Christine Armbruster

NEW BLOG

2011-12-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

I started it about a year or so ago, but I feel the need to post again, hoping that some don't get lost in the internet somewhere and you can find my new work. So, bookmark it. www.christinearmbruster.com/blog

All New Things (New Blog)

2010-10-30T14:31:00.002-06:00

Dear everybody. I have a new blog. And a new website. And a new showing going up. And .....I think that's it. I will no longer be updating this blog, so change your google readers/bookmarks/etc to http://www.christinearmbruster.com/blog/ Also, check out my (nearly complete) website at http://www.christinearmbruster.com And, be looking for posts regarding upcoming exhibits on the new blog (monday). If you're anxious until then though, check out my sidebar where I have all upcoming events posted. Thank you all for reading, and get ready for new posts on the new blog!
-Christine

Working Identities (Misc. Images)

2010-10-27T08:56:00.000-06:00

Incase you missed potentially the last exhibit I'll be having of Working Identities (it's time to get my Bosnia), I decided to go ahead and publish the rest of the photos from my exhibit on my blog. I think I'm pretty much covered the rest of them through various posts. If you want to see them all you can always buy my book (hint hint) or just scroll through a year and then some of blog posts and sort it for yourself.

Balloon

2010-10-25T10:46:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend I was sent out on an assignment for the Desert News. It was for a story regarding breast cancer and awareness through sports and I was sent out to photograph the Provo High vs. Timpview High School football game. This was the kind of pictures I came back with. There were some that looked like photojournalism images, but a lot ended up like this.

San Antonio Photo Sessions [book now!]

2010-10-23T09:01:00.003-06:00

San Antonio photo sessions—now booking! E-mail me for details or to request a time info@christinearmbruster.com

Available for photography in San Antonio, Texas November 19-29.

Aviator Cap

2010-10-22T09:04:00.000-06:00

Aviator cap.
Photographed in studio.

Sauces

2010-10-21T09:03:00.000-06:00

Tree and a Honda CB360

2010-10-16T08:23:00.005-06:00

Studio shot of Tree and his motorcycle.

Maybe the hardest thing I have ever photographed in my life.

And the second hardest edit of my life.

But, I like it.

San Antonio Group Exhibit.

2010-10-15T09:50:00.004-06:00

ATTN San Antonio People::
I'm having a piece in a group exhibit in the Southwest School of Art & Craft, downtown San Antonio.
Incase you don't know where that is, here are some directions.
The show will be up till the end of the month, but the opening reception is tonight! 6:30-8:30pm.
Best part is, it's sponsored by Planned Parenthood and all night for $10 not only do you get a cocktail, but also a party favor of condoms.

Melanie and James Engagements, State Fair Style

2010-10-14T10:04:00.012-06:00

State fairs just might be the best place to photograph, especially engagement pictures. During the Utah State Fair, Melanie and James and I headed up to Salt Lake City to take a few pictures and it was a blast. Between cotton candy, darts, and farris wheels, the whole thing ended up being a lot of fun. Can't wait until December when I get to photograph them some more in California!

Broken Lines

2010-10-12T08:31:00.001-06:00

"When you come to Sarajevo, be prepared and be mature. It might prove to be the most important decision you have ever made in your life. Bring: good shoes which make you walk long and run fast, pants with many pockets, pills for water, Deutsche Marks (small denominations), batteries, matches, jar with vitamins, canned food, drinks and cigarettes. Everything you bring will be consumed or exchanged for useful information. You should know when to skip a meal, when to turn trouble into a joke and be relaxed in impossible moments. Learn not to show emotions and don't be fussy about anything. Be ready to sleep in basements, eager to walk and work surrounded by danger. Give up all your former habits. Use the telephone when it works, laugh when it doesn't. You'll laugh a lot. Despise, don't hate." -Sarajevo Survival Guide by Miroslav Prstojecis for FAMA

Aerial Views

2010-10-08T09:53:00.006-06:00

I feel like I've been MIA for a while [fact]. I had a injury involving an awl, my ulna nerve, and arm surgery in the last week and a half. So things have been crazy and I haven't really done much except eat pain killers, but I am back in action[ish]. Fully recovery will take a month, but I am somewhat functional now. I should be blogging more from the photo shoots I've been editing and the images I'll be taking over this next week, so don't you worry, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Also, I finished picking out my Bosnia project, so I'll be writing all the statements and captions and submitting to galleries, so be looking forward to that as well. And possibly I'll have a new website soon? Get ready.

[images from the many aerial adventures I've been on recently]

Oak's Tattoo Machine

2010-10-02T12:16:00.001-06:00

This semester I'm in a still life class in which we have to photograph products. The first one I photographed was this tattoo machine, hand made by Oak of Painted Temple, a tattoo studio and art gallery in Provo.

