An Anachronism

Woahh big word... Anachronism means something that is misplaced in time, or something that is out of place. An example of this would be of someone wearing Lincoln's top-hat today. Historical movies and documentaries also use anachronisms when they accidentally show a phone or laptop that didn't exist back in the day. Another example would be- 

 A tall sailboat on the Hudson River. Yea crazy right? A boat, which resembles an old, antique, 17th century sailboat, looks odd sailing in front of NYC. See why it's an anachronism? We're so used to seeing jet skis and private yachts and cruise ships, a sailboat no longer mentally fits on the surface. 

 In literature, anachronisms are used artistically to bring attention to a detail, and it can be used rhetorically or comedically.  And since I'm really into artistic photo effects now, I applied an art filter to bring attention to the ship and background. 

Late Halloween Special

Welcome horror and halloween lovers! If you haven't been spooked or creeped out this season, you're in for a treat 'cause this post may just do the trick. And while you're at it, watch the movie Annabelle if you haven't already. Why? Cause it's just that good. 

This halloween, I took some pictures at a nearby untroubled farm. I've also included some doll pictures and the story behind them (my favorite part). 

Warning: the following post contains creepy images and may trigger shrieks :)

The corn maze on the farm welcomed my sister and I with open arms. Thank goodness it didn't say "enter at your own risk" or "caution: zombies inside". Although... it did have a "do not enter" tape along the path of the maze. 

Word of advice... it's more fun if you don't use a map in a corn maze. Be adventurous! Get lost in there! But as your parents have taught you, don't talk to strangers...it maaay get sketchy.

These corn stalks were intimidating, so I made this picture intimidating as well. It's overflowing with contrast and so much detail, I can't look at it for too long. 

Don't laugh at this scarecrow, it's a little funny lookin' and it may attract the crows instead of scaring them, but look at how charming and tough it looks.  

And by any corn field is a pumpkin patch stocked with fresh pumpkins to grow old together. 

After picking the plumpest pumpkin available, my sister carved the usual jack-o-lantern face. 

I took the following doll pictures at a museum a while ago, and I've been waiting 'til halloween to post them. What better occasion to show dolls than this holiday?

So the story of Annabelle, a supposedly possessed doll, has been featured in many movies and even has a movie of its own. If you know the story of the freakish doll, kudos to you. But you're about to read the real stories behind these haunted dolls. 

This doll was once a part of an orphanage on a farm in West Virginia. This doll was loved and played with for generations on the farm, until a young girl was pushed off the swing and died quickly from a broken neck. Since then, the doll has been witnessed to release chilling sounds and whispers, as well as alarming apparitions at night. It's also been known to harm other dolls, hence the one-eyed-bear in the mirror. The farm has been abandoned now, and the doll has been roaming from family to family... being passed off as demonic. 

This doll is one of many dimensions; its first owner and doll-maker remains unknown. However, this doll's story was investigated in the 70's after its second owner, a girl in her teens, complained of hearing moans and grunts at night. Terrified, her friend called her a fool and took the doll to prove her wrong. This friend complained of hearing the moans as well as scratching sounds on the floor boards at 3am every night. 

The friend immediately got rid of it, and the doll appeared 5 years later in the house of a woman, who was in her twenties. She recalled the doll giving moans & scratches, and even claimed that the doll could fall to the ground on it's own, as shown in the picture. She said she picked up the doll from the floor multiple times even though no one said to have touched the doll. She got rid of the doll as well.

  The doll's investigation by the local police came to no conclusion. 3 years later, after being found in a girls school, paranormal hunters claimed this doll to be "possessed". This is another photograph of that haunted doll.

This doll, along with Annabelle and many others, have been the subject of nightmares for many young girls. These girls have stayed up hiding under bedsheets and screaming at night, too terrified to turn off the light. 

Disclaimer: no dolls were harmed in the making of this post. 

P.s. I hope the dolls and grim stories didn't spook y'all too much! Funny story, I was super creeped out by the dollies for a day or two after I took the pics, but now I just laugh and gaze at them. Happy halloween! :)

P.s.s.  JK! These are all my dolls, not a museum's, creepy right? And the doll stories are fake.. I made them up! Or did I? :)

Meet Ginger Tea

Who doesn't love a steaming hot cup of herbal tea in the evening? It could be after you eat a meal and feel guilty for eating too much, or when you feel unhealthy in the tummy? Doesn't tea just make you feel more purified? It's as if a vacuum cleaner went through your body and sucked every unhealthy bit out the system. Ahh, herbal tea on a dreary evening is the best.

In case you are one of those uneducated people living with Starbuck's coffee on a busy morning, here's what herbal tea is... it's herbal and all natural. There are healthy herbal tea bags but sometimes it's caffeinated. But all that's in the tea bag is dried leaves and all natural seeds and whatnot. Simple and sweet. And tea is super duper healthy... naturally cleans impurities in the body, boosts immune and digestive systems, helps skin, helps hair, helps the brain, helps stress, helps relax, helps sleep, etc. etc. So if you haven't tried herbal tea, and not just a Dunkin' Donuts iced tea, then you better get started right away. 

If you don't find the necessity to buy tea bags, make it at home! Here's how to make some fresh ginger tea at home. 

Need:

• 1 mug
• 1 pot to boil water
• 1 spoon
• 1 cup water
• 3-4 slices of fresh ginger
• 1-2 spoons of lemon juice (optional)
• 1 spoon of honey (optional)
• 2-3 mint leaves (optional)

Cut 3-4 slices of ginger. Allow the ginger to soak in boiled water to soak up the ginger-goodness      for 20 minutes.

