Second Life

This project was pretty interesting, especially since I had never used this program before. It was nice talking to people from the different places that I visited and taking interesting shots of the people who I talked with.


Foxxies hostess, Audrey Trellis, welcomes visitors into the German ballroom Saturday night. She explains the dress code for visiting avatars, "Men must be in a suit or tux and women must wear a long gown before entering the ballroom."

Enchanted Prince Magika Lederberk and dance partner Enchantress DJ Sara Flinker take a break from their nightly dance in Foxxies ballroom, in Germany, Saturday night. Enchantress DJ Sara Flinker briefly states "I love dressing up my avatar and dancing with Magika almost on a daily basis, it relieves stress from the day and is fun."

out-take

Get a Job

The get a job assignment was honestly one that I put off until the end of the semester because I really didn't have any idea of what to do or who to ask. Every year, since I was little, the Holiday Toy Express comes through Southern California and raises money for the local firefighters food and gift drives during the holidays. My dad is the editor for a monthly train newsletter and the manager of the paper, Roy, wanted there to be photos from one of the stops that the train made on its journey up north. After talking with Roy, I decided to go to the Rancho Cucamonga station and take pictures of the decorated train. It was an amazing experience and I took some pretty neat pictures of the lit up train and the crowd. I had a lot of fun doing this and hope that the photos will be suffice for the newsletter.

Onlookers enjoy the festive music and foam snow while the Holiday Toy Express stops at the Rancho Cucamonga train station on Sunday night. Raquel Tristan (not pictured) says, "It's not just a train stopping, but they put on a little production which the kids get a kick out of. And so do the parents."

The Holiday Toy Express stops at the Rancho Cucamonga from on Sunday night. Raquel Tristan (not pictured) says, "My two boys love trains, so during the holidays they really enjoy coming to the station and admiring the festive train."

out-takes

Picture Story Pt. 3

Wow, was this assignment an ordeal or what? I had so many dillemas with this project (the museum not allowing photos to be taken!) but I'm thankful that it turned out the way that it did. I think that the story that I found was such a wonderful and inspiring one that I was glad to experience. Meghan was such a wonderful person to spend time with and learn about and I was so lucky that she was going to this Chanukah lighting with her. I think that a lot of young people have struggled or are struggling with their faith, and it really takes a lot for something to step out of their comfort zones and really get a hands on experience with something that they're unfamiliar with.

Picture Story Pt. 2

For the picture story part one, I met some tourists while I was in Los Angeles who had visited the Museum of Tolerance, which was my original idea for my final picture story. I talked to this individuals and got their feedback and opinions about their experiences at the museum. They were surprisingly comfortable with me asking so many questions and taking their portraits. I feel like I really lucked out meeting the two of them and was pleased with how their pictures came out, even though my idea for the museum didn't really pan out in the end.




Ren Doo, 22, a visitor from Turlock talks about his trip to the Museum of Tolerance on Saturday in Los Angeles. He states, "My friend, who I am traveling with, suggested going to the museum and I was initially hesitant because of my short attention span. But there were so many interactive exhibits and provoking visuals, which made it an enjoyable time."






Kelsey Mendenhall, 21, from Chico visits Hollywood Saturday and shares her experience after visiting the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. She states, "The time I spent at the museum was a very eye-opening and touching experience. It was my first time going, and it was fascinating to journey through the events of the Holocaust and racial oppression.

Student Life

For this assignment, I just took some photos in my work area, the Library on Campus, and outside around campus. It was fun taking my camera around with me and shooting what I see on a daily basis. I really took the assignment literally, being that we were supposed to shoot what is in front of us daily, but after critiques I realised that I probably should have planned out my day a little more. And I also feel like I could have picked better final photos to show to the class from my out-takes, but i was overall pleased with my outcomes.





Ana Vasquez, 23, works the Circulation desk in the Pollak Library on Tuesday morning. She talks about her experience as a student assistant, "I've been working in the library for several years, and I think on-campus jobs are very convenient. Working here has been pretty relaxed and my co-workers are all easy to get a long with."



Matthew Unger, 23, studies outside the Pollak Library on Tuesday afternoon. He says, "Since I commute from Lake Elsinore, I like to get to campus early so I can take my time reviewing class material and studying for exams. Over the years, I have found niches that I frequent whenever I come to school."

out-takes

Midterm

For the mid term I decided to just turn in one solitary picture that I had taken that really demonstrated the quote that I had to work with. I think that the whole idea of being yourself and doing crazy and spontaneous thing without caring about what other people think, is such an amazing concept. I thought this picture of my friend demonstrated this idea perfectly. I just loved the fact that he fearlessly was jumping around with him umbrella out in public. A lot of the shots that I had got were pretty blurry, but this one was just perfect. I love this picture and I was glad that I was able to turn it in.





"Even at the risk of looking foolish and of persons shaking their heads and whispering that you must be crazy, try new things."

#5. Sports Feature

For the sports feature I took pictures at an intramural soccer game on the CSUF campus on a Monday night. I was kind of nervous about how the shots would turn out since the lighting situation wasn't too great, but I had a lot of fun playing with the big lights that lit up the field. I love playing with light and experimenting with what is available, so this was a lot of fun for me. Unfortunately the games are much shorter than regular soccer games, so I didn't have as much time with the match as I had wanted, but I think I was successful in capturing some feature shots.