Temporary Homes: Twin Falls, Idaho

2010-09-28T09:12:00.001-06:00

The more I travel, the easier it becomes to make a place feel like home. It's to the point where I now call everything home: hotel rooms, my tent, even sometimes when I get in my car I feel like I'm home. I begun to realize this in Idaho Falls when I stayed at some hotel on my drive back from Oregon and loved the bleakness of the room with the strange details, like the bed cover with RVs and desert landscapes on them. Be looking for more, I'm sure they will come up as I continue to be restless.

Kirton 50th Wedding Anniversary; Wente Vineyard, California

2010-09-27T08:19:00.005-06:00

Two weeks ago I attended a 50th anniversary party for the Kirton's in Livermore, California at the Wente Vineyard. The vineyard was beautiful and everything the restaurant did with food was equally as beautiful. Put that together with a lot of laughs and memories with old friends, and it was quite the event. To see more, check out my website.

LAX

2010-09-26T07:36:00.002-06:00

LAX.

Los Angeles International Airport, California.

Rock Climbing, Maple Canyon, Utah

2010-09-25T09:12:00.000-06:00

Rock climbers on Labor Day at Maple Canyon, Utah.

We Are Women book release

2010-09-24T10:04:00.004-06:00

There has been an on-going project that I have been a small part of over the last year nearly. Collecting images and stories, the We Are Women project has been compiling a book of all these things. It's finally put together and the book will be available from lulu.com on Tuesday, 28 September as a soft cover book ($11) and pdf/ebook ($7). Before then, however, there will be a book release party to whoever is interested on Monday 27 September. Flier is above.

Chelsea & Chris Hill Wedding, Las Vegas

2010-09-23T09:40:00.003-06:00

A while ago I went to a good friend's wedding down in Las Vegas. She had someone else photograph the wedding, which meant I got to be in it and shoot whatever I felt like, which means plastic cameras and tilt-shift lenses.
These are just some of my favorites, to see more, check out my new proofing site.

Hamu, the accordion player.

2010-09-21T16:20:00.002-06:00

Hamu, the accordion player is famous in Bosnia. There are stories of hearing his music and his wailing as he plays from blocks away all over Bosnia. There are accounts of his music being heard since he was just a young boy. He still is a young boy, which must only mean he's been at this since the day he could span his fingers across the keys. He will play for change, for cherries, or for nothing he will still sit on the streets and play.

Cameron & Canoe

2010-09-20T10:08:00.000-06:00

Taken back when it was summer with Cameron Glassman on the Provo River.
To see more, you can always check out my website.

[Non] Fiction

2010-09-16T11:01:00.005-06:00

Before going to Sarajevo, I had an idea in my head of what it would be like. It went something along the lines of carnivals, Beirut playing in the mountains, and Gogol Bordello following me down the street along with other gypsies tagging along. I know I was crazy, but I still had the little hope that Sarajevo would really be like that. It is founded a lot off of this Serbian 1998 film titled Black Cat, White Cat in which, basically all of the above happens. [Note: Serbia and Bosnia are neighbors, once together under the name of Yugoslavia] I knew that it was only a movie, but still having hope as I did find a carnival and get followed by gypsies and accordions and to top the cake, this man asked me to photograph him and it looks like a scene from the film. So perhaps I wasn't completely crazy for thinking the way I did.

Blenders and Hand Mills

2010-09-13T10:10:00.003-06:00

Images taken for Blendtec recently.
Look for similar images on their packaging soon.

War Child

2010-09-11T08:06:00.000-06:00

"They call me war kid. I love war. I love guns and war games like Ultimate Conquest. I am war kid. I hate _____. I want to kill all of them. In Bosnia here all we want is peace."
-Kenan, 14 years old, a lover, not a fighter, but really a fighter.

8pm-10am

2010-09-09T10:26:00.003-06:00

Next time I make Sarajevo my home, I plan on living between 8pm and 10am, that is when the city is the nicest.

A man named Tito [a short story]

2010-09-06T09:19:00.000-06:00

There once was a man named Tito. Josip Brz Tito. If there has ever been a man that was loved by a country, it was Tito. As he lived, Yugoslavia was united and happy. Houses, cars, and jobs were raffled off to the people and a group who had various religious and cultural backgrounds were able to come together in one name. Tito died in 1980. A few years later as tensions grew, Yugoslavia broke out with war and broke apart. Tensions are still there, thirty years and wars between Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia later. There is on thing that still unifies the groups, and that is a love for Tito. His pictures are everywhere, his name spray painted on walls, and the older generations that remember him fondly talk of how wonderful of a leader he was.

Ode to Diet Coke

2010-09-03T08:16:00.000-06:00

Going through some food shoots I've done recently and then not, I have come to the conclusion that I drink a lot of Diet Coke. In almost each of my shoots, my first frame is of Diet Coke, since that is what I have available to do tests on. As a result, I have a lot of pictures of Diet Coke. I am also in a still life photography class this semester, so hopefully these pictures will be getting a lot better as the semester goes on!