 Once through, strain and pour the boiled water into a cup. Add the honey for some sweet flavor. It's healthier to use honey as a substitute for sugar in any tea. 

Drop some lemon juice because hey, why not cleanse and boost your body while you're at it. 

Drop in the optional mint leaves for some minty freshness. 

This was my little work station afterward making the ginger tea. 

... And the view from above.

You can even let the ginger soak in the water overnight, boil it in the morning, transfer it into a flask, and have hot tea to last for the whole day. Much healthier than coffee y'all.

Now, I'm not saying coffee is bad for you, because it has its own set of health benefits, but add tea to the daily mix! No harm in doing so!

P.S. Starbucks should sell their own ginger tea. What do you think of this advertising?

One Filter, One Vision

With all this politic talk floating around in the US, it got me thinking. How 'bout I unify my recent pictures? And what better way to make them one than to use a filter.
I delved into a search for one filter I liked, and this one is called "marine". 

Freshly planted garden flowers 

I was playing with the every aperture setting... settled on this.

A small version of a curry leave plant in the dark. 

A tiny baby cucumber sprout that, one upon a time, grew indoors.

Frozen oranges... that's all. 

Coriander leaves on its way to becoming a side dish.

That precious time when the flowers bloom in our front yard.

I drove on the highway for the first time on the way to this picnic by the lake. 

This dahlia was harvested in those perfect flower farms, a show flower for a day, and finally ended up in our flower pot. 

Thing is, I'm guilty of avoiding filters that are commonly used, like "process", common on the iPhone with blue and green tints. Those filters just drown the impression of the picture. Although, gotta love black-and-white filters; they look stylishly retro and possess a dramatic look.

Past my opinion, here's photo-filtering 101

Pick the photo that best represent the mood and story of the picture. Keep an eye out for light, which is the most important aspect of your picture. Make sure the filter brightens your pic well and doesn't conceal any details. Keep the colors bright and balanced because pretty much all pictures mess with the color and tone. But more or less importantly, let the filter bring out what you like most in that picture. It'll work even if it's not an A+ picture.

I've read that the most popular filters out there are those that turn up the warmth, exposure, and color. And if you're one who routinely uses a filter on social media, it's been said that using the right filter will get you almost 40% more attention. Fact is, the general population likes filters.

Just be wary. People typically look for a natural look, even with a filter on. So too much saturation and light doesn't look pleasing. Just be wary.

Weed a Wish

Weeds are huge inconvenience; a disgrace to the garden. It makes your yard look like a car that's been trashed with popcorn. And the car becomes dirtier every season, just like the family of weeds spreading every season. They're the grasses' worst nightmare. 

And these weeds, these dandelions, may just be the worst. You see them everywhere, around the mailbox all the way to the vegetable garden. I think they just can't compromise with us... We try to put 'em out, day after day, spending money on weed killers time after time. But they're just being lazy bums. Why can't they turn off their lights?

These weeds have secrets, some we've discovered. They have a way to get around the yard as well. After the flowers come, these little furry puff balls appear and take over. With the help of the wind, there's no end.

But these stubby fuzz balls are more commonly associated with those wishing superstitions. Kids make a wish and blow the seeds away and well, their wishes supposedly come true. I may, sorta, possibly, have blown a wish on this one...

Morning Routine

Heaps and stacks of times, we zoom through a morning and don't grasp what we're doing. What I mean is, our minds are so busy thinking about the excitements and stressors about to happen in the day, we don't take the minute to focus our attention on the moment. For example, when we brush our teeth in the morning, are we thinking about our teeth being fresh and clean, or are we actually thinking about what we're going to have for lunch? 

Taking pictures of our everyday lives helps us stray away from thinking in a certain mindset as well. This mindset is something I think many people have in photography- pictures look great only when the subject is cool. For instance, one will think they should photograph a superb sunset, or city lights or a visit to the zoo, but don't think our everyday moments are good enough.

For those reasons, I documented a morning in our house, from the time we wake up, until breakfast. Taking pictures of such simple activities made me realize that I often don't pay attention to details in the morning myself. It also made me think differently... photographically speaking. I had to think hard about how to make something so ordinary, look appealing and tell a story. So here's our morning:

Waking up from a groggy state and opening the curtains to get a glimpse of sunlight 

Then sluggishly dragging our feet to the bathroom and brushing our teeth 

Then quickly taking a bath to freshen up 

Putting on clothes and dressing our feet with comfortable socks

Looking in the mirror to look our best, despite those baggy eyes

Getting the hair tidied up

  

 Going downstairs to get a glass of liquid water... you thirsty yet?

Eating a very healthy breakfast, one order of eggs and a cup of milk

And getting the day going with a smile on the face

So how's your morning routine? Be in the moment and have a pleasant morning!

A-Z Objects

Here's an A to Z project/challenge that's really popular. The idea is to take a picture of an object that represents each letter of the alphabet. After reading about it, I jumped right in and started with the easy letters like O and X and S. I nailed 10 letters off the bat, and then I thought, how in the world am I going to find letters like K and G and M? I finished it all, thankfully due to my sister's brilliant and creative eye. I think she found more because she's younger, and therefore has more creativity left in her brain... or I'm just really bad at this activity. And we were able to find all 26 letters in just the family room and kitchen. The objects have to be naturally found in the letter; no creating the letters or moving things around to form the letters. Take the challenge!