Death of a Mustache

Due to those chili, windy winters that some all-knowing Diety chose to curse Idaho with it has kind of become a little tradition of mine to grow a beard during the darker months. I do this mainly because it keeps me from looking like a sunburnt racoon during ski season, and it keeps my face toasty warm on my walks to and from class. With the increase of blue skies and the slow migration in apparel from boots and ski jackets to sneakers and  t-shirts the time has come to rid myself of my hairy chin. But, thanks to a very patient and forgiving wife, I got to say goodbye to my facial hair in stages, the last of which was a very slick handlebar mustache. I was given one-week to shave it off, or else she was going to pluck it out with tweezers in my sleep. And so, until next spring, goodbye my mustachio.

New Year, New Shots

Well it's been over a month since my photography class ended. I was a little nervous that without an assignment to force me to go out and take pictures that my attempts at photography would slowly dwindle into a faddish attempt to be artistic. But, as luck would have it, I've been able to find some time to go out and shoot.  Photoshop seems to have become my after midnight vice when Ali is long asleep and I'm far from it. I've been trying to come up with one 'finished' photo a week, and even though that hasn't always been the case I've managed to scrape together 4 photos that I take particular joy in looking at. I hope you do too.

I actually shot this photo over the Christmas Break when I was in Boise with Ali's family. Ali's little sister Kelsey had just announced that she was moving out for a new town and a new college in Montana, and Ali an I had thought it'd be nice to get a picture of something from Boise as a nice reminder of home. So even though I wasn't sure what my final picture was going to be I packed up my camera gear and snuck out of the house at around 6 am to try and catch the sunrise over Boise. Unfortunately it was completely fogged over, but after getting permission to shoot from a Hotel Balcony (improper use of a tripod and remote trigger) I was able to put together this nice little panorama of the capitol building. In retrospect I really wish I'd put the dome closer to the upper third of the photo and balanced it with more sky, but whatever, Kelsey liked it and I don't think it's half-bad.

 This shot was a lucky find. My church hours shifted from 12pm to 9am with the New Year and Ali and I found ourselves with an excess of time on our Sunday afternoons. We figured a nice drive through the country side would be nice, but after 20 miles that ever so helpful gas-light popped on and we found ourselves counting miles to see if we would make it home. We rounded a corner and I saw this neat little bug barely peaking out from the snow. I gave Ali my "may I?" look and she consented on the promise that I couldn't run the car for fear of wasting gas, and that I couldn't let the car get cold while I was taking photos. So with a quick kiss I was out the door and high-stepping it through 18in of snow trying to get just the right shot. There were a fair amount of good ones, but this one seemed to come together the best. Also, we made it home without running out of gas :D

This shot actually came about due to a recent shoulder injury that placed my ski season on hold for a bit (a separated shoulder makes for a rough ride). It's really amazing how your perspective changes with injuries, and instead of seeing nothing but wonderful skiing snow I started realizing that by the time my shoulder was fully healed bike season would be near. It got me thinking, and this shot was my attempt to try and compose and express the rush of premature excitement I get whenever I realize that Spring is on the way. It was a fun little photo shoot to do, and I was able to get it all cleaned up before Ali came home and had to ask why I had a tripod in the kitchen, and why was I washing a bike chain in the sink. Sidenote: If you look at my right arm you'll see how I'm holding it up against my body for support. I had to take off my sling for the shot and it wasn't exactly comfortable.

 This guy I just finished this morning, and I'm exceptionally proud of it. This tree is in a field just south of Idaho Falls, and every time Ali and I make a trip to IF to visit the temple or family I've always had my camera bag secretly stashed in the trunk. I've been really wishing to photograph this tree for ages. Well last weekend when we came up for a mission farewell and to say goodbye to Kelsey as she left for Montana Ali gave me the green light to sneak away about an hour before sunset. It was freezing and I had to hike through 6 inches of snow for about 200 yards to get in position, but it was totally worth it. I'd hoped I'd be able to add some form of human element (a silhouette of someone standing next to the tree would be amazing), but I was too cold by the time I got out there and was getting colder fast. Maybe next time. Landscape photography has always captivated me, and its been fun to watch my style get more and more developed. It's not as perfect as one of Ron Southworth's landscape shots (a photographer who I'm certainly jealous of), but I feel like I'm getting somewhere as a photographer and its fun. Hope you enjoyed them.