Working Identities: Chapman Public Library, Salt Lake City

2010-09-02T08:59:00.000-06:00

Potentially your last chance to see Working Identities!
September-October 2010
Chapman Public Library, Salt Lake City, Utah

Opening reception: This Saturday! 4 Sept, 4-5pm. There will be food, books, and my art hanging on the walls.

However, if you end up missing it all together, you can always buy the book...

Dubioza Kolektiv, 4 June 2010

2010-09-01T11:08:00.000-06:00

I realize this concert was a really long time ago, nearly 3 months ago, but at least I finally put these pictures up, right? These pictures were taken at a Dubioza Kolektiv concert at Skenderija that I went to with Marysia. I met her at a protest and ended up going to this concert with her the night I decided that I was going to stay longer. It was probably one of the funner nights I had and the music was fantastic. So if you get a chance, check them out, and if you ever hear about them touring near you, go, they put on a fantastic show.

A Contrast of Interiors

2010-08-31T11:21:00.003-06:00

A restaurant and a shop, the first in Mostar the second in Sarajevo. Donor kebab is the only food served in this store, thus the picture of the only served menu item. The only difference is small, medium, or large; salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and a yogurt sauce for variety. The shop is ran by a man would would talk to me for hours about the Soviet cameras for sale, piled in a basket along with trinkets from Tito's reign of former Yugoslavia.

laundry room.

2010-08-30T09:36:00.002-06:00

Today is the first day of school, I stopped being nervous. I took this picture nearly one year ago, as a test run for my large format photography class, it's just been on the shelf for a while for some unknown reason. Hopefully I will be finding more hidden pictures soon.

The girl who feeds the cats

2010-08-28T09:07:00.003-06:00

"I feed the cats because if I do not, no one else will."

-Ines, 7th grade, Sarajevo.

no. 4 [gypsies]

2010-08-26T10:18:00.001-06:00

No. 4
The gypsies were in the garden again last night.

Pasta with squash and lemon verbena

2010-08-25T11:17:00.002-06:00

start:
a handful of noodles. [cook]

then:
a yellow and green squash, a few garlic cloves. [brown with olive oil in a frying pan]

add:
lots of lemon verbena.
thyme.
rosemary.
sea salt.

toss.
eat.

The herbs from my garden with the squash from the Provo Farmer's market. Noodles from the store (I am not that skilled).

Asymetrical Home

2010-08-24T12:03:00.000-06:00

A home in the neighborhood next door. Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Mostar Mannequins

2010-08-23T10:58:00.004-06:00

It took me nearly three weeks to leave Sarajevo and start exploring other parts of Bosnia. I got really attached really fast and had a hard time leaving. I finally got further than just 30 minutes outside of the city and went to Mostar, planning on staying for a week and travel to various other surrounding areas as well as Croatia and Slovenia. Having my bag packed for a week, I took off. Mostar is a split city. One side Muslim the other Catholic with only a bridge to connect the two sides. During the war the bridge was destroyed, fifteen years ago. It was not re-completed until just four years ago. Needless to say, the tensions between the two sides are strong. Walking around, I did not feel more comfortable on either side and after some really bad encounters with people there, my week long trip lasted 4 hours until I took the last bus out for Međugorje.
This mannequin is from a bridal shop in a store front on the Muslim side of Mostar. It really made me laugh at the time because even the mannequins were destroyed, missing fingers, and having disheveled hair. It was kind of how I felt after only spending four hours there. Nearly everyone else I talked to loved Mostar. Perhaps I just had a bad experience or since I didn't go with anyone else I was more in danger. Whatever it was that made me feel bad energy, I left feeling much like this mannequin looked.

Man under siege/the bridge.

2010-08-21T09:21:00.000-06:00

Man in a suit, sitting on a slab of cardboard underneath the bridge I cross to get to Sarajevo from the suburb of Ilidža. He told me stories and stories as I sat by the river next to him, none of which I could understand due to a language barrier. I could not get his name because he could not hear me asking, he went deaf because of the bombs dropping during the war.

The Overlook, Cedar City, Utah

2010-08-19T08:25:00.000-06:00

This last weekend I went camping and climbing just outside of Cedar City with a few friends and tested out a tilt-shift lens. We stayed in this meadow on top of an area called The Overlook, named because it overlooks Parowan and the valley it sits in. The climbs range anywhere from 5.10a-5.13a and can either be top-roped at the top and rappelled down or hike down and lead up. Oh, and it's beautiful and not too hot even in August.

Store fronts and window shoppers

2010-08-18T09:22:00.000-06:00

The them is tights, which seems to be the theme of many shops. Just about every shop displays a wonderful variety; however, when you go to purchase, check inside the box, many times a different (and more boring) variety and size is inside. It's tricky, but the amazing tights do exist in Bosnia.

no. 3 [fancy]

2010-08-17T08:20:00.000-06:00

No. 3
My life and friendships have become a lot fancier, I have had to learn to eat shrimp and veal.

Carnival: Sarajevo.