Two referees sit on the sidelines of a Monday night CSUF intramural match. Art Rodriguez, goalie for the Juventus, talks about the game, "It's cool because the refs are pretty fair and they are the same age as us [the players] which makes the game more enjoyable."

A few members of the CSUF intramural men's soccer league warm up before a match on Monday night at Cal State Fullerton. Art Rodriguez, goalie for the team, recalls his World Cup experience in Germany and how it inspired him to take up the sport in college. "Being in Germany, four years ago, for the Cup was such an eye-opening experience, I got to see my favorite German players and even got to have a few beers at the matches since the drinking age is much lower over there."

out-takes

#4. Sports Action

For the sports action assignment, I took photos on a Sunday morning at a field in Costa Mesa, where a bunch of teams from the AYSO soccer league were having matches. I felt like it would be nice to take photos little kids playing a sport instead of adults, because it's so different seeing lots of little people running around playing a sport. The light was kind of difficult to work with since it was the beginning of the day, but I had a lot of fun with this assignment and I think that my shots came out pretty good.

The Goblins and the Sharks, part of the AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) U5 Boys Division, chase after the ball Saturday morning at Fair Park in Costa Mesa. Patrick Arciniega, parent of a Goblin player, says, "This league has been such a great experience for our son. Ever since the World Cup ended this summer, he has been obsessed with the sport and now he is able to play and have fun."

The Goblins and the Sharks, part of the AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) U5 Boys Division, charge after the ball Saturday morning at Fair Park in Costa Mesa. Parent of a Goblin player, Patrick Arciniega, is impressed by the dexterity of the small team. "Game after game the boys' skill level seems to increase, and it's a really fascinating thing to witness."

out-takes

#3. Human Interest

For this assignment I went back to the Old World Village in Huntington Beach and basically just sat around with my telephoto lens and shot pictures of the people who were visiting the village. There weren't too many people, but there was a little bible study group meeting at the onsite church, so it was nice being able to take pictures of the little kids. I did have an issue with this assignment, because I felt a little creepy sitting around with my huge lens and taking photos. But that will have to be something I'll need to work on and get over the uncomfortableness of it.




A young waitress at the Old World German Restaurant, in the center of the Old world Village in Huntington Beach, prepares to seat people on Thursday afternoon. Axel Geub (not pictured), bartender at the neighboring Rathskeller Bavarian Pub & Restaurant talks about the service visitors receive, "The individuals who work in the shops and restaurants are very helpful and are very willing to share stories and answer questions about the traditions we celebrate here."



A young waitress at the Old World German Restaurant, in the center of the Old world Village in Huntington Beach, prepares to seat people on Thursday afternoon. Axel Geub (not pictured), bartender at the neighboring Rathskeller Bavarian Pub & Restaurant talks about the service visitors receive, "The individuals who work in the shops and restaurants are very helpful and are very willing to share stories and answer questions about the traditions we celebrate here."

out-takes

#2. Environmental Portrait

For this assignment I took pictures at the Old World Village in Huntington Beach one October evening. I took photos of my cousin who was visiting the village for the first time. She had actually been to Germany several years ago, so she really enjoyed the establishment and the little pub we went to. I also talked to the bartender and waitress who were very helpful and let me take photos at the bar area. Definitely a place to visit during Oktoberfest!

Chelsea Martens, 22, a Los Angeles Trade-Tech student from Simi Valley, has a pale ale while visiting the Rathskeller tavern found in Old World Village in Huntington Beach on Saturday. She shared stories about her trip to Germany in 2006, "I remember loving not only the sights in Germany, but also the food and beer. This place is such a great reminder of the awesome time I had."

Axel Geub, bartender at the Rathskeller pub which is nestled in the center of Old World Village in Huntington Beach, shares stories with guests, on Saturday, about the new home he's made in Southern California. "I'm originally from Bonn, Germany," he says, "but I like living in the states and have no intentions of moving back."

out-takes

#1. General News

For the first assignment of the course, I decided to venture over to the International Street Fair in Orange. The fair is known for having authentic food, drinks and entertainment found in countries all around the world. The Saturday that I went, there was an Eastern European band, Europa, who was playing a few sets during the day. I talked to the band members and they told me a little about where they have performed in the past and what kind of performance they put on. I wanted to shoot photos that emphasised their movement, because even when they were just playing their instruments and not dancing, they still appeared to be moving.



Adam Dvorechy (left) and Philip Kolbrich (right), of the folk band Europa, dance a Schuhplatter with volunteers from the audience at the International Street Fair in Orange on Saturday afternoon. Dvorechy, drummer for the band, elaborates on the traditional dance, "We perform a few Eastern European dances, one being the Schuhplatter with is a courting dance from Bavaria and Austria that men would dance to attract partners."



John Kolbrich (foreground) and Milan Dvorechy, part of the European folk band Europa play their set during the International Street Fair in Orange on Saturday afternoon. Kolbrich talks about the style of music that the band plays, "Our music and song choices are heavily influenced by Austrian, German, and Spanish music. We like to perform a diverse range of music, so that many people will enjoy our sets."

out-takes