Photography Class

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. I just finished my final project for my photography class and I figured I would share a few of my graded images.

Obviously these are from the reunion but I never finished stitching and editing it until I had access to photoshop.

 Same goes for this panorama of Heidelberg

 Some panoramas of around Pocatello

These last photos are my final project. I was trying to tell a story using still images.

The Final Hours

So I'm down to less than 24 hours until I, once again, leave Germany. All my things are packed up into their respective bags and boxes, and all that's left for me to do is sit and reminisce. It is amazing all the things that can happen in one year. Let alone a year in a foreign country. There was so much to learn, about the world, about my studies, and about myself. And now the time has come to move on to the next stage. Most of you have probably seen these pictures on facebook or whereever, but I figured I'd pull out a selection for the blog. I hope you enjoy.

Trail Dog

Just because every boy needs a dog to follow him around

Heidelberg at Night

More photos from the Fatherland. This blog's selection comes from a midnight excursion into my neighboring city of Heidelberg. This city is fun. Not only to photograph, but to simply walk around in. It dates back to before the time of Karl der Grosse (Charlemagne), and it the location of one of the three original Universities created during his reign. Needless to say, this city is old, like staircases and houses that're 2-3 times older than our constitution, old. It's also a really photographed/painted city and after looking at a few displays by local photographers I figured I'd give it a shot. I didn't get anything near as good as what I was trying to emulate, but I was really happy with my results. My favorites shot down below. Feel free to leave a comment as to which one is your favorite.(If this page ends up in German the link to the comments section is "kommentare" down where you normally find the comments link.)

This one isn't all that arsty, but the story behind it makes me laugh. So basically I was in the process of setting up this shot when a gaggle of drunk gals walks by. The see someone standing in the middle of the plaza with a tripod and camera and they obviously think he's setting up to take a photo of them. So in a fit of giggles and drunken hiccups they came running over begging for a picture. I tried to ignore them at first. But after ten minutes of them shouting for me to take a picture, and me remaining stoically silent it was clear they weren't going anywhere. I tried to appease them with one word answers like "Ja", "Monnem", and "Na klar" but that only made them more interested. Finally I consented and set my camera to stun, and after a couple of photos of appeasement they decided they wanted me in the photo as well. Well as the evidence clearly suggests working with drunks is a slippery slope, but finally after they felt significantly photographed and I'd declined to join them in their weekend escapades they went their way and I went mine. It was probably one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced but in the end entertaining.

The pathway that follows the Neckar to the Old City

The Center Market Plaza, complete with Cathedral

This staircase is older than Columbus and is one of the many paths up to the Castle. If you look carefully you can see an outline of one of the walls in the background.

Still playing with my Panorama Software, but here's the Bridge and Castle lit up at night.

A Panorama of the Bridge

This one is actually in Mannheim and may look familiar. My final tram home wasn't coming for another hour so I hustled down to the Watertower to try this shot I'd had in my mind for awhile. It's roughly 330 degrees around, and I need to go back for a second try because some of the shots didn't line up too perfectly, but I figured I'd show off the trial.

Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed this photos and maybe felt like you spent an evening walking the streets of Heidelberg with me.

Why I'm a lit major.

I'm sure all of you have heard of Harry Potter. Maybe even watched a movie or read a book or two about him. I've never been a Harry Potter trivia buff, and have only ever stood in line once for a midnight Harry Potter showing, but one thing I do love are books, and making connections and patterns with the characters in them. Some of you may have seen this floating around lately.

If you've read the books you'll know what I'm talking about. And I've seen some of friends say to themselves "Wow that blows my mind", and honestly it's really cool, and I feel like a late night infomercial salesman when I say this, "but wait there's more!" The following comments are a conversation between a buddy and I as my brain started going literary crazy. 30 min later this is what we had.

• Braden Karl LeSueur remind me....what is this meaning

  53 minutes ago ·
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  Jenny Porritt There are no words that express my love for Harry Potter.