2010-08-14T09:11:00.005-06:00

Carnival for a reason I could not figure out, but it was fun nonetheless. My favorite was on one side of the swing ride was "Hotel Sarajevo" and on the other side was communist block housing. I found it interesting the juxtaposition of the carnival ride with each of those things.

Skee-ball Machines

2010-08-13T10:31:00.002-06:00

Skee-ball machines, taken on my birthday 4 months ago from a roll of Holga film I had forgotten about.

no. 2 [wolves]

2010-08-12T08:09:00.000-06:00

No. 2

The dogs howled all night in competition with the neighboring wolves.

Basil & Hummus Vegetable Sandwich

2010-08-10T08:53:00.000-06:00

As promised, more [simple] recipes and food photography to accompany it.

Basil & Hummus Vegetable Sandwich:
[place on a piece of bread]
hummus.
a few slices of tomatoes.
some slices of cucumbers.
half an avocado.
some alfalfa (or broccoli) sprouts.
basil leaves.

Dog.

2010-08-09T09:57:00.001-06:00

Stretching.

Streets and Taxis

2010-08-07T08:13:00.000-06:00

No. 1
If you find the international art school, go to the top where the film program is located, continue on up some stairs, crawl through a window and turn a corner, this is what you will see: rows of cars down narrow streets of Austro-Hungarian architecture pocked with holes from war.

No. 2
They say if you are going to take a taxi in Sarajevo, that Sarajevo Taxi is the only trustworthy company in town. I found Samir i Emir as well as every other service to be just as good. It's like the conflict with Serbia and Croatia, there are good people and bad people everywhere, you cannot hate one whole group, just the bad people. Taxis are less serious, however.

Hip Hop Girls, Sarajevo

2010-08-06T08:07:00.001-06:00

"We're into hip hop. There aren't many beautiful things here because we're used to it, once we are done with school we hope to leave this place. There are not many hip hop people here, everyone thinks we're crazy for it. We just love the style of everyone."
-Džemeta & Adma, fifteen years old.
Photo taken while they were taking pictures with a friend's camera phone in a park in Sarajevo.

Shaky Waterslides

2010-08-03T09:13:00.000-06:00

This could be a scary movie.
But don't worry, it's just some waterslides. It's been a while since I posted some Holga work, mainly because I haven't shot with it for a while. But I do have two recent rolls to develop. These were taken back in March or April at Seven Peaks Water Park in Provo, Utah. They're a little shaky, I wanted them completely out of focus, but I liked the way they turned out being shaky. Holgas, thanks for making my life even more unpredictable.

This Lovely Lady

2010-08-02T08:24:00.007-06:00

This lovely lady had a baby this weekend! Adelynn Joan Erikson.
Melanie was my first adventure buddy in Utah and more or less lived with me for the first two years of school at BYU until she married Davis, and now they just had a baby, which I am really excited about.
I shot a lot of this session on film, but only a few of these are from the medium format film I shot, the rest are from my digital camera.

To see more, click HERE.

Interiors and Exteriors of Butcher Shops, Bosnia

2010-07-30T09:51:00.000-06:00

Interior: Sarajevo
Exterior: Zenica

Blueberry Apricot Salad [Home-grown, Home-made]

2010-07-28T10:20:00.004-06:00

I decided that I should maybe learn how to cook. Belonging to a community garden as well as having many plants of my own in my yard, plus Provo's Saturday Farmer's Market, I have a lot of fresh produce that I should eat. Another summer goal, besides learning how to cook, is taking more food photographs. Fortunately for me, they go hand in hand.

This salad was really easy, the trick for me was the salad dressing because I had never made one before. I'm a novice...so it's simple, but tasty.

Blueberry Apricot Salad:
[toss]
a variety of lettuce.
kale.
chard.
blueberries.
fresh (and/or dried) apricots.

Blueberry Dressing:

[blend]
1 cup white wine vinegar.
1/4 cup sugar.
a handful of blueberries.

The lettuce from this salad came from a community garden as well as a friend's private garden. The apricot's from a friend's tree. The blueberries from the farmer's market.

Ermelinda.

2010-07-27T08:39:00.000-06:00

My neighbor in Bosnia, Ermelinda [Linda].
Photograph taken in her home with her drawing board from architectural school.

Spanish Fork Fiesta Days (Digital)

2010-07-26T09:18:00.000-06:00

If there is a carnival within a 80 mile radius, you can pretty much guarantee that I will be there. Every year Spanish Fork has "Fiesta Days", aka an excuse to have a carnival. I went on Saturday night and rode some rides, took a few pictures. This is my favorite of the digital images I took. I also took my Holga (the ideal carnival camera), it proved successful once before, so we shall see what comes out of it when I develop my pictures. If so, there will be another Fiesta Days post, if not, this may be it until the Utah County Fair (August 18-21).

Lipstick.

2010-07-24T09:09:00.001-06:00

"They all had the same lipstick stain."
At a taxi que, Sarajevo, Bosnia.

