night I saw them. I was up in the balcony area. Sorry this video was short (only 19 seconds), and it’s the end of the song. My video camera was not that reliable.
One reason I decided to download Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career is because of the band’s name. I thought that if it related to photography, I must check it out. It’s funny because just the other day I said their album out loud and it made sense. It sounds like “My Modeling Career”!!! haha. Well, it was a pleasant surprise that I do like them. They have a vintage, yet modern sound to them. The first track, French Navy, sounds really cute. I might put it into my “Pin Up Music” playlist. I’m not sure, I have to think about it.
I downloaded Katie Melua – Pictures for the exact same reason. I have never heard of her, but her album is called “Pictures”, so that was enough to catch my attention. She has a very soft and feminine voice. I think it’s like easy listening music that can be in your background music where it wouldn’t be distracting. I have listened to her whole CD on repeat and not notice that it had repeated many times. haha.
I actually never listened to The Rolling Stones before. The reason I downloaded it is because in Metric’s song Gimme Sympathy, she sings, “Who would you rather be? The Beatles or The Rolling Stones.” I like The Beatles, so if they were being compared to another band, I’m going to check it out. So Sticky Fingers is their 2009 CD album. I haven’t checked out their past work, but I scrolled through all the songs on the album, but right now I’m just not feeling them as much as the other artists that I have downloaded. But there is something about their first track, Brown Sugar, that is kind of catchy.
I downloaded Green Day’s new CD album because I thought everybody was going to be talking about it. So far I haven’t heard any of my friends talking about them to me. Well, I think they still sound very much like themselves. Their songs on their 2009 CD still have that 90′s rock sound. The song that stands out to me is track #9 Tired Of Waiting. It’s a slower song that sounds very mellow and reminiscent of The Beach Boys.
One reason I downloaded Kings Of Leon is because I am a fan of Lykke Li and she covered their 2007 song Knocked Up. To be honest, I like Lykke Li’s version better. I haven’t really listened to their 2008 CD yet. I have to give it a try whenver I am in the mood for them. Well, that Sex On Fire song is kind of catchy.
I gave Ciara’s Fantasy Ride album a chance. I listened to all the songs once, but I did not feel like listening to it again or having it in my current playlist. The song I’m On is a high energy dance song. I enjoy that song, and it kind of reminded me of the Pussy Cat Dolls. I like that she was in America’s Next Top Model season 12 episode 9. I also liked her sexy performance on The Ellen Degeneres show. Currently, I’m not too into her 2009 CD album, but I might be later in the future.
One more thing… this is totally irrelevant to music, but I was going to look up a word on Dictionary.com but the home page was a full page advertisement for Toyota’s new 3rd generation Prius. From the looks of it, it looks pretty cool!
Two days after our Studio Photography class’s final, Stef & I were using the school’s studio for fun. We intended to let the background and lights show. I set my camera on a tripod and I have a wireless remote control for the shutter. So if you see a black thing in my hand, that is it. Here are some of my favorite shots:
Paparazzi Status
Peekaboo!
Strong
Kick
Watch Out
Candid!
Ani came into the studio and joined us!
Attempt to Jump
In Our Own World
Movement Of Our Hair
Crazy
Silly
Confusing
Then Stef stepped out and took these next pictures:
Timing is Off
Rock n' Roll Pose!
Faceless on Purpose
Later on another classmate, Jessica, came into the studio and we waited for Ani to be done with her portrait session. So the four of us girls walked over to the Cantina Lounge for College Wednesday’s happy hour specials. I am avoiding alcohol because I think I should treat my liver better, so I got a virgin drink. Anyways, I had a blast talking and getting to know my classmates more outside of class. We’ve never done that before, and that was actually my first time at the Cantina Lounge. But yeah, that was some good times.