  50 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas I wonder if Dumbledore is supposed to be death then? In the final book Voldemort gets the Elder Wand from Dumbledore. Snape becomes loyal to Dumbledore after Lillies death, and he despises Harry(brought back to the wizard world by Dumbledore) who is a part of Lilly that lived on past death. Harry gets the cloak from Dumbledore, and who else does he meet after he dies.. Mr. Dumbledore.

  45 minutes ago ·
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  Mark as Spam

  Jared Keetch Yeah. Dumbledore could indeed be the one who died for power. However, because of the way he died (arranging his death with Snape), I think that Dumbledore mended his ways BEFORE he met death, and, like Harry, eventually greeted death like an old friend. Therefore, I do like Voldemort as a representation of the first Peverell brother better.

  42 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas no.. I mean Dumbledore is DEATH. The one who gives each wizard in the myth his object

  39 minutes ago · · 1
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  Seth Thomas he's also the only person other than harry who possesses each item at least once in his life.

  38 minutes ago ·
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  Jared Keetch AhAh.

  38 minutes ago ·
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  Jared Keetch I understand now. I actually think that theory is pretty cool.

  38 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas makes me wonder what the river, and bridge mean?

  38 minutes ago ·
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  Jared Keetch You're the Lit. major. :). I'm just a kid who likes books.

  37 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas ‎:P Well it's fun

  37 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas also wasn't snape an orpan as well?

  37 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas if so then voldemort, snape, and harry all grew up without family

  36 minutes ago ·
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  Jared Keetch Yep. They indeed were all orphans, who took refuge at Hogwarts, finding their "home" there

  35 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas and all were under Dumbledore's tutelage there.. so basically we have symbolically the same individual with the same nurturing and surroundings who all grew into different people depending in their choices...

  33 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas a point that's shown very clearly in the very first book in which Harry chooses not to be in Slytherin, unlike his previous counterparts.

  32 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas I think I feel an essay coming on :)

  32 minutes ago ·
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  Jared Keetch This book is SO brilliant. And all those people who say that the 7th book was written with no thought. Ha.

  31 minutes ago ·
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  Seth Thomas

  If you want to go gospel on it, you also get the plan of salvation... Harry= Celestial(Has all the Deathly Hallows(Covenants), and uses them correctly(Virtuous living)), Snape=Terrestial(He's good but can never allow himself to be free of the mistakes of his past), Voldemort=Telestial(No remorse or willingness to better himself). Hogwarts= The World. Dumbledore=Christ/God. Each one is placed into the 'World' and always have access to "God", and each one is allowed to make their own choices. Choices that in the end result in who that person becomes. Voldemort rejects Dumbledore, Snape is on terms with Dumbledore but often disagrees with him, and Harry accepts Dumbledore as a tutor and mentor.

  23 minutes ago · · 1
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  Seth Thomas

  Only Harry however is able to overcome the evil inside him (the horcrux), and this happens only after he dies. Strangely enough he's met by Dumbledore in a very heavenly looking train station, and it is there that he is freed from the evil inside him. This also fits into the Hallows Myth in the fact that Dumbledore/Christ/Death are all symbolically holding the keys of death, and even though all die only Harry lives on. Given that the series ends there we never experience Harry's death, and so symbolically speaking Harry is immortalized. This is done primarily through the epilogue in which Harry is not only shown as having a happy life, but is also immortalized with his Wife, Friends, and Children. Who are also now being sent off on their own to Hogwarts *cough**cough* The World.

  15 minutes ago · · 1

  
  

  
  

I highly doubt J.K. Rowling meant all of this when she wrote the stories, but as humans we actually understand everything through symbols, and we use them consciously and subconsciously to communicate, and ever since mankind first learned to communicate we have been drawn to telling stories with symbols. There's alot more to it, but I just couldn't help but smile when I saw what came out. This is why I'm a Literary Analysis Major. It's just so FREAKING FUN, and in my opinion stories are a direct link to what the science calls the subconscious, and religion calls the soul. This is why poetry, books, movies, video games and whatever story telling medium that gets invented next seem to become a part of us, and we apart of them (Be careful you don't get too far drawn in or else you end up being someone dressed up as an overweight Batman at comicon). Just remember though... It's never 'just' a story.

This literary geek out is now over. You may now return your attention to whatever important task you were just doing.