I've been doing a lot of this lately

2010-07-22T08:09:00.000-06:00

It's summer and summers in Provo, Utah mean outdoor adventures. I've been spending a lot of time outside between camping, hiking, rock climbing, going off rope swings, and just sitting around campfires. These pictures are from Zion's National Park, but more will come soon not only from Zion's but other places I've been recently. It'll be a nice little break from all the Bosnia work I've been developing and scanning.

What if...

2010-07-21T10:51:00.000-06:00

What if I did a series of images from Sarajevo that looked something like this.
[Rough version of my developing idea.]
Juxtaposing current pictures with pictures of war. Visualizing how although the war is over and people have moved on, there is still an underlying current of war, everybody has a story they tell whether provoked or not. It still is there although initially you wouldn't think so.
Just a thought.

no. 1 [The Miljacka River Decision]

2010-07-20T11:19:00.001-06:00

No. 1.

While feet my were soaking in the Miljacka River, I realized that I could not extend my stay in Sarajevo.

Patsy and Greg, then and now.

2010-07-19T10:17:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I like to go through old pictures. I am always surprised at what I find, sometimes thinking I only got one good pictures out of a shoot I find five more to edit, and sometimes I have just down right forgotten what I did. This session was one of those, where I forget about it for one reason or another and I never posted their engagement pictures on my blog. I photographed Patsy and Greg nearly a year ago, and it's interesting to see what I did just a year ago, how I photographed and then edited my pictures. Interesting to see how my style has changed (and then hasn't) since then. I found a few that I liked from the shoot, didn't re-edit them as I would have today, but rather just grabbed a few favorites and wanted to post them (however I am sure the top 5 I found today are different than what I would have chosen this time last year). It's funny how you change, but then again, how you don't at all.

Nautical Symbols: Split, Croatia

2010-07-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

Images taken on a dock in Split, Croatia during a trip that happened by chance and seemed to work out better than planned.

Half way point of a show.

2010-07-15T22:34:00.002-06:00

I realize I maybe should have done this two weeks ago. I mentioned that I put up an exhibit a few posts back and figured that should have done the trick, but I have been told that it wasn't good enough. So, here is my plug to go to Salt Lake and see my exhibit at Cafe on 1st. It is just a collection of images, many new ones that I have taken in the last 6 months, and then some old that I have shown in other places. It's also a new cafe that has opened up, so while there, get a sandwich or drink. They are tasty and the space is really nice, too.

Portrait of a Business Man

2010-07-14T09:45:00.000-06:00

I feel like I have been extremely busy with my photography lately. I don't know how much of that is truth and how much of that is me being busy thinking about it. I have nearly completed my darkroom, finishing up all the construction just this morning of sealing off cracks, cement, and building a ventilation system as well as a water system. Now, I just have to mix chemicals, organize my working space, and I am set. My Bosnia project is also still quite in the works, but it is consuming nonetheless as well as a new website. I have been doing a lot of projects, but not a lot of shooting. However, I was able to shoot Sam just a little while back. He is a business man out of Orem, working for New Hype and is getting an article published in a Russian business magazine coming up. He came to me to get some headshots done to accompany the article. So, if anyone happens to be reading up on business in Russia sometime soon, perhaps you will see a portrait of this man.

Office Interiors, Sarajevo

2010-07-13T08:23:00.004-06:00

The first is from a car dealership while the second is from a random office both in Sarajevo. The first struck me because it was just a desk, chair, and a piece of paper on the wall next to the window looking out over a building bombed during their recent civil war. This is the first building that I really saw that was destroyed by the war, on my first full day in the city. I had driven into town and went on a small tour with Linda, the woman whose family I lived with. On this tour we went around and she shower me Center, while running a few errands. One of which was to get her car fixed. As we sat in the office, I noticed the next office over and the building that once was there, now as a view for the customer.

The second is just an office, the only thing in it, a phone. Not even a table for it to sit on. This is in probably one of my favorite buildings in Sarajevo, green and yellow. More pictures of that to come, potentially even its own blog post.

Three Generations and Cigarettes

2010-07-12T09:52:00.002-06:00

Three women, sitting on a tall stoop outside of their home smoking cigarettes.

My project is still a secret (because I am still working on it and don't want to say exactly what it is yet mostly), but I can almost guarantee that this image will be in my exhibit.

Untitled Portrait.

2010-07-11T21:10:00.005-06:00

A man on the street outside of a mosque in center. He was hard of hearing, so much more information couldn't be gotten from him.
Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Also! Sent off my last 7 rolls of film to be developed from Sarajevo. Close to being done. Well, with the second stage of my project.

Details from Inside Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque.

2010-07-10T09:27:00.000-06:00

Books and prayer beads inside of Gazi Husrev-beg's Mosque in center of Sarajevo.

Two Women on a Bench, Split, Croatia

2010-07-09T08:13:00.000-06:00

Two women and the Adriatic Sea.
I like to think they are old friends. Or that perhaps they just met that day.
Split, Croatia.

Street Vedors, San Francisco

2010-07-07T11:23:00.001-06:00

Mom

2010-07-06T09:16:00.000-06:00

My mother.

Tattooed Train

2010-07-05T10:11:00.002-06:00

I think all trains in the world look like this, some a little more advanced than others, but yet they all wear the same decoration.

I'm hanging a show today in Cafe on 1st in Salt Lake City (1st Ave and I-Street). It'll have some newer pieces that I haven't put old for sale yet, but also the cafe is just really great. Then, I am off to Zion's National Park for a few days, so if you need me, you'll just have to wait until Wednesday.

Group of Children, Gypsy by Birth.

2010-07-02T12:01:00.002-06:00

I know that gypsies are not exactly the most trustworthy people, crying over "dead" children, holding fake babies, or laughing and then the moment they see you start sobbing and asking for money. But, I still love them. Maybe because I am jealous at how free they are to just do whatever, granted, their lives are hard because they have to beg and steal for everything they want and need, but yet, they are free. You can especially tell this with the children. Perhaps it is because they don't understand yet, or because they are kids just like every other kid, except they are not told to stay out of the dirt and can just play in the park all day and not go to school and not have to put on shoes. For a kid, sounds like quite the life. For me, that sounds ideal. They love being photographed though, which I should have taken more advantage of. However, they do demand money for it, or cherries, or sometimes both then they jump on you to try to take whatever they can out of your bag or pockets. Nonetheless, I still love them and slightly envy them.

A Sarajevo Garden, Diptych

2010-07-01T14:29:00.002-06:00

The Upside

2010-06-30T09:28:00.001-06:00

There is a restaurant opening up soon in Provo called The Upside. It will be full of organic, healthy, yet tasty foods. I got to recently photograph some of their foods for their website and menu. Here are just a few of the images. Also, they are looking for local artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, you name it to feature on their website. So if you happen to be any of the above, check it out and submit some of your work. Also, just go to their website in general to see the menu, what they're all about and updates on the grand opening.

Themed old mattress and exterior of a home

2010-06-29T09:10:00.002-06:00

If you start in Old Town and walk up the crooked stone street near Baščaršija, veer towards the right past the metal workers and the large graveyard. Continue to climb up the steep streets, past the women hanging their clothing, stop for a drink at the fountain at the top of one stretch, and continue climbing. Eventually you will find a Muslim graveyard with two gravediggers who appear at every Muslim graveyard it seems, they will offer water. Take it, they are good people. Turn to the right and walk past a few homes and you will see a spectacular view, with Sarajevo on one side, and the city-less valley on the other. Continue to walk towards the military base and you will find this home, in between many trees and under the sky, with a beautiful garden, chickens, and a mattress sitting outside the front door which perfectly matches the rest of the home.

Double Vision.

2010-06-26T22:06:00.000-06:00

Gyspy Boy with Popsicle

2010-06-25T10:34:00.003-06:00

I have made it back and found a few moments to start scanning in negatives from my project (horray!). I haven't developed all my rolls yet, but I figured I'd at least get a good head start on things by scanning some in.

This is a gypsy boy who I ran into on a side street. He was rummaging behind a garbage can in this back room to find his coat. Although it was cold, he still was eating a popsicle, which he insisted on being photographed with.

Playgrounds and remnants of war

2010-06-23T02:31:00.000-06:00

A slide, graffiti, and bullet holes.

Racer's, Provo, UT

2010-06-22T10:08:00.002-06:00

Some images I shot for an assignment of Racer's Cycle Service in Provo, UT, founded by Racer who has worked on many bicycle repair teams for world class events, as well as is a Short Track National Champion. For their website with a location and more information, go here.

I am now back in Utah, so if you need photographs of your family or your business, let me know.

Farm-town, Oregon

2010-06-21T01:36:00.000-06:00

Policajac

2010-06-19T02:54:00.000-06:00

Policajac (the policeman)

The Tunnel

2010-06-18T01:10:00.003-06:00

There is an underground path that goes from one part of Sarajevo to the airport, under once Serbian lines as a method of escape and to get resources. This week on for a a few hundred meters, as people hunched over walked in hopes of escaping war. The tunnel is still around today, although you can only walk 25 meters through it with a museum on top filled with photographs of war and a film of home footage of the siege. This home claims to be the exit of the tunnel, however, it is still heavily disputed with the neighbor across the street (first picture) who claims to the point of painting it on his house, that his home is the real portal to the tunnel.

The cost of entrance to this site: 5km plus a taxi to the obscure home, sitting in a typical neighborhood.

The Piano

2010-06-17T10:54:00.000-06:00

A piano. Shot during the Portland wedding.

Bus Windows, No. 2

2010-06-16T03:23:00.000-06:00

Somewhere between Međugorje and Split.

Bus Windows, No. 1

2010-06-15T03:55:00.000-06:00

I feel like I have spent a lot of time recently in buses.

Somewhere between Mostar and Međugorje.

Croatia. Contest. Comment.

2010-06-14T01:39:00.000-06:00

Split, Croatia.

I am coming back from the Balkans (and various other adventures) soon. I tried to extend the date for another month, but as money is our masters, it was going to be too pricey to extend the trip another month. Not exactly worth it. However, that means I will be back in the States and ready for some picture taking for all your wedding, family, business, needs. Next time though, I am buying a one way ticket. Since I am coming back, we're going to play my favorite game: a giveaway. The deadline is the day I get back to Utah: June 22. Same rules as last time, just different pictures to choose from, actually any picture you desire is yours. You have the whole blog to choose from as well as previous sittings, and my website. Matted and 11x14.

There are multiple ways that you can enter, and so, you can have multiple entries. So do them all (multiple times), and you have a better chance of winning. If you haven't won yet, don't be ashamed to enter again, or if you have one, still enter.

#1: The Comment. Comment on this post. Any topic, but if you need one, the topic: Summer. It can be your favorite summer activity, food, holiday, feeling, no matter. Jut summer. I like summer, and so should you.

#2: The New Media. Post about this contest on your blog. Or twitter about it. If you twitter about it, just use @brighteyedphoto so I can track it. If you post it on your blog, however, be sure to e-mail me or comment about it so I know because that is harder to follow. If you want to spice up the blog post to draw attention, use one of my photos, and I am ok with that for contest purposes.

#3: Something in Return. Book a sitting with me for when I return for you, your family, your business, whatever. Or you don't feel like it, order a print from my site, if there's a new print you like and not on there, e-mail me, and I'll make sure you can get it.

Do all 3! Enter a million times, win a print.

Sarajevo Marlboro.

2010-06-13T10:52:00.001-06:00

Graveyard of the Dead 1992-1995

2010-06-12T02:00:00.001-06:00

There is a graveyard on the north side of Sarajevo specifically for those who died in the recent civil war. I don't know the story correctly, so I won't tell it, but it is a graveyard specifically for either the Christian Orthodox of Serbia or the Catholics of Croatia. I'm not sure, but what I do know is the graveyard is quite large with over probably a thousand tombstones. And that was just for those who could make it to a graveyard to bury those they love, there are plenty of tombstones in every patch of grass you see in the city and out. And that is what I do know.

Boots and Tub.

2010-06-11T00:52:00.003-06:00

The other day I was thinking about double exposures and how much I love them. There is just a mystery and charm to them that is hard to capture with photography. I needed a break from my documentary work and figured heading outside for some double exposures would do the trick and be refreshing, a little surprise when I got my roll developed.

Protest.

2010-06-10T02:48:00.000-06:00

A recent protest of the Turkish community regarding the seize of the ship in Gaza.

Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

2010-06-09T00:20:00.000-06:00

Shipwreck on the coast at Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon.

The garden, Ilidža

2010-06-08T02:07:00.001-06:00

I live out in a nature area of sorts called Ilidža, where since it's a nature area, there should be no homes, but I live in one anyways. It's beautiful, with long paths that lead to the springs which it is famous for. My house has a beautiful garden with two dogs and two children. The gate is broken, so you have to go across boards and under trees to get to the house, making it feel like you are going through the woods to find your home. These are a few shots from the garden. The first one, I'm not sure what happened. It's fine on the negative, but when I edited it, it went crazy, but I liked it, so I kept it.

Balcony supported from below

2010-06-07T02:23:00.002-06:00

I originally photographed this building because I liked the why everything was stacked on top of one another, the way that it seemed to be a strictly vertical heap of windows and electrical boxes with clothing and satellite dishes in between. And then I noticed the balcony, supported by the neighbors below, who put up poles to keep the laundry from crashing in on below.

Rain rain rain.

2010-06-06T00:56:00.002-06:00

The first week I was here was nothing but sun, everybody had claimed that I brought in the good weather, making my welcome extra warm with the thought that the sun followed. However, the rain has settled in for the last week, making me think that it was just a temporary thing and now Bosnia is used to me and back to its rainy days.

The Butcher, London Style

2010-06-05T12:20:00.001-06:00

Butcher in Brixton, London. An Afro-Carribean district of London near my aunt's flat. I decided if I were to move to London, I'd move here. Even spoke some Spanish while here, which I love.

Skylines of Sarajevo

2010-06-04T02:11:00.001-06:00

I found a man near my house who works at the Kodak store and will develop and scan my negatives for like 3USD. Amazing. So, I will actually be posting things from Sarajevo now!

These are different skylines of the city. The fields out by my house, the different church buildings downtown, and some more modern apartments out to the north of town.

Get ready for more pictures, and maybe, just maybe, I can get back to daily blogging again.

Kiddies at the Kiddie Park

2010-06-03T08:11:00.000-06:00

Last summer I got to photograph a friend from high school and her family. She asked me to take pictures a year later. I've been wanting to do family pictures at the Kiddie Park off Broadway in San Antonio for a while and I finally got to! It was fun, and the location is perfect. However, we didn't know about a large private event during our shoot, but somehow we were able to stay and play and photograph without being kicked out (although a million kids running around is quite distracting for a nearly 2 year old).

To see more, go to my proofing site!

The Good, The Bad, and London.

2010-06-01T12:27:00.002-06:00

So I figured out the whole energy situation, and so now I am good to go! However, I haven't shot a thing on digital since getting to Bosnia. Minor issue which can easily be resolved. I also don't want to spend hours infront of my computer editing...so who knows how much you'll actually see until I come back, sorry about that. We'll see how much I end up getting on here in the next month. But I'll have some old posts that have been needed to be posted as well as some new stuff. So stay tuned.

Jet lagged, 4:30am, London.

An update from Sarajevo

2010-05-30T10:52:00.002-06:00

SARAJEVO!

When I had thought about Sarajevo before coming here, and hearing the stories of how there are still holes in the buildings from guns and bombs during the war, I didn't understand. I couldn't figure out why they just couldn't "fix" it, cover it up, repaint, tear down the bombed out buildings. What I didn't realize, is nearly every building is marked and that would be nearly impossible without tearing down the entire city. What I still don't understand, is why certain buildings had to be hit. Like buildings which are clearly apartments and homes. I understand libraries, universities, museums, but places where it is just obviously civilians, I will probably never understand. However, life goes one, people still live in apartment complexes once sprayed along the line of fire and look out of their office windows into bombed out buildings now being overgrown with vegetation, repairing the holes with trees and ferns.

The people here are strong. Everybody has a story about the war. Even those who I can't understand (my Bosnian is rough), I know they talk about war through the hand motions of bombs and pointing to eyes and ears, which would explain why they aren't responding to my questions. The old people talk about the war, the younger talk about the war, even if they weren't here for it, they always throw in the fact that they were born in Germany, Kosovo, etc. because the war was going on, but they are Bosnian. I am reading a book called Sarajevo Marlboro, written by a Bosnian journalist, translated to English. 27 stories of the war from individuals point of view, small vignettes of their lives which help me understand what it was like. The people did and still do look out for one another, more so than in any other place I've been. One story in another book I read was about a shoe maker who told a customer to buy shoes from the man next door, he has already sold one pair and thus could feed his family that day, the man next door had a wife and two children who also needed to eat. That is how the people are here.

I have spent most of my time with Internationals. I live with a family who is American and Dutch, the kids speaking many languages. They go to a school with mainly international students and it is fascinating to talk to these people, all doing good things for others through aid and service all over the world. They're the kind of people who don't just talk.

I had been told that the Mormon church was not here. However, upon meeting a few people who had talked to a few others, the church is here. They had actually heard I was coming from one of their daughter's friends in Idaho, but nobody was sure exactly where I would be or how to get a hold of me to let me know they were here, which I find to be downright crazy. There are just 8 of us who meet on Sundays in a home in town, but it is here. The church had missionaries here during Tito's days of this being Yugoslavia, however, when it split and with war and what not, somewhere during that time it had become illegal. Nobody really knows of what happened to the members, however, there is one Bosnian member that we know of who lives outside of town. Other than that, it was just us 8 Americans.

I am having a hard time narrowing down what to photograph, there are so many interesting places and people, but they all revolve around the pain of war. I want to show how things have changed, how progress is being made, but it is difficult to show that. I still have 3 weeks, hopefully this week will be the week I figure my project out so I can spend the rest of my time working on it. The people who I have met are helping, exposing me to the right people and places to help me understand Bosnia and it's complicated history.

Bosnia has always been known for its water, a traveler in the late 1800s wrote that he had counted 110 fountains in the city alone, all flowing with perfect, cold water from underground springs. Many are on top of hills, so when you reach the top, you are rewarded with a drink. These were vital during the war when the water got shut off, keeping the people alive. There is a fountain in the center of town, and legend has it, if you drink from it, you will never want to leave. I fill up my water bottle everyday hoping that I never will have to.

The Backyard. Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels, Texas

2010-05-28T11:15:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time I snuck into the back lot for Schlitterbahn where they repair the buses and store thing for during the off season.

The Alamo City (featuring Sam and Roxanne)

2010-05-26T11:40:00.005-06:00

Nothing says "San Antonio" and "wedding" like the Alamo, right? Probably not, but doesn't matter. As I said in the previous post of this lovely couple, Roxanne and I grew up together here in San Antonio, Texas. Sam is from Springville and they got married in Utah, but while in San Antonio, Roxanne wanted some "San Antonio" type shots featuring some of the Spanish architecture and main sites. It quickly turned into one of my favorite sessions that I've done, running around my home town with old friends.

Once again, if you can't get enough of this, there are more, just click here!

SARAJEVO!

2010-05-23T10:44:00.002-06:00

I made it through London and onto Sarajevo. It's beautiful here. I'm still trying to figure out the internet situation (as in I can't get it working on my computer) as well as I'm trying to figure out electricity.. because I can't currently plug in my computer without frying it. Hopefully more to come and more pictures as well if I can get everything plugged in and